Celebrity Solstice arrives at Port Everglades in For Lauderdale, Florida
Cruise News
High seas savings
Despite mutterings about recession, cruising remains buoyant, delivering excellent-value holidays in tough times. As International Cruise Council Australasia General Manager Brett Jardine explains, cruising “is great value for money, as all-inclusive fares cover accommodation, meals and onboard activities as well as transport between ports. Travellers know upfront what key costs will be, so they don’t have to fret about budgeting for currency fluctuations or price increases while they’re on holiday.”
Whether it’s a long voyage or just a couple of nights, there is something afloat to suit most budgets – and with a record number of cruise ships now plying Australian waters over the summer season, there is plenty of choice.
A full list of accredited cruise travel agents is available on the Council’s website. Visit www.cruising.org.au
Enjoying the passing scenery on the MV Aqua
Carnival scoops the pool
This cruise season Down Under will be the biggest ever for Carnival Australia, the country’s largest operator. Altogether, they will have 12 cruise ships in the Antipodean region, represented by Cunard Line, Princess Cruises, P&O Cruises Australia and P&O Cruises UK. All up, they will make 227 calls to 20 different ports around Australia, carrying an impressive 168,000 cruise passengers.
Princess Cruises will have the biggest presence, with five cruise ships sailing Australian waters over 2009. Newcomers include Dawn Princess, set to become Australia’s second “Love Boat” when she joins the Sun Princess to cruise year-round from Australia. Other visiting princesses are Royal Princess and Tahitian Princess, both on their first world voyages, making maiden visits to Queensland, NSW and Tasmania this year.
The lovely Bavarian palace of Linderhof, explored with Cruise Express
Meanwhile, megaliner Diamond Princess will return to Australia for a season of cruises that includes maiden visits to Adelaide and Fremantle. And no fewer than three P&O UK Cruises’ superliners will grace our shores in 2009: Oriana, Aurora and 83,000-tonne Arcadia, making her maiden visit Down Under this season. Most regal of all will be the Cunard queens: their royal majesties Queen Mary 2 and her younger sister, Queen Victoria, both set to grace Australia with their presence this year.
For more information, phone 1300 138 893 or visit www.carnival.com
P&O's ship Arcadia
Cars, spas and castles
It could have been tailor-made for “him and her”: this European fly/cruise/tour package centres on the luxury cars, spas and castles of beautiful Bavaria in south-eastern Germany. Cruise Express International’s biggest-ever European rivers program will feature a new tour of Bavaria’s blue-ribbon car museums – including that of Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart, described as the “S Class of museums” and showcasing 160-plus vehicles spanning 120 years – and tours of the automotive plants of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche.
The tour takes in the exquisite fairytale castles of Neuschwanstein and Linderhof, created by sad, mad King Ludwig II of Bavaria. There will also be time to visit the spas and shops of one of Europe’s best-preserved medieval villages, Rothenburg.
Inside the Mercedes Benz Museum
The luxury cruise will proceed along the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers from Amsterdam to Budapest. The full 27-day fly/cruise/tour package, including the five-day Cars, Spas and Castles tour in Germany, is available from AU$12,580 per person, twin-share. Fares include return flights from Australia.
For more information, phone 02 9810 5377 or visit www.cruiseexpress.com.au
The beautiful Douro River in Portugal
Floating through Egypt
When, in the early twentieth century, Egypt became a desirable and highly fashionable destination for Western tourists, local aristocrats and sophisticated overseas travellers started cruising along the Nile in style. Some rented boats for weeks at a time, making their way slowly from temple to temple. Most of these vessels were quite small, with four to ten comfortable cabins, private bathrooms and a host of servants. Known as dahabiyas, they became popular amongst those who wished to enjoy Egypt in comfort, soaking up the landscapes and visiting the monuments at a leisurely pace.
Active Travel is now offering an “Edwardian Egypt” tour to recapture the spirit of bygone days. It includes four days in Cairo packed with sightseeing, and an eight-day deluxe dahabiya cruise between Luxor and Aswan on a boat with just six double cabins. The five-star journey departs Cairo every Wednesday and costs from AU$3670 per person, twin share (land only), including all transportation, sightseeing with private guides, domestic flights Cairo-Luxor and Aswan-Cairo, breakfasts in Cairo, and all meals on the dahabiya.
