Windstar's Wind Spirit at anchor in Greece
Photo courtesy of Windstar Cruises

A reader named Terratiger is wondering which cruise line, ship, itinerary, and cabin she should choose for a Mediterranean cruise. Since a lot of savvy cruisegoers read this blog, I'd love to hear your suggestions for her. Here's her question: 

"Wendy, I'm an avid reader, both the magazine and online. We've never been on a cruise but are dying to go (or at least I am).  Our friends who have cruised many times on Celebrity say "the only way to go" is to get a room that overlooks the back of the ship.  First of all, we're not sure we like the idea of the 2,000-plus-passenger ship. Second, it appears that many of the larger rooms and balconies are in the middle of the ship. My husband says he trusts any choices I make (lucky me), so I want to get this right. We're not interested in the "dress-up" scene and not particularly interested in the dining room thing; much more our style to have dinner on our balcony almost every night, complete with great view and privacy.

We'd much rather spend what it takes to have a five-star, relaxed experience. At the same time, we would like a good value for our money. My research seems to keep bringing me back to Regent Seven Seas, Crystal and Oceania. My husband says he'll go wherever I want (again, lucky me) and I'd love to go to the Mediterranean (Greek Islands, Sicily, Dalmatian Coast). Smaller ports sound more fun to me than the big cattle-call ones. Any help you can give on cruise lines, particular ships, rooms/suites, destinations/itineraries, best times of year, etc. I really want this to be a first-class experience for us so that he'll go again...Thanks."

That's the AMAWaterways ship M.S. Amadagio on the Danube River in Durnstein, Austria.

by Wendy Perrin

This question came in from reader RScime:

Good question. True, Conde Nast Traveler readers rate Uniworld and Viking River Cruises higher than AMAWaterways in our Readers' Choice Awards. (Here's a list of Conde Nast Traveler readers' favorite small ships.) Still, I've heard good things about AMAWaterways -- its ships are fairly new, with cabins with French balconies and bicycles for shoreside exploration -- and we did recommend it in our August issue, in our round-up of best cruise deals around the world.

I've never taken a European river cruise myself, but I can tell you that if it were me, I'd choose the ship that spends the most time in the cities I want to explore.  And I'd book the trip through a dead-honest,  well-informed, and super-connected European river cruise specialist who has sailed on all three cruise lines.  Margret Propper of Brownell Travel (you can read a description of her here) is on my annually updated list of Top Travel Specialists and can provide an in-depth and reliable comparison of the ships and itineraries you're choosing among. I strongly recommend you contact her.  Keep in mind that AMAWaterways has several sales going on right now. 

Anybody else have an opinion or advice for RScime? If you've taken European river cruises yourself, be sure to let us know which specific ships you've sailed on. Thanks!

Just a quick note to say: Get a load of the Seabourn sale over at Jetsetter.  I haven't done the math to determine just what sort of a deal this represents, but on the face of it the savings look pretty good to me. The itineraries on offer are for Belize, Panama, and Costa Rica (starting at $270/night), the Caribbean (starting at $299/night), and Asia (starting at $329/night).  According to the folks at Jetsetter, these sale fares range from 13% to 37% lower than the lowest rates you can find elsewhere, depending on the sailing date and room categories. The catch:  The sale lasts only two days (it expires Wednesday at 3 a.m. Eastern Time) or until cabins are sold out.

In case you missed my post explaining Jetsetter last week, it's a brand-new, still-in-beta, invitation-only website for flash sales of luxury travel experiences. You can be invited to join Jetsetter (for free) by clicking on this custom link for Perrin Post readers.

Note that if Jetsetter offers to put you on the waitlist for a Seabourn sailing you've selected, that doesn't necessarily mean the sailing is sold out. It means that the rooms available are in other people's shopping carts for a 10-minute period while they decide whether or not to buy. If you know you want to buy, put your name on the waitlist and check back in ten minutes or so.

Crystal Cruises has repeatedly been voted the number-one large-ship cruise line by Conde Nast Traveler readers in our Readers' Choice Awards.

by Wendy Perrin

Have you spent years wishing you could afford to sail with Crystal but settling for lesser cruise lines instead? Well, 2010 may just be the year you can afford to upgrade.  Crystal just dropped prices by 15% to 17% on every single sailing next year, for every single cabin category. That's 15% to 17% off Crystal's already substantially discounted 2009 rates. 

