Luxury line Seabourn slashes rates on more 2010 cruises

[mercedes]

Always wanted to trade up to a luxury line? Now may be the time to do it.

In the latest in an unusual string of summer cruise sales, swanky The Yachts of Seabourn is putting its entire 2010 season of European and Asian cruises on sale for 45%- to 65%-off.

The offer is an expansion of the previously announced Yachting Collection Savings promotion and includes nearly 150 cruises of seven to 14 days aboard the Seabourn Pride, Spirit and Legend, as well as the newly-launched Seabourn Odyssey and its soon-to-debut sister Seabourn Sojourn.

With the discounts, the line says one-week fares start as low as $2,749 per person, based on double occupancy for an ocean-view suite.

Seabourn says the discounts are capacity-controlled and may be changed or withdrawn at any time, either for whole voyages or for certain suite categories.

Yachting Collection Savings already had been announced for Seabourn’s first-quarter 2010 cruises in Southeast Asia, South and Central America and the Caribbean. The expansion adds an extensive array of voyages in Europe from Iceland, Norway and the Baltic across the whole span of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. In Asia, Seabourn Pride’s voyages in Vietnam and Thailand are included, as well as brand-new itineraries exploring China, Korea and Japan.

Seabourn rival Silversea Cruises already is marking down 2010 voyages by a hefty 60%. A Silversea spokesperson says it's the biggest savings ever offered by the line.

Last week Princess Cruises slashed rates for seven-night fall voyages to Mexico and the Caribbean to as little as $399 in a "Sun-Drenched Deals" promotion. And MSC Cruises is holding a one-week "blowout" sale through Friday on European cruises with prices marked down by more than 50%.

Norwegian Cruise Line is touting a "Pity the Procrastinator" sale through Aug. 2 that includes up to a six category upgrade (amounting to a savings of up to $600 per cabin) for sailings in 2010-2011.