These Crystal River Cruises fare must be booked before 30 April 2019.
Crystal River Cruises vessels have a Palm Court lounge that will accommodate all passengers
Sailing date
Vessel
Route
Fares (*)
28 April 2019
Crystal Bach
Vienna Round Trip
7 days, £3,211
29 April 2019
Crystal Mahler
Vienna to Budapest
7 days £4,050
30 April 2019
Crystal Mozart
Vienna Round Trip
10 days £3,144
30 April 2019
Crystal Mozart
Vienna to Passau
4 days, £1,222
04 May 2019
Crystal Mozart
Passau to Vienna
6 days, £1,928
05 May 2019
Crystal Ravel
Vienna Round Trip
7 days, £3,211
06 May 2019
Crystal Mahler
Budapest to Vienna
7 days, £4,735
09 May 2019
Crystal Debussy
Basel to Amsterdam
7 days, £5,395
10 May 2019
Crystal Mozart
Vienna Round Trip
10 days, £3,268
11 May 2019
Crystal Bach
Amsterdam to Basel
10 days, £5,737
(*) Fares are per person cruise-only.
Each Crystal River Cruises vessel has a pool and spaFor UK & Eire residents: Cruise-only fares are in Pounds Sterling and include cruise taxes, fees and port charges. Optional flight add-ons are available from designated UK airports. Crystal River Cruises’ All-Inclusive fares include beverages including fine wines, champagne, premium spirits and all nonalcoholic beverages such as bottled water, soft drinks and specialty coffees; gratuities for housekeeping, dining and bar staff; personal Butler service; airport transfers to and from the River Ship, choice of one of two complimentary shore excursions in each port and complimentary Wi-Fi Internet for the duration of your voyage.
Depending on sailing and category booked, Solo supplements range from 30% to 100% on top of the applicable per person double occupancy fare. Solo Traveler Fares are calculated before other promotional savings.
For availability and detailed itineraries please email info@culture-cruises.com or call Kevin or Suzy at Culture Cruises on 020 7660 1450.
On Tuesday, four cruise agents from the UK, including a representative from Culture Cruises, flew to Amsterdam to inspect the latest Crystal River cruise vessel, Crystal Debussy, and enjoy a leisurely lunch. As you will see from our photos it was a sunny day. Below is the Palm Court, the main lounge of the Crystal Debussy and her three sister ships. The Palm Court, which can accommodate all 106 guests at the same time, is outfitted with skylights on both sides, allowing daylight to brighten the whole room. This lounge also boasts a full-size Steinway grand piano.
This view shows the Palm Court’s dance floor and the bar at the after end
One way to assess this ship might be to read the email I sent my co-director when asked what it was like: “An excellent product. Full size but only 106 passengers. Best river value about £5,000 per person for 16 days Amsterdam to Budapest on Crystal Mahler. Very well managed kitchen and menus. Had the edamame beans, river trout and Dutch lamb stew. Typical American upmarket customers . The crew are 100% Crystal – no agencies, no franchises, no sub-contracted staff – they had trouble with the last of the ‘hired in’ staff creating the wrong mood.”
Crystal Debussy has a counter-current swimming pool
Unusual for river craft, the Crystal Debussy and sisters have a swimming pool, as well as spacious spa and gym. The pool is a counter-current swimming pool so you can swim to your heart’s content.
The midships Bistro has windows both sides for views of the river and its shores, not to mention the ship traffic. As well as a daytime haunt, the Bistro becomes a Tapas bar for informal dinners, reservations required .
Finally, the accommodations are all large, on a ship with lots of space. Below are the lounge and bedoom of a Category C Suite. Other rooms have convertable balconies with outward-facing beds from which to enjoy the passing river views.
Thus you can wake each day to enchanting panoramic views aboard this elegant all-suite ship with river cruising’s largest standard accommodations. And enjoy award-winning service, farm-to-table cuisine and enriching discovery bridging ship and shore.
With the highest staff-to-guest ratio among all European river lines, and professionals chosen for thire expertise and friendly demeanour, Crystal’s genuine hospitality sets the stage for a journey beyond compare.
This is a place where luxury is comfortable, and where supreme indulgence creates a sense of well-being. Day breaks with new views, and night falls into a dreamy slumber in your beautiful spacious suite.
