Splendour of the Seas Atlantic Crossing From Brazil To Spain From Just $579!

You might want to brush up on your Portuguese and Spanish for this awesome Transatlantic Repositioning cruise. You might also want to act fast to take advantage of the great rates and make all the necessary arrangements. Splendour of the Seas of Royal Caribbean embarks on a 14 night Transatlantic journey from Santos, Brazil on April 26 and arrives at her summer home of Barcelona, Spain on May 9. You can be onboard for as low as $579.

The Cruise

 

Splendour of the Seas embarks from Santos, Brazil on Friday, April 26, 2014 at 5pm for a 14 night cruise across the Atlantic Ocean to Barcelona, Spain. She arrives in Barcelona at 6am on Friday, May 9. Along the way, Splendour makes four port calls, two off the coast of South America and two on the eastern side of the pond.

First up is Rio de Janeiro just up the coast from Santos in Brazil. Splendour of the Seas is docked at this party city from 8am until 5pm. Unfortunately, that means no nightlife but lots of time on the beach.

After a full day at sea, Splendour makes her next port call at Salvador, Brazil on Monday, April 28 from 9am until 5pm. This city with a metro population of around 3.6 million is dubbed Brazil’s ‘Capital of Happiness’. Want the full name? It’s Sao Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos...

Say goodbye to land for the next six full days. Splendour arrives at her next stop on Monday, May 5. She is in port at Tenerife from 9am until 5pm. Tenerife is the largest and most populous of Spain’s Canary Islands.

After another full day at sea in which the ship passes through the Strait of Gibraltar, Splendour of the Seas arrives at Malaga, Spain at 12pm on Wednesday, May 7. She stays at this port on the southern Spanish coastline of the Mediterranean Sea until eight in the evening.

The Price

Right now, an inside stateroom can be hand on Splendour of the Seas for this cruise for as low as $579 per person, based on double occupancy. The additional government fees and taxes amount to $207 which brings the price for two for an inside cabin to as low as $1,572. Are you 55 or older? This price actually trumps the seniors discount by a few dollars per person.

It steps up pretty quick from there. An ocean view cabins starts at $1,269 per person. Add a balcony and the price goes way up to $2,739 per person while suites start at $2,949 per person.

The Ship 

Built at Chantiers de l’Atlantique in St. Nazaire, France, Splendour of the Seas has been in service for Royal Caribbean since 1996. She is the second oldest of six Royal Caribbean Vision Class ships. This is a small ship with a gross tonnage of 69,130. Splendour is 264 metres or 866 feet in length and has ten decks accessible to the capacity 2,076 passengers. There are typically 750 crew members onboard.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

Cross The Atlantic On Liberty Of The Seas From Just $509

What would entice someone to spend the first eight full days at sea on a 13 night cruise across the Atlantic Ocean? First, the cruise is onboard Liberty of the Seas from Royal Caribbean. This is one of the largest ships on the high seas and probably has more to do onboard than there is to do in your own town. Second, for this May 1, 2014 sailing, Royal Caribbean has dropped the price of an inside cabin as low as $509 per person! For military, police and fire, the deal is even sweeter.

The Cruise

 

Liberty of the Seas embarks from Port Everglades at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at 4:30pm on Thursday, May 1, 2014 on a 13 night journey across the Atlantic Ocean to Barcelona, Spain. She arrives at her final destination at 6am on Wednesday, May 14. Along the way, Liberty of the Seas makes three port calls, all on the eastern side of the Atlantic.

After eight full days at sea, Liberty of the Seas makes her first stop on Saturday, May 10 at Lisbon, Portugal. Typically, cruise ships repositioning from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean will stop either in the Azores or Canary Islands. Liberty motors right past these rest stops in the middle of the Atlantic to reach continental Europe. She is docked at the capital of Portugal from 7am until 5pm.

The following day, Liberty of the Seas stops at Sevilla, Spain, still on the Atlantic side of the country. She is in port at Sevilla from 9am until 6pm on Sunday, May 11.

After a full day at sea, meandering past Gibraltar and into the Mediterranean Sea, Liberty of the Seas finds her final port of call on Tuesday, May 13 at Palma de Mallorca. She is parked at the main city of Spain’s Balearic Islands from 8am until 5pm on Tuesday, May 13.

The Price

Right now, an inside stateroom onboard Liberty of the Seas starts at $509 per person, based on double occupancy. With the additional $86 per person in government fees and taxes tacked on, the total price for two for an inside cabin is $1,190.

