Nov 22, 2009 by Andrew Skwarek - comment
Andrew Skwarek scours the web for the best deals on hotels, flights, cruises, packages, and more.
After you have your fill of Thanksgiving turkey this season, let the celebration continue with cabaret shows, a little roulette, and a spa treatment or two on a last-minute transatlantic odyssey. The latest steal from Celebrity Cruises will have you sailing in style for 14 nights from as little as $399. That’s less than $29/night! The price is particularly jaw-dropping for a vessel, such as Millennium-class Century, famous for its personal touches and exclusive service.
Spending time with family this Thanksgiving doesn’t have to mean visiting that wacky aunt’s house again for some of her homemade pumpkin pie. Instead, start a new holiday tradition by rounding up the troops and spending Turkey Day in the Southwest. Forever Houseboats is offering an amazing deal on boat rentals at numerous locations including Lake Mead, a scenic man-made reservoir located just 45 minutes from Las Vegas. The Thanksgiving Bird and Boat Package includes a houseboat rental for five days for the price of three – that’s a total of savings of 40 percent!
The waters of the Caribbean are home to a number of large cruise ships that offer popular itineraries, rock-bottom rates, and family-friendly features. However, for a more elegant, romantic voyage many travelers look to luxury cruise lines for intimate sailings with unusual ports of call – although the price tag will be significantly higher. This November, the British-based cruise line P & O is drastically reducing rates aboard the adults-only Artemis by as much as 71 percent.
Located off the northwestern coast of Africa, the Canary Islands have been attracting visitors for years, with its near-perfect climate and alluring beaches. Luxury cruise line Fred Olsen specializes in voyages to this Spanish-owned island chain and right now the company is drastically reducing rates on a number of its cruises. This 12-night voyage aboard the Boudicca is our top pick with rates starting from just $95/night.
When it comes to Thanksgiving, what’s not to love? It means time off from work, a chance to catch up with relatives, and of course, ridiculous amounts of delicious food (that someone else prepared). However, if Thanksgiving is scheduled at your house this year, the warm holiday glow may not be shining as bright. Before you start firing up the oven there’s another tempting option: This 7-night cruise aboard the brand new Carnival Dream will have you relaxing on a beach in the Bahamas instead of packaging up leftovers and cleaning dishes. With rates starting as low as $499, that guilt about ditching the in-laws will disappear the moment you step on the ship.
Autumn cruises to New England and Canada offer passengers gorgeous views of vibrant fall foliage, crisp (but pleasant) temperatures, and charming ports of call. Even though the curtain is quickly closing for the 2009 cruise season, there’s still time to snatch a great deal without having to settle for a mediocre itinerary. Our deal hunters found a last-minute 10-night October sailing with inside cabins priced from as low as $499 – and that’s not even including the additional onboard spending credit!
There are many reasons to visit Greece. For starters it has a remarkable, rich, ancient history; striking architecture; distinct culture; and – for those sun-worshipers – top-quality beaches. If you’re an antsy traveler who is indecisive about which part of Greece to visit, consider spending your vacation coasting through the Aegean Sea aboard a luxurious mega-yacht. Our editors discovered a 7-night late October sailing aboard Variety Cruises’ Harmony G with an incredible itinerary featuring 10 unique ports of call, and an even more spectacular price tag.
The month of October marks the end of the cruising season for Bermuda, and although temperatures on this Atlantic island won’t reach the tropical heights found in the Caribbean, Bermuda is downright pleasant in the fall. Not to mention, rates are the lowest they’ve been all year on sailings from East Coast cities. Our editors have hunted down a 7-night voyage leaving from Philadelphia priced from just $299 – that’s up to 81 percent off rack rates!
Before “wave season” kicks in post holidays, there are some impressive rates to be had this fall. Our editors have been keeping a close eye on cruises to the Mexican Riviera and have chosen this unusual sailing as this week’s top pick, with rates priced from an astonishing 76 percent off!
The Luxury With more personal space than larger ships, Holland America’s midsize MS Zaandam is offering a one-time repositioning cruise. Embarking October 4 from Vancouver, the four-night Pacific cruise casts its first anchor in Victoria, British Columbia (pictured), where passengers can spend a day exploring the city’s colonial streets and brewpubs. Before reaching the final port of call in San Diego, passengers will have spent two leisurely days at sea, perhaps relaxing in the old-fashioned Explorers Lounge or joining the late-night crowd at the piano bar or nightclub. The dining options include Pacific Northwest cuisine at the Pinnacle Grill. Guests can also take part in a live cooking demonstration at the onboard Culinary Arts Center. Read the rest of this post »
