Voyages of Discovery Wins “Best Niche Cruise Line” at 2013 British Travel Awards
Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) November 11, 2013 -- Voyages of Discovery, a leader in enrichment cruises, once again has earned top honors at the prestigious British Travel Awards, as voted by UK consumers. Sister brand Swan Hellenic obtained the bronze award in the same category.
The award for Best Niche Cruise Line represents the company’s focus on enrichment cruising, which is about combining the chance to relax at sea on small ships featuring stylish onboard amenities and hospitality, with the opportunity to discover the world’s great sites and cultures in the company of experts.
"To be recognized by the seasoned travelers of the UK for the fourth time consecutively is truly an honor and shows our dedication to providing an enriching cruise experience," said Steve Tucker, president of All Leisure Holidays, the North American sales and marketing office of Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic. "We work continuously to enhance our special program of lectures, tours and onboard workshops, carefully selecting intriguing destinations and expert guest speakers, and it's very rewarding to be recognized for our hard work."
The British Travel Awards are determined by thousands of votes received from the public who participated in the survey on their favorite cruise lines and in a variety of other travel and vacations categories. British Travel Awards’ chief executive Lorraine Barnes Burton said: “This year more than one million votes were cast by consumers to determine the winners of the coveted British Travel Awards – making it the largest awards program in the UK; to win is truly an accolade. The travelling public regard the British Travel Awards’ winners logo as the benchmark for excellence when it comes to finding out who really are the best travel companies and Voyages of Discovery is to be congratulated on their achievement in an awards program which garners the opinions of the nation – these finalists and winners really are the best in travel.”
Both Voyages of Discovery and Swan Hellenic offer cruise vacations to lesser known ports around the world, accompanied by experts who will enrich their guests’ cruise experience with in-depth insight into the local history, culture, geography and wildlife. They also have partnerships with three premier UK Organizations: the National Trust, the Royal Horticultural Society, and the National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies (NADFAS). These three partnerships provide guests exclusive access to speakers, castles, events, and other opportunities not available to other cruise lines.
Voyages of Discovery provides her 540-passenger aboard Voyager with the amenities of larger vessels and all the flexibility and features of the line's tradition of small-ship discovery cruising. Voyager's modern yet intimate facilities include 270 staterooms, of which 87 percent are ocean view, and 35 suites -- 30 with ocean view balconies. Guests can dine in any of three restaurants offering open seating dining. The Voyager underwent a major renovation in 2012. Itineraries range from the Mediterranean, to the Red Sea, Arabia, the Far East (including Japan), Europe the Middle East and Africa.
Swan Hellenic’s Minerva was extensively refurbished in 2012 with the addition of a new lounge, promenade, and 32 balcony suites. All bathrooms were also renovated as well. In addition to all shore excursions, fares include all gratuities onboard and ashore, visas, and all port taxes. The Minerva’s itineraries take her to five continents and over 184 ports, including Arabia, the Far East, the Mediterranean, a series of roundtrip UK cruises out of Portsmouth, and South America. Swan Hellenic also offers river cruises in the summer by chartering A-Rosa’s ships. Most recently, Swan Hellenic has been awarded World Travel Awards’ “World's Leading Specialist Cruise Line” in 2010-12, pending results for 2013.
About All Leisure Holidays
All Leisure Holidays Ltd is the sales and marketing office in North America for All Leisure Group PLC, a publicly traded company in the United Kingdom. All Leisure Group PLC has six brands under their corporate umbrella, including three escorted tour brands that do not currently trade outside the UK, as well as three globally marketed cruise brands specializing in discovery cruising: Voyages of Discovery, Swan Hellenic and Hebridean Island Cruises. For information, contact call toll-free (855) 866-8619 or (954) 315-1183 or visit http://us.voyagesofdiscovery.com or http://www.swanhellenic.us to view itineraries and order brochures.
About the British Travel Awards
The British Travel Awards is a proudly independent organization, audited by leading global accountancy practitioners Deloitte. The BTAs are the only travel industry accolades voted for exclusively by the travelling public, and the Awards serve to recognize all that is great about UK travel companies. For further British Travel Awards media information visit http://britishtravelawards.com/.
Mayra Donate, Director of Marketing, All Leisure Holidays, http://www.voyagesofdiscovery.com, +1 954-315-1189, [email protected]
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