Cruise Lines Recognise War History

This year marks 100 years since the start of World War I and 70 years since the D-Day landings and, in commemoration, a number of cruise lines have created a wide selection of special itineraries and excursions.

The waterways and seas of Europe provide a unique, tranquil way to reflect on these times and an opportunity to visit the iconic locations that were the setting for some of the 20th Century’s most significant events.

A selection of specially designed cruise itineraries and excursions for 2014 have just reached our Inbox, and the details are as follows:

Azamara Club Cruises – 11 night ‘Memories of WWII’ fly/cruise
This 11-night cruise aboard Azamara Journey departs from Lisbon and calls at St. Peter Port (Guernsey), Cherbourg (D-Day Landing Beaches), Honfleur, Boulogne-Sur-Mer, Dover and Amsterdam before arriving into Hamburg. Guests can also enjoy ‘The North of France WWII experience’ excursion, taking in a visit to the national cemetery of Notre-Dame de Lorette and nearby museum.  

More info: visit www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk.

Cruise & Maritime Voyages – range of itineraries visiting historic areas & D-Day landings
Cruise options stopping at the ports of Ghent, Zeebrugge, Antwerp in Belgium and Honfleur in France allow guests to visit key places in World War One history, including Ypres, where the main conflict took place, and the Menin Gate. There is also a special Anniversary Cruise departing from Bristol on June 1 to commemorate the D-Day landings, taking in Normandy, Honfleur, Guernsey and Cherbourg.

More info: visit www.cruiseandmaritime.tv

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines – 7-night cruise to commemorate D-Day 70th anniversary
Join the Braemar for its commemorative cruise visiting Zeebrugge – Tyne Cot Cemetery and In Flanders Fields Museum; Portsmouth – stopping at Southsea seafront and the D-Day Museum; before moving on to Cherbourg and Le Havre, France, where guests can visit the Allied landing areas on the ‘Day of Remembrance’ on June 6. Dunkirk is the last port of call, where guests can visit the Battle of Dunkirk Museum. Fred. Olsen is also proud to welcome nostalgic British ‘Big Band’ The New Squadronaires on board, as well as Tony Harris, Official Ambassador for the Help for Heroes charity and inspirational speaker.  

More info: visit www.fredolsencruises.com.

Swan Hellenic – new D-Day 70th Anniversary Cruise
Cross the Channel aboard the Minerva to Dunkirk, where guests will visit the Dunkirk beaches and museum. The cruise also takes in Ypres – to visit the In Flanders Fields Museum and Tyne Cot Cemetery, Caen – for the Gold and Sword beaches and Arromanches D-Day Museum, and Cherbourg – to visit the American Utah and Omaha beaches and St Mere Eglise, one of the first towns to be liberated. On June 6, the 70th Anniversary of the D-Day landings, Minerva will cruise off the Normandy Beaches and hold a Service of Remembrance.

More info: visit www.swanhellenic.com.

Titan Travel – new Centenary Remembrance Tour, ‘Corners of a Foreign Field’
Expert guides take guests to the WWI Battlefields, memorials, landmarks and museums of Flanders, Artois and the Somme. Guests will visit iconic landmarks such as Vimy Ridge and Hell Fire Corner, and the preserved trenches in Newfoundland Park, as well as the memorial to The Last Fighting Tommy.

More info: visit www.titantravel.co.uk

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Majestic's New Wildlife Partnership

Innovative small-ship cruise company The Majestic Line,has confirmed their partnership with one of the country’s top wildlife guides, providing an exciting land tour on their new 2014 Hebridean cruise, named ‘Around Mull: Wildlife Explorer’.

The new voyage is aimed at guests keen to discover the many extraordinary diverse and rare species that make this island one of the premier hotspots for wildlife in the UK. The company’s crew of four have sailed these sheltered waters for many years and have first-hand experience of spotting incredible wildlife throughout the cruising season, including basking sharks, porpoises, Minke whales, otters, white-tailed and golden eagles.  

Guests can soak up an abundance of wildlife in comfort and style aboard Majestic's pair of mini cruise ships, enjoying exceptional hospitality against a stunning backdrop of mountains, remote white sandy beaches, and ancient castles.

More info: call 07748 360 148 or visit www.themajesticline.co.uk. 

