Hapag-Lloyd's Northwest Passage Adventure

This August, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises will be offering a rare Northwest Passage itinerary on the only 5-star expedition vessel in the world, the MS Hanseatic. The cruise will be guaranteed bilingual, departing Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, on August 16 for a 24-night voyage cruising north of the Arctic Circle and ending in Nome, Alaska, on September 9. It is one of the most famous sea routes in the world and has been both a myth and challenge for centuries.

The Hanseatic premiered the Northwest Passage for Hapag-Lloyd in 1994. Since then, both the line's expedition ships, Hanseatic and Bremen, have successfully cruised through the Passage 12 times. In summer 2009,  both ships met there for the first time, travelling in opposite directions.

This year's Hanseatic journey starts in Greenland and crosses Disko Bay, where guests can observe the bizarrely-shaped icebergs. The ship will then cross the Canadian Arctic, the heart of the Northwest Passage. Thanks to its shallow draught, Hanseatic is able to sail close to the coast, giving guests box seats for viewing the rugged and icy panoramas of the shores. Guests will be thrilled to encounter caribou, polar bears, musk oxen, bald eagles, and whales, while taking full advantage of the many Zodiac landings to explore the impressive glacial coasts along the route.

Other planned highlights (weather permitting): a visit to a former whaling base on Herschel Island; a landing in Cambridge Bay on Victoria Island, including a visit to the wreck of the Maud, in which Roald Amundsen conquered the Northwest Passage; zodiac landings in Peel Sound, the Franklin Strait and Larsen Sound; and a stop in Barrow, Alaska, the most northern city in the world.

The voyage-only fares lead-in at £13,210 per person, based on double occupancy for an outside cabin. 

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

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G Adventures’ Galapagos Upgrades (And Savings)

G Adventures has upgraded its fleet of vessels in the wonderful Galapagos islands for 2013 to meet an increase in demand to visit the remote islands - and also has 15% off a selection of trips on its new vessels with durations of six, seven and 10 days when booking by January 31 for travel commencing before March 31.

Each of the new vessels caters to a slightly different market. The Daphne ‘G3’ is the most affordable option, the San Jose ‘G5’ is a comfort-level vessel and the Queen of Galapagos ‘G8’ provides a top-of-the-line deluxe experience.

To book, travellers should quote G12GALAPAGOS15. Here are some price examples:

• A six-day Voyage Galapagos – South Islands standard-level trip on board the Daphne ‘G3’ was priced from £1,249pp, now from £1,062pp.
• A seven-day Voyage Galapagos – South Islands comfort-level trip on board the San Jose ‘G5’ was priced from £1,649pp now from £1,402pp.
• A 10-day Deluxe Galapagos – Northern Islands deluxe-level trip on board the Queen of Galapagos ‘G8’ was priced from £2,599pp now from £2,210pp. 

For more info, visit www.gadventures.com; for more on Galapagos adventure cruising, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's luxury adventure cruise specialists. 

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Silversea's Expedition Adventures

Adventure-seeking travellers with discerning tastes will be thrilled to discover that Silversea's Expeditions programme offers a range of cruises that are just as exhilarating as they are luxurious, taking in the wonders of Antarctica and the lure of Africa alike. 

Take a look at this small selection for their winter 2012/13 season:

USHUAIA-USHUAIA : Marvel at spectacular iceberg sculptures and calving glaciers, set foot on the continent of Antarctica and encounter gentoo, chinstrap and Adelie penguins. Watch for whales (humpback, Minke, orca, pilot and beaked) and identify seabirds, including Antarctic cormorant, kelp gull, Antarctic tern and cape petrels.

Silversea’s Silver Explorer sets sail December 3 on a 10-day round-trip voyage from Ushuaia in Argentina. Prices start at £5,399 per person, based on double occupancy in adventurer class. It is also available on voyages departing Jan 21 and 31 and Feb 10 and 20.

