Travel Bulletin Cruising Supplement 2013

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ALL ABOUT

CRUISINGJULY 2013

S01 TB Cruising Supp 2013 Start_Layout 1 12/07/2013 16:57 Page 1

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All About Cruising3

ALL ABOUT

At the beginning of May, thecruise association CLIA UK &Ireland was launched as the

Association of Cruise Experts and thePassenger Shipping Associationmerged to create one of 13 newnational bodies within the CruiseLines International Association (CLIA).

CLIA, which has 60 cruiselinemembers, now serves as the unifiedvoice of the industry across the globeand provides increased benefits totravel agents, cruise lines andbusiness partners.

For agents, the new associationoffers expanded training, sharedmarketing and promotional activities, greater support andnetworking opportunities. We deliver learning online, at seminars,specialist expo events, evening showcases and at larger cruiseconferences – all of which are designed to keep travel agentmembers informed and best placed to take advantage of all theopportunities to increase cruise sales.

We launched a new training website last year introducing newcourses and learning platforms and we’re delighted that ourassociation has now become the first organisation to be recognisedfor the excellent standard of agent cruise training by the UK’sleading awards company in vocational training, City & Guilds.

Our next major conference is Columbus Day which will take placein Liverpool on 19 September. The event is designed for directors,senior managers and owner/managers who will hear talks on topicsranging from global changes within cruising to how retailing isadapting to reflect a rapidly changing customer. We have respectedcruise industry figure Michael Bayley, President and CEO of CelebrityCruises as key note speaker and entrepreneur Jo Malone whoseeponymous line of fragrances is still one of the world’s best-sellingluxury lines. The day will also feature networking opportunities andthe CLIA UK & Ireland Cruise Excellence Awards designed torecognise the contributions made by agents within the cruise sector.

National Cruise Week is also taking place in September (21-29)and is a time when we all come together to promote the many greatreasons why a cruise is such an ideal holiday and to dispel some ofthose myths that still surround cruising.

So there’s much happening and we at CLIA UK & Ireland lookforward to working with you on increasing the number of people whochoose to cruise.

Andy HarmerDirectorCLIA UK & Ireland

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Lower Ground Floor, University House, 11-13 Lower Grosvenor Place, London SW1W 0EX

Tel: 020-7834 6661Publisher: Jeanette Ratcliffe

Written and researched by: Angela CroninEmail: [email protected]

Design/Layout: Genaro Santos & Lee TelotPrinted by: MCR Print

Cover Picture: Norwegian Cruise LineISSN: 0956-2419

CONTENTS

Family cruises - 7

What’s new - 4

Question time - 10

Luxury cruises - 13

Niche cruises - 15

New ships - 12

CRUISING

River cruises - 19

Family cruises - 7


CRUISE NEWS

All About Cruising

Another year, another 12 monthsjam packed full of new itineraries,ship launches and product

additions from the cruiselines. And as ifcruising didn’t need any more assistancewith publicity, the Duchess of Cambridgeperforming the naming ceremony forPrincess Cruises’ latest ship RoyalPrincess has really helped to put cruisingon the radar of people who may not haveconsidered it as a holiday option in the past.

Also, the fact that there has been a 3%growth in the number of ex-UKdepartures means that, like the growthin regional airports, cruising out of yournearest UK port is giving the industry afurther boost.

Here is just a snapshot of what ishappening in the world of cruises toensure you stay ahead of the packwhen it comes to selling the latestvoyage.

MSC CruisesThe Italian cruiseline will be returning tothe United Arab Emirates for winter2013/14 with the positioning of MSCLirica in the region from November.

The 2,069-passenger ship will set sailfrom Genoa on November 5 on a 16-daygrand voyage to the UAE calling in atCivitavecchia, Italy; Valletta, Malta:Piraeus (for Athens), Greece; Port Said,Egypt; Safaga, Egypt; Salalah and Muscatin Oman before finally arriving in Dubai on22 November.

From 23 November until 29 March2014, MSC Lirica will offer 18 seven-nightcruises from Dubai, calling in at AbuDhabi, UAE, Khor al Fakkan, UAE, andMuscat and Khasab, Oman, with anovernight stay in Dubai.

Prices lead in at £819 per personincluding flights.

Crystal CruisesThe ultra luxury cruiseline has introducednew ports of call and itineraries for 2014.

The new ports include: Galway, Ireland;Luanda, Angola; Lombok, Indonesia; Ibiza,Spain; Oban, Scotland; Skagen, Denmark;and Puerto Limon, Costa Rica; while thenew voyages featured are: the 89-nightWorld Cruise from Los Angeles toSouthampton, departing 18 January 2014

What’s new

The popularity of cruising showsno signs of abating, with newships, tours and more regionaldepartures from UK ports

Crystal has ramped up its voyages offering for 2014

The Duchess of Cambridgeperformed the naming ceremony

for Princess Cruises’ latest ship,Royal Princess, last month

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All About Cruising5

and back-to-back Polynesian explorations,beginning with a southern Trans-Pacificcruise, stopping at Easter Island, PitcairnIslands, Mo’orea and Papeete (overnight),then continuing on to the Cook Islands,Tonga and Fiji. Departures are on 8 and 20January 2014.

Also new are the 15-night Tokyo to LosAngeles ocean crossing, departing on 1May 2014; the Java/South cruise featuringfour Indonesia ports-of-call, including aBali overnight plus Malaysia and Brunei;and the 14-night Southeast Asia cruise,with three stops in Malaysia, an AndamanIslands visit and two nights in Myanmar.

The 10-night All-China voyage includesa Hong Kong overnight, double overnightin Shanghai and optional three-day, add-on land package to Beijing, while theJapan-China itinerary includes three stopsin China and four in Japan, with one nightin Osaka and two in Shanghai.

Prices lead in at £2,454 per personbased on a seven-night cruise from Lisbonto Barcelona on 10 August.

Fred. OlsenFred. Olsen’s 2014/15 programme featuresnew ports of call, voyages and productsfollowing extensive research carried outwith guests.

Avonmouth and Tilbury have been addedas new regional departure points and twonew Grand Voyages have also beenintroduced in 2015.

These include Balmoral's 119-nightExploring the Far East cruise – the cruiseline’s longest-ever sailing – departing fromSouthampton on 4 January 2015 – andBlack Watch's 73-night South AmericanDiscovery cruise, departing fromSouthampton on 6 January 2015.

New product types to be launchedinclude: Inspirational Experiences, such asFilm Stars and Fast Cars and NorthernLights; the new Triple-City Cruise Break,which allows guests to overnight in eachcity, and new Introductory Cruises, with thecruiseline’s first series of two-night cruises.

Hurtigruten Hurtigruten has added direct charters fromBournemouth and Glasgow to hook upwith the cruiseline’s voyages in 2013/14.

These new departures are featuredwithin the operator’s 2013/14 In Searchof The Northern Lights winter brochure.

From Bournemouth, it is now possible tobook the five-night ‘Arctic Highlights’

voyage from Tromso to Kirkenes and backon 2 February 2014 and the full 12-day‘Classic Round Voyage’ from Bergen toKirkenes and back on 10 March2014. From Glasgow a six-night ‘ArcticHighlights’ voyage is available on 27February 2014. These are alongside all theother existing regional airports Hurtigrutenfeatures in the winter, including Gatwick,Manchester, Leeds Bradford, Bristol,Edinburgh and Belfast.

Prices lead in at £995 per person for afive-day Arctic Highlights voyage fromTromso to Kirkenes and back.

Meanwhile, Hurtigruten is offering freeflights from Gatwick plus a free excursionto North Cape on 20 selected dates thisOctober/November for the 12-day ClassicRound Voyage travelling from Bergen in

the South to Kirkenes in the far north andback again.

