Every time we write a cruise wrap we get Enya’s Sail Away stuck in our head. Apologies for it now being stuck in your head too.

New Fast Ferry for Manly to Barangaroo Service

SeaLink Travel Group today unveiled new fast ferry, Nancy Wake, welcoming her into the Captain Cook Cruises fleet.

A highly versatile fast ferry, Nancy Wake is high speed, low wash and fuel efficient with outdoor and indoor seating for 260 passengers.

Nancy Wake will be used on the SeaLink Barangaroo Fast Ferry service to Manly. The service operates between King Street Wharf No.1 and Manly every 30 minutes during peak hours Monday to Friday commencing 6:45am and regularly on weekends from 9:30am.

Nancy Wake was christened today at Darling Harbour by Father Peter and Godmother Ros Jackson, one of SeaLink’s and Captain Cook Cruises long serving and respected staff members.

Azamara farewells Plan a Cruise Month with bonus commission and reduced rates

Just in time for the luxury week of CLIA Plan A Cruise Month, Azamara Club Cruises has revealed incredible additional savings of up to 50 per cent on select Australia, New Zealand and Asia sailings departing between January and March 2018 when booked under the Book Pay Save guarantee promotion, together with a bonus five per cent agent commission.

The bonus commission is applicable to new individual bookings on select sailings on Azamara Journey departing between 14 January 2018 and 25 March 2018, when booked before 31 October 2017.

Six sailings are included in the offer, including a seven-night Borobudur and Bali cruise on Azamara Journey, departing Singapore on 14 January 2018 and calling at Semarang, Surabaya and Celukan Bawang before arriving in Bali, Indonesia. Was $1,999 per person, now priced from just $1,490 per person, twin share.

P&O Cruises serves an ace with new Australian Open high tea at sea

Following a successful Australian Open which had record attendance at Rod Laver Arena this year, P&O Cruises has added a second cruise to the January championship in 2018 and introduced a bespoke new tennis-themed high tea menu onboard.

Featuring strawberries and cream, scones and savouries, all washed down with Pimms and champagne, the new menu is available for $20 at the Waterfront restaurant onboard its ships cruising to the event.

Pacific Eden and Pacific Explorer will depart Sydney on a five-night roundtrip to Melbourne on January 17 and 19 respectively. The popular cruises form part of P&O Cruises’ popular Main Events line-up and include general admission tickets for two day sessions and one night session at the Australian Open, as well as return transfers to Melbourne Park.

Azamara double upgrade through ecruising

 

Cruise specialist ecruising.travel are offering a fantastic double upgrade allowing you to book a Veranda stateroom for the price of a Club Interior Stateroom on a selection of Azamara Club Cruises packages in 2018 when you book by November 30, 2017.

Take advantage of this great offer to experience Azamara Club Cruises newest ship, the luxurious Azamara Pursuit, which is being launched in 2018. Ecruising.travel has a 12-night cruise holiday package including an eight night cruise on board the new vessel around the Mediterranean.

Departing Australia on October 20, 2018, spend two nights pre-cruise at the Hotel Grande Bretagne in Athens  before the cruise departs for Crete and onwards to visit Malta, Sicily, and four ports in Italy with the final destination of Rome.

All Azamara cruise itineraries are designed so all port visits are a minimum of 12-hours and up to 78-hours to ensure guests have adequate time on-shore to experience local cultures and history.

Regent Seven Seas Cruies adds Cuba calls for more complete Caribbean experience

Regent Seven Seas Cruises announced the addition of Cuba calls to six itineraries in the line’s 2018-19 Caribbean season. Travellers can visit Havana on select itineraries aboard Seven Seas Mariner, Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Navigator, which depart Miami from October 2018 through March 2019.

Guests on these voyages can choose among a variety of free and unlimited shore excursions to learn firsthand about the lives, history and culture of the Cuban people during their visit. As the most inclusive luxury experience and the only North American luxury cruise line approved to visit Cuba, Regent Seven Seas Cruises first called on Havana in April 2017 with Seven Seas Mariner.

As part of the Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ most-inclusive luxury experience, guests have a wide selection of expertly crafted shore excursions, offering an authentic Cuban experience that explores the people, music, art, history and culture of the city and are in compliance with the Office of Foreign Assets Control’s (OFAC) regulations.

