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ABERCROMBIE & KENT
 Antartica, Amazon, Caribbean, Latin America, Iceland, Greenland, Britsh Isles, French Rivers
ACTIEF
England
 Passengers: 11. This 100 ft. hotel barge, built in 1907, cruises the River Thames between Windsor and Oxford. There are three suites, two twin cabins, and one single cabin, all outside, with central heating and private baths with shower. There is a crew of four plus the owners. Double occupancy per person ranges from $1,090 to $2,890, and for the single cabin ranges from $1,840 to $2,490. To charter for six nights is $21,500 to $26,900. Six-night family departures in July and August are $2,290 for adults and $1,374 for children under age 14. There are also three-night cruises. Theme cruises include antiques and English gardens.
EXPLORER
 Passenger Capacity: 100
 Built: 1969, refurbished 1997
 Former Names: Society Explorer, Lindblad Explorer, World Explorer
 Length: 239 ft.
 Beam: 46 ft.
 Draft: 14 ft.
 Decks: 6
 Elevator: None
 Officers: European and Filipino
 Staff and Crew: 71, American, European and Filipino
 Wheelchair Access: No
    Itinerary: The ship goes to Antarctica (she has been to Antarctica more than 150 times) and the Falkland Islands and to the Amazon. One 10-12 day Amazon cruise is of the upper Amazon from Iquitos to Manaus; the other is a 16-18 day cruise that traverses the 2,000 mile length from the Atlantic Ocean at Belem to Iquitos in Peru. Antarctica cruises are 14 to 19 days from November through March, with some including the Falkland Islands, South Orkney Islands, Elephant Island and South Georgia. A 33-day trip in October and November goes from Belem in the Amazon on an itinerary that includes Fernando de Noronha, Ascension Island,  St. Helena Island, Tristan da Cunha, Nightingale Island, Gough Island, South Georgia Island, Bleaker Island and the Falkland Islands. A new two-week itinerary is to destinations in the Caribbean and South America including Suriname, Guyana and Venezuela, including Devil’s Island and the Orinoco River, and Tobago, Tortuga, Bonaire and Curacao. Other new itineraries go to the North Atlantic, calling on Iceland, the Orkney, Shetland and Faroe Islands, Scotland and Spitsbergen, and to England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Inner and Outer Hebrides.
    Cabins: 50. The cabins are small and utilitarian, ranging from 69 to 162 square feet, all outside, and with National Geographic maps on the walls. All are air-conditioned and have a private bath with shower and hairdryer. Most have twin lower berths (no doubles), and some have bunks or are triples. There are eight single cabins. Suites have several portholes, a separate sitting area, a queen bed, a sound system and a refrigerator. One suite has a tub. Electricity is 220.
    Dining: There is an open-seating dining room with one seating. New chefs with new menus were recently brought aboard. On-deck barbecues and ethnic theme meals are sometimes offered depending on weather and availability of local produce. Cocktail hour with hors d’oeuvres and late night snacks are offered daily. The service is friendly, but casual. Lunches are buffet-style. There is no smoking in the dining room. Vegetarian, low fat and low salt menus are available with three weeks notice before sailing.
    Dress: Casual at all times. This is an informal relaxed cruise. On cold-weather trips passengers are provided with parkas.
    Facilities and Activities: This is A&K’s expeditionary vessel, a highly recognizable red ship with a white stripe and an ice-hardened hull that was designed from the beginning to be an adventure cruising ship. She has a cruising range of 8,000 nautical miles. The ship has been cruising Antarctica longer than any other cruise ship. She was the first to transit the Northwest Passage in the Arctic in 1984, and in 1996 she was the first passenger ship to circumvavigate James Ross Island. There are expert lecturers and guides. A large library has books and maps relevant to the areas visited. There is a lounge, piano (but no pianist), lecture room for films and slide shows, small pool, exercise room, sauna and laundry service. There is a fleet of 10 zodiacs for landings. There is no entertainment. Lecturer/guides -- ecologists, oceanographers, photographers, geologists, zoologists, polar explorers, historians and mountaineers -- are on board to discuss wildlife, the cultural heritage of the people visited and the influence of  commerce on the environment, and they accompany zodiac expeditions to identify wildlife. Each evening cruisers gather for a recap of the day’s events and hear plans for the following day (no smoking in lounge during lectures and recap sessions). There are medical facilities with a physician on board. The bridge is open at all times. There can be rough days at sea in the crossing of the Drake Passage. The Amazon cruises explore small villages, tributaries and the rainforest with daily zodiac excursions accompanied by ornithologists, botanists and zoologists. There is also time for swimming, fishing, nature walks and visiting local tribes and markets where jewelry, masks, wood carvings and baskets are available. In the Antarctic, groups are divided into small numbers to avoid disruption of penguins and nesting seabirds. A typical shore excursion would be to anchor in a remote iceberg-surrounded cove to photograph a colony of a thousand or more penguins, view slumbering elephant seals or hike up a hillside for a view. The ship explores the western side of the Antarctic peninsula as well as rarely visited sites along the eastern side. Landings are by zodiac landing craft. The expeditions are intended for persons in reasonably good health.
     Typical Rates and Special Deals: Cruise-only fares for Antarctica begin at $5,495 and go to $15,295. Fare is half price for children between age 7 and 18 on their family holiday cruises (Thanksgiving and Christmas school holiday times). You can save $1,000-$1,500 on certain dates. The Amazon cruise begins at $2,495 for adults with half price for children. The upper Amazon fares range from $2,695 to $7,850 and the longer trips range from $4,950 to $10,150 (save $400 with early booking). A shorter eight-day itinerary to the upper Amazon begins at $2,495. Caribbean and South America fares range from $3,125 to $8,775. Lost Islands of the Atlantic ranges from $3,995 to $14,995.  Most shore excursions and gratuities are included in the fare. There are $500 to $1,500 discounts for booking six months in advance. Two consecutive sailings bring 20 percent off the second cruise. Trip extensions are available to the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu, and a five-day pre-cruise jungle camp stay is available in a Peruvian Amazon camp where there is canoeing with a naturalist guide on the Tambopata River and trekking through the jungle to study birds, butterflies and other wildlife. The five-day extension begins at $500.  A special amenities package is given to all passengers with a reading list, flightbag and backpack.
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CLIPPER CRUISE LINETravel Reports
Alaska, Caribbean, Mediterranean, Scandinavia, British Isles, Arctic, Antarctic, Greenland, Iceland, US and Canada Rivers and Coast, Amazon and Orinoco Rivers , Latin America

