Children Save in Galapagos
Ecoventura, an operator for four vessels in the Galapaos, has recently earmarked several cruises throughout the year for families with children
ages 7 and up. They also have special sailings for families with teens. Dates coincide with school breaks including the summer months. Children ages 7-11 will receive a 25 percent discount (plus 50 percent off air into the islands) and 15 percent for ages 12-17 per each paying adult with a few departures offering 5 to 15 percent discounts on adult fares. The sailings feature local naturalists on board and age-appropriate activities depending on the ages and number of children on board. On land you will experience the islands with guided hikes, snorkeling and kayaking. On board visit the bridge and learn about navigational charts and tie nautical knots with the captain. Special parties include games with prizes, drawing contests, ice cream social sundaes and the King Neptune costume party and talent show. Kid-friendly food and family-friendly board games, books and DVDs are also available. The company has three first-class motor yachts that sail with up to 20 passengers and one dive live-aboard for up to 16 divers.
Silversea Special
A cruise is a great way to spend time with family and friends. Especially when the third person can sail for half the current published fare! For a limited time only, Silversea is offering third party half-price fares on a magnificent array of destinations. Your family can go whale watching in the Inside Passage of Alaska, taverna-hopping in Santorini, Greece or museum-browsing in St. Petersburg, Russia. From Alaska to the Mediterranean, Northern Europe and the Baltic — it’s the perfect opportunity to experience the luxury of Silversea. Choose from sailings from June through August.
Crystal Expands Kids Free
Crystal Cruises is expanding its Kids Sail Free program from four voygaes to 21. 
With the promotion, kids aged 17 and under can sail free when sharing a stateroom with two adults. Now included in the program are seven- to 15-day voyages in the Mediterranean, Western Europe, North Cape, Baltic, British Isles, Canary Islands, and across the Atlantic from May to December aboard Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony. For this growing population of “junior cruisers,” Crystal will add Magic Castle at Sea shows and classes during summer cruises. Every Crystal cruise also offers family-friendly learning and entertainment, including iPad Digital Filmmaking classes (in association with USC’s School of Cinematic Arts) and dedicated on-board kids and teens spaces.
Children Fly Free to Galapagos
Lindblad Cruises is now offering free round-trip air from Miami for children ages 18 and under on select August sailings of the 
96-passenger National Geographic Endeavor. This 10 day trip (with a seven night cruise) visits seven different islands and will provide your family with an abundance of wildlife viewing along with kayaking, snorkeling, Zodiac cruising and hiking. The ship also offers a glass bottom boat, expedition leader and four naturalists (including a Lindblad-National Geographic certified photo instructor, an undersea specialist and a wellness specialist) on board each sailing. Add-ons to Machu Picchu or the Upper Amazon River are also available. Lindblad believes sharing an expedition with your kids or grandkids is a life-enhancing experience. So take $500 off for each child under the age of 18.
Royal Teen Lounge
Princess Cruises’ Royal Princess will debut with expanded space for children and teens for a new level to the onboard experiences. The newly designed teen lounge gets an outdoor area that offers club lighting, contemporary seating and a wading pool. Pre-teens (ages 8-12) also get an expanded outdoor area with lounge chairs and games. A special play area for children under age three will delight babies and toddlers. The 3,600-passenger boat will also feature a greatly expanded atrium, a dramatic over-water SeaWalk, a top-deck glass-bottomed walkway extending more than 28 feet beyond the edge of the vessel; plush private poolside cabanas that appear to be floating on the water; the new Princess Live! television studio; a pastry shop; a special Chef’s Table Lumiere, a private dining experience that surrounds diners in a curtain of light; and balconies on all outside staterooms.
