Crystal's Lord of the Rings Adventure

Known for its ingenuity in global adventure, Crystal Cruises is offering an exclusive new dinner experience on the “Hobbiton” set used for the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the new prequel film. 

The unique shore-side opportunity will debut just days after The Hobbit opens worldwide when Crystal Symphony calls in Tauranga during a New Zealand/Australia holiday cruise beginning December 20. The Crystal Adventure will also be offered on a January 29 voyage through the region.

The two local cultures of New Zealand and “Middle Earth” will come alive, starting with a private,  after-hours guided tour of the village movie set. From Frodo and Bilbo Baggins’ Hobbit holes to the Brandywine Bridge, guests will enter buildings and stroll rolling hills, while learning about the massive efforts undertaken to build the site. On the grounds of the hobbit-frequented Green Dragon Inn, with a beautiful sunset view overlooking the lake and Mill, guests will enjoy a bevy of  extraordinary local wine and beers, a traditional Kiwi barbeque and other fresh dishes served by waiting staff in Lord of the Rings garb.

The cost of the Hobbiton dinner and village exploration is $265/person. A second Lord of the Rings-themed Adventure is also offered on both cruises, visiting Edoras’ home, Mt. Potts Station and Lodge, and New Zealand’s Southern Alps from Christchurch.

The December 20 voyage - which also offers gourmet holiday cuisine, festive décor, a Master Photographer capturing memories and a complimentary New Year’s Eve extravaganza in Sydney Harbour - overnights in Auckland before sailing through Tauranga, Napier, Christchurch, Dunedin, Sydney (double overnight), Melbourne (overnight) and Dusky, Doubtful and Milford Sounds. All-inclusive “Book Now” fares for the 16-night Christmas/New Year’s sailing start from £7,600 per person. 

The January 29 cruise also stops overnight in Auckland then overnights in Tauranga and proceeds through Napier, Wellington, Picton, Christchurch, Dunedin and the Sounds before concluding with an overnight in Sydney. All-inclusive “Book Now” fares for the 13-night sailing start from £4,672 per person, with £1,563 in savings if booked by December 31.

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

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Noble Caledonia's New Zealand Sky

Those of you who have travelled on Noble Caledonia’s Island Sky will already know what a superb vessel she is. Now the company have announced that her sister ship Caledonian Sky will be luxury small-ship cruising in New Zealand and Australia in January and February 2013.

If you are going to travel half way around the world, you need a good reason, and what better reason could you have than the desire to visit one of the most beautiful places on earth? New Zealand is a land of stunning landscapes and warm people, which is why it is always high on travellers’ wish lists. With vast open spaces filled with stunning rugged landscapes, gorgeous beaches, spectacular geothermal and volcanic activity, a temperate climate and fascinating animal and plant life, it is a land of rare beauty.

A circumnavigation of the North Island offers the unusual opportunity to visit the lesser known west coast. Call into the quaint city of New Plymouth, explore the Waipoua Kauri Forest, one of the largest remaining tracts of native forest in Northland, and discover the awe-inspiring scenery of the Bay of Islands. Visit the iconic cities of Auckland, Napier and Wellington and journey to the thermal springs at Rotorua, a myriad of gurgling mudpools, steaming ground and expansive vistas. 

Now: Book by October 31 and save £1,000 per person.

Special note: Although this cruise is not classified as expeditionary, on some days it will be necessary to use the Zodiac landing craft to access remote ports and land ashore. 

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

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Golf Cruising In New Zealand

Well known for spectacular mountains, towering fjords and lush forests, New Zealand is also renowned as one of the world’s top destinations for golfers. Orion Expedition Cruises’ South Pacific Golf Expedition from Lyttleton to Auckland will open the door to a number of spectacular and challenging New Zealand golf courses. Included on the world’s top 100 list, these courses are on every golfer’s wish list - made all the better by experiencing them from the comfort of a small floating hotel, the highly awarded luxurious expedition cruise ship, Orion.

This voyage includes green fees for five rounds of golf at Royal Wellington, Cape Kidnappers (two rounds) and Kauri Cliffs (two rounds), cart hire and golf club transportation to and from the ship for each golf course visited.

Friends or partners who are not yet keen golfers have not been forgotten as there is much to delight and excite them on this voyage. While golfers may be hitting an Albatross, their partners may be observing nesting gannets at Cape Kidnappers or sipping a crisp white at one of New Zealand’s renowned wineries.

Each day will reveal something special. From Wellington, where colourful Victorian houses grace the steep hills surrounding one of the prettiest harbours in the southern hemisphere, to the dramatic coastlines and extraordinary seascapes.

