Princess Cruises’ Australia sailings in 2016 on sale

Bookings can now be made on Princess Cruises’ Australia-based voyages in 2016. A total of 69 cruises are on offer, sailing from February to October 2016. They depart from Sydney, Brisbane and Fremantle.

The cruises call at destinations including New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Japan, Hawaii and Singapore.

They feature a 113-day world cruise, split into 20 different itineraries, which will visit destinations as varied as Easter Island, Dubai, Machu Picchu and St Petersburg. Guests booking on the world cruise before 31 August 31 2015 will receive up to £600 on-board credit per person and a stateroom upgrade wherever possible.

Prices start at £1,549 per person for a 15-night sailing from  Australia to New Zealand, £889 per person for 10 nights in the South Pacific and £6,579 per person for the 49-night London to Sydney leg of the world cruise, which travels via New York, the Panama Canal and South America.

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Multi-million pound art collection to give Britain’s biggest cruise ship the luxury feel

P&O Cruises’ new ship Britannia will boast Britain’s largest floating art collection, containing more than 8,000 artworks, when it launches in March next year. The multi-million art collection represents a new approach by the company with works having been chosen to complement and enhance Britannia’s interior designs to give the feel of a luxury hotel.

Pieces ranging from paintings and bronze sculptures to ceramics and paper wall reliefs have been created by a wide variety of artists – most of them British – with some from as far afield as Japan, Australia and South Africa.

Most of the artists are women, a factor which art consultant Tom Tempest-Radford – who has compiled the collection in conjunction with Britannia’s designers – credits with bringing a different feel to the ship.

The decision to integrate Britannia’s artworks with its interior style has ensured a consistency of design and attention to detail that runs throughout the ship, creating a sophisticated, yet comfortable, ambience.

A seven-night cruise on Britannia starts from £699 per person. Departing 5 September 2015, the price includes an inside cabin, full board meals, round the clock kids' clubs and entertainment on board. 

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TBE Holland America Line announces free Emirates flight on Asia cruise specials

Holland America Line has announced it is partnering with Emirates Air to offer a free flight to guests who book select segments of ms Rotterdam’s 88-Day Passage to the Far East Voyage before 16 October 2014. Sectors which include a free flight between London and Singapore start from £2,499pp whilst the full voyage, a roundtrip ex-UK cruise from Southampton, departs on 8 January 2015 with prices starting from £4,999pp

Guests who book the 40- or 54-night segments, departing 8 January 2015, from Southampton to Singapore will receive free return air on Emirates Air from Singapore back to London.  Guests who set sail from Singapore to Southampton on the 48-night segment, departing 17 February 2015, or the 34-night segment, departing 3 March 2015, will receive this fly/cruise special on flights to Singapore.

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New Asian Adventures For Crystal

Those looking for the truly exotic shore excursions, would be well advised to pay attention to the latest range of possibilities from Crystal Cruises, who have just announced a new series of Crystal Adventures for their Asian voyages this year.

From drinks with former headhunters in Brunei to a monk induction ceremony in Myanmar, the ultra-luxury line has crafted an exciting schedule of excursions in this wonderful part of the world. Monasteries, rainforests, royal residences and tuk-tuks are among the 40 new shoreside outings showcasing both off-the-beaten-path port calls and major urban centres in Malaysia, Brunei, Myanmar, Indonesia, Japan and India. 

Both Crystal Symphony and the recently-redesigned Crystal Serenity will be sailing 14 voyages in the region – twice as many as 2013 – this spring, with Symphony returning in late autumn. In all, Crystal is offering nearly 200 Adventures throughout Asia, with options to book them with Private Car and Driver in most ports.

 

Excursion highlights include:

