EUROPE/MEDITERRANEAN CONTINUES TO
BE A TOP CRUISE DESTINATION

More than ever, North Americans are finding cruise ships are the way to visit Europe. As the current strong Euro makes land vacation options more expensive, cruising in Europe this year is great value and a great way to discover the history, mystery and romance of Europe and the Mediterranean.

“Cruising has always been dollar for dollar the best value in European travel and that’s even more obvious this year,” says Terry L. Dale, president and CEO of the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the non-profit marketing and training association representing the North American cruise industry and nearly 16,000 travel agencies. “It is clear that people still like to travel to Europe; in fact, the region continues to be the second most popular cruise destination, behind the Caribbean.”

The number of cruises visiting European and Mediterranean ports has continued to rise over the last two years, according to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

The proof is in the numbers. After a brief downturn in 2002 that paralleled a travel-industry wide slump, more vacationers will sail to Europe and the Mediterranean in 2004 than at any other period in cruise history. In all, CLIA-member lines will offer 2,220 European sailings this year.

“Cruises in the Europe/Mediterranean region enable travelers to visit several historic destinations within one vacation, without having to re-pack their suitcases each night or worry about how or when they are going to get to the next city,” says Dale.

With so many magnificent cities and historic landmarks to experience, cruise passengers have the added convenience of being able to return from their daily explorations to a luxurious ship, from which they can view spectacular landscapes as they set sail to their next destination.

“A cruise to Europe can be a trip back in time, as passengers visit the roots of civilization in ancient Rome, take a soft-adventure expedition along Europe’s northern-most fjords or step on the beaches of Normandy on the anniversary of D-Day,” says Dale. “It is a wonderful way to absorb the various cultures on shore excursions that enable you to mingle with the locals or attend the Grand Prix of Monaco, the Cannes Film Festival, a Russian ballet or the continent’s greatest museums.”

And for those who want to extend their stays, cruise lines offer numerous opportunities for pre- and post-cruise experiences.

The following is a sampling of European/Mediterranean itineraries offered by CLIA-member lines in 2004:

Three Celebrity Cruises’ ships ply the waters of Europe this year, with Constellation cruising in Northern Europe and Millennium and Galaxy sailing in the Mediterranean. Constellation’s 12- and 14-night Northern Europe itineraries depart from Dover, England, and include visits to France, Russia, Belgium, Finland, Poland, Norway, Sweden, Scotland, Latvia, Estonia, Germany and Denmark. Galaxy presents 10- to 12-night roundtrip cruises in the Mediterranean from Civitavecchia, Italy, with port calls in Greece, Malta, Spain and France, while Millennium sails from either Venice or Barcelona on 12-night cruises that visit France, Italy, Greece and Croatia.

Costa Cruises’ ships visit 92 ports in 35 European countries, with voyages from three to 17 nights from the Scandinavian fjords to the ports of the Mediterranean. Among the offerings are more than 100 seven-night sailings throughout the Baltics and Russia, the Fjords and Mediterranean. These cruises depart from Venice, Savona, Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Rome (Civitavecchia).

Crystal Cruises makes maiden port calls at Portimao, Portugal; Split, Korcula and Zadar, Croatia; San Marino and Sardinia, Italy; Izmir, Turkey; Corsica, France; Volos, Greece; and Antwerp, Belgium. Crystal Serenity hosts a Wine & Food Festival on the July 25 and Aug. 18 sailings and Sotheby’s theme cruises on June 5 and Aug. 30 cruises. Crystal Symphony’s six 12-day Baltic cruises feature at least one overnight in St. Petersburg, where excursions include “A Night of Ballet at the Mariinsky Theatre” and a tour of “Moscow and the Mysterious Kremlin.”

Cunard Line’s Queen Elizabeth 2 sails a series of round-trip cruises from seven to 19 days from Southampton, England, to Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands. Both QE2 and Caronia combine historic ports in Portugal and Spain with the Canary Islands on eight sailings from 12 to 14 days, while other itineraries include such ports as Barcelona, Cannes, and Civitavecchia. Queen Mary 2 has five sailings in Europe, including Jewels of Iberia, Northern Europe & Fjords, Jewels of the Mediterranean, Mediterranean Passage and Royal Mediterranean itineraries.

Holland America Line offers 58 cruises in Europe, including 16 sailings by the new Westerdam. The ship will sail the Mediterranean, visiting the Greek Islands and ports in France, Spain and Tunisia. The line also returns to cruising the Black Sea on board the Prinsendam and the Norwegian fjords on board the Westerdam and Noordam. Featured is a 10-day Noordam cruise which departs Dover June 2 and overnights in Cherbourg, France on June 5 in commemoration of D-Day. The voyage continues to St. Malo and Honfleur, France, as well as Zeebrugge, Belgium and Amsterdam before returning to Dover.

MSC Cruises has added eight new ports of call to its Mediterranean cruise itineraries this year: Gabes, Tunisia; Lanzarote Island, Spain; La Valleta in Malta; Messina, Italy; Tripoli and Tobruk in Libya; Taormina, Sicily; and Volos in Greece. The company’s newest flagship, MSC Lirica, begins sailing seven-night itineraries in the Mediterranean on June 13 from Venice, Italy, with port calls at Croatia, Greece and Turkey before returning to Venice.