Regent Seven SeasThe luxury cruiseline has launched 10cruises with expanded itineraries thatinclude sailings to far-flung destinationssuch as Tahiti and South Africa.

Managing director Graham Sadler saidthe changes to the 2014 sailings are as aresult of feedback from guests and agentpartners about the desire for expandedvoyages, particularly to the South Pacificand Africa.

The new sailings on Seven Seas Marinerinclude an 18-night Los Angeles toPapeete trans-pacific cruise, a 10-nightround-trip Papeete voyage and a 17-nightPapeete to Auckland cruise.

Fred. Olsen’s Black Watch will be sailing a new 73-night South American Discovery cruise

CRUISE NEWS


For Seven Seas Voyager, the line hasadded a 30-night Dubai to Cape Towncruise which will have overnight calls inMumbai, India; Male, Maldives; PortVictoria, Seychelles and Cape Town, SouthAfrica with visits to Mombasa, Kenya;Zanzibar, Tanzania; Maputo, Mozambique;and Richard’s Bay and Durban, South Africa.

The company has also created a numberof Mediterranean sailings that have asimilar itinerary as previously offered.

Seven Seas Mariner’s previously-scheduled Mediterranean cruises from 23September to 18 December 2014 as wellas Seven Seas Voyager’s 21 October to 28November 2014 cruises have beencancelled to allow for the new cruises.

Prices lead in at £4,649 per person forthe 10-night South Pacific cruise roundtripfrom Papeete.

Hebridean PrincessThe luxury, small-ship cruiseline will bereturning to Norway in 2014 after a five-year absence.

Three new itineraries - NorwegianSymphony, Footloose in the Fjords andMajestic Sognefjord - are planned forAugust.

There will also be new Footloosewalking cruise itineraries for 2014

The first one combines a number of newwalks with some old favourite – Footlooseto the Lochs and Isles – with seven nightsfrom £2,390.

Hebridean has also teamed up with the

Royal Scotsman train again for 2014 tooffer the pre-cruise extension packagethat includes two or three nights on theRoyal Scotsman, overnight stay at theBalmoral Hotel in Edinburgh and achauffeur-driven transfer to the privatecoach in Glasgow.

Hurtigruten has added regional departures from Bournemouth and Glasgow to hook up with NorthernLights tours for winter 2013/14

The cruise association CLIA UK & Ireland, formerly thePassenger Shipping Association, has a number of big eventsfor agents to get involved in this year.

CLIA Luxury ExpoDover – September 2-3Three luxury cruise ships will be in Dover during this two-dayevent so agents can experience what five-star cruising isreally like.There will be ship visits to Crystal Symphony, CrystalSerenity and Seabourn Sojourn alongside a trade fair and adinner at Canterbury Lodge, within the grounds of CanterburyCathedral.A first for delegates will also be the opportunity to ‘virtually’visit Regent Seven Seas’ Voyager, which will be docked inSouthampton. How to book: tickets are £20 and and can be booked viaeventbrite.co.uk/event/5750529990/eorg; non-CLIA UK &Ireland members should email [email protected] to bookyour place.For more details: cruiseexperts.org or call 0207 436 2449

Columbus Day ConferenceLiverpool – 19 SeptemberThe event is designed for directors, senior managers andowner/managers who will hear topics ranging from global

changes within cruising to how retailing is adapting to reflecta rapidly changing customer. The day will also featurenetworking opportunities and the CLIA UK & Ireland CruiseExcellence Awards to recognise the contributions made byindividuals within the cruise sector. The deadline for entriesis Friday 16 August. Michael Bayley, president & CEO of Celebrity Cruises, iskeynote speaker and will be joined by Steve Odell, presidentEurope and Asia Pacific for Silversea Cruises.How to book: tickets are £50 + VAT and can be booked viacruiseexperts.org, or tel: 01920 444 827

River Cruise ExpoCologne – 12-18 NovemberThe German city of Cologne will host this year’s CLIA UK &Ireland River Cruise Expo, and for the first time, delegateswill take to the water for the conference and trade fair whichis taking place on board RheinEnergie, a floating businesscentre. Delegates will also be able visit six ships provided byeWaterways, Lueftner Cruises, Riviera Travel, Shearings, TheRiver Cruise Line and Uniworld. A trade fair and meetingopportunities will take place on Sunday morning followed bythe conference in the afternoon, with ship visits taking placeon Monday.How to book: cruiseexperts.org or call 0207 436 2449

News from the CLIA UK & Ireland

6

CRUISE NEWS

All About Cruising


It goes without saying that a family holiday is all aboutmaking sure the kids are alright. After all, happy childrenequals relatively content parents. So

when it comes to booking a familyon a cruise, what thecruiselines are doing tokeep the kids entertainedis more of a priority forparents over thedestinations that theships are visiting.

So we catch up with themajor players in this market to find outwhat they are doing this year to ensurethat parents aren’t tormented by the “I’mbored” chant throughout their holidays.

Disney Cruise LinesNo one does family fun quite like Disney.Its 4,000-capacity ships Disney Fantasy andDisney Dream and the 2,700-passengerDisney Wonder and Disney Magic fuse themajesty of life on a cruise ship withinnovation and some of those magicalDisney touches.For the kids: there are moreperformances than you can waveTinkerbell’s wand at on all voyages.Think big, think Broadway. There’sDisney’s Believe, The GoldenMickeys, Villains Tonight, DisneyDreams… An Enchanted Classicand Twice Charmed: An OriginalTwist on the Cinderella Story.

And we haven’t even gotstarted on the Walt DisneyTheatre that hosts first-runDisney film premieres. Alsoeach ship’s forward funnelhas a giant LED screenshowing Disney classics,

often set against the backdrop of deck parties and fireworks atsea.

In the arena of kids’ clubs, the Flounder’s Reef Nursery isideal for toddlers and runs for 12 weeks, offering books, craftsand games. Then there’s the Disney’s Oceaneer Club, a pirate-themed adventure area and home to Peter Pan’s Never Landwith games, storytelling, musical fun and dancing. Disney’sOceaneer Lab offers exploration with experiment stations,music stations, computers and video games for teens. The

Vibe is a teen-only hangout with music, Internetaccess, plasma-screen TVs, MP3 players, games,karaoke and snacks.How much? Prices lead in at £327 per person for athree-night Bahamian cruise.

Norwegian Cruise LineNorwegian really pushes the boat out when it comes

to family entertainment with bellsand whistles on.

For the kids: Norwegian knowshow to keep their guests happy

and, as a result of its tie-upwith the Blue Man Group,cruisers on board Norwegian

Epic can expect to see CirqueDreams and Dinner. Other

highlights include theSpiegel Tent, Headliners’Comedy Club,improvisation shows, jazzclubs and casinos. Thecruiseline prides itself onits Freestyle Concept, whichmeans families are not

restricted to set meal times.Newest ship Norwegian

Breakaway has a number offamily-oriented features on

board, including the largestyouth and teen dedicatedfacilities in the fleet. There isalso a teen space, called‘Entourage’, where teenagerscan relax in lounges designedspecifically for them with airhockey, video games and anarcade centre. On NorwegianGetaway, which launchesnext year, the on-board Aqua

Pirates, princessesand Kung-Fu Panda

All About Cruising7

FAMILY CRUISES

Mickey and his fellow young pirates do their best Captain Jack impersonation

With Royal Caribbean debuting its BarbiePremium Experience and Paul GauguinCruises offering kids the chance to be miniJean-Michel Cousteaus, the choice ofvoyages for the family is big in 2013/14

S02 TB Cruising Supp 2013 Family_Layout 1 12/07/2013 16:59 Page 7

Park will have five multi-storey water slides and there willalso be a three-storey sports centre that will feature a multi-level elevated ropes course that will challenge guests to morethan 40 different elements, including a zip track. Norwegian’spartnership with kids TV channel Nickelodeon means thechildren can expect to be hanging out with the likes of Dorathe Explorer and Spongebob.How much? The seven-night Western Mediterranean fromBarcelona fly-cruise on board Norwegian Epic, departing 11May 2014 costs from £2,772 for a family of four (two adults,two children) including return flights from London.