Cuisine transcends mere excellence and enters the sublime. Menus of Michelin-level envy are sourced with the freshest ingredients and paired with the finest wines. Every meal is a celebration.
We will post some Crystal River offers on the weekend so keep your eye out.
Or if you want to know more in the meantime call either Kevin or Suzy at Culture Cruises on 020 7660 1450. Or email info@culture-cruises.com
Culture Cruises
Limited is pleased to announce the arrival of a new company dealing
exclusively with small ship cruising, river cruises and expedition
voyages. The new firm will specialise in special interest
cruises.
CULTURE CRUISES LIMITED
A new UK-based niche cruise marketing organisation opened last week when Culture Cruises Limited launched its website in London.
Culture Cruises logo
The new company has been formed by Kevin Griffin and Suzy Cooper, two enthusiastic culture-loving travel entrepreneurs who aim to provide cruises with special interests: the sort of cruises that they would like to go on themselves. Their cruises will be designed for people who prefer to combine the superb relaxation of sea travel with interesting themes, fascinating lectures and superb shore visits.
This sense of purpose, in splendid combination with the unique “R&R” that a cruise can
provide, makes the whole experience more exciting and rewarding for those who want more than “just a cruise.”
The new company was formed
as a joint venture in September 2018 and is managed by two directors,
Kevin Griffin, and Suzy Cooper, its managing director.
Among
others, Culture Cruises is working with Ponant, who are expanding from
five ships to a dozen, all newbuildings. Above is Le Lapérouse of 2018
(Photo credit Philip Plisson, Ponant)
Culture Cruises will offer
cruises that are equally enjoyable for individuals, couples and groups,
and the company will work with only a few carefully-selected cruise
operators who provide elegant ships with extremely
high standards, and exhilarating itineraries.
Kevin founded The Cruise
People Ltd in London in 1992, when the UK cruise market was just
beginning to grow (numbering only 229,000 then compared to more than 2
million now).
He was twice chairman of
the Leading Cruise Agents of the UK and now holds a minority interest in
a US river cruise project, whose vessel is presently operating under
charter.
Suzy was a founder member
and director of online travel agency Singular Travel, which she formed
in 2004. Suzy has worked as an independent tour guide, tour manager for a
wine tour operating company, as cabin crew
for BOAC/British Airways and is also an Art Historian.
The Singular Travel
website campaigned for and provided better deals for single travellers.
Still championing that cause, Suzy has now formed Culture Cruises with
Kevin in order to help single travellers pay fair
prices and also to enjoy the company of like-minded folk … on special
interest cruises.
On the river side, Culture Cruises is working with Ama Waterways, whose AmaKristina is seen here at Vilshofen, on the Danube in Germany
Kevin and Suzy describe themselves as “entrepreneurs with a mission.” Their ultimate goal at Culture Cruises is to differentiate themselves from the rest of the cruise market by introducing cruise tours that focus mainly on cultural themes: Art and Architecture and Food and Wine, as examples.
In order to create a reputation for quality and exclusivity, they have developed a small portfolio of selected partners that operate refined ships that carry only between 100 and 540 guests each. They have agreements with Ponant, Ama Waterways and One Ocean Expeditions and are also now working with Crystal River Cruises and Hurtigruten.
Culture Cruises’ first booking was a Northwest Passage transit with One Ocean Expeditions (left, One Ocean’s 146-berth RCGS Resolute)
Culture Cruises has opened as a niche cruise agent, and although its programme has been kept under wraps until now, it has already made its first booking, a transit of the Northwest Passage with One Ocean Expeditions in August.
Now operating as agents for Air Travel Organisers Licence (ATOL) holders, by 2020-21, the new company’s owners intend to turn the it into a fully-fledged tour operator, with its own programmes, lecturers, tour guides, etc. The company is already researching and recruiting suitable lecturers and guides.
Sail on an extraordinary journey aboard Ponant’S 5-star Le Dumont d’Urville along the Baltic Sea, with some of today’s most relevant thinkers and policy makers engaging in discussions about world affairs. They’ll visit the historic cities that ring Baltic shores, including two full days in St Petersburg—arguably the most magnificent city on the Baltic, where virtually the entire city is designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.
