It’s Wednesday and that can only mean two things; Cruise Wrap and our turn to take the office dog to his weekly manicure.

Seven Seas Mariner Drydock to complete Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ USD $125 million fleetwide refurbishment program

Regent Seven Seas Cruises, the most inclusive luxury experience, confirmed details for the upcoming bow-to-stern refurbishment of Seven Seas Mariner, the world’s first all-suite, all-balcony cruise ship.

After a 20-day drydock in April 2018 at Chantier Naval de Marseille, Seven Seas Mariner will re-emerge with dramatic new culinary experiences, elegant new suite designs, and completely renewed modern guest spaces. After her drydock refurbishment, Seven Seas Mariner will immediately reposition to the Pacific Northwest to take travelers on a fully immersive, luxury Alaska experience.

To celebrate Seven Seas Mariner’s refurbishment milestone, Regent Seven Seas Cruises is offering a three-category upgrade aboard the ship’s 10- and 11-night, 2018 Alaska itineraries for any new bookings made before March 31, 2018. Guests booking a Deluxe Veranda Suite will be upgraded to a Concierge Suite, and receive Concierge-level amenities, such as a free one-night, pre-cruise hotel package.

Travel agents also receive a USD$250 gift card for every new booking on eligible voyages, departing May 6, June 20 and 30, August 22, September 2 and 12, 2018, or a USD$100 gift card for any new seven-night 2018 Alaska voyage booking.

Peregrine launches adventure cruising in South East Asia

Following the success of its first season of small-ship cruising in Europe, Peregrine Adventures has expanded its Adventure Cruising range in to South East Asia, offering a new style of cruise in the region.

With five itineraries designed for environmentally-conscious travellers and more mindful explorers, the carbon-neutral travel company will take small ships of 50 or less travellers to places large cruise ships can’t access in South East Asia from Thailand and Malaysia to Vietnam and the islands of Indonesia.

Having launched adventure cruises in 2017 for the first time, Peregrine Adventures saw incredible success with its first charter itinerary in Croatia, with 94 per cent capacity overall on the pilot year’s seven departures. With this latest launch of adventure cruising tours in Asia, the company will now offer ten charter itineraries across Europe and Asia with 40 scheduled departures.

Ballet and Opera set sail with Silversea in 2018 and 2019

Luxury cruise innovator, Silversea has announced a new collection of ballet and opera-themed sailings for 2018 and 2019. These Enriched Voyages, designed to blend culture and travel for a more immersive experience, will feature evocative opera shows performed by the world-renowned Accademia Teatro alla Scala and classic ballet performances by soloists from such legendary companies as the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia.

Along with lectures and Q&A sessions, guests will have the chance to mingle with the artists at a signature cocktail party.

Four soloists from its Academy of Lyric Opera and a piano accompanist will perform a selection of opera’s most beautiful librettos for the enjoyment of Silversea guests.

Daria Khokhlova and Artemy Belyakov, acclaimed ballet solo performers of the State Academic Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, one of the world’s most renowned ballet companies, are returning to Silversea for an exclusive engagement aboard Silver Muse‘s August 19, 2018 sailing from Venice to Monte Carlo.

Oceania Cruises’ acclaimed Regatta returns to Australian waters

As part of Oceania Cruises’ 15th anniversary sailings in 2018, the flagship vessel of the brand’s intimate, luxurious fleet – Regatta – is returning to Sydney as part of the continuation of her summer season, visiting Australia and New Zealand for the first time since 2012.

After her five year hiatus from sailing Australian and New Zealand waters, Regatta has returned with six destination intensive itineraries, spanning from 14 to 34 days for the 2017-2018 summer season. These diverse voyages showcase the best of Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and the South Pacific, visiting an abundance of brand new ports of call including those featured in the 34 day Southern Cross Explorer, such as the idyllic Kingfisher Bay at Fraser Island, Adelaide: ‘the city of churches’ and Burnie, Tasmania.

Spending a total of 56 days in Australia and New Zealand this summer, Regatta will be returning for an even bigger season in November 2018 to March 2019 with a total of 66 days in local waters. She will also be undertaking seven sailings – all are brand new – including Enchanting Seas from Papeete to Sydney and Southern Cross Seafarer a Sydney to Sydney circumnavigation of Australia which stops at Hamilton Island for the very first time.

P&O Cruises launches South Australia’s Cruise Season with longest-ever itinerary from Adelaide

P&O Cruises is kicking off the South Australia cruise season with its longest itinerary from Adelaide to date – an eight-night round trip cruise to Tasmania on Pacific Eden.

The new ‘Taste of Tasmania’ voyage has twice the number of nights of P&O’s previous Adelaide cruises and calls at Melbourne, Hobart and Port Arthur with a scenic pass through Wineglass and Great Oyster Bay.

In addition to the sell-out Tasmanian cruise, P&O’s latest season includes three-night comedy and food and wine-themed cruises and popular short SeaBreaks to Port Lincoln and Melbourne.

Guests can choose from 56 shore tours such as sampling some of the world’s finest oysters at Coffin Bay and exploring South Australia’s first lighthouse at Cape Willoughby Conservation Park. During the 2018 season, P&O will undertake five cruises from Adelaide, carrying nearly 7,000 holidaymakers and injecting an estimated five million dollars into the local economy.

Azamara returns to Australia, marking the line’s third season down under and biggest year yet

Boutique, up-market cruise line Azamara Club Cruises returns to Sydney at 2pm today when the recently revitalised 690-guest Azamara Journey berths at White Bay for an overnight call, with guests from 17 countries onboard.