MSC CruisesThe Italian cruiseline puts families at the heart of their cruise,particularly when it comes to pricing, as children sharing withtwo full-fare-paying adults travel free.For the kids: split into four age-range categories carefullytailored to suite each group; the Mini Club (from three to sixyears), Juniors Club (from seven to 11), Young Club (from 12to 14) and a Teens Club (from 15 to 17). Since 2012,programme enhancements have been rolled out across theMSC fleet, with a focus on popular sporting activities, arts andcrafts, theatre and technology. There are also kids-only funareas and pools.

For teens, there’s the teen card, which is a pre-paid cardthat is like a real credit card and gives the kids the chance toenjoy some special teenage features and keep an eye on whatthey spend.

The teen area on board every ship in the MSC fleet is nowequipped with games consoles, dockings station for iPods,iPhones, iPads and USB readers. In the evening, there areparties, with a Teens Club Live event that includes live musicshows, hip-hop, Latin and group dancing, plus much more.There’s even a disco just for teens.

When it comes to dining, there’s a variety of family optionsavailable, from more formal family dining to Happy Dinners,where the kids eat within the Mini and Junior Clubs, enablingparents to enjoy their meal at leisure.How much? Prices lead in at £599 per person for the 10-nightNorthern Europe cruise onboard MSC Opera.

Crystal CruisesThe ultra luxury cruiseline can do child-friendly too andCrystal really pulls out all the stops to keep the kidsentertained.For the kids: Crystal really ramps up the kids activities duringthe peak school holiday periods on select sailings.

A daily Surf Runner newsletter provides details on thefollowing day's activity schedule, tailored by age group.Activities for the younger children include scavenger hunts,stretch-ercise, bridge tours, cookie baking, fashion shows,karaoke, movies, mini Olympics, pool games, water polo,pyjama parties, pizza making, galley tours, mask parade, relayraces, paddle tennis. Activities for teenagers include latenight pool parties, Trivial Pursuit, teen disco, karaoke, popcornparties and pizza parties.

The Fantasia playroom has supervised activities, tables andchairs for board games, arts and crafts, giant padded cubes,games console kiosks and large-screen televisions. Teenagerscan use the Waves video arcade while the Library offers aselection of children's books and DVDs for in-room viewing.Children can also see recently released films in TheHollywood Theatre.How much? Crystal’s 2014 programme leads in at £2,454 perperson based on a seven-night cruise from Lisbon toBarcelona on Crystal Serenity departing 10 August. Priceincludes return flights.

Royal CaribbeanWith a sizeable number of ex-UK sailings, Royal Caribbeanticks the box for parents who want to avoid flying with thekids. And the sheer size of the line’s ships – Allure of the Seascan carry 6,296 passengers – means there is plenty of spaceand facilities for the children to be entertained.For the kids: for 2013/14, the cruiseline is really focusing onits partnership with Dreamworks. For example, kids will nowget the chance to meet some of their favourite charactersfrom the movies – think Shrek, Puss In Boots, Kung Fu Pandaand Madagascar.

The children can enjoy special onboard productions of LetYou Entertain Me, an ice-skating show of How to Train YourDragon, a DreamWorks Animation parade down the Royal

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FAMILY CRUISES

All About Cruising

The Dreamworks Animations parade on Royal Caribbean ships

Norwegian’s Aqua Park will definitely fill the day-time hours with lots ofwater fun


FAMILY CRUISES

Promenade; interactive character breakfasts in the maindining room and various other shows and activities.

Barbie is also getting her sea legs on for the very first timein 2013 with the all-new Barbie Premium Experience.

Young girls will be able to have their staterooms decoratedin the iconic doll's signature style as well as exclusive,themed activities throughout the duration of their cruise –from an invitation-only Tiaras & Teacups party and mermaiddance class to a fashion design workshop and Barbie Girlsfashion show.

Other facilities on board Royal Caribbean’s mega shipsinclude the adventure beach family pool area, H2O zonechildren’s water park, Johnny Rockets American Diner, a videoarcade, computer stations, video games, a teens-onlynightclub, the Flowrider surf simulator, an onboard ice-skatingrink, rock climbing wall, basketball and volleyball courts, andminiature golf course.How much? Royal Caribbean offers a seven-night WesternCaribbean fly-cruise on Freedom of the Seas from £1,028 peradult and £1,026 per child. Prices include flights.

Royal Caribbean now offers a Barbie Premium Experience on its ships

Small-ship cruiseline Paul Gauguin Cruises is offering childrenthe chance to get up close with the underwater world of FrenchPolynesia with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of theEnvironment Youth Programme.Under the guidance of expert Ocean Future Society naturalists,young Ambassadors (ages 9-17) get the chance to explore coralreefs, hike rainforest trails, experience Polynesian culture andvisit marae (ancient Polynesian temples). They also learn howblack pearls and vanilla are cultivated, how volcanic islandsbecome coral atolls and how to paddle an outrigger canoe.Parents are encouraged to join their children on eco-excursionsand other activities onboard and ashore.

Mini-environmentalists at sea

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All About Cruising9


10All About Cruising

Leicester-based Ian Warren fromGoCruise and James Crosslandfrom Cruise.co.uk talked to Travel

Bulletin about the ups and downs ofselling cruise holidays in 2013.

Which cruise destinations are sellingwell and why do you think this is?Ian Warren, GoCruise: “NorwegianFjords. Not only is this a greatdestination, but at seven or eightnights, it is a great option for first-timecruisers.”James Crossland, Cruise.co.uk: “TheMed always sells well but we are alsoseeing people booking Far East andAustralia voyages which are bookingwell in advance.”

What destinations are not sellingwell and why do you think this is?Ian Warren: “I normally sell a goodnumber of Nile cruises, but they havenow diminished due to the ongoingproblems in Egypt.”James Crossland: “Iceland and fjordshave been a bit of a struggle and thismay be that there are moreships/cruises in this region this year.”

Are your clients that book cruisesfrom a certain demographic (eg over-55s) or are you seeing more youngerpeople and families embrace thecruise as a holiday option? Ian Warren: “While the 55 pluspopulation still make up a big part of

my customer base, I am finding that anincreasing number of younger couplesand families are trying a cruise for thefirst time. I feel that much of thisinterest can be attributed to theinnovations being added to ships bycruiselines, and by Royal Caribbean inparticular.”

James Crossland: “Most are still 55plus although younger families arepredominantly in the school holidays. Iam seeing more grandparents andextended families but mainly during theschool holidays. Cruising still remains aholiday that you take when you areolder as it is still expensive comparedto package holidays, particularly nowthat so many are all-inclusive.”

4. Is the increase in ex-UK cruiseshelping you to sell voyages?Ian Warren: “More people tell me thatthey are fed up with the increasingdelays at airports, and diminishing seatspace and luggage allowances on theaircraft. Cruising from the UK gets rid ofall these problems.”James Crossland: “It does help forthose that do not like flying or first-timers. But people that want adestination understand that you lose acouple of days at the beginning andend of a cruise going around the Bay ofBiscay.”

