Regent's Captain Knut Invites You to Norway

Regent just sent over this information about a summer voyage that sounds spectacular...

"Norway is a land of rich maritime history and natural beauty, from its inspiring mountain peaks and majestic waterfalls to the deep blue waters coursing through its towering fjords. Norway’s Geirangerfjord region is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Oslo, the capital, features an intriguing mix of architectural styles and a history dating back 900 years. This summer, none other than Regent Seven Seas Voyager master and Norway resident Captain Knut Hanssen will host guests on a journey highlighting Norway’s stunning natural landscape and rich seafaring culture.

Captain Hanssen’s 15-night cruise from Dover to Copenhagen departs June 24, 2008 aboard Seven Seas Voyager. Familiar to many Regent Seven Seas guests as the past master of the iconic luxury ship Song of Flower, Captain Hanssen’s experiences in Norway include service as a North Sea Captain in the Royal Navy. He currently resides in Alesund, Norway.

During the cruise, Captain Hanssen will share his insider’s views of the Norwegian fjords, which are the centerpiece of this itinerary. The itinerary features calls at Hellesylt, Geiranger, Longyearbyen (Spitzbergen), Honningsvag and Flåm, each home to towering fjords, monumental waterfalls, lush forests, snow-capped mountain peaks and abundant wildlife.

The cruise will also feature a special guest: Bard Kolltveit, Director of Research at Oslo’s Norwegian Maritime Museum. The museum features extensive collections and displays detailing Norway’s history through its relationship with the sea. Kolltveit has authored more than one dozen scholarly and popular maritime books, as well as articles in various Norwegian and foreign publications."

EOS Airlines Calls It Quits

Sad news today from EOS Airlines. Due to the high cost of fuel and the credit crunch, the airline has filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will cease operations on Sunday, April 27, 2008.

Crystal Cruises had partnered with EOS to provide low-cost business air upgrades for travel to Europe in 2008. Passengers holding EOS tickets booked via Crystal should contact their travel agent or the cruise line as soon as possible.

For independent travelers who have confirmed tickets on a future EOS flight, the airline suggests that you contact your credit card for a refund. Other airlines may offer seats on their flights, but they are not obligated to do so. Silverjet posted on its website this morning that it will try to assist displaced EOS customers. Here's the note posted:

Rebooking Information from Silverjet
Following the cessation of EOS operations, Silverjet is offering EOS customers the opportunity to re-book on available Silverjet services Book with Silverjet before midnight May 10, 2008 (BST) and we will honour the price you paid to EOS, subject to seat availability and a minimum price paid*. To re-book, please call Silverjet on UK: 0844 855 0111 or USA: 877 359 7458 (FLYSILVERJET), 24 hours a day.

Electronic proof of the ticket price paid to EOS and your original EOS e-confirmation number will be required.

* Please note, if you have paid less than £600 / $1,200 plus taxes one-way or £1,200 / $2,400 plus taxes round trip, we will be unable to honour this offer.

***

It's been a tough year for the airlines with ATA and Aloha Airlines going out of business. EOS joins their ranks and there will most likely be a few other airlines that must cease operations or merge with another carrier. Things aren't looking all that bright for Alitalia right now, and many are guessing that airline may be the next to close its doors.

More News on Crystal's Wine & Food Festival

Crystal Cruises has been busy lining up an all-star cast for its October Wine & Food cruises in the Mediterranean and New England. Here's what you can look forward to...

* Aboard the Serenity's 12-day voyage from Rome to Barcelona departing October 18, 2008: Michelle Bernstein, former James Beard nominee and well-known chef/owner of Michy's in Miami, and wine expert/author Lettie Teague of Food & Wine magazine.

* Aboard the Symphony's 10-day cruise beginning on October 19 from Montreal to New York: Henri Brosi, executive chef of London's Dorchester Hotel, will showcase the techniques that have earned him worldwide critical acclaim. Joining him is wine "wizard" Keith Goldston, one of the world's youngest Master Sommeliers.

Crystal's Wine & Food Festivals include onboard lectures, cooking demonstrations, tastings, and dinners of signature dishes.

