Summer Travel: Luxury on Sale
(courtesy One&Only Ocean Club)
'Tis the season for thinking about summer vacation. With Memorial Day less than five weeks away, it's time to get serious about not only making those summer plans but booking them too.
Travelers looking to inject a bit - or, as the case may be, a lot - of luxury into their summer will want to consider the following three deals, "deal" being a relative term, of course.
While prices for some of these trips are half of what they would usually cost, they're still not for penny-pinchers. They are, however, offered by some of the finest and most respected luxury travel operators in the world, which makes them a value indeed.
Abercrombie & Kent, Egypt
(courtesy of Steve Filipiak)
The luxury tour operator offers vacations in more than 100 countries, but the best deals for summer were found on five Egypt trips with prices up to 50 percent off. Egypt Unveiled; Jordan and Egypt: Sands of Time; Pharaohs and Pyramids; Pyramids, Mummies and Temples and Splendors of the Nile are all on sale and cater to different interests.
Egypt Unveiled, for example, is an 11-day trip priced at $2,595 per person (was $5,195). It has a maximum group size of 24, includes luxury accommodations at the Four Seasons hotel in Cairo and the Mena House Oberoi in Giza, and offers the opportunity to see the Aswan islands of the Nile by sailboat.
The fine print: The 50 percent off is available only on select April - December departures.
Oceania Cruises, Various Itineraries
(courtesy Oceania Cruises)
Oceania is a premium cruise line made up of midsize ships. It's well-regarded for excellent food, interior design and a laid-back ambience. The line's largest ships carry roughly 1,250 guests - less than half of the mega ships - and the smaller ships carry fewer than 700. Fewer passengers means a more intimate cruise ship experience. Depending on itinerary, Oceania offers two-for-one cruises, free airfare amounting to $5,000 in savings and more. Summer itineraries include Alaska, Europe, Asia, South America and more.
Example deal:
Northern Interludes (14-nights aboard Marina; London-Copenhagen) departs June 18 and has two-for-one fares plus bonus savings of up to $3,000 per cabin and either free economy airfare or business-class airfare for an additional $699 per person each way. Cruise fare, after discount, starts at $5,021 per person based on double occupancy (regular rate was $12,542).
The fine print: Must book by June 30. All offers are not available on all itineraries.
(courtesy One&Only Ocean Club) To celebrate its golden anniversary, the luxury Bahamian resort is offering 50 percent off a second room this summer. There are several blackout dates in May (most weekends) and a few in June, but July-October is wide open for booking. For a long weekend stay at the end of June, the price for two garden-view rooms is $938 per night. An ocean-view room the same weekend is $1,238. Included in every stay is a 24-hour butler, unpacking-packing service, champagne every afternoon, a pillow menu and more.
The fine print: A four-night minimum stay is required. Prices are exclusive of tax and gratuity.