Costa Introduces The neoCollection

Costa Cruises has announced the beginning of a new style of cruising on board its ships with the advent of the all-new Costa neoCollection.

The Costa neoCollection is an invitation to make the most of every minute and holiday in a more leisurely way. This new type of cruise experience is tailored to suit individual tastes and let each person go at their own pace, both on board and ashore, making it ideal for couples and groups of friends.

Newly-revamped duo Costa neoRiviera (624 cabins) and Costa neoRomantica (789 cabins) will be sailing to new destinations which are off the beaten path and inaccessible to bigger ships. The itineraries are designed with longer stopovers in each port, often overnight and part of the next day to allow maximum time on shore and the chance to thoroughly explore each place en route. 

As cruising is not one-size-fits-all, Costa has introduced a range of made-to-measure options, notably a series of specially devised shoreside excursions for small groups as well as fine gastronomic products based on the authentic taste sensations of the places visited, thanks to a new collaboration between Costa and the Università delle Scienze Gastronomiche in Pollenzo.

The Costa neoCollection debuts on February 9 from Dubai with a special cruise on Costa neoRiviera, the latest addition to the Costa fleet. This one-off 62-day voyage of discovery, the Grand African Tour, is a totally innovative circumnavigation of the great continent offering a unique opportunity to combine the sea and the most beautiful Indian Ocean beaches with all the adventure of a safari in South Africa.  

Costa neoRiviera will also add a new dimension to cruising in spring and summer, sailing on 12-day itineraries to the most attractive destinations in the Mediterranean, away from the hustle and bustle of mass tourism. Starting June 1 and operating throughout the summer, the neoCollection style will also be present on Costa neoRomantica, with 13 and 15-day premium cruises in Northern Europe, beyond the North Cape and to the finest Baltic cities.

More info: visit www.costacruises.co.uk.

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Archbishop Tutu Aboard Holland America

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the former archbishop of Cape Town and Nobel Peace Prize winner, is scheduled to lecture on a segment of Holland America Line’s 2014 Grand World Voyage on MS Amsterdam, sailing March 28 to April 2 from Durban to Cape Town in South Africa.

Tutu will address guests at two speaking engagements on board about his role as the first black African to serve as archbishop of Cape Town and about his work forging racial equality throughout the world. Guests will also be able to gain a personal insight into his remarkable life through an open question and answer session with the archbishop.

The full Grand World Voyage lasts 113 days or, for those unable to travel for the full length, guests can book segments of the cruise that range from 20 to 86 days. Cruise prices for segments of the Grand World Voyage start from £2,430 per person, and the full voyage begins at £12,470 per person, both based on double occupancy of an Inside Stateroom.

More info: contact Holland America in the UK on www.hollandamerica.co.uk or call 0843 374 2300.

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Saga’s 3-in-1 Voyage To The Cape

Saga Cruises have lined up a spectacular voyage to Africa's southern Cape that can be undertaken in any one of three voyages, of 48 nights, 26 nights or 24 nights, and is customisable to suit most diaries and budgets.

Cosmopolitan Cape Town, Ghana’s tropical rainforest and Senegal’s Salt Lake are just three of the highlights on the "Voyage to the Cape" cruise, which also visits many lesser-known ports along Africa’s dramatic west coast.

Guests can sail on Saga Pearl II from Southampton on January 7 for 48 nights or consider two shorter options – a return from Cape Town on February 2 or flying out to Cape Town on January 31 and then return to Southampton on February 24.

Better still, it is possible to book the shorter voyages with the option of a three-night stay at the four-star Winchester Mansions, Cape Town's iconic beachfront hotel on the Sea Point Promenade, from £399 half board.

Cruise price: 48 nights from £6,263; 26 nights from £3,827; or 24 nights from £3,653.

All three options include return chauffeur service to the airport, travel insurance, all meals, 24-hour room service, entertainment, all gratuities and unlimited luggage allowance.

Ports of call: Funchal, Madeira; Las Palmas, Gran Canaria; Freetown, Sierra Leone; San Pedro and Abidjan, Ivory Coast; Takoradi and Tema (for Accra), Ghana; Cotonou, Benin; Sao Tome, and Principe; Luanda, Angola; Walvis Bay, Namibia; Cape Town; Saint Helena; Cadiz; and Lisbon.

For more info, look up this link; for more on adventure cruising and other cruise bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line, the UK's leading cruise-agent specialists.

