Big Fat Cruise Wrap

Big Fat Cruise Wrap

Get your nose close enough to this and you’ll almost smell the open seas. Plus, you’ll look incredibly silly doing it.

65 expedition voyages for adventurous travellers: PONANT releases Luxury Expeditions brochure 

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PONANT, the world leader in Luxury Expedition cruises, has released its first brochure focussed entirely on its expanding range of global expedition voyages.

The brochure includes inaugural expeditions for two of PONANT’s latest additions to its fleet. To be launched in 2018, Le Champlain and Le Lapérouse will join Le Boreal, L’Austral and Le Soleal to undertake expedition voyages ranging in duration from seven nights to 21 nights that combine luxury with immersive experiences.

For the truly adventurous, the ability to combine back-to-back voyages to create Grand Voyages that can take you, for example, from Costa Rica to  French Guiana, concluding 41 days later in Manaus, Brazil. A true South American adventure all onboard PONANT’s brand new luxury expedition cruise ship Le Champlain.

Market backing expands Cruise Croatia product range 

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Due to the overwhelming response from the industry to the inaugural Cruise Croatia brochure launched last year, Australia’s only dedicated Croatia small ship cruising operator, Cruise Croatia, has significantly expanded its 2018 brochure to offer the most comprehensive product range in Australia.

Its 45 pages will show case the largest collection of Croatia cruising options  over the last 22 years with more than a dozen cruises and five new ships for the 2018 season. It also includes a range of Earlybird savings offers of up to $450 per couple.

Expanded product ranges include deluxe one-way cruise options such as the interesting ‘Istria & the Dalmatian Coast’ itinerary from northern town of Porec to Dubrovnik. Many of these one way departures will be on new ships launched for the 2018 season, such as the Ms Infinity II and the MS San Antonio.

Australia counts down to summer’s royal return

The countdown is on to the start of the international cruise season, and making a welcome return is Royal Caribbean – renowned for the biggest, newest and most modern ships in Australia and the world. Superliner Radiance of the Seas, arriving in Sydney on Sunday 8 October 2017, marks not only the first of the company’s cruise ships to return to our shores, but also Royal Caribbean’s tenth season based down under.

With six exceptional Australia-based ships, RCL Cruises – comprising Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises – will offer an incredible selection of 97 cruises available throughout Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific and Asia during the 2017/18 summer season, delivering an injection of AUD$198 million to the Australian economy in passenger spend alone.

Joining Radiance of the Seas is Royal Caribbean’s groundbreaking Ovation of the Seas, returning for her second and longest SuperCruising season yet, as well as family-favourites Voyager of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas, known as the South Pacific Sisters.

Celebrity Solstice – voted Australia’s favourite ship by Aussie travel agents and readers of Cruise Critic – will celebrate her sixth season in Australia, arriving in Sydney on 20 October 2017 for her first sampler cruise in three seasons.

Celebrate a Special New Year’s Eve on the Murray Princess

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Celebrate a unique Australian New Year’s Eve on the mighty Murray River, on a three-night Murray Princess New Year’s Eve Cruise. From only $945 per person and departing Friday December 29, 2017 bring in 2018 with memories that will last forever.

The special three-night New Year’s Eve cruise will set the standard for a fantastic new year with an unforgettable New Year’s Eve dinner, festivities and dancing, while incorporating the regular three-night cruise itinerary.

As the Murray Princess cruises along the Murray River, enjoy its Mediterranean climate and beautiful summer blue skies, combined with cooling river breezes from the ships open top deck. Or sit back from one of two air-conditioned paddlewheel lounges displaying views of the working paddle wheel.

Either way be amazed at the everchanging scenery as the Murray Princess cruises past towering limestone cliffs, holiday homes, houseboats and riverbanks lined with mallee scrub, willows and red gum forests

P&O Cruises’ into a Record Cairns Season 

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P&O Cruises’ newly refurbished ship, Pacific Eden, arrived in Cairns today to start a record three month home-ported cruise season.

The 55,820-tonne vessel‘s first voyage departs this afternoon on a nine-night cruise to Papua New Guinea stopping at P&O’s latest destination, the Conflict Islands, which is well known for having the world’s most biodiverse reef systems

Pacific Eden will undertake 10 roundtrip cruises from Cairns this year including a mix of longer itineraries to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands and short SeaBreaks to Fraser Island and the Whitsundays. It will be the first time P&O has cruised to Airlie Beach and Fraser Island round-trip from Cairns.

More than 14,000 holidaymakers will sail on Pacific Eden between now and November 6, 2017. A third (36 per cent) of guests will travel from interstate to join the ship providing a boost to local businesses.

Passage to India

Trace the routes of the earliest merchants from Greece to India, with Viking Cruises’ Passage to India itinerary.