Clipper is one of the few cruise lines employing a predominantly American staff and crew, mostly young men and women just out of college. These ships are for travelers who like to be relaxed and who like to learn. The lifestyle aboard the ships is casual and unregimented. Excellent literature, with suggested reading lists, is sent in advance.

CLIPPER ADVENTURER
Passenger Capacity: 122

Built: 1975 in Yugoslavia, acquired by Clipper in 1997, renovated 1998

Former Names: Alla Tarasova; Admiral Lazarev

Length: 330 ft.

Beam: 54 ft.

Draft: 16 ft.

Decks: 4

Elevator: None

Officers: Scandinavian

Staff and Crew: 60, American and Filipino

Wheelchair Access: No

CURNOW SHIPPING
United Kingdom, Africa
RMS ST. HELENA
Passenger Capacity: 128
Built: 1989
Length: 105 meters
DE ZEILVAART
Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Spitsbergen, England, Scotland, France, Channel Islands, Balearic Isles, Corsica, Elba, Malta, Sicily, Greece, Canary Islands, Azores, Caribbean, transatlantic
BALTIC, BARABAH, BOR, ENGELINA, ESTHER JENSEN, GALANT, GALLANT, JANTJE, LINDOY, NOORDERLICHT, PASSAAT, TRINTEL, TWISTER, ZEPHYR, ZUIDERZEE
Passengers: 8-22
Built: 1883-1961
Itinerary: There are trips that are mostly at sea, sailing several days and nights in a row, and there are trips that combine sailing with port stops or hiking. The Bor makes a four day sea trip from Medemblik, Einhuizen to Bergen followed by a two week trip along the coast of Norway. The Noorderlicht goes on to Spitzbergen.  A popular trip is a seven or eight-day “sailing ramble” from Zwartsluis or Enkhuizen or Hoorn through the Ijsselmeer and Frisian Sea. One ship has 10 and 12-day trips of the Balearic Islands on northern and southern routes from Palma de Majorca that can be combined. Others sail the Baltic in 7 and 14-day trips from Germany to Sweden and Denmark or sail between France, Belgium and the east and south coasts of England, or between Enkhuizen and Cherbourg, or in Scotland from Oban through the Hebrides. Voyages go in the Mediterranean from Malta to Sicily and the Lipari Islands, and there are voyages to the Canary Islands and the Azores. The Passaat sails in the Caribbean between Martinique and Union Island on a one-week southern route and one-week northern route that can be combined.
Cabins: There are various mixes of two, four and six-berth cabins with shared showers and toilets.
Facilities and Activities: These are traditional sailing vessels, such as clippers, schooners, luggers, tjalks and barques, old fishing and cargo vessels that have been converted to passenger vessels. Passengers usually help sail, but no experience is necessary. Usually a cook is on board, but not always. Sometimes linens are furnished, at other times you are expected to bring a sleeping bag. On the Frisian Sea the ships sail to islands and also sail between sand banks at low tide to see birds, seal and marine life. There are youth sailing trips,  senior sailing trips for those age 50 or older, painting trips supervised by two Dutch artists, family trips, nature trips with naturalist or ranger guides, yoga sailing, competition sailing and trips for mentally handicapped.
Typical Fares: Most trips are for one or two weeks, but in some areas there are also weekend and mid-week trips. A seven-day voyage in the Netherlands is typically 660 NLG, painting trips are 955 NLG (more if you want a guaranteed two-berth cabin), 11 to 15-day Channel Island trips are 1,095-1,570 NLG, eight-day sails in Greece are 495 to 795 NLG. Groups of 10 or more can charter a vessel, with crew or bareboat if they are experienced..
EUROPA, OOSTERSCHELDE
Passengers: 50, 24
Itinerary: The ships sail from Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Scheveningen and sail everything from one-day charters to transatlantic crossings and trips around the world. Voyages include trips to the English coast and trips to the Kiel Canal to the Baltic Sea and Denmark. The Europa makes a voyage from France, around England and Scotland to the Baltic Sea, then spends a week sailing the Baltic. The Oosterschelde  sails to North and South America, makes trips to the Antarctic, then to the Galapagos Islands, then through the Panama Canal to Miami and up the North American coast, then racing in the Tall Ships Race from Halifax to Amsterdam.
Cabins: There are two, four and six-berth cabins. Europa cabins have private shower and toilet; on the Oosterschelde, facilities are shared.
Facilities and Activities: These are authentic tall ships, both three-masted sailing ships with a combination of square and traditionally rigged sails. The Europa is Holland’s largest square-rigged sailing ship, with more than 1,000 square metres of sail. Passengers on transatlantic crossings are expected to stand watch through the night and can expect high winds and rough passage. Passengers can accompany the tall ships in the Cutty Sark Tall Ship Race, and other races, competing against other tall ships.
Typical Fares: Five days on the Baltic Sea in a tall ship is 660 NLG. The 11-day Cutty Sark Tall Ship Race from France to Scotland is 1,500 NLG.
SAEFTINGHE
Passengers: 12
Itinerary: From Oban through the Hebrides.
Cabins: There are six two-berth cabins, with four showers and four toilets.
Facilities and Activities: This is a new ship, a two-masted clipper ship.
Typical Fares: Two-week cruises in Scotland and the Hebrides are 1,755 to 2,135 NLG.

GUIDELINER CHARTERS
Scotland

GUIDELINER
Passenger Capacity: 10

Built: 1964

Former Names: Eillean Na Hearach (Island of Harris in Gaelic)

Length: 57 ft.

Beam: 15ft.

Draft: 6 ft.

