Oceania's Best Offers Ever!

Oceania Cruises is currently offering up to $2,000 price reduction, 2-for-1 cruise fares and free airfare! Check out their 2009 European Collection and 2009-2010 Winter Collection by visiting our website or sending us an email.

From 12-day voyages Venice to Rome, to 18-day Singapore to Sydney. There is something for everyone.

A voyage with Oceania Cruises is like none other, a luxury granted by the beauty and intimacy of their mid-size ships. Sailing to spectacular destinations and opening new worlds of discovery, a cruise aboard Regatta, Insignia or Nautica possesses the uncanny ability to create an unrivaled vacation experience. Oceania Cruise' service sets an impossibly high standard, and their amenities are wonderfully extravagant. Plus, with only 684 guests to pamper, their 400 staff members cater to your every whim, offering highly personalized service. Guided by the prodigious talents of the legendary Jacques Pepin, who serves as Executive Culinary Director, Oceania Cruises' gifted chefs consistently present cuisine that is, quite candidly, the finest at sea! Open seating in four distinctive restaurants enhances the experience even further by giving guests the liberty to dine when, where, and with whom they wish.

Freedom of choice imbues every aspect of Oceania Cruises. Free from the need to wear tuxedos or evening gowns, you can flourish and enjoy life on your terms. And while such exquisite yet affordable luxury is surprising, it is remarkably possible. Everything you have envisioned in a cruise line is here, as Oceania Cruises presents "Your World. Your Way."

Honeymoons at Sea!

DID YOU KNOW?

• Cruising is becoming the number one honeymoon getaway choice.
• Dollar for dollar, cruise vacations give you higher quality accommodations and better service than land-based vacations.
• A cruise allows you to participate in activities you enjoy while giving you plenty of time to be together and continue the romance of your engagement and wedding.

Time of year will certainly be a consideration in your honeymoon planning! While most destinations have year-round activities, some are certainly less desirable at certain times of year. Bermuda, a popular honeymoon destination, is an example. From the middle of November to the middle of March, their weather can be cold and damp. That's why cruise ships only call in Bermuda from April to October. The same is true with European and Alaska cruises. So if one of these destinations is your honeymoon choice, you will need to schedule accordingly.

Length of time available will obviously affect your planning. However, there is a cruise to fit almost any time schedule, from 3 days to 3 months!

Budget is, of course, the other major consideration in planning your honeymoon. Keep in mind that a cruise is an all-inclusive package including cruse accommodations, all meals, and shipboard entertainment and activities. Extra costs include port taxes, gratuities, bar bill and shore excursions. We can advise you as to these costs so you can plan accordingly. When compared with a land-based resort honeymoon, a cruise proves by far to be the best value!

An elegant cruise ship can be the storybook setting for a picture perfect honeymoon!

The Seine River

The Seine

From Burgundy through Normandy to Paris and on to the English Channel, the enchanted Seine penetrates the heart of France at a leisurely pace. Its banks are laden with history, wineries and an appreciation for the arts. The river flows among rich orchards and idyllic pastures appreciated by many famous artists including Monet, whose home can be toured in Giverny. Above the Seine stand wonderful medieval ruins, including Castle Gaillard at Les Andelys, where myth meets reality in the form of Richard the Lionheart (the real-life owner of the castle and friend of the fictional Robin Hood).
Some cruises spend a few overnights as a floating hotel in Paris before setting sail; others emphasize the sights of Normandy, sailing from Paris to the famous beaches of World War II and the well-preserved medieval Le Mont-Saint-Michel, an island carved into a church and its cobbled town.
Best Suited For:
Seine cruises are among the best for multigenerational travel, history buffs, art lovers and those who appreciate classic fine food and wines, not to mention World War II veterans. And who can resist the magic of Paris, especially when coupled with the value of the ship as a home base?

