New Destination adventures in the Galapagos Islands

Celebrity Cruises unveils authentic dining experience with locals and reforestation project in national park

To celebrate 10 years of offering adventure holidays to the Galapagos Islands, Celebrity Cruises has launched new land excursions that range from dining on authentic cuisine prepared by local residents to contributing to the protected islands by giving new life to a native tree species. 

The new adventures are included when sailing onboard Celebrity Xpedition, in addition to the daily naturalist-led lectures and excursions on the untouched islands, their highlands and beautiful beaches.

Celebrity Cruises Galapagos sailings range from seven to 15 nights onboard the 98-guest Celebrity Xpedition with prices for an all-inclusive ten-night cruise starting at £5339 per person for an Ocean View Stateroom departing on 5^th July 2015 – selected packages feature all-inclusive amenities including adventure gear, chartered luxury air transfers, gourmet cuisine and in-stateroom dining and cocktails.

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Have the ultimate African experience with Holland America Line

      Fly over the world’s highest sand dunes in Namibia, experience a real South African safari, canoe the mangroves of Gambia

   

Holland America Line’s new 83-night circumnavigation of Africa voyage now has specially added new sectors giving travellers unrivalled opportunities to explore the African continent. This journey takes in over 40 different ports in a wide variety of countries, all of which offer an incredible range of excursions and African experiences.

  

83 night Southampton to Southampton African Explorer cruise from £6,899pp

The full Africa circumnavigation cruise from Southampton, departing on 28 September 2014 on ms Rotterdam, will take in a fantastic range of countries and ports of call from Egypt to Mauritius, Namibia, Angola and the Seychelles, making over 40 calls in total, before arriving back in the UK on 20 December 2014. Guests can choose from well over 300 different shore excursions throughout this cruise.  All prices are based on two sharing an inside cabin and include the full board cruise. Fly-cruise prices are available on request.

For more information or to book, contact Holland America Line on www.hollandamerica.co.uk or call 0843 374 2300

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Record number of Brits choosing to cruise Down Under

Record numbers of cruise enthusiast are making long-term plans  and booking holidays Down Under, not just for next year but also for 2016, according to leading cruise holiday agent, Iglucruise.com.

Most popular of all is a luxury 42-night trip on the Celebrity Solstice from February 10 2016, taking in Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide with prices, including flights and free onboard drinks, from £5,549 for an ocean-view cabin.

www.iglucruise.com/celebrity-solstice/10th-february-2016_c80453

If that seems an age away, then Iglu has a 20-day stay and cruise departing October 31 2015 on the Voyager of the Seas with calls at Sydney and Auckland. Prices, including flights, from £2,449.

www.iglucruise.com/voyager-of-the-seas/31st-october-2015_c83612-inside-cabin

"Australia and New Zealand are becoming popular destinations," said Dave Mills, Commercial Director. "It’s down to a combination of the great value, the time of the year – our winter, their summer – and the thrill of going somewhere entirely new and different"

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Latest river cruise deals from AmaWaterways

SAVE £500pp

23rd June 2014, 11 night Russian Waterways cruise, saving £500pp
AmaWaterways’ 11 night cruise along the Volga-Baltic waterways between St. Petersburg and Moscow operates from May to September and includes free daily excursions, city tours, the chance to dine with a Russian family, take Russian lessons on board, or visit farming villages, cities, cathedrals and palaces. Departing on 23rd June 2014 the price is from £2559pp, was £3059, including free flights from London, transfers, breakfast, lunch and dinner on board the river cruiser `AmaKatarina’ with free flowing wine beer & soft drinks with dinner, daily excursions and tours. 

SAVE £700pp

8^th July, Danube cruise saving £700pp including free flights and transfers

Free flights from London or Manchester, airport transfers to the ship and a saving of £700pp are included in a 7 night Danube sailing from Vilshofen to Budapest, departing on 8^th July. The cruise now costs from £1599pp (was £2299) and £1799 from Manchester (was £2499) and is available from luxury river cruise operator AmaWaterways. The sailing also includes breakfast, lunch and dinner on board the luxury river cruiser AmaPrima, with free flowing wine, beer & soft drinks with lunch and dinner, daily excursions and tours, free wi-fi, complimentary use of on board bicycles. 

