Cunard Line’s flagship Queen Mary 2 will mark a major milestone on her 6 July 2013 voyage from New York to Southampton, achieving her 200th Transatlantic Crossing in her ninth season since entering service in 2004. The milestone will be commemorated with various activities and special speakers and performers on board to add to the celebratory mood.

“Sailing a Transatlantic Crossing aboard our flagship Queen Mary 2 is a luxury travel experience like no other,” said Peter Shanks, president of Cunard Line. “And now with 200 Crossings under her belt, the grandest ocean liner in the world has proven to be the icon of the new golden age of ocean travel across the Atlantic.”

As part of the Cunard Insights on board enrichment program, Stephen Payne OBE, who was largely responsible for the overall design of Queen Mary 2, will present a fascinating perspective on her construction. Stephen also will be the guest of honor at an evening gala on board, which will include a commemorative dinner with a special menu. In addition, BBC newsreader and Classic FM presenter Nick Owen will lecture on board.

Also adding to the festivities will be 16 musicians, plus a band leader and vocalist, from the world-renowned Juilliard School of Dance, Drama and Music. The group will perform as a jazz orchestra providing a selection of Big Band, Swing and Glenn Miller style music and smaller ensemble pieces. Other Juilliard performances will include an evening event in the Royal Court Theatre with full orchestra and vocalist, an afternoon tea dance, lunch time jam sessions featuring an ensemble in the Chart Room, and a late evening ensemble in Illuminations. The band leader and members of the orchestra will also give two jazz master class lectures and a live Q&A.

Queen Mary 2 is still the largest, longest, tallest, widest and most expensive ocean liner ever built. She is also the fastest passenger ship in the world.

In the course of the flagship’s 200 Transatlantic Crossings, Cunard estimates that passengers have consumed:
• 8.4 million cups of tea
• 980,000 scones
• 481,000 bottles of champagne
• 644,000 eggs
• 960,000 litres of milk

In total, Queen Mary 2 has served 22.4 million meals and sailed over 600,000 nautical miles during her first 200 Crossings. These figures do not take into account her annual World Cruise or her sailings to the Canaries, Fjords, Iceland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, around Britain, up to Montreal and Quebec in Canada, or among the Caribbean islands.

Looking at Cunard’s earlier vessels, Queen Mary (1936 – 1967) crossed the Atlantic 1,001 times; Queen Elizabeth (1940 – 1968) crossed 896 times; and Queen Elizabeth 2 (1969 – 2008) crossed 812 times.

Transatlantic Crossings aboard Queen Mary 2 offer time to leisurely explore the ship’s extensive on board amenities and activities, including lectures through the award-winning Cunard Insights programme; stargazing in the only planetarium at sea; white-gloved afternoon tea served in the Queens Room or a spin around the dance floor during a Royal Nights themed ball; taking in a performance or workshop by members of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art; or perusing 8,000 volumes in the largest library at sea.

Special promotional fares for the 200th Transatlantic Crossing aboard Queen Mary 2 on the 6 July 2013 voyage start from $1,399 per person.

Reported by © www.expertcruiser.com - Your online consumer guide for cruise travel and information.

Travelers seeking a sense of history and place when booking a luxury cruise vacation will appreciate Cunard’s weeklong Balcony & Suites Sale*, offering significant savings on European voyages and Transatlantic Crossings.

Starting 1 February 2013, guests can save up to $1,200 per stateroom, and enjoy up to $300 in On Board Credit, a reduced deposit and up to $1,000 per stateroom in airfare on European Voyages.

Additionally, guests booking a Transatlantic Crossing will save up to $1,200 per stateroom, enjoy a reduced deposit and up to $100 in On Board Credit per stateroom during the sale.

Guests sailing aboard Cunard Line delight in the experience of the voyage itself, not just the destination. By day, guests enjoy voluminous libraries, world class spas, white-gloved afternoon tea service and engaging award-winning Cunard Insights guest enrichment programmes; by night they are entertained by Royal Nights themed balls, West End-style productions and Veuve Clicquot champagne cocktails.