Do you find that your clients areloyal to one cruiseline, or do youfeel that they want to try a variety?Ian Warren: “The recent offers in themarket have led some ‘brand loyal’clients to try other cruiselines for thefirst time.”James Crossland: “They are happy totake advice from me on what is the bestoption for the time of year, experienceon-board and price – so yes will try avariety.”

Are you starting to sell more rivercruises, and if so, where to?Ian Warren: “I am noticing morepeople looking for their first rivercruise, which is often on the Rhine orDanube. For obvious reasons, my Nilecruise numbers are down at present.”James Crossland: “Yes, seen a hugeincrease this year – still the Danubeand the Rhine – again something on

FOR AGENTS

Question timeIn the third of our new Question Time features, we talk totwo agents about their experiences of selling cruising

Both agents say they have seen a increase inclients booking river cruises

S03 TB Cruising Supp 2013 Question Time_Fam Trip_Agent News_Layout 1 12/07/2013 17:00 Page 10

the list of most people that they wantto cross off.”

Do you feel that you get all thesupport you need from thecruiselines?Ian Warren: “There are somecruiselines who profess to be agentfriendly but severely restrict the daysand times we can phone them, andthen keep us hanging on the line,whereas direct customers can getthrough almost immediately, sevendays a week.”James Crossland: “Yes.”

What sort of information/fam tripswould you like to receive more offrom the cruiselines? Ian Warren: “For me, it would be

shorter fam trips. I work for myself, sowould often find it too difficult to takea whole week off. Some companies getaround this by splitting the week intwo, and giving twice as many agentsthe opportunity to experience theirproduct.”James Crossland: “We have a lot ofinformation on our site that comes frompeople that have cruised or thinking ofcruising which we and consumers findvaluable.”

Have you been on many ship visitsand educationals in the last fiveyears?Ian Warren: “In the last five years Ihave been on five fam trips and visited47 ocean and river cruise ships. Inaddition I have been on eight cruises

and mini cruises at my own expense.”James Crossland: “I have beenfortunate and have had a mix ofeducationals on rivers, cruiselines etc.Also the Norwegian and Princess shiplaunches have helped.”

Complete Cruise Solution has added some new modules toits training academy including the 2014/2015 programmelaunch for P&O Cruises, which features all the informationabout the new Ventura fly Med cruises and 2014programme launch for Cunard including detailedinformation about the new land tours on offer in New York. All of the Academy content is being refreshed and updatedto include product changes and the new programmereleases. If agents have already completed modules, they can recapby visiting the history tab – this will also show them themost recent version of the module with any changes thathave been made included. The Academy benefits now apply from First Officer onPrincess Cruises with the introduction of the newMedallion Captain’s Circle tier for agents travelling ontheir own holidays. There is also still availability on the ship visit programmefor 2013 with visits across the majority of our fleet andsome regional visits too. World Cruise 2015 modules for both Cunard and P&OCruises with all the programme highlights and tips on whothe ideal world cruise passengers are will be introduced tothe academy soon. There will also be new modules for all brands andRefresher modules coming towards the end of the year

Hapag-LloydThe German cruiseline has launched an agents’ campaignin line with the slogan ‘Time is precious’. The campaign aims to provide agents and sales partnerswith effective sales support with one of the mainobjectives being to save the partners time.The epicentre of the campaign is the new portalwww.time-is-precious.com: The portal contains a

dedicated area for sales partners with information relevantto the counter quickly, clearly and concisely. The newsales community is also available in the portal, allowingpartners to communicate and network on a regional level.Agents that complete e-learning courses and take part intraining courses will receive free fictitious “seconds” aspart of a rewards system. These can be redeemed in thenew rewards shop – for time on board the Europa 2, forinstance, or other high-quality prizes.

Star ClippersThe cruiseline has two sales managers dedicated to giveagents face-to-face training.UK account manager, Danielle Dudley and UK salesmanager, Kelly Brooks train agency staff in groups to suittheir time-tables and opening hours. They are also happyto attend client evenings, organised by the agent. StarClippers also hold training roadshows in conjunction withKirker Holidays so agents can learn about the product.There are also plans to start running online webinarswhich will be advertised to the trade.

Regent Seven SeasThe cruiseline has a regional sales team who are keen tovisit agents for some face-to-face training.Consultants who would like to request a visit shouldemail:Sarah Brooks, senior regional sales manager – [email protected] Donovan, senior regional sales manager – [email protected] Williamson, national account manager and [email protected] McDonald, regional sales manager –Scotland/Ireland [email protected]

Training

All About Cruising11

FOR AGENTS

Ian Warren James Crossland


12All About Cruising

Aqua ExpeditionsThe small-ship cruiseline has unveiledplans to launch its third luxury vesselearly next year.Aqua Mekong will operate on theMekong River in Cambodia and VietnamHow big? The vessel will have 20outward-facing suites with floor-to-ceiling windows.Life on board: there will also be a spaand fitness centre, dining room, library,screening room and an observation deckwith a swimming pool and lounge bar. How much? Aqua Mekong willoperate three, four and seven-nightitineraries that will run from Siem Riepdown river to My Tho, near Saigon,stopping in Phnom Penh along the way,and vice versa.

G Adventures The adventure specialist is increasingits capacity on the Amazon River bymore than 30% with the launch of anewly refurbished, purpose-built vessel.Queen Violeta will cruise along theAmazon and will stop off for visits tolocal villages.How many cabins? Queen Violeta canaccommodate 32 passengers in its 16cabins.Life on board: there’s a large open upperdeck with bar area and lounging withdeck chairs and hammocks. There’s alsoa dining room on the second deck.How much? the new Amazon Riverboatsails a nine-day trip from Lima returnwith prices leading in at £1,162 perperson.

Hapag-LloydThe luxury cruiseline has launched itslatest ship Europa 2, which will sailseven-day combinable cruises aroundthe eastern and western Mediterraneanin the summer months, with 13-20 daycombination cruises to farawaydestinations in the winter, such as the

Arabian Peninsula and Southeast Asia.The smaller size of the ship means it isable to dock in smaller, less-visitedports such as Bonifacio and Portofino inItaly.How many cabins? 251 suites in sevendifferent categories that canaccommodate up to 516 passengers.Life on board: eight restaurants and sixbars. There is also an on-board culinaryschool, theatre, spa and gym and kidsand teens’ club.How much? Prices lead in at £3,230 perperson for an eight-night round tripfrom Dubai departing on 25 November.

SilverseaThe luxury cruiseline will be launchingits new expedition ship SilverGalapagos in September, which willoperate cruises around the Galapagosarchipelago.How many cabins? 50 cabins willaccommodate 100 guestsLife on board: the ship will have tworestaurants, a library, expedition deck,piano bar, spa and fitness centreHow much? Fares start at £3,550 perperson based on double occupancy inAdventurer Class.

Norwegian Cruise LineNorwegian Getaway is poised to launchin February with its maiden nine-night,eastern Caribbean fly-cruise departingfrom Miami.How big? Getaway will carry 4,028-passenger in 2,015 staterooms across26 categoriesLife on board: the cruiseline will beoffering a new raft of entertainmentoptions including a magic show calledThe Illusionarium and The GrammyExperience, which will be a venue forlive performances from past Grammywinners and nominees. The Aqua Parkwill have five multi-storey water slidesand there will also be a three-storey

sports centre that will feature a multi-level elevated ropes course that willchallenge guests to more than 40different elements, including a zip track.There will also be The Plank – aplatform that extends eight feet overthe side of the ship for adrenaline-junkee guests to explore – a nine-holegolf course, a rock-climbing wall,bungee trampoline and spider web.Getaway will feature adult-only outdoorenclave at the back of the ship on deck16 and on deck 17.How much? A nine-night EasternCaribbean fly-cruise departing fromMiami on 28 February 2014 starts at£1,729 per person including flights.

