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Paris, and the rest of Europe are calling 31/5/2022 3:32 pm

ALL-INCLUSIVE VOYAGES 2022-2024

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Contents

Cruise

Travel

June 2022 Editor-in-chief and publisher Peter Lynch peter.lynch@bigsplashmedia.com.au Editor Bernadette Chua bernadette@bigsplashmedia.com.au Executive editor Teresa Ooi teresa@bigsplashmedia.com.au Sub editor Hannah Warren Art director Catherine Martin Commercial director Phil Mahony phil@bigsplashmedia.com.au Advertising sales manager Vida Folden vida@bigsplashmedia.com.au Contributors and writers Jane Archer, Tallis Boerne Marcus, Sue Bryant, Bernadette Chua, Annabel Fenwick Elliott, Louise Goldsbury, Ute Junker, Teresa Ooi, Jocelyn Pride, Mark Sariban, Michael Turtle, Sue Wallace, Jeannine Williamson Subscriptions Phone 02 8227 6486 – Australia Phone +612 8227 6400 – International cruisepassenger.com.au/magazine

Contents / Winter 2022

Printed by IVE Cover: Bar Josephine at the Hotel Lutetia, Paris.

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Our news section, which includes the most exclusive airport lounges in the world, the rise of luxury sustainable travel, an exciting new pearl-focused collaboration, the most remote hotels you can stay at and more.

The refurbished vessel now known as Azamara Onward is ideal for getting among the action in smaller ports – making it a perfect fit for the line’s immersive ethos.

Upfront

MULTI MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

Cruise&Travel magazine is published

by Big Splash Media Pty Ltd Suite 206, Level 2 46a Macleay Street Potts Point, Sydney 2011 bigsplashmedia.com.au Phone: +61 2 9356 8888 Managing director Peter Lynch All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

Copyright Big Splash Media Pty Ltd. Opinions expressed are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily those of the publisher.

All reasonable efforts have been made to contact copyright holders. Information provided believed to be correct at time of publication, however details can change at any time and all information, including prices, in this magazine should be considered general in nature only. No travel decisions should be made solely on the information provided. Always consult your travel agent.

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OCEANS

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Wave season This wave season promises to be one to remember, with more luxury and more adventure than ever.

Destination immersion

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Origin of species On Silversea’s newest Galapagos vessel, cruisers can explore the magical islands that inspired Charles Darwin’s revolutionary theories – but in far greater style.

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Above & Beyond Celebrity Cruises’ newest Edge-class ship improves on all the bells and whistles of her sister ships to create a truly luxury big-ship experience.

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Chef’s kiss Check out the Cruise&Travel pick of the best chefs, restaurants, meals and wine pairings you’ll find onboard anywhere in the world.

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READER PRIZE

Win an arctic voyage and business class flights worth $43,000 with Oceania Cruises.

30 RIVERS

ESCAPES

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All the trends we’ll see on river cruises over the next 12 months.

The most luxurious lodges in New Zealand’s spectacular South Island.

The Four Seasons is the newest palace on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River.

Return of the rivers

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InSeine A cruise on a Viking baby longship down France’s most famous river is a chic reentry into river cruising.

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A room with a view A long-delayed voyage on Avalon Waterways’ new river ship Avalon View has plenty of action.

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Lodge life

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Re-bonjour Paris The City of Light has a wealth of new hotels waiting to welcome guests.

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Return to Asia The continent’s tourism is kicking off with a bang, so here’s what’s happening –from the beaches to the bright lights.

The king of rivers

114 Branson’s barefoot

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For a limited time, you can win a weekend at the stunning Next Hotel in Melbourne worth $1,350.

luxury

Moskito Island is the latest ultra-luxury island retreat in Virgin Limited Edition’s portfolio.

120 Butlers

Ever wondered how far a butler will go in the pursuit of good service...?

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Welcome

FROM THE EDITOR

All inclusive

Welcome to the second edition of our freshly minted magazine.

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e’ve had some great feedback and we’re delighted you enjoyed the wider coverage that our bigger format has created. We love hearing from you – so please continue to let us know what you think we should be covering at our website: cruisepassenger.com.au.

There is a silver lining to the cloud that was COVID: travellers, and those who host them, have had time to reflect on the way we do things. In almost every corner of the world dependent on tourism, operators have used the pause to improve their sustainability, develop inclusiveness and work towards experiences that give travel a real sense of purpose.

One partcularly courageous campaign that caught our eye was produced by Celebrity Cruises. The picture on the right shows Jillian Mercado, actress and fashion model enoying dinner. So what, I hear you say? And that’s the point.

The striking portrait was taken by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, and features in a new free library Celebrity has donated to the tourism industry so images can help create a more inclusive world.

Other portraits include a transgender author, a paraolympian and an Australian photographer in wheelchair with his family on the beach. The idea is to portray the world as it really is, and it’s a brave move from an industry that usually portrays perfection.

Another area where travel industries have grown more conscious of the changing world is sustainability. Hotels, resorts, airlines and cruise ships are all working to ensure that they tread lightly, leave little behind and preserve the planet on which their continued success relies.

The cruise industry in particular has become a leader in sustainable tourism, and now embraces its responsibility as a steward of the places it visits. Where once communities were concerned about overtourism, new partnerships are creating a stronger sustainable position in which local communities have a voice and get to share in the benefits of bringing visitors into their communities. You’ll see more of this on display in our feature on sustainability.

On other pages we celebrate the continued reopening of travel with reports on how France is reawakening a passion for hosting guests; we review the new style of ships now traversing our oceans, including Celebrity Beyond – an amazing vessel bringing luxury to the upper premium segment of the cruise market.