• Bandar Seri Begawan: Be astounded by Brunei’s varied lifestyles, from the Sultan’s Palace - the world’s largest residential palace (above) - to more traditional homes, such as that of an over-water village and a longhouse, where former headhunting Ibans will welcome you with drinks, music and dance.
• Yangon: Witness the Novitiation Ceremony that inducts 1,000 male “Novices” into Buddhist monk-hood at the Kalaywa Monastery.
• Kota Kinabalu: Trek the rainforest of Malaysia’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kinabalu National Park; crab fish from a thatch-roofed raft while cruising through mangroves; or learn island traditions such as making robes from tree bark or a Malay bread called roti canai. 
• Lombok: At Bali’s less-visited sister island, learn about the local craftsmanship of ikat dyed fabrics and pearl production or visit a traditional Sasak village, where men still sleep outside their thatched houses to protect their daughters from being kidnapped into marriage. 
• Makassar: Travel to a 17^th-century king’s traditional adat house for food and dance from local villagers, visit the Dutch East India Company’s Fort Rotterdam or sightsee via pedicab. 
• Andaman Islands: Tuk-tuk to Britain’s former jail for Indian revolutionaries or learn about local agricultural arts at a spice farm and rubber plantation. 
• Penang: Stroll the 130-year-old Waterfall Gardens, then enjoy a cocktail at the prestigious Eastern & Oriental Hotel, the precursor to Singapore’s famed Raffles Hotel. 
• Tokyo: Participate in eastern Asian shodo handwriting and a traditional sado tea ceremony at a Japanese garden or tour sites of more recent history, such as Nissan’s Global HQ and the Cup Noodles Museum.

 

In addition to the day trips, two new multi-night Overland Adventures are offered from Shanghai and Chan May, visiting Xi-an and Beijing on the first and Hue, Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City on the latter.

 

In 2014, five- to 15-night all-inclusive voyages are available to/from Bali, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kota Kinabalu, Ho Chi Minh City, Beijing, Tokyo, Osaka, Nagasaki and Shanghai starting from £1,836 per person, cruise only, if booked by February 28.  

More info: call 020 7399 7601 or visit www.crystalcruises.co.uk.

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Enjoy A Shorter Asian Cruise With Crystal

Those looking for a taste of the exotic but not able to indulge in the longer cruise options for regions like the Far East might be keen to know about something we've just spotted here at World of Cruising, with Crystal Cruises creating 19 new “Crystal Getaways” in Asia and the surrounding region for 2014.

Time-strapped travellers now have almost twice as many options to enjoy an ultra-luxury, all-inclusive cruise in Japan, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Mauritius, Africa and Australia next year. 

The Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity voyages range from five to 10 nights, making them ideal to either enjoy on their own or combine with time ashore. Carved out from longer sailings, the “Getaways” cost from as little as £1,070 per person, double occupancy, if booked by January 3. 

Packed with local overnights, some of the choices include:

5 nights, from £1,070 per person: Feb 17, Shanghai (overnight), Hong Kong (two nights).

6 nights, from £1,836 per person: Apr 3, Ho Chi Minh City (overnight), Chan May, Hong Kong (overnight).

7 nights, from £1,142 per person: Feb 10, Tokyo’s port of Yokohama (overnight), Osaka (overnight), Nagasaki, Shanghai.

10 nights, from £2,861 per person: Mar 10, Singapore (overnight), Jakarta, Mauritius.

More info: call  020 7399 7601 or visit www.crystalcruises.co.uk.

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Crystal Highlight Best Of Asia By Land

When it comes to destination-focused cruising, here at World of Cruising we like to think we have our finger firmly on the pulse. And it seems several cruise lines share our passion for destinations, judging by this latest idea for Far East touring from Crystal Cruises.

From February through April, Crystal is offering its largest collection of Overland Adventures in Asia. A total of 15 one- and two-night optional, mid-cruise journeys will take guests far from the ports of Yangon, Shanghai, Laem Chabang, Ho Chi Minh City, Xiamen and Chan May for in-depth, intimate explorations of renowned sites, history, culture and nature.

All Overland Adventures include air, shuttle and/or boat transport to and from ports; meals, featuring traditional fare such as Peking Duck or a Myanmar-style royal dinner and show; and luxury accommodations such as Bangkok’s Peninsula, Siem Reap’s Sokha Hotel and Myanmar’s Aureum Palace Hotel.

Next winter, spring and autumn, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity sail through China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and India on 31 five- to 29-night itineraries, including shorter Crystal Getaways and extended combination cruises. Cruise only fares for the 2014 Asia itineraries start from £1,070 per person if booked by January 3. Asian Overland Adventures fares start from $869 per person, double occupancy.

More info: 020 7399 7601 or visit www.crystalcruises.co.uk.

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Cuddle A Panda With Crystal!

