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Tuesday 07 August 2012

TODAY’S ISSUE OF CW Today’s issue of CW features four pages ofthe latest cruise news, plus see p5for detailson Oceania Cruises onboard culinary offerings.

Cruise the Med for $1 CRUISERS who book MSC’s seven-nightMediterranean cruise departing on 02September 2012 will be able to take a friendfor only $1, plus port charges of $175. The Cruise of the Week deal is available tobook from 3pm today, until 10am on 09August. Barcelona and Marseille beforereturning to Genoa. The voyage departs roundtrip from Genoaonboard MSC Fantasia and visits Naples,Palermo, Tunisia, Barcelona and Marseille, andis priced from is priced from $1,225pp.

Oceania Cruises cooking at sea OCEANIA Cruises’ Culinary Centre offersguests the only cooking school at sea withhands on instruction, as well as the expertiseof Master Chefs who provide instruction in aprofessional kitchen atmosphere, and shoreside events and market tours which aredesigned to expand guests’ cooking prowess. The Culinary Centre is produced inconjunction with Bon Appetit, America’spremier food publication, see p 5 for details.

Century old adventurer EMILY Guidice is living proof that age is nobarrier to adventure, with the centenarianbecoming one of P&O Cruises’ oldest everpassengers. When the iconic shipping line began cruisingfrom Australia 80 years ago with the mailsteamer Strathaird, Emily was already a 20-year-old, and this week at a healthy 100 years ofage Emily (who is pictured below with herbirthday message from the Queen) boardedthe cruise line’s Pacific Jewel for the first time. “I have an adventurous spirit” she said,adding “I am looking forward to everything,especially the music, I just like it all”.

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*Viking $995 Air offer is strictly limited, conditions apply, subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time. Guests booked on a Viking 2013 cruise / tour itinerary can receive return economy class airfare from Australia (from ADL/BNE/MEL/PER/SYD) to Europe return for $995.00, with a reputable carrier chosen by Viking. Full air fare payment ($995 per person) is due at the time of booking. Non-refundable full airfare payment ($995 per person) is due at the time of booking. Guests may choose date for travel and major European gateway destination, for full list visit www.vikingrivercruises.com.au or request at the time of booking. Offer is non-changeable, not redeemable for cash, non-transferrable and non-redeemable for cruise credits. Price is in Australian dollars, per person and includes seasonal surcharges, all government fees and taxes and air fuel surcharges. Full airline terms and conditions will apply. Additional conditions apply, visit www.vikingrivercruises.com.au.

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Cruising comeback on the MississippiThe launch of the Queen of theMississippi marks the return oftraditional paddlewheelercruises in America. AFTER several years without any holidaycruises on the Mississippi River, two ships arebringing back the good old days. On the weekend, American Cruise Linesdebuted the first new, authentic paddlewheelerbuilt for the famous waterway in almost 20 years. The 150-passenger Queen of the Mississippiset sail on Saturday on a sold-out, eight-day,roundtrip voyage from New Orleans. According to the operators, the vessel offersa new way to see the longest river system inNorth America, boasting large staterooms withprivate balconies, free internet, room serviceand satellite TV. “The launch of Queen of the Mississippirepresents the beginning of an exciting newchapter for Mississippi river-boating, where21st century amenities are offered aboard anauthentic paddlewheeler that is historic inappearance,” said Charles Robertson,President and CEO, American Cruise Lines. Destinations in 2012/13, extending to theOhio River, include New Orleans, Memphis,Nashville, St Louis, Cincinnati, Minneapolis-St.

Paul and Pittsburgh. It follows the April 2012 return of the newlyrenamed American Steamboat Company’s 436-passenger American Queen. Next year the refurbished American Queen,featuring new single rooms for solo travellers,will offer 30 departures between Memphis andNew Orleans, with themed cruises includingElvis, cooking and Civil War history. For details, see www.americancruiselines.comor www.americanqueensteamboat.com.

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Tuesday 07 August 2012

CruiseCalendar

Cruise Weekly’s cruise calendar detailsupcoming port calls of passenger cruiseships at various destinations in Australia.