Crew: British Skipper, 1crew

HEBRIDEAN ISLAND CRUISES
Scotland, Ireland, England, Norway
HEBRIDIAN PRINCESS
Passenger Capacity: 48
Built: 1964; rebuilt as cruise ship 1989
Former Names: Columba
Length: 236 ft.
Beam: 46 ft.
Draft: 10 ft.
Decks: 5
Elevator: None
Officers: British
Staff and Crew: 35, British
Wheelchair access: No
Itinerary: There are six, seven, nine, 13, 14 and 15-night cruises going to lochs, estuaries and islands of the Inner and Outer Hebrides on Scotland’s west coast, usually including Iona, Rhum, Muck and Eigg, Lewis, Skye, Staffa and Orkney Islands. Some also include St. Kilda, an isolated island west of the Outer Hebrides and home to a wide variety of seabirds. Most departures are from Oban with a coach connection from Glasgow. There are a variety of itineraries depending on whether you want to visit towns, castles and gardens or to visit the remoter parts of the western isles. Garden cruises are in May and September. Other itineraries combine Scotland, England and Ireland or Norway. One 15-night combination cruise goes from Inverness to Bergen, exploring up the Sognefjord, Naeroyfjord and Aurlandsfjord into the interior of Norway’s west coast (including the famous train ride to Flam with its midway stop to see the waterfall), and returning by way of the Shetland Islands down Scotland’s west coast to Oban.
Cabins: 29. Cabins range from 112 to 367 square feet. There are 23 outside cabins, 6 inside, 11 single and 4 with balconies. Cabins have refrigerator, TV (some with VCR), radio, coffee and tea-maker and an ironing board/trouser press. Each cabin is individually designed and there are a range of configurations (with single, double or twin beds). All except two have a private bath, some with shower, others with tub. Most have one or more windows of different sizes (in the largest suite there are three large windows and a sitting area to enjoy them). Some cabins have portholes (portholes can be opened). There is one two-room suite.
Dining: The dining room has one seating and is non-smoking. Fresh produce is purchased locally. There is traditional Scottish fare, such as venison, pheasant, rainbow trout, gooseberry and pear crumble, with a variety of choices with each meal. Passengers traveling as singles are seated together and are hosted by an officer. Tea, coffee and fresh fruit available all day.
Dress: Casual during the day, wear non-slip shoes on board. After 7 p.m. men wear jackets, women wear dresses or pant suits. Captain’s night and at least two other nights per week are dressy, and men usually wear dinner jacket, tuxedo or kilts. It is often cold and damp in the Scottish islands so take warm clothing.
Facilities and Activities: The ship was originally built as a passenger ferry, then was redesigned to resemble a country hotel. The passengers are mostly British, one-third singles, two-thirds couples. There are several lounges for cozy viewing (one especially for cigar and pipe smokers), a conservatory, a mini-gym and a library.  Guides are on board to answer questions and lead excursions, but not to lecture. The ship can carry private cars, allowing guests to disembark with their vehicles to explore for themselves. There are deck games, fishing trips, clay pigeon shoots and explorations by motorboat. There is an open bridge policy. Passengers report that the engine is noisy, but the ship anchors at night. Children under age 9 are not allowed. There is no smoking in the restaurant, library, conservatory or the port side of the main lounge. There is no air-conditioning, but the ship cruises in cool weather regions, and all outside rooms and public rooms have portholes or windows that open. There are bicycles, fishing gear and small boats for passenger use. There are usually two shore visits by tender or zodiac-style landing craft at different locations each day. Shore excursions are mostly hiking and exploring wildlife with guides, but sometimes to castles, gardens, deserted beaches or towns. On itineraries involving hiking in the hills, there are separate excursions for hill-walking and low-level walking with guides for each.
Typical Rates and Special Deals: The per person fares range from $1,895 to $4,050 for six-night cruise up to $23,325 for a 15-night cruise in the biggest suite. Shore excursions and entrance fees are included in the fare as well as any use of the small boats, speedboat, ship’s bicycles and fishing tackle. There are discounts for cruises in the early spring and autumn, for early booking and a low fare for a repositioning cruise from Scotland along the coast of England and through the English Channel in October. Single cabins have no supplement. The vessel maintains a no tipping policy. Some cruise fares include air or rail fare to and from a UK airport.

MARINE EXPEDITIONS
Antarctica, British Isles, Iceland, Greenland, Northwest Passage, Arctic, Amazon, SouthAmerica, South Pacific, Asia
MARINE DISCOVERY
Passenger Capacity: 120
Built: 1976; refurbished 1992
Former Names: Alla Tarasova
Length: 328 ft.
Beam: 53 ft.
Draft: 16 ft.
Officers: Russian
Staff and Crew: 84, Russian and North American