OK, we have have seen some pretty amazing shore excursions, and extended shore programmes, in recent years, but this one from Crystal Cruises probably takes not just the biscuit but the whole biscuit tin! It includes an opportunity for passengers to get up close and personal with a baby panda and visit the Dala Llama's summer palace in Tibet on Crystal's China and Japan voyages in April 2014. It's part of a unique new land programme offered with two cruises, and the full details are as follows from Crystal themselves:

Next Spring, seek solitude at the Dalai Llama’s summer palace, soak up the spirituality of Tibet’s holiest sites or learn about Tibetan culture through song, dance - and and yak meat. The mysteries of one of the world’s most isolated cultures will be on full display next spring when ultra-luxury Crystal Cruises offers guests the rare opportunity to add a five-night Extended Land Programme to Tibet on to their Asia cruise. Crystal Symphony’s April 9 Hong Kong to Beijing all-China voyage and April 16 Beijing to Tokyo sailing each offer the add-on both pre and post-cruise. Round-trip from Beijing, guests will fly first-class to Chengdu, China, and Lhasa, a Tibetan city perched at 12,000 feet that literally means “place of the gods.”

Highlights of the journey include:

• Chengdu’s Giant Panda Research Base, where guests can safely snuggle with baby pandas while learning about the centre’s hugely successful conservation and breeding efforts.
• Potala Palace, a 7th century UNESCO World Heritage Site, visible from every direction, that served as the Dalai Lama’s main residence until the 1959 uprising.
• Drepung Monastery, once the world’s largest monastery and home to more than 10,000 monks, seemingly precariously set on a hillside and accessible only by a steep, unpaved road.
• Jokhang Temple, the spiritual centre of Tibet, enshrining the country’s most precious treasure, the original gold Sakyamuni Buddha statue, dating back 1,300 years.
• Barkhor Marketplace, the site of many Tibetan protests, as well as a busy commerce centre, striking an intriguing contrast between deeply rooted spirituality and the bustling nature of market economics.
• Tibetan-style dinner, showcasing traditional song and dance while sampling a variety of yak-based dietary staples, from meat to tea.
• Sera Monastery, where guests can watch monks prepare for their monastic exams with renowned mock debates in the picturesque courtyard.
• Norbulingka, another UNESCO site that boasts distinctly Tibetan architecture and has served as the administrative and spiritual centres, as well as the summer palace, for past Dalai Lamas.
• Jinli Street in Chengdu, an ancient market dating back to the Qing Dynasty, filled with everything from the aroma of spicy barbeque and authentic Sichuan favourites to local artists’ works and traditional lantern performances.

As with all of Crystal’s Extended Land Programmes, luxury accommodation, meals and transportation for the “Timeless Tibet” programme are included in the £4,775 per person, double occupancy fare. Accommodation includes one night at the Sofitel Hotel Chengdu, three nights at the St Regis Lhasa Resort and one night at the China World Hotel Beijing.

Crystal Symphony’s 13-night April 9 cruise visits Hong Kong, Shanghai, Dalian, Xiamen and Beijing, with all-inclusive fly/cruise prices starting from £4,721per person, plus a one-night complimentary pre-cruise hotel stay. The April 16 15-night itinerary calls in Beijing, Dalian and Shanghai as well as Nagasaki, Osaka, Shimizu and Tokyo with all-inclusive fly/cruise prices starting from £5,535 per person, plus a one-night complimentary pre-cruise hotel stay. The cruises offer savings of £1,613 and £1,097 respectively if booked by October 31.

Crystal’s passion for creating exclusive, eye-opening luxury shore-side experiences are cornerstones of its Crystal Adventures programme, helping earn the line top ratings for two decades.
 

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury cruising experts.

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Crystal's Far East Extravaganza

Crystal Cruises is expanding its presence in the Far East next year, with a choice of some 34 cruises in the region, and a great-value 'Book Now' bonus for early bookings.

The countries of China, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar and Brunei will all be on the Crystal menu in 2014 and the 34 voyages (compared with just four in 2012), varying from five to 29-nights, offer a host of itinerary firsts and varied options. The Book Now bonus savings can be as much as £1,613 per person for bookings made by August 30.

New for the 2014 Asia season are:

• Two ships in the region – Both the award-winning Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity will be sailing the region in winter, spring and autumn 2014.
• New itineraries – Brand new routes include Crystal’s first-ever cruises that begin or end in Bangkok and a two-week voyage round-trip from Singapore. Bali, introduced as a “turnaround” port in 2013, begins or ends four cruises in 2014 (compared with two in 2013).
• New destinations – Crystal will make maiden visits to Malacca, Malaysia; Lombok, Makassar/Ujung Pandang; and Surabaya, Indonesia.
• Return to less visited destinations – The expanded itineraries feature calls in ports visited infrequently or not in several years, including returns to Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei; Jakarta and Komodo Island, Indonesia; Yangon, Myanmar; Koh Samui, Thailand; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; and Okinawa and Tokyo, Japan.
• China & Japan Focus – For the first time in 5 years, two voyages will explore more of Japan, as well as China, like Crystal Symphony’s Beijing-Tokyo voyage including Osaka, Nagasaki and Shimizu; Shanghai and Dalian; and a complimentary Beijing land package.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury cruising specialists.

