We love cruise wraps so much, we’ve decided to spend the whole day researching new cruise pics for next week’s. Or is that just because we hate Wednesdays?

P&O Cruises reveals Pacific Explorer will call Brisbane home as part of its new program

P&O Cruises Australia has announced its flagship Pacific Explorer will make Brisbane her new homeport from October 2020. Since 2012 more than one million Queenslanders have cruised with P&O – and almost three-quarters of them have sailed from Brisbane. Queensland is one of P&O’s heartland states and this year will account for more than 220,000 P&O guests and a record 56 separate itineraries.

As part of the cruise line’s new program release, Pacific Explorer’s first round-trip cruise from Brisbane will be the popular seven-night Pacific Island Hopper itinerary departing on October 24, 2020, followed by a seven-night Main Event themed cruise to the Melbourne Cup.

Pacific Explorer replaces Pacific Dawn which has been sailing from Brisbane since December 2009. She will continue to cruise from Brisbane until October 2020 offering guests a new 14-night Bounty Adventure – part of P&O’s new ‘Voyages’ cruises.

P&O ‘Voyages’ will visit numerous exotic international destinations and provide exclusive onboard experiences for sailings 13-nights and longer starting with the Captain’s Gala Cocktail Party where guests have the chance to meet the Master and Senior Officers.

Crystal River Cruises announces 2019 President’s Cruise

Crystal Bach will set sail on October 17, 2019 from Amsterdam on a 10-day “Enchanting Moselle” voyage hosted by Crystal’s president and CEO, Tom Wolber and his wife, Sharon. Receptions, a question & answer session and a specially arranged shoreside experience hosted by Wolber will provide opportunities for travellers to learn the latest news from Crystal while visiting the picturesque cities along Europe’s less travelled river.

The “Enchanting Moselle” itinerary sails round-trip from Amsterdam and features five new ports of call through the vineyard-flanked Moselle River. Guests will enjoy world-class Rieslings and the famous vintages of the Mosel Wine Region in Bernkastel, the medieval charm of Cochem and the Roman ruins of Trier.

Along with the picturesque Moselle, new destinations to explore along the Rhine River include Bonn, Beethoven’s birthplace; Dusseldorf, the cultural and fashion hub of Germany; and a returning favourite, Koblenz, offering travellers a unique perspective of the point at which the Rhine and Moselle meet; and the historic war museums of Arnhem, Netherlands. Overnights spent in Amsterdam and Trier afford ample time for longer sojourns, like a day trip to nearby Luxembourg or an in-depth exploration of Holland’s art and culinary scenes.

Crystal Bach is one of four new Crystal River Cruises’ river vessels, which enjoy all-suite accommodation and butler service, with every category of accommodation positioned above the water line.

Choose fun with Carnival and save with great rates, $49 deposits + upgrades

Carnival Cruise Line has updated its Choose Fun sale with the addition of FREE upgrades from Ocean View to Balcony Cabins, to add to the already incredible savings of up to AUD $500AUD per cabin plus discounted deposits of $49 per person.

This promotion is only available to book from today until 2 November 2018 on select Carnival Spirit and Carnival Legend sailings between 14 October 2018 and 30 December 2019.

Aussies can take advantage of this amazing deal and choose to cruise to a number of beautiful destinations to New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Moreton Island on a selection of sailings departing Sydney and Melbourne.

Book now for a ship packed full of fun-tastic memories. Discover tropical treats on island paradises, twists and turns of Carnival WaterWorks and laid back grooves at the Serenity Retreat. 45+ activities a day and 16 bars and lounges. Let the fun times roll.

PONANT & NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC 2019-2020 ‘Expeditions to Inspire’ brochure

PONANT and NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC have joined forces, combining their specific areas of expertise to offer a range of unique and enriching expedition cruises.
A collection of 18 expeditions stretching from Alaska to Antarctica – a taste of what is to come from this recently announced partnership.

Aboard PONANT’s luxury small expedition ships, accompanied by PONANT’s experienced Expedition Team as well as NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC destination experts, award-winning photographers and photojournalists, adventurous and inquisitive guests will sail to destinations that are among the most remote, the most fascinating and the wildest on the planet. Here they will explore and encounter the wonders of the world up close, right at the sources, and be transformed by these enriching experiences.

