Cruise News - Niche Cruise Market News
The Niche Cruise Marketing Alliance (NCMA) is a collection of cruise lines that offer diverse alternatives to traditional cruising.
The vessels in the alliance range from yacht-like sailing vessels to medium-sized classic cruise ships, and sail to some of the most exotic places on the planet, from the inland waterways of the United States to the wilds of the Arctic and Antarctic to the paradise of the South Pacific and the magic of the Mediterranean.Niche Cruise Marketing Alliance member lines are looking ahead with new itineraries and new vessels. Upcoming programs include:
American Canadian Caribbean Line offers "Skylines and Islands: New York City to Toronto via the Erie Canal" - 10 Days; August 14 & August 25, 2010
starting at $2790 per person.
Save $250 off per person if booked by June 15! AARP members receive up to $100 onboard credit. Journey through American and Canadian history on this ten-day adventure from the Hudson River to Lake Ontario. Begin your cruise in New York City. Travel through the locks of the Erie Canal, going where other ships simply cannot travel. Discover Ontario as you travel into Kingston where the scenic beauty of the Thousand Islands welcomes you to Canada. In the Niagara Region, you have the option of touring a vineyard, sampling their wines, enjoying a delicious lunch, and exploring Niagara Falls up-close. Packaged stays in New York City and Toronto are available at a great rate!
American Cruise Lines has two major additions for the 2010 season - a new ship and a new itinerary. The Independence, which will join American Cruise Lines' fleet in June 2010, will have the same passenger capacity as its sister ships, the American Star and the American Spirit, but will be a larger ship. Destinations for the Independence will include Maine, New England, the Hudson River and the Historic South. The new itinerary, the Philadelphia - Potomac cruise, will travel some of the country's most historic waterways such as the Delaware River, C&D Canal and Potomac River.
Cruceros Australis announces two upcoming themed cruises focused on Charles Darwin's HMS Beagle voyage. We will be accompanied by topic experts as we sail through the Strait of Magellan and the Beagle Channel on a route that takes us to places visited by Darwin, such as Wulaia Bay. We will also sail through the famous "Glacier Alley" where he played a major role in saving his fellow crewmen from almost certain disaster. In gratitude, Captain Robert FitzRoy of the Beagle named Mount Darwin in his honor. And we visit a place Darwin saw only from the deck of his ship: the legendary Cape Horn.
Unlike his comparatively short visit to the Galápagos Islands, Charles Darwin spent about two years in Patagonia, including more than three months in Tierra del Fuego, where he had contact with the indigenous people of the region-an experience that greatly influenced his famous Origin of Species.
Cruceros Australis owns and operates the Mare, Via and Stella Australis (in construction) which navigate the waters and fjords of Tierra del Fuego and its archipelagos in Southern Patagonia.
From Cruise West, building on last year's successful series down the Danube from Bucharest to Vienna, guests in 2010 can choose from the original Danube River itinerary or from two newly added itineraries that meander farther west. New to 2010 is a cruise down the Danube, Main and Rhine Rivers on October 3 traveling for 11 nights from Vienna to Cologne.
Guests will sail into Regensburg, a UNESCO World Heritage Site resplendent with over 1,200 historic buildings; through the beautiful Altmühl Valley to Nuremberg, the capital of Franconia and historically the unofficial capital of the Holy Roman Empire; and along the River Rhine to Rüdesheim, a charming old wine town nestled in the upper middle Rhine Valley area.
Travelers may choose to enjoy the Rhine, Main and Mosel Rivers on an 11-night cruise from Cologne to Basel (with Cruise West Chairman Dick West as host) departing on October 13. Among the cruise highlights are a welcome dinner hosted by Dick and Leslie West with a midnight sailing from Cologne to view the lights of its Gothic towers; a cruise through the exceptional Rhine Gorge passing a multitude of castles and the legendary Lorelei Rock; and an upfront view of villages, vineyards and forest along the beautiful Mosel River to Cochem, home to the world's finest Riesling wines. Rates start at $4,999 per person.
Fred. Olsen has five October departures to cruise the beautiful Mediterranean this fall. Clients can enjoy 14 - 23 nights abroad with a combination of lazy days at sea and dozens of ports with cultural and historical shore tours. Artsclubs themes are abundant onboard; Maritime History is offered on Mysteries of the Ancients, Flagship Golf is offered on Splendors of Spain, and Wine and Performing Arts is offered onboard Mediterranean.
Through a series of lectures and tasting on board the hosts will talk you through the history and world of wine. By the time you conclude the sessions you'll have a good grasp of what makes wines taste the way they do, as well as some ideas as to which food and wine combinations work best.
The Flagship Golf program provides: four rounds of golf at some of the most prestige golf courses in the Mediterranean, including green fees and transportation to and from courses, welcome party for golfers and non-playing partners, free practice facilities on-board and up to five tuition sessions with resident PGA pro. Offered at an additional cost of $600.
Cruise prices start at $1,631 per person, based on double occupancy, includes port charges and taxes.
Hurtigruten has announced a pricing special on the new 14-day Iceland-Greenland-Canada "In the Wake of the Vikings" expedition cruise. Following in the footsteps of the ancient Norsemen this voyage travels from Iceland to southern Greenland and then onto Canada's Labrador and Newfoundland.
This incredible odyssey, departing September 26, encompasses some of Greenland's and eastern Canada's most spectacular natural and historical landscapes. Highlights include a visit to Koge Bugt, where the Greenland ice tip reaches the sea; Umivik, where Fridtjof Nansen went ashore and started his epic traverse of the Ice Cap by ski; and Qassiarsuk, where Erik the Red was exiled. The MS Fram then heads across the Labrador Sea in the footsteps of the Vikings, stopping in Newfoundland and then turning south to Halifax via St Anthony, Bonne Bay and Baddeck in Nova Scotia.