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Hapag-Lloyd's International Expeditions For 2014/15

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has announced the arrival of its 2014-2015 expeditions brochure, offering 11 itineraries operated in English and German. 

The small and beautifully-appointed expedition ships Hanseatic and Bremen will be travelling to Siberia, the Chukchi Peninsula and Wrangel Island, Antarctica, the Chilean Fjords, Cape Verde, the Amazon, Alaska and the “small” Northwest Passage. The 184-passenger Hanseatic (above), the world’s only 5-star expedition ship, and the 4-star Bremen, carrying 164 guests, were built to provide intensive explorations in the most elegant surroundings.

Three outstanding sample itineraries are as follows:

New itinerary and destination – Expedition Siberia

During an expedition on the Hanseatic, guests will explore the region of Primorye. This unique itinerary makes stops in Pusan/Republic of Korea, various stops in Siberia/Russia, such as Rimsky Islands, Vladivostok, Petrov Island, and ends in Otaru/Japan. The Hanseatic is one of the few non-Russian ships to set out on this cruising adventure along the Siberian coast. This 15-night itinerary is from May 11-26, 2014, from Shanghai/China to Otaru/Japan, and rates start at £6,090 per person, based on double occupancy, cruise-only. 

The Pursuit of The “Small” Northwest Passage 

This 19-night itinerary on board Bremen is from August 18 to September 6, 2014, from Kangerlussuaq/Greenland to Reykjavik/Iceland and rates for this voyage through the High Arctic and the islands of Canada start at £8,010 per person, based on double occupancy, cruise-only. 

Discovering Antarctica and the Australia/New Zealand Sub Antarctic Region

This 26-night itinerary on Hanseatic is from January 25 to February 21, 2014, from Ushuaia/Argentina to Bluff/New Zealand, with stops in Macquarie Island/Australia and Auckland Island/New Zealand (includes charter flight from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia). Rates start at £13,360 per person, based on double occupancy, cruise-only. 

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury adventure cruise specialists.

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Fred Olsen's Global Reach

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has launched its 2014/15 cruise itineraries, to hundreds of amazing and exotic destinations worldwide, from an even greater choice of regional UK ports than ever before.

The Brit-friendly line will be visiting no fewer than 246 destinations – even more than in the previous cruise season – in 85 countries around the globe, with the addition of two new convenient, regional departure ports, Avonmouth and Tilbury, further enhancing Fred. Olsen’s reputation as the ‘local, global cruise line’.

The company will also be embarking on its most ambitious Grand Voyage ever, with an 119-night ‘Exploring the Far East’ sailing on Balmoral, which is seven days longer than its 2013 World Cruise but visits 19 more ports.

The 2014/15 cruise programme will see the fleet of four ships – Balmoral, Braemar, Boudicca and Black Watch – sailing from Southampton, Dover, Harwich, Tilbury, Avonmouth, Liverpool, Newcastle, Rosyth (for Edinburgh), Greenock (for Glasgow) and Belfast and adding even more overnight stops in spectacular cities worldwide, in response to guest desire to spend more time ashore in the ports they visit. Fred. Olsen will also be working with destinations to create an even greater link between its cruises and local events, such as the Baltic Festivals of ‘Kieler Woche’ in Kiel, Germany, and the world-renowned Jazz Festival in Copenhagen.

New destinations for 2014/15 include 13 maiden calls on Balmoral’s epic Asia Grand Voyage in early 2015, taking in Galle (Sri Lanka), Ujang Pandang (Indonesia), Naha (for Okinawa, Japan), Tokyo, Nagasaki, Jeju City (South Korea), Dalian (China), Nha Trang (Vietnam), Nathon (Thailand), Malacca (Malaysia), Hambantota (Sri Lanka) and Utheemu and Uligamu (Maldives).

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's adventure cruising specialists.