Azamara Journey’s two turns in Sydney this summer – part of the line’s third season down under – are expected to inject around $1.2 million into the NSW economy in passenger spend alone, and $3.5 million into the Australian economy throughout the season.

Journey’s arrival in Sydney marks the completion of the line’s first ever Australian Country-Intensive cruise, an 18-night voyage from Bali to Australia via the west and south coast for Australia. Along the way, Azamara Journey made maiden calls to Geraldton, Albany, Esperance and Fremantle in WA, as well as Kangaroo Island and Adelaide in SA.

Azamara Journey will offer four Australia and New Zealand cruises during the summer, including the line’s first ever World Journey, departing Sydney on 7 March 2018. The 102-night cruise odyssey from Sydney to London will call at 60 ports in 29 countries along the way, including 19 late nights and 13 overnight stays throughout.

Riviera Travel announces two Europe river cruises solely for single travellers

European river cruise line, Riviera Travel, is helping solo travellers save thousands of dollars by announcing all cabins on two five-star river cruises this November are exclusively for solo passengers, with no single occupancy supplement.

The success of the company’s previous solos-only cruise in France in 2016 has prompted Riviera Travel to offer two more – an eight-day Blue Danube cruise from Budapest on November 1, 2018, and an eight-day ‘Burgundy, River Rhone and Provence’ cruise in the south of France on November 6, 2018.

Riviera Travel is already popular with solo travellers as a selection of cabins on every cruise every year are singled out for supplement-free solo occupancy. But on these two cruises in November, every one of the 88 cabins aboard its deluxe Danube river ship, Oscar Wilde, and each of the 74 cabins on the luxurious Lord Byron are for solo passengers only and free of any single supplement.

Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam to Explore Norway, the Baltic, Iceland and the Mediterranean for the 2019 Summer/Fall Season

Following an inaugural season island-hopping throughout the Caribbean, Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam will cross the Atlantic Ocean in late April 2019 and spend the summer and fall exploring northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

The new Pinnacle Class ship will homeport in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, for the summer. Offering an enchanting collection of seven- and 14-day itineraries to the Norwegian Fjords, the Baltic, Iceland and North Cape, Nieuw Statendam will visit some of the most scenic and culturally rich ports in the region.

In September the ship will head to the warm waters of the Mediterranean on a 12-day cruise from Amsterdam to Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy. Three 10-day cruises roundtrip from Civitavecchia will explore the eastern and western Mediterranean. The ship then departs Civitavecchia Oct. 27 for a 14-day cruise back to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Better Homes and Gardens takes to the sea on Celebrity Solstice

Cancel your plans this Friday night and tune into Seven’s Better Homes and Gardens at 7pm, to catch celebrity chef Ed “Fast Ed” Halmagyi and landscaper extraordinaire, Jason Hodges, having the time of their lives on Australia’s highest rated cruise ship, Celebrity Solstice.

Don’t miss Ed and Jason’s journey down the Australian coast, highlighting Solstice’s modern luxury amenities and premium culinary offerings along the way, including a delectable outdoor cooking demonstration and behind-the-scenes peak at the inner workings of the Lawn Club.

Oceania Cruises introduces new bistro menus for lunch

Oceania Cruises, the world’s leading culinary and destination-focused cruise line, has expanded its acclaimed bistro lunch service fleetwide and introduced an entirely new slate of menus with more than 600 new dishes.

The new menus are astounding in their diversity and flexibility, affording guests the opportunity to return time and time again to experience something new and different, or time-honoured classics that they crave. Every day, The Bistro offers five appetisers, four soups & salads, and eleven entrée selections. To cap off each meal, guests will find a daily-changing selection of four different desserts and six ice cream flavours.

The Bistro is currently available aboard Insignia and Riviera and will be available aboard Regatta, Nautica, Marina, and Sirena by the end of March 2018.

Evergreen Launches Unmissable 2018 Offers on Cruises and Tours to Canada, Europe, Africa, South East Asia and South America

Evergreen Cruises & Tours has launched its ‘Unmissable 2018 Offers’ campaign, with offers to some of the world’s most exciting destinations.

Travellers will enjoy savings of up to $3,200 per couple for bookings made between February 10 and March 31, 2018.

Unmissable offers for travel in 2018 are available on Evergreen’s classic 18 Day Canadian Rockies & Inside Passage cruise, on deluxe river cruises through France, Portugal and on the Mekong River, and on tours to the iconic sights of South Africa and South America.

Evergreen is also offering the chance for one person to win up to $10,000 towards the cost of their holiday when they book and deposit on any Evergreen cruise or tour between February 10 and March 31, 2018.

Discover the spectacular beauty of Canada and New England with Silversea

Guests can journey through the wilds of Canada and New England aboard Silversea’s Silver Wind or Silver Spirit, choosing from a selection of 10 to 16 day voyages with departures in September and October 2018. Sailing between Montreal and New York, fares start from $5,850* per person, based on double occupancy in a Vista Suite, on new bookings made on selected 2018 voyages until 28 February 2018, including Early Booking Bonus.

Silver Wind and Silver Spirit will transport guests through regions rich in history, breathtaking landscapes and idyllic seaside enclaves, at this extraordinary time of year. The bucolic villages of Canada and New England will showcase the splendour of autumn’s vivid colours of golds, reds and purple, as guests discover some of the finest history, wildlife and scenery.

Guests will experience the small whale-watching village of Tadoussac (Quebec), the gingerbread-clad homes of Charlottetown (Prince Edward Island), the small-town atmospheres contrasting with the bright lights and the electric atmosphere of New York City.