All fares and promotions are for new bookings only, per person, based on double occupancy. Cunard’s Balcony & Suites Sale runs through 8 February 2013.

For more information about Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, or to book a voyage, consult your Travel Agent, call Cunard toll-free 1-800-728-6273 or go to www.cunard.com.

Reported by © www.expertcruiser.com - Your online consumer guide for cruise travel and information.

If the Norwegian Fjords or the ancient ruins of Seville call to your sense of adventure, then The Cunard Sale may offer the perfect opportunity to book your luxury cruise vacation.

Starting 22 October, this week-long sale will offer a Reduced Deposit, On Board Credit of up to $300 per stateroom, and Complimentary Balcony Upgrades on 30 select voyages, including Cunard’s signature Transatlantic Crossings aboard flagship Queen Mary 2.

The Cunard Sale voyages aboard Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth include:

• Iberian Highlights, 19 April 2013 – 12 days aboard Queen Elizabeth; Balcony fares from $2,599
• St. Petersburg & Baltic Explorer, 1 May 2013 – 14 days aboard Queen Elizabeth; Balcony fares from $3,599
• Transatlantic Crossing (Westbound), 26 April 2013 – 7 days aboard Queen Mary 2; Balcony fares from $1,345
• Fjords & Waterfalls, 19 May 2013 – 7 days aboard Queen Elizabeth; Balcony fares from $1,799
• Mediterranean Delights, 7 July 2013 – 13 days aboard Queen Victoria; Balcony fares from $3,499

All fares and promotions are per person, based on double occupancy.  The Cunard Sale runs through 29 October.

Guests sailing a luxury cruise vacation aboard Cunard Line delight in the experience of the voyage itself, not just the destination.  By day, guests enjoy voluminous libraries, world class spas, white-gloved afternoon tea service and engaging award-winning Cunard Insights guest enrichment programmes; and by night are entertained by Royal Nights themed balls, West End-style productions and Veuve Clicquot champagne cocktails.

For more information about Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth, or to book a voyage, consult your Travel Agent, call Cunard toll-free 1-800-728-6273 or go to www.cunard.com.

Reported by © www.expertcruiser.com - Your online consumer guide for cruise travel and information.

On 16 August, Cunard Line launches their five-day Extraordinary Adventures Event Sale, featuring exotic World Voyage Segments in Asia, Australia and the Middle East on both Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria. The sale also includes Transatlantic Crossings and a Panama Canal transit.

The special sale offers significant savings of up to 45 percent off Early Booking Fares in addition to On Board Credit of up to $300 per stateroom, plus a Reduced Deposit on select 2013 voyages.

Extraordinary Adventure Event voyages aboard Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria included in the offer are:

Queen Mary 2
• 18-day Egypt & Middle East –10 January: Fares from $2,695
• 12-day India & Malaysia – 28 January: Fares from $1,895
• 18-day China & Australia – 17 February: Fares from $2,795
• 7-day Transatlantic Crossing – 3 January: Fares from $995

Queen Victoria
• 20-day South Pacific – 3 February: Fares from $2,795
• 23-day China & Australia – 17 February: Fares from $3,195
• 12-day India & Malaysia – 27 March: Fares from $1,795
• 16-day South Africa & Canary Islands – 10 April: Fares from $2,595
• 8-day Transatlantic Crossing – 10 January: Fares from $895
• 16-day Panama Canal – 18 January: Fares from $2,295

All cruise prices are per person, based on double occupancy. Offer is for new bookings only. The sale runs through 20 August.

Guests sailing a luxury cruise vacation aboard Cunard Line delight in the experience of the voyage itself, not just the destination. By day, guests enjoy voluminous libraries, world class spas, white-gloved afternoon tea service and engaging award-winning Insights guest enrichment programmes; and by night are entertained by Royal Nights themed balls, West End-style productions and Veuve Clicquot champagne cocktails.

For more information about Queen Mary 2 or Queen Victoria, or to book a voyage, consult your travel agent, call Cunard toll-free 1-800-728-6273 or go to www.cunard.com.