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Ponant's Asian Collection

Boutique French cruise line and five-star expedition specialist Compagnie du Ponant has just opened bookings for its brand new Asian Collection itineraries for the winter season 2013-14. From modern empires to ancient kingdoms, passengers are invited to discover Asia’s treasures and explore the diversity of a mysterious and captivating continent.

For the first time, Le Soléal (132 staterooms and suites), the latest addition to the fleet this July, will be sailing for Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Borneo, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives. During the cruise, Ponant invites passengers to discover Asia in a more intimate way: mooring as close as possible to the shore to grant unrivalled access to protected sites whilst offering first rate comfort, elegance and 5-star service. Guests onboard will include experts, historians and lecturers ready to share their passion with the passengers.

A comprehensive programme of shore excursions will include some of the world most outstanding UNESCO World Heritage sites, and all 17 Asian itineraries promise to offer much more than a cruise: a genuine travel experience. Sample cruises include:

JAPAN 
Leaving Otaru, Le Soléal sets out to discover Japan’s kaleidoscope of traditions, beliefs and way of life. From Kanazawa to Hiroshima via Busan, the 8-day cruise ends in Osaka, the new beating heart of Japan. Departure, October 15, from £1,882 per person. 

VIETNAM
The 12-day Hong Kong-Singapore cruise takes in the most important sites and exceptional landscapes of Vietnam, with excursions including a junk boat trip to the heart of the majestic and mysterious Ha Long Bay, the discovery of Hanoi, Saigon and the Imperial City of Hue, or sailing down the Cai River. Pre and post-cruise excursions are on offer for those who want to explore Hong Kong and Singapore. Departure October 30, from £3,298 per person. 

INDONESIA
Bali, Gili Islands, Komodo, Brunei and Borneo...this 14-day cruise ventures into the very heart of Indonesia, from wild Sarawak to Sandankan, home of large congresses of orangutans, traditional villages and the cosmopolitan port of Makassar. Departure January 4, 2014, from £3,081 per person.

MYANMAR & SRI LANKA 
Departing on a 9-day voyage from Kuala Lumpur to Colombo via Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar, Le Soléal calls at Penang (first British trading post in the Far East in the 19^th century), Phuket, Trincomalee and Hambantota, on a cruise rich in discovery. The itinerary exceptionally includes four days in Yangon to explore the Shwedagon Pagoda, Bagan temples, Mandalay, the cultural capital, and the former royal city of Amarapura. Departure March 14, 2014, from £3,036 per person.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's luxury cruise specialists.

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More Oceania Offers

It's the New Year, so the cruise offers are rolling in thick and fast. Here are the latest from Oceania Cruises, with some great savings on a selection of exotic voyages. 

February 2: Caribbean hideaway, 10 nights £1502, saving £1266 
Escape the British winter and spend 10 nights cruising the Caribbean on board the new, food-lovers cruise ship, Riviera. The 1250-guest, mid-sized luxury ship will be sailing a round-trip cruise from Miami to the British Virgin Islands, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Barts, including a $500 shipboard credit per stateroom. 

February 26: 16 nights Australia/New Zealand, £3589, saving £1975
 This 'Splendours Down Under' cruise is on the 1250-guest Marina, renowned for its culinary excellence, wine pairing centre and hands-on cookery school. The sailing of New Zealand’s south-eastern coastline concludes in Australia, to call into Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney. 

March 10: 25-night Oriental Grand Cruise, £3222pp, saving £3441pp
 Cruise from Beijing to Bangkok in the spring, visiting Korea, Japan, Taiwain, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand on board Oceania's mid-sized Nautica, now with a $500 shipboard credit per stateroom. 

March 28: Caribbean Hideaways, 10 nights £1809, saving £959
 Cruise the Caribbean islands of Tortola, Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia and St. Barts on board Riviera, and receive a $300 per stateroom credit to spend in the ship’s bars, spa and boutiques. 

April 20: 19-night cruise with a Panama Canal transit and £1692pp saving
 Oceania's long cruise from Miami to San Francisco, on the mid-sized Regatta travels through the Caribbean Sea and along the west coast of Mexico via a magnificent Panama Canal transit, including a $500 per stateroom credit to spend on board. 

May 9: Gatweay to Alaska, £1749pp, with £1028 saving 
Cruise from San Francisco along the west coast of the USA and Alaska, to arrive into Vancouver 9 nights later, on the 650-guest Regatta, and including a $500 per stateroom credit to spend on board.