 RADISSON SEVEN SEAS CRUISES                        Travel Report
United States, Bahamas, Mediterranean, Greece, Caribbean, South Pacific, South America, Africa, Seychelles, Amazon, Antarctica, Canary Islands, Arctic, Iceland, Greenland, United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Alaska, Russia, Asia, Middle East, Australia, New Zealand
HANSEATIC
Passenger Capacity: 170
Built: 1993
Length: 403 ft.
Beam: 59 ft.
Draft: 15 ft.
Decks: 7
Elevator: 2
Officers: German
Staff and Crew: 125; European
Wheelchair Access: Yes
SONG OF FLOWER
Passenger Capacity: 172
Built: Built as a container ship in 1974, rebuilt in 1986 as a cruise ship
Former Names: Explorer Starship, Begonia
Length: 407 ft.
Beam: 52 ft.
Draft: 16 ft.
Decks: 6
Elevator: 2
Officers: Norwegian
Staff and Crew: 144; European, American, Filipino
SEABOURN CRUISE LINE
Worldwide, including Mediterranean, Baltic, Scandinavia, Asia, US, Canada, Caribbean, Latin America, South Pacific, Africa, Seychelles, Australia
SEABOURN LEGEND, SEABOURN PRIDE and SEABOURN SPIRIT
Passenger Capacity: 204
Built: 1988, 1989, 1990
Former Names: Seabourn Legend was the Royal Viking Queen, then Queen Odyssey
Length: 439 ft.
Beam: 63 ft.
Draft: 17 ft.
Decks: 6
Elevator: 3
Officers: Norwegian
Staff and Crew: 150, American, European. Filipino
Wheelchair Access: Yes
SILVERSEA CRUISES
Worldwide, including Africa, Seychelles, Baltic and Mediterranean and Red Seas, US, Canada, Latin America, South Pacific, Asia, Caribbean
SILVER CLOUD; SILVER WIND (not in service in 2002)
Passenger Capacity: 296
Built: 1994 in Italy
Length: 514 ft.
Beam: 70 ft.
Draft: 17 ft.
Decks: 9
Elevator: 4
Officers: Italian
Staff and Crew: 185; European
Wheelchair Access: Yes
 SPECIAL EXPEDITIONS
Alaska, Columbia and Snake rivers, San Juan Islands, Baja, Main, Danube and Nile rivers, Mediterranean, British Isles, Greece, Turkey, Latin America, Suez Canal.
This cruise line was founded by Sven-Olof Lindblad, son of adventure travel pioneer Lars-Eric Lindblad. The cruise line operates the ships in its own fleet and also charters other ships and often operates cruises for universities and other groups.

CALEDONIAN STAR
Passenger Capacity: 110
Built: 1966, rebuilt in 1990, remodeling and refurbishing in 1998
Former Name: North Star, Marburg, Lindmar
Length: 293 ft.
Beam: 46 ft.
Draft: 20 ft.
Decks: 6
Elevator: None
Officers: Scandinavian
Staff and Crew: 60, International
Wheelchair Access: No
Itinerary: In April the ship goes from the Caribbean to Bermuda, the Azores and to England, then in May, June and July cruises Britain, Scotland and Ireland, and in August goes from London to France, Spain and Portugal. Another cruise goes between Arctic Norway or Iceland, the Faroe, Shetland and Orkney Islands and Scotland. A September cruise goes from Lisbon through the Mediterranean to Malta, with stops at Gibraltar, Menorca, Sardinia, Corsica and Sicily, followed by a cruise from Malta to Italy, Greece and Turkey. In October a cruise goes from Portugal to Brazil, including Madeira, the Canary Islands and Cape Verde Islands. There are 12 and 15-day golf cruises in Spain, France, Portugal and Morocco that include nine rounds on such courses as Vlderrama in Spain and Dar Es-Salam in Morocco, and a 11-day golf cruise in Scotland and Ireland. A Latin America cruise goes to Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay and continues on to the Falklands and southern Chile, and another goes form Buenos Aires up the west coast of South America to Panama.