Contact AmaWaterways on 0808 256 8422, www.amawaterways.co.uk

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Hops Aboard – Un-Cruise Adventures Plans Craft Beer Theme Cruises on Coastal Washington Adventure Cruises

60-guest Wilderness Adventurer sails roundtrip Seattle

Un-Cruise Adventures hops to it with four new craft beer theme cruises set for Autumn and spring departures in Washington’s Puget Sound and Salish Sea. The Seattle-based adventure cruise line marries local micro-brew experts with adventure in scenic areas from South Hood Canal to Olympic National Park and the San Juan Islands.  

The 60-guest Wilderness Adventurer expedition vessel sails roundtrip Seattle on a weeklong itinerary from September – November and April – May.
Craft beer theme cruises are set for October 4, 2014, April 25 and October 3, 2015 and April 30, 2016. 

Highlights of the itinerary include hiking in Olympic National Park (a World Heritage Site), Mt. Constitution and Washington State Parks. Waterborne expeditions by kayaks, skiffs and paddle boards explore glacial fjords and the San Juan archipelago. In Quilcene Bay, a local family hosts a home-grown oyster and clam tasting. Guests enjoy free time in scenic Friday Harbor and discover Native cultures in Port Townsend. Eyes are kept peeled for marine life and seabirds—gray whales, orcas, seals, sea lions and bald eagles.

The craft beer cruise includes all meals, beer tastings, transfers, adventure activities, hot tub, sauna and yoga on deck. Rates begin at $1,895 per person, double occupancy. Charters and group incentives are available. To book or to request additional information, contact your travel agent or Un-Cruise Adventures at 888-862-8881 or sales@un-cruise.com.  

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Viking's first ocean ship is floated out of dry dock

Viking Cruises' inaugural ocean ship – the 930-passenger Viking Star – was floated out at a ceremony in Italy yesterday. The vessel touched water for the first time at Fincantieri’s Marghera shipyard near Venice. Viking Star will debut in early 2015 with maiden voyages in Scandinavia and the Baltic; and the Western and Eastern Mediterranean – as well as two new itineraries for 2016 that visit the British Isles. Three sister ships have also been ordered.

Viking chairman Torstein Hagen said at the ceremony: "Today is a proud day for our entire Viking family, as we are one step closer to launching a new era of ocean cruising. Viking Star’s maiden season was sold out before she even touched water, which just demonstrates how enthusiastic our guests are for destination-focused ocean cruises. It is this enthusiasm that has led us to place orders for two additional sister ships, Viking Sea and Viking Sky.”

According to Italian shipbuilding tradition, a float out ceremony is significant because it denotes a ship moving into its final stage of construction. Viking Star’s float out began at 10.30a.m. local time, when a “madrina” – a woman of honor from the shipyard – cut a cord to allow water to begin flowing into the ship’s building dock. Following a two-day process that set Viking Star afloat, she will now be moved to a nearby outfitting dock for final construction and completion of her interiors.

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Virgin Cruise Late Deals

14-night Italian Mediterranean Cruise on Independence of the Seas from £949pp

Departing on 23 August 2014, Virgin Holidays Cruises offers a 14 night Italian Mediterranean cruise aboard Independence of the Seas sailing from Southampton, Vigo (Spain), Lisbon (Portugal), Valencia (Spain), Barcelona (Spain), Palma (Majorca), Ibiza (Spain) and Cadiz (Spain). Price is per person based on two adults travelling, sharing an inside cabin on a full-board basis. Offer is subject to availability and includes all applicable taxes and fuel surcharges which are subject to change.

Eight night Seattle Stay & Alaska Cruise on Carnival Miracle from £1,699pp

Departing on 25 Aug 2014, Virgin Holidays Cruises offers one night room only at the 4V Edgewater, Seattle before joining Carnival Miracle for seven nights from Seattle, Skagway, Juneau and Victoria. Price is per person based on two adults travelling, sharing an inside cabin on a full-board basis with flights from London Heathrow. Offer is subject to availability and includes all applicable taxes and fuel surcharges which are subject to change.

To book: visit http://www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk/cruise-deals/, call 0844 488 3084 or visit one of  130 stores located in Debenhams and House of Fraser, Tesco or Sainsbury’s stores nationwide.

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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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