For more information, phone 02 9264 1231 or visit www.activetravel.com.au
Silver Cloud in Vietnam
Dancing through Asia
Renowned dancer and author of acclaimed autobiography Mao’s Last Dancer, Li Cunxin, is joining Silversea’s 16-day Singapore to Tokyo (Yokohama) sailing departing 29 April 2009 aboard the sumptuous, all-suite Silver Shadow. As an onboard enrichment lecturer, Li Cunxin will enthrall guests with the extraordinary story of his rise from poverty-stricken rural China to being recognised as one of the world’s finest dancers and his success as an author and businessman. Li was winner of the Australian book of the year for Mao’s Last Dancer and his autobiography was on the top 10 Bestseller List for over one and a half years, selling in more than 20 countries.
During the voyage, guests will experience the vibrant cities and ancient cultures of the region. Ports of call during the 16-day sailing include Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, Hong Kong, Keelung in Taiwan and several ports in Southern Japan. Silver Shadow offers the luxury and elegance of a private yacht and the service of a five-star hotel, with distinctive European styling and a convivial atmosphere amongst well-travelled, international guests. All-inclusive cruise-only fares start from US$11,895 (plus fuel charges and taxes) per person, double occupancy.
For more information, phone 02 9255 0600 or 1300 306 872 (Australia) or 0800 701 427 (New Zealand), or visit www.silversea.com
An Aqua Amazon
Cruise Traveller, specialists in journeys to unique and exotic destinations, has been appointed Australian and New Zealand agent for a new, luxury vessel, MV Aqua – the first-ever luxury ship to cruise the northern Amazon. Though she’s comparatively small, Aqua is big on comfort and style.
Designed by Peruvian architect Jordi Puig, Aqua’s 12 beautifully-appointed guest suites feature generous, outward-facing panoramic windows, perfect for viewing this special part of the planet. Guests can also enjoy the passing spectacle from the ship’s observation deck, its indoor and outdoor lounges, or from the elegant dining room, where executive chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino dazzles passengers’ palates with local delicacies, matched with fine South American wines.
A cabin on board the MV Aqua
Departing the Peruvian city of Iquitos, Aqua cruises deep into the Amazon’s near-inaccessible Pacaya Samiria Reserve. The ship carries three expedition skiffs navigated by local naturalists, allowing guests opportunities to view local wildlife, including rare pink river dolphins and black caimans.
Itineraries range from four to 14 days and pricing starts at $3242 (US$2100) per person, twin share.
For more information, phone 1800 507 777 or visit www.thetravellergroup.net
The beautiful Portuguese town of Oporto on a P&O cruise
Celebrity Solstice sets sail
The eagerly awaited debut of the inaugural Solstice-class vessel Celebrity Solstice took place in Fort Lauderdale in November 2008. The 122,000-tonne beauty has been stunningly outfitted and features some “live” firsts: a living, growing, green-grass lawn, and an astonishing Hot Glass Show, complete with live glass-blowing demonstrations, presented in association with The Corning Museum of Glass. Female passengers will appreciate the larger staterooms, their design inspired by a panel of five women hand-picked for their travel and hospitality expertise. Even greater inducement, perhaps, to get on board: Celebrity Solstice’s new category of accommodation, AquaClass, a spa-centred vacation at sea to rival the best on land.
Celebrity Solstice will mark her ocean-going debut with a series of romantic 10- and 11-night Mediterranean cruises from Rome, beginning this European spring.
Other vessels set to join Celebrity’s fleet include Celebrity Equinox, set to come aboard in 2009, Celebrity Eclipse, due to start her cruising career in 2010, a fourth Solstice-class ship in 2011 and a fifth in 2012.
For more information, contact Discover the World Marketing on 02 9959 3696 or visit www.discovertheworld.com.au or www.celebritycruises.com.
Oceanic Discoverer in the Kimberleys.
The pleasures of Portugal
Globus has introduced a new river cruise that penetrates deep into Portugal along the River Douro, from the sea to the Spanish border. The seven-night journey begins in Lisbon, giving passengers an opportunity to see some of the city’s highlights, sample its distinctive cuisine, marvel at the exquisite blue tiles and, if they’re lucky, hear the haunting sounds of a traditional fado.
MS Douro Cruiser sails from Vila Nova de Gaia, just south of Oporto, a city legendary for its port production. It wends its way through deep cleft gorges, past terraced vineyards and small fishing villages, affording passengers a passing peek into the everyday lives of locals and stopping at monasteries and sanctuaries. Highlights include a visit to the estate renowned for the production of Mateus wines and a side-trip to Spain’s main university town, Salamanca.
The MS Douro cruise departs 31 October 2009 and is priced from AU$2689 per person, twin share, including accommodation, meals, complimentary wine at dinner, port tours with English-speaking guides and visits to various tourist attractions.
For more information, see your travel agent or visit www.globus.com.au
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