Norwegian Jade Mediterranean Cruise Out Of Venice, Italy From $590

Summer’s coming and the cruise ships have all gone to Europe. A bit pricier than the Caribbean, there are still deals to be found. Take for instance, Norwegian Jade is running a seven night cruise out of Venice, Italy on Saturday, May 17 and you can be onboard from just $590 per person for an inside stateroom, based on double occupancy.

The Cruise

 

Norwegian Jade leaves my favourite city in the world, Venice, Italy, on Saturday, May 17, 2014 at 6pm. Over the next seven nights, Jade basically does an out and back to Kusadasi, Turkey, arriving back in Venice on Saturday, may 24 at 8am. Along the way, the ship stops of four exotic ports of call.

First up is Dubrovnik, Croatia, just down the coast of the Adriatic Sea from Venice. Norwegian Jade stops at this port of call on Sunday, May 18 from 2pm until 9pm.

After a full day at sea, Jade arrives at Piraeus, Greece on Tuesday, May 20 at 7am and stays in port until 5pm. Piraeus is adjacent to Athens and the city centre is just a short distance away. Ten hours is not nearly enough time to explore this world famous and historic city so plan well to take advantage of your time in port.

Jade reaches Kusadasi, Turkey on Wednesday, May 21 at 8am. This is her furthest point from home before turning back towards Venice. After a full day at sea, Norwegian Jade makes her final port call at Split, Croatia on Friday, May 23 from 11am until 6pm.

The Price

Right now, an inside stateroom on this itinerary can be had for as low as $590 per person, based on double occupancy. With the additional $126.69 in government fees and taxes added on, reasonable for a European cruise, the total for two for an inside cabin is as low as $1,434.02. There is a bonus $26.88 onboard credit per inside stateroom. That credit goes up as the level of stateroom goes up.

Moving up in stateroom level, ocean view rooms start at $698 per person. Add a balcony and the fare starts at $1,504 per person. A suite can be had for as low as $1,558 per person.

However, if you want to explore this region in style, you might want to fork for the Haven Deluxe Owner’s Suite with Large Balcony. This is a 1,200 square foot stateroom that currently has a taxes included price of $9,713.58 for two for this cruise. A $322.58 onboard credit comes with this room. This is not the largest stateroom onboard, however. The Haven Garden Villa is an unimaginable 4,700 square feet but is already taken for this cruise.

Also, if the buffet is not for you, Norwegian Cruise Line has an offer for unlimited specialty dining. For $119 per person, you can eat at a specialty restaurant every night.

The Ship 

Norwegian Jade was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany and was originally named the Pride of Hawaii. In service as the Pride of Hawaii from 2006 to 2008, the ship took on the name Norwegian Jade in 2008.

Jade is one of four Jewel Class ships in the NCL fleet, all put in service between 2005 and 2007 and all basically identical in dimension. The ship has a gross tonnage of 93,558 and is 294 metres or 965 feet in length. There are 12 decks accessible to the capacity 2,224 passengers with 1,100 crew members onboard, as well.

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.

Classic Holland America Transatlantic Dream Cruise From Just $699.80 Per Person

With last minute deals a little thin as we get knee deep in the high season, let’s take another look ahead at a season with some of the lowest priced cruising. Every spring and fall, cruise ships reposition across the Atlantic Ocean from the Caribbean to Mediterranean or vice versa.

Holland America Line has one of the deepest histories among the present day high seas passenger cruise lines. MS Eurodam is HAL’s second newest ship and the largest in the fleet until 2016. Eurodam makes her Transatlantic Repositioning cruise from Caribbean to Mediterranean on Sunday, March 30, 2014 and a stateroom can be had onboard for as low as $699.80 per person, based on double occupancy.

The Cruise

 

MS Eurodam embarks from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida at 4pm on Sunday, March 30, 2014 for a 14 night journey across the Atlantic. She arrives at Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy on Sunday, April 13, 2014 at 7am. Along the way, she makes four port calls, all on the eastern side of the Atlantic.

After six full days at sea, Eurodam makes a stop in Portugal’s Azores Islands at Ponta Delgada on Sunday, April 6. She remains docked from 10am until 6pm.

The next three ports of call are on the European mainland and all three are in Spain. First up is Cadiz on Wednesday, April 9 from 7am until 5pm. The following day, Eurodam stops at Almeria, Spain from 8am until 6pm. The ship’s final stop is at Cartegena, Spain on Friday, April 11 from 8am until 4pm.

