Cruise your way into the long weekend with a particularly long wrap-up of all things ocean-bound from your friends at Travel Weekly.

Seabourn educates agents with the “New Seabourn Academy”

Seabourn is making it smooth sailing for travel advisors to sell Seabourn cruises and other luxury travel products to affluent travellers with the launch of the new and updated Seabourn Academy.

The new Seabourn Academy has been updated with a wealth of fresh material, videos and the latest company news and information within the industry. In addition, it provides a number of incentives for travel advisors to enrol in and learn, with graduates receiving rewards upon completion of the program.

Travel advisors desiring to broaden their skills and achieve their goals can access Seabourn Academy at no cost online at www.seabournacademy.com.

National Geographic and Scenic release 2020 program

National Geographic and Scenic Luxury River Cruises have launched the 2020 program of National Geographic River Cruises with the addition of exciting new itineraries into Egypt and Russia. The joint venture combines Scenic’s all-inclusive luxury river cruise experience with National Geographic’s legacy of science, conservation and exploration to create a program of unforgettable experiences.

Enjoy exclusive access and insights to the cities that are the heart of Russia, to Vienna’s Natural History Museum, visit a historic fossil site in Germany, or venture into the ancient treasures of Egypt. No matter the journey, guests will be immersed in splendid landscapes, will delve deeper at celebrated sites and share local traditions.

This partnership between Scenic and National Geographic will offer numerous river cruise 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, and now the enigmatic waterways of Russia and ancient Egypt.

Discover China & Japan with APT in 2020

It’s a dose of the unfamiliar. The mysterious. The intriguing. With the release of APT’s brand new range of China & Japan journeys for 2020, the time for discovery is now.

Returning in 2020: Yangtze River Cruise
APT’S ever-popular Yangtze River cruise returns for 2020. Climb aboard the boutique Sanctuary Yangzi Explorer for three or four nights and discover the ever-changing scenery of the Three Gorges region. Stop at rural villages, glide past picturesque gorges, and disembark to explore the Three Gorges Dam. With the highest crew-to-guest ratio along the Yangtze, enjoy service that is second to none. Experience this iconic cruise on most APT China trips, including the popular 15-day Best of China tour, starting at $8,995 per person twin share, with a Companion Fly Free Including Taxes Superdeal offer.

NEW: Follow the Silk Road
New for 2020, travel back thousands of years to a time when Europe and Asia were connected by a criss cross of ancient trade routes, known as the Silk Road. This is a discovery of a side of China that few venture to. In the desert oasis of Dunhuang, take a camel ride along the sand slopes to Crescent Spring at sunset. In Kashgar, on China’s western outskirts, wander the lively bazaar where everything Is exchanged, from handwoven rugs to silk, semi-precious stones and spices. This 11-day Follow the Silk Road trip starts at $8,995 per person twin share, with a Companion Fly Free Including Taxes Superdeal offer.

NEW: Iconic China with Wuzhen
A new season brings new adventures. Join the 12-day Iconic China with Wuzhen and experience the buzz of China’s big cities in addition to the quiet tranquillity of an ancient water town. Wander into Wuzhen, where wooden homes from the Qing dynasty still stand, small boats drift down canals and street vendors sell green bean soup and tea. Starting at $8,995 per person twin share, get in quick to secure a Companion Fly Free Including Taxes Superdeal offer.

Returning in 2020: VIP Access to the Forbidden City and Exclusive Great Wall Lunch in Beijing
Exclusive moments are synonymous with an APT journey. In Beijing, wander a private section of the Forbidden City not usually open to the public. Along a quiet section of Great Wall of China, enjoy an expertly prepared lunch with free-flowing drinks set up exclusively for APT guests. Experience moments like these on the 17-day China with Tibetan Discovery tour, starting at $10,995 per person twin share, with a Companion Fly Free Including Taxes Superdeal offer.

NEW: Meet a sumo wrestler in Tokyo
Enjoy the exclusive chance to meet with a retired sumo wrestler at the Sumo Museum in Tokyo. What could be more quintessentially Japanese than meeting these athletes and hearing about experiences from their heyday? Take on this unique encounter on the 13-day Best of Japan tour, starting at $14,995 per person twin share, with a Superdeal Fly Free Including Taxes offer.

Dream Cruises Celebrates Christening and Launch of Explorer Dream, the Newest Member of the Fleet

Dream Cruises has welcomed the third member of its fleet with the christening and inaugural homeport deployment of Explorer Dream at Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal.