All fares include return UK flights, all meals, no supplement for speciality dining, complimentary bottled water and soft drinks.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury cruising specialists.

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Regent's New Winter Collection

Regent Seven Seas Cruises has a special offer to go with the unveiling of its new Winter Collection for 2013/14, which features voyages to South America, Asia, the South Pacific, Europe, the Caribbean and Alaska.

As part of the launch, the ultra-luxury line is offering a complimentary one-night, post-cruise luxury hotel package on all Winter Collection itineraries booked by December 31. Additional collection highlights include three new ports, five Grand Voyages with exclusive amenities, and special offers on pre and post-cruise land programmes.

Recognised as the most inclusive luxury cruise experience, all Regent sailings also include all-suite accommodations, 97% with private balconies, gourmet cuisine, premium spirits and fine wines, free shore excursions, gratuities, and a pre-cruise luxury hotel stay, at no additional cost.

2013-2014 Winter Collection Highlights

From November 2013 through to June 2014, the all-suite, all-balcony Seven Seas Voyager visits the South Pacific and Asia (above), with stops in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Bali, Vietnam, China, Japan and India, offering guests a variety of itineraries ranging from 10 – 136-nights including four Grand Voyages.

Regent also offers a specially priced three-night pre or post-cruise land programme for £318pp on select South Pacific and Asia itineraries. These include Angkor Wat, Beijing and the Great Wall of China, Hong Kong and Sydney, as well as Dubai and Kuala Lumpur, two new land programmes.

Seven Seas Mariner returns to South America where guests can sail along the mighty Amazon, cruise around Cape Horn, explore the Panama Canal and visit the largest Magellanic Penguin colony in the world. Sailings range from 10 to 70 nights including the coveted “Circle South America” Grand Voyage.

In March 2014, the 700-guest, all-suite, all-balcony ship heads back to the Mediterranean with a grand crossing from Rio de Janeiro to Barcelona featuring maiden calls in Dakar, Senegal, and Tangier, Morocco

The newly refurbished, all-suite Seven Seas Navigator explores the tropics, with 16 departures round-trip from Miami to the Caribbean, ranging from seven to 24 nights and including a maiden call in La Romana, Dominican Republic. The ship then departs Miami on April 21 for an 18-night voyage to San Francisco, transiting the Panama Canal to begin its  popular cruises in Alaska.

For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's luxury cruising specialists.

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Around The World With Silversea

Leading luxury cruise operator Silversea has announced  it will start 2014 - its 20^th anniversary year - with an exceptional voyage. The special 113-day 2014 World Cruise will encompass 54 ports in 29 countries, with 12 overnights and eight late departures.

Setting sail from Los Angeles on  January 6, the 382-guest Silver Whisper will circumnavigate the entire globe. Heading first into the Pacific, the ship calls at Hawaii, Samoa, Tonga and New Zealand before a two-day call at Sydney. The three days in Hong Kong and two days in Shanghai that follow will allow an extensive array of Overland Adventures, and a myriad of half and full-day excursions.

Guests will then spend a month exploring Asia calling at Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia before arriving at one of the world’s most intriguing and enigmatic destinations, Myanmar. Silver Whisper will remain at dock in Yangon for three days to allow ample time to discover the colonial architecture of Burma’s largest city, monumental Shwedagon Pagoda, and unforgettable Bagan with its 2,200 temples and pagodas. The antiquities and urban contrasts of India, Oman, Jordan and Egypt are then followed by twin calls in the Holy Land.

The global journey concludes with a sweep of former capitals of empire, notably Istanbul, Athens and Rome and the delights of Messina, Sorrento and Monte Carlo. An overnight in Barcelona will bring the World Cruise to an artistic conclusion.

Options are also available to extend the journey, by adding a pre-cruise Panama Canal voyage from Fort Lauderdale to Los Angeles (17 days), or extend from Barcelona to Lisbon (7 days) or Southampton (16 days).

Full World Cruise guests will enjoy a number of added benefits, including a gala Bon Voyage evening at the Montage Beverly Hills (or similar), baggage valet service, inclusive air (or air credit), generous onboard spending credits, exclusive shoreside events, such as an overnight visit to Angkor Wat, with dinner in the shadows of Bayon Temple, and a delightful array of surprises.

Prices start from £33,650 per person, based on double occupancy for the 113-day cruise.

For bookings, follow this link to the Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's luxury cruise specialists.

