Holland America’s Maasdam Opens Montreal Cruise Season; Record 55,500 Cruise Passengers Expected in 2012, Up 46% on 2011

Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Symphony in the St Lawrence River at Quebec, en route to Montreal

Montreal’s 2012 cruise season, which starts this Saturday with the arrival of Holland America Line’s Maasdam at Alexandra Pier, will set a record: 55,500 passengers are expected to visit Montreal, up 46% over last season. From May 12 to October 24, 2012, 49,000 passengers are expected to transit through the passenger terminal during 35 scheduled international stopovers, and a further 6,500 passengers will embark on domestic cruises, primarily for the Gaspé and the Magdalen Islands in the Gulf of St Lawrence. Pictured above is Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Symphony, which will operate a 7-night round-trip cruise from Montreal on September 30.

“I am absolutely thrilled by these results that show a very promising future for Montreal’s international cruise industry as well as significant economic spinoffs for the city,” said Sylvie Vachon, president and ceo of the Montreal Port Authority, at a press conference held this morning at Iberville Passenger Terminal. Cruise lines calling at Montreal this season will include Aida Cruises, Blount Small Ship Adventures, Crystal Cruises, CTMA, Holland America Line, Oceania Cruises, Phoenix Reisen, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, St Lawrence Cruise Lines, Seabourn, Silversea and Travel Dynamics International.

“The success of the 2012 cruise season isn’t a coincidence. Those involved in this rapidly developing industry have joined forces on the Montreal Cruise Committee and have established the success of this sector as a major priority,” said the Hon Charles Lapointe, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tourisme Montréal.

Led by Tourisme Montréal and the Montreal Port Authority, the Montreal Cruise Committee brings together Aéroports de Montréal, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, the Old Port of Montreal Corporation, the Hotel Association of Greater Montreal, the City of Montreal, Casino de Montréal and the Société de développement commercial du Vieux-Montréal. The committee is also supported by the Ministère du Tourisme du Québec. The 2012 cruise season should generate about $14 million in economic benefits.

For more information on cruising to or from Montreal and Quebec as well as New England call The Cruise People Ltd in London on 020 7723 2450 or e-mail cruise@cruisepeople.co.uk.

All-Inclusive Finally Comes To The Superb Ships Of Crystal Cruises

Crystal Cruises has now officially begun its transition to an all-quality All Inclusive line. Starting with Crystal Symphony’s Miami to Lisbon Transatlantic voyage this Monday, passengers now enjoy a generous and impressive selection of complimentary fine wines and premium spirits throughout the ship, as well as open bar service in all lounges and prepaid gratuities for all housekeeping, butler, bar and dining staff.  Crystal Serenity follows suit with her spring Transatlantic sailing on May 8.

To satisfy the most discerning palate, Crystal’s inclusive spirits feature superior brands such as Grey Goose, Maker’s Mark, Macallan Select, Hennessy VSOP and Herradura Silver.

Wines and champagnes include high-end vintages from both boutique makers and big-name wineries, including Castello di Bolgheri Varvára, Chateau Macquin St. Emilion, Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva, St Michael-Eppan Sauvignon Blanc Lahn, Beringer Napa Valley Chardonnay and Edge Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2008, as well as the champagne Jacquart Brut Mosaique, Reims.

Restaurants offer recommended pairings nightly, and sommeliers certified by the Court of Master Sommelier remain on hand to assist with wine selections. In addition, there is no longer a corkage fee on board if one wishes to enjoy wine purchased on shore.

An optional Connoisseur menu features award-winning, renowned and/or rare vintages, select single malt whiskeys and other aged spirits at reasonable in-store prices, as opposed to traditional upmarket restaurant and hotel rates. Vintage Room experiences tap into Crystal’s extensive wine cellar. Silver and Gold Connoisseur Packages of four and six fine wines respectively are also available as on-board gifts.