The christening ceremony featured Grace Chen, the godmother of Explorer Dream and one of the most influential fashion innovators in China. The innovative christening was activated by her magic wand of dreams and aspirations and the spirit of exploration was symbolised by a majestic unicorn that led the iconic Dream Cruises’ mermaid out of the ocean and into a new realm, where she will embark on the quest to discover new horizons across the seas. With the traditional breaking of the champagne bottle against the bow of the ship, Explorer Dream officially began her journey with Dream Cruises.

Built with German craftsmanship, Explorer Dream measures 268 metres in length and 32 metres in width. She has a total gross tonnage of 75,338 tons, 928 cabins and lower berth capacity of 1,856 passengers. The signature, luxury “ship within a ship” enclave of Dream Cruises – The Palace, provides a next-level luxury experience for discerning travellers, boasting an industry leading staff to guest ratio, a majority of suites over 40 square metres, as well as bespoke 24-hour butler service and exclusive guest privileges.

Explorer Dream will initially homeport in Shanghai and Tianjin, where she will embark on a series of itineraries to popular destinations throughout Japan, including Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nagasaki, Fukuoka and Okinawa.

From October 2019, Explorer Dream will homeport in Sydney and Auckland, offering guests a variety of seven-night weekly itineraries visiting the region’s coastal highlights.

Royal Caribbean Takes Delivery of Spectrum of the Seas

Royal Caribbean Cruises has officially taken delivery of the 26th ship in the cruise line’s fleet, Spectrum of the Seas. Custom designed for Chinese guests, the first Quantum Ultra Class ship will be the largest and most innovative ship in Asia.

Spectrum features the cruise line’s most adventurous Quantum Class aft ever built, with Sky Pad joining the FlowRider, RipCord by iFLY, and the SeaPlex.

The exclusive Suite Club onboard is a lavish oasis of private dining, lounges, and an upscale Solarium. This ship also introduces Royal’s largest Ultimate Family Suite at 2,809 feet.

Spectrum’s new dining offerings are all about authentic tastes that cater to the local market. New restaurants include Teppanyaki, The HotPot, and Sichuan Red.

The ship also features Star Moment, a new karaoke bar with private rooms for VIP singers. Plus three new Royal Caribbean shows: The Silk Road, The Effectors and Showgirl.

Cruise360 showcase puts more into cruising

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) will present new ways for travel agents to enhance their clients’ cruise holidays at its dedicated Executive Partner Product and Destination showcase, to be held in conjunction with this year’s Cruise360 Australasia conference in Sydney.

Bookings are now open for the August 29 event, which will allow agent members to find out more about the additional products and services that can be offered with a cruise holiday. It will be held on the same day as an exclusive ship inspection aboard Princess Cruises’ Sea Princess and precedes the main Cruise360 conference on August 30.

Bentours celebrate success

Bentours, the Scandinavian and Polar Specialists, were honoured to present an Appreciation Award to our partners at SnowHotel Kirkenes for their on-going support of the Bentours brand, our staff members and our many happy travellers to Norway. Bentours have had resounding success with SnowHotel on the ‘Kirkenes SnowHotel Arctic Snowfun’ 4 day tour (pg 74 of the Bentours brochure)

After a morning training session with the team, Bentours presented Anne Koivisto, Sales & Marketing Manager SnowHotel Kirkenes, the award and look forward to continuing this successful partnership together into the future.

Crystal Cruises’ 2022 World Cruise Now Open For Booking

Today, Crystal Cruises opened for reservations its 2022 World Cruise “Myths, Marvels & Monuments: A Cultural Mosaic.” Sailing aboard the award-winning Crystal Serenity, Crystal Cruises’ 27th annual World Cruise offers multiple embarkation and disembarkation options of 86 to 116 nights in Los Angeles, Miami and Monte Carlo, all including the Full World Cruise Benefits and incentives for guests.

The voyage spans the globe, beginning and/or ending with a Panama Canal transit (depending on Full World Cruise itinerary selected), and exploring New Zealand and Australia; Tonga and Samoa; Egypt, Israel and the Black Sea; Central America; the Caribbean and Mediterranean. The 2022 World Cruise is also available for booking in eight segments of 13 to 19 nights.

Dozens of UNESCO World Heritage Sites and hundreds of Crystal Destination Discoveries ashore illuminate the histories and cultures of the world, and Full World Cruise guests will enjoy special events in locales of historical and cultural significance. All-inclusive Full World Cruise fares begin at US$37,989 per person, while segment fares begin at US$4,769 per person. Travellers who book by April 30, 2019, can save up to US$20,000 per stateroom as part of Crystal’s Book Now Savings program.