Princess Are Big In Japan

Princess Cruises has identified Japan as one of cruising's big new hot-spots after one of its busiest ever Januarys. With this time of year typically being 'Wave Season' and a huge period for cruise bookings, Princess is reporting triple digit growth on its routes in and around the Far East island.

Bookings were evenly split between passengers opting for a round tour of Japan and those preferring to take in the likes of Tokyo and Nagasaki as well as neighbouring countries, including Russia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Elsewhere, the Panama Canal - which celebrates its 100th anniversary in August 2014 - has also proved popular, with booking numbers more than doubling. The Caribbean, a traditional cruise favourite, similarly fared well, with a sharp increase in passenger numbers.

Paul Ludlow, Princess Cruises Managing Director for UK and Europe, explained: "January is hugely significant for the cruise industry as it's our busiest time of the year for bookings. As a result, this demand is enormously encouraging and testament to Princess' wide range of global destinations and welcoming service.

"I'm pleased to see Japan is proving so popular as it's an incredible part of the world that's now more easily within reach of the UK. The prospect of exploring its culture, cuisine, art and history, all from the comfort of our ships, is an increasingly sought-after combination."

Japan cruises are available from £665 per person (cruise only).

More info: call 0843 373 0333 or visit www.princess.com.

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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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