FORT LAUDERDALE, FL -- (Marketwire) -- 06/01/12 -- Swan Hellenic's newly-refurbished Minerva has added 16 new port calls to her 2013-14 schedule, including maiden calls in Spitsbergen, Norway; Bangor, Northern Ireland; Dingle, Ireland; Cartagena, Colombia; and the San Blas Islands, bringing the total to 184 ports that the ship will be visiting.

Swan Hellenic's new 2013 brochure, which can be pre-ordered and viewed online at www.swanhellenic.us, features 11-to-21 day Summer 2013 itineraries to The British Isles, Northern Europe, The Baltic, Mediterranean and the Black Sea; and select Winter 2013 cruises to the Caribbean, Central and South America. The brochure also features a new collection of Grand Voyages ranging from 27-to-30 days.

Guests who book by August 31, 2012 receive 15% off the early booking fares for cruises departing May 21 through December 19, 2013.

Minerva's enrichment itineraries will take guests to five continents, visiting hubs of culture, sites of ancient civilizations and inspirational landscapes. With the limited time launch offer, fares for most of the itineraries are less than $200 per person per day (starting from $115 per day) and include iconic destinations, hidden gems, distinguished guest speakers, unparalleled shore excursions, gratuities and port fees. All fares cited are cruise only, per person, based on double occupancy, subject to availability and reflect the 15 percent launch offer discount.

With a focus on British country elegance, the 350-guest Minerva recently completed a multi-million-dollar refurbishment that features expansive new public areas and an increased number of suites with balconies, representing 23% of all stateroom accommodation. In addition, all 181 staterooms have been upgraded with new en-suite bathrooms. The ship also boasts the new Orpheus Lounge & Bar, a wrap-around forward observation lounge with expansive panoramic views; an expanded Shackleton Bar; a new Livingstone Lounge for relaxing or reading; dedicated internet lounge and Wi-Fi accessibility throughout the ship; and an impressive outdoor "walk around" Promenade Deck.

As Swan Hellenic approaches its 60th anniversary year in 2014, the company continues to offer its hallmark qualities of intriguing destinations, all-inclusive value (with shore excursions, gratuities and port fees included in fares) and a roster of renowned Guest Speakers who provide in-depth talks on the history and culture of each destination.

New itineraries featured in Swan Hellenic's Summer 2013 brochure include the following:

• The 15-day Empires of the Black Sea (Sept. 26, 2013) sails from Athens to Istanbul, enabling guests to explore Batumi and enjoy an exclusive performance by the Adjara Company of Song and Dance, discover Yalta and the White Palace of Livadia (former home of the Russian Royal Family) and site of the 1945 Yalta Conference, encounter the ancient Greek settlements of Sevastopol, attend a performance at the baroque-styled Opera House in Odessa and visit Byzantine churches in the UNESCO-listed town of Nessebur. Fares begin at $3,229.
  
  
• Savor the Baltic Splendor (May 21, 2013) on a 16-day cruise that sails roundtrip from London (Portsmouth), stopping at the resort of Warnemunde, viewing the medieval gems of Tallinn, spending 2 1/2 days enjoying the many treasures of St. Petersburg, viewing the Art Deco buildings and majestic cathedrals of Helsinki, cruising through an archipelago of 24,000 tiny rock islands to Stockholm, and calling in Elsinore to view Kronberg Castle, site of Shakespeare's Hamlet and a World Heritage site. Fares start at $3,484.
  
  
• Minerva sails a 15-day Realms of the British Isles (June 20, 2013) round-trip cruise from London (Portsmouth), taking guests from the Scottish Highlands to the islands and valleys of the Southern English coast. Port calls include Port of Tyne, Scrabster, Ullapool, Tobermory, Holyhead and St. Peter Port and an inaugural call in Bangor. Fares begin at $2,974.
  
  
• Experience Sagas of Iceland and the Faroes (July 24, 2013) on a 16-day roundtrip cruise from London (Portsmouth) as Minerva calls at Portrush on the rugged Antrim Coast, St. Kilda, Heimaey, Reykjavik, Isafjordhur and Akureyri as well as the remote Torshavn in the Faroe Islands. Fares start at $3,144.
  
  
• On the 15-day Adriatic Accolade (Sept. 12, 2013), Minerva sails from Rome to Athens. In addition to cruising the Ionian and Adriatic Seas, along the Dalmatian Coast and through the Corinth Canal, the ship calls at Brindisi, Ravenna and Venice, Italy; Pula, Korcula and Dubrovnik; Croatia; Kotor, Montenegro; and Sarande, Albania. Fares begin at $2,889.
  
  
• Celebrate the holidays and ring in the New Year while discovering the Mysteries of the Maya (Dec. 19, 2013) on an 18-day cruise from Jamaica that calls in Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Panama, Colombia and Barbados. Among the many experiences are inaugural visit to Cartagena, Colombia and the cultural traditions of the San Blas Islands, the Mayan archaeological site in the Copan Valley, and Santa Marta, the first town founded by the Spanish in Colombia. Fares start at $3,314, just under $185 per day!
  
  

Swan Hellenic is an award-winning cruise line that has been defining the art of small ship discovery cruising for almost 60 years. For reservations or to order the new Summer 2013 brochure, contact Swan Hellenic - North America at (866) 923-9182 or (954) 315-1170; or visit www.swanhellenic.us.