For 2019/2020 consider this Who’s Who of expeditions for modern-day adventurers:

• Alaska, the volcanic Aleutian Islands, the Sea of Okhotsk
• The magnificent fjords, ice flows and wildlife of Spitsbergen and Greenland
• The lesser visited Caribbean and Bijagos islands of the Atlantic Ocean
• In the Indian Ocean, Aldabra lagoon, the largest coral atoll in the world
• In Oceania, the cultures of Micronesia and the Solomon Islands
• The far-flung Sub Antarctic Islands
• Wondrous Antarctica

Antarctica discounts with Crystal Cruises

Chimu Adventures have just launched Crystal Cruises’ two Ross Sea departures on the highly luxurious and all-inclusive Crystal Endeavour (a spacious and elegant ship complete with personal butler, 24 hour room service, open seating dining in six venues, fitness centre, spa, swimming pool and casino but just 200 passengers) for the 2020/21 season departing from Hobart and Christchurch. A ‘book now’ discount available until the 30th November 2018 which will save each passenger AUD $2,570.

• Antarctica & Ross Sea Expedition
  Departs from Hobart 06 Jan 2021, 23-day cruise to Christchurch. Was AU$48095 per person, now AU$45525 (excludes flights)
• Antarctica & Ross Sea End in Hobart
  Departs from Christchurch 28 Jan 2021, 23-day cruise to Hobart. Was AU $48165 per person, now AU$45595 (excludes flights)

Chimu is currently one of the few wholesalers selling itineraries on this luxury ship. These are unique Antarctica voyages as they cruise from Hobart or Christchurch (rather than Ushuaia in Argentina which is most common) so are great options for people who want to explore Antarctica without flying to South America. Polar specialists, Chimu Adventures, can organise all arrangements for this, including flights to and from Hobart/Christchurch.

Viking on SBS’ Cruising with Jane McDonald this Saturday

Viking’s popular Viking Homelands cruise will be featured on Cruising with Jane McDonald on SBS this Saturday, 27 October.

In the fifth episode of the show’s first season, television presenter and former cruise ship entertainer, Jane McDonald, will board Viking Sky and sail the pristine waters of Scandinavia and the Baltic. Viewers will be treated to an exclusive look at Viking’s Viking Homelands cruise itinerary – starting in the stunning Swedish capital of Stockholm and gliding through the breathtaking Norwegian fjords before ending in the picturesque Bergen.

Viking Orion, the fifth ship in Viking’s multi-award-winning ocean fleet will cruise into Australian waters in December when it will begin sailing the new for 2018 15-day Australia & New Zealand cruise itinerary. Viking Sun will also return to Australia and New Zealand in early 2019 on her second world cruise.

Cruising with Jane McDonald: The Baltic will air this Saturday at 7.35pm (AEST) on SBS. The trailer can be found here. 

National Geographic and Scenic announce River Cruise partnership

National Geographic and Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours have teamed up to launch a new line of National Geographic River Cruises. These itineraries combine Scenic’s all-inclusive luxury river cruise experience with National Geographic’s legacy of science, conservation and exploration to create unforgettable experiences along the waterways of Europe and South East Asia.

Aboard each Scenic river cruise expedition a National Geographic Expert will join guests to share their knowledge and insights, and enrich the experience through fascinating presentations and informal discussions. A National Geographic photographer, who will offer photography tips on technique and artistry, will also join European river cruising itineraries.

This partnership between Scenic and National Geographic will offer numerous itineraries through Europe: on the Rhine, Danube, Main and Moselle Rivers; in Holland and Belgium; through France’s Bordeaux region and Portugal’s Douro Valley—as well as on the Irrawaddy River in Myanmar.

Drawing on the National Geographic Society’s 130 years of exploration and storytelling, National Geographic Expeditions offers a wide range of unique travel experiences, including small ship voyages, private jet expeditions, small group tours, private tours, a collection of luxury sustainable lodges, and more. Trips are organised in over 80 countries on all seven continents, from the tropical atolls of French Polynesia to the peaks of Nepal and the ice world of the Arctic.

Carnival Australia recognised for sharing the value of cruise tourism in the Pacific

Australia’s leading cruise organisation, Carnival Australia, said it was thrilled to receive a prestigious national award for its part in a project supporting indigenous entrepreneurs in the Pacific to develop new shore tour businesses.

Carnival Australia is partnering with the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) as well as business accelerator, The Difference Incubator (TDi), to pilot the “Yumi Tourism Partners” project in Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.

Called “YuMi” because it means “together” in Bislama, a common language across many Pacific Islands, the pilot project won a Shared Value Award at a special event in Federation Square, Melbourne, last week. The YuMi project is identifying, developing and accelerating the development of emerging indigenous tourism operators in Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea to offer the cruise lines’ guests rich, meaningful and authentic shore tours run by local people.

Already three new shore tour businesses in Vanuatu have been developed, contracting new tours to Carnival Australia’s suite of cruise lines P&O Cruises, Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Cunard and Holland America Line.