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Oman Set For Cruise Boost

Now that it has dedicated its Sultan Qaboos port in Muscat exclusively to cruise ships only, Oman is expected to become one of the most popular ports in the Middle East.

 

In 2013, Muscat, the port of Oman, had 13 cruise ships calls with 13,000 passengers; this year, it is expected to get a whopping 120-plus calls, with up to 250,000 passengers - a massive 1900 per cent increase.

 

Martin Tanner, marketing manager at Jetline Cruise, explained: “The biggest draw to the area has always been the allure of Dubai, with Oman being a bonus secondary port of call to visit. Now that the port in Muscat has been designated exclusively for cruise ships and, with the 2022 World Cup being held in Qatar, interest in the area is set to boom.

 

“Currently there are only a small number of cruise ships which visit Oman. However, now is the time to visit the country to experience the heritage and culture where unspoilt beaches and romantic sunset camel safaris in the desert makes a unique and memorable winter holiday.”

 

Jetline are currently featuring Oman, with a tempting fly-cruise from London to Dubai on March 20, including a stay for two nights room only in a 5-star hotel before embarking MSC Cruises' Lirica for a six-night Middle Eastern cruise to Abu Dhabi, Khor Al Fakkan and Muscat. This package costs from £999 per person based on two adults sharing accommodation and includes return flights, accommodation and full board cruise.

 

More info: visit www.jetlinecruise.com or call 0800 082 2186.

The new edition of World of Cruising is now out, and you can see the digital version online on our home page at www.worldofcruising.co.uk. To subscribe at our special offer rate for 2014, see this link.

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Fred Olsen Celebrate 100th Anniversary Of Panama Canal

The Panama Canal is going to be much in focus this year as it prepares to celebrate its 100th anniversary in August, and various lines are offering cruies to mark the centenary occasion with some special voyages. 

The latest offer to take in one of the world’s most spectacular engineering feats comes from Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, who are offering the chance to commemorate the occasion on style aboard their flagship Balmoral. The 31-night ‘The Americas & Caribbean’ fly-cruise starts with a departure from London Gatwick on March 19 and sails all the way from San Diego, through the Caribbean and back to Southampton.

This exotic fly-cruise is one of the sectors of Balmoral’s 104-night World Cruise, which departed from Southampton back on January 5.

The obvious highlight of this trip, though, is a scenic cruise along the awe-inspiring Canal itself. Listed in CNN’s rundown of ‘11 places to go in 2014’, Panama is a tiny, but diverse, country of volcanoes, rainforests, coffee plantations and beautiful beaches, on both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, which is also home to one of the most important trade waterways on the globe.

The ‘Big Ditch’, as the Panama Canal is known, lifts Balmoral with a fascinating system of mechanics, along the three great locks – Gatun, Pedro Miguel and Miraflores – aided by on-shore ‘mule’ locomotives, and passing under the iconic ‘Bridge of the Americas’.

More info: 0800 0355 242 www.fredolsencruises.com.

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Take In Northern Cape With Voyages of Discovery

Any cruise that takes in beautiful Norway is always going to get our attention, and here's one with that - and a bit more.

Book now and you can also  take advantage of the Voyages of Discovery "Summer Solstice & Northern Cape" 15-day cruise that departs on June 14. Explore the rugged islands, inlets and yawning fjords that characterise Norway’s fissured coastline on this itinerary that takes in the highlights of the country.

From the city of Bergen, famed for its colourful waterfront houses, to Honningsvåg, which is the gateway to Europe’s most northerly point, passengers will enjoy numerous breathtaking vistas on this voyage to the majestic North Cape and the Land of the Midnight Sun. Prices start from just £1,839pp, plus early bookers can enjoy up to £200 on board credit on balcony cabins if booked by February 28.

Voyages of Discovery is also offering Book Early Fares, featuring savings of up to £250 per person, on their 14-day "Natural Wonders & Wildlife" cruise, departing May 17. This exciting itinerary promises nature, wilderness, wildlife and natural wonders as it takes guests on a journey to the Shetland Islands, Iceland, Faroe Islands and Orkney s. From the remote and staggering landscape of the Shetland Islands to the white glaciers and snow-capped mountains of Iceland, this is the ultimate holiday for outdoor and wildlife enthusiasts. Prices start from just £1,839 per person, plus up to £200 onboard credit on balcony cabins. Book by February 28.

