Destination specialist Voyages of Discovery has launched its Summer 2010 season with a 20% Early Booking Savings and low-cost air add-ons from 25 North American gateway cities. The Summer 2010 season offers a unique roster of voyages to the Arctic, Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, Red Sea and North Africa.
Guests who book by Feb. 1, 2010, can take advantage of an additional 10% Launch Offer Savings. Special rates for single travelers also are available.
“Summer 2010 on mv Discovery will feature a wide range of interesting and eclectic destinations,” said Mark Flager, vice president, sales, marketing and passenger services. “We’ll begin in Safaga, Egypt, on April 16, and sail the Mediterranean and Black Sea to Syria, Turkey, Spain and Italy before beginning our summer season round-trip from London to Scandinavia, the Baltic, Iceland and the Arctic.”
New ports in 2010 include Sicilian Catania, Nauplion near the Greek citadel of Mycenae, the island of Korcula and the city of Split on the Dalmation Coast.
Each of the itineraries has been carefully planned to maximise time spent ashore, exploring sights, many beyond the reach of larger ships. Guests will also be able to visit incredible inland destinations including Berlin and Cairo. Overnight stays provide passengers with the opportunity to appreciate the art and historic treasures of cultural epicenters such as St Petersburg and Venice or the outstanding volcanic beauty of Reykjavik.
Summer 2010 programs on the spacious and elegant, 650-passenger mv Discovery include a rare visit to Ilulissat (120 miles north of the Arctic Circle), Nuuk and Qaqortoq, Greenland, on the 17-night Iceland & Greenland voyage sailing August 6 from Reykjavik, Iceland. Cruise fares (with Launch Offer Savings) start at $4,337 per person.
The British Isles Heritage Trail begins June 22 round-trip from Harwich (London) and includes Discovery’s first visit to Liverpool as well as visits to the Scilly Isles, Dublin, Belfast, Oban and Dundee. Fares begin at $3,485 per person.
At Dundee, Scotland, guests can visit the line’s namesake vessel, the restored RRS (Royal Research Ship) Discovery, flagship of the 1901 British National Antarctic Expedition under the command of Lt. Robert Falcon Scott.
Also new in 2010 is A Taste of France, a 10-night voyage calling at St. Helier, Channel Islands, and La Rochelle, Bordeaux (overnight), St. Malo and Rouen. Fares for the Aug. 17 cruise begin at $3,458.
All Voyages of Discovery itineraries feature an extensive enrichment program. Top historians, diplomats, scientists and naturalists provide background and insight into the history, culture, flora and fauna of the destinations visited. Scheduled guest speakers include Air Chief Marshall Sir Richard Johns; Derek Blundell, Emeritus Professor of Geophysics at Royal Holloway, University of London; and Prof. Richard Wilson, host of the BBC’s acclaimed “Writers and Places” series.
Every feature on the mv Discovery is designed with passengers’ comfort in mind. $3.5 million has been spent on updating and improving the facilities on the vessel over the last two years and a further $3.5 million will be spent this year.
From late May to late August next year, a majority of Voyages of Discovery’s summer cruises will sail round trip from Harwich (London). Cruisetour packages feature two hotel nights in London pre- or post-cruise with an included half-day sightseeing tour.
The mv Discovery repositions to the Mediterranean on Sep. 6 on a 20-night Grand Iberia & Italy sailing, with fares starting at $4,708 per person. Late-summer and fall cruise destinations include the French and Italian Riviera, the Adriatic and the Black Sea. The season concludes with a stunning antiquities cruise beginning Nov. 6 from Alexandria to Safaga, with calls at Sharm El Sheikh, Port Said (Cairo) and includes an overnight on board in Aqaba (Petra). Fares for the 12-night Egypt & the Red Sea cruise begin at $3,516 per person.
The new program also features “Grand Voyages” that combine two or more summer cruises, offering excellent value and experiences. Fares start at $6,232 per person for the Grand Andalucia, Italy & Adriatic, departing Sept. 3, which combines the Grand Iberia & Italy voyage with the Venice & the Adriatic cruise.
To celebrate the launch of its Summer 2010 program, Voyages of Discovery is offering a 10% Launch Offer Savings for guests booked by February 1, 2010. Special rates for single travelers are also available.
Summer 2010 cruise itineraries and pricing are available online at www.voyagesofdiscovery.com; a full brochure will be released shortly and can be ordered online.