MSC CruisesEurope’s largest cruise ship, MSCPreziosa is the 12th addition toMSC Cruises’ fleet, as well as the fourthship in the series of Fantasia-class ships. How big? The 18-deck MSC Preziosa canaccommodate 4,300 passengers in1,751 cabins.Life on board: there are four mainrestaurants, two speciality restaurants,21 bars, a casino, four swimming pools,the longest water-slide at sea, 12whirlpools, a bowling alley, a sportsarea with playing fields, a fitness centre,a children’s area and the MSC AureaSpa.The ship also has MSC Yacht Club, aprivate VIP area located on the topdecks.How much? A seven-night cruise callingin Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Khor AlFakkan, Muscat and Khasabrom startsfrom £819 per person including flights.

Hapag-Lloyd's Europa 2 was christened inHamburg on May 10

The new world orderThe new ship launches are still coming thick and fast. Here isa round-up of the latest members of the cruise family – bothbig and small

NEW SHIPS


Who would have thought that inthese tough times luxury cruiseswould be one of the growth areas

of the industry – but it is.Figures from the CLIA UK & Ireland for

2012 showed that there is ongoing growthin ultra luxury cruising with a year-on-yearrise of 10%, meaning 1.7% of all cruisesbooked in 2012 came in this sector.

Whether it’s rocking up at Monaco for theGrand Prix, or dropping anchor at an

uninhabited island in the Caribbean, theexperiences the ultra luxury lines give theirguests create memories of a lifetime. Here isa round-up of the major players in thismarket and what they are up to in the nextyear.

Crystal CruisesThe ultra luxury line is not resting on itslaurels for 2014 and is rolling out morethemed cruises for the new year.

These include: Extreme Thrill Seekers;Explorations in Elegance; Gladiators andEmpires; Maritime: Past, Present, and Future;Up Close and Magical; and Wine and Food:Microbrews. These new themes will giveguests an insight into a wide range ofactivities as experts give talks on theirvaried experiences such as expert sharkdivers, underwater photographers andmarine scientists, who will be joiningpassengers on Extreme Thrill Seekers as partof Crystal’s World Cruise.

On a cruise around Italy, guest speakerson the Gladiators and Empires voyage willlook back over the highs and lows of theRoman Empire, while Explorations inElegance tour of western Europe willwelcome auction houses such as Christiesand Sotheby’s and masters of fashion,design and style to share their knowledge ofthe finer things in life.

Other new innovations range fromculinary enhancements in Prego and Tastesrestaurants to production shows, includingiLuminate, an America’s Got Talent musicalof light and movement. More shorter cruises– 34% of 10 nights or less in 2014 alone –port-intensive voyages and Caribbean andAsian offerings have been introduced alongwith new cruises in the North Cape,Andaman Sea and Polynesia.How much? From £2,454 per person basedon a seven-night cruise from Lisbon toBarcelona including flights and transfers.

Compagnie du PonantThe boutique French cruiseline thatspecialises in yacht cruising has introducedits new ship – its fourth – to its ultra-luxuryfleet.

Le Soléal, which has 132 staterooms,started its voyages this month, with itsinaugural season seeing the ship head tothe Arctic region, sailing through the NorthWest Passage to the Bearing Strait andbeyond to the Arctic Circle.

For winter 2013/14, Le Soléal will beheading to Asia for 17 cruise circuits. Therewill the eight-day Otaru to Osaka cruisearound Japan with prices from £2,132 perperson, then there is the nine-day KualaLumpur to Colombo, Sri Lanka cruise thattakes in Thailand and Burma. For winter2013/14, the cruiseline’s three other shipswill be operating a number of itineraries,including the Caribbean or a cruise circuit inSouth America and Asia.

L’Austral will be sailing a brand new 15-day itinerary around Brazil’s northwest


LUXURY CRUISES

Seadream I will be operating its first-evercruise from the UK next year with a 14-nightBaltic Capitals voyage departing on 16 Augustsailing a round trip from Dover

The finer things in life...

Finest Egyptian cotton sheets? Check. The fluffiest offluffy towels? Check. The finest of wines? Check. 24-hourbutler service? Check. The most decadent of destinations?Check. These ultra luxury cruiselines really know how tomake their guests feel like royalty

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coast, taking in Recife, Fortaleza, Itaqui, SaoLuis, Belém before spending three dayscruising the Amazon before heading to Îlesdu Salut and Cayenne in French Guiana.

For the first time ever, the three-mastyacht Le Ponant will be sailing to the heartof the Cape Verde islands.

For the first time, Le Ponant sets sail forWest Africa on an eight-day cruise to exploreCape Verde’s islands: Maio, Sao Nicolau,Mindelo, Porto Novo, Brava and Fago. How much? The 15-day cruise around thenorthwest coast of Brazil on L’Austral leadsin at £2,352 per person for a 23 Marchdeparture.

Azamara Club CruisesThis luxury small-ship line likes todifferentiate itself from other high-end rivalsby promoting its destination-immersiveapproach.

As well as all the attention to detail onboard, Azamara pays the same attention tothe quality of its destination with voyagesthat feature longer stays in ports and moreovernights at ports to provide guests theopportunity to experience night touring atsome of the most intriguing destinations inthe world.

Fine dining, exquisite wines, Englishbutler service and everything all-in - yes,everything - are all part of what is expectedfrom the luxury lines but what Azamaralikes to offer its guests is AzAmazingEvenings events that showcase theunexpected colours and flavours of adestination.

For example on an eight-night New Year’sVoyage on Azamara Quest from St Barts toMiami’s South Beach, the AzAmazingEvening included on this sailing is ExoticGardens and Calypso in St. Martin.

Guests will be given the opportunity toexplore a private nature reserve deep in theheart of St Martin and discover lush gardensand vegetation found nowhere else on theisland, before enjoying rum punch and freshisland fare garnished with flowers and fruitfrom the reserve.How much? Prices lead in at £3,365 perperson and include return flights fromLondon, transfers and a one-night pre-cruisehotel stay in San Juan and the eight nightcruise that takes in St John (US VirginIslands), Philipsburg (St Martin), Gustavia (St,Barts), Charlestown (Nevis) and Virgin Gorda(British Virgin Islands), before arriving inMiami (Florida) for the flight home.

Seadream Luxury small-ship cruising is one of thefastest growing parts of the UK industry andUS cruiseline Seadream is looking to get abigger slice of that pie, particularly as itplans to add new ships in the future.

The line has recently restructured theway it sells to the UK market, includingpricing in sterling instead of dollars, whichUK managing director Andy McGowanbelieves will help agents to sell the luxuryline.

“Luxury the Seadream way is all aboutthe destination and the informality of ourexperience. There’s no captain’s night orformal evenings, it’s all about barefootluxury, niche menus, fine wines – and theoff-the-beaten-track destinations of course.Also, we have nearly as many staff topassengers with 95 staff and 116 guests.

“In the UK, we feel the Seadreamoffering appeals to 40-somethings whowouldn’t normally consider a cruise, butcan see we offer something completelydifferent and don’t think anything ofspending £15,000 on holidays throughoutthe year,” he adds.

As a result of its focus on the UK,Seadream will be operating its first-evercruise from here with a 14-night BalticCapitals voyage departing on 16 Augustsailing a round trip from Dover.

After the inaugural round-trip UK sailing,SeaDream I heads for Lisbon, then Romeand on to Athens to join sister SeaDream IIin the Mediterranean through to the end ofthe summer.