Prices don’t go up too rapidly from there. Ocean view cabins start at $709 per person. With a balcony, staterooms start at $1,179 per person. A suite starts at $1,659 per person. Regardless of stateroom, each guest is subject to the $86 in government fees and taxes.

Royal Caribbean offers much more than free donuts and coffee to current and former members of the North American armed forces and those who work in the police and fire service. Those who qualify pay $450 each for that same lowest priced inside cabin. For an ocean view stateroom, prices start as low as $582 per person. A cabin with a balcony is a great savings, starting at $845 per person.

The Ship

Liberty of the Seas began service in May, 2007. She was renovated in 2011 with the DreamWorks Experience integrated. Liberty is one of three Freedom Class ships in the Royal Caribbean fleet with sisters Freedom of the Seas and Independence of the Seas being nearly identical.

At a gross tonnage of 154,407, all three Freedom Class ships tie as the fourth largest cruise ship currently on the high seas. Only Royal Caribbean’s twin Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas, along with the Norwegian Epic are larger. Liberty of the Seas is heavier but not quite as long as the Queen Mary 2 of the Cunard Line.

Liberty is 1,112 feet long or 339 metres in length. Using the old standard, she is the length of three NFL football fields. There are 15 decks accessible to the capacity 4,600 passengers. The crew numbers around 1,300.

As mentioned, the ship is a destination. Liberty of the Seas is fully integrated with the DreamWorks Experience, making it great for smaller children. Also included is FlowRider, a surf simulator. For added enjoyment, there are two hot tubs cantilevered over the edge of the boat, giving great views of the ocean around.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

Holland American ms Nieuw Amsterdam Tranatlantic Repositioning Cruise From $599!

There’s not a whole lot of space left on the ms Nieuw Amsterdam for its April 6, 2014 Transatlantic Repositioning cruise. What is left, Holland America wants to sell of quickly. That being said, inside staterooms can be had for as low as $599 per person for this 14 night journey across the Atlantic Ocean from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Barcelona, Spain.

The Cruise

 

MS Nieuw Amsterdam embarks from Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on her 14 night Transatlantic Repositioning cruise at 4pm on Sunday, April 6, 2014. She arrives at Barcelona, Spain at 7am on Sunday, April 20, 2014. Along the way, Nieuw Amsterdam stops at five ports of call, all on the eastern side of the Atlantic.

After six full days at sea, Nieuw Amsterdam stops at Horta on the island of Faial in the Azores. Typically, ships stop a little further east at Ponta Delgada on the Azores island of San Miguel. So, already this cruise is unique. She is in port at Horta on Sunday, April 13 from 8am until 4pm.

Settle in for two more full days at sea before stopping at Gibraltar on Wednesday, April 16. Gibraltar is a territory of the United Kingdom at the southern tip of Spain, at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. This port call is unique, as well, in that the ship arrives at 1pm and doesn’t leave until 11pm.

For the following day, Nieuw Amsterdam goes a relatively short distance up the Spanish Mediterranean coast to Motril in the province of Granada. She is docked at this location on Thursday, April 17 from 8am to 6pm.

For the final couple of days, the ship does little work with the final two port calls located quite close to the final destination. On Friday, April 18, Nieuw Amsterdam stops at Alicante, Spain on the Costa Blanca from 8am to 5pm.

Her last stop before reaching Barcelona is on the island of Majorca. Nieuw Amsterdam docks at Palma de Mallorca, Spain from 8am to 5pm on Saturday, April 19. Palma de Mallorca is the main city in Spain’s Balearic Islands.

The Price

While supplies last, an inside stateroom can be had for as low as $599.40 per person, based on double occupancy. Government fees and taxes result in an additional $99.48 per person being tacked on. The total for two for an inside cabin can be purchased for as low as $1,397.76, taxes included.

Other levels of stateroom still available are reasonably priced, as well. Ocean View rooms start at $699.96 per person. Add a balcony and cabins start at $700.40. A suite can be had from $1,701.80 per person.

The Ship 

MS Nieuw Amsterdam was built by Fincantieri on the Adriatic coast of Italy. She is a Signature Class ship that made her maiden voyage on July 4, 2010. For Holland American, this is a large ship. For the rest of the cruise world, it’s more of a medium sized vessel. With a gross tonnage of 86,700, Nieuw Amsterdam is 285 metres or 935 feet in length. There are eleven decks accessible to the capacity 2,106 passengers with an additional 929 crew members onboard.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

Just $500 PP To Cruise Across The Atlantic On ms Noordam of Holland America!