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Regent's New Exotic Options

Regent Seven Seas has announced changes to its autumn 2014 itineraries for Seven Seas Mariner and Seven Seas Voyager, with 10 new cruises that include sailings to sought-after destinations such as Tahiti and South Africa. 

It has been four years since a Regent ship called in South Africa and almost three since one of its ships visited Tahiti, hence this represents a great opportunity to visit (or re-visit) some of the most exotic p[arts of the cruise world.

The new sailings on Seven Seas Mariner include an 18-night Los Angeles to Papeete trans-Pacific cruise; a 10-night round-trip Papeete voyage; and a 17-night Papeete to Auckland sailing. This will be the first time in the company’s history that Mariner will conduct a turnaround in Tahiti.

For Seven Seas Voyager, the company has added a 30-night Dubai to Cape Town cruise where guests will enjoy breathtaking scenery, discover big game on guided safari tours and relax on luxurious beaches. This exciting itinerary includes overnight calls in Mumbai; the Maldives; the Seychelles; and Cape Town, with other calls at Mombasa, Zanzibar, Maputo, Richards Bay and Durban.

Regent has also created a number of Mediterranean sailings that have a similar itinerary as previously offered. 

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

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Up-Close Voyages Through Madagascar

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will be offering expedition trips through Madagascar and Southern Africa in December 2012 and December 2013 onboard the purpose-built expedition duo MS Hanseatic and MS Bremen, with maiden calls on both itineraries.

An exotic flora and fauna has developed on Madagascar that does not exist anywhere else on earth. There are more than 12,000 species of plants recorded on the fourth largest island in the world and guests will experience lemurs in pristine nature, animals in the wild, and wonderful beaches on romantic coasts.

Winter 2012: Hanseatic will make stops at six new ports along her tropic adventure, including Maroantsetra, Nosy Hara, Morondava, Nosy Ve and Toliara, as well as a first-time stop in Mozambique, at the picturesque city of Ilha dos Portugueses.

Optional shore excursions include hiking in Masoala National Park to see lemurs in the rainforest; canoeing to Lokobe Nature Reserve; zodiac landings on Nosy Lakandava and Nosy Hara for swimming between coral reefs and rock formations; a safari in Kariega Game Reserve in South Africa; and a visit to the Addo Elephant Park, also in South Africa. This 16-day itinerary is from Dec 3-19, from Port Louis/Mauritius to Cape Town/South Africa. Rates start at $7,750 per person for an outside cabin.

Winter 2013: Guests will join Bremen as she calls on the west coast of Madagascar for the first time. New ports of call in Madagascar include Nosy Hara, Mahajanga, Morondava and Nosy Be.

Optional shore excursions include hiking in Lokobe Nature Reserve to admire gigantic trees and go bird-watching; a boat ride to Nosy Komba, also know as “lemur island;” snorkelling on Nosy Lakandava and Nosy Hara; a visit to the Zulu village of Kwabhekithunga in South Africa; and a safari to view the “Big Five,” also in South Africa. This 17-day itinerary is from Dec 1-18, from Port Louis/Mauritius to Cape Town/South Africa. Rates start at $7,020 per person for an outside cabin.  

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

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West African Coast with Noble Caledonia

While we're following Steve Newman's voyage around the Cape Verde Islands with Noble Caledonia, here is a great offer for one of NC's rare West African cruises:

Join Noble Caledonia for a remarkable voyage as you sail along the coast of West Africa from Ghana to Cape Town, a journey which promises many contrasts from lush landscapes to the vast deserts of Namibia. 

In Ghana, the former seat of Britain’s colonial power in the Gold Coast, the cruise visits some of the forts and castles built by the earliest European visitors while in Benin, a former French colony known as the ‘Latin Quarter of Africa,’ passengers will get to visit the birthplace of Voodoo.

Further south, guests will spend time on the island nation of Sao Tome and Principe, famous for its natural beauty and birdlife. In Namibia, take to four-wheel-drive vehicles to explore the dunes and lagoons of Walvis Bay and watch the sky turn pink as tens of thousands of flamingos take flight.

The only way to arrive in Cape Town is by sea, and should you choose this trip the company has planned an extension to allow for a stay over Christmas in this most beautifully situated of all cities.

The 18-night cruise sails on December 6. Book before April 30 and save £400 per person! 

For booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's luxury cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Into Africa - New Safari-Cruise With AMA Waterways

Here's a wonderful and thrilling new opportunity to combine a river-cruise with an African safari - the MS Zambezi Queen from AMA Waterways.

The luxury river-cruise line is marking its 10th anniversary in 2012 with the addition of an exclusive new ‘Africa Safaris and Wildlife Cruise’ programme, which includes a four-night cruise aboard the beautiful Zambezi Queen, specially-designed for wildlife viewing on the Chobe River in Botswana and Zambia.

The ship travels along the banks of Botswana's Chobe National Park, home to one of the densest populations of wildlife in Africa. Here, guests will encounter elephants, leopards, lions and buffalo on excursions by boat or open-air vehicle, a visit to a local village, an authentic dining experience and delicious cuisine on board, all preceded by a choice of three extensive land tours into the heart of Africa, from the expanses of the Serengeti to the awe-inspiring Kruger National Park and the towering landscape of Kilimanjaro.

Each tour concludes with two nights in Victoria Falls, one of the most magnificent sights in the world.

AMA's three new Africa itineraries, ‘Stars of Africa’, 'African Sunsets’ and 'Golden Trails of Africa’, range from 16 to 19 days, commencing in June 2012 with prices from £5622pp, excluding flights and transfers.

For booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's luxury cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Lindblad Expeditions Offer New Destinations

Lindblad Expeditions offer two new destinations in 2012

West African Odyssey: Exploring from South Africa to Morocco - Spanning 16 distinctive countries, the 37-day itinerary explores the entire west coast of Africa from Cape Town, South Africa, to Morocco, offering a dazzling array of cultures, scenery and wildlife. The epic adventure aboard the 148-guest National Geographic Explorer will define the term “voyage of discovery.” Rates begin at $28,480 per person, based on double occupancy.

Exploring Papua New Guinea: Cultures & Wildlife - This 16-day itinerary explores the country’s natural splendour and intriguing cultures aboard the Oceanic Discoverer, a nimble 68-guest ship perfectly suited to exploring the coral reefs and great rivers. Rates begin at $14,790 per person, based on double occupancy.

For booking details, be sure to see http://www.cruiseline.co.uk/Lindblad-Expeditions for UK adventure-cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

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East Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands

By guest blogger Steve Newman

If you’re new to cruising or are simply looking for one of the best cruise-holiday package deals around, then why not have a look at MSC Cruises?

During their South Africa cruise for example, their classic ship MSC Melody (above) will stop off at Port Louis, the capital and main port on the island of Mauritius. Offering an interesting and relaxing day trip on shore, Port Louis is just one of the exciting and varied destinations that you’ll find along the company’s South African cruise itinerary.

Glimpsed from the ship, this island in the Indian Ocean rises out of a shimmering sea, displaying its famous ring of mountains that shelter the bustling harbour and port, a centre of commerce and trade for the island. Historically in Dutch and French ownership, the two cultures have left their mark on this charming city.

Port Louis has conserved many historic and colonial buildings through the years and elegant, well-preserved French buildings from the 17th century are a treat for architecture buffs. Those in the mood for a spot of shopping will find plenty of enticing items, either in the covered markets, the amazing Port Louis Bazaar or along the well-appointed main streets lined with palm trees.

The cruise starts and ends at Durban in South Africa and includes ports of call at Point Des Galets on the fabulous French speaking, wildly tropical island of Reunion with its spectacular scenery and volcano, and Fort Dauphin on Madagascar, one of the world’s most incredible islands with its forests and Lemurs.

MSC also offer mini-cruises in South Africa on MSC Sinfonia. If you need to find out more, have a look at http://www.msccruises.co.uk/

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Sizzling Seabourn

Call me biased, but when it comes to truly distinctive, ultra-deluxe cruising, Seabourn have pretty much set the standard since their inception in 1988. Their original trio of chic, classy small-scale vessels introduced a whole new way of enjoying life at sea, and they maintained that style and reputation right through the 1990s and early 2000s.

Then, when their crown was in danger of being stolen by several high-quality rivals, they set out to restore their class-leading advantage and raise the bar still further. The result was the stunning Seabourn Odyssey in June 2009, a new vessel of such breathtaking vision and clarity the usual caveats of waiting to see how a ship's first 2 months panned out went completely by the wayside.