A Crystal Esprit Greek Isles cruise departing August 11, 2019, is now available as a charterer has cancelled. Mediterranean sailings this summer are all very busy so this is a great opportunity for you to sail on Crystal’s stunning yacht this summer. The full encyclopaedic itinerary is below.
The 62-berth Crystal Esprit has all-butler served staterooms
For bookings and further information please call Kevin Griffin at The Cruise People Ltd in London on +44 (0)20 7723 24502 or email CruisePeopleLtd@outlook.com. Coming soon, Culture Cruises, news to follow shortly.
Two new ships joining CMA CGM’s Pacific Australia Direct route mean we have two upcoming double cabins available from London Gateway terminal to Australia and New Zealand. The Nordpacific (built 2018) is set to sail on or about March 20 and the Nordserena (2016) on April 28.
Departures from Sydney are scheduled for the Nordserena on or about March 6 and the Nordpacific on May 5. Both ships are owned by Reederei Nord and have a forward-facing Owners cabin and table tennis, a fitness room and outside swimming pool.
The itinerary for this 91-day full round voyage is London – Dunkirk – Le Havre – New York – Savannah – Cartagena (Colombia) – Panama Canal – Papeete (Tahiti) – Noumea (New Caledonia) – Brisbane – Sydney – Melbourne, with return by way of Nelson – Tauranga – Panama Canal – Punta Manzanillo (Panama) – Savannah – Philadelphia – Xebrugge – Rotterdam – London. Point-to-point bookings can also be accepted.
The full round voyage fare is €10,010 (£9,099) per person plus port charges, deviation insurance and booking fee of €429 (£390) each. .
Non-US and Canadian citizens will need full US visas for any US calls as cargo ships are not included in the various visa waiver programs (also known as ESTA).
To book a cabin please call Miri Lopusna at The Cruise People Ltd in London on +44 (0)20 7723 2450 or email PassageEnquiry@aol.com.
The Zim Ontario and Zim San Francisco now offer a long-haul route between the Pacific Northwest and the Black Sea via Suez
The 6-passenger NSB sister ships Zim San Francsco and Zim Ontario have recently changed from Zim Lines’ Halifax – Panama – Hong Kong run to a new route between Seattle and Vancouver, China and Malaysia, Suez, Israel and the Black Sea.
These are the only ships in the Zim fleet to carry [assengers and offer two very long round voyages that can also be booked one-way as part of a round-the-world itinerary.
On the return voyage to North America the ships call at Ho Chi Minch City in Vietnam. Port rotations for each ship are slightly different and are given below:
Seattle / Vancouver / Far East / Odessa via Suez (105 days)
m/v ZIM ONTARIO (1 Owners and 2 Double cabins, swimming pool, maximum 6 passengers), 63,600 tons. Route: Seattle – Vancouver – Pusan – Qingdao – Ningpo – Shanghai – Da Chan Bay – Port Kelang – Suez Canal – Haifa – Istanbul – Novorossiysk – Odessa – Istanbul – Haifa – Suez Canal – Ho Chi Minh City – Da Chan Bay – Yantian – Xiamen – Ningpo – Shanghai – Seattle – Vancouver.
Vancouver / Far East / Odessa via Suez (112 days)
m/v ZIM SAN FRANCISCO (1 Owners and 2 Double cabins, swimming pool, maximum 6 passengers), 63,600 tons. Route: Vancouver – Pusan – Qingdao – Ningpo – Shanghai – Da Chan Bay – Port Kelang – Suez Canal – Ashdod – Haifa – Istanbul – Novorossiysk – Odessa – Haifa – Suez Canal – Port Kelang – Ho Chi Minh City – Da Chan Bay – Yantian – Xiamen – Ningpo – Shanghai – Pusan – Vancouver.
Fares for a full round voyage of 105 days start at €10,625 per peron double and €12.095 single. For a typical 13-night voyage the fares are €1,579 double and €1,791 single, while for a typical 28-day voyage they are €3,079 and €3,491, respectively.
Non-US and Canadian citizens need a full US B1/B2 visa to enter US ports as cargo ships are not included in the visa waiver program.
To book these ships, or any other cargo ship voyage, please call Miri Lopusna at The Cruise People Ltd in London on +44 (0)20 7723 2450 or email us at PassageEnquiry@aol.com.
Seattle / Vancouver / Far East / Odessa via Suez (105 days)