Home Based Travel Agent - June 2008 - (Page 44)

Cover Story FOR THE AGENT SAILING THE SCANDINAVIAN SEAS Even in exchange-challenged Europe, cruises are a good value for your clients larger ships, like Holland America Line. Here is a look at which cruise lines offer Scandinavia cruises and the itineraries they operate. The 2008 season kicked off in May, so below is dedicated only to 2009 details. Most cruise lines are already accepting bookings for next season. Cruise Line: Carnival Cruise Lines (www.carnival.com) Ship: Carnival Liberty After a season of Scandinavian sailing on Carnival’s newest ship, Carnival Splendor, Carnival Liberty will assume Splendor’s A Holland America Line ship in Stavangerford, Norway Costa Luminosa For Norway lovers, Costa operates a seven-night Norway itinerary from Copenhagen that calls at strictly Norwegian cities: Hellesylt, Geiranger, Flam, Bergen, Stavanger and Oslo. Costa also operates a Spitzbergen itinerary on Costa Magica that visits the Magdalene Fjord. Cruise Line: Crystal Cruises (www.crystalcruises.com) Ship: Crystal Symphony Crystal’s “Splendid Scandinavia” 11-day voyage in June from London to Stockholm includes Oslo, Copenhagen and two overnights in St. Petersburg. It follows up in late July with the “Scrumptious Scandinavia” 11-day cruise, which includes a Copenhagen overnight. It’s luxury, so fares start at almost $5,000 per person. duties in 2009, with a 12-day itinerary May 9 through August 25 roundtrip from Dover and calling at Copenhagen, Berlin, Helsinki, St. Petersburg (two-day call), Tallinn and Amsterdam. Pricing starts at $1,249 per person. Cruise Line: Celebrity Cruises (www.celebritycruises.com) Ships: Celebrity Constellation, Celebrity Century Celebrity’s Northern Europe cruise season kicks off May 9 on Celebrity Century, which will operate 12-night Scandinavia & Russia itineraries throughout the summer season departing from Amsterdam and calling at Berlin, Stockholm, Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn and Copenhagen. Celebrity Constellation also operates a Scandinavia & Russia itinerary, but with a 14-day itinerary, and departing from Harwich, England. It calls at the same cities as Celebrity Century. Scandinavia is a European destination for both seasoned cruisers and for firsttimers who have already experienced other areas of Europe by land. Stress to your clients that they will be paying for their cruise in U.S. dollars, which makes a European cruise one of the best vacation values going right now. Scandinavia is positioning itself as a formidable cruise destination. Just this past month, Stockholm not only opened up a new cruise season, it opened a new cruise terminal. The Stockholm Cruise Center Frihamnen will receive a recordsetting 265 ships in 2008. The window to take a Scandinavia cruise is from May through September, with the high months being July and August. If your clients are looking to really get an up-close, in-depth look at the extremely varied geography of Scandinavia, they might enjoy a cruise line with smaller ships, such as Hurtigruten. If your clients are more interested in what is on land, recommend a cruise line with Cruise Line: Holland America Line (www.hollandamerica.com) Ships: Eurodam, Prinsendam, Rotterdam Holland America’s newest ship, Eurodam, which debuts next month, will offer a 20-day Ultimate Northern Europe itinerary beginning in May, which will call at such ports as Skagen, Denmark; Vik and Flam in Norway; and Stockholm. Pricing is from $3,500 per person. Prinsendam offers a 21-day Top of the World itinerary in July 2009 that hits three ports in Iceland: Akureyri, Isafjord and Reykjavik. Cruise Line: Hurtigruten Cruise Line: Costa Cruises (www.costacruises.com) Ships: Costa Atlantica, Costa Mediterranea, Costa Marina, Costa Magica, (www.hurtigruten.us) Ships: Entire fleet Hurtigruten is the only line that operates year-round Norwegian coastal 44 Home-BasedTravelAgent JUNE 2008 http://www.carnival.com http://www.crystalcruises.com http://www.celebritycruises.com http://www.hollandamerica.com http://www.hurtigruten.us http://www.costacruises.com

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Home Based Travel Agent - June 2008 Contents Editor's Note Publisher's Note Your Lifeline Agent Spotlight New Technology Industry News Hot Deals Indentifying Agents Delivering Documents Culinary Vacations Pacific Northwest Cover Story: Cruising Scandinavia Agent Access New Products

Home Based Travel Agent - June 2008

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