There’s no time to waste if you want to take advantage of this great deal from Holland America Line. On Friday, March 21, 2014, ms Noordam embarks on her Transatlantic Repositioning cruise from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Barcelona, Spain. There is limited space available and an inside cabin can be had for as low as $500 per person for this 14 night journey across the Atlantic Ocean.

The Cruise

 

Holland America’s ms Noordam leaves Port Everglades in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at 4pm on Friday, March 21, 2014 for a 14 night cruise to Barcelona, Spain. She arrives at her final destination at 7am on Friday, April 4, 2014. Along the way, she makes four port calls, all on the Eastern end of the journey.

First up is Ponta Delgada in Portugal’s Azores Islands after over a week at sea. Noordam remains at Ponta Delgada from 8am until 4pm on Saturday, March 29. She follows that up by two more full days at sea before her next port of call.

On Tuesday, April 1, 2014 it’s no April Fool’s joke, the ship finally arrives on mainland Europe. Noordam docks at Cadiz on the Atlantic Coast of Spain. Cadiz is northwest of Gibraltar and the entrance to the Mediterranean. She is docked her from 8am until 6pm.

The following day, Noordam rounds Gibraltar and enters the Mediterranean Sea. Her next stop is at Malaga, Spain on Wednesday, April 2. Malaga is northeast of Gibraltar, sort of in the mirror position as Cadiz. The ship parks here again from 8am until 6pm.

The final port of call occurs on Thursday, April 3 from 7am until 1pm at Cartagena, Spain. After this short stop, Noordam overnights to her final destination of Barcelona.

The Price

All that remains are inside staterooms and they may be gone by the end of the day. The price is excellent at from $500 per person, based on double occupancy. The extra government fees and taxes result in an additional $98.81 tacked on per person. The result is a inside cabin for two for as low as $1,197.62, including taxes.

The Ship 

MS Noordam is a Holland America Vista Class ship that was built by Fincantieri in Italy. Noordam was christened in February of 2006. She is a medium sized vessel with a gross tonnage of 82,500 and is 285 metres or 936 feet in length. There are eleven decks accessible to the capacity 1,916 guests. Typically, there are 800 crew members onboard.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

$27 Per Night To Cross The Atlantic Ocean Onboard Norwegian Epic!

Back in December, we featured the April 27, 2014 transatlantic repositioning cruise onboard the world’s third largest cruise ship and said it was a great deal at from $499 per person for the 11 night journey. Yes, it was a great deal. However, Norwegian Cruise Line has sweetened the deal for this cruise on the Norwegian Epic by knocking off a further $200 for the stateroom we talked about back in December. This brings the price down to a ridiculous $27 per night per person, before taxes!

The Cruise

 

This eleven night cruise across the Atlantic Ocean embarks from Miami, Florida at 5pm on Sunday, April 27, 2014. Norwegian Epic arrives at Barcelona, Spain at 5am on Thursday, May 8, 2014. The ship is truly the destination on this cruise with just one port call.

On Monday, May 5, 2014, Epic stops at Funchal on the island of Madeira. Madeira belongs to Portugal and is the largest of the islands in the Maderan Archipelago. For soccer fans, this is the birthplace of loved and hated footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Price

Norwegian is calling it a ‘Hot Deal’ and it truly is. An inside stateroom can be had for as low as $299, based on double occupancy. With the $63.88 per person in government taxes and fees tacked on, the total for two on this ‘Epic journey’ is as low as $725.76. You probably can’t live in your own house for that amount of money.

Other levels of staterooms are quite low priced, as well. An outside cabin with a balcony starts at $449 per person and suites start at $599 per person. All guests, regardless of stateroom choice are subject to the same $63.88 in additional taxes.

Each stateroom on this cruise also gets an onboard coupon book valued at up to $300. If the buffet is not for you, NCL also has a $199 per person unlimited specialty dining option on cruises between 10 and 15 nights.

The Ship 

Norwegian Epic is part of the ‘Big 3’ that includes Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas from Royal Caribbean. Built by Chantiers de L’Atlantique in St. Nazaire, France, Epic has been in service for Norwegian Cruise Line since 2010.

A very large ship with a gross tonnage of 155,873, Epic is 329 metres or 1,081 long. There are 15 decks accessible to the capacity 4,100 passengers. Typically, there are 1,753 crew members onboard.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

From Just $31 Per Night To Cruise New Orleans To Barcelona!