Here was a newcomer that immediately demonstrated that it knew exactly what it was supposed to be, how best to appeal to regulars and first-timers alike, and how to launch with everything perfectly in sync service-wise (the usual bane of new vessels). Odyssey maintained the same handsome, sleek profile but also looked the part of sharp 21st century technology (as opposed to yet another floating tower block).

More importantly, Odyssey wasn't just a larger-scale version of the original trio. Although she was three times the size of her stablemates, she both refined the highly successful formula and expanded on it in a totally delightful way, making the suites more sumptuous, the public rooms more glamorous, the service more personable and the whole experience more memorable.

Now, just a few months before the launch of sister Seabourn Sojourn and with third vessel Seabourn Quest set for 2011, the company has announced a visionary range of new itineraries and options for 2011 and 12.

From March 23 (the day the new programme goes on sale) to June 30, the full Europe and Asia schedule of voyages will be available at special promotional fares from £2,300 per person. These incredible fares will also include round-trip airfare for the first time, making it the most inclusive launch campaign Seabourn have ever done.

From January 2011 to April 2012, the line will offer its most extensive and diverse menu of itineraries ever, calling at a record 266 ports in 78 countries during 252 scheduled voyages visiting a wide variety of popular destinations and exotic locations across the world. Fares and details will be available on Seabourn’s website on March 23rd, and a lavishly illustrated catalogue will be published in April.

It will feature:

New Itineraries
In 2011/12, Seabourn returns to Canada and New England with a series of 9-day Autumn Maritime cruises on Sojourn, which will include the yacht’s maiden call to New York. Sojourn will also operate six 14-day Patagonian Passage voyages to the picturesque Chilean Fjords, Cape Horn and the Falkland Islands between Valparaiso, Chile, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Seabourn Pride remains in Asia for a second season of year-round exotic cruises to major destinations such as Japan, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan. New for 2011, Pride will operate a series of 12-day cruises from Singapore-Bali with calls to exotic ports in Borneo, Sulawesi and Java.

(Big cheers for that Patagonia series, by the way - the ultimate combination of great destination and perfect vehicle)

In early 2012, Seabourn Legend will be based in the Arabian Sea and offer Indian Ocean Delights, with stops to Oman’s capital city of Muscat, also known as “Arabia’s jewel,” and the vibrant city of Mumbai, India. Other new itineraries include a 60-day Stars of the Southern Cross cruise round-trip from Los Angeles to French Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia and Hawaii aboard Odyssey; new seven-day St Petersburg & the Baltic cruises between Copenhagen and Stockholm aboard Sojourn; week-long Gems of the Adriatic and Dalmatian Discoveries cruises round trip from Venice aboard Spirit; an 18-day Path of the Vikings transatlantic voyage from Dover to Quebec, and a 12-day Canada & Colonial Autumn voyage from Quebec City to Fort Lauderdale aboard Sojourn.

New, Exotic Ports of Call
Seabourn’s record number of port visits will include more than 50 destinations that are either maiden calls or ports the line has not visited in years. New stops include Bangaram (Laccadive Islands), and Porbandar, India; Matarani, Peru; Brindisi, Italy; Burnie, Tasmania; Cape Town, South Africa; Chan May, Vietnam; Constantza, Romania; Pointe des Galets, Reunion; Doha, Qatar; Port Elizabeth, South Africa; Port Louis, Mauritius; Fanning Island, Republic of Kiribati; Port Stanley, Falkland Islands; Gili Sudak Island and Waikelo, Sumba, Indonesia; Qaqortoq, Greenland; Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi; the island of St Helena; Sur and Khasab, Oman; Manama, Bahrain; Maputo, Mozambique; and Walvis Bay, Namibia.

New Seabourn Journeys
In 2011/12, Seabourn will offer two new Seabourn Journeys, fully-escorted packages for guests wishing to extend their stays on land. A new 3-night pre- or post-cruise Journey from Sydney, provides an in-depth exploration of the Australian Outback, including a sunset camel safari to a bush barbecue and visits to the breathtaking scenic wonders, the Olgas and Uluru, and the largest monolith on earth, also known as Ayers Rock. Also new is a 5-night Safari Journey from Cape Town, South Africa, to the Singita Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve.

To my mind, it all adds up to a stunning array of luxury cruising and superb destination planning. So, if March 23 (when Seabourn's 2011 programme goes on sale) isn't already in your diary, is should be pretty soon!

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