Cabins: 62. All of the cabins are outside, with air-conditioning, refrigerator, TV/VCR, radio, private bath with shower. Most cabins have twin beds; in some cabins one bed folds into a sofa. Some cabins have a fold-away upper berth. Some cabins have portholes, some have windows. There are three suites on the upper deck with separate sleeping and sitting areas, a convertible sofa and large windows. There are cabins for non-smokers. There are 14 single cabins.
Dining: There is an open-seating dining room with a single sitting. The cuisine is European.
Dress: Casual. There is no need for formal clothing. Bring walking shoes and an inquisitive mind.
Facilities and Activities: There is a lounge and bar, a casino, a pool, a lecture room and a library with videos for in-cabin use, a hairdresser, laundry, and medical facilities with a full-time physician onboard. There are several naturalist and history lecturers on every cruise. Nature photographers accompany several cruises to the Arctic. There is an open bridge policy. There are zodiac landing craft for excursions and an enclosed tender. Stairways are steep. Emphasis is on understanding Europe through the ages. Most of the passengers are British. Smoking is restricted to passenger cabins, outside decks and one section of the lounge. Passengers explore ruins at Heraklion, Akrotiri and Delphi and later in Malta on the Red Sea-Mediterranean cruise. A summer cruise visits Fair Isle, the most isolated settlement in the British Isles with fewer than 100 residents, but thousands of puffins, kittiwakes and migratory birds, and the Stone Age sites of Orkney. Other excursions are to fishing villages, castles, abbeys and forts. Those not snorkeling or diving can use a glass-bottom boat.
Typical Rates and Special Deals: Cruise-only fares for cruise of the islands of Britain and Ireland range from $6.490 to $11,660 per person. The Norway to Scotland 18-day cruise is $8,290 to $10,860.  A 10-day Spitsbergen cruise from Oslo is $4,550 to $7,560. A 13 to 15-day cruise of the Red Sea and Mediterranean or of various itineraries in the Mediterranean begin at $5,290 per person. An 18-day transatlantic cruise from Lisbon to Salvador or a 20-day Caribbean to Dartmouth begins at $4,980. An 11-day golf cruise in Scotland and Ireland starts at $7,190 for golfers and $5,190 for non-golfers, and the 15-day golfing cruises are $9,290 for golfers and $7,040 for non-golfers. A 14-day cruise from Uruguay to the Falkland Islands and around to Santiago starts at $7,590, and a 29-day cruise of the west coast of South America starts at $12,390. Antarctica and the Falklands for 19 days starts at $8,700 and for 25 days starts at $11,580. Discounts are offered for early booking, and sometimes complimentary air fare is given. There is a 10 percent discount for two consecutive voyages. All shore excursions are included in the cruise fare.