The new prices are two-for-one fares that include free round-trip airfare to most destinations, shipboard credit of up to $2,000 per couple, and a price guarantee: Should there be another sale that lowers fares yet again, Crystal will refund the difference between the price you paid and the new, lower fare.

What you should know about Crystal Cruises (full disclosure: I've sailed on the Crystal Symphony as an invited speaker) is that, by supporting the cruise line, you're also helping to support the Conde Nast Traveler Five & Alive Fund, which saves the lives of children in developing countries around the world.  In fact, the cruise line raised more than $80,000 for the Fund last year.  Crystal Cruises president Gregg Michel spoke at length about it on my panel at Monday's World Savers Congress, and you can read more about Crystal's philanthropic efforts here.

As for the two-for-one cruise savings, Crystal's Vice-President of Public Relations, Mimi Weisband, stopped by my office yesterday to provide more details, which you'll find after the jump.

Visit unspoiled Caribbean gems--such as Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands--for 40% off during Christmas week. 

by Kathryn Maier on Travel Deals

Dreaming of Christmas in the Caribbean?  Last month we told you about steep discounts from SeaDream Yacht Club, but now it turns out the cruise line has slashed fares by up to 66% on more than a dozen additional Caribbean sailings on prime dates this fall and winter, including one during Christmas: It's a 9-day cruise that sails roundtrip from San Juan, Puerto Rico, departing December 18. Ports include Vieques, Jost Van Dyke, Virgin Gorda, St. Barts, Nevis, and Anguilla, which is where you'll spend Christmas Day. The brochure fare for this sailing is $8,904 per person (including taxes and port fees); the discounted price is $5,403--about 40% off.

If that sounds too pricey, know that there are also two five-night sailings, departing December 13 and January 3, that are discounted to just $2,079 per person (including taxes and port fees), down from $5,680, for savings of 63%.

More details after the jump.

Explore Caribbean and Mediterranean ports this fall for half off. Here, the Crystal Symphony in Istanbul.

by Kathryn Maier on Travel Deals

Wendy just got back from vacation this morning, but she's so jazzed about an unprecedented offer from Crystal Cruises that I half expect her to be out the door again soon. We've seen Crystal offer 2-for-1 fares before, and we've seen it offer $1,000 per person in shipboard credit before, but never before have we seen the two offered together . . . until now. The 2-for-1 fare in combination with up to $1,000 per person in shipboard credit is available on ten itineraries this fall. 

The least expensive of these sailings is the 7-day November 22 cruise on the Crystal Serenity, starting and ending in Miami and calling at Grand Turk, Grand Cayman, and Key West. The 2-for-1 discount reduces the brochure fare from $4,960 per person to $2,480 (plus $190 in port fees) -- and you get an extra $250 reduction because of the shipboard credit.

Looking for more unusual ports? There's a 13-day Miami to Manaus sailing on the Crystal Symphony, also departing on November 22. Ports include Antigua, Barbados, and Devil's Island, French Guyana.  The brochure fare of $7,980 per person has dropped to $3,615 (plus $305 in port fees), and you get an additional $1,000 off your bill in the form of shipboard credit.

Condé Nast Traveler approved: These sailings may sound pricey, but not when you consider that, over and over, our readers have voted Crystal Cruises the number-one large-ship cruise line in our Readers' Choice Awards.

Book by: There's no book-by date.

For travel on: Ten cruises departing between late September and early December.

Book through:  If you've read Wendy's articles on cruising, you know the importance of using the right travel agent to book your trip. Mary Jean Tully, one of the cruise specialists on Wendy's list of top travel planners, can often get additional amenities such as private shore excursions for her clients. 

Next year, Silversea is offering 60% off every sailing, including ports of call such as Portofino.

by Kathryn Maier on Travel Deals

Here's a deal for the record books: Silversea has slashed prices for every single cabin on all of its 2010 sailings. The first guest in a cabin gets 20% off, and the second guest sails for free, which averages out to a 60% discount. In addition, a majority of these sailings include free round-trip economy airfare from 22 cities in the United States and Canada.

