Fifteen of daytime’s adored soap stars will be participating in this unforgettable event. ABC stars cruising from General Hospital are Brandon Barash “Johnny,” and Bradford Anderson “Spinelli.” All My Children stars include Walt Willey “Jackson,” Adam Mayfield “Scott,” and Jacob Young “JR,” and from One Life to Live, Mark Lawson “Brody.” CBS stars attending from Young & the Restless are Michelle Stafford ” Phyllis,” Christian LeBlanc “Michael,” and Daniel Goddard “Cane.” From Bold and the Beautiful, Brandon Beemer “Owen” and Don Diamont “Bill” will be on board. The line-up from NBC’s Days of our Lives include James Scott “EJ,” Galen Gering “Rafe,” Eric Martsolf “Brady,” and Nadia Bjorlin “Chloe.”

Celebrity Events Group is offering their fans a chance to vote for the sixteenth actor to join the cruise. Soap fanatics can vote for the soap star they would like to see on the cruise by visiting the Celebrity Events Group webpage at http://soapcruise.com/soapcruise_newactor.asp. Deadline is August 31.

“Soap Cruise is the most anticipated event of the year for soap enthusiasts,” says Michael Gold, president of Celebrity Events Group. “This year we wanted to give the fans a choice as to who their favorite star is and who they want to see on the cruise.”

Devoted fans of daytime will be vacationing at sea with their friends, families and favorite soap stars. Soap Cruise Fourth Voyage will be sailing from Miami to charming Key West and exotic Cozumel. Fans will have plenty of opportunities to experience up close and personal interaction with their favorite soap stars. Not only will there be hugs, autographs and picture-taking, but fans will enjoy partying, dancing and relaxing with their soap idols in the sunny Caribbean.

Other unforgettable activities guests will experience include the beach party at Senor Frogs in Cozumel, multiple meet and greets, question and answer time, soap star talent night, and karaoke. Also aboard will be a director offering a “behind the scenes” workshop and a scene acting session during which fans and actors use real scripts from the shows. Soap Cruise concludes with a special farewell cocktail party. The first 175 registrants will get to attend an exclusive VIP Breakfast with the stars. For additional information please call 1-866-364-0330 or visit www.celebrityeventsgroup.com.

To register, get more details and watch video of last year’s third Soap Cruise Voyage, visit www.celebrityeventsgroup.com or call 1-866-364-0330. Prices begin at $925 (double occupancy) not including gratuities. For family members not participating in Soap Cruise events, prices begin at $475. Valid passport is necessary to travel. For questions about booking cabins or travel logistics, call Lori at Skyscraper Tours at (877) 442-5659.

Imagine storybook villages and majestic cities adorned with thousands of twinkling lights and stars, grand Christmas trees decorated from top to bottom, melodious carolers and choirs with sweet sounding voices, awe-inspiring cathedrals, opulent palaces, medieval castles, and old world holiday markets – all just a stroll away from Uniworld’s luxuriously appointed ships.

Uniworld’s Europe Holiday River Cruises range from 9 to 14 days, and take travelers along Europe’s great rivers – the Danube, Rhine, and Main, and through Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia and Switzerland. Whether it is traveling through Germany along the Rhine and Main celebrating the origins of centuries-old traditions, discovering the elegant pageantry of four regal countries along the Danube, or welcoming 2011 in regal style in a Viennese palace, there is something unique for everyone.

Uniworld offers five expertly planned and perfectly priced, all-inclusive packages – lavishly appointed river-view stateroom; all meals with complimentary fine European wine, choice of beer, and soft drinks served during dinner; special celebratory dining events; interesting shore excursions hosted by English-speaking local guides; festive onboard entertainment and Signature Lectures; and all transfers on arrival and departure days.

For more information, please contact a travel professional, call Uniworld at (800) 733-7820 or visit www.uniworld.com.

Guests who book a balcony stateroom during the Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Eve Caribbean cruises can save up to 50 percent off a connecting balcony stateroom for an affordable family vacation.

This special Family Plan offer applies for adjoining Category 9, 10 or 11 Balcony Superior staterooms (accommodating up to four guests) on 7-night, Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises departing from Ft. Lauderdale. These cruises sail November 21 (Thanksgiving), December 19 (Christmas), and December 26 (New Year’s). Family Plan rates for four begin at $697 per person plus $81.35 per person government fees and taxes (GFTs).

Destinations on the Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises including ports like Key West, Florida; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Georgetown, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; St. Thomas, Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; and Nassau, Bahamas.

