Italy Luxury Cruise $ALE: Luxury Cruise from Venice & Luxury Cruise from Rome

Italian Tourism Italy Cruise is offering an exclusive amenity package on 2011 Oceania Cruises luxury cruises around Italy and 2012 Oceania Cruises luxury cruises around Italy. There is a few more days to book a 2011 luxury cruise from Rome or a luxury cruise from Venice and receive the following:

• 50% of published rates+
• Free airfare+
• Pre-Paid Gratuities+
• $100 Shipboard Credit+
• $100 Canyon Ranch Spaclub Credit+
• $100 Shore Excursion Credit+
• Welcome Champagne Bottle
  
  
  Plus up to $1000 On Board Credit
  
  
  
  
Available on selected sailings for limited time. Call 305.914.0220 for details or email Italian Tourism Italy Cruise.
Plus up to $1000 On Board Credit EXCLUSIVE OFFER from Italian Tourism

EXCLUSIVE ITALY CRUISE AMENITY PACKAGE IS OFFERED FOR A LIMITED TIME ON THESE CRUISES AROUND ITALY - CALL 305.914.0220 OR EMAIL ITALIAN TOURISM FOR DETAILS.


GRANDEUR OF ROME
Cruise from Athens to Rome | 10 days
Apr 13, 2011 onboard Insignia
Athens (Piraeus) • Ephesus (Kusadasi) • Santorini • Zakynthos • Taormina • Amalfi/Positano • Olbia/Porto Cervo • Monte Carlo • Florence/Pisa (Livorno) overnight• Rome (Civitavecchia)
Full brochure fares from $6,998 per guest*
2 for 1 fares from $3,499 per guest* with FREE airfare plus ITALY CRUISE Amenity Package*


GRECIAN GLORY
Cruise from Venice to Athens | 10 days
May 6, 2011 onboard Marina
Venice overnight• Dubrovnik Kotor • Corfu • Zakynthos • Monemvasia • Santorini • Ephesus (Kusadasi) • Delos • Mykonos • Athens (Piraeus)
Full brochure veranda fares from $7,398 per guest*
2 for 1 fares from $3,699 per guest* with FREE airfare plus ITALY CRUISE Amenity Package*

BLACK SEA SERENADE

Cruise from Athens to Istanbul | 12 days
Jun 27, 2011 onboard Nautica
Athens (Piraeus) • Mykonos • Ephesus (Kusadasi) • Sinop • Trabzon • Sochi • Yalta • Sevastopol • Odessa • Constanta • Nessebur • Istanbul
Full brochure fares from $8,998 per guest*
2 for 1 fares from $4,499 per guest* with FREE airfare plus ITALY CRUISE Amenity Package*

VENETIAN RADIANCE


Cruise around Italy from Barcelona to Venice | 14 days
Oct 29, 2011 onboard Insignia
Barcelona • Provence (Marseille) • Monte Carlo • Florence/Pisa (Livorno) overnight• Rome (Civitavecchia) • Sorrento/Capri • Amalfi/Positano • Taormina • Corfu • Bari • Split • Ravenna • Venice overnight
Full brochure fares from $9,998 per guest*
2 for 1 fares from $4,999 per guest* with FREE airfare plus ITALY CRUISE Amenity Package*

SPLENDID ESCAPES


Cruise from Athens to Rome | 10 days
Nov 14, 2011 onboard Marina
Athens (Piraeus) • Ephesus (Kusadasi) Nauplion • Katakolon • Taormina •
Amalfi/Positano • Olbia/Porto Cervo • Florence/Pisa (Livorno) overnight•
Monte Carlo • Rome (Civitavecchia)
Full brochure fares from $5,998 per guest*
2 for 1 fares from $2,999 per guest* with FREE airfare plus ITALY CRUISE Amenity Package*


For more about this Italy Luxury Cruise $ALE and more Luxury Cruises from Venice and Luxury Cruises from Rome call 305.914.0220 or email us to contact an Italy Cruise expert.

Tenerife Ranks Amongst Most Affordable Family Holiday Destinations in Europe

In what remain difficult financial times for many UK families, it is to be expected that perhaps now more than ever, holidaymakers in the UK are spending greater amounts of time searching for the perfect family holiday packages that offer fun, great weather and relaxation and everything else you would expect from a family break – but critically; all at the best possible price. With the ongoing impact of the economic recession still lingering large over the heads of the European holiday industry, there has therefore been a noticeable knock on effect of increasing pressures for travel agents and holiday companies alike to provide even greater value for money for their clientele – but without any noticeable detrimental impact on the quality of holiday experience. Whilst many holiday destinations in both Europe and further afield have felt the effects of the global economic recession on their tourist sectors over the last couple of years – it may be surprising (but reassuring) to know that recent figures suggest some of Europe’s best loved holiday locations remain as popular as ever for UK tourists.


Indeed, it seems it is not all doom and gloom for UK holidaymakers, as in many respects the increase in competition and greater economic restraints being experienced by British families is in some cases driving the cost of family package deals down – thereby making more and more cheap holidays and flight deals available on the high street – but particularly from online agencies and websites. These have in turn helped some of Europe’s most popular destinations rise above the holiday industry slump. One such example is the island of Tenerife which has for many years been a highly popular destination for holidaymakers from the UK. Figures suggest that Tenerife has in experienced a growth in visitor figures during 2010 – even at the height of the UK recession - with reported growth figures in the early part of the year around the 2.5% mark compared with those observed in the early months of the year 2009. With cheap holiday deals and flight bookings available online through a range of vendors it seems that destinations such as Tenerife are set to remain extremely popular in spite of tough economic times for many families.