Creative Cruising launches a new round of incentives for lucky consultants 

Creative Cruising continues to reward their consultants with a range of incentives this selling season. Whether it be a gift card giveaway or the chance to WIN a cruise, these incentives will be rewarded to those lucky agent partners that have supported Creative Cruising and booked a cruise with either Celebrity Cruises, Dream Cruises, Oceania Cruises or Azamara Club Cruises.

Creative Cruising has just launched four new ways for its consultants to win. Its simple, the more bookings you secure, the greater chance you have to win one of the following:

• WIN A CRUISE onboard Celebrity Solstice when you make a booking on select Celebrity Cruises voyages
• WIN A CRUISE onboard Azamara Journey  when you secure a booking on select Azamara Club Cruises voyages
• Earn a Gift Card for every Dream Cruises Booking
• Earn a Gift Card for every Oceania Cruises Booking

First glimpses of Silver Cloud as she proudly joins Silversea’s expedition fleet

Following a multi-million dollar refurbishment, Silver Cloud’s transformation into an ice-class vessel is nearly complete, soon to be unveiled as the most luxurious expedition ship in the market.  Destined largely for the Arctic and Antarctic, Silver Cloud can now proudly join Silversea Cruises’ exclusive expedition fleet.  Silver Cloud’s new strengthened ice-class hull was on display as she left Malta on 28 October 2017, bound for South America, where she will commence her official inaugural voyage on 15 November 2017 from Buenos Aires.

PONANT new ship LE LAPEROUSE for 2019 Kimberley voyages

Sales open for PONANT April – October 2019 season : new ships and brand-new itineraries on the programme

As of 26 October, PONANT, the only French-owned cruise line and the world leader in luxury small ship expedition cruises, is opening sales for more than 70 departures. There is a rich and varied offering discovering Northern Europe, Central and South America, the Indian Ocean, Oceania and, of course, the Mediterranean.

The arrival of the new series of four luxury expedition yachts, the PONANT EXPLORERS, means that the company can offer a huge programme across a fleet of nine ships for the northern summer 2019. Whilst the Arctic itineraries have been on sale since July, sales are now opening for all destinations, with advance purchase savings of up to 30 per cent.

From Ancient Greece to Rome, from Egypt to the Iberian shores, in the Adriatic or in the heart of the Aegean Sea’s islands, the Mediterranean is at the crossroads of the great civilisations. With 44 departure dates for this 2019 summer season, set off to discover this heritage in the most immersive and exclusive way possible with PONANT. Indeed, the company is offering no fewer than 35 different itineraries in the region, including five new itineraries.

Journey down under on-board Silversea’s Silver Muse in 2019 

Silversea invites guests to experience the remarkable landscapes and unrivalled beauty of New Zealand and Australia aboard Silver Muse during her inaugural sailing to this part of the world.  With four sailings departing in January and February 2019, guests can travel between Sydney, Auckland and Bali on voyages ranging from 13 to 19 days, discovering the very best of down under while enjoying the elegant and luxurious style of Silversea’s newest flagship vessel.

Punctuated by colourful cities and tranquil days at sea, these voyages on board Silver Muse will transport guests through remote, untouched regions of pure beauty, creating an unforgettable journey which will delight even the most seasoned traveller.

The unique itineraries take in the rugged beauty of New Zealand’s fjord country along with the antipodean towns of Sydney, Melbourne and Auckland.  Guests will be transported through the Fjord land National Park, one of New Zealand’s premier attractions, where they will discover rugged mountain ranges, dense rainforest, solitary alpine lakes, sparkling rivers and splashing waterfalls.

Port Arthur prepares for largest cruise ship season yet

On Monday 30 October, Port Arthur Historic Site will welcome 2,600 passengers from the Golden Princess as the first cruise ship to anchor in the bay for the 2017-18 season.  The Golden Princess made its inaugural visit the World Heritage Site on 5 January 2016 and will be coming back another three times this season.

With a naturally deep anchorage, spectacular coastal scenery and world class attractions and experiences in the region, the World Heritage-listed Port Arthur Historic Site has always been a popular destination for cruise ship passengers arriving into Tasmania.  Increasing cruise ship arrivals into Port Arthur has also had a positive impact on tourism businesses around the Tasman Peninsula including the local lavender farm, distillery, chocolate factory and wildlife park.