Also, new for autumn/spring 2013/14,SeaDream II will be visiting 18 differentdepartures and almost every nation with acoast in Asia including Thailand, Malaysia,Singapore, Myanmar (Burma), East Timor,

Indonesia, New Guinea, Vietnam, Cambodiaand Hong Kong. Sailings range from sevento 14 nights’ duration. The programmekicks off with an inaugural trans-Suez and atrans-Indian Ocean sailing.

SeaDream’s spring 2014 Caribbeanvoyages will be venturing far away from thewell-trodden cruise trail and heading to theuninhabited Culebrita Island, StBarts, Norman Island, Jost van Dyke,Bequia, Virgin Gorda and Montserrat.

Seadream I will return to the Baltic andFjords for the first time since its inauguralvisit in 2011 with five sailings in the Balticfollowed by three in the Norwegian Fjords. How much? The 14-night, ex-UK BalticCapitals voyage leads in at £7,099. Aseven-night Asian Fantasia round-trip cruisefrom Singapore on 4 April 2014 costs from£3,302. Typical seven-night NorthernEurope departures start at £3,821. All pricesare per person.

Crystal Cruises will be looking over the Roman Empire on a themed Gladiators and Empires cruise around Italy

Seabourn has introduced penthousespa suites on three of its new ships.Seabourn Quest will have four newelegant Penthouse Spa Suites locateddirectly above the Spa at Seabournfacility. Guests will access the suites bymeans of a spiral staircase in thelobby of the spa, and have unlimitedaccess to the spa’s Serene Area, aswell as spa amenities in the suiteitself and the services of a spaconcierge during voyages. The newsuites will also be added to SeabournOdyssey and Seabourn Sojourn duringtheir next scheduled drydocks.

Penthouse views

14

LUXURY CRUISES

All About Cruising

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Niche cruises are all the rage, itseems, as repeat cruisers look formore varied and adventurous

experiences.And it seems, there is a cruise to

satisfy almost every interest. Fromhorticultural voyages – Voyages ofDiscovery offers a Colours of the IndianOcean and the Magic of the Med inpartnership with the Royal HorticulturalSociety – to yoga cruises from StarClippers, if you can match your client tothe right cruise, then you areguaranteed to secure that booking.

There are so many to choose from, buthere is just a snapshot of what’s onoffer.

One glass or two…Wine tours specialist Arblaster andClarke know a thing or two aboutcombining fine wines and memorableholidays and for 2014, they will be theonly UK charter for private yacht SeaCloud, which was built in 1931. Thevessel only carries 50 passengers and itssize means the cruise can rock up atsmaller ports in the Med and reach amore diverse range of winemakers

The eight-night Venice to Athensvoyage departs from the Italian port on6 August and calls in at Mali Losinj inCroatia, the small wine-producing islandof Susak, Korcula and Monopoli inPuglia before heading to Greece for

visits to Kyllini, Elafonisas, Monemvasia,Astros and finally Piraeus.

The wine lovers will get a chance tovisit some wine estates on the way aswell as enjoy on-board presentations fromwinemakers. How much? Prices are from £5,849 perperson which includes all meals, wines,tastings, excursion to Olympia, tips,porterage and airport transfers. Flights arenot included.

Down southFor clients who have an overwhelmingdesire to get up close and personal withthe wildlife of the Antarctic Circle butdon’t want to compromise too much ontheir creature comforts, then ExodusTravels has just the tour for them.

The 20-day Falklands, South Georgiaand Antarctic Circle Crossing on boardSea Adventurer begins in Ushuaia,Argentina before heading east along theBeagle Channel to the Falklands whereguests will get the chance to explore thewildlife and fascinating history of theislands.

Sea Adventurer then sets sail for SouthGeorgia where passengers will be able totake in some of the wildlife including75,000 pairs of King penguins nest at StAndrews Bay. There’s also the opportunityto visit an old whaling station, and thegrave of Antarctic explorer Sir ErnestShackleton.

The voyage continues to the SouthOrkney Islands and then enters anenchanted world of icebergs andice-covered mountains as the ship makesits way through the bays and channels ofthe Antarctic Peninsula.

There will be plenty of wildlife to spotalong the way, particularly during theguided hikes with the expedition teams tovisit a research station and penguincolonies – there may even be the oddfriendly minke whale to see too.How much? Prices lead in at £11,250 perperson with departure on 17 December2013 and 2 February 2014. Flights are notincluded.

Solar powerA total solar eclipse is due to occur inMarch 2015 and the best place to see itwill be two minutes 47 seconds off thecoast of the Faroe Islands.

To coincide with the event, Fred.Olsen’s 804-guest ship, Black Watch, willbe at the precise co-ordinates at this timeduring its 15-night Solar Eclipse Cruisewhich departs from Southampton on 16March 2015.

The cruise takes in the Faroe Islandsand then heads to Norway to the LofotenIslands, Tromso, Alta, Trondheim andAlesund before returning to Southampton.How much? Prices for this ex-UK cruisestart at £1,699 per person, based on twoadults sharing an inside cabin.

Ice or a slice?

From Arctic and Antarctic cruises to theindulgence of gourmet voyages, speciality cruisesare a big part of what cruiselines are all about


NICHE CRUISES

Star Clippers is introducingcruises to Cuba for 2014

S05 TB Cruising Supp 2013 Niche_Layout 1 12/07/2013 17:02 Page 15

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Luxury Cruising by Compagnie du Ponant

ASIA: A YACHTING ESCAPE BETWEEN EARTH & SEA From the Japan of the Samurais to the impossibly green rice terraces of Bali through the legendary Ha Long Bay, cruising with Compagnie du Ponant offers the privilege of waking each morning to a different landscape of eternal Asia and discovering its most beautiful sights.The brand new 132-cabin, 5-star yacht LE SOLEAL reaches some of Asia’s best kept secrets while treating guests to unrivalled passen-ger service, the finest cuisine and a bilingual crew ready to tend to your every need. Discover the treasures of the World by sea.

Start your journey on ponant.com Winter 2013-2014 – 17 departures from £1950(1)

0800 980 4027Contact your travel agency or call our UK call centre


The green sceneHurtigruten has an extensiveprogramme of cruises during the winterseason, particularly for winter 2013/14as the cruiseline capitalises on the lastof the increased Northern Lights activity.

But for those who fancy venturing abit further afield, say Greenland, thenHurtigruten’s the line for you.

The Heart of Greenland voyage, whichbegins with an overnight in Copenhagenbefore a flight up to Kangerlussuaq,allows guests the chance to really getunder the skin of the Inuit way of life inGreenland as they are welcomed intotheir homes and schools. When the shipdocks in the Ittileq township guests,crew and locals join together for atraditional football match.

Passengers can also get up close tosome impressive glaciers and the oddwhale on Zodiacs if they are lucky. Anddepending on what time of year they go,the Midnight Sun is also on theitinerary.

The Norwegian cruiseline has alsointroduced new summer excursions inthe Lofotens Island of Norway.

These include horse riding, reindeerspotting by night, a visit to a salmon farmand whale watchingHow much? Prices for the nine-nightHeart of Greenland voyage lead in at£4,196 per person excluding internationalflights.

Gourmet adventuresExpect to put on a pound or two if yousign up to Silversea’s Italian GourmetCruise programme, which departs Veniceon 24 October 2013 for a nine-day sailingto Rome.

Passengers are guaranteed to delight ina showcase of Italian offerings served upby Emanuele Scarello, a double Michelinstar chef, who will be preparing a two-course gala dinner.