Reported by © www.expertcruiser.com - Your online consumer guide for cruise travel and information.

Susan and Larry Smith were looking forward to their first-ever Cunard cruise across the Atlantic onboard the fabulous Queen Mary 2. But the fun stopped for the New York City couple the moment Larry had chest pains along with gastrointestinal malaise.

The Smiths immediately sought treatment at the ship’s infirmary, where the ship’s doctor ran an EKG and some tests. Fortunately Larry’s heart checked out okay, but he was dehydrated and was given intravenous fluids and was kept in the infirmary for an hour of observation. Larry’s tests ruled out any infection, but the doctor couldn’t figure out why Larry had become so dehydrated. Therefore, no definitive diagnosis was reached. The next morning Larry felt much better and the cruise continued. A few days after the visit to the infirmary, the Smiths got another unpleasant surprise: a bill for medical services totaling $1,200. The amount was immediately charged to their shipboard account.

The Smiths were shocked. “It didn’t seem like a lot of treatment for $1,200. It was as much as my cruise fare,” said Susan Smith. Even worse the couple foolishly believed that their health insurance would be accepted onboard the ship. It wasn’t. Fortunately they did have travel insurance (purchased through the cruise line) that covered medical issues.

Insurance doesn’t travel well
What many people don’t realize is that all cruise ships of foreign registry are considered to be entities operating outside the United States. And, as the Smiths discovered, domestic medical insurance coverage doesn’t travel the same way aboard ship as it does within the United States. Sometimes, coverage doesn’t extend to foreign travel at all; other times it just works differently. For example, co-payments may be higher than usual or your reimbursement may be limited.

Even with complete medical coverage, you can’t just hand the cruise line your insurance card. You will usually have to pay your treatment costs up front and file for reimbursement after you return home. That’s what the Smiths did. Their insurer accepted the claim but explained it could take up to three months to receive reimbursement. The Smiths were relieved to be covered at all.

Could the Smiths have avoided the $1,200 out-of-pocket expense? Maybe. If they had purchased third-party travel insurance, they could have received upfront financial assistance and they might have gotten their money back more quickly.

Third-party insurers usually provide primary coverage, i.e., the insurance company pays the traveler directly for any medical claim. Most cruise lines also sell insurance policies, but these usually provide secondary coverage, which means that you must file your claims through your regular medical insurance carrier, then seek reimbursement from the cruise line’s insurance company.

Cover the gaps
Medicare beneficiaries should always purchase travel insurance when they cruise, because they do not have Medicare coverage outside the country. Another very big gap is medical evacuation and transportation services, which are seldom covered by medical insurance policies. According to Medjet Assist, an Alabama-based evacuation operation, domestic air medical evacuation services average $10,000 to $20,000, while international transports can exceed $75,000. If you travel more than once a year, consider buying an annual policy; both MedjetAssist and Travel Guard offer this kind of policy, which can be purchased for as little as $185 a year.

Cruising is exciting, but it can turn into more of an adventure than you planned if you discover that you aren’t covered for the unexpected. So check your insurance policies and fill in the gaps with supplemental coverage.

By Anita Dunham-Potter (editor@www.expertcruiser.com)

© www.expertcruiser.com – Your online consumer guide for cruise travel and information.

When you’re sailing the seas, surrounded by nothing more than serene ocean waves it’s tough to get into a more relaxed state of mind. But if ultimate tranquility is what you seek, then head to the ship’s spa. Most ship spas offer classic massages and facials, but some spas stand out from the rest and feature soothing treatments and striking venues that are truly unique.

Here are the top five cruise ship spa experiences.

Celebrity Solstice AquaSpa
The two-story AquaSpa and fitness center is an integral part of the Celebrity Solstice where the goal is to create a healthy spa-resort fitness feeling. The Solarium indoor pool is among the prettiest pools at sea with waterfalls and dancing water fountains. Before and after treatments guests can lounge with sea views in the Relaxation Room that offers comfy and plush wicker ottomans or the spa’s Persian Garden that offers warm marble lounges to laze on. The spa offers a wide array of treatments, but acupuncture therapy is the highlight and is very popular among returning guests.

