CRUISE – NORWEGIAN’S AUSSIE RETURN

Norwegian Spirit’s maiden arrival marks a significant milestone for the Australian cruise industry’s comeback, as well as the chance for Australian cruisers to experience NCL’s unique Freestyle Cruising concept from their doorstep, with a choice of eight sailings between December 2022 and March 2023 from Sydney and Auckland. NCL media release SYDNEY WELCOMES NORWEGIAN SPIRIT Norwegian CruiseContinue reading “CRUISE – NORWEGIAN’S AUSSIE RETURN”

CRUISE – CORAL EXPEDITIONS

Coral Expeditions led the return to operations for the cruise industry in Australia through 2020 and 2021 with the implementation of their SailSAFE health protocols at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The company have operated over 100 successful domestic voyages since October 2020. Coral Expeditions website CORAL’S SMALL ISLANDS RETURN CORAL Expeditions has announcedContinue reading “CRUISE – CORAL EXPEDITIONS”

CRUISE – NORWEGIAN SPAS

The new class will build upon the brand’s legacy of freedom and flexibility found across its fleet and feature a host of cutting-edge designs that will further elevate its already award-winning guest experience.  NCL website NEW CRUISE SPA OFFERING NORWEGIAN Cruise Lines has shared a sneak peek at the “elevated spa and fitness offering” onContinue reading “CRUISE – NORWEGIAN SPAS”

CRUISE – PRIDE OF AMERICA

Pride of America will once again offer thoroughly immersive itineraries and deeply authentic experiences that support business and tourism in Hawai’i, while providing travellers with everything they seek from a vacation in paradise. NCL CEO Harry Sommer PRIDE OF AMERICA’S HAWAII RETURN NORWEGIAN Cruise Line has taken another step in its post-pandemic recovery with PrideContinue reading “CRUISE – PRIDE OF AMERICA”

CRUISE – SEA PRINCESS

If you’re like Goldilocks, and prefer your cruise ship to be just right, then Sea Princess fits the bill. And she will soon be in Australia doing voyages around our picturesque patch of the Pacific Sea Princess is a Goldilocks ship. No, there aren’t three bears with a penchant for porridge taking in the sunContinue reading “CRUISE – SEA PRINCESS”

CRUISE – SCENIC ECLIPSE

This is more than just a cruise ship, this is a total sensory experience, from the entry foyer to the guest suites and the dining areas, the feel is one of calm, luxury and serenity to allow our guests to truly relax and take in the total voyage. Karen Moroney – Scenic Eclipse Project Director – DesignContinue reading “CRUISE – SCENIC ECLIPSE”

CRUISE – AUSTRALIA

There are so many ships heading to Australia during the coming cruise season, but which one is right for you SHIPS TO CRUISE AUSTRALIA THE countdown to the 2019-20 Australian cruise season has officially started and there’s a flotilla ready to deploy Down Under during the Southern Hemisphere summer. Anyone considering a cruise holiday hasContinue reading “CRUISE – AUSTRALIA”

CRUISE – AURORA EXPEDITIONS

The Greg Mortimer, named after our co-founder, utilises some of the latest advancements in naval design & technology to revolutionise the small ship expedition cruising experience. Aurora Expeditions fact sheet AURORA EXPEDITIONS SEA TESTS AURORA Expeditions new ship the Greg Mortimer is one step closer to carrying her first passengers with the vessel completing seaContinue reading “CRUISE – AURORA EXPEDITIONS”

CRUISE – NORWEGIAN JOY

A $70 million renovation transforms Norwegian Joy before she embarks on new adventures and new itineraries carrying passengers from Seattle to the scenic sightseeing spots around Alaska NORWEGIAN’S NEW JOY IT’S not rare for a cruise ship, particularly a Norwegian Cruise Line ship, to receive a $70 million renovation, boats that have been bobbing onContinue reading “CRUISE – NORWEGIAN JOY”

CRUISE – MEKONG RIVER

Customer demand prompts Pandaw to introduce a new three-night voyage sailing the mighty Mekong river between Saigon and Phnom Penh … PANDAW’S MEKONG ADVENTURE THERE’S now a new option for travellers looking to move between Saigon and Phnom Penh with Pandaw introducing a three-day voyage linking the two South-East Asian cities. The new itinerary willContinue reading “CRUISE – MEKONG RIVER”

CRUISE – SEVEN SEAS MARINER

Regent Seven Seas Mariner is in Aussie waters for the 2018/19 cruise season following a recent bow-to-stern refresh SEVEN SEAS REVAMP REGENT Seven Seas Mariner is making her first visit to our part of the world since getting a freshen up earlier this year. The ship received a bow-to-stern revamp during a 20-day break inContinue reading “CRUISE – SEVEN SEAS MARINER”

CRUISE – FIJI FOR SOLOS

Two’s A Crowd has made plans for those travelling sans a partner to see Fiji in 2019 FIJI CRUISE FOR SOLO TRAVELLERS ATTENTION solo travellers, Two’s A Crowd has just announced arrangements that will have you seeing Fiji in style. The Melbourne-based agency has reserved an entire ship to host a solo-only cruise around theContinue reading “CRUISE – FIJI FOR SOLOS”

Milford Sound cruising …

→ Experience luxury cruise operator Fiordland Discovery’s new Milford Sound overnight winter cruise … FIORDLAND Discovery’s new Milford Sound overnight cruise is offering travellers a reason to get out on the water this winter. The boutique cruise operator – which offers unrivalled access to Milford Sound and Fiordland on the vessel Fiordland Jewel – launchedContinue reading “Milford Sound cruising …”

