For the first time this fall, luxury cruise specialist Crystal Cruises will feature four new cruises beginning or ending in Monte Carlo, allowing travelers more options to extend their travels in the South of France. Also new is an 11-day itinerary from Rome to Athens with a maiden call at Tripoli, Libya and an overnight stay in Alexandria, Egypt, as well as a maiden call at the pearl of the Adriatic - Trieste, Italy - on a September 21 itinerary.

From September through November, the award-winning Crystal Serenity offers six destination-rich 11-day itineraries visiting as many as five different countries on a single voyage. With late evening stays in several ports, guests enjoy the added luxury of time to explore the Amalfi and Dalmatian coasts, the Greek Isles, the French Riviera, the Canary Islands, the seaside towns of Turkey and the antiquities of Egypt.

As a special bonus, fares for Crystal Serenity's October 24 sailing from Athens to Monte Carlo have been reduced for better than 2-for-1 sailings, enabling travelers to enjoy plush outside staterooms for only $2,995 per person. With a range of itineraries and special savings fares for each sailing, Crystal Cruises is focusing on diversity and value for its fall 2006 collection.

"With fewer crowds and slightly cooler weather, the fall is an ideal time to visit the Mediterranean," says Bill Smith, Crystal's senior vice president, sales and marketing. "Additionally, savvy travelers will appreciate the exceptional value of a Mediterranean cruise with Crystal, given the dollar's weak standing against the Euro and the resulting high prices of Europe's top luxury hotels. Crystal Serenity's unique combination of choices, quality, service, space and value is particularly compelling."

With an emphasis on destination enrichment, Crystal is offering more than 250 optional shoreside Crystal Adventures, plus an unlimited opportunity to customize one's Mediterranean experience through the luxury line's Crystal Private Adventures program.

Crystal Cruises' 2006 Fall Mediterranean Collection:

* Iberian Magic: September 10 - 21; London, England to Monte Carlo, Monaco (overnight). Visiting Honfleur and St. Tropez, France; Lisbon, Portugal; Cádiz/Seville and Barcelona, Spain.
* Renaissance Rendezvous: September 21 - October 2; Monte Carlo to Venice (overnight), Italy. Visiting Florence/Livorno, Portofino, Rome/Civitavecchia and Trieste (maiden call), Italy; and Dubrovnik, Croatia.
* La Dolce Vita: October 2 - 13; Venice (overnight) to Rome. Visiting Dubrovnik; Corfu, Greece; Naples and Florence, Italy; and Monte Carlo (overnight).
* Phoenician Passage: October 13 - 24; Rome to Athens/Piraeus, Greece. Visiting Sorrento, Italy; Tripoli, Libya (maiden call); Alexandria (overnight), Egypt; Kusadasi, Turkey; and Santorini/Thíra, Greece.
* Italian Splendors: October 24 - November 4; Athens to Monte Carlo (overnight). Visiting Split, Croatia; Venice (overnight), Sorrento, Rome, and Florence, Italy.
* Iberian Adventure: November 4 - 15; Monte Carlo (overnight) to Lisbon. Visiting Barcelona, Cádiz, Canary Islands/Las Palmas and Canary Islands/Tenerife, Spain; Casablanca, Morocco; and Madeira/Funchal, Portugal.

Art historians from Sotheby's; Michael Bess, professor of European History at Vanderbilt University; and Thomas W. Lippman, a former Middle East bureau chief of The Washington Post are among the noted scholars who will share their insights of the destinations on these port-intensive itineraries.

The Award-Winning Crystal Difference

The 1,080-guest, 68,000-ton Crystal Serenity is distinguished by classic service, abundant space, exceptional quality and extensive choices. Its unique size allows for smooth sailing and a wide range of innovative facilities, generous amenities and elegant accommodations.

In the February 2006 issue of Condé Nast Traveler, Crystal Serenity was rated the best ship in the world in the magazine's 6th annual "Best Cruise Ships in the World" readers' poll. For the past ten consecutive years, Crystal Cruises has been voted "World's Best Large-Ship Cruise Line" by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazines - the only cruise line, resort or hotel to have achieved such distinction.