Crystal Cruises

Crystal Cruises' 12-day "Islands & Glaciers" cruise will feature the Vancouver TheatreSports League comedy troupe performing improv and conducting humor workshops. Dine in the Symphony's upscale Nobu Matsuhisa's Silk Road and Piero Selvaggio's Prego, or take in the scenery, including the Misty Fjord or the bald eagles and brown bears of Admiralty Island. Itinerary: San Francisco to Ketchikan, Juneau, Glacier Bay, Haines, the Inside Passage and Sitka, Alaska; Vancouver and Victoria, Canada; and back to San Francisco Dates: July 20-Aug.

Maybe you've eaten at one of Nobu's restaurants or stayed in his signature Caesars Palace hotel in Las Vegas , but have you ever sailed with the Japanese sushi chef? Here's your chance. Chef Nobu Matsuhisa will be mingling and cooking aboard a Black Sea cruise this summer on the Crystal Symphony . For the past two years, he has appeared on one voyage a year with Crystal Cruises , whose ships carry his Silk Road and Sushi Bar restaurants. Nobu will be onboard during the entire 12-day cruise with members of his family.

Crystal Cruises , the small-ship luxury line that receives high marks from travelers, will offer one-of-a-kind shore excursions on its Mediterranean sailings this spring. Boutique Adventures, as Crystal calls them, take passengers behind the scenes at museums, castles, jewelry workshops, chefs' private kitchens and other venues. The idea is to create intimate experiences that go deeper into local culture and provide a singular experience for passengers, according to a statement from the cruise line.

Whether you're looking for a cruise or looking to find more enjoyment from your trip on the high seas, apps can help. Here are some favorites from experts on the cruise industry. All of the apps work with iOS devices (iPhones, iPod Touches and iPads), and several also have Android versions. Other operating systems are noted. Cruise planning Cruise Finder, by iCruise (iOS, Android): Helps cruisers find deals. The iPad version features interactive deck plans. Recent enhancements include listings for river cruise lines, cruise price alerts, online booking and itinerary maps.

Crystal Cruises, consistently rated among the world's top luxury lines, upped its game this year by making its voyages “all-inclusive,” with wine and bar service, gratuities for dining and housekeeping staff and more included in fares. Such pampering does not come cheaply. Even with sale pricing, 12-day voyages often start near $4,000 per person. But by choosing shorter trips, you can cut your outlay by half or more. The deal: “ Crystal Getaways ” are voyages of five to eight days that start as low as $1,310 per person, double occupancy, plus port charges and other fees, for the cruise only; airfare is extra.

* Crystal Cruises has promoted Adam Leavitt, vice president, marketing, to senior vice president, marketing. He will oversee development of the Los Angeles-based cruise line's advertising as well as work on increasing market awareness. * Semiconductor industry veteran Sue Powers has joined El Segundo-based ISuppli Corp., a provider of procurement and supply chain management services for the electronic components industry. Powers will be vice president, planning and customer service.

A luxury cruise line acknowledged that its ship released treated wastewater into Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary off the Central California coast, violating its own environmental policies and a promise to the city of Monterey. In response, the city earlier this month said it would refuse to provide services, such as use of its pier to unload tenders, to the ship involved, Crystal Harmony.

For football fans, it's a cruise dream come true: NFL greats including former coaches Don Shula and Dick Vermeil, past Super Bowl MVP Larry Csonka and NFL referee Jim Tunney will set sail in May on a Crystal Cruises journey from New York to Dover, England.  During the 16-day New World to Norway cruise, each sports figure will host an individual presentation and talk about their football years, then team up for a sports-themed panel...

An engine-room fire aboard a cruise ship was quickly controlled and none of the 1,460 passengers or crew was injured, a spokesman for the ship's owner said Tuesday. The fire Monday evening aboard the Crystal Harmony was confined to an auxiliary engine room, said Arthur Sbarsky, marketing vice president for Los Angeles-based Crystal Cruises.

Looking to get away from it all on a cruise? Evidently many people aren't. Riding a wave of techno-advances in the industry, high-end Crystal Cruises now offers dial-up Internet access directly from ship cabins. For $5 per day, passengers can rent laptops to take to their staterooms. Accessing their Internet-based e-mail or surfing the Internet costs $1.25 per minute, with a 10-minute minimum.