"This has never been done before by any luxury cruise line," says Richard Turen, one of the cruise specialists on Wendy's annual list of top travel planners. "This is the largest discount in the entire luxury cruise sector in my memory, because it's for every sailing and all categories."

Condé Nast Traveler approved: Readers have voted Silversea one of the top five small-ship cruise lines for the past several years.

Book by: December 31, 2009. This deal is capacity-controlled, which means that the cruise line may revoke the discount once a certain capacity is reached on a given sailing.

Book through: Richard Turen, who informed us of this deal and who Wendy swears by. Not only does he negotiate extra perks for his clients from the cruise lines, but Perrin Post readers also receive the favored-client benefits of his "Royal Cruising Society."

SeaDream ships tend to call at small hidden-gem ports, such as this one on the island of Korcula, Croatia.

By Kathryn Maier on Travel Deals

Did you read "Ultimate European Cruise" in Conde Nast Traveler's April issue and say to yourself, "That's nice, but no way can I afford such a splurge"? Well, now perhaps you can.  The luxury small-ship cruise line SeaDream Yacht Club has dropped prices by up to 69% on ten Mediterranean and Caribbean sailings between now and December. 

As Wendy has put it before, these are "cruises for people who hate cruises": The line's two ships are able to stop in smaller, less touristed ports than larger ships can, and each carries a maximum of only 112 passengers (who are nearly outnumbered by staff, allowing for personalized attention).

Here's an example of an itinerary we like: It's a 9-night sailing from Athens to Barcelona, stopping at Kefalonia, Sicily, Malta, Tunisia, and Menorca. The brochure rate is $9,493 per person, but with the discount the price is $3,987 per person, reflecting savings of 58%. The timing of this particular sailing is ideal: The tourists and backpackers are largely gone in October, and the oppressive summer heat is no longer an issue, says Richard Turen, one of the cruise experts on Wendy's annual list of top travel planners.

Conde Nast Traveler approved: Our readers have consistently rated SeaDream among their top three favorite small-ship lines in our annual Readers' Choice Awards poll.

Book by: There is no book-by date. This deal is capacity-controlled, which means that the cruise line may revoke the discount once a certain capacity is reached on a given sailing.

For travel through: December 2009, although most sailings included in this deal are from late August through mid-October.

The catch: These discounts apply mainly to the lowest-category cabins, which have portholes rather than picture windows. In addition, when booking these cabins, you may not be able to select a specific cabin number--although using the right travel agent (see below) can possibly get you a "category 2 guarantee" (which, in the case of SeaDream, is usually the best available pricing offer).

Book through: Richard Turen, whom Wendy has recommended before for his savvy advice, unflinching honesty, and encyclopedic knowledge of cruising. Turen is good at negotiating extra perks for his clients from the cruise lines, and Perrin Post readers also receive the favored-client benefits of his "Royal Cruising Society."  

See Europe by river at half price through Viking River Cruises.

By Kathryn Maier on Travel Deals

The unprecedented cruise discounts keep rolling in. One of the latest to cross our desks: Viking River Cruises' two-for-one deals on all 2010 sailings and an additional $400-per-person discount on international airfare. The vacation itself might be a long way off, but to nab this price you must book by July 31.

"This is the best offer, across the board, that we've seen from Viking River since its inception," said Richard Turen, one of the cruise experts on Wendy's list of top travel specialists.

Turen particularly recommends the Viking Sky's September 18, 2010, sailing. It's got an interesting itinerary that takes you through Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia, and mid-September is the ideal time of year to be in that part of Europe. The very lowest room category is sold out on this sailing, but a Category D room (the second-lowest category) is $2,556 per person, including taxes and port charges--down from the original price of $4,999.

Caveat: We typically don't recommend buying your airfare from the cruise line--here's Wendy's latest explanation of the drawbacks--so you might want to skip the $400 air-discount portion of the deal, since you can probably do better on your own.

Book by: July 31. And note that this deal is capacity-controlled, which means that once a certain percentage of cabins have been filled, the offer will end.

For travel: On every 2010 sailing.