BRISBANEPacific Dawn Sat 11 Aug

ON SELECT 2013 DEPARTURES

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DARWINCoral Princess Fri 10 AugOrion Sat 11 Aug

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CRUISENEW ZEALAND IN SMALL SHIP

LUXURY

Naked and staring at the sea CELEBRITY Cruises is giving avid cruise fans asneak peak at its ‘Reflection Suite’ which willfeature onboard its soon to launch CelebrityReflection, and will debut an all-glass showerdesigned to extend out over the edge of the ship. The Reflection Suite, Celebrity’s first two-bedroom suite, will measure 1,636-square-feet, and will sport a 194-square-foot veranda. Set to be located on Reflection’s 14th deckwhen she launches in October, the ReflectionSuite will include a sea-view bathroom withrain shower, and the host of amenitiesincluding round-the-clock butler service. For those who may be put off by a glassshower, Celebrity’s Lisa Lutoff-Perlo said “Wemade a big investment in ensuring our guestscan enjoy the shower entirely free of anyconcerns of being seen”. “They can enjoy breathtaking sea views whilediscreetly showering, courtesy of the shower’sspecial reflective glass, but, if they seek evenfurther privacy, the shower also features smartglass [which] at the flick of a switch, guests canactivate an electrochromatic technology whichinstantly transforms the glass from transparentto translucent,” she added.

SYDNEYSpirit of Tasmania II Wed 08 AugPacific Jewel Tue 14 Aug

This weekly column highlights hot deals oncruises departing soon – ideal for ourspontaneous readers.Check out this week’s cruise bargain:

Seven-day Pacific Island cruise onboardPacific Pearl

• From: $679• Departs: 27 October 2012• Visits: Noumea and Isle of Pines in New

Caledonia• Includes: seven-night cruise

accommodation, all onboard meals,onboard gratuities, and port chargesand taxes.

• Contact: www.ecruising.travel

Last MinuteDeals

Tempo releases 2013 Egypt 2-for-1A new independent tourincludes a Nile cruise, while afive-star ship has beenintroduced as a luxury optionon some itineraries. AUSTRALIAN travel wholesaler TempoHolidays has released a 2013 brochurefeaturing a two-for-one deal for Egypt and newsmall group and mini-tours. Described as its “amazing special of the year” isthe 11-day ‘Wonders of Egypt’ trip, which coversthe Pyramids, Egyptian Museum, the Valley ofthe Kings, four nights in Cairo, two nights inAlexandria and a four-night Nile river cruise. Priced from $3,188 per couple (instead of perperson) twin-share, the discounted tour isvalid for booking by 15 November and for travelbetween October 2012 and September 2013. Tempo has also introduced six new ‘mini-touring’ options ex-Cairo and a 14-day smallgroup tour, ‘Egypt in Depth’, which includescruises on Lake Nasser and the Nile, pricedfrom $2,202 per person twin-share. New independent tours include the 13-day‘The Glories of Egypt & Jordan’, which alsoincludes a Nile cruise, Sharm El Sheikh, WadiRum and Petra; and the 11-day ‘Egypt byDahabeya’, which sails the Nile aboard atraditional sailing boat. Adding a more luxurious touch, the five-starNile cruiser MS Mayfair has been introduced

as an upgrade option on several itineraries. “All tours come with Tempo’s price guaranteeto beat any Australian wholesaler quote onidentical product, and with our Bulk Buy andSave program, travellers will enjoy even biggersavings the more they buy,” Tempo HolidaysProduct Manager John Saporito said. Tempo’s 44-page brochure also takes inDubai, Abu Dhabi, Israel, Jordan, Oman andQatar with a range of tours to suit all budgets. For details, contact a travel agent.

Silversea Aussie specials SILVERSEA is enticing cruisers to book on itstwo 14 day sailings between Australia and NewZealand aboard the Silver Shadow in January2013, by offering fares from US$6,999 per persondouble occupancy in an ocean view Vista Suite,and US$1000 per suite onboard spending credit. See your travel agent for full details.

Reflection Suite shower

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Tuesday 07 August 2012

Yangtze Wonders

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Conditions: Prices are per person twin share ex. SYD, MEL, BNE, ADL, PER & includes taxes and fuel surcharges, valid for departures from Apr’12 – Nov’12, seasonal surcharge apply. Please check with Helen Wong’s Tours for exact departure dates. Prices & taxes are current at time of brochure printing 15 Sep ‘11. and are subject to availability and change without notice at time of booking. All other conditions as per Helen Wong’s Tours current brochure range. 3146 Lic.No.2TA4103

Did YouKnow?

