South Africa Travel Online has arranged an EXCLUSIVE offer, only available to our loyal followers. The first 50 people on our mailing list to apply, can take advantage of a Buy 1 Get 1 free special on MY002, the 6th December cruise on the MSC Melody from Cape Town to nowhere.
Cruise news: And the first cruise to be sold out this season is SI003, the 11 Nov Sinfonia cruise to Portuguese Island.
Limited 50 Cabin cruise Offer
(Apply by filling in the booking form at MSC Melody)
Prices for two adults sharing:
Cruise |
Position |
Category |
Total per Cabin |
MY002 |
Inside |
6 |
R 3,720 |
MY002 |
Outside |
8 |
R 3,970 |
(The above prices are for two people sharing and include, the Buy 1 Get 1 free special, port charges, service charges and mandatory travel insurance. Prices subject to availability of cabin category and change. E&OE. Please note that specials can be retracted at any time without prior notice and that this special is limited to 50 cabins only. This special may not be used in conjunction with any other special. Cabins are sold on a first come, first served basis. Terms and Conditions apply).
About the cruise
For the uninitiated, this cruise leaves Cape Town, goes out to sea, and then returns back to Cape Town, having sailed in a giant loop. The departure date is the 6th December 2012, returning on the 8th December. A wonderful midweek break to wind down after the mad rush of 2011. (Also, as it is the last week of the school term, all you varsity students can celebrate exams being over and hog the ship without being bothered by the school kids!)
To my mind, these cruises are perfect for those people who would love to try a cruise, but are on a tight budget. Another group for whom it is ideal, are those who are concerned about becoming sea sick. It is short enough that if you do get sick, you are not stuck on a boat for a week. On the other hand, if you don't get sick, it is long enough to know that you have tested your body and the next time you go on a ship, you will have no worries.
I have to admit that I have a soft spot for the Melody. She is not as big as the MSC Sinfonia when it comes to passenger capacity, but she is stately. (And don't tell anyone, but her cabins are on average bigger than her sister ship's.) The upside of being on a smaller ship is that you get to know some of the staff quite well, and they you. There is also not so much of a "bun-fight" for the resources and services available on the cruise - less people means more availability! Let's not forget either that the Melody can comfortably accommodate 5 people in a cabin, which is just right for a lot of families who prefer to be in one cabin.
So, get down to Cape Town, spend a few days in the city and go on a cruise. What a great way to end off a year!
Hotels
Stay in CPT from R250/night
Stay in Durban from R370/night
Stay in JHB from R250/night
Car rental from R182/day
Well done on making it through another winter! Spring is my favourite season of the year - with its Goldilocks weather, neither too hot nor too cold, the whales visit Cape Town now and the flowers start growing. To quote Bette Midler: "Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snow, lies the seed, that with the sun's love, in the Spring becomes the Rose".
Regular readers know how it's costing us that ACSA, supported by Transport Minister Sbu Ndebele, prevented the sale of the old Durban International Airport to Comair (thus preventing competition at the same time as a failed regulatory body allowed ACSA to increase air fares by 70%).
But we didn't realise that the Competition Commission were also asleep on the job. Business Day drew attention to various complaints to the Competition Commission which have been gathering dust, and concludes: "the Competition Commission...gives the distinct appearance of being a wuss when it comes to obliging the government to behave competitively."
Our leaders talk a good talk about having the interests of the poor at heart, but the facts show that we are paying 70% more in airport taxes as a result of these palatial airports they have built for the rich and flashy, at the same time as snuffing out competition, whilst the Competition Commission are asleep on the job.
The Purple shall rule! Joachim wrote to us about the plight of pensioners without money: "There are many Pensioners with roots and family / friends in Europe. They havn't got much money, but plenty of time and their travel dates could be very flexible. So for a substancially reduced fare they could be sitting on packed suitcases at home waiting for a phone call, say 3 hours or so before departure, if there are seats still available. Or, if that's not practicable, wait in the departure hall to replace any no shows. There could be restrictions like minimum age, minimum lenght of stay overseas etc to ensure that this scheme does not encroach on the normal clientel. But this scheme could open up a sizeable untapped market for the airlines. It's bums on seats, and could be good for the bottomline of the carriers. These last minute schemes seem to work well overseas, so why is it not done here as well?"
Errors & omissions occur from time to time.
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The Bottom Line: Generally speaking, the less risk you take the lower the investment return you can expect to make, but also the lower your chances of making a loss.