Adjacent to the spa are 130 AquaClass staterooms, which offer unlimited access to the spa facilities and come equipped with an amazing five-head Hansgrohe “shower tower” that offers a waterfall showerhead and side jets.

Costa Serena Samsara Spa
Costa Serena boasts the largest spa-and-health facility at sea: the 23,000-square-foot Asian-inspired Samsara Spa. The relaxation begins the moment you enter the door as the staff welcomes you in Asian style with Namaste, a Hindi greeting offered with hands in a prayer position and a quick bow forward.

The treatment offerings include a huge thalassotherapy pool, rock sauna, aromatic Turkish bath, VIP Treatment Suite and Oriental Deluxe House — to name just a few. Many treatments are ayurvedic, i.e., they are based on ancient, holistic healing practices from India that aim to balance body and soul. Every treatment begins with a shanty foot-cleansing ritual then lingers through a series of relaxing and revitalizing attentions. Before and after treatments, guests are encouraged to relax with a cup of tea in the Japanese Tea Garden or in the winter garden solarium, which has comfy loungers and canopied beds with sea views and relaxing music.

Spa junkies can book one of the 99 Samsara Spa staterooms, which comes with treatments and unlimited visits to the thermal suite.

Cunard Queen Mary 2 Canyon Ranch SpaClub
The 20,000 square foot Canyon Ranch SpaClub onboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 is both spacious and luxurious even surpassing land-based spas. The only spa at sea affiliated with the world-renowned Canyon Ranch, it comes with 24 treatment rooms and a staff of 51 certified health and wellness experts — the best therapists afloat.

SpaClub’s goal is to inspire and motivate guest’s healthiest intentions into action. Fitness instructors conduct daily group and private fitness, yoga and tai chi classes for passengers. Additionally, “healthy living experts” will offer on-board lectures and workshops addressing lifestyle change, health and medical issues, stress management, smoking cessation, healthy aging and disease prevention — all in the quest for healthy change.

Every feature of the SpaClub, from the spectacular views offered by the wraparound windows in the full-service salon, to the beautifully appointed locker rooms, is enhanced by sea air and gorgeous scenery. The spa’s Aqua Therapy Centre is impressive: an amazing thalassotherapy pool with a deluge waterfall, a whirlpool, and neck-massage fountains. There are reclining lounge airbeds, a deluge shower, wall-mounted body jets and floor-mounted air tubes.

The Thermal Suite has both herbal and Finnish Saunas, an ice fountain, two reflexology basins that massage tired feet, and an aromatic steam room. The herbal sauna has a unique Moorish design, with individual arched areas for each person using the room.

Disney Magic Vista Spa
The Disney Magic’s 11,000 square-foot Vista Spa includes 11 treatment rooms with abundant treatment offerings. In addition, there’s a tropical rain forest retreat and relaxation room with heated lounges to sooth tired muscles.

Find nirvana in the Vista Spa’s “spa villas”. You won’t find these on any other cruise ship. These three Mediterranean-inspired villas come complete with an indoor spa treatment suite which is connected to a private outdoor veranda with personal hot tub, open air shower and luxurious chaise lounge. Indulge in packages that incorporated a long dip in the Jacuzzi, a 55-minute massage, and a relaxing post-treatment tea time all while watching the waves — complete bliss!

Norwegian Pearl South Pacific Spa
Norwegian Pearl’s South Pacific Spa, operated by Mandara Spas, is the perfect place to unwind and get pampered. The spa features 20 treatment rooms, 3 of which are designed for couples and offers everything from massages and manicures, to teeth brightening and Botox!

The spa also has separate men and women’s saunas, aromatic steam rooms, plunge bath, hydro baths, and hot tub. The unisex relaxation room offers heated chaises and plush rattan lounges affording endless sea views. The best part is the huge thalassotherapy pool, which combines heat and saltwater for a delightfully relaxing soak.

Sit back and relax and get ready to be pampered at sea. Who knows you may disembark your cruise feeling like a new person.