Holland America Line♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Holland America Line’s ms Oosterdam’s weekly food consumption includes approximately 5,205 litres of milk, 23,000 eggs and 26,705 kilos of fresh produce.♦♦♦♦♦ Holland America Line spends on average US$4 million dollars on artwork per ship. There are 100 plus works of art on every ship – the oldest piece is a 2,000 year old Han Chinese figure on the ms Rotterdam. On the new ship Nieuw Amsterdam, launched July 2010, it took seven months to design and create the atrium sculpture and 35 five plus artists are represented. In addition, all 15 ships offer an iPod art tour with at least 26 stops to listen.♦♦♦♦♦ Holland America Line receives approximately 2 palettes of flowers on board each ship each week. Dianthus is a floral provider based out of the Netherlands that supplies fresh flowers to all of our ships, worldwide. They also train our florists, with a full-scale training program in Jakarta. Each of our florists goes through a 2 month training process with Dutch floral designers, to learn all of the basic knowledge about being a florist.

Silver Shadow in Asia GUESTS who book onboard Silver Shadow’s2012 nine or 11-day sailings from Hong Kong,Bangkok or Singapore, will receive US$1,000onboard spending credit per suite. Fares for the Asian itineraries start fromUS$5,399 per person, double occupancy, in aVista Suite, and each of the six cruises includesan overnight stay in Ho Chi Minh City. For more details on Silver Shadow’sitineraries visit your travel agent.

Crystal makeover complete CRYSTAL Symphony has completed her two-week “extreme makeover” and now sportsredesigned public spaces including the AvenueSaloon, Palm Court Lounge (pictured below),Galaxy Showroom, Hollywood Theatre, BridgeLounge, Fantasia and Waves ‘junior cruisers’area and the Tender Landing/passengerboarding area. The work’s completion marks the conclusionof a US$65 million five year plan from CrystalCruises to redesign every room onboardSymphony. Speaking in the wake of the drydock,Crystal’s President Gregg Michel said “Wewanted to create something both highlycontemporary and yet extremely accessible”. “The ultimate result is all our guests’favourite gathering places now feeling evenmore welcoming, while also offering the stylishsophistication and comfortable eleganceluxury travellers look for in a holiday setting,and expect from Crystal,” he added. In addition to revamping the public areas,the “extreme makeover” also saw Symphony’sstaterooms fitted out with new “bells andwhistles”, whilst her paddle tennis court wasresurfaced, her tender shuttles were sprucedup, and her galley was updated, and sheenjoyed general maintenance and detailingship-wide from her propellers and boilers toher bridge and lifeboats.

Costa gets environmental COSTA Cruises’ Costa Pacifica is set to pilotthe world’s first ever shipboard experimentalproject involving the use of innovativetechniques and methods for several types ofwaste: packaging, biodegradable waste andpaper – with very specific objectives regardingreduction at the source and recycling. The Sustainable Cruise project is co-fundedby the European Commission and will seePacifica coordinate with European port wastedisposal facilities to increase opportunities forrecycling and reuse, whilst Pacifica’s “wetwaste” (such as food) will also be pulped andturned into compost. The project also aims to set up a newvoluntary certification scheme for shipboardwaste treatment – and its effects in terms ofCO2 reduction – possibly paving the way forthe introduction of specific EU environmentallegislation for shipping.

Iceland circumnavigation NEXT year National Geographic Expeditions’Explorer will complete a 10-day navigation ofIceland, departing roundtrip from Reykjavik. The voyage will start by exploring the WestCoast of Iceland, before heading to Ísafjördur,then Iceland’s Northern Coast, Mývatn andHúsavík, Langanes, Djúpivogur, and theWestman Islands. The voyage is priced from US$7,990. See your travel agent for details.

KID set to rock the sea? For some the idea of being stuck on a shipwith nothing but Kid Rock music, fans andthe man himself would be akin to watertorture, but for others it is a dream come true. And it is this select group of Kid Rockaficionados that has led to theannouncement of the fourth annual KidRock sailing, onboard Norwegian Pearl. Departing from Miami on06 March 2013, the four-nightChillin’ cruise will includeKid Rock performances,sweaty rocker fans andthemed parties.

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Tuesday 07 August 2012

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Cruise Weekly is Australia’s favourite online cruising publication.In production since 2007, Cruise Weekly is published each Tuesday,with a further travel industry update each Thursday.Cruise Weekly is free and is sent to subscribers via email as an AdobeAcrobat PDF document.Sign up for a free subscription at www.cruiseweekly.com.au.PO Box 1010, Epping, NSW 1710Phone: 1300 799 220 Fax: 1300 799 221

