Peter Deilmann Cruises is bringing deluxe cruising to Baltimore with the announcement of two distinct Fall itineraries, aboard its luxury flagship MS Deutschland, and offering special fare savings of up to 32% with $99 air and complimentary excursions. The 520-guest floating grand hotel offers guests the elegant style of the Edwardian and 1920 eras and highly personalized service thanks to a guest-to-crew ratio of two-to-one when it departs Nov. 5 on a 12-night exploration of the southeast coast of the U.S and a longer 16-night cruise departing on Nov. 17 to the Gulf and Caribbean. A portfolio of savings opportunities is being offered with these departures: $1,500 per person discounts on all stateroom/suite categories; $99 economy roundtrip air fare from dozens of North American gateways or for those booking their own air, an additional $750 fare reduction; and a complimentary excursions package worth $600. The 12-night roundtrip cruise from Baltimore explores the ‘old South,’ stopping in Norfolk, Savannah, Charleston, Jacksonville, Key West, Miami and Port Canaveral, as well as Freeport in the Grand Bahamas. The 16-night sailing ends in Jamaica’s Montego Bay after calling at Philadelphia, New York, Miami, New Orleans and Mexico’s Progreso and Cozumel. Group bookings enjoy the same savings benefits, as well as one free tour conductor berth for every nine paid guests. The reduced fares are $3,943 to $14,034 per person, double for the 12-night sailing and $4,820 to $17,510 for 16 nights. Original fares ranged from $5,740 to $19,010.
The 12-night itinerary will take in the Southern hospitality of three southeast coastal cities: historic Savannah, brimming with Victorian homes, antebellum mansions and oak trees dripping in Spanish moss; Charleston, where travelers can tour the old city by horse-drawn carriage; and Norfolk, a primary 18th-century trading port, where guests can opt to visit Nauticus, The National Maritime Center that boasts superb oceanography exhibits, and, for history buffs, the Hampton Roads Naval Museum and the Douglas MacArthur Memorial. Four Florida ports collectively provide a rich view of the state’s offerings and include: the former homes of writer Ernest Hemmingway and President Harry Truman in laid-back Key West; an array of bars and restaurants at the Jacksonville Landing and Southbank Riverwalk in Jacksonsville; the very popular NASA Space Center in Port Canaveral; and the sizzling South Beach nightlife, magnificent beaches and museum offerings of multi-cultural Miami. Freeport offers sunbathers a near endless supply of deserted stretches of sun-drenched beaches – as well as terrific shopping opportunities at Port Lucaya Marketplace, with its picturesque waterfront, and at Count Basie Square with live entertainment.
The 16-night sailing showcases some of the very best in cosmopolitan ports of call — New York, Philadelphia, New Orleans and Miami. In New York, guests can visit the Statute of Liberty, take a carriage ride in Central Park, or catch a Broadway show followed by dinner on Restaurant Row. Philadelphia, the nation’s one-time capital, is brimming with early American landmarks, including Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, and such cultural landmarks as the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Franklin Institute Science Museum, while New Orleans offers the birthplace of Jazz, the sultry ambiance of the city’s French Quarter and its Bourbon Street. Two Mexican destinations add a Latin element with the Mayan town of Progreso, 30 minutes from the colonial city of Merida and the Mayan archaeological site of Dzibilchaltun, and Cozumel, where guests can enjoy Chankanaab National Park, a refuge for flora and marine fauna, or snorkel or dive the island’s world-famous reefs.
The MS Deutschland, with 286 staterooms, provides travelers with a more intimate cruising experience. Features of the nine-deck ship include: three deluxe restaurants, an outdoor dining terrace plus seven diverse bars and cafes, a spacious library lounge, outdoor and indoor pools, three sun decks and an open-air promenade deck, grand ballroom for nightly entertainment and dancing, and a wellness center equipped with fitness and spa facilities. Smoking is not permitted onboard except in open deck areas, the Old Fritz Pub and one section of the Lili Marleen Bar.
The remainder of the 2009 voyage roster offers 25 world-class itineraries of seven to 23 nights, taking in destinations ranging from the culturally wealthy cities of Northern Europe along the Baltic, the Mediterranean, and the fjords and rarely-visited villages of Greenland and Iceland, to exotic regions in South America and the Amazon. Port charges of $125 (12 nights) and $165 (16 nights) per person are additional; air taxes and air fuel surcharges are included in the $99 air; cruise fuel surcharges are no longer collected. Details on the cruises, $99 airfare, optional excursions and other amenities, are available from travel agents or Peter Deilmann Ocean Cruises at 1-800-348-8287 or by E-mail at pdcmail@deilmann-cruises.com. Cruises itineraries, deck plans and ship photos are online at www.deilmann-cruises.com.