The deals just don’t get much better than this! Royal Caribbean’s Serenade of the Seas heads out of New Orleans, Louisiana on Saturday, April 26, 2014 for a 16 night cruise across the Atlantic Ocean to Barcelona, Spain. Serenade makes four great port calls along the way. An inside cabin on the ship can be had for as low as $31 per night per person before taxes. Don’t let the taxes scare you – it’s just $65 per person for the entire cruise.

The Cruise

 

Serenade of the Seas embarks on her 16 night Transatlantic Repositioning cruise from New Orleans at 5pm on Saturday, April 26, 2014. She arrives at her summer home of Barcelona, Spain on the Mediterranean at 6am on Monday, May 12. Along the way, Serenade makes four amazing stops.

After four full days at sea, crossing the Gulf of Mexico and skimming across the top of Cuba, Hispaniola and Puerto Rico, Serenade of the Seas makes her first port of call at Philipsburg on the island of Sint Maarten. She is docked on the Dutch side of the island shared with France from 7am until 5pm.

After six more full days at sea, next up is the island of Tenerife. This dot in the Atlantic Ocean belongs to Spain and is the largest of the seven Canary Islands. Serenade stops at Tenerife from 7am until 3pm on Thursday, May 8.

There’s one last full day at sea between Tenerife and Malaga on the mainland of Spain. Serenade of the Seas arrives at Malaga on Saturday, May 10. Malaga is a nice long stop with the ship docking at 10am and not leaving port until 8pm. In contrast, the final port of call is much shorter with the ship arriving at Cartegena, Spain at 7am on Sunday, May 11 and leaving in the early afternoon at 2pm.

The Price

Right now, an inside stateroom can be had for as low as $489, based on double occupancy. With the $65 in government fees and taxes tacked on, the total price for two is as low as $1,108 for the entire 16 night cruise.

The pricing on upgraded staterooms moves up pretty fast. An Ocean View cabin starts at $609 per person while a balcony will increase the price to $1,199 per person and an suite starts at $2,289 per person.

This special rate trumps all other discounts. It is so low that there is no added advantage for military, police and fire or seniors.

The Ship 

Serenade of the Seas is a Royal Caribbean Radiance Class ship built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany. The ship made her maiden voyage in August, 2003 and is a decent sized vessel. Serenade has a gross tonnage of 90,090 and is 293 metres or 962 feet in length. There are 12 decks accessible to the capacity 2,490 guests. Typically, there are 891 crew members onboard.

Serenade is currently alternating between seven night Bahamas and seven night Western Caribbean itineraries out of her winter home port of New Orleans. Once in the Mediterranean, Serenade will mostly run 12 night cruises out of Barcelona over the summer months.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

Possibly The Lowest Priced Cruise You Will See In 2014

If you’ve got to move an idle ship between ports, you might as well sell it as a cruise. Norwegian Cruise Line needs to get Norwegian Spirit from Malaga, Spain to Barcelona, Spain. Instead of sending an empty ship up the Mediterranean coast, they’re selling it as a two night Mediterranean cruise. It might be a short trip, but the price is right at as low as $22 per person per night, before taxes.

Why would you want to board this ship? This is a nice break for people already touring Western Europe by land. For two nights, a couple can have an outside or inside stateroom for a taxes included grand total of just $169.06 in Canadian dollars. That’s $84.50 per night. Nowhere in Western Europe are you going to get a hotel room for that price. And, this one has an all-you-can-eat buffet and an ever-changing view included.

The Cruise

 

Norwegian Spirit embarks from Malaga, Spain on Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at 7pm. After a full day at sea on Thursday, Spirit arrives at Barcelona on Friday, January 24 at 5am. The backpacking hostel-hopping culture, or vagabonders, are warming to the idea of cruise ships as a form of transportation. This is a fine example of why. It’s an inexpensive way to get out of the hostels and have a luxury break, even if just for a few days.

Unfortunately, this two night cruise doesn’t act very well as a primer to a larger, longer cruise out of Barcelona. Norwegian Spirit has no availability until a nine night Western Europe cruise on February 11. If you can handle a few days in Barcelona, both the MSC Splendida and Costa Pacifica embark on seven night Mediterranean cruises on January 27.

The Price

Just $44 per person per night for either an outside or inside stateroom, of course equates to just $22 per night. Government fees and taxes are even quite reasonable at $40.53 per person. The total price for two can be had for as low as $169.06, taxes and fees included. Once again, that’s in Canadian dollars, not Euros!