Family-friendly activities to enjoy during this affordable family vacation include miniature golf, tennis and basketball. MSC Poesia features a pool for children and outdoor play area. MSC Cruises also offers a complimentary kids program filled with entertainment, fun, and games from crafts to treasure hunts. Children’s programs are available for children 3-17 years old and are divided into age-specific groups.

Not only does MSC Cruises offer authentic Italian favorites like pasta and pizza, but also All-American kid-friendly staples like hamburgers, hot dogs, and delicious pastries and desserts.

Rates are cruise only, and subject to availability. For more information, call (877) 665-4655, or contact a local travel professional.

Families who book an All Access Cruise between August 23 and September 13, 2010 will receive up to $250 in on-board credits, based on stateroom category; and half off the deposit (excluding the Garden Villa and other suite categories).

Exclusive Nickelodeon family programming featured on the two “Nickelodeon All Access” cruises includes:

· Ultimate sliming experience offers a chance for the whole family to get slimed together.

· Meet & greets with the stars of Nickelodeon’s hottest live-action shows. Special cruise guests have included stars from iCarly, True Jackson VP, and the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants.

· Special viewings and premieres of never-before-seen episodes of Nickelodeon’s hit TV shows like iCarly, Victorious and SpongeBob SquarePants.

· Meet & greets with some of your favorite Nickelodeon characters including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Aang the Last Airbender and many more!

· Nickelodeon’s signature messy game shows like Slime Time LIVE! and poolside events.

· Breakfast with Nickelodeon characters every day of the cruise.

The non-stop excitement  of the “Nickelodeon All Access Cruise” are only available on: Norwegian Jewel sailing President’s Day holiday, February 20, 2011, round-trip from New York to Orlando (Port Canaveral), Florida; Nassau, Bahamas; and Great Stirrup Cay, Norwegian’s private island or Norwegian Epic departing on July 24, 2011, from Barcelona with ports of call including Florence/Pisa (Livorno), Rome (Civitavecchia) and Naples, Italy; and Palma, Majorca, Spain. Starting rates are from $899 per person double occupancy on Norwegian Jewel and from $1299 per person double occupancy on Norwegian Epic.

The on-board credit limited time offer includes $250 per stateroom when sailing in a Garden Villa, available on Norwegian Jewel; $150 for suites; $100 for mini-suites and deluxe balcony staterooms; $75 for balcony staterooms; $50 for ocean view and $25 for inside staterooms.

To book one of the only two “Nickelodeon All Access Cruises” in 2011, call Norwegian at 866-770-NICK (6425), visit www.ncl.com/nickallaccess, or contact a travel professional. Get the latest updates, play interactive games and connect with other families on the Nickelodeon All Access Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/nickallaccess.

The discounted fares apply to cruises on the 12-passenger La Belle Époque and 8-passenger Renaissance, in Burgundy, Gascony and the Midi regions of France, as well as on the Upper River Thames in England, in August, September and October.

The all-inclusive 6-night cruises include transfers to and from the barge, meals prepared by a master chef onboard, open bar, excursions and admittance to scheduled attractions. Whole boat charters are also available at 25% off for select cruises through the end of October in Burgundy, Gascony, the Scottish Highlands, England, and Ireland.

For more information, call (800) 394-8630; www.gobarging.com.

 In celebration of Darwin’s birth 200 years later, Cruceros Australis is now offering two unique cruises based on that voyage with well-known Darwin scholars John Woram, lecturing in English, and Gerardo Bartolome, lecturing in Spanish.

From October 16 to 19, 2010, the Via Australis will cruise for three nights from Ushuaia to Punta Arenas and from October 19 to 23, 2010, four nights from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia. Rates range from $1,050 per person for the first itinerary and $1,400 per person for the return.

Passengers are immersed in an itinerary mirroring Darwin’s original adventure to the end of the Earth. Visiting a number of ecologically diverse locations, they sail through the Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel and the famous Glacier Alley, explore Wulaia Bay and not-to-be-missed Mount Darwin. The pinnacle of the trip is a visit to the legendary Cape Horn.

Unlike his comparatively short visit to the Galápagos Islands, Charles Darwin spent approximately two years in Patagonia, including more than three months in Tierra del Fuego where he had contact with the indigenous people of the region, an experience that greatly influenced his famous first book.

