As cruise lines are announcing their 2014 itineraries, we’ve found a few varied options away from the larger cruise ships taking travelers to destinations from the Maldives to Milos, Greece.
Un-Cruise Adventures has expanded its offerings for 2014 to 19 itineraries spanning eight vessels. The small-group itineraries, on vessels carrying 22-28 passengers, will be taking travelers on trips to Alaska, the Hawaiian Islands, Mexico’s Sea of Cortez, Columbia & Snake rivers, and coastal Washington & British Columbia.
This year, the company has added a new itinerary visiting Washington, sailing roundtrip from Seattle visiting the Olympic Peninsula and San Juan Islands; an eighth vessel that will sail year-round in Mexico; and new Heritage Adventures in Alaska and on the Columbia and Snake Rivers.
The 64-guest Safari Voyager will join the fleet in December offering Luxury Adventures with four itineraries in Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. On the 7-night Baja’s Whale Bounty, travelers sails from San Jose del Cabo and go whale watching at Gordo Banks, in addition to Bahia Magdalena for a panga ride to see gray whales. Rates start at $2,695 pp dbl.
For more information, visit un-cruise.com.
In 2014, Louis Cruises will almost double the number of ports of call adding nine new destinations: the Greek islands Syros, Milos, Samos, Symi, Ios, Kos and Chios, as well as Cesme and Bodrum in Turkey. What sets Louis Cruises’ Mediterranean voyages apart is its offerings of popular destinations, such as Santorini and Mykonos, as well as these lesser-known spots.
New itineraries include the 3- and 4-day Idyllic Aegean cruises on the Louis Rhea, starting in July. The 3-day cruises will stop at Mykonos, Samos, Milos, Lavrion, Greece, and Kusadasi, Turkey, while the 4-day cruises will call at Syros, Cesme, Bodrum, Kos, Ios, Santorini and Piraeus, Greece. Travelers can also combine these two cruises to form a 7-day cruise.
Rates start at $1,122.45 pp for the 7-day cruises. For more information, call (877) 568-4787 or visit louiscruises.com.
For Swan Hellenic’s 60th anniversary, the company is launching the 2014 Diamond Anniversary brochure with itineraries aboard the Minerva to destinations in the Caribbean, Central and South America, Baltic and Northern Waters, the Black Sea, Adriatic, Aegean, Mediterranean and India, and the Far East.
On the 16-day Travels in Indochina itinerary, sailing from Singapore to Hong Kong, travelers cruise the South China Sea and visit destinations in Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia. Highlights include a day visiting the Imperial City of Hue in Vietnam and a visit to the royal palace in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. Rates start at $3,499 pp and include shore excursions, gratuities and port fees.
When agents book 2014 cruises by June 30, they can receive a $100 bonus commission, as well as 10 percent off early booking fares. For more information, call (866) 923-9182 or visit swanhellenic.us.
Meanwhile, Windstar Cruises is debuting its new all-suite yacht, Star Pride, and featuring four new itineraries.
“We are thrilled to welcome Star Pride to our fleet in spring 2014, enabling Windstar to cruise a global set of itineraries to new destinations including our new Black Sea Tapestry voyage,” says Hans Birkholz, Windstar Cruises’ CEO. “With a maximum of 212 guests on board, Star Pride delivers our promise of the private yacht experience in a casually elegant setting, all while exploring some of the world’s most legendary destinations and hidden harbors.”
On the 7-day Black Sea Tapestry voyage, travelers sail roundtrip from Istanbul, Turkey visiting new ports including Yalta, Sevastopol, and Odessa, Ukraine; Constanta (Bucharest), Romania; and Nessebar, Bulgaria.
Rates start at $3,299 pp. For more information, call (800) 258-7245 or visit windstarcruises.com.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises is expanding its itineraries for 2014 adding voyages to Tahiti and South Africa on the Seven Seas Mariner.
One of the new Exotic Itineraries is the 30-night Dubai to Cape Town itinerary (rates starting at $15,999). The all-inclusive trip starts in Dubai and visits Mumbai, the Maldives, the Seychelles, Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar and Cape Town, South Africa. Rates include roundtrip air, gratuities, ground transfers, unlimited shore excursions, unlimited beverages, a 1-night pre-cruise luxury hotel package and 2-for-1 fares.
For more information, call (877) 505-5374 or visit rssc.com.