The Ship 

Norwegian Spirit was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany and was originally put in service in 1998 as the SuperStar Leo of the defunct Star Cruises. In 2004, Norwegian Cruise Line obtained the ship and renamed her Spirit. She is one of one Leo Class ship in the Norwegian fleet.

Spirit is a smaller ship with a gross tonnage of 75,388. She is 268 metres or 879 feet in length and has a capacity for 2,018 passengers, along with 962 crew members. There are ten decks accessible to guests.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

Holland America Luxury Transatlantic Cruise From Just $700!

In April, 2014, the classic Holland America ship ms Ryndam crosses the Atlantic Ocean, switching from her winter home to her summer home. After calling Tampa, Florida her home port for the winter months, Ryndam moves east to spend most of the summer out of Dover in the U.K.

Ryndam’s Transatlantic Repositioning Cruise does not go from Tampa to Dover but from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Barcelona, Spain. Holland America Line has special pricing on this 15 night cruise right now with an inside stateroom going for as low as just $700 per person, or just under $47 per night per person before government taxes and fees.

The Cruise

 

Ryndam embarks from Port Everglades at Ft. Lauderdale, Florida on Sunday, April 6, 2014 at 4pm sharp. She arrives at Barcelona on Monday, April 21, 2014 at 7am. Along the way, the does a bit of an island tour with three of her five ports of call located off the mainland. All port calls are either in Portugal or Spain.

After several days at sea, guests on ms Ryndam can get out and stretch their legs and minds at Ponta Delgado on the island of Sao Miguel in the Azores. The ship docks on Monday, April 14 and is in port from 10am to 6pm. Ponta Delgado is the capital of the Azores Islands and has a population somewhere around 70,000.

On Thursday, April 17, Ryndam makes a stop on the mainland of Spain. From 8am to 6pm, she will be docked at Malaga on the southern coast. This is a large tourist area on the Mediterranean and has a metro population over one million.

The following day, ms Ryndam moves east along the coast to Cartagena, Spain. She is docked from 8am to 5pm at this city with a population about a fifth that of Malaga.

The final two stops are out in the Mediterranean Sea. Ibiza is a small island with a population of around 135,000. It is the third largest of the Balearic Islands, belonging to Spain. Ryndam will be at Ibiza from 8am to 5pm on Saturday, April 19.

The final stop is Palma de Mallorca, the capital of the Balearic Islands region. Ryndam docks at Palma from 8am to 5pm on Sunday, April 20.

The Price

For the moment, Holland America Line has reduced some inside staterooms to as low as $700 per person. Typical of any flash sale, the choice of stateroom is limited and will be assigned at the time of check-in.

Additional government fees and taxes come to $115.24 per person. This means an inside stateroom for two can be had for as low as $1,630.48 with the fees and taxes added in.

Just to give an idea of what a great deal this is, let’s look at Ryndam’s return to Tampa from Barcelona in November, 2014. The lowest price for that cruise is currently $1,500 per person! The price for two, including government taxes and fees, would be $3,236.64. The itinerary is nearly identical, except the ship goes straight to Tampa, not stopping in Ft. Lauderdale.

The Ship

A Statendam Class (S Class) ship, ms Ryndam has been in service for Holland America since 1994. She is the third of the four Statendam Class ships. Statendam and ms Maasdam both came into service in 1993 and ms Veendam came along in 1996.

Ryndam is a smaller ship with a gross tonnage of 55,819. She is 220 metres or 720 feet in length and has ten decks accessible to the capacity 1,258 passengers. 602 crew members are also on board.

As mentioned, her home port in the winter is Tampa, Florida with her summer home mainly in Dover. She makes the return Transatlantic voyage from Barcelona to Tampa on November 1, 2014.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

Cross the Atlantic on Norwegian Epic From Just $499!

Not a last minute deal, but a great chance at sailing across the Atlantic on the world’s third largest cruise ship. As far as gross tonnage is concerned, Norwegian Epic is behind only the Royal Caribbean twins, Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas. In April, 2014, Epic repositions from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean. You can be on that cruise for as low as $499 per person!

The Cruise

 

On Sunday, April 27, 2014, Norwegian Epic leaves her winter home in Miami, Florida to make the eleven night journey to Barcelona, Spain. Epic arrives in Barcelona at 5am on Thursday, May 8, making just one port call along the way.