Book through: Richard Turen, whom Wendy has recommended before for his savvy advice, unflinching honesty, and in-depth knowledge of European cruising.

  See Thailand's islands by land and sea with this deal from Star Clippers. Photo courtesy of starclippers.com.

By Kathryn Maier on Travel Deals

If you want to explore Thailand--and beyond--by both land and sea, this deal's for you: Book a seven-night Star Clippers cruise in Southeast Asia and get six additional nights on land for free.  

For the cruise portion, you have your choice of three different itineraries. Two are round-trip out of Phuket and visit numerous Thai islands.  The third is between Phuket and Singapore and also visits Malaysia. These sailings start at $2,080 per person, including taxes and port fees, and depart weekly between November 2009 and March 2010. 

All three itineraries give you four free nights in Bangkok. The two round-trip cruises out of Phuket also include two nights on land in Phuket, and the Phuket-Singapore cruises add on two nights in Singapore.

What's included in the free land packages: In Bangkok, you get four nights in a hotel, a half-day city tour, a cultural dinner show, the flight between Phuket and Bangkok, and airport-hotel transfers.  In Phuket, you get two nights in a hotel, theme park admission, a buffet dinner, and transfers.  In Singapore, you get two nights in a hotel, a half-day city tour, and transfers. The six-night land package ordinarily has a price tag of $940 to $970 per person.

Book by:  There's no book-by date; this promotion will run as long as cabins are still available. 

For travel between: November 2009 and March 2010.

Book through: Linda Allen, one of the cruise specialists on Wendy's list of top travel planners, informed us of this deal.  She can be reached at 800-422-3445 or cruisesbylinda@cox.net.

  Silversea is offering two-for-one deals on dozens of sailings through the end of the year.  

By Kathryn Maier on Travel Deals

Silversea, which Condé Nast Traveler readers rated their 5th favorite small-ship cruise line last year, is offering two-for-one deals on 39 itineraries worldwide through the end of the year. All room and suite categories are included. In addition, select sailings combine the two-for-one pricing with free airfare and $1,000 per couple in onboard credits, which can be used for spa services or shore excursions. The scope of the deal is unprecedented on this cruise line, says Richard Turen, one of the cruise experts on Wendy's list of top travel specialists.

Turen particularly recommends the November 26 eight-night sailing of the Silver Cloud for its interesting itinerary: Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires, with stops in Parati, São Paulo, and Itajai, Brazil; and Montevideo, Uruguay. On this sailing, the lowest category room is $3,697 per person, including taxes and port charges--down from the original price of $7,145. This sailing does not include free air, but you do get the $1,000 per cabin onboard credit. 

Book by: There is no expiration date. The deal is available as long as cabins on the select sailings are available.

Book through: Richard Turen, whom Wendy has recommended before on this blog for his savvy advice, unflinching honesty, and encyclopedic knowledge of cruising. Turen can often wrangle great perks for his clients. On the South America cruise above, for instance, booking through Richard gets you your choice of a complimentary specially arranged shore excursion or a $300 shipboard credit on top of the one from the cruise line.

by Kathryn Maier on Travel Deals

More great cruise news for small-ship lovers!  Windstar Cruises has slashed rates -- for a very brief time -- on 15 spring and summer Mediterranean sailings.  Windstar, whose 148-passenger, four-masted sailing ships have an intimate, romantic feel, was rated one of the top small-ship cruise lines in our 2008 Readers' Choice Awards. Wendy has sailed on Windstar three times and says it's her favorite cruise line.

As just one example of the discounts on offer, the August 29 seven-night sailing on the Wind Star from Istanbul to Athens has been reduced to $1,364 per person (including taxes and fees) from the former cost of $3,514 per person.

The catch: Time is short. You'll need to book by tomorrow to get these rates. Also, because the fares are so low, they are non-refundable.

Wendy's tip: Wendy always recommends booking through a travel agent who specializes in cruises, knows the ship and every cabin inside and out, and has excellent connections with executives at the cruise line, based on close longterm relationships. Linda Allen of Cruises by Linda, the person who notified us of this Windstar deal, is one of the top cruise specialists in Wendy's Rolodex, so you can't go wrong booking through her. (Linda can be reached at 800-422-3445 or cruisesbylinda@cox.net.)

