The Project Orient Survey

The intriguing prospect that is Project Orient - a planned new cruise line operating traditional liner-type services between Britain and Australia - has put out an urgent plea for all cruise-goers to respond to its online survey to gauge interest in the potential idea.

It is a genuinely new and novel proposal and the company is continuing to work towards securing funding this year for the long-term dream of resurrecting the classic liner service to Australia.

In case you have not already seen it, Project Orient has a new website at www.sailtoaustralia.com, featuring various press coverage about the project and the all-important Survey, which asks a number of questions about potential interest in taking the traditional 26-day voyage, which would call at the likes of Rome, Suez, Dubai, Singapore and Mumbai, as well as Fremantle, Perth and Sydney.

Project Orient are in the process of building alliances with tourist boards, designers and banks, and aim for a full launch once an equity partner is signed on.

It remains a pipe-dream for now - but with the potential to be a very real and tempting cruise line if the cruise-going world shows sufficient interest. 

And it certainly shows more sign of becoming a reality than the ludicrous Titanic II idea of Australian billionaire Clive Palmer, who has yet to sign anything remotely resembling a ship-building contract more than a year after trumpeting his sea-going nonsense at two high-profile dinners in New York and London that many media outlets bought hook, line and sinker!

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MSC's New Grand Voyage

Asia and the Middle East are increasingly fertile cruise areas in the winter months, and we have just been alerted to another new option in this region from MSC Cruises.

Taking their MSC Orchestra, MSC will be operating a special Grand Voyage in 2015, setting sail from the dazzling deserts of the United Arab Emirates and visiting the iconic sites of south-east Asia before reaching and exploring the enchanting coastlines of Australia. The once-in-a-lifetime 33-night Grand Voyage sets out from from Dubai on February 22 next year and arrives in Perth on 26 March 2015.

During the first part of her journey, Orchestra will call into Mumbai and Cochin, before arriving in Colombo, the gateway to Sri Lanka. She will then visit Phuket, Thailand's most popular and glamorous beach destination, followed by a stop in Langkawi, a true Malaysian tropical gem. Singapore’s skyline will be the ship’s next destination, where she will stay overnight, allowing guests to soak up the charms of this city-state where history and modernity walk hand in hand. Lush Benoa, in Bali, will be the ship’s last stop in Asia, offering travellers the chance to enjoy breathtakingly beautiful landscapes, enchanting temples and white sandy beaches.

Orchestra will continue her journey stopping in Cairns, in Australia’s tropical north, a city renowned for its easy access to the wilderness, romantic Port Douglas and its laid back ambience. The second port of call ‘Down Under’ will be Brisbane, with its vibrant atmosphere and excellent shopping scene. An overnight stay in Sydney will enchant travellers with stunning views of the world-renowned Opera House and the World Heritage-listed Blue Mountains. MSC Orchestra will then complete its route to Perth via the state capital of Victoria, Melbourne, and Adelaide, recently named one of the world’s top 10 cities to visit, where travellers can sample some of the world’s finest wines on a wine-tasting tour.

It all adds up to a truly amazing one-off voyage and is sure to have great appeal for those who appreciate these more exotic voyages.

More info: call 0844 561 1955 or visit www.msccruises.co.uk/uk_en/MSC/MSC-Orchestra-Grand-Voyages-2015.aspx.

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Be a Celebrity Down Under

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Marking their return to the region after an absence two years, Celebrity Cruises have announced their new Australia and New Zealand 2011 cruises aboard Celebrity Century, visiting 36 ports. Apart from viewing the lands of the wallaby and the kiwi, guests will also be able to call in at French Polynesia, Indonesia, the U.S. and Mexico.

Some of the fascinating places being visited include Honolulu, Auckland, Sydney and Ensenada in Mexico. The company have also included a string of places being visited for the first time, such as Bali, Darwin, Cairns, and Burnie, Tasmania.

New four and five-night pre- or post-cruise land tours are also available, which include two nights in Sydney and a full day at the Great Barrier Reef. In line with the ship circumnavigating Australia, a similar four or five-night pre- or post-cruise land tour is operating out of Perth. Both tours include a stay at Uluru (Ayer's rock) with a desert tour and full night-time dining experience.

All tours are accompanied by expert guides and lecturers and ample time has been provided for shopping! Savings are offered on back-to-back sailings and on cruises booked between 29th July and 31st September this year.

For more information, look up http://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/

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