While sailing through rocky fjords and vast wilderness, passengers will be treated to several enriching and educational lectures from the onboard experts. Each of these specialized guests will also be available for one-on-one discussion or to answer specific questions as the tour progresses.

All rates are based on double occupancy and include accommodation, sea transportation, meals, open bar (when on duty), shore excursions and on-board entertainment. Optional tours and transportation are not included. Both tours can be combined for an extended seven-day cruising opportunity. Built in 2005, the modern Via Australis is a five-deck ship offering 64 cabins with private facilities and panoramic views.

With more than 17 years of experience, Cruceros Australis owns and operates the Mare, Via and Stella Australis (debuting this year) which navigate the waters and fjords of Tierra del Fuego and its archipelagos in Southern Patagonia. Australis offers high-quality and enriching learning experiences combined with unique cruising itineraries to discover the cultures and destinations at the end of the Earth.

For more information, visit www.australis.com, email australis@bellsouth.net or call (877) 678.3772.

The special, amounting to a 30 percent discount, must be booked by Sept. 30 and is available for cabins on select sailings — 22 to be exact — that depart between Oct. 5 and Dec. 31, 2010. Solo travelers get the same opportunity as there are no single supplement charges for singles cabins during this time period. The voyage takes in Norway’s scenic 1,250-mile west coast between the charming Hanseatic port of Bergen and the near-Russian border town of Kirkenes. Further savings are offered to AARP members — on board cabin credit of up to $100 — and a 10% fare savings for passengers who sailed on any Hurtigruten ship in the past three years. As comparison, regular 12-day fares range from $2,190 to $3,057 per person, double.

Besides seeing many of the celebrated fjords, Hurtigruten guests enjoy a charming portfolio of 34 ports, including Trondheim, one of the country’s oldest cities and a thriving university town; Tromso, Europe’s largest town above the Arctic circle; the Lofoten archipelago, with peaked mountains and villages filled with rust-red fishermen’s cabins; and Alesund, destroyed by fire in 1904 and completely rebuilt in the Art Nouveau style. Those ports that are visited late at night on the northbound leg are visited during the day on the southbound journey – so guests have the opportunity to easily explore every one of them.

Shore excursions range from touring to active explorations: the North Cape, sitting 1,000 feet above the churning Barents Sea and offering a top-of-the-world vista; a visit to the Norway-Russia border station near Kirkenes; a “Taste of Vesterålen” – visits to Harstad, Trondeneshalvoya Peninsula, Hinnoya Island and Sortland; dog-sledding from November on; and a Lofotr Viking Feast with traditional foods, singing and dancing; to name a few. Pre-booking excursions before departure saves guests 5% off the excursion price.

Additional information on all of these adventures, as well as brochures and reservations, can be obtained from travel agents or Hurtigruten’s visitor-friendly web site, www.hurtigruten.us; or by phone: (800) 323-7436; fax (888)-524-2145; for brochures (800) 582-0835.

Located in the ship’s aft lounge, each Punchliner Comedy Club will offer guests loads of laughs with five 35-minute shows on multiple nights during each voyage, with at least two comedians performing each night. The two early-evening shows offer fun for the whole family while the later performances will feature adult-oriented comedy.

Carnival Punchliner Comedy Clubs will feature hilarious, laugh-out-loud performances from established comedians as well as rising stars, with approximately 10 shows per voyage offered on short cruise itineraries and approximately 20 shows per cruise on longer length departures.

While comedy shows have always been part of Carnival’s diverse entertainment lineup, the concept was taken to another level aboard the Carnival Dream, which offered the line’s first dedicated comedy club last fall. Comedy clubs are currently also featured on Carnival Glory, Carnival Pride and Carnival Sensation – with the concept being incorporated into the remainder of the fleet over the next several months. When Carnival Magic enters service in May 2011, a Punchliner Comedy Club will also be featured on the line’s newest “Fun Ship.”

All of Carnival’s aft show lounges will be converted to comedy clubs with a special stage and branded glassware, menus, employee uniforms and other items featuring the Punchliner Comedy Club logo. Guests can learn about the performer lineups and schedules in the ship’s Fun Times newsletter.

For additional information and reservations, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.

This summer, The Great Canadian Travel Company is offering the ship’s 9-day “Realm of the Polar Bear” cruise around Spitsbergen at half-price, as well as a half-price 14-day “Arctic Highlights” cruise that will take you from Spitsbergen to Greenland and Iceland.

