MSA CULTURAL TOURS NEWSLETTER
FALL 2010
Dear Fellow Travelers,
Hopefully this BULLETIN finds you happy and well. We commenced writing this document from the deck of the beautiful new Celebrity Eclipse, a wonderful ship built in Germany and launched six months ago. We are ending a 3-cruise lecturing contract with Celebrity which consisted of two cruises from Southampton, England around the Iberian Peninsula with stops in Vigo, Lisbon, Gibraltar, Barcelona, Toulon, Palma, Mallorca, Cadiz, and back to Southampton. This itinerary should logically start in a Mediterranean port like Barcelona but it is marketed for a British audience (of the 3000 passengers over 2500 are from England and Scotland) who would rather spend four days crossing the Bay of Biscay than get on an airplane. As soon as the Sun comes out they rip off all (almost all) of their clothes and bake in the Sun until they looked like cooked lobsters. If the Sun is not out I get 300-400 at my lectures, if the Sun is out I may only have a 150-200. The itinerary is working since every cruise has sold out since the Eclipse was launched. The final 16 day cruise visited Sardinia, Sicily, Venice and Croatia. The Eclipse will repeat the 16 day cruise (they asked us to remain for that cruise but we have a tour departing for Spain on October 14) and than make the Atlantic Crossing for the Winter Caribbean Season. Happily, we have been offered a contract for next summer to sail on the new Celebrity Silhouette, which will be launched in Hamburg, on July 23. We will participate in the first four cruises, the last two visiting Egypt and Israel. You now have 10 times more information than you every wanted to know about Celebrity, our home away from home for two months. Now onto MSA Cultural Tour’s Business.
THE TOURS OF HISTORIC SPAIN AND CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ITALY ARE SOLD OUT. (Thank you)
FUTURE TOURS
NORTHERN FRANCE - BRITTANY-NORMANDY
APRIL 15-24
CREDIT CARD PAYMENT $2450
NON-CREDIT CARD $2395
This tour is limited to 25 participants and only 7 places remain so please do not delay, get your registration in now. Everyone who has registered so far has requested the three night’s extension in Paris (the first night replaces the night at the Airport) at the Mercure Montmarte. The cost extension is $295 per person that includes breakfast and transportation to the airport. There is nothing on the registration form regarding the 3 day extension, just write on your Registration Form that you wish to add the extension and Louise will invoice you for the difference.
COMPLETE ITINERARY DETAILS CAN BE FOUND ON THE MSA CULTURAL TOURS WEBSITE AT: http://msaculturaltours.com.
ITINERARY
DAY 1 APRIL 15 DEPART FOR PARIS
DAY 2 APRIL 16 ARRIVE PARIS OVERNIGHT CHARTRES
DAY 3 APRIL 17 CHARTRES
DAY 4 APRIL 18 CHARTRES TO SAINT MALO OVERNIGHT SANT MALO
DAY 5 APRIL 19 SANT MALO TO CAEN VISIT MONT ST. MICHEL ON WAY, OVERNIGHT CAEN
DAY 6 APRIL 20 CAEN
DAY 7 APRIL 21 PONTE DU HOC, ARROMANCHES BAYEUX OVERNIGHT
DAY 8 APRIL 22 CAEN TO HONFLEUR OVERNIGHT HONFLEUR
DAY 9 APRIL 23 HONFLEUR TO PARIS VISIT GIVERNY & LES ANDELYS ON WAY OVERNIGHT NEAR PARIS AIRPORT
DAY 10 APRIL 24 DEPARTURE FOR US / OR 3-DAY OPTIONAL EXTENSION IN PARIS
ENGLAND: IN QUEST OF ITS LITERARY PAST
OCTOBER 1 – 11, 2011
CREDIT CARD PAYMENT $2595
NON CREDIT CARD $2545
This tour will take us to seminal venues related to the literary traditions of England. Complete details can be found on the MSA Cultural Tours Website at http://msaculturaltours.com
PLEASE NOTE THERE IS A MODIFICATION TO THE ITINERARY WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY PRESENTED ON THE WEBSITE; PLEASE SEE REVISED ITINERARY BELOW. THE TOUR WILL NOT INCLUDE LONDON. THIS WOULD HAVE REQUIRED CHANGING HOTELS EVERY NIGHT. TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE WISHING TO SPEND TIME IN LONDON WE WILL ADD A THREE-DAY LONDON EXTENSION AS WE HAVE DONE FOR PARIS IN THE NORTHERN FRANCE TOUR.
Itinerary:
OCTOBER 1 DEPART US
OCTOBER 2, 3, 4 STONEHENDGE , SAILESBURY,GLASTONBURY & CADBURY CASTLE
OCTOBER 5 STRATFORD ON THE AVON
OCTOBER 6 HARDIAN’S WALL
OCTOBER 7 LINDISFARNE
OCTOBER 8 YORK
OCTOBER 10 CANTERBURY
OCTOBER 11 RETURN HOME OR OPTIONAL 3 DAY EXTENSION IN LONDON
For further information contact: Ben Taggie, btaggie@umassd.edu or Louise Boudreau, msaculturaltours@comcast.net
Phone: 508 979-8687 or Ben’s Mobile 508 264-4854
Fax: 508 979-8687
Hope to see you on one of our future MSA Cultural Tours. Have a great fall!
Louise & Ben