“Our all-inclusive offers a luxuriously comfortable guest experience that focuses, as always, on incredible quality and impeccable execution,” says Philip Ordever, vice president of international sales & marketing. “This all-inclusive transition further enhances the extraordinary ease and value of a Crystal holiday.”

Until April 30, “Book Now” fares start from £2,290 person double occupancy for a 12-night Transatlantic voyage from Barcelona to Miami departing December 9th on board Crystal Serenity.

Crystal’s reputation for taking care of guests in an extraordinary environment of inviting spaces, quality and choice has earned the company more “World’s Best” awards than any other cruise line, resort, or hotel in history.

For further details on any Crystal cruise please call Gay Scruton at The Cruise People Ltd in London on 020 7723 2450 or e-mail cruise@cruisepeople.co.uk.

The Cruise Examiner for 14th November 2011 – Berlitz Guide to Cruising 2012 – Other Cruise News: US Gulf Ports Celebrate New Ships – Vancouver Sees 15% Cruise Passenger Rise

THE CRUISE EXAMINER at Cybercruises.com
by Kevin Griffin

The Cruise Examiner for 14th November 2011

This year’s star cruise ship has got to be Oceania Cruises’ new Marina. By outscoring all three of her stable mates from Regent as well as her three fleetmates at Oceania, she has managed to propel herself into the five-star league to be rated number 18 out of 285 cruise ships worldwide scored in this year’s “Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships.” At the same time, however, we have to wonder why two ships that have changed ownership and operation and a third that has not even changed her name yet end up with identical scores before and after the changes. Elsewhere, the US Gulf ports of New Orleans and Galveston have both greeted big new ships this weekend, with the Voyager of the Seas at New Orleans and the brand-new Carnival Magic greeted by Maroon 5 at Galveston. Meanwhile, as Seattle treads water in 2011, Vancouver has seen a 15% increase in cruise passengers with Oceania’s Regatta, the Disney Wonder and the Crystal Symphony bringing new business. Next year, however, will likely see Vancouver tread water while Seattle makes the gains, most notably with the defection of Disney Wonder from Vancouver to Seattle in 2012.

THIS WEEK’S STORY                                                      (See previous columns)

Crystal’s 7-Night September 2012 Round Trip From Montreal Revives an Old Format – Plus Canada New England Cruises

The five-star all-inclusive (in 2012) Crystal Symphony in a night shot at Montreal

Crystal Cruises has decided to pick up on a formula that has not been used now for twenty years, a 7-night round trip cruise from Montreal on Crystal Symphony on September 30, 2012. By this time she will be all-inclusive for the first time, with wines, bar drinks and on board beverages, as well as gratuities, included in the fare.

Canada New England cruises date to 1894, when the Quebec Steamship Company, with Thomas Cook as its agent, offered the first such cruise in its Orinoco. Typically, these have started in either New York or Boston and ended in Montreal or Quebec, or vice versa. But another type of cruise that was also offered for many decades was the round trip cruise from Montreal, something that was first offered by the Quebec Steamship Company even before Canada New England cruises, and is now being revived by Crystal Cruises.

Quebec’s magnificent Fairmont Chateau Frontenac

Indicative of the gradual progress being made by new cruise ports in the Gulf of St Lawrence, three of the four ports of call, Sept Iles, the Magdalen Islands and the French Atlantic islands of St Pierre et Miquelon, will be first time calls for Crystal. The fourth, Quebec, has recently been voted the most popular cruise port in North America.

Sept Îles is a new and upcoming port, having only opened a cruise terminal in 2010 after Holland America’s Maasdam became the first modern age cruise ship to call there on May 19, 2009. Cruises had once before been operated to Sept Iles, but not since the North Shore highway was extended from Baie Comeau and the last coastal passenger ship cleared for Montreal at the end of 1961.

