 Durant
& Cheryl Imboden'sEurope for Cruisers europeforcruisers.com |
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News
ABOVE: A sightseeing boat passes the MSC Armonia in Venice. MSC Cruises announces 2009 European seasonEarly U.S. bookings earn shipboard credits of $25-100 FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. -- American guests who book a stateroom on one of
MSC Cruises' exciting 2009 Europe sailings by July 31 will receive a special
Extra Early Booking bonus in the form of a shipboard credit. The amount of the shipboard credit will be determined by the type of stateroom: Interior stateroom -- US $25 shipboard credit per person (maximum $50 per stateroom) Oceanview -- US $50 shipboard credit per person (maximum $100 per stateroom) Balcony -- US $100 shipboard credit per person (maximum $200 per stateroom) By reserving early, guests can reap significant savings on the line's
Mediterranean and Northern Europe itineraries. Rates begin at $799 per person,
double occupancy for a 7-night cruise. Plus, children under the age of 17 sail
free on all sailings when sharing a stateroom with two full-fare-paying adults
and guests need only place a deposit of $100 per person. With MSC Cruises, guests can choose from 80 ports of call as they sail Europe
the European way, visiting the hidden treasures of such Eastern Mediterranean
sites as Dubrovnik, Alexandria and Ephesus; the historic landmarks of the
Western Mediterranean such as Barcelona, Tunis and Sicily; and the richness of
the Scandinavian Fjords, the Baltic and the North Cape of Northern Europe. A new generation of ships in the Mediterranean MSC Fantasia, debuting this December, and its sister-ship MSC Splendida, which
enters service in June 2009, mark a new era in cruising for MSC Cruises. The
largest ships built by a European ship-owner, both will offer guests an
exclusive VIP area – a paradise within a paradise. It will consist of 99
spacious suites (up to 700 square feet), plus a bar, solarium, 2 Jacuzzis, a
pool with sky dome, as well as offer guests their own butler service. After her December christening in Naples, MSC Fantasia will sail two 8-night
roundtrip itineraries from Genoa: the Dec. 20, 2008 sailing calls at Rhodes,
Alexandria, Messina and Naples, while the Dec. 28, 2008 itinerary visits
Barcelona, Lisbon, Malaga and Civitavecchia. The ship will then sail 11-night
Western Mediterranean and Canary Islands roundtrip itineraries from Genoa that
call in Barcelona, Funchal, Tenerife, Arrecife, Malaga and Civitavecchia through
March 1, 2009, when she will begin 7-night "Mediterranean Fantasy" roundtrip
itineraries from Barcelona to Marseille, Genoa, Naples, Palermo, La Goulette,
and Palma. MSC Splendida will begin her inaugural season June 29, 2009, sailing "The
Splendid Mediterranean," roundtrip 7-night Western Mediterranean itineraries
from Barcelona through November. Here are some highlights of the rest of MSC Cruises' 2009 Mediterranean itineraries: MSC Poesia, which debuted in spring 2008, will spend the winter sailing alternating 11-night "Eastern Mediterranean and Egypt" itineraries with Western Mediterranean and Canary Islands itineraries roundtrip from Genoa. In April, she will begin a series of 7-night "Turkish Treasure and Croatian Coasts" Eastern Mediterranean itineraries from Venice. MSC Armonia: 7-night "Wonders of the Aegean" Eastern Mediterranean from Venice, April-October. MSC Melody: 7-night "Islands of the Tyrrhenian Sea" roundtrip Western Mediterranean sailings from Genoa, May-October. MSC Musica: 7-night "Greek Islands in the Sun" from Venice, April-October. MSC Rhapsody: 11-night "Egyptian Antiquities," "Ancient Moorish Kingdoms" and "Grand Black Sea" Eastern Mediterranean itineraries from Genoa, March-October. MSC Sinfonia: 7-night "Sparking Rivieras" Western Mediterranean itineraries from Livorno, beginning the end of April through October. MSC Opera: 7-night "Jewels of the Adriatic" roundtrip from Trieste, fall 2009. MSC Orchestra: 8-night "Iberian Discovery" from Barcelona, fall 2009. MSC Lirica: 7-night "Mediterranean Marvels" roundtrip from Civitavecchia (Rome), fall 2009. MSC Cruises in Northern Europe MSC Cruises also will have three ships in Northern Europe in 2009. Experience
the folklore and tradition from Copenhagen to Visby, from Riga to Helsinki, up
to St Petersburg. Enjoy the natural beauty of the fjords and the diverse
cultures. Or cruise through the North Sea and south into the Mediterranean,
visiting countries that are vastly different. Itineraries include: MSC Lirica: 11-night "Treasures of the Russian Czars," "Fairytale Towns and Towering Fjords" and "Voyage to the Top of the World" itineraries from Dover, May-August. MSC Opera: alternating 11-night "Czarist Russia Revealed" and "Land of the Midnight Sun" from Copenhagen May-June; alternating 7-night "Baltic Beauty and Russian Treasures" and "Route of the Vikings" from Copenhagen July-August. MSC Orchestra: alternating 7-night "Baltic Castles and Russian Palaces" and
"Fascinating Fjordlands" from Copenhagen May-September. For the convenience of guests, MSC Cruises offers alternate departure
ports, such as Bari, Valencia, Kiel and Amsterdam, on many itineraries. Check
with your local travel professional. For more information about MSC Cruises' extensive selection of European
sailings for American travelers, visit www.msccruisesusa.com or a local travel professional. |
