Congratulations! You’ve made it to Wednesday! Why not reward yourself by reading this epic cruise wrap while patting yourself on the back.

Le Boat takes you to a bibliophiles delight – Cruisery, France

Le Boat’s Three Region Cruise offers bookshops galore, exploration of history and wine in the rolling hills of Burgundy, France. The suggested Itinerary departs from Branges to Gray and allows seven to 14 nights to take in the architectural heritage dating back to the Renaissance, Middle Ages, Gallo-Roman and Celtic antiquity.

Branges is the perfect place to indulge in some cycling along the canal banks before a ‘cruise’ to Cuisery- a famed book village. Make sure you’re there on the first Sunday of the month when there’s a book market although you won’t miss out if you’re not. The town is filled with shops known for their rare book collections, comics, illuminated manuscripts and other such collectables. The locals thrive on short story competitions, poetry readings and literary meetings, and in the summer you can even visit a workshop where they print on a 15th century Gutenberg Press.

In the 1990s Cuisery had a chronic shop closure problem and so the locals offered the empty stores to book sellers and book craftspeople. The result is this tempting little book village. They also do some heavy trade in vinyl records and have lots of summer concerts – just in case you are dragging along a partner who is more a music person than a book person.

Trade Partners celebrate Carnival Cruise Line’s Five Years of Fun onboard Carnival Spirit

Carnival Cruise Line hosted some of their key trade partners at a private luncheon in Nouveau Restaurant onboard Carnival Spirit to celebrate the first five years sailing out of Australia on Tuesday 17 October.

Two for one Russia River Cruise

If you’ve ever wanted to travel along the rivers, lakes and canals of Russia, or have a client who has always dreamt of going, now is the time to book with Bentours two for one deal.

Until the 30 November 2017, Bentours, are offering a two for one deal off all cabins and suites on their popular ‘Symphony River Cruise’, which sails from Moscow to St Petersburg between May to Oct.

Travelling onboard the river cruiser MS Rostropovich, this is undoubtedly one of the best ways to view the fascinating sights of these two great cities and to discover the spectacular interiors of Russia.

Highlights include live folk shows, comprehensive tours in iconic cities of Moscow and St Petersburg and lectures on the history and the contemporary life of Russia. This package includes seven nights accommodation, seven breakfasts, six lunches and seven dinners, eight guided excursions and daily international entertainment onboard.

Viking launches new Alaska cruise extensions including Canadian Rockies

Viking Cruises has announced a further two new cruise extensions to its popular Alaska & the Inside Passage ocean itinerary. The two longer extensions include the eight-day Canadian Rockies and the seven-day Pristine Alaska.

The Canadian Rockies lets guests discover the natural beauty of the majestic mountains, stunning glacier-fed lakes and vibrant communities of the Canadian Rockies. Discover the spectacular terrain of Banff National Park, and in Jasper, marvel at the dramatic canyon walls, waterfalls and lush forest of Johnston Canyon. Spot deer, bighorn sheep, mountain goats and bears before exploring the history and local culture of Vancouver.

On the Pristine Alaska, a tram ride takes guests to the summit of Mt. Alyeska and stops in Anchorage for a brief city tour of its historic downtown en route to Talkeetna. On a jet boat into the wilderness, they learn about the majestic rivers and the lives of the earliest settlers.

Flightseeing, fishing, hiking or learning about mushing while meeting some friendly puppies are available options. Deep into the Denali National Park, learn about some of the park’s residents – moose, caribou, Dall sheep and more. In Fairbanks, meet the locals, who will share their heritage through traditional stories.

The Legendary Cunard experience returns to Alaska with the launch of Queen Elizabeth’s 2019 Voyages

In 2019, Cunard will sail to Alaska, bringing the beauty of the Pacific Northwest to guests once again. A series of voyages beginning in May 2019 will combine the magnificence of Alaska with the luxury of Cunard as Queen Elizabeth sails from Japan to Alaska and then remains in the region through June. The ship will then transport passengers down the West Coast of the United States, through the Panama Canal to New York, on to Iceland and the British Isles.