China’s Yangtze River …

Where … China’s Yangtze River When … The afternoon of Monday, April 23, 2018. What … I’m enjoying a four-night cruise along China’s famous Yangtze River from Yichang to Chongqing with Wendy Wu Tours and today, the second full day of the voyage, sees my ship the Victoria Katarina navigating two of the waterway’s three […]

What not to do on a cruise ship …

SURE, cruising can be a hassle-free holiday. Simply climb on board, unpack, and settle into to your floating hotel where everything from meals and transport to entertainment and sightseeing is covered in the fare. But there are rules and regulations, as well as a few little tricks that can trip up those not used toContinue reading “What not to do on a cruise ship …”

Celebrity bound for the Galapagos …

CELEBRITY Cruises has commissioned a new ship dedicated to exploring the Galapagos Islands with the Celebrity Flora set to join the fleet in May 2019. The vessel, which has been designed to carry 100 passengers, will boast “anchorless technology”  to help the crew maintain the ship’s position in areas where it’s necessary to protect theContinue reading “Celebrity bound for the Galapagos …”

Cruising the Australia coast …

AUSSIES are infatuated with cruising our coastline and it doesn’t look like the affair will end soon. The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) reports Australia will welcome “an unprecedented number’’ of passenger liners this cruise season — about 60 — and they’ll make more than 1000 port visits before the end of April. CLIA Australasia’sContinue reading “Cruising the Australia coast …”

the Mekong River …

WHERE … The Mekong River in central Cambodia WHEN …  Monday, August 7, at 5.06pm WHAT …  It’s the second full day of my cruise from Siem Reap to Saigon on board the RV Mekong Pandaw and we’re sailing downstream somewhere between Kampong Cham and Phnom Penh. It’s about an hour before dusk settles onContinue reading “the Mekong River …”

Antarctica’s Cierva Cove …

HAVE you heard of a little place called Cierva Cove? It’s most unlikely, unless you’re a glaciologist or polar explorer, with this landmark just another weather-beaten bay on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula at the mouth of the Gerlache Strait. But Cierva Cove is a significant spot thanks to the chain of monumentalContinue reading “Antarctica’s Cierva Cove …”

Sounds of silence in Cierva Cove …

I WAS expecting this to be one of the most peaceful places on the planet. I’m perched on the side of a Zodiac drifting around Cierva Cove, an iceberg-choked bay on the western side of the Antarctic Peninsula, and there isn’t a man-made sound to be heard above our breathing. But this remote place justContinue reading “Sounds of silence in Cierva Cove …”

River ship that feels like home …

“GOOD morning, welcome home,’’ the ship’s crew chant as we step back on board the RV Mekong Pandaw. It’s only 10.30am but the day is already fiercely hot, the dense humidity delivered by last night’s monsoonal downpour settling on the landscape like a wet woolen blanket. I’m pleased to be back on my graceful floatingContinue reading “River ship that feels like home …”

CRUISE – AMADEUS PROVENCE

A POOL DECK FOR PROVENCE EUROPE’S only riverboat with a pool deck will embark on her maiden voyage in April. The brand new MV Amadeus Provence will feature a “tranquil infinity plunge-style pool” and alfresco bar which combine to make it a scenic open-air perch for guests to watch the scenery drift past during sunnyContinue reading “CRUISE – AMADEUS PROVENCE”

Germany’s Rostock …

ROSTOCK won’t be high on the list of destinations to see when crafting an itinerary to explore Germany. But this northern settlement, a stone’s throw from the Baltic coast in what was once East Germany, is a pretty place to spend a day especially for those planning on catching a ferry from nearby Warnemünde acrossContinue reading “Germany’s Rostock …”

Vietnam’s Sa Dec …

I’VE been to Vietnam’s Mekong Delta a few times now but this is the first time I’ve visited Sa Dec. The settlement sits upstream from big cities like Vinh Long and My Tho and, at first glance, looks much like all the other villages lining the banks of the might Mekong River as it snakesContinue reading “Vietnam’s Sa Dec …”

Norwegian sets sail for Alaska bliss …

NORWEGIAN Cruise Lines is taking the next step in Alaskan cruising by unveiling plans for a new ship designed with just that remote corner of the planet in mind. The Norwegian Bliss, a vessel capable of carrying 4000 guests, will be “the first cruise ship custom built to explore America’s icy north with features andContinue reading “Norwegian sets sail for Alaska bliss …”

Biggest cruise ship at sea …

HARMONY of the Seas is big. Really big, record-breaking big. The enormous vessel is 362.12m from bow to stern – longer than the Eiffel Tower is high – and officially became the planet’s biggest cruise ship when it joined the Royal Caribbean fleet in May and took the title from older sister Allure of the SeasContinue reading “Biggest cruise ship at sea …”

Cruise proves to be Dutch treat …

DO not fret if you haven’t heard of the Keukenhof. This annual flower garden on Amsterdam’s rural outskirts is a Dutch icon but it opens just eight weeks a year and is hardly as famous as the canals and clogs that top the tourism hit list in The Netherlands. While the Keukenhof may be aContinue reading “Cruise proves to be Dutch treat …”

Russia’s St Petersburg …

THE first time I went to St Petersburg there wasn’t a lot of freedom for exploring. That’s was ten years ago, a little more than a decade after the Iron Curtain fell, and I was on a coach tour with the guide not allowing much time for his passengers to stray from the organised itinerary.Continue reading “Russia’s St Petersburg …”

Peeking at world’s biggest cruise ship …

THE beds are made in 2747 staterooms, tables set in 15 restaurants, drinks chilled in 11 bars, buttons polished in 24 guest elevators, and carpet vacuumed on 18 decks which means the world’s biggest cruise ship is ready for her inaugural season. The Harmony of the Seas, the new Royal Caribbean vessels that now topsContinue reading “Peeking at world’s biggest cruise ship …”