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Sail The China Seas

Noble Caledonia is offering a fascinating Far East journey from Sabah through the aquamarine waters of the South and East China Sea exploring the Philippine Islands, Taiwan and Japan aboard the Caledonian Sky next April.

Book Before September 30 and Save £500 Per Person; 14 nights from £5495

For the well travelled, this voyage from Sabah to Japan, sailing on April 11, offers a unique opportunity to visit little known and remote regions that are well away from the usual cruise routes in the Far East. The cruise begins in the Malaysian state of Sabah and heads north into the South China Sea for a call into the beautiful Philippine Island of Palawan where guests navigate what is reputed to be the longest underground river. Known as the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, it is an extraordinary five-mile-long cave, which starts in the limestone hills and ends in the sea. From the exquisite white sandy beaches of Coron, you can snorkel in calm crystalline waters. The last call in the Philippines will be in the far north for a visit to the central mountains of Northern Luzon. Continuing in a northerly direction, the next landfall will be the island of Taiwan where the ship spends time in the capital of Tapei. Thirty years ago, the city was an unattractive mess, today it is one of the finest and best-run cities in the East and an interesting place to learn more about the Japanese colonial period and the more recent era of Chiang Kai Shek. Approximately 100 miles from Taiwan, the islands of Japan begin, an archipelago that stretches some 500 miles to the mainland bordered by the East China Sea to the west and the Pacific Ocean to the east. Guests will enjoy three days cruising amongst these delightful outpost islands, probably best described as Japan’s Outer Hebrides. Finally, you reach Japan’s mainland and an altogether different experience as you explore some of her great historic cities before reaching Kobe, the last port of call.  For bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's luxury adventure cruise specialists.

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Costa Victoria To Call China Home

Costa Cruises has announced that Costa Victoria will depart on its maiden Asian voyage on May 18 from the new Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal in China. The ship will embark on four-to-seven-night cruises, with calls along the South Korean and Japanese coastlines.

Costa Victoria has many Asian-inspired dining options available to guests as the ship offers a range of local cuisines in four of its five restaurants. In the largest of these restaurants, the Sinfornia, dinner will be served in two sittings - the first with traditional Chinese or Italian dishes, and the latter with a greater selection of Japanese and South Korean food to choose from. The second largest restaurant, the Fantasia, will appeal to Chinese diners looking for a taste of home. 

In the evenings, one of the world’s top Michael Jackson impersonators, ICE, will perform MJ’s greatest hits in the Festival Showroom. There will also be a fashion show that offers guests a refined form of entertainment in the cavernous, two-deck theatre. Live music, games and competitions complete the nightlife to be found throughout Victoria’s 10 bars and discos.

The cruises will stop at several destinations in Japan, including the tropical paradise Hososhima/Miyazaki, Wakayama, which boasts the largest hot spring resort, Osaka, Japan’s second largest city and the popular sightseeing cities in the Kanto Area, Yokohama and Tokyo, the capital city. In the South Korean part of the itinerary, destinations include ‘island of the Gods’ Jeju, the picturesque harbour town of Yeosu and South Korea’s second largest city, Busan.

For booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's luxury cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Hapag-Lloyd's Epic Trip To Russian Far East

Here's something to pique the curiosity of even the most jaded cruiser, a genuinely rare itinerary that takes in some of the most exotic cruise territory in the world. Circumnavigating the Sea of Okhotsk, with stops in Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will offer their first cruise through the Russian Far East on their 5-star expedition vessel MS Hanseatic this year.

The itinerary will be fully bilingual, departing Otaru, Japan, on June 13, and concluding in Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka, on June 30. The 17-day expedition voyage will lead through the Sea of Okhotsk on a route rarely travelled by cruise ships, one of the last great unexplored sea expeditions in the world. The wildlife on the many remote islands is some of the richest in the world and the scenery of snow-capped volcanoes, dense forest, tundra and meadow is truly spectacular.

The on-board Zodiacs (small inflatable boats) will take guests ashore to observe wildlife such as Stellar Sea Lions, songbirds, birds of prey, seals and sea otters, up close. The mostly uninhabited Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia’s easternmost province, is a dramatic landscape of fire and ice, and the distant and isolated Kuril Islands have mesmerised explorers and traders for centuries.

Excursion options on this itinerary include a helicopter flight to the Valley of the Geysers, considered one of the greatest miracles of nature that can only be visited by air; a Zodiac ride to Cape Utholoskiy, to hopefully view the brown bear; and a walk around Atlasova, an uninhibited island in the Kuril Islands, with the largest active volcano in the area. 