Large outside decks offer panoramic views; new cabins are among some of the largest in the industry—all boasting an ocean-facing window or porthole and private en-suite facilities. With a focus on top-of-the-line safety, comfort and the unique demands of polar travel, the M/S Expedition is one of the world’s leading polar expedition cruise ships.

Current half-price programs (with departure dates extending into September) include “Realm of the Polar Bear,” a 9-day cruise around the far northern archipelago of Svalbard which provides close-up encounters with massive icebergs, glaciers and fjords. The archipelago is one of the few places on the planet that offers such a fine bounty of natural and historical sites. Roaming polar bears, lounging seals, grazing reindeer and colonies of birds all coexist in this harsh land. Much of this cruise will be planned to take advantage of local ice and weather conditions.

A late-season, 14-day “Arctic Highlights” cruise has scheduled stops at Spitsbergen, Greenland and Iceland. Sailing at the edge of the ice, the ship constantly is on the lookout for wildlife. You’ll explore this remote land and seascape not only by ship but also on foot and by Zodiac. The journey highlights the contrast and change in the Arctic environment as you travel from Spitsbergen to the east coast of Greenland and then south to Iceland, dubbed the “land of fire and ice.”

As you travel the Greenland Sea, keep an eye out for whales—orca, humpback and minke, as well as for white-beaked dolphins. As you move slowly south, direct your attention to the eastern coast of Greenland. This remote and virtually untouched landscape is home to walruses, seals, narwhals, polar bears, muskoxen, wolves, foxes, ermine, Arctic hares, lemmings and a variety of birds.

Enriching your trip are daily lectures by expedition experts. Zodiac boats get you a closer look at birdlife; guides will recommend bird-watching walks along the tundra.

“Realm of the Polar Bear” offers departure dates of July 22, 30 and August 7, 15, 23 and 31. It is priced from US$1850 per person (based on double occupancy). Included are 8 nights aboard the M/S Expedition, all meals on board ship, zodiac excursions, lecture and educational programs, and a visit to a local community or research station.

“Arctic Highlights” offers a single departure date of September 8. It is priced from US$2049 per person (based on double occupancy). Included are 13 nights aboard the M/S Expedition, all meals on board ship, zodiac excursions, a visit to a native community, and on-board naturalists.

Reservations and additional information available from The Great Canadian Travel Company, 800-661-3830, www.greatcanadiantravel.com. The URL for the Realm of the Polar Bear program is http://www.greatcanadiantravel.com/spitsbergen-polar-bear-expedition-cruise; for the Arctic Highlights cruise it is http://www.greatcanadiantravel.com/spitsbergen-greenland-iceland-expedition-cruise.

The decor of the ship of lovely. Very tasteful throughout.

As advertised, there are tons of bars (21 in fact) and restaurants and all seem very popular. They serve sushi, steaks, teppanyaki, Chinese noodles, Irish  fare (O”Sheehan’s Pub is named for the CEO of Norwegian Cruise Line), Italian and even Churrascaria (Brazilian/Portuguese meats). The only thing lacking is an out-and-out Mexican restaurant, but I am sure you can get that in the Lido.

We had a fabulous press lunch yesterday in Cagney’s Steak House, one of the premier specialty restaurants ($25 add-on) and the chopped salad and filet mignon were excellent, as expected.  In the evening, we attended the new Cirque Dreams & Dinner show. The food was ordinary but the show was top-notch with a great series of acts…if you have watched other Cirque shows, you know there is often a lot of drivel between the acts and this was no exception. The whiny, high voice of the leading character was downright annoying…but the acts more than made up for that.

This ship can carry 4,000 passengers and definitely appeals to children. So, I can envisualize a cruise with maybe 300 children aboard. So I am amazed that the outdoor pool facilities are so, so limited. There is an aqua area with lots of splashy stuff and two aqua-tubes (sure to be a big hit), but very little actual swimming space. And, the so called “main pool” is in an adult area and is thumbnail size. It is sure to be invaded by kids looking for more places to swim. There are several hot tubs and the kids seem to fill those up, too. I have to go out this afternoon and take another look at those limited swimming areas. There is very little shade anywhere on the open decks.

Our cabin is a typical balcony cabin featuring those new wavy walls. I really don’t care about the waves one way or another, but I can tell you that this cabin is too small for two people. If one is sitting down at the dressing table to put on makeup or dry hair, the other person cannot walk through.

Heading off for lunch now. We have a group interview with the Blue Man Group this afternoon and get to see their show this evening. I am really looking forward to that.