This remarkable growth in cruise ship arrivals was one of the deciding factors in the redevelopment of the Port Arthur Visitor Centre.  Construction has been progressing in stages since January.  The new visitor centre, when it opens on 18 December, will provide an enhanced visitor experience including an expanded café with extensive outdoor dining, a new separate restaurant with views over the Historic Site, and retail space showcasing artisan products from the Tasman region.

Azamara announces new destinations and experiences for Azamara Pursuit

Azamara Pursuit will commence her inaugural season with the Azamara Club Cruises fleet in August 2018 in Europe, visiting destinations like Iceland and Greece, before sailing to South America in November 2018 where she will visit ports in locations like Peru, Chile and Brazil.

Azamara Pursuit will increase the cruise line’s destination offerings by 40% and will add 61 more destinations. Guests will be able to stay longer and experience more with 48 late nights and 26 overnights, and the chance to experience some of the most unique destinations worldwide, with 15 maiden calls.

Murray Princess and Adelaide amazing combo package

Discover the best of South Australia with Captain Cook Cruises new six, seven or 10-night Adelaide Sightseeing and Murray Princess cruise packages.

All packages include a three-night stay at the Mercure Grosvenor Hotel, Adelaide, a half day Adelaide City Highlights tour, a three, four or seven-night cruise aboard paddlewheeler, PS Murray Princess and a day trip to the Barossa Valley.

The six night/seven-day package includes three nights at Mercure Grosvenor, a half day Adelaide City Highlights tour, followed by a three-night Murray Princess Discovery Cruise and a full day Barossa and Hahndorf Highlights tour.

Onboard, learn more about the Murray and Riverland regions and sample some of the local produce and wines with a structured tasting event held in the Sturt Dining Room. Join the Captain for a general inspection of the wheelhouse, participate in a lively quiz, play some bocce on the riverbank, try some fishing off the side of the ship or simply relax on the open top deck, or in one of two air-conditioned paddlewheel lounges displaying views of the working paddle wheel.

Carnival Cruise Line’s Scary 48 Hour Sale

Today Carnival Cruise Line announced its Scary 48 Hour Sale to help Aussies celebrate Halloween in style and book their next fun-filled adventure.

Aussies that book will get to experience all the fun that Carnival has to offer, with 45+ daily activities including the thrilling Green Thunder waterslide, themed nights, live Broadway-style entertainment and the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss with Seuss at Sea.

This spook-tacular promotion offers Aussies crazy savings, with twin share rates from $399^ per person. The offer is available for select cruises between 8 January and 3 May 2018 for bookings made between 31 October and 1 November 2018.

And here are some fun facts of five years of Carnival Cruise Line in Australia:

• 10,272 Comedy Shows performed
• 37,101 guests saw a turtle at Amadee Island
• 138,133 rides down Green Thunder
• 11,511 Green Eggs and Ham Eaten
• 1,218,800 little umbrellas in poolside cocktails
• 719,368 kilos of Australian Watermelon served
• 209,483 kilos of Australian Pumpkin served
• 40,625 Olives served in Martinis
• 750,000 guests onboard

Call out for Aussie talent as Norwegian Cruise Line kick-starts nationwide on-board entertainment audition series in Sydney

Proving the current cruising boom is creating waves beyond tourism, thousands of performers from across Australia will be battling it out for lead dancing and singing roles as part of Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) nationwide audition series commencing in Sydney, followed by Brisbane and Adelaide before finishing up in Melbourne.

Norwegian Cruise Line will be scouring Australia for performers to fill three leading roles and several ensemble cast roles for Australia’s own award-winning musical Priscilla Queen of the Desert – with nearly 60 per cent of on-board talent expected to be sourced locally for the show.  Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is also seeking Australian performers for Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Oceania Cruises as well as Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet of 25 ships in total, and will see approximately 35 per cent of local Australian talent performing on board all the ships in the fleet.

Australia remains a top talent market for NCL due to the strong work ethic, outstanding technique and multi-disciplinary skills of local performers.

NCLH audition series began in Sydney and will continue throughout Australia over the coming month. The winners of the three leading roles will commence their on-board seasons in early 2018.