The new wharf extension at Sept Iles allows cruise passengers to take a new train to visit a native Innu summer camp on the Moisie River. This river is famed for its salmon and has been fished by prime ministers. The Innu themselves are descended from the Montagnais tribes that used to spend their winters in the bush trapping and come down the rivers in their canoes to trade with the Hudson’s Bay Company and others on the St Lawrence in the summer.

Cruising to the North Shore and Labrador was most popular with the Clarke Steamship Co, founded in 1921 by what up until then had been a family involved in publishing and pulp and paper. Below is a typical scene from 1935, with Clarke’s North Voyageur, the first of three ships to carry that name, berthed at Clarke City wharf at Pointe Noire, now part of the Port of Sept Iles.

Meeting the ship is the Gulf Pulp & Paper Company’s locomotive number 20, a unit that had been built for the Intercolonial Railway in 1900 and acquired by Gulf Pulp & Paper in 1924. Behind her are a combination passenger and freight car and a number of flat cars. The bell-mouthed smokestack was to prevent sparks from starting forest fires along the nine-mile railway line that linked the wharf with the pulp mill  town of Clarke City.

Cruises on the North Voyageur, which had berths for 62 overnight passengers, ran 12 nights round trip  from Montreal and started at $100. Ports of call included Quebec, Godbout, Clarke City, Havre St Pierre, Natashquan and Corner Brook, Newfoundland, returning via Natashquan, Sept Iles and Franquelin. Today, ships as large as the Queen Mary 2 call at Corner Brook, which has also seen a revival in cruising.

In 2013, Crystal Symphony will repeat her 7-night Montreal round trip itinerary on September 26 and will add yet another new port, Havre St Pierre, where she will make calls on two other cruises.

Slowly, it seems, cruising the Gulf of St Lawrence is making some progress. Some people have even tried to describe these Gulf and Labrador cruises as a new Alaska.

Here is a summary of all five of Crystal Symphony’s autumn 2012 cruises to and from Montreal.

New York to Montréal, September 19 – 30, 2012 (13 nights). Calls: New York, Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax, Québec City, and Montreal. From £3,439. (*)

Round-trip Montréal, September 30 – October 7, 2012 (9 nights). Calls: Montreal, Sept-Iles, Magdalen Islands, St-Pierre et Miquelon, Québec City. From £2,623. (*)

Montréal to Boston, October 7 – 14, 2012 (9 nights). Calls: Montreal, Québec City, Halifax, Bar Harbor and Boston. From £2,478 (*).

Boston to Montréal, October 14 – 21, 2012 (9 nights). Calls : Boston, Bar Harbor, Halifax, Québec City and Montreal. From £2,307. (*)

Montréal to New York, October 21 – 31, 2012 (12 nights). Calls: Montreal, Québec City, Halifax, Bar Harbor, Boston, Newport and New York. From £2,807. (*)

(*) All fares are per person in double occupancy and include return economy flights and port taxes. Hotels & transfers are additional. Number of nights given for each cruise applies to fly/cruise package from the UK..

For further details on any Crystal cruise, please call Gay Scruton at The Cruise People Ltd in London on 020 7723 2450 or e-mail cruise@cruisepeople.co.uk.

Crystal Cruises Goes All-Inclusive – And: Save up to £2,523 Per Couple on Selected 2012 Sailings

Crystal Cruises Goes All-Inclusive: In the spring of 2012, holidays on the award-winning Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity will become All-Inclusive and in addition to the already-included complimentary amenities, from enlightening enrichment speakers and fitness classes to pampering pillow menus and specialty restaurant dining featuring the cuisine of Nobu Matsuhisa and Piero Selvaggio, we will also include complimentary fine wines and premium spirits throughout the ship, open bar service in all lounges, and prepaid gratuities for housekeeping, bar and dining staff.

 Make a 2012 booking with Crystal Cruises by 31 October 2011 and you can enjoy additional Book Now Savings– as much as £2,523 per couple in fare reductions – on selected sailings.