The eight-night South Pacific Golf Expedition departs Lyttleton on February 16, 2013, and visits Wellington, Marlborough Sound, Napier and Whangaroa before finishing in Auckland. Prices are from £4,385 per person, including eight nights onboard Orion, all meals, entertainment and educational programmes, green fees, use of the ship’s sporting equipment and facilities, Zodiac excursions, port and handling charges, tender transfers and government fees and taxes.

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



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Europa's 2013 Highlights

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is happy to announce the arrival of their 2013 Europa international brochure, including seven exciting itineraries operating in English and German. The six-star MS Europa is offering cruises to the South Seas, New Zealand, Australia, the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Peninsula, Norway, the Baltic and the Mediterranean next year, with three new ports of call on its international itineraries: Palmerston Atoll/Cook Islands, Picton/New Zealand and Algiers/Algeria.

Highlights on Europa in 2013:

South Seas Winter: The Europa will be exploring the South Pacific islands in January 2013 for hiking, swimming, and snorkelling in untouched islands, hidden away in the lagoons of the Oceania. The South Seas itinerary is from January 19-February 6, from Papeete/Tahiti to Auckland/New Zealand, with stops in Bora Bora and Raiatea in French Polynesia, Rarotonga, Aitutaki Atoll, and Palmerston Atoll in the Cook Islands, Neiafu and Nuku’alofa in the Tonga, and the Fiji Islands. Rates for this itinerary start at $7,700 per person, based on double occupancy.

New Zealand Winter: Breathtaking fjord landscapes and vast green fields offer magnificent sights to be discovered while hiking, kayaking or by a helicopter ride in the North and South Islands of New Zealand. This itinerary is from February 6-22, from Auckland to Sydney, with stops in Tauranga, White Island, Napier, Wellington, Nelson, Picton, Lyttelton, Akaroa, Port Chalmers, and Stewart Island. Rates start at $9,220 per person, based on double occupancy.

For bookings, be sure to follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's leading adventure and luxury cruise specialists.

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Crystal's VIP Fireworks To Ring In New Year In Sydney

Although it’s only February, Crystal Cruises is reminding travellers it’s never too early to start planning New Year’s Eve by releasing details of an ultra-luxury, private floating party in Sydney Harbour to welcome in 2013. The over-the-top celebration offers exclusive front-row “seats” to the world’s biggest New Year’s fireworks, free for guests of all ages on Crystal Symphony’s culinary-themed seasonal cruise through New Zealand and Australia beginning December 20.

The New Year celebrations unfold onboard two luxury catamarans, sailing past Sydney’s crowd-lined shores in the exclusive, select-vessel Harbour of Light Parade flotilla. Crystal has specially-arranged final VIP stationing under Sydney Harbour Bridge, inside the off-limits Harbour Exclusion Zone, for the pre-eminent fireworks vantage point. The intimate post-dinner soiree includes hors d’oeuvres, desserts, premium open bar, music, dancing, midnight champagne countdown, Crystal’s renowned six-star service and spectacular city views, with guests among the globe’s first ringing in 2013.

This 16-night Christmas and New Year sailing from Auckland to Melbourne features stunning festive decorations, gourmet Christmas dinner, Chanukah traditions and other seasonal delights during overnights in Auckland, Melbourne and Sydney (two nights), plus calls in Tauranga, Napier, Christchurch/Lyttleton and Dunedin. Numerous experts - including guest chefs, mixologist, oenologist, oceanographer, conservation biologist, CBS News correspondent and South African Ambassador - are also scheduled to host enlightening destination-related presentations.

Until February 28, “Book Now” cruise-only fares for the 16-night voyage start at just £8,005 per person, based on two sharing a deluxe stateroom with picture window on an all-inclusive basis, including fine wines and premium spirits throughout the ship plus pre-paid gratuities for housekeeping, bar and dining staff.

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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A Down Under Delight

By guest blogger Steve Newman

One of the big growth areas in cruising is the Adventure section, with more and more people seeing the appeal of hopping in and out of zodiacs and seeing wildlife and nature really up close.

In particular, areas of the world which seemed closed to the public are now opening at an amazing speed, especially Australia and New Zealand.

With this in mind, spcialist cruise agents the Cruise Line Ltd's Adventure Cruise Collection brochure has a double page spread dedicated to the two countries.

Why not try the Murray River cruise experience or perhaps the spectacular fjord views of Milford Sound? From the historic pearling town of Broome to the cities of Auckland and Napier, this region will take your breath away.

For further details, log on to http://www.cruiseline.co.uk/ or call them on 0800 008 7855.

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