This itinerary starts at £6,448 per person, based on double occupancy for an outside cabin.

For booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's luxury cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

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The Art of Japan With Orion

Orion Expedition Cruises has released details of an exclusive eight-night Art of Japan voyage featuring visits to some of the most culturally significant high points around the Inland Sea of Japan.

Departing Busan, South Korea, on April 19, the itinerary has been tailored especially for art lovers and those with a curiosity about Japanese art seeking to better understand and experience the breadth of the country's art culture, including some fine collections of Western art.                         

Developed in conjunction with the Art Gallery of New South Wales, this tour embraces ancient Shinto shrines, exquisite formal gardens, art complexes and museums, samurai culture, medieval castles and contemporary architecture. From the floating red shrine of Itsukushima to collections of Claude Monet, the formal gardens of Korakuen and the contemporary art of Tatsuo Miyajima, this Art of Japan voyage onboard Orion II promises to be an artistic revelation.

The voyage visits Sakai Ko, Honshu Island; Hagi, Honshu Island; Hiroshima; Miyajima, Inland Sea; Uno Ko, Honshu Island; Naoshima, Honshu Island; and Takamatsu, Shikoku Island; before arriving at Kobe, Japan. Prices start from £3,825 per person (a saving of £670) including eight nights onboard, all meals, entertainment and educational programmes, use of the ship’s sporting equipment and facilities, Zodiac excursions, port and handling charges, tender transfers and government fees and taxes.

For booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's luxury adventure cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

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One Week To The New Edition!

The Winter edition of World of Cruising magazine goes to the printers this week and should be back with us next Monday (Dec 19) for distribution to all our subscribers - just in time for a good Christmas read!

The latest issue is absolutely packed with the exotic and the desirable; long-distance cruising and closer-to-home varieties; winter ideas and festive touches. It journeys from Japan to Alaska and the Caribbean to the Med. And all in the inimitable style and high-quality design you have come to expect from Europe's leading cruise publication.

Our cover story is a unique close-up look at Alaska, through the twin perspectives of Princess Cruises and the new Alaskan Dream Cruises, with some fabulous photography and brilliant story-telling. Then we take a Viking voyage in the company of Fred. Olsen Cruises and head to the FarEast to look at the growing cruise destination of South Korea.

Need some winter sunshine? Go straight to out feature on Caribbean voyaging with SeaDream Yacht Club, a real tropical tonic. Or how about another look at the Asian Far East, this time with Orion Expedition Cruises and their first ever visit to Japan?


Back on home ground, we have a feature-length look at Swan Hellenic's Minerva from her new home base of Portsmouth (and just prior to her big winter re-fit), and then head north again for a look at the Norwegian Arctic of Hurtigruten in the region of Spitsbergen, truly one of cruising's great adventure frontiers.

For river cruising, we head to Russia and a unique journey from Moscow to St Petersburg with Uniworld, while we add a touch of pure luxury aboard Azamara Club Cruises and their unique President's Cruise. We also fofer two Passenger Perspective pieces, looking at Azamara and Cunard's Queen Victoria.

All our regular features are, of course, firmly front and centre, from the inimitable blogging style of Captain Greybeard and the inimitable Admiral, to our Aft View section, the expert Fashion pages, the essential World of Spas section, Readers Letters and the essential Cruise Planner, our annual review of ALL the ships with ALL the lines, so you can sit and plan your next voyage in perfect style.

It is all here, capped off by the best writers on the subject, from Gary Buchanan and Yvonne Horn to cruise historian Peter Newall and adventuring supremo Steve Newman.

As ever, World of Cruising is subscription-only, so, to be sure of your copy, make sure you visit our subscription page - Here!

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

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Royal Caribbean's China Tie-Up

Royal Caribbean International has entered into a strategic relationship with the Xiamen municipal government and China World Cruises (CWC) in China that involves chartering Legend of the Seas for a total of four months in 2012.

During the four months, Royal Caribbean will operate and market 21 three- to eight-night sailings from Xiamen, as well as Shanghai, Tianjin and Hong Kong, to ports of call in Taiwan, Vietnam, Japan and Korea.

The inaugural, five-night charter sailing will depart from Hong Kong on March 20, 2012, while the first departure of guests from Xiamen will be on March 26.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

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