Guests will also get some insight intocooking up the finest Italian dishes atScarello’s cookery courses, and with theassistance of L’Università del Caffè, theywill also have the chance to become areal coffee connoisseur.

Grappa Nonino will reveal the secretsof the art of handmade distillation andthe correct manner in which to

appreciate the Nonino MonovitignoGrappa.

Carlo Dall'Ava will lead a guided tourto the “prosciutto learning centre DOK”,and along with his staff, will explain thecorrect complements necessary to fullyemphasise the taste of Italianprosciutto.How much? Prices lead in at £2,750 perperson.

Hurtigruten’s Heart of Greenland voyage gives passengers the chance to get to grips with the culture of the Inuit people - and spot a glacier or two

Star Clippers is sailing to Cuba in 2014for the first time, offering a series ofitineraries exploring the island indepth, visiting beaches andanchorages, colonial towns andvillages and with a pre and post-cruiseoption to stay in historic Havana.The Cuba programme will be offeredon the 170-passenger Star Flyer,which will sail four itineraries startingwith a 14-night Costa Rica to Cuba viathe Panama Canal.Prices lead in at £2,440 cruise only.

Havana, Hemingwayand haciendas


NICHE CRUISES


The Egyptian Experts

ABTA No.Y2507

*Price shown based on 2 adults sharing. Correct at time of going to press; subject to availability. Terms and conditions apply. °Payable locally. ATOL protected 9749.

© Red Sea Holidays 2013.

Experience 5,000 years of history on a Nile river cruise

7 nights from

£599all inclusive

To fi nd out more, visit www.redseaholidays.co.uk/agent or speak to one of our experts on 0845 072 2477

Luxor Temple

Karnak Temple

Kom Ombo Temple

Philae Temple

Aswan High Dam

Unfinished Obelisk

Colossi of Memnon

Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple

Medinet Habu

Valley of the Kings

10 fully-guided excursions

All meals on board

Local alcoholic and soft drinks

Return flights from the UK

Resort transfers

Late check out cabin

All Inclusive

MS Grand Rose

7 nights from £599PP*

Elegant and sophisticated, the MS Grand Rose offers first class service and stunning views, whether from the sun deck or the tastefully appointed cabins, all of which have have large picture windows.

Outside cabinsPanoramic windowsLounge barRestaurant

Swimming poolShopsEntertainment5 decksUK exclusive

Fly direct from the UK to the mesmerising ancient city of Luxor and embark.

Tour the UNESCO world heritage sites of Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple, including the famous Hypostyle Hall with its 134 towering columns.

Sail via Esna lock to Kom Ombo to visit the double temple of crocodile god Sobek and falcon-headed Horus before continuing to Aswan.

Enjoy a day at leisure exploring the souks and cafes of bustling Aswan or take an optional excursion to Abu Simbel.°

Visit the Philae temple on Agilika Island, dedicated to Isis, then the Aswan High Dam, and after lunch, take a ride in a traditional “felucca”.

Make the most of the unique views and onboard facilities as you sail down the Nile to Luxor.

Visit the famous Valley of the Kings, the Colossi of Memnon, Queen Hatshepsut’s Temple, and Medinet Habu.

Enjoy a some last minute sightseeing or sunbathing and a leisurely lunch before your return to the UK.

TOUR ITINERARY


Until recently, river cruises were seenas the toddler to the ocean-cruisingteen, but things are starting to

change.Figures from the Cruise Lines

International Association UK and Irelandreveal more Britons than ever took a rivercruise last year, with figures up by 14% to130,000. European river cruises saw thebiggest increase – 12% up on the previousyear.

While it still has a long way to go tocatch up with the popularity of the oceancruises – 1.7 million passengers last year –the introduction of new ships and thevariety of voyages that are tempting oceancruisers to try out the river journeys areguaranteed to give the operators a boost.Here is a round-up of what lines areheading upstream around the world in2014.

EuropeViking River Cruises is setting its sights onthe French waterways for 2014 with thelaunch of its eight-day Heart of Bordeauxcruise.

Viking Forseti will operate the itineraryalong the Dordogne, Garonne and GirondeRivers. Starting and ending in Bordeaux,the voyage will take in the historical townsof Pauillac, Blaye, Libourne and Cadillac,visiting three UNESCO sites, includingBlaye’s 17th-century Citadel and Saint-Emilion.

Viking believes this cruise will bepopular with food lovers, who will haveample opportunity to enjoy the region’sspecialities such as oysters, truffles, cognac

and the region’s famed wines, with timebuilt in to tour the wine country.How much? From £1,095 per person.

Avalon is aiming to appeal to its guestswho have cruised with them before, with anew range of themed cruises that willallow them to combine their hobbies witha river cruise.

The new voyages include thenine-day Austrian Highlights and BavariaRiver cruise for beer lovers. Withdepartures on 7 July and 13 October 2014,the cruise takes in the charming towns,castles and museums along the BavariaRiver as well as giving guests the chanceto enjoy a food and beer-pairing dinnerwith special courses and beers chosen byan expert; on-board lectures; visits toKuchlbauer World of Beer in Abensbergand the German Hop Museum in Wolnzachwith tasting; and visits and tastings at anumber of historic breweries along theway.How much? Prices lead in at £1,499 for thenine-day cruise including flights.

History lovers will be enchanted by theeight-day Paris to Normandy LandingBeaches voyage, which departs on 1 Apriland the 16-day Grand France cruise thatleaves Paris on 24 March and headsthrough Normandy to the D-Day landingbeaches before returning to Paris whereguests board the second cruise ship andset sail for the Cote d’Azur.

Both itineraries will mark the 100 yearssince the start of World War I and willinclude visits to some of Europe's mostfamous war sites, on board lectures about

World War I and a visit to the Museum ofthe Great War in Meaux.

These new cruise options are in additionto the existing choice of wine, music, artand impressionist, culinary, Europeanhistory and politics, Jewish heritage andfestive cruises.How much? From £1,379 including flightsfor the Paris to Normandy LandingBeaches, with the 16-day Grand Francetour starting at £3,215.

AfricaAmaWaterways has introduced newitineraries based around the boutique, 28-passenger Zambezi Queen, which sails theChobe River in southern Africa.

The cruiseline’s 16-day Stars of SouthAfrica voyage includes three nights in CapeTown, a four-night safari cruise on ZambeziQueen, two nights at Victoria Falls, onenight in Johannesburg and three nights inKruger Park.

The 15-day Rivers and Rails of Africatakes in three nights in Cape Town, a four-night safari cruise on Zambezi Queen andtwo nights at Victoria Falls, followed bytwo nights on the Rovos Rail luxury trainand one in Johannesburg.

Finally, the 19-day Golden Trails of EastAfrica includes one night in Johannesburg,a four-night safari cruise on ZambeziQueen, two nights at Victoria Falls and onenight in Johannesburg before flying toNairobi for a six-night tour of East Africa,including Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro andthe Serengeti.

Zambezi Queen is a luxury river boatwith 10 suites and four master suites, allen-suite with king or twin beds, privatebalconies and full length sliding shutters.How much? From £7,791 per person for a13-night cruise and land safari, excludingflights and transfers.

Banking on successWith the launch of modern vessels and an increase in thevariety of journeys available, the future looks very brightfor river cruising


RIVER CRUISES

Viking Freya on the Danube

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The river cruise that is on everyone’sbucket list has to be the Nile, and Red SeaHolidays guarantees the ultimate Egyptianexperience with its own custom-builtcruise ship, the five-star Grand Rose.

The vessel operates all-inclusive, seven-night cruises, including 10 excursions,which are only available to UK guests.

This particular cruise starts in Luxor on aWednesday as opposed to a Monday whenmost of the other cruise companies starttheir voyages.

