Ponant's Asian Collection

Boutique French cruise line and five-star expedition specialist Compagnie du Ponant has just opened bookings for its brand new Asian Collection itineraries for the winter season 2013-14. From modern empires to ancient kingdoms, passengers are invited to discover Asia’s treasures and explore the diversity of a mysterious and captivating continent.

For the first time, Le Soléal (132 staterooms and suites), the latest addition to the fleet this July, will be sailing for Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Borneo, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives. During the cruise, Ponant invites passengers to discover Asia in a more intimate way: mooring as close as possible to the shore to grant unrivalled access to protected sites whilst offering first rate comfort, elegance and 5-star service. Guests onboard will include experts, historians and lecturers ready to share their passion with the passengers.

A comprehensive programme of shore excursions will include some of the world most outstanding UNESCO World Heritage sites, and all 17 Asian itineraries promise to offer much more than a cruise: a genuine travel experience. Sample cruises include:

JAPAN 
Leaving Otaru, Le Soléal sets out to discover Japan’s kaleidoscope of traditions, beliefs and way of life. From Kanazawa to Hiroshima via Busan, the 8-day cruise ends in Osaka, the new beating heart of Japan. Departure, October 15, from £1,882 per person. 

VIETNAM
The 12-day Hong Kong-Singapore cruise takes in the most important sites and exceptional landscapes of Vietnam, with excursions including a junk boat trip to the heart of the majestic and mysterious Ha Long Bay, the discovery of Hanoi, Saigon and the Imperial City of Hue, or sailing down the Cai River. Pre and post-cruise excursions are on offer for those who want to explore Hong Kong and Singapore. Departure October 30, from £3,298 per person. 

INDONESIA
Bali, Gili Islands, Komodo, Brunei and Borneo...this 14-day cruise ventures into the very heart of Indonesia, from wild Sarawak to Sandankan, home of large congresses of orangutans, traditional villages and the cosmopolitan port of Makassar. Departure January 4, 2014, from £3,081 per person.

MYANMAR & SRI LANKA 
Departing on a 9-day voyage from Kuala Lumpur to Colombo via Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar, Le Soléal calls at Penang (first British trading post in the Far East in the 19^th century), Phuket, Trincomalee and Hambantota, on a cruise rich in discovery. The itinerary exceptionally includes four days in Yangon to explore the Shwedagon Pagoda, Bagan temples, Mandalay, the cultural capital, and the former royal city of Amarapura. Departure March 14, 2014, from £3,036 per person.

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

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Costa's New Japan itineraries

Costa Cruises is offering three new itineraries to popular Japanese destinations and will introduce new cities in 2012 after resuming its itineraries in the area this weekend.

Costa Classica (above) left Shanghai on August 26 for a four-day cruise calling at Fukuoka (Japan) and Cheju (South Korea) before returning to Shanghai.

This decision demonstrates Costa’s confidence in Japan’s tourism market and its support of the revitalisation of the local tourism industry. As the first international cruise company to enter the Chinese market, Costa has been operating cruise itineraries from China to Japan for more than five years.

From August to October this year, Classica will operate a total of 12 cruises to Japan and South Korea, with the wide selection of itineraries including Japan's Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Kagoshima. Four-day cruises visit Fukuoka and Cheju; a six-day cruise takes in Pusan (South Korea), Fukuoka and Kagoshima; and a five-day cruise visits to Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Cheju.

In 2012, Costa will further expand its operations in Asia and the Far East with the deployment for the first time of the Costa Victoria (75,200 gross tonnage and 2,394 total guests), which will replace Classica (53,000 tons and 1,680 guests). Victoria will also offer 246 veranda cabins and increase its offer in the area by about 40%.

New destinations in Japan include the tropical paradise of Hososhima/Miyazaki; Wakayama, which boasts the largest hot spring resort; Osaka, Japan’s second largest city; the popular sightseeing cities in the Kanto Area; Yokohama and Tokyo, the capital city.

According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (www.jnto.go.jp), a joint statement from the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Maritime Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization has reaffirmed that operations can continue normally into and out of Japan's major airports and sea ports.

For more info, visit www.costacruises.co.uk or, for bookings, contact the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

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