The journey is complimented by informative lectures, landings and shore excursions. Booking by May 31 aboard the deluxe 318-passenger MS Fram, saves 25% off the regular fare -- $4,743 to $9,316 per person, double, with the discount. Booking a suite will add free round-trip airfare from JFK or Newark Airports. Two Greenland-Iceland sailings of 11 and 12 days are also available with special pricing.
Imperial River Offering Special 2011 Rates
Book 2011 voyages with Imperial River Cruises by June 1, 2010, to take advantage of 2010 rates. Cabins are available in all price ranges for the most popular trips:
- Moscow to St. Petersburg, our most popular journey.
- The Great Mother Volga cruise from the Caspian to the Baltic Sea, to see the splendor of the Great Mother Volga River and Don rivers.
- Kiev to Istanbul, visiting three rivers, two seas and five countries.
- The Peter Tchaikovsky Music Cruise, to hear a symphony orchestra playing the great composer's music in his birthplace and historical places.
- Polar expeditions to the North Pole, the adventure of a lifetime.
The 2010 season is virtually fully booked, and we anticipate price increases for next year. Book before June 1, 2010, to get the 2010 price for 2011, which can mean a savings of 10 percent.
Louis Cruises is pleased to present a diverse array of exciting programs new to the fall sailing season in the Mediterranean -- featuring SMART RATES savings that invite travelers to book early to get the best deals. Sailing from Marseilles, France on Orient Queen, the 11-day Adriatic Coast, Italy and the Ionian is a Louis Cruises exclusive itinerarystarting at $960 (down from $1800). Departing Genoa, Italy onboard Louis Majesty are the: seven-day Mediterranean Highlights from $710 (down from of $1440), eight-day Spanish Odyssey & Tangier from $790 (down from $1600), 10-day Moorish Coasts from $860 (down from of $1740). Nine-day programs priced from $850 (down from $1670) include Italy, Greece, Ionian Islands & Albania; Iberian Coasts; and Tunis, Malta & Italy. Featuring a passage through the Corinth Canal onboard Louis Cruises' Coral, the 11-day Corinth Canal, Greek Islands, Istanbul is now available for travel this fall from $1000 (down from $1885). Louis Cruises' SMART RATES are based on per person, double occupancy and are valid for dates from August to November 2010.
For spring 2010, Orion Expedition Cruises offers ten and 11-night March and April voyages to the wonderfully varied beauty of Papua New Guinea. A shorter six-night sailing will be offered at the end of April, exploring Australia's Great Barrier Reef. In early May, Orion offers in-depth seven-night exploration of the remote art communities along Australia's Arnhem Land coastline. In late May, Orion's Expedition Team will lead guests on ten-night Kimberley Expedition sailings to secluded beaches and river inlets.
Costa Rica makes it debut on Star Clippers' roster beginning November 2010 when the 170-passenger Star Flyer inaugurates two seven-day, round-trip itineraries from Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica.
Calling at some of the most exciting ports in the country, the itineraries, which run through March 2011, mark the first time Star Clippers has deployed a vessel in this region.
The first itinerary calls at San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua; and Playa del Coco, National Park Santa Rosa, Puerto Carrillo/Samara and Islas Tortuguas/National Reserve of Curu, Costa Rica. The second itinerary calls at Isla Coiba, Panama; and Golfito, Isla del Cano/Drake's Bay, Quepos and Curu/Islas Tortugas, Costa Rica. Two additional itineraries between Balboa, Panama, and Puerto Caldera also call at Isla Iguana, Panama.
With 9,000 higher plant species, 850 bird species, hundreds of frogs and reptiles and 10 percent of all mammals on earth, the region is an adventurers' paradise. Whether it's an on-land excursion or an underwater exploration, Costa Rica is sure to live up to its reputation as exotic, exciting and endearing.
Variety Cruises Offers Special Savings
Aegean Odyssey
Two free nights at a deluxe Athens hotel and one half-day Athens city tour. Available for a limited number of cabins and for select sailings August - October, 2010.
Jewels of the Cyclades
Two free nights at a deluxe Athens hotel. Available for a limited number of cabins and for select sailings August - October, 2010.
Classical Greece
Two free stays at a deluxe Athens hotel and one half-day Athens city tour. Available for a limited number of cabins and for select sailings July - October, 2010.
Tales of the Adriatic
Receive two free stays at the 4* Hotel in Split or Venice and one half-day tour of either Split or Venice. Available for a limited number of cabins for select sailings June - August, 2010.
Destination specialist Voyages of Discovery will be visiting new ports in Europe and the Caribbean this Fall 2010.
Beginning with the 11-night September 22 "Venice & the Adriatic" itinerary the 650-guest mv Discovery will visit Split, Croatia (September 30) for the first time. The 13-night October 2 "Worlds of Ancient Civilizations" cruise will visit Nauplion, Greece on October 7. The 15-night November 3 "In Search of Ancient Civilizations" itinerary includes three new ports: Trapani, Sicily; Cagliari, Sardinia; and Cartagena, Spain.
Later in the fall, Discovery is returning to the Caribbean and South America with a transatlantic cruise including St Kitts on the 20-night "Discovery of the New World" which departs Malaga, Spain November 18th. The 13-night December 1st "Colonial Trails of the Caribbean" include several ports not visited since 2006 such as Trinidad, Curacao, Aruba and La Guaira, Venezuela.
All Voyages of Discovery itineraries feature comprehensive programs of informative talks by port lecturers and guest speakers, including enrichment lectures.
Special rates for single travelers are also available. Discovery Club members enjoy an additional 5% savings.