Guests get the chance to venture on tothe East Bank of Thebes and the Templesof Luxor and Karnak and the GreatHypostyle Hall before setting sail for KomOmbo via Esna Lock to discover moretemples. The voyage also takes in Aswan,the island of Agilika and Philae Temple,and a felucca ride along the Nile beforereturning to Luxor and on to the west backof Thebes and the Valley of the Kings.How much? Seven nights’ all-inclusivecosts from £695 per person includingflights.

AsiaNew destinations are always appealing andwith Burma beginning to emerge fromdecades of being well and truly off thetourist trail, river cruise operators havestarted to base some of their itinerariesaround the waterways of this intriguingcountry.

Viking’s 16-day Memories of Mandalaycruise and tour itinerary starts off inBangkok before heading to the Burmesecapital of Yangon and on to the charmingtown of Pyay on the Irrawaddy River to pickup the river cruise ship, Viking Mandalay.

The ship cruises down the Irrawaddy toThayetmyo Frontier Post, a town that onceguarded the border between RoyalMyanmar and British Myanmar. Sites to seehere are the 19th-century covered marketand colonial houses.

Next stop is Minhla and Gwechaung, twoItalian-built forts constructed to protectRoyal Myanmar from the British beforeheading to the small city of Magway, packedfull of narrow streets, shrines and temples.

RIVER CRUISES

Aria operates three, four and seven-nightcruises along the Amazon


Then on it’s on to the Salé Monasteries,Bagan, the capital of Burma from the 9-12century, Yandabo, Ava and Amarapura (twoformer Burmese capitals), Mandalay andthen back to Bangkok for the journeyhome.How much? This 16-day cruise and touritinerary costs from £5,199 per personincluding flights.

Like the Mississippi is to the southernUS, the Mekong River is the heart and soulof mainland southeast Asia and passesthrough China, Burma, Thailand, Laos,Cambodia and Vietnam; more than 60million people depend on it for food, waterand transport.

Riviera Travel has a 15-day Journey onthe Mekong on Jayavarman, a 20th-century boutique ship that tips its hat toFrench colonial-style design.

This voyage starts in Cambodia with astay in Siem Reap, gateway to the complexof temples within the ancient city ofAngkor, before heading off to the capital ofPhnom Penh and Tonle Sap (Great Lake).

The cruise then takes Binh Thanh Island,Cai be and My Tho before crossing into acomplex underground network stretchingfor 200 kilometres, which provided a basefor the Vietcong to attack US forces withinjust 30 miles of the city.How much? Prices lead in at £3,599 perperson and include flights.

North AmericaThink about cruising the great rivers ofNorth America, and evocative imagesspring to mind of sailing down theMississippi in a paddle steamer from atime when Huckleberry Finn and TomSawyer would have been getting up tomischief on the banks of the river.

Avalon gives you the chance to grab abit of America 19th-century style with its13-day Music City to the Big Easy voyage.This itinerary includes two nights inNashville and one night in Memphis beforehopping on board American Queen, aclassic-style paddlewheel steam boat for acruise down the Mississippi with visits to

2014 river and coastal cruisesnow on sale

CroisiEurope River cruisesTravel agents information and bookings: Tel +44 (0) 208 3 281 [email protected] Sales: Tel +44 (0) 208 328 0649 - www.croisieurope.com

River JourneysGo with the flow in Europe

RIVER CRUISES



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Helena, Vicksburg, Natchez, St Francisville,Baton Rouge, Housmas House and NewOrleans.

The steam boat has a pool, gym, spa,multi-dining options, nightly entertainmentand a theatre on board.How much? From £4,665 per person.

South AmericaDepending which website you read andwhere they measure the start of the rivers,there has been debate for a few yearsabout which is the longest river in theworld – the Amazon or the Nile.

Well, whichever it is, the Amazon isundoubtedly the most ecologicallyfascinating. Its source is in the AndesMountains of Peru and it runs throughColombia and out to the Atlantic ocean inBrazil. There are a number of river cruisesto choose from that can be done asstandalone cruises or incorporated intolonger South American itineraries.

Aqua Expeditions launched luxury cruiseship Aria just two years ago and it operates

three, four and seven-day cruises along theAmazon, taking in the sights and soundsfrom the riverbank and venturing into thePacaya Samiria Reserve in the Amazonrainforest to encounter some of the wildlifein the region.How much? Avalon operates a 12-day From

the Inca Empire to the Peruvian Amazon,which includes a three-day Amazon Cruiseon board Aria as well as two nights in Lima,one night at the Sacred Valley of the Incaswith visits to Kenko and Sacsayhuaman,one night at Machu Picchu and two nightsat Cusco. Prices start at £5,499 with flights.

AMAWaterways is offering cruises along the Chobe River as part of its 2014 programme to Africa

22

RIVER CRUISES

All About Cruising

Titan has launched its new-look The World’s Best River Cruises2014 brochure, featuring all-inclusive cruises, a new vessel andnew cruises.Sister ship to Antoinette, Catherine will come into operation in2014, replacing River Royale on the eight-day Burgundy &Provence itinerary, sailing from Lyon to Avignon, with prices from£2,099 per person.River Royale will be relocated to the French waterways – theGaronne, Dordogne and Gironde – on the brand new 8-dayitinerary Bordeaux, Vineyards and Chateaux with prices from£2,099 per person.And Antoinette will be joined by River Queen on the CastlesAlong the Rhine itinerary with eight-day Amsterdam to Baselitineraries. Prices lead in at £2,099 per person.

Riviera Travel has seen strong demand for its Europeanwaterways cruises and has added an extra 13-night Cruise theHeart of Europe departure.The voyage on Lord Byron will depart on 3 November 2013 fromBudapest to Cologne with prices from £1,399 per person. Rivierawill be adding two new vessels to its fleet for 2014; the five-starSwiss Tiara and Swiss Sapphire. The operator also has a newSeine, Paris & Normandy itinerary.Prices for Riviera Travel’s new River Cruise programme start at£669 per person for a four-night, mini-cruise.

Croisieurope has expanded its fleet with the addition of the 12-cabin crewed hotel barge, La Jeanine.The barge operates in Burgundy, in Alsace, from Strasbourg toXouaxange and from Dijon, sailing through the Saône-et-Loire

and La Côte d'Or regions of France. More hotel barges will bejoining the CroisiEurope fleet over the next couple of years.

The American Queen Steamboat Company is to start sellingcruises through the trade following the opening of a UK office.The company owns American Queen, the largest riverboat in theworld, and operates cruises on the Mississippi. Light Blue Travelhas been appointed as UK booking agent, the company hasjoined the CILA and will offer training, fam trips and 10%commission.

AmaWaterways will launch two new ships next year.AmaSonata and AmaReina, sisters to the 164-passengerAmaPrima and AmaCerto will feature twin balcony stateroomsand suites. AmaSonata will travel the Danube and Rhine Riverson seven itineraries, while AmaReina will be dedicated to theEnchanting Rhine seven-night itinerary.

Avalon Waterways has unveiled its 2014 European River Cruisebrochure with three new Suite Ships due for delivery in thespring. The new Avalon Suite Ships, Avalon Poetry II,Illumination and Impression will bring the total number of SuiteShips to eight. Avalon is offering £600 off per couple on anycruise booked before 30 September.

Viking Cruises has a busy few years ahead with the launch of 14new ships. Twelve Longships and two new ships are due tolaunch in Amsterdam in March next year. The Longships will besailing on the Danube, Rhine and Rhone, while the other twoships will cruise the Douro in Portugal.

News in brief


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Documents

Travel Bulletin Cruising Supplement 2013