 

Prices for all cruises include return flights to/from the UK, gratuities onboard and ashore; all relevant overseas transfers; all meals; a comprehensive series of Guest Speaker talks; and selected shore excursions.

More info: call 0844 417 2471 or visit www.voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk.

The new edition of World of Cruising is now out, and you can see the digital version online on our home page atwww.worldofcruising.co.uk. To subscribe at our special offer rate for 2014, see this link. 

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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Swan Hellenic’s Caribbean Lure

Here's a great opportunity to enjoy a couple of distinctive cruises with Swan Hellenic, with their special Saver Fares and NO single supplement this year.

First, they are offering a 17-day "From the Caribbean to the Canaries" cruise, departing March 29, with the chance to explore historic plantation houses in Barbados, breathtaking views of the famous volcanic Pitons in St Lucia before discovering the little visited Iles des Saintes group of islands in Guadeloupe. Other highlights of this voyage include the stunning Fort de France, Martinique, the Cape Verde Islands and the volcanic island of Tenerife. Prices start from £3,800pp for a balcony cabin and £1,999 for an inside cabin if booked by  February 28.

Or you can save up to £200pp on the "Scandinavian Spring" 12-day cruise, departing April 28. This voyage explores Scandinavia in full bloom in partnership with Royal Horticultural Society Holidays, taking in beautiful gardens in Frederiksborg, Gothenburg and Bergen. Taking in the quaint canals and cobbled streets of historic Gothenburg, Minerva then cruises through the beautiful Southern Archipelago before sailing into the heart of the vibrant city of Oslo and exploring smaller fjords such as Akrafjord. Prices start from £1,980pp for an inside cabin. Solo travellers can also benefit from a 0% Single Supplement on standard outside cabins if booked by February 28.

Prices include return flights to/from the UK (for fly cruises), gratuities onboard and ashore, all relevant overseas transfers, meals, a comprehensive series of Guest Speaker talks and selected shore excursions.

More info: call 0844 417 1939 or visit www.swanhellenic.com.

The new edition of World of Cruising is now out, and you can see the digital version online on our home page at www.worldofcruising.co.uk. To subscribe at our special offer rate for 2014, see this link.

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Paul Gauguin's Papua New Guinea Bonus

Paul Gauguin Cruises remain one of the cruise world's individual stylists in the South Pacific, and any new itinerary with them is something to highlight. Couple the 'something new' factor with the opportunity to visit Papua New Guinea, and you have a very tempting option.

 

The 11-night Fiji to Australia voyage departing June 14 is a unique voyage that charts a course to popular and undiscovered ports alike from exotic Fiji to the Great Barrier Reef. Guests will embark Paul Gauguin in Lautoka, Fiji’s “Sugar City” and heart of its sugarcane industry, and cruise to Vanuatu, the island chain that inspired James A Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Tales of the South Pacific.

 

Next stop is Guadalcanal, whose very name is synonymous with a turning point of World War II, followed by the real highlight of Papua New Guinea, set on the second-largest island in the world. Here, guests will visit the island of Bougainville, with its World War II sites, traditional handicrafts and natural wonders; Samarai Island, a National Historical Heritage Island; and Port Moresby, the capital and most populous city in the country.

 

The cruise will finish in Cairns, gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Prices are from £4,290 per person for 11 nights accommodation in an ocean view stateroom with all meals, soft drinks, selected alcoholic beverages and gratuities. Also included is airfare from Los Angeles.

Then, the 12-night Australia to Fiji voyage departing August 18 is the same as the above but in reverse. It also includes an additional port of call in the serene island of Malolo where guests will experience the ultimate in relaxation. Special guests include oceanographer Jean-Michel Cousteau, Nobel Peace Prize winner John E Hay, onboard lecturer Helen Henry, concert rock violinist Aaron Meyer, musicians Seth Taylor and Monica Ripamonti and Polynesian anthropologist Mark Eddowes. Prices are from £4,579 per person for 12 nights accommodation in an ocean view stateroom with all meals, soft drinks, selected alcoholic beverages and gratuities. Also included is airfare from Los Angeles.

More info: call  020 7399 7691 or visit www.pgcruises.com.

The new edition of World of Cruising is now out, and you can see the digital version online on our home page at www.worldofcruising.co.uk. To subscribe at our special offer rate for 2014, see this link.

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