The Price

An inside stateroom onboard the MS Eurodam can be had for as low as $699.80 per person, in Canadian dollars. There is an additional $100.27 per person in government fees and taxes. The total for two in an inside stateroom, including taxes, can be as low as $1,600.14 for this 14 night romantic adventure across the Atlantic Ocean.

Upgraded staterooms are still reasonably priced. An Ocean View stateroom goes for as low as $820.24 per person and a Balcony stateroom goes from $1,000.20 per person. These prices are also based on double occupancy and are subject to the same $100.27 in government fees and taxes.

The Ship 

MS Eurodam was built by Fincantieri in Italy and made her maiden voyage on July 5, 2008. Eurodam is one of two Signature Class ships in the Holland America Line fleet. MS Nieuw Amsterdam came into service in 2010.

Although certainly not the largest cruise ship on the high seas, MS Eurodam is currently the largest in the Holland America fleet. In 2016, an as of now unnamed ship will be put in service that is larger than Eurodam by 14,000 gross tons.

Eurodam has a gross tonnage of 86,273, and is 285 metres or 935 feet in length. There are eleven decks accessible to the capacity 2,104 passengers. Running the ship and providing first class service are 929 crew members.

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.

Norwegian Jade 10 Night Mediterranean From $349! (Overnight at Istanbul)

*** NCL has now dropped the lowest price of this cruise to $299! *** (update Dec. 6, 2013)

This isn’t a blistering hot and tropical Mediterranean journey when taken in January. The highlight of the ten night Mediterranean cruise onboard the Norwegian Jade, embarking January 8, 2014, is an overnight at Istanbul, Turkey. The average daytime high in Istanbul in January is around ten degrees celcius, with night time lows of around four degrees. Perhaps that is why this ten night classic Mediterranean cruise can be had for as low as $349 per person.

The Cruise

The ten night Mediterranean itinerary embarks from Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy at 5pm on Wednesday, January 8, 2014. Norwegian Jade doesn’t stop at Messina, Italy on the island of Sicily. However, she does squeak through the Strait of Messina on her way from Rome to her first stop at Katakolon, Greece. The Strait of Messina is just 3.1 kilometres or 1.9 miles wide at the narrowest point. If the day is clear, the volcano known as Mount Etna is visible from the ship, as is the town of Messina in Sicily.

Katakolon and Piraeus are Jade’s two stops in Greece. She stops for eight hours at Katakolon in Friday, January 10 and stays another eight hours at the dock in Piraeus the following day. The following day, Sunday, Jade makes her first of two stops in Turkey at Izmir (Smyrna). There’s a little more time at Izmir with a full ten hours at port.

Norwegian Jade pulls into the dock at Istanbul at 1pm on Monday, January, 13. After staying overnight, the ship departs the city located on two continents at 8pm on Tuesday. After two full days at sea, Jade makes her last stop at Naples in Italy. This is another ten hour port call.

The Pricing

Currently, an interior stateroom can be had for as low as $349 per person, based on double occupancy. The government taxes and fees are quite low at just $70.08 per person. This means a room for two can be yours for a total price, taxes included, of just $836.16. This amount would be due in full at the time of booking.

Pricing is decent for other levels of staterooms, as well. An ocean view room goes as low as $399 per person, a balcony from $479 per person and a mini-suite from $849 per person. Military personnel should note that they receive $30 per person off their booking, regardless of what stateroom they choose.

Got a few extra bucks kicking around? Why not try one of two three bedroom Garden Villa Suites on the Norwegian Jade? Dubbed ‘The Haven’, these suites are located on Deck 14 and have 4,719 square feet of living space. Each sleeps up to eight people. For a couple, this home away from home (or, if you’re like me, four homes away from home) is still available for this cruise at a total cost of $11,738.16!

The Ship

Norwegian Jade rolled off the line at Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany in 2006 as the Pride of Hawaii. She was changed to the Norwegian Jade in 2008. Jade is one of four Norwegian Jewel Class ships in the Norwegian Cruise Line fleet. Each is nearly identical and were built between 2005 and 2007. Her sisters are the Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Pearl and Norwegian Gem.

Jade has a gross tonnage of 93,558 and is 965 feet or 294 metres in length. She has 15 decks, of which 12 are accessible to passengers. The guest capacity is for 2,402 at double occupancy. On board, there are typically 1,078 crew members.

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.