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           Luxury Yachting Line To Sail SeaDream III In North & Baltic Seas On New Itineraries  
 
Having successfully sailed four Scandinavia seasons bringing travellers to  Norwegian Fjord villages that other lines cannot reach, SeaDream Yacht Club has announced that the luxury yachting line will return to Scandinavia and Northern Europe in summer 2025 with SeaDream II. The intimate, modernised yacht will embark on 14 memorable voyages from May - August 2025 and call on a total of 46 individual ports on seven- to 11-night itineraries. Guests will enjoy longer summer days and the midnight sun as they take in these breath taking destinations with late-night and midnight departures on all voyages. SeaDream II’s new 2025 Scandinavia and Northern Europe season is open for sale. For more information, please visit www.SeaDream.com.
           
“SeaDream Yacht Club is Norwegian-family owned and operated and Norway and Northern Europe is our backyard,” said Atle Brynestad, founder, owner and chairman of SeaDream Yacht Club. “We have selected some of the most breath taking and fascinating destinations throughout the region. Guests will enjoy one-to-one, personalised service on our yachts and sail through small channels and narrow waterways that larger vessels cannot enter for a distinctive yachting experience.”
 
SeaDream II starts her 2025 Scandinavia and Northern Europe season with a 10-night voyage departing 5 May from Lisbon to Bordeaux. Guests will enjoy late evening stays in port and overnight stays in Bilbao and Bordeaux. A special seven-night voyage departing 15 May will bring guests up the Thames to London, where the yacht will overnight alongside the historic HMS Belfast, adjacent to Tower Bridge.
 
Four voyages offering 10-night itineraries in June and seven-night itineraries in July highlight some of the most picturesque villages and fjord lands of Norway. Guests visit off-the-beaten-path destinations including Måløy, Kalvåg, Vik, Rosendal and Svolvaer. On these voyages, guests overnight in Reine, Lofoten Islands, where they can  take in the midnight sun. On  June voyages, SeaDream II also brings guests into the majestic Trollfjord of the Nordland.
 
SeaDream II will also sail six voyages to Northern European and Baltic destinations in Germany, Denmark and Sweden. Guests will sail between Oslo and Stockholm visiting Frederikshavn, Copenhagen and Ronne, Denmark and  seaside resort destinations of Warnemünde and Sassnitz, Germany.  Two voyages, a seven-night itinerary departing 24 May from London and a 10-night voyage departing 9 August from Oslo  transit the Kiel Canal and finish with two nights docked in Bordeaux where guests have convenient access to the city and surrounding experiences.
 
Travellers can also choose a voyage in the Baltic Sea, departing 11 July round trip from Stockholm. The ship calls at Visby, Sweden; Klaipeda, Lithuania; Kuressaare and Tallinn in Estonia and Helsinki, Turku and Mariehamn in Finland.
 
SeaDream II’s 2025 Scandinavia and Northern Europe season concludes with an 11-night, Spain and Portugal itinerary, which begins and ends with an overnight in Bordeaux and Seville, respectively. Ports of call include San Sebastian, Bilbao, A Coruna and Vigo, Spain and Portugal’s Porto and Portimao.
 
Further information from SeaDream Yacht Club tel 0800 783 1371 or visit www.seadream.com

 Riviera Travel is offering a free drinks package on all European river cruises departing in July and August 2023.
 
​The deal, available now, is applicable on bookings made up to February 28, 2023 with 82 departures to choose from, across 11 different itineraries. The itineraries, ranging from seven to 14 nights, cover countries such as France, Germany, Portugal, Austria, Switzerland and Hungary. The drinks package includes a selection of wines, draft beer and soft drinks at both lunch and dinner onboard.
 
Riviera offers complimentary tea and coffee making facilities in cabins, suites and public areas of the ship, on all their sailings.
 
Katja Hildebrandt, Riviera Travel head of product river and ocean cruise, said: “There’s no more relaxing way to explore Europe than on a luxury river cruise. River cruises already offer  great value for money - with regional flights, transfers, guided tours and visits along with all meals all included in the price and now with free drinks, there’s never been a better time to book.”
 
Sample Sailing
Itinerary: The Blue Danube river cruise
Ship: MS Thomas Hardy
Departure date: July 20, 2023  Duration: 7-nights  Price: £2089pp
Departure city: Budapest  Calls at: Esztergom, Bratislava, Durnstein, Salzburg, Vienna, Budapest
What's included: drinks package, return flights / transfers, full board, guided visits and tours, Wi-fi, expert Cruise Director and Concierge.
For more information: The Blue Danube River Cruise | 2022/2023 River Cruises | Riviera Travel
Via: www.rivieratravel.co.uk or call 01283 523431

 Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has unveiled its 2023/24 cruising programme with more than 100 hand-crafted sailings and the introduction of new Journey Navigators across its fleet of smaller ships.