SQUARE SAIL
Great Britain, Isles of Scilly, France

EARL OF PEMBROKE, KASKELOT, PHOENIX
Built: 1945,1948, 1929

Length: 145 ft., 153 ft., 112 ft.

Beam: 24 ft., 28 ft., 22 ft.

Draft: 10 ft., 12 ft., 7 ft.

Staff and Crew: 15, 18, 10

SWAN HELLENIC CRUISES
Europe, Asia, Middle East, Far East
MINERVA
 Passenger Capacity: 300
 Built: 1996, in Italy
 Former Names: Okean
 Length: 436 ft.
 Beam: 65 ft.
 Draft: 20 ft.
 Decks: 6
 Elevator: 2
 Officers: British
 Staff and Crew: 157, International
 Wheelchair Access: Yes
    Itinerary: The ship operates year-round on cruises ranging from nine to 25 days. Spring and fall cruises sail the Mediterranean and Black Seas, and go to Britain, Norway and the Baltic. Late fall and early spring one-way voyages operate through the Suez Canal to and from Arabia and southeast Asia. Places visited on various cruises include Jordan, Yemen, Oman, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Egypt, Syria, Cyprus, Israel, Turkey, Greece, Albania, Croatia, Italy, Malta, Libya, Tunisia, France, Spain, Portugal, Britain, Ireland, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia, Russia, LaTVia, Poland, Germany, Portugal, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Tunisia, and Lebanon.
     Cabins: 194. Cabins range from 140 to 277 square feet. Most cabins are outside, and 12 have balconies. Cabins mostly have twin beds, which can be put together, some with sofa and/or chairs. Cabins have a TV (not VCR), telephone and a fax machine, and a private  bath with shower or tub. There are four single cabins and four wheelchair-Accessible cabins. There are 52 inside cabins.
     Dining: There is an open-seating dining room with tables for two, four, six and eight, with one seating, and there is an informal indoor/outdoor cafe for buffet breakfast and lunch and informal dinner where one need not wear a jacket or tie. Food is continental. Low calorie menus are available and special diets are accommodated. Room service is available.
     Dress: Casual during the day. Jacket and tie for men are required at night in the main dining room and there are two black tie nights.
     Facilities and Activities: The Minerva, originally intended as a Soviet spy ship, is Swan Hellenic’s replacement for the Orpheus that they had chartered for many years. Passenger makeup is about 50 percent American, with the rest mostly European, others from Hong Kong and China. There is a teak wrap-around promenade deck. There is a heated pool, a fitness center, a hairdresser, a sauna and a self-serve launderette. There are movies in the auditorium, a wood-panelled library with lots of travel guides and references and easy chairs to read them in, a card room and smoking room. There is a four-piece band for dancing in the lounge, which is also used for lectures, and a pianist on board in the Wheeler Bar, named after Sir Mortimer Wheeler archeologist and former chairman of Swan Hellenic. A second lounge is called the Orpheus Room in honor of their former ship. Original paintings and antique maps line the walls. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. There is no formal entertainment. Minerva was the Roman goddess of wisdom, and on this ship several British lecturers accompany the cruises in cultural enrichment programs exploring the history, art, archeology, music, wine and other facets of the Mediterranean, northern Europe and Asia. An artist teaches painting. There is a special smoking room and humidor service. There is a medical facility with a British physician onboard. The ship is very British in orientation. Most shore excursions are included in the cruise fare. Passengers go to cathedrals, museums, castles, gardens and wineries or walk through historical cities. Other cruises feature a trip to Petra, the city carved in rock cliffs, a cocktail at Raffles in Singapore, a cruise up the Chao Phraya River and visits to the palace and buddha temples in Bangkok. A cruise to the Spice Islands offers komodo dragons, monitor lizards that can grow up to 9 ft. long.
Typical Rates and Special Deals: A nine-day cruise ranges from $4,130 for an inside to $4,620 for a deluxe outside cabin and $5,800 for the owner’s suite. Cabins for a 15-day cruise range from $5,020 to $8,450. Shore excursions are included in the fare, as well as gratuities on board and for tour guides ashore, port charges and charter flights if applicable between London and the ship. If you book in advance some cabins have a 20 percent discount; sometimes
there is a discount fare of half price for the second person; there are occasional two-for-one fares. Triples are available in some cabins at 40 percent of fare. Air/sea packages are available as well as pre and post-cruise packages.