Her one stop? Funchal, a city on the Portuguese island of Madeira. Epic stops at Funchal on Monday, May 5 from 10am to 6pm. Funchal is the largest city in the Maderan Archipelago of Portugal with a population around 112,000.

In May, the average day time high on Madeira is around 22 celcius, or 71 fahrenheit. Tourism is fast becoming the island’s biggest industry. The port of Madeira now only handles cruise ships and ferry boats. All industrial shipping traffic has been moved to a different port around 20 kilometres away. For soccer fans, Funchal is the birth place of Cristiano Ronaldo, star of Real Madrid and the Portugal national team.

The Price

An interior stateroom, located on deck 11, for this cruise can be had for as low as $499 per person. The ‘normal’ rate for one of these rooms is around $899. Additional government fees and taxes are considerably less than a Caribbean or Mediterranean cruise at just $63.88 per person. This all means that an interior stateroom for two can right now be had for as low as $1,125.76, taxes included.

Norwegian Cruise Line has recently sweetened the deal on their cruises, offering an additional coupon book with each cruise booked before April, 2014. The coupon book offers up to $300 in onboard savings (not on the price of the cruise..).

The Ship

Norwegian Epic is a destination in itself. The flagship of Norwegian Cruise Line is the third heaviest cruise ship on the high seas, behind Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas from Royal Caribbean.

Built by STX France (Chantiers de l’Atlantique at Saint-Nazaire, France), Epic entered service in 2010. She was to have a twin sister but the second ship was cancelled in 2008. Epic has a gross tonnage of 155,873 and is 329 metres or 1,081 feet long. She is just 14^th in the world when it comes to length.

Passenger capacity is 4,100 with a crew of 1,753. There are 19 decks on the ship with 15 accessible to passengers. With just one port call over eleven nights, Norwegian Epic has to have endless entertainment, and it does. Highlights on the ship include rock climbing, 10 pin bowling, the biggest spa at sea, an aqua park and live entertainment featuring the Blue Man Group at the head of the list.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.

9 Night Western Europe Cruise for Just $249!

It involves making travel plans to Europe in a bit of a hurry but this last mean cruise deal is well worth it. Nine nights on board the Norwegian Spirit on a Western Europe cruise out of Barcelona, Spain can now be had for as low as $28 per night. Spirit embarks from Barcelona at 7pm on Sunday, December 1, 2013. If that’s too rushed, the same itinerary embarking on December 10 starts from just $50 more.

The Cruise

This nine night Western Europe cruise embarks from Barcelona, Spain on December 1, 2013, leaving the Mediterranean and heading to the Atlantic Ocean to visit Morocco and the Canary Islands off the African coast.

The Norwegian Spirit stops on Tuesday, December 3 at Casablanca, Morocco. Visitors will get plenty of time to explore this historic African city with the boat docked from 8am to 11pm.

After a day at sea, the ship then visits Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Spanish Canary Islands. Tenerife is the largest of this group of islands. The following day, she moves to Lanzarote, the easternmost island of the Canaries.

On the return trip to Barcelona, Norwegian Spirit makes one Mediterranean port call at Malaga on the southern coast of Spain. After one more day at sea, Spirit arrives back at Barcelona at 5am on Tuesday, December 10, 2013.

Pricing

Pricing for this cruise currently starts at just $249 per person for an interior stateroom. An Ocean View stateroom is well worth the additional $20 per person at $269. A suite on board the Norwegian Spirit is still a little pricy at $1,249. An additional $116 per person is tagged on in the form of government fees and taxes.

The Ship

The Norwegian Spirit was launched as the SuperStar Leo of Star Cruises in 1998. NCL and Star are under the same parent company. The ship was then acquired by Norwegian in 2004 and has been in the fleet since.

This is a Leo Class ship and the only one with Norwegian Cruise Lines. The only other Leo Class vessel is the SuperStar Virgo in the Star Cruises fleet. The Virgin is identical to the Spirit and has been in service since 1999.

Spirit is medium sized ship at best with a gross tonnage of 75,388. She is 879 feet or 268 metres long. Passenger capacity is around 1,996 with 965 crew members needed to make the ship run smooth. There are ten decks accessible to passengers.

The Small Print

·Because of the nature of last minute deals, the pricing printed here is fleeting and could change at any time.

·Prices are in Canadian dollars.

·Most meals are included in a typical cruise price but DRINKS ARE NOT!

·Also not included are gratuities.

·Cruise pricing does not include air fare, ground transfers and hotel accommodations before and after the cruise.