Cruise	UK Departure	Nights	Itinerary	Fares from (per person)
2207	18 March 2012	11	From Miami to Lisbon	£1,862
2209	8 April 2012	7	From Barcelona to Rome	£1,766
2309	24 May 2012	12	From Dover to Rome	£3,005
2311	12 June 2012	7	From Athens to Venice	£2,313
2316	6 August 2012	7	From Rome to Venice	£2,519

For more information or to make a booking, please contact Gay Scruton at The Cruise People Ltd in London on 020 7723 2450 or e-mail cruise@cruisepeople.co.uk.

Fares are per person based on double occupancy in the accommodation grade shown and includes return economy flights from London, port taxes and overseas transfers. Fares are only valid until 31 October 2011 – after this date they may change. Crystal Cruises will become all inclusive from the first Trans-Atlantic crossing on each ship – Cruise 2207 on Crystal Symphony and Cruise 2308 on Crystal Serenity. All offers, fares and itineraries are subject to change and availability and can be withdrawn at any time

Crystal Cruises ‘Ticks All The Right Boxes’ For Multi-Generational Families

Crystal Cruises’ ultra-luxurious Five-Star Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity will go all-inclusive in 2012.

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Crystal Cruises is developing a reputation as the multi-generational family cruise line of choice for well-heeled travellers, a trend observed by Kevin Griffin, Managing Director of The Cruise People – the London based agent specializing in ultra-luxury brands – who has had some interesting large international family group bookings over the last 12-months. And, with the recent introduction of Crystal’s ‘Family Memories’ program, they are offering tremendous value too with benefits such as prepaid gratuities and ship board credits for groups of six or more and a free berth if a group of ten travel together.

“These multi-generational groups can be anywhere between six and 16 family members travelling together, spanning up to three generations from 20s to 60s, and travelling from as far as Israel and Singapore,” says Kevin Griffin. “The casinos onboard the Crystal ships are certainly a draw for the Oriental and Middle East families, as is the specialist cuisine such as kosher-style dining, which is very popular with our Jewish families.”

Crystal Cruises ‘ticks all the boxes’ for these extended families with their exceptional quality and choice of entertainment, spa and fitness facilities, activities and enrichment opportunities offered aboard their two luxury vessels. Crystal Symphony (51,044 ton) and Crystal Serenity (68,700 ton) carry 922 and 1070 passengers respectively, more passengers than Crystal Cruises’ competitor small-ship luxury lines, yet their size is a huge positive in terms of scope for onboard activities.

From elegant afternoon teas and traditional paddle tennis, to discovering a flair for languages at the innovative Creative Learning Institute, joining the exclusive Walk-On-Water WOW? programme or indulging in exotic spa therapies, Crystal Cruises offer their guests a huge range of choices to fill both days and nights. Hence the attraction for the large family groups, spreading across three generations in some cases and with ages ranging from 25 to 65 (and more), as there’s plenty onboard to keep the whole family happy.

Further features of the ships’ size are the guest-to-space and guest-to-staff ratio, among the highest in the industry. The service onboard is flawless and the choice of international cuisine is superb. Kosher-style dining is offered onboard both vessels, “traditional cuisine was a particular highlight for our Jewish family, whilst the sushi from world-class chef Nobu Matsuhisa is a great reason for our Oriental families to book this product,” says Kevin Griffin.

Crystal was the first luxury line to make a significant commitment to attracting families by upgrading children’s onboard facilities and activities. They cater for younger families with a fully supervised program for kids between the ages of 3 and 17, although The Cruise People’s family groups are mostly jet-setting adults.

To date, The Cruise People’s large adult family bookings have typically come from cultures where strong families are traditional. “However there’s no reason that this principal should not be applied to other international families,” says Kevin Griffin, “where clients who live in different countries could use a cruise to get together for family events and celebrations.”