The Rhone River

The Rhone


The Rhone river flows from the mountains of Switzerland through Provence, France, taking in the wild beauty of the Camargue and some of France's most famous cities. It is the only major river flowing directly into the Mediterranean.
The capital of the Camarague is Arles, located at the extreme north of the delta where the Rhone forks into its two branches. The town was established by the Greeks in the 6th century B.C. and made famous in modern times by Vincent van Gogh, whose paintings come to life in the scenery along the river's banks.
Lyon, France, famous for its culinary magnificence and silk, is another popular port on the Rhone. Along with its medieval architecture, Lyon is also known for its fields of lavender, white horses and "cowboys." The great red wines of the region come from vineyards between Lyon and Avignon.
Best Suited For:
Those who enjoy really magnificent French food and wine will find a Rhone itinerary heavenly. It also reveals a much more complex picture of France than the usual stereotype. History and architecture lovers can join food and nature fans in learning about the great artists who left their mark on the region.

The Rhine River

THE RHINE

The Rhine Experience is the quintessential European dream: medieval castles and dark forests in dramatic surroundings - the stuff of pure romance!

Born as a wild river in a Swiss Alpine glacier, the Rhine cuts through gorges as it flows northeast, dropping 75 feet in the stunning waterfall to wind through Germany's Black Forest and join the Main in Mainz. It follows the Rhine Valley from Bingen to Bonn, flowing through the Rhineland Plateau and eventually emptying into the North Sea after connecting Liechtenstein, Austria, Germany, France and the Netherlands. Along its banks formidable German cities have grown: Cologne, Dusseldorf and lovely Rotterdam, the leading port of continental Europe, near the mouth of the Rhine. Amsterdam is accessible through the Rhine Canal, as well.

River cruises can sail from the North Sea to Basel, Switzerland, which is a distance of about 500 miles. There are longer cruises between Basel and the diamond center of Antwerp, Belgium, as well as shorter ones between Nuremberg, Germany, and Basel.

In the fall, hundreds of wine festivals along the Rhine celebrate new vintages with fireworks, boat races, regattas, local food and music.

The region's fairytale castles, half-timbered buildings and cobbled village streets satisfy a traveler's romantic dream, and there are attractions that appeal to multi-generational groups. Among them are Siegfried's Mechanical Museum, which contains one of the largest collections of self-playing musical instruments in the world, and the Speyer Technical Museum with an explorable Boeing 747, a historic Soviet spacecraft and a U9 German Navy submarine.

Best Suited For:

The Rhine is a wonderful river for romance. It encompasses mythic Germany and is a natural choice for German-American fraternal groups. Its appeal to wine-lovers and foodies is obvious, but anyone who loves scenery and fun combined with oom-pah bands and hearty, delicious food can appreciate a trip through the Rhineland.

Cruising the Rivers of Europe

I thought I would share some information about river cruising this week... as cruising rivers can have a magical quality!

Unlike oceans, they are intimate, closely tied to the life of the thousands of villages and cities what grew up along their banks. And in the morning, when the river mists lift, the surroundings that are revealed are often breathtaking - from the rock where the legendary Lorelei leaped to her death to ancient Egyptian tombs.

In addition, fertile soil lines each river's banks, producing some of the finest regional food and drink in the world with festivals built around them.

Cruise lines are increasingly offering extensive overnights with the vessel serving as a floating hotel - often docked in the heart of a major city. It's a tremendous value, particularly in European capitals where hotel and dining prices can be downright shocking!

Here's a look at what types of experiences you might find along some of the world's most popular waterways. I'll start with one river today... and the rest will follow!

The Danube

The Danube is the longest river in the European Union and second only to the Volga in all of Europe. From Strauss' "Blue Danube" to the Bulgarian national anthem, its praises have been sung through the centuries. Since the opening of the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, the river connects the Black Sea with the industrial centers of Western Europe.

For Americans, the Danube is more exotic than the Rhine, leading to Central and Eastern Europe's lesser-known destinations. Flanked by the Austrian Alps and crowned with forts, castles and vineyards, the river carries travelers to cultural centers like Vienna and Budapest from its origin in the Black Forest to the Black Sea.

The Danube connects Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine. Along the route are areas of great scenic beauty and natural attractions.

The Danube courses through Austria's wine-bearing Wachau Valley between Melk and Krems, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Wachau is particularly well known for its apricots and unbelievably good apricot liquor, jams and cakes.

Best Suited For: History lovers and experienced travelers who want to really see Central European countries and their cultures. Music flourishes along the Danube, and those who appreciate a mixture of beautiful nature and great cities will be very happy with this area too!

Call us today to discuss the many river cruising oppurtunities down the Danube!