To start the Alaska program, Queen Elizabeth will sail from Tokyo (Yokohama) to Vancouver with a 27-night voyage on May 5, 2019 (Q915). Guests will cross the International Date Line sailing to the Alaskan port of Kodiak, home to the Alutiiq people for more than 7,000 years. The next stop is the beautiful capital of Juneau, then passing the pristine Tracy Arm Fjord or Endicott Arm, on to the quaint town of Skagway, and Icy Strait Point before visiting Sitka, Ketchikan, Victoria and Vancouver. Launch fares from $4,409 per person.

For those looking to expand their adventure, guests can remain on board for the full Grand Voyage. After departing from Vancouver and stopping in California, the ship continues through the Panama Canal to Ft. Lauderdale or New York before crossing the Atlantic to reach the dramatic shores of Reykjavik, Dublin, Glasgow on to London. Grand Voyages can be booked from 21- to 49-nights with launch fares from $3,479 per person.

Beyond Travel launches dedicated Russia Cruise website

Due to the success of Beyond Travel’s dedicated Cruise Croatia and India & Beyond websites earlier this year, combined with ever-increasing demand from agents, the Russian experts for over 22 years has launched a new Cruise Russia website showcasing a selection of Russian River cruise itineraries in an easy to use format to assist agents with client enquiry and bookings.

The site was designed to be simple to navigate and offers three categories of cruises; Deluxe, First Class and Standard. Most of the itineraries are between Moscow and St. Petersburg, or vice versa for one week, and others cover the Lower Volga all the way from Moscow to the Caspian Sea.

The website is currently promoting a special Volga Dream deluxe river cruise in Gold Class departing St Petersburg on May 27, 2018 with a savings of $2000 per couple when booked and deposited by November 30.

This exceptionally priced 14-day “Volga Dream” itinerary is now available from only $3995 per person twin share, offering the best value in Russia with comparable deluxe river cruises at around $8,000 per person next season. There is added value of five star hotels perfectly located in the heart of Moscow and St Petersburg with daily sightseeing in an intimate group of no more than 25 guests.

Luxury yachts to board now

Nowboat collected best offers and tailored sea holidays from around the world. Lets’s take a look at the luxury yachts you can book now and what adventures are awaiting for you on them in Asia:

Where: Indonesia
What makes it special: unique chance to sail traditional hand-crafted yacht by the Master Konjo boatbuilders of Sulawesi
What to do: book your expedition to the Komodo Island and dive in turquoise waters of it, visit National Park and meet it’s ancient inhabitant – the Komodo dragon.
When to go: all year round

Where: Maldives
What makes it special: ayurvedic massage on board
What to do: spend your christmas holidays exploding best dive spots of Central Atoll or book your week of island hopping and snorkeling.
When to go: November to April is perfect time

Where: Myanmar
What makes it special: wine cellar on board
What to do: explore the lost paradise of Mergui Archipelago or meet the rare birds of the tropics on the cruise in the Andaman islands.
When to go: book your trip December through March

Where: Turkey
What makes it special: jacuzzi on the deck to enjoy after a day of adventures
What to do: sail off the coast of Marmaris and spend several days in the sea kitesurfing, snorkelling or powering through the waters on a jet-ski!
When to go: warm weather is gracing the Turkish coast until the end of November, so be quick to book this adventure now.

Viking orders seven new river ships for 2019

Viking Cruises, the world’s leading river cruise line, has announced it has placed an order for seven new river ships that will debut in 2019.

The newbuild order includes six additional award-winning Viking Longships, which will sail the company’s most popular itineraries on the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers, and one additional vessel, inspired by the Longships and specifically designed for Portugal’s Douro River.

This announcement comes on the heels of Viking being named the #1 River Cruise Line by Condé Nast Traveler in the publication’s 2017 Readers’ Choice Awards.

With the addition of the new river ships, Viking will operate a fleet of 69 river vessels around the world in 2019.

Also by 2019, Viking will welcome its sixth ocean ship and will become the largest small ship ocean cruise line.