Seven new land adventures are among dozens of extended mid-voyage excursions Silversea Cruises is offering in 2011. Unlike a partial-day shore tour, these single- or multiple-day inland adventures are designed to provide a more intimate, in-depth and personal encounter with the local people, history, wildlife and natural attractions that lie just beyond the ports of call.
In 2011, Crystal Cruises is doubling the number of summer North Cape cruises with two departures to Norway’s western coast, the Polar Ice Cap and the Arctic Circle. The June 13 Wine & Food-themed cruise celebrates the summer solstice on June 21, officially the longest day of the year, when the sun stays above the horizon.
Royal Caribbean International will revitalize Radiance of the Seas and Splendour of the Seas in 2011 as part of its Royal Advantage enhancement program. The two ships will join others already scheduled for updates -- Oasis of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas.
In 2011-12, Princess Cruises will base five ships in the Caribbean. The Ruby Princess will operate seven-day Eastern Caribbean cruises roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale on Sundays. The itinerary features Princess Cays, St. Maarten, St. Thomas and Grand Turk from Nov. 5, 2011, to April 29, 2012. The ship will also offer a nine-day Southern Caribbean holiday sailing from Fort Lauderdale on Dec. 30, 2011, calling at Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, St. Thomas and Princess Cays.
Pristine Bay Resort in Roatan, Honduras, is opening its Black Pearl golf course to cruise passengers starting Dec. 1. Roatan, a tropical island 40 miles off the coast of Honduras, is a favorite of scuba divers and an increasingly popular destination on Western Caribbean cruise itineraries.
Crystal Cruises has added two additional Pacific Coast voyages to the fall 2011 calendar. Sailing roundtrip from Los Angeles aboard Crystal Symphony, the seven-day “Coastal Escape” and “Pacific Sunsets” cruises feature Crystal’s first-ever itineraries with two-day, two-night overnight stays in San Francisco, plus visits to Santa Barbara, San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico.