Zegrahm's 2014 Small-Ship Line-Up

Zegrahm Expeditions has announced the company's extensive 2014 ship-based expedition schedule, featuring a fabulous range of destinations on four excellent vessels.

The line-up of adventure cruises features 14 extraordinary voyages that reach all seven continents aboard the Sea Adventurer, Isabela II, Island Sky, and Caledonian Sky. Accommodating between 40-100 guests, the vessels are staffed by an exceptional expedition team of scientists, naturalists, and historians. 

“From Antarctica to the Black Sea and Madagascar to the Galapagos, we are offering travel to some of the world’s most remote and exotic places in 2014,” said Zegrahm president Edwin Blythe. “Not only are we introducing new itineraries and bringing back a few past favorites, but with more voyages aboard the Island Sky and Caledonian Sky, we can simultaneously be exploring several different regions of the world and capitalise on the best time of year to be there.”

Highlights of the 2014 season include:

Circumnavigation of New Guinea: This two-part voyage received great reviews in 2009 and Zegrahm is excited to include it in their line-up once again. Travellers can explore the underwater wonders of the region’s vibrant coral reefs and visit remote villages in the Trobriands, Rabaul, and the Asmat. Voyage I sails March 8-23 and Voyage II follows March 19-April 5.

Mysteries of the Far North: Russia’s White Sea: This new itinerary exposes travellers to an area long closed to Western visitors. Taking place July 20-August 6, the itinerary features sublime beauty, magnificent architecture and fascinating history.

Pearls of Polynesia: Fiji to Tahiti: In 2014, this always-popular itinerary is featuring an exciting new “voluntourism” opportunity that allows travellers to contribute to ecological preservation efforts on Suwarrow Atoll in the Cook Islands. In addition, the 17-day adventure, September 15-October 1, offers a great mix of culture and natural history, from searching for rare endemic species to learning about traditional island life.

Ultimate Aldabra: A Journey through the Seychelles: For the first time, Zegrahm is offering seven full days exploring the island group, which is a world heritage site and has remained largely untouched by humans due to its remoteness. The expedition sets sail November 16, 2014. 

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

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SeaDream's New Brochure Bonus

SeaDream Yacht Club has introduced a newly-designed, full-colour, 80-page brochure reflecting their yachting lifestyle and featuring the 2013/14 voyage programme of their chic, twin vessels SeaDream I and SeaDream II. For the first time, all voyages are shown in pounds sterling.

The highlights are as follows:

The all-new autumn 2013 Costa Rica programme sees SeaDream’s first sailings across the “top” of South America, its first visit to Gatun Lake and Nicaragua, Costa Rica, itself, with inaugural sailings through the great Panama Canal. Typical voyages such as SeaDream I’s 7-night Caldera round-trip 'Costa Rica & Panama Discovery' sailing on November 30 start from £2,266pp, including all fees, handling and port tax.

The brand new autumn/spring 2013/14 Asia programme aboard SeaDream II features 18 different departures, and visits almost every nation with a coast in Asia, including Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar (Burma), East Timor, Indonesia, New Guinea, Vietnam, Cambodia and Hong Kong. Sailings range from 7 to 14 nights and the programme kicks off with an inaugural trans-Suez and a trans-Indian Ocean sailing.

A typical 7-night itinerary such as 'Asian Fantasia' round-trip from Singapore on April 4, 2014, costs from £3,095pp, while a typical longer voyage such as her 14-night 'Voyage of the Warrors' sailing from Cairns to Bali departing on February 1, 2014, costs from £5,995pp.

An exciting highlight of the summer 2014 Northern Europe season sees SeaDream operating its first cruise from Britain, a 14-night Baltic Capitals voyage departing on August 30 round-trip from Dover, with lead-in early booking fares starting from £6,655pp. After the inaugural round-trip UK sailing, SeaDream I heads for Lisbon, then Rome and on to Athens to join her sister ship in the Mediterranean through to the end of the summer.