New Family River Cruise
Tauck Bridges is adding France to its family river cruise destinations. Their Bon Voygage: France Family River Cruise is a 10-day trip that begins with a two-night hotel stay in Paris with guided sightseeing and a special dinner at the famed Fouquet’s. Then you with take the high speed train to Lyon where you will board Tauck’s Swiss Emerald for a week long cruise on the Rhone River. Engaging and fun family activities include a scavenger hunt in The Louvre, a pentanque lesson in Viviers, a hayride in the Camargue, biking in Avignon and hands-on French culinary lessons in Tournon. Three departures will be offered in July 11, July 25 and August 1. Book early while space is available!
Disney in Europe
Disney Cruise Line is gearing up for its return to the Mediterranean next summer with four-, seven- and 12-day itineraries out of Barcelona. 
The 2,400 passenger Disney Magic will visit 8 new ports for the cruise line. Explore a variety of ports in France, Italy, Greece, Malta, Mallorca, Croatia and Turkey with plenty of unique excursion options. Disney’s shore excursions are slightly different than most cruise lines. Many of their “port adventures” are chosen for their authentic experiences and hands-on opportunities. For example, meet an archeologist at the Ephesus ruins in Turkey and put your digging skills to the test searching for replicas of artifacts. In Italy, learn to pilot a gondola in Venice (for ages 16 and over), create Venetian masks or make pizza. You can also add on a 3 to 12 night land itinerary with Adventures by Disney to create an amazing European getaway.
Children Free on Crystal
Crystal Cruises is offering a kids-sail-free promotion on voyages next summer in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean. 
On four June and July voyages, cruisers age 17 and under can travel for free when sharing a third berth in a stateroom with two adults. This terrific special is good on three 10-day Baltic sailings on Crystal Serenity departing June 25, July 20 and July 30, from Stockholm, Sweden, to Tallinn, Estonia; St. Petersburg, Russia (two overnights); Helsinki, Finland; Berlin/Warnemünde, Germany; and Copenhagen, Denmark. It’s also good on the seven-day Mediterranean sailing departing July 6 on Crystal Symphony, which visits Istanbul and Kusadasi, Turkey; Mykonos, Greece; and Sicily, Sorrento, and Rome/Civitavecchia, Italy. The Crystal Family Memories program also offers additional free berths and perks for groups of six or more.
RCCL’s New Wine Policy
Royal Caribbean recently announced changes to its alcohol policy. 
The cruise will now allows you to bring two bottles of wine or champagne onboard, as long as you do so during the initial cruise embarkation (not in a port of call). Guests are not allowed to bring any other beverages onboard the ship, including beer, soda, water or hard liquor. That distinction makes you wonder why the line would suddenly allow personal bottles of wine and champagne, but nothing else, to be brought onboard. The stated reason is that people may have a specific vintage in their personal possession that is not available onboard and that they may wish to bring that special bottle onboard for a very special occasion. When consumed in any public area, each bottle shall be subject to a corkage fee of $25.00. If you receives a bottle of wine that was purchased from Gift & Gear selection, no corkage fee will apply if the bottle is consumed in any public area. Additional bottles of wine beyond two (2) bottles that are brought onboard or any alcoholic beverages purchased in ports of call or from onboard shops will be stored onboard and delivered to guest staterooms on the last day of the sailing.
Silver Galapagos
The Silversea Group announced that it has purchased Canodros SA, the premier Ecuadorian tourism company that operates in the Galapagos Islands, and their upmarket expedition ship, Galapagos Explorer II. Silversea plans to add Galapagos Explorer II to its ultra-luxury fleet of six ships after the all-suite, 100-guest vessel undergoes a major refurbishment in September 2013 and is given a new name, the Silver Galapagos. The 4077-ton ship offers the stylish elegance of a mega-yacht, attentive onboard service and an enriching naturalist education program. All of its 50 spacious suites feature ocean views and 24 include private balconies. It also offers connecting cabins. A rare find in Galapagos. Public spaces include a restaurant, piano bar, library and Internet station, main lounge, outdoor bar, two outdoor whirlpools, and a marine observation deck.