The Seabourn Spirit in the port of Navplion, Greece.  Image courtesy of the Yachts of Seabourn.

by Kathryn Maier on Travel Deals

Most luxury cruise promotions these days tend to lay on the free perks (free shore excursions, free shipboard credit) instead of aggressively slashing rates. Seabourn, however, has reduced fares by what it claims is "up to 65%" on its Mediterranean sailings this summer. As Wendy has warned us, percentage discounts can be deceiving. Still, Seabourn has several week-long cruises for less than $3,000 per person. If that sounds awfully pricey, keep in mind that Conde Nast Traveler readers rate Seabourn the world's best small-ship cruise line, thanks to the level of comfort, service, and cuisine.

The best value for your dollar might be the October 24 cruise of the Seabourn Spirit: It's an 8-night cruise that starts in Rome, ends in Lisbon, and calls at 5 Spanish ports en route.  The rate has been reduced to $2,568 per person (including all taxes, fees, and gratuities) from the former cost of $6,136 per person.

For more info: See the Special Offers page on Seabourn's Web site.

Wendy's tip: Book through Linda Allen of Cruises by Linda, one of the top cruise specialists in Wendy's Rolodex, and you'll get not only lots of useful tips for stretching your dollar farther in each port of call, but also perks such as free shipboard credit.  In fact, if you pay your deposit within 24 yours of making your reservation, Linda can give you a complimentary two-category upgrade.  (Linda can be reached at 800-422-3445 or cruisesbylinda@cox.net.)

The Celebrity Solstice was inaugurated only four months ago.

by Julia Bainbridge on Travel Deals

Wendy says it's rare to see steep savings on a brand-new cruise ship such as Celebrity's Solstice, especially one with innovative features such as a whole category of cabins dedicated to spa devotees and a top-deck lawn with bocce ball.

Nonetheless, starting Wednesday, Celebrity will launch a one-month sale that can save you 37% on a 10-night Mediterranean itinerary on the Solstice, departing June 5 and sailing roundtrip from Rome. This savings translates into a price of $1,463 per person (including all mandatory fees, taxes, and gratuities), as opposed to the regular $2,333.

Prefer to save 40% on an Alaska itinerary? Here's another Celebrity option: A 7-night Alaska cruise on the Millennium, departing on May 29 from Vancouver to Seward. The cost is only $574 per person (including all mandatory fees, taxes, and gratuities), reduced from $954.   

Sale starts: April 1

Book by: April 31

Fare includes: Shipboard accommodations, meals, entertainment.

Fare excludes: Airfare, shore excursions, certain shipboard activities, certain  beverages (alcohol, soda, bottled water), spa treatments.

Wendy's tip: Book through CruiseCenter--specifically, Tom Baker. Here's why. Tom, who's on Wendy's annual Condé Nast Traveler list of the best travel agents who specialize in cruises, is the person who advised us of this upcoming deal, and he also is giving clients a $50-per-person cruise credit, as well as a coupon booklet providing other ways to save onboard.

Pictured: Crystal Symphony, courtesy
of Crystal Cruises

by Wendy Perrin

An excellent question has come in from reader J.S.:

"I have always wanted to go on a luxury cruise. Can you suggest a Web site or search site where I can register to be notified when a special is going on?  Thanks."

There are plenty of sites where you can sign up for notification of deals on cruise lines that label themselves "luxury" but are not. I know of no sites that focus on the true luxury cruise lines and reliably highlight only the honest-to-goodness deals and not the phony ones too.

My recommendation?  Register directly with the individual Web sites of the cruise lines that interest you. The finest, as rated by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler in our latest Readers' Choice Awards, are: Crystal, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, and SeaDream Yacht Club. Then, to book your sailing, call one of the cruise specialists on my list of travel agents you can trust. Here's why.

I'd also check LuxuryLink, which sometimes features highly discounted luxe cruises. My final suggestion? Check in here every few days or so and look at our Daily Deals, since I tend to include the steepest luxury cruise bargains I hear of.

A question for readers: Have YOU registered with a site that has proven to notify you consistently of the best luxury cruise deals available? If so, please click on "Comments" below to let us all know about it. Thanks!