Swan Hellenic also charters two ships for river cruises: the Sergey Yesenin between Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia and the Rembrandt van Rijn on the Rhine and Danube, and markets Nubian Sea and Vittoria, river boats on the Nile. These all have fewer than 100 passengers. Ten and 11-day cruises run from $3,420 to $4,540.

BARGES
THE BARGE BROKER
 The Barge Broker has barges in France, England, Holland, Scotland, and Ireland.
DUKE & DUCHESS
England
 Passengers: 10. This pair of narrow boats (70 ft. long and 7 ft. wide) travels together in the Midlands around Coventry, Milton Keynes and Warwick. Fare is $620 to $1,208.
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THE BARGE LADY
 The Barge Lady represents 50 barges in France, England, Holland, Scotland, and Ireland.
BARKIS AND PEGGOTTY
England
 Passengers: 5 each. These boats, 11 feet wide, travel as a pair in Cambridgeshire. Head-room is only 6 feet 7 inches. There is a crew of four plus a dog.  Whole charter is $15,000; the individual  rate $1,690.
SHANNON PRINCESS
Ireland
 Passengers: 12. This barge, moored in front of a castle in Athlone, floats through the Shannon River. There is a crew of five. From the salon, stairs lead down to a suite, four twin cabins and two single cabins, each with private bath and windows that open. Fare for the six-night cruise begins at $2,290 per person and includes an open bar, guided excursions and transfers from Dublin. A golf, gourmet, equestrian, or fishing program may be added at extra cost. Whole boat charter ranges is $22,900.
SPIRIT OF LOCH NESS
Scotland
 Passengers: 8. Charters are available from May to September, with cruises beginning in Inverness, Scotland, offering golf at Highland’s courses and a float through Loch Ness where you can view castle ruins or watch for the Loch Ness monster. Individual fare is $1,990. Whole boat charter begins at $15,000.

BRITAIN COUPON BOOK    Click here to learn more about this book or to order today
A new Britain At A Glimpse by Peter Little Publications has discounts at 138 attractions for $18.95. One on Ireland is $14.95.

 l BOOK A TRIP l HOMEPAGE l DESTINATIONS l CRUISE LINES l CRUISE OF THE WEEK l FREIGHTERS l NEWS! l
l BARGES l RIVER CRUISES l SAILING SHIPS l CHARTERS l FAMILY CRUISES DIVE TRIPS l

WHEELCHAIR l BOOKSTORE l CRUISE BARGAINS l E-MAIL US l