Throughout each voyage, carefully crafted optional shore excursions offer guests authentic regional culinary experiences, such as cooking lessons at a Michelin star restaurant in Sorrento, wine tasting in the Sicilian countryside, a lobster lunch on the coast of Nova Scotia, and a three-course gourmet meal and blind wine tasting in Saint John's.

Crystal Serenity's 12-day cruise from Rome to Barcelona October 18, 2008, features calls in Naples and Sicily/Catania, Italy; Gibraltar, United Kingdom; and Malaga, Cartagena, Valencia and Palma de Mallorca, Spain; concluding with a shipboard overnight call in Barcelona. Fares begin at $4,445, per person, double occupancy.

Crystal Symphony's 10-day cruise from Montreal to New York, October 19, 2008, features calls in Quebec City, Quebec; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Saint John's, New Brunswick; Bar Harbor, Maine; Boston, Massachusetts; and Newport, Rhode Island. Fares begin at $3,435, per person, double occupancy.

Photo courtesy of Crystal Cruises.

Silversea Alaska Sailing to Focus on Food & Wine

Silversea's Silver Shadow is sailing Alaskan waters this summer and in addition to the breathtaking scenery and adventurous shore excursions, the line will also spotlight food and wine on its June 21, 2008 voyage. In fact, Silversea has asked John Shafer of Shafer Vineyards in Napa Valley, California, to host a special "Wine & Food" enrichment program.

John will lead various wine tastings throughout the voyage as well as a private tour and tasting at the end of the journey at Shafer's Hillside Select.

Randy Aprill, Executive Chef at the elite Silicon Valley Capital Club in San Jose will also be onboard. Aprill was formerly a chef in the White House, where he cooked in the president’s kitchen for State dinners and dignitaries. John and Randy will offer wine tastings, group discussions, culinary demonstrations, and an exclusive winemaker dinner featuring Shafer wines and Aprill’s signature cuisine.

Shafer wines have earned much critical praise since the vintner’s first cabernet was produced in 1978. Shafer was one of a few wineries selected worldwide to be featured in Robert M. Parker, Jr.’s book, The World’s Greatest Wine Estates, where he writes that Shafer is “one of the world’s greatest wineries.” Wine & Spirits magazine also places Shafer “among the world’s Top 25 Great Vineyards.”

Cruises will also get to experience Silver Shadow’s new state-of-the art culinary theater equipped with professional-caliber appliances and cookware custom designed by Viking Range.

In addition, expert Alaska guides will be on board to add personal insights and offer slide lectures of the history, nature, and peoples of the region as the ship navigates Alaska’s pristine glacial passages.

The 10-day voyage aboard the intimate, all-inclusive Silver Shadow sails from Vancouver to under the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco with calls in Sitka, Haines, Juneau, and Ketchikan, Alaska plus Prince Rupert, British Columbia.

Photo courtesy of Silversea.

Perfect Hawaiian Honeymoons Aboard Safari Explorer

If you’re planning a honeymoon—or any romantic cruise getaway—check out American Safari Cruises’ new Hawaii Honeymoon Package. It’s offered on the line’s soon-to-debut 145-foot, 36-guest yacht Safari Explorer. This is the first luxury ship to offer inter-island Hawaiian cruises. The ship and her all-American crew will visit Molokai, Lanai, Lahaina on Maui, the Big Island, and several snorkel/dive sites. (Click here to read another blog entry about the new itineraries.)

The romance package includes one of two top-deck balcony suites that feature a living room with a large, flat-screen TV, master bedroom with king-size bed and Tempur-pedic mattress, refrigerator stocked with the couple’s favorite beverages, and bathroom with heated tile floors and Jacuzzi tub. The couple will also receive a private helicopter tour of Volcanoes National Park (other guests will fly with up to five others), and be feted at a honeymoon celebration one night at dinner.

The couple will be welcomed with Dom Perignon champagne on ice; a platter of chocolate-covered strawberries, fine cheeses, and grapes; a rose-petal strewn bed; and two personalized keepsake pillows. They will have first choice of complimentary massage appointments, and their preferred wines will be stocked in the yacht’s wine library.

The Honeymoon Package begins at $7,395 per person and includes from-yacht activities, shore excursions, private transfers, and complimentary premium spirits and fine wines.

For more information, call your travel agent or contact American Safari Cruises at (888) 862-8881.

Photo courtesy of American Safari Cruises