Norwegian Coastal Voyage, Inc. has enhanced its soft-adventure expeditions to Spitsbergen by adding expert guest lecturers on many sailings along the remote Arctic island midway between Norway and the North Pole. Expeditions feature naturalist guides, lectures and Zodiac landings and enable travelers to see massive glaciers, fjords, rugged mountains and wildlife such as polar bears, wild reindeer, Arctic foxes, walruses, whales, seals and many migratory bird species.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Dream visits the Scandinavian Capitals on 12-day roundtrip cruises from London that depart May 25, June 6, 18 and 30, July 12 and 24, Aug. 5, 17 and 29 and Sept. 10. During its journey, the ship transits the Kiel Canal, cruises the Baltic Sea,
Swedish Archipelagos and North Sea, and stops at Berlin, Germany; Tallinn, Estonia; St. Petersburg, Russia; Helsinki, Finland; Stockholm, Sweden; and Copenhagen, Denmark.

Oceania Cruises’ Regatta returns to the Mediterranean and Insignia debuts a 10-night maiden voyage from Barcelona to Athens. Both ships will sail a total of nine voyages from Lisbon, Barcelona, Rome and Athens to the French and Italian Rivieras, the Ligurian coast, Adriatic and Aegean Seas and the Greek Isles.

Orient Lines’ Marco Polo sails a 23-day Grand Mediterranean itinerary from Piraeus (Athens) to Barcelona, departing Sept. 30. The cruise includes pre- and post-cruise stays in Athens and Barcelona and port calls at Kusadasi and Istanbul, Turkey; Mykonos and Corfu, Greece; Dubrovnik and Corcula, Croatia; Venice, Civitavecchia, Livorno and Portofino, Italy; Valleta, Malta; Taormina, Sicily; Cannes, France; and Palma de Majorca, Spain. The line also offers a 10-day Voyage around Italy (Venice to Civitavecchia) and an 11-day Rome and Rivieras (Civitavecchia to Barcelona) itinerary.

Princess Cruises’ Grand Princess sails Baltic cruises to Scandinavia and Russia. Star Princess debuts in Europe with a series of the line’s Grand Mediterranean sailings, followed by an expanded series of Greek Isles itineraries designed to showcase the birthplace of the Olympic Games in celebration of the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Radisson Several Seas Cruises’ Seven Seas Voyager features Le Cordon Bleu workshops on several of its European and Mediterranean cruises, including the June 7 11-night Western Europe cruise departing from Monte Carlo, and the Aug. 27 nine-night Northern Europe cruise departing from Stockholm.

Royal Caribbean International has three ships in Europe. Splendour of the Seas sails seven-night Mediterranean cruises from Barcelona, while Brilliance of the Seas sails from Barcelona on 12-night Mediterranean/Venice itineraries and 12-night Mediterranean/Greek Isles itineraries. Jewel of the Seas departs from Harwich on 12-night Scandinavia/Russia cruises and 12-night British Isles/Norwegian Fjords cruises. The line has added new shore excursions, including a walking tour of old Stockholm; a tour of Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet; and a Le Harve tour that is a more intimate option for visiting Normandy’s D-Day beaches.

Seabourn Cruise Line visits 115 ports of call in Europe and the Mediterranean in 2004. At one port on every cruise, guests enjoy a complimentary shoreside experience that combines creativity with local experience, such as a visit to a cheese-making village in Amsterdam; a private fashion show in St. Tropez; a private reception aboard the retired Royal Yacht Brittania in Leith; an evening of Moroccan music, cuisine and culture in Casablanca; Greek dancing, food and drink in Bourtzi Castle in Navplion; and the chance to create Belgian chocolates in the fairytale town of Bruges in Oostende.

Silversea Cruises offers more than 35 different Mediterranean itineraries and 11 cruises to Northern Europe and the Baltic. The program includes five voyages marking the line’s 10th anniversary, each featuring guest chefs from Relais & Chateaux – Relais Gourmands and a
complimentary shore event, such as a reception at St. Petersburg’s Great Palace of Pavlosk or a performance by the Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra. Anniversary sailings include a
“Mediterranean Tapestry” from Rome to Barcelona, “Scandinavian Summer” from Copenhagen to Stockholm, and the 15-day “Atlantic Impressions” from London to Southampton.

Swan Hellenic’s Minerva II departs from Naples July 10 on “A Mediterranean Coastal Adventure” that takes travelers to explore the Italian art of Naples, Civitavecchia and Livorna as well as the gardens of Spain, Gibraltar, Madeira and Portugal. Included among the port calls are Elba, Barcelona, Valencia, Motril, Gibraltar, Funchal, Lisbon, Viano do Castelo, Gijon and St. Peter Port, before the ship arrives in London July 31.

Windstar Cruises’ Wind Surf sails several European itineraries this summer. The ship departs Lisbon June 20 on a 10-day cruise to London, which includes two days at sea and port calls at Leixoes, Portugal; Villagarcia de Rosa and La Coruna, Spain; St. Jean de Luz, La Pallace La Rochelle, Le Palais Belle Isle, and Le Havre, France. The ship departs St. Petersburg, Russia July 29 on a 13-day Baltic itinerary that calls at Vyborg, Russia; Helsinki and Marienhamn, Finland; Stockholm and Visby, Sweden; Ventspils, Latvia; Klaipeda, Lithuania; and Gdynia, Poland, before arriving in Copenhagen.