Crystal Cruises , the small-ship luxury line that receives high marks from travelers, will offer one-of-a-kind shore excursions on its Mediterranean sailings this spring. Boutique Adventures, as Crystal calls them, take passengers behind the scenes at museums, castles, jewelry workshops, chefs' private kitchens and other venues. The idea is to create intimate experiences that go deeper into local culture and provide a singular experience for passengers, according to a statement from the cruise line.

Crystal Cruises, consistently rated among the world's top luxury lines, upped its game this year by making its voyages “all-inclusive,” with wine and bar service, gratuities for dining and housekeeping staff and more included in fares. Such pampering does not come cheaply. Even with sale pricing, 12-day voyages often start near $4,000 per person. But by choosing shorter trips, you can cut your outlay by half or more. The deal: “ Crystal Getaways ” are voyages of five to eight days that start as low as $1,310 per person, double occupancy, plus port charges and other fees, for the cruise only; airfare is extra.

For football fans, it's a cruise dream come true: NFL greats including former coaches Don Shula and Dick Vermeil, past Super Bowl MVP Larry Csonka and NFL referee Jim Tunney will set sail in May on a Crystal Cruises journey from New York to Dover, England.  During the 16-day New World to Norway cruise, each sports figure will host an individual presentation and talk about their football years, then team up for a sports-themed panel...

Here is some information from Cruise Lines International Assn. members that offer world or "grand cruises. " A few lines based in other countries also offer similar voyages. Most 2012 world cruises started in January, but there may be availability on some segments. For information, check with the line or with a travel agent. Routes and prices are subject to change. Costa Cruises: The line, owned by Carnival Corp., caters to Europeans. Because of the recent accident of the Costa Concordia, plans may be changed.

Social change can be part of the itinerary on a Crystal cruise from New York to Montreal. The Lighthouses to Lobsters cruise aboard Crystal Symphony in September offers a free shore excursion for those who want to help the Boston nonprofit Cradles to Crayons organize and distribute items to homeless children. The three-hour volunteer session is free and good for adults and children. FOR THE RECORD: This story incorrectly says staterooms starting at $4,495 per person didn't include airfare and instead included an airfare allowance of $500 per person.

Crystal Cruises' 12-day "Islands & Glaciers" cruise will feature the Vancouver TheatreSports League comedy troupe performing improv and conducting humor workshops. Dine in the Symphony's upscale Nobu Matsuhisa's Silk Road and Piero Selvaggio's Prego, or take in the scenery, including the Misty Fjord or the bald eagles and brown bears of Admiralty Island. Itinerary: San Francisco to Ketchikan, Juneau, Glacier Bay, Haines, the Inside Passage and Sitka, Alaska; Vancouver and Victoria, Canada; and back to San Francisco Dates: July 20-Aug.

Cross the Atlantic dancing to the sounds of the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra on a nine-day Crystal Cruises special that waives single-supplement charges for solo passengers. The big band-themed cruise, aboard the 940-passenger Crystal Symphony, departs April 29, sailing from Miami to Lisbon. Fares for single passengers in outside staterooms start at $1,929. The luxury line is also adding extra hosts to act as dancing and dining partners.

Maybe you've eaten at one of Nobu's restaurants or stayed in his signature Caesars Palace hotel in Las Vegas , but have you ever sailed with the Japanese sushi chef? Here's your chance. Chef Nobu Matsuhisa will be mingling and cooking aboard a Black Sea cruise this summer on the Crystal Symphony . For the past two years, he has appeared on one voyage a year with Crystal Cruises , whose ships carry his Silk Road and Sushi Bar restaurants. Nobu will be onboard during the entire 12-day cruise with members of his family.

Crystal Cruises recently announced some sweeping changes. Starting with spring sailings next year, the luxury cruise line will take a new "all-inclusive" approach to cabin pricing. That means free wine and bar services, free dining in specialty restaurants and prepaid tipping (you won't have to) for housekeeping, bar and dining staff. The cruise line operates just two ships, which are smaller in scale than many:  the 922-passenger Crystal Symphony and the 1,070-passenger Crystal Serenity.

Here's a way to stay close to home and still indulge in a luxury cruise. Crystal Cruises is offering two-for-one fares for sailings from Los Angeles to Canada and Mexico next year that come with a $1,000 onboard credit per couple and a kid-sail-free promotion. The deal: Crystal Cruises' two-for-one pricing applies to all cabin categories on selected Pacific Coast cruises. [ Updated Friday, 8:15 a.m.: An earlier version of this article said the two-for-one pricing applies to only Category E cabins.