Delving further into these trends, analysts within the tourism industry have suggested that recent growth in some of the newer resorts in the Northern region of the island such as Las Caletillas becoming increasingly well known internationally may have contributed to this growth for the island of Tenerife in particular, although some similar growths in visitor numbers of approximately 2% have been experienced in some Southern sections of the island. Here, holiday resorts such as Los Cristianos and Playa De Las Americas are as always proving to be amongst the most popular visitor destinations for holiday makers from the UK and Europe.

Live the Holiday Highlife with Skippered Yacht Charter

For those that are lucky enough to be able to afford it, there are surely few better luxury vacation experiences that can be had in Europe than those that can be found on a skippered yacht charter holiday. Close your eyes and think of life on the ocean waves in the hot sunshine with the cool gentle breeze on your face and embrace the thought of what can only be described as a truly unique holiday trip. Such experiences can be a genuine once in a lifetime event for an individual to take alongside their family, good friends or work colleagues - thus allowing them to enjoy all the excitement, adventure and pleasure you would expect of any great sailing holiday in Europe with a group of your closest companions.

     Spending your time in the beautiful sunshine and open ocean is something many of us can only dream of but skippered yacht charter holidays allow this dream to become a reality - and with the added benefit of having an experienced skipper and crew to help you learn and hone your skills, you can be more assured and at ease whilst traveling across the seas. Skippered charter holidays offer all the great benefits of bareboat charters - but with an experienced skipper on board you can also allow yourself more time to sit back and enjoy the finer things in life. Skippered charter vacations are available in many European locations but primarily in the Mediterenean regions of Greece, Turkey, and Croatia - all regions of Europe that are fantastic to visit in their own right.

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Terrific Tuscany - Birthplace of Modern Europe

Few existing regions of Europe can surely paint such a romantic and idealistic picture in ones mind than those that are drummed up by the sheer imagery of Tuscany and its stunning historical capital Florence. Famed the world over for its rich and immeasurably important historical contribution to the fields of European arts, music, the sciences and high culture - the region that has over the years remained synonymous with the birth of the Italian Renaissance offers holidaymakers and backpackers from across the globe a unique flavour of Europe that is quite unique and apart from any other area of Italy, Europe or any other place in the world.

     Famed for its museums and galleries including the Uffizi and Chianciano art museums that offer intriguing and stimulating insights into Europe's artistic traditions and history, Tuscany gives the visitor a sense of true awe - and if you can take the time to soak up the information and stunning visuals on offer here, hopefully an enhanced understanding of the region's lasting influence and legacy on modern Europe. Alongside the great Renaissance works that are housed in the museums of Florence (including such famous paintings such as The Birth of Venus by Botticelli), the entire region of Tuscany is dotted with beautiful churches and cathedrals each with their own beautiful and attractive interiors and ornate decorations.

     When looking at the various accommodation available in Tuscany you will tend to find that it is incredibly varied and is largely dependent on which area of the expansive 8,800 square mile region in which you find yourself in. With places to stay ranging from high priced but exceptional hotels to some equally fantastic villas in Tuscany with pool in some of the more rural areas. Hiring out a villa in Tuscany can be a great and relaxing way of spending a holiday with your partner in beautiful surroundings and rich history and culture.   

Italy Tours: Venice Packed for Carnival

Italy Tour to Venice for Carnival

Italy Tours from all over the world packed Venice this week for Carnival.  Italian Tourism officials report Venice hotels hung out their no vacancy signs as thousands of costumed celebrants gathered in Venice for the finale of Italy's most famous carnival celebration Tuesday night.

Masks have always been a central feature of the Venetian carnival, which attracts Italy tours from all over the world. Traditionally Venetians and Italian Tourists alike wore them between the festival of Santo Stefano (St. Stephen's Day, December 26) and the start of the carnival season and midnight of Shrove Tuesday. They have always been around Venice. As masks were also worn for the Ascension and from October 5 to Christmas, people Venetians and Italy travelers could spend a large proportion of the year in disguise

Venetian masks can be made in leather or with the original glass technique. The original masks were rather simple in design and decoration and often had a symbolic and practical function. Nowadays, most of them are made with the application of gesso and gold leaf and are all hand-painted using natural feathers and gems to decorate.

The mascherari, or mask-makers had their own statute dated 10 April 1436. They belonged to the fringe of painters and were helped in their task by sign-painters who drew faces onto plaster in a range of different shapes and paying extreme attention to detail.

Over 280,000 visitors arrived last weekend filling all available beds not only in Venice hotels but also on the Lido island facing it and the neighboring city of Mestre across the Venice Lagoon on the mainland.

"This is the highest occupancy we've ever seen in the three areas, a far cry from last year," said Vittorio Bonacini, head of the Venice Hoteliers Association.

Carnival traditionally concludes on Fat Tuesday at mid night, also known as Mardi Gras, with a procession of gondolas and other traditional boats along the Grand Canal, under the Rialto bridge to the dock at St Mark's Square, with all palaces and homes illuminated only by LED candles as thousands of balloons are released to usher in the beginning of Lent.

Because this year's Mardi Gras coincides with International Women's Day, the celebration has been dedicated to women.

Other famous Italian carnival celebrations in Italy include the one in Ivrea, near Turin, where the traditional 'battle of the oranges' left hundreds of 'victims' at the weekend, and one in the Tuscan seaside town of Viareggio where a traditional parade of allegorical floats takes center stage.

Italy tours to Venice, Florence and Rome are available with Italian Tourism, where you will find the best deals on Italy tours.