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Glacier

Reykjavik - Kangerlussuaq aboard Le Boréalby:Roderick Eime

Hvalso Zodiac

Travelling again with Compagnie du Ponant reminds me that theworld of expedition cruising is changing rapidly. The older, muchloved and trusted vessels of the former Soviet oceanographic fleetand converted Baltic ferries are seeing their final years as this newechelon of state-of-the-art, purpose-built, environmentally friendlyships take their place, luring those previously sitting on the fencewith adventure cruising. While I personally hope there will always be someone like NZ’sharder-edged Heritage Expeditions continuing to offer wafer-thinniche voyages to unheard-of locations, the expedition sector is fastbecoming more mainstream and it falls to companies like Ponantwith their mix of modern, supremely comfortable ships and excitingdestinations to take up the reins. I might lament that expeditioncruising is no longer the sole domain of the determined and resilienteco-adventurer, yet more people than ever before are visiting theworld’s special places. Hopefully the more who do will vow to keepthem special. This trip also afforded a glimpse of Iceland, a mid-Atlantic countrymore recently known for economic collapse and unpronounceablevolcanoes. Personally I found the otherwise overlooked little folkmuseums at Hafnarfjörður just near the wharf enthralling. Geysersare great, but humans make history. Greenland, where we will spend most of our time on this cruise, isexperiencing unprecedented melting of its huge ice cap. Glaciers arecollapsing, filling the bays with bergs made of millennia-old ice whileInuit hunters who once patrolled in seal-skin canoes and harpoons,now motor out with rifles and come home to demountable cabins.

Just as well too I remembered to pack my tie as the call-up came tojoin Captain Etienne Garcia at his table for dinner. Captain Garcia,like so many modern ships’ masters, is an agreeable combination ofdecades of nautical experience, a personable, congenial characterand a keen eye for public relations. With a firm command of English,albeit with a thick Gallic flavouring, he enthralled the table with talesof his seafaring adventures with an obvious and justified pride in hiscurrent command. “I’m looking forward to scouting Kamchatka with Nicolas (Dubreuil)our chef d’expédition,” said Capt Garcia, “we’re going to charter thislittle Russian boat, with maybe just six cabins to explore the newterritories we visit with Le Soléal next year. Our Northwest Passagewill be a marvellous too.” With Le Soléal, the third vessel of this type (Le Boréal being the firstand prototype) joining the Ponant fleet next year, it follows that thecompany will be looking to add more enriching voyages to thesailing calendar. As you read this, the other three Ponant vessels areenjoying some hedonistic cruising in the Mediterranean, although LeLevant leaves the company in November to join Paul Gaugin inTahiti. Le Diamant was sold last year and is now cruising as OceanDiamond under charter to Quark Expeditions, while the namesakesailing ship, Le Ponant, will remain as company mascot. For information on all Ponant sailings, visit Travel the Worldwww.traveltheworld.com.au. Rod flew with Air Canada, the only airline to offer daily non-stopflights from Sydney to Vancouver. For information seewww.aircanada.com.

TasteTHE FINEST CUISINE AT SEA

TERMS & CONDITIONS: From pricing based on Marina 31 August 2012 on an Inside stateroom.*Featured on Marina and Riviera ships #Shipboard credit are in US$ per stateroom and cannot be redeemed for cash or further discounts off cruise fare. It may only be used for onboard services. Any unused credit will be forfeited at the end of the cruise. Oceania Cruises reserves the right to correct errors and omissions. Complete terms and conditions can be found in Oceania Cruises Explore Your World brochure.

For further information, contact your Travel Agent, or call 02 9959 1371

Oceania Cruises

is proud to be a

member of Chaîne des

Rôtisseurs, the world’s

most prestigious

gastronomic society

devoted to the art of

fine dining.

The only cooking school at sea to offer hands-on instruction

Produced in conjunction with Bon Appétit, America’s premier publication

Expert Master Chefs provide instruction in a professional kitchen atmosphere

Expand your knowledge through shore side events and market tours

Learn everything from regional cuisines to barbecuegrilling

Our hands-on classes are perfect for every aspiring chef

Claiming to serve “the fi nest cuisine at sea” might be a bold statement if not for legendary Master Chef Jacques Pépin being the Executive Culinary Director of Oceania Cruises. The team of immensely gifted and highly innovative chefs onboard Marina, Riviera, Regatta & Nautica work their considerable magic in each of Oceania’s distinctive specialty restaurants – all of which can be enjoyed at no additional charge. The intimate nature of the mid-sized ships enables each meal to be prepared à la minute, nothing need ever be rushed or produced en masse and dining each evening is an event to be celebrated. Menus artfully refl ect the regions where our ships sail, enhancing the experience, adding authenticity and ensuring tremendous variety. The world of cruising has changed.

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