The programme includes opportunities to witness Norway’s Langfoss Waterfall in  spring,  explore the Azores and visit Lapland in the summer months.
image : Aurora Restaurant on Borealis (c) Fred.Olsen 
Trips range from two to 93-nights, with regional departures from Liverpool, Newcastle, Rosyth, Southampton, Dover, London Tilbury and Belfast. The programme also features the return of a fly-cruise programme, with Braemar based in the Caribbean for the winter months.
 
The new brochure unveils Fred. Olsen’s new Journey Navigators – Nature Scouts, Culture Curators, Maritime Guides and Entertainment Hosts. Guests who book a 2023/24 sailing can enjoy up to £250 per person to spend on board or up to £500 when booking a suite. Those who book a 2023 cruise but also want to travel this year, can take advantage of 10% off any new booking for 2022.
 
Martin Lister, Head of Itinerary Planning and Destination Experience Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:
 “This has been such an exciting programme to curate. Our smaller ships allow us to offer special experiences for our guests and we’ve been  creative with our itinerary planning to shine a spotlight on this. We will be cruising scenic waterways that are out of reach for larger ships, including the Kiel Canal, the Seine and Loire. Braemar is also set to repeat her record-breaking feat of transiting the ultra-narrow Corinth Canal – an experience not to be missed. We also know that guests want  authentic experiences ashore  so we are developing a programme to support this. In Madeira, for example, rather than simply visit the world-famous gardens, guests can meet with a local orchid expert for a garden tour, including that of a family-run orchid farm. Guests will find our new Journey Navigators on-board each of our ships to bring to life the Joy of the Journey and all that is great about being at sea from holding stargazing events out on deck, to tours of the Bridge to celebrate our maritime history.”

Highlights of Fred. Olsen’s 2023/24 programme of cruising include:
Bolette’s 14-night T2318 ‘Summertime in Lapland and Scandinavia’ cruise, departing Newcastle  1st July 2023. Prices from £2,099 per person.
Itinerary: Newcastle – Turku, Finland – Cruising Turku Archipelago – Oulu, Finland – Kemi, Finland – Holmsund, Sweden – Sundsvall, Sweden – Stockholm, Sweden (overnight stay) – Cruising Stockholm Archipelago – Aarhus, Denmark – Newcastle
For more details: Visit T2318 ‘Summertime in Lapland and Scandinavia’  
 
Bolette’s 15-night T2327 ‘Volcanic Islands of the Canaries, Azores and Madeira’ cruise, departing Southampton on 14th October 2023. Prices  from £2,099 per person.
Itinerary: Southampton – Praia da Vitoria, Portugal – Ponta Delgada, Portugal (overnight stay) – Santa Cruz, La Palma – Santa Cruz, Tenerife – San Sebastian, La Gomera – Funchal, Madeira – Southampton
For more details: Visit T2327 ‘Volcanic Islands of the Canaries, Azores and Madeira’  
 
Borealis’ 10-night S2322 ‘Touring Southern Spain, Portugal & Gibraltar’ cruise, departing Liverpool on 22nd October 2023. Prices from £1,399 per person.
Itinerary: Liverpool – Lisbon, Portugal – Cruising Mouth of River Tagus, Portugal – Gibraltar – Málaga, Spain – Cádiz, Spain – La Coruña, Spain – Cruising by Tower of Hercules Lighthouse, Spain – Liverpool,
For more details: Visit S2322 ‘Touring Southern Spain, Portugal & Gibraltar’  
 
Braemar’s 14-night M2401 ‘Latin America Civilisations’ fly-cruise. Flights from London Gatwick/Manchester, departing from Havana, Cuba 2 January 2024. Prices from £2,699 per person.
Itinerary: Havana, Cuba (overnight stay) – Progreso, Yucatán, Mexico – Cozumel, Mexico – Colon, Panama – Cartagena de Indias, Colombia – Santa Marta, Colombia – Santiago de Cuba, Cuba – Havana, Cuba (overnight stay)
For more details: Visit M2401 ‘Latin America Civilisations’  
 
Balmoral’s seven-night L2411 ‘Mighty Waterfalls and Norwegian Fjords’ cruise, departing Newcastle 26th April 2024. Prices  from £1,099 per person.
Itinerary: Newcastle– Cruising Lysefjord, Norway – Cruising Hardangerfjord – Eidfjord– Cruising Maurangerfjord and Furebergfossen– Cruising Åkrafjord and Langfoss Waterfall – Bergen– Cruising Nordfjord – Olden – Cruising by Hornelen – Åndalsnes – Cruising Romsdalfjorden and Isfjorden - Newcastle
For more details: Visit L2411 ‘Mighty Waterfalls and Norwegian Fjords’  
 