This 21-day cruise stops at nine ports across India, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Israel and Greece including Mumbai, Muscat, Salālah, Aqaba, Sharm el-Sheikh, Luxor, Cairo, Haifa and Athens.

Guests will accompany local guides to the ancient treasures of Greece, Egypt and Israel while also hearing legends of the frankincense route of Salālah. Guests will also visit the astonishing red sandstone city of Petra and drive into Egypt’s desert with a dedicated guide.

Plus, guests will enjoy unrivalled scuba diving in Sharm El Sheik, exploring the regions coral reefs and starkly contrasted desert.

Carnival Cruise Line Melbourne Departure Offer

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Carnival Cruise Line is sailing from Melbourne in February, March & November 2018, providing locals with exciting destination options, including New Zealand, the South Pacific and Tasmania.

To celebrate Carnival Legend’s new home-port, an exciting offer on select cruises in February 2018 has been announced.

Aussies that book will get to experience all the fun that Carnival has to offer, from the thrilling Green Thunder waterslide, dressing up for theme nights, and the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss. The Seuss at Sea onboard partnership features a range of activities, including the Green Eggs and Ham Breakfast with Cat in the Hat and Friends and a Seuss-a-Palooza character parade, which the kids will adore.

The promotion offers great fares on twin interior cabins, plus up to $300^ on board credit per cabin on select Tasmania and New Caledonia itineraries.

Crystal River Cruises Names Internationally Renowned Soprano Anna-Maria Kaufmann Godmother of Crystal Bach 

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Crystal River Cruises, the World’s Most Luxurious River Cruise Line, has announced that famed soprano vocalist and beloved German performer, Anna-Maria Kaufmann, will be the godmother of Crystal Bach.
The newly-built “Rhine Class” river ship embarked on her maiden voyage from Amsterdam, Sunday, August 13, and was christened by Kaufmann during her call to Rüdesheim, Germany, on August 20.
Kaufmann’s decades-long career has spanned the globe, bringing her from her native Edmonton, Alberta to some of the world’s most prestigious stages and events. As Crystal Bach’s godmother, she blessed the ship during the christening ceremony, and serenade her and attending guests with her own special performance of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Air.”

Experience one of Norway’s best seafood restaurants  

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Bentours and Hurtigruten place strong importance on the experiences to be had while sailing on any one of their voyages to incredible destinations around the world.  

On the famous ‘World’s Most Beautiful Sea Voyage’, also Hurtigruten’s Classic Coastal Voyage Return, there are over 60 optional excursions to enhance your journey.  

Just outside the City of Bergen, you will find one of the most exotic attractions in the whole of Western Norway’s archipelago. Cornelius is one of Norway’s best seafood restaurants. It is situated right by the sea on a small island with spectacular views of the fjord, mountains, skerries (rocky islands) and passing boats and ships. 

You can only get here via boat or for that extra special occasion via helicopter. Cornelius offers so much more than incredible food, it offers a complete experience. If you are lucky enough to meet the owner, he will tell you the whole story of how Cornelius came about. You will be in stitches hearing this unusual love story.

Cruise to Melbourne for the Australian Open 2018

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Arrive to the Australian Open in Melbourne in style next year, with a special five-night tennis cruise package now available from cruise holiday specialist ecruising.travel from only $899 per person twin share.

The package includes general admission tickets for two day sessions and a night session whilst in Melbourne as well as direct transfers between the ship and Melbourne Park throughout the day and evening.

Experience the “food revolution” on board the Eden which was purpose built to offer the best dining outlets on the sea, including the new dining concept The Pantry, Luke Mangan’s Salt Grill, the alfresco The Grill offering a modern twist on pub classic and not to mention over ten pubs, bars and nightclubs to relax in.

No match will be missed during your two sea days either, with all day and night sessions screened live on a big screen on board the ship.

Windstar announces new land tours, itineraries and adventure short excursions in Asia

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Windstar Cruises has announced five new cruise dates running September to November 2018 in addition to already diverse offerings in Asia for 2017 and 2018 on 18 different itineraries with 25 different departure dates spanning seven to 34 days.

Visiting both well-known ports and hidden harbours across Southeast and East Asia options include a President’s Cruise to the Philippines and Borneo, fresh land tours, recently added itineraries, and fascinating shore excursions showcasing the region in the line’s ‘180 degrees from ordinary’ style of cruising.

After two intriguing itineraries in Arabia, Windstar’s Asia cruise season begins in December sailing through to the end of May 2018, when the ship navigates to Alaska for the summer season. The itinerary offerings are exceedingly diverse with port calls to small exotic harbours where cruise ships rarely call to epic visits at the icons of Asia including Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo (Yokohama), Singapore and Bangkok.

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