Pioneer Enhanced-Experience Luxury Cruise Program Celebrates 20 Years with Slate of 20 Special Sailings

NEW YORK, April 7 /PRNewswire/ -- In a post-recession economy, even the affluent are looking for value.  But, according to Virtuoso®, leading retailer for luxury travel, value for affluent travelers is determined by the experiences received.  Virtuoso Voyager Club, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, has sustained its allure with affluent travelers by adding authentic local experiences to regular cruise departures.  

"To have staying power, you need to offer something unique in the luxury travel market," said Matthew Upchurch, Virtuoso CEO.  "Virtuoso Voyager Club was the first to give passengers one-of-a-kind events at cultural landmarks, a professional on-board host, and a private shipboard reception to establish a sense of camaraderie."  

"We are absolutely enthusiastic about Virtuoso.  It is absolutely fantastic.  All the excursions they organized are perfect and have a 'plus,'" said passengers Claude Laurent and Danielle Magnolato-Trosset.  The two sailed recently on board the Seabourn Odyssey.  "We were invited to a visit of the Maori Museum in Auckland with a private guide and had an outstanding lunch in a boutique hotel called Mollie's, classified as Relais and Chateaux, which is top level in Europe. During the lunch, the owner of the hotel was playing piano with young opera singers. It was GREAT."  

These types of experiences have been the hallmarks of Virtuoso Voyager Club since it became the industry's first enhanced-experience luxury cruise program in 1990.  In that year, Virtuoso hosted 15 sailings.  Twenty years later, the program has grown to 424 departures.  Demonstrating investment even in uncertain economic times, the number of Voyager Club sailings has increased 30 percent from 2009.  A full 91 percent of Voyager Club passengers say that the presence of Voyager Club on a departure is instrumental in their cruise choice.    

To celebrate the program's 20 years of passenger camaraderie, Virtuoso has created 20 special shore events aboard 20 sailings.  Highlights of the unique Voyager Club 20/20 sailings include a tango night at a historic Buenos Aires club, dinner at an iconic hotel in Bangkok, a discovery tour of Dutch culinary specialties in Amsterdam, and a private event at a former U.S. ambassador's residence in Vietnam.  

"We have stayed true to our mission for Voyager Club for two decades," said David Powers, Virtuoso Voyager Club director.  "We provide a more welcoming and exclusive experience that adds to cruise and travel enjoyment. Today's program continues to innovate according to passenger desires.  Voyager Club members have enviable options to personalize their experience, as they can choose among hosted shore experiences, vouchers for customized experiences and shipboard credits."

The Virtuoso Voyager Club 20/20 sailings, dates and event locations are as follows:

    
    
    
    Cruise                        Sailing      
     Line       Ship               date        Event Port
    
    Crystal     Crystal                        Buenos Aires,
                Serenity          26-Jan-10    Argentina – completed
    
    Regent      Seven Seas                     Manila, Philippines
                Voyager           25-Feb-10    – completed
    
    Silversea   Silver Whisper    4-Mar-10     Bangkok, Thailand – completed
    
    Silversea   Silver Shadow     5-Mar-10     Acapulco, Mexico – completed
    
    Crystal     Crystal Symphony  11-Apr-10    Bali, Indonesia
    
    Regent      Seven Seas
                Navigator         6-May-10     Acapulco, Mexico
    
    Silversea   Silver Wind       25-May-10    Valletta, Malta
    
    Silversea   Silver Spirit     12-Jun-10    Kusadasi, Turkey
    
    Seabourn    Seabourn Odyssey  12-Jun-10    Bodrum, Turkey
    
    Seabourn    Seabourn Odyssey  17-Jul-10    Yalta, Ukraine
    
    Regent      Seven Seas 
                Mariner           21-Jul-10    Katakalon, Greece
    
    Crystal     Crystal Serenity  31-Jul-10    Kusadasi, Turkey
    
    Crystal     Crystal Symphony  25-Aug-10    Belfast, Northern Ireland
    
    Seabourn    Seabourn Odyssey  28-Aug-10    Bodrum, Turkey
    
    Regent      Seven Seas
                Navigator         15-Sep-10    Yokohama, Japan
    
    Seabourn    Seabourn Sojourn  15-Sep-10    Amsterdam, The Netherlands
    
    Regent      Seven Seas
                Mariner           22-Sep-10    Kusadasi, Turkey
    
    Silversea   Silver Shadow     25-Oct-10    Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
    
    Crystal     Crystal Serenity  31-Oct-10    Valencia, Spain
    
    Seabourn    Seabourn Pride    6-Dec-10     Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
    
    

These as well as other Voyager Club sailings are available exclusively to those who book through a Virtuoso member advisor.  For reservations or information about Voyager Club, find a Virtuoso advisor by calling +1 (866) 401-7974 or visiting www.virtuoso.com.

About Virtuoso

As the industry's leading luxury travel network, Virtuoso® comprises over 300 agencies with more than 6,000 elite travel advisors in 22 countries in North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the world's best travel providers and premier destinations.  The network's member agencies generate over $5.1 billion annually in travel sales, making it the most powerful group in luxury travel.  Virtuoso is also the exclusive network of travel services and benefits provided by MasterCard® for participating World Elite MasterCard® programs.

For more information, visit www.virtuoso.com.

SOURCE Virtuoso(R)

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