For more information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ new 2023/24 programme, visit fredolsencruises.com/just-released. Book online, call  Reservations on 0800 0355 242 Mon to Fri, 8.30am to 6pm; Sat, 9am to 5pm, or contact your ABTA travel agent.
 image (c) Fred. Olsen: Braemar going through the Corinth Canal ​

​ Saga’s 2023 river cruise itineraries for new Spirit of the Danube and Spirit of the Rhine  include all inclusive offerings from 2023 and up to 25% off when booked early. Discount included in the pricing below. In addition, the introduction of back-to-back cruises have an extra 10 per cent off and dedicated solo traveller cabins are allocated on every cruise. The change comes as part of a range of updates that will align the customer experience more closely to that of Saga’s ocean cruise proposition. Other new benefits also include the option to book back-to-back cruises, which will be clearly marketed as such and guests selecting them will receive a further 10% off their booking. There is also a simpler pricing model that means early bookers are rewarded with discounts of up to 25% off the full price. If, for any reason, the price should be reduced after a guest books, Saga will automatically give them the difference back as part of its price promise.  

​Other already excellent inclusions remain in place such as the complimentary door-to-door chauffeur service, travel insurance with up to £5m covid-cover, at least three sight-seeing excursions on all seven-night cruises and up to eight included on longer cruises as well as  gratuities. Guests can also feel reassured that everyone on board is required to have both vaccines and booster and covid safe protocols continue to be observed.
 
Nigel Blanks, CEO of Saga Cruises, said: “We know our guests want an exceptional experience and value for money so the ‘Spirit’ river cruises will move to all-inclusive from 2023 and we’re introducing back-to-back itineraries with 10% off and discounts starting from 25% off in response to their feedback. These are in addition to the complimentary chauffeur service, travel insurance and a range of included excursions we already offer. We’ve got a lovely line-up of itineraries too, with plenty of new cruise options on-board the brand-new Spirit of the Danube and Spirit of the Rhine along with some firm favourites. All of this is in addition to an exciting line-up of cruises with itineraries ranging from between seven and 16-nights across the two brand-new ‘Spirit’ ships, which only had their official naming ceremony last month."
 
New to the 2023 line-up  will be:
The Golden Age of Art on the Rhine where guests will cruise the Dutch waterways stopping to view iconic artwork in the world-renowned galleries of Amsterdam, Utrecht and The Hague. Joined on board by famous art-dealer and Antiques Roadshow star, Rupert Maas. Seven nights on board Spirit of the Rhine, departing May 8, 2023 starts from £1,241 per person.
 
Autumn Colours of the Danube is a beautiful ten-night journey on Spirit of the Danube taking in the seasonal scenery along the famous river, with stops in Budapest, Bratislava and Vienna. Prices from £1,574 per person, departing on November 11, 2023.
 
Art on the Danube takes in Budapest’s Hungarian National Gallery, the Danubiana Meulensteen Museum, Bratislava’s City Gallery and a plethora of galleries in Vienna. The eight-night art-themed river cruise departs on October 27, 2023 on Spirit of the Danube with prices from £1,499 per person.
 
These join firm favourites:
Flowers on Parade with Charlie Dimmock is a seven-night cruise on Spirit of the Rhine that travels through Antwerp, Utrecht and Zaandam visiting the 17th annual Floralia Brussels flower show, Utrecht botanical gardens, Keukenhof, Haarlem annual flower parade and finishing with a tour of Amsterdam. The cruise departs on April 17, 2023 prices from £1,649 per person.
 
Gilbert & Sullivan on the Rhine on Spirit of the Rhine starts in Amsterdam with either a culinary walking tour or coach and canal excursion before heading to Cologne for an included city tour, Koblenz, Bingen, Boppard and Andernach, including an optional tour to visit Europe's largest cold-water geyser. The cruise finishes in Dusseldorf with another city tour.  All of course accompanied by live performances of the music of Gilbert & Sullivan on board. This seven-night river cruise starts from £1,274 per person and departs on November 13, 2023.
 
To book guests can visit saga.co.uk or call 0808 258 2031.
 
Spirit of the Rhine and Spirit of the Danube build on Saga’s boutique design philosophy of its ocean-going vessels, Spirit of Adventure and Spirit of Discovery, and offer a luxury cruise experience for customers on Europe’s famous riverways.
 
With designs inspired by the nature and culture found along the iconic waterways, both ships have been built with guests central to their design. Each vessel has four passenger decks and 91 guest cabins, hosting up to 182 customers and up to 50 crew. Each ship also features the first-class Saga facilities that guests have come to expect, complete with an en-suite bathroom and walk-in shower. There are two different types of cabin available on both ships. All have a clean, sophisticated design with Spirit of the Rhine reminiscent of Saga’s larger ocean ships and Spirit of the Danube based on an Art Nouveau and Danube Delta theme, with elements such as migratory birds used throughout the ship.

image (c) Saga