Crystal Family Memories Program

For family or friends travelling together or celebrating an important occasion such as a silver wedding anniversary or big birthday, ‘Crystal Family Memories’ offer even more reason to celebrate. For every six guests who book and pay in full on any 2011 cruise, Crystal Cruises will provide pre-paid gratuities, shipboard credits of US$100 per person and more. And, if the group consists of ten full-fare guests, they will also receive one free berth!

For further details call Gay Scruton at The Cruise People Ltd in London on 020 7723 2450 or e-mail cruise@cruisepeople.co.uk

Crystal Cruises ‘Ticks All The Right Boxes’ For Multi-Generational Families

Crystal Cruises’ ultra-luxurious Five-Star Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity will go all-inclusive in 2012.

---

Crystal Cruises is developing a reputation as the multi-generational family cruise line of choice for well-heeled travellers, a trend observed by Kevin Griffin, Managing Director of The Cruise People – the London based agent specializing in ultra-luxury brands – who has had some interesting large international family group bookings over the last 12-months. And, with the recent introduction of Crystal’s ‘Family Memories’ program, they are offering tremendous value too with benefits such as prepaid gratuities and ship board credits for groups of six or more and a free berth if a group of ten travel together.

“These multi-generational groups can be anywhere between six and 16 family members travelling together, spanning up to three generations from 20s to 60s, and travelling from as far as Israel and Singapore,” says Kevin Griffin. “The casinos onboard the Crystal ships are certainly a draw for the Oriental and Middle East families, as is the specialist cuisine such as kosher-style dining, which is very popular with our Jewish families.”

Crystal Cruises ‘ticks all the boxes’ for these extended families with their exceptional quality and choice of entertainment, spa and fitness facilities, activities and enrichment opportunities offered aboard their two luxury vessels. Crystal Symphony (51,044 ton) and Crystal Serenity (68,700 ton) carry 922 and 1070 passengers respectively, more passengers than Crystal Cruises’ competitor small-ship luxury lines, yet their size is a huge positive in terms of scope for onboard activities.

From elegant afternoon teas and traditional paddle tennis, to discovering a flair for languages at the innovative Creative Learning Institute, joining the exclusive Walk-On-Water WOW? programme or indulging in exotic spa therapies, Crystal Cruises offer their guests a huge range of choices to fill both days and nights. Hence the attraction for the large family groups, spreading across three generations in some cases and with ages ranging from 25 to 65 (and more), as there’s plenty onboard to keep the whole family happy.

Further features of the ships’ size are the guest-to-space and guest-to-staff ratio, among the highest in the industry. The service onboard is flawless and the choice of international cuisine is superb. Kosher-style dining is offered onboard both vessels, “traditional cuisine was a particular highlight for our Jewish family, whilst the sushi from world-class chef Nobu Matsuhisa is a great reason for our Oriental families to book this product,” says Kevin Griffin.

Crystal was the first luxury line to make a significant commitment to attracting families by upgrading children’s onboard facilities and activities. They cater for younger families with a fully supervised program for kids between the ages of 3 and 17, although The Cruise People’s family groups are mostly jet-setting adults.

To date, The Cruise People’s large adult family bookings have typically come from cultures where strong families are traditional. “However there’s no reason that this principal should not be applied to other international families,” says Kevin Griffin, “where clients who live in different countries could use a cruise to get together for family events and celebrations.”

Crystal Family Memories Program

For family or friends travelling together or celebrating an important occasion such as a silver wedding anniversary or big birthday, ‘Crystal Family Memories’ offer even more reason to celebrate. For every six guests who book and pay in full on any 2011 cruise, Crystal Cruises will provide pre-paid gratuities, shipboard credits of US$100 per person and more. And, if the group consists of ten full-fare guests, they will also receive one free berth!

For further details please call Gay Scruton at The Cruise People Ltd in London on 020 7723 2450 or e-mail cruise@cruisepeople.co.uk