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

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SeaDream's Asia Debut

SeaDream Yacht Club has announced that, for the first time, they will deploy one of their twin mega-yachts, SeaDream II, to Asia for the winter season 2013/14 after the completion of her advertised summer Mediterranean season.

The first of her Asia programme departures is “Passage to the Far East”, which will depart Athens on October 12 and include a transit of the Suez Canal, excursions to Egypt’s fascinating archeological sites (accompanied by an Egyptologist) en route to Mumbai, India. Prices for this epic 15-night voyage start from £4,050 per person, including all fees and port taxes. 

 

From Mumbai, she will sail onwards via Cochin, Sri Lanka, and the Andaman Islands to Thailand, before dropping down to Singapore. This 13-night trans-Indian Ocean sailing costs from £3,995 per person, including fees and taxes.

Thereafter, SeaDream II will visit almost every coastal country in South East Asia, as well as visiting Northern Australia during a six-month programme featuring Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar, East Timor, Indonesia, New Guinea, Vietnam, Cambodia and Hong Kong.

Offering 18 unique sailings in total, each voyage offers unique and exciting ports of call, each ranging from seven to fifteen nights duration. Most may be combined to create longer back-to-back holidays. Typical 7-night itineraries such as the “Asian New Year Celebration Cruise” from Phuket to Singapore on December 28, cost from £3,645 per person while a typical longer voyage such as the 14-night “Voyage of the Warrors” sailing from Cairns to Bali on February 1, 2014, costs from £5,995.

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

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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Zegrahm's 20th Anniversary

Zegrahm & Eco Expeditions Celebrates 20 Years with Expeditionary Firsts, Faithful Travellers, and Future Voyages

SEATTLE, Wash—2010 marks the 20th anniversary of Zegrahm & Eco Expeditions. To celebrate, the Seattle-based adventure travel company recounts their 20 years of industry-leading accomplishments, salutes their loyal travellers, and looks forward to an expedition-filled future.

When Zegrahm Expeditions started 20 years ago, there were seven founders and four office staff. Today, Zegrahm has 32 employees, more than 70 expedition staff, and has hosted over 31,000 passengers on nearly 1,000 one-of-a-kind journeys to the far reaches of the Earth, from Africa to the Amazon, Antarctica to the awe-inspiring North Pole.

And, while those numbers are impressive in their own right, the company also salutes not one, but two loyal travelers who have reached 50 expeditions with Zegrahm and a special onboard party celebrates each traveler’s monumental milestone during their 50th trip.

Establishing itself as a leader early on by achieving a number of adventure travel firsts, Zegrahm helped organise the first expedition to visit emperor penguin colonies in the frozen Weddell Sea; the first passenger dives to the undersea volcanoes of the Azores and to the wreck of the majestic Titanic; the first expedition retracing the historic 1899 Harriman Expedition to Alaska; and the first adventure travel company to circumnavigate South Georgia, Newfoundland, and New Guinea.

Their thoughtful journeys are designed to educate and enlighten travelers about the natural and cultural world and in the last 20 years, they’ve opened a window to the incredible wonders of Easter Island; Iran; the Galapagos; Uganda; Madagascar; Uzbekistan; the Philippines; New Guinea; Indonesia; Micronesia; Melanesia, Patagonia, Kamchatka, the Kuril Islands, and beyond.

Looking ahead to 2011, Zegrahm is certainly not resting on any laurels with a series of new and unique journeys which include circumnavigating Sumatra and Sicily; in-depth trekking expeditions to Bhutan and Uganda; and sojourns that combine the urban with the ancient in the Persian Gulf, Black Sea, and Mediterranean.

It is hard to argue that Zegrahm & Eco Expeditions has found a winning combination; company president Jon Nicholson says: “Small expeditions, crackerjack leaders, environmental conscientiousness, and an ever-changing mix of intriguing adventures are what make Zegrahm unique and what keeps people coming back for more.”

If true adventure and exploration are what you seek in our ever-shrinking world you will want to take note of Zegrahm & Eco Expeditions. If the last 20 years is any indication, the next 20 are set to be a wild and highly enlightening ride.

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