USHUAIA-CAPE TOWN: Follow in the footsteps of great Antarctic explorers, see snow-covered mountains, mighty glaciers and spectacular icebergs. Watch for sea lions, seals, dolphins and whales and identify seabirds including albatross, shearwaters and petrels. Visit the most remote inhabited archipelago in the world and marvel at the dramatic views from South Africa’s Cape Point.

Silver Explorer sets sail on March 2 on a 22-day voyage from Ushuaia, Argentine, to Cape Town, South Africa. Prices start at £6,399 per person, based on double occupancy in adventurer class. 

ACCRA TO DAKAR : Visit a traditional Ewa village and school, Learn of the voodoo culture and contemplate the solemn history of slave trade sites. Admire the fishing skills of the Tofinu people, explore the seldom-visited Bijagos Archipelago and identify rare endemic bird species and wild monkeys.

Silver Explorer sets sail on April 11 on a 12-day voyage from Accra, Ghana, to Dakar in Senegal. Prices start from £4,299, based on double occupancy in adventurer class. 

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

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Hurtigruten Helps Protect Fragile Arctic

Protecting the fragile environments they sail in is of paramount importance to Hurtigruten. Its philosophy of ‘take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints’ is one supported by the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO), who will increase their number of guidelines for specific sites in Spitsbergen from 9 to 21 for 2013. They aim to ensure the continued protection of this vulnerable destination and to ensure guests can continue to enjoy visiting it in years to come.

This year, AECO extended its site inspection expedition and took a team of specialists, including biologists, an archaeologist, a botanist and other tourism experts, to the East Svalbard Nature Reserves. The work of the scientific team was to conduct biological, cultural heritage and botanical observations in order to derive practical guidelines for environmentally friendly field landings that AECO members are required to follow. 

This includes areas where Hurtigruten sails during its circumnavigation of Spitsbergen itinerary. This project is funded by the Svalbard Environmental Protection Fund, a fund that all visitors, including Hurtigruten guests, contribute to via a fee incorporated into their airfares.

Hurtigruten offers three itineraries in Spitsbergen on various dates in July and August 2013.

In the Realm of the Polar Bear – This nine-day voyage offers a complete circumnavigation of Spitsbergen. Prices start from £3,896pp and include seven-nights full board on MS Fram, a night pre-voyage in Longyearbyen, with breakfast and lunch, a city tour, island landings and lectures by expedition team (based on two sharing).

Flights from London to Longyearbyen via Oslo are extra and a package including flights, taxes and transfers, costs from £792pp. Departs 14, 21 and 28 August 2013.

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

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Go Green On The Zambezi Queen

Creating a unique travel option in the Chobe, one of Africa's finest national parks stretching across 11, 000 km² of lush African bush was the inspiration behind the unique and totally eco-friendly Zambezi Queen River Boat, part of the renowned Mantis Collection. Guests tend to enjoy their experience even more in the knowledge that they are not leaving a heavy footprint, carbon or otherwise, after their visit. Being aware of the impact people have during their travels is in the forefront of the travelling community's mind nowadays. Very few travel experiences are said to compare with the Zambezi Queen. Something that guests often remark on is the delightful contrast of being in a remote African destination and viewing all this raw beauty in sophisticated five-star luxury. The Chobe is home to the largest elephant population in the world, currently estimated to be around 120,000. Elephants by the dozen often come down to the river to drink, and to play. Prides of lions, leopards, huge herds of buffalo and numerous species of antelope also wander the riverbanks, and hippos and crocodiles regularly appear from the water. And all of this can be enjoyed with a drink in hand, sitting in a comfortable chair! Running between Botswana and Namibia, it is a travel experience of a completely different kind and is available on a 2, 3 and 5-day itinerary, with cruise-only prices from $975 (based on double occupancy). For UK bookings, check with the luxury cruise specialists of the Cruise Line Ltd for tailor-made packages including the Zambezi Queen. Call 0800 008 6677.

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