Crystal Cruises this week announced 12 new, short Mediterranean itineraries sailing from July through December 2012. The "Crystal Getaways" sale showcases favorite must-see destinations and charm-filled gems in and near southern Europe. These all-inclusive, five- to eight-day vacations on the Crystal Serenity feature sumptuous accommodations, gourmet dining (including Nobu Matsuhisa cuisine), fine wine, premium spirits, gratuities, fitness classes, inspirational enrichment activities, and the easiest of travel between such jewels as Tuscany, the Greek Isles, the French Riviera, Morocco, Rome, Turkey, and Israel.
Local overnights in port are included with most of the new itineraries, while Crystal's existing Pre- and Post-cruise Hotel Programs expand vacation options in many coveted European cities. Itinerary options include:
5-day:
Aug. 1 : Cannes -Monte Carlo (overnight)-Florence/Livorno-Porto Venere- Rome
Aug. 25 : Barcelona (overnight)-Cannes-Bonifacio/Corsica- Rome
6-day:
Oct. 30 : Athens -Navplion-Mykonos-Kusadasi- Istanbul (overnight)
Nov. 22 : Casablanca -Gran Canaria/Las Palmas-Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands-Madeira/Funchal- Lisbon
7-day:
Aug. 18 : Rome -Florence/Livorno-Monte Carlo (overnight)-Palamos- Barcelona (overnight)
Oct. 17 : Haifa, Israel -Bodrum, Turkey-Corfu-Dubrovnik- Venice (overnight)
8-day:
July 5 : Athens -Navplion-Sicily/Taormina-Sorrento (overnight)-Rome- Monte Carlo (overnight)
July 17 : Barcelona -Valencia-Malaga-Gibraltar-Cadiz/Seville- Lisbon (overnight)
Sept. 22 : Athens -Navplion-Corfu-Kotor, Montenegro-Zadar, Croatia- Venice (overnight)
Sept. 30 : Venice (overnight)-Ravenna-Kotor, Montenegro-Corfu-Mykonos- Istanbul
Nov. 5 : Istanbul (overnight)-Kusadasi-Mykonos-Sicily/Catania-Naples- Rome
Dec. 1 : Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands-Arrecife, Lanzarote-Agadir, Morocco- Cadiz/Seville-Valencia- Barcelona (overnight)
"Many savvy travelers appreciate the pampering luxury of Crystal Cruises and know how amazing the Mediterranean is as a destination, yet may have very limited time to get away," says Jack Anderson, Crystal's senior vice president, sales and marketing. "At the same time, this sale conveniently enables those less familiar with cruising, or Crystal, to dip their toe into our Six-Star waters."
In addition to the new options, Crystal's Mediterranean season offers 18 previously-scheduled 7-, 11-, and 12-day itineraries.