We also laud the amazing experiences found at New Zealand’s famed lodges, and lift the lid on the secret world of butlers – prepare to raise your eyebrows just a little!

Safe travels, Peter Lynch, Editor-in-chief 6

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New face of travel

Celebrity Cruises is using photographs of normal people like Rachel Fleit to give travel a more realistic look.

Our five favourite projects to protect our planet

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Ponant is a proud expedition line that operates small luxury ships in polar and other remote regions. We love that they have representatives on the ice whose job is to liaise with local people and ask if they are comfortable with tourists arriving on their land. If they are, they frequently welcome visitors with food and cultural shows. If they are not – which is rare – the ship travels to another destination.

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Coral reefs are the most threatened and richest biodiverse ecosystems on the planet. Marine biologist Vaidotas Kirsys initiated the Coral Lines Project at Gili Lankanfushi resort in the Maldives, which offers guests direct encounters with coral, including helping regenerate a small coral reef by replanting.

There are similar projects operating in Queensland, designed to repopulate the Great Barrier Reef.

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An eco-pioneer in Bali, Bambu Indah is a radically different boutique hotel that was carefully created by John and Cynthia Hardy. They restored and decorated eleven antique Javanese bridal homes, creating an innovative and bespoke eco-village on the Ubud riverside. Living almost entirely off the land, tourists adventure through tropical jungle, laze in hammocks suspended over the river, graze from the permaculture farm and even wash local buffalo.

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The Pullman Reef Hotel Casino in Cairns is the surprising location of a sustainable food management project in which the hotel has cleverly transformed unused balcony and roof space into garden beds. Thanks to the installation of two ebb and flow hydroponic systems, these spaces are now producing a range of herbs and edible plants for hotel guests. The hotel’s rooftop is also now home to two beehives hosting around

20,000 bees. By providing a home for honeybees, the hotel is fostering the pollination of local agricultural and horticultural crops that produce a large proportion of the food we eat.

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Hurtigruten’s new fleet of hybrid ships not only feature the ability to run silently and pollution-free on batteries, but also have labs on board to allow passengers to fully participate in the scientific purpose of expeditions. The Science Center is a flexible venue featuring lecture spaces, a small library and speciality areas packed with state-of-the-art technology and science equipment, for workshops in photography, biology and more. CT

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Explore to inspire

Small ship adventures await in 2023!

Australia’s Iconic Kimberley

Timor Sea

Broome to Darwin / Darwin to Broome* King George River & falls 10 nights Swift Bay Vansittart Bay 23 departures in 2023!

Hunter River Collier Bay Aboard Le Lapérouse or Le Soléal Careening Bay region Book early and save up to 25%* Last staterooms for 2022!

Tropical Odyssey between North-East Australia & Indonesia Cairns to Bali 15 nights Departs 20 February 2023 Aboard Le Lapérouse Last staterooms available!

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Why travel with PONANT? Award-winning Small-Ship Luxury Expeditions & Cruises Maximum of only 132 staterooms

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Front Row Seat 95% of staterooms featuring their own balcony Expert Guides Zodiac® & shore excursions with expedition team included*

Kitikiti WEST Waterfall PAPUA Triton Bay Banda Neira Kalabahi Maluku IslandsAsmat BALI Maumere Barat Daya Islands Cape York Timor Sea Komodo National Park

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Lizard Island

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Retracing Heroic Age Expeditions Dunedin to Ushuaia 26 nights Departs 14 February 2023 Aboard Le Commandant Charcot Includes overnight in Auckland, transfers, & flights Auckland/Dunedin & Ushuaia/ Santiago*

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Ross Sea ANTARCTICA Victoria Land NEW ZEALAND Macquarie DUNEDIN Island Adélie Land

Onboard Entertainment Spa, fitness centre, theatre, lounges, pool, outdoor bar* French luxury brands on board Hermès, Ladurée, Lenôtre, Charles Heidsieck, Sothys & more All-Inclusive All meals & Open Bar* included on board World Class Dining Two world-class restaurants to choose from 24-hour Room Service Complimentary in all staterooms & suites Stay Connected Complimentary Unlimited Wi-Fi

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Contact your preferred travel agent or a PONANT consultant on: 1300 737 178 (Australia) | 0800 767 018 (New Zealand) | au.ponant.com

World Leader of Luxury Expeditions *Darwin to Broome itinerary may differ; 25% Discount is based on the Ponant Bonus offer. Ponant Bonus is yield managed and may change at any time without notice; Welcome Offer: AUD$800 discount is per stateroom based on double occupancy in Australian Dollars (AUD). Offer valid for guests travelling with PONANT for the first time. More terms and conditions apply; All Zodiac and shore excursions are included on luxury expedition itineraries unless specified; Open Bar includes wine, beer, French Champagne, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages. Premium beverages and brands available at an additional cost; spa services on board are available at extra cost; Included transfers, flights and accommodation are subject to terms and conditions. More conditions apply, refer to au.ponant.com. ABN: 35 166 676 517. Photographs: © Studio PONANT Olivier Blaud, Morgane Monneret / PONANT Nick Rains.

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Upfront | Inspiration for today’s sophisticated traveller |

page

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Silversea wellness

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Upfront

N Soft landings Words | UTE JUNKER

These luxury hotels are embracing sustainability in surprising ways.

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ot every resident at the jungle-shrouded Rio Celeste Hideaway arrives with suitcases.

The human guests who stay in the villas of this Costa Rican hotel share the property – 90 per cent of which is designated as a natural reserve – with hundreds of different animal species, including sloths, ocelots, monkeys and the endangered tapir.

Immersion in nature is not the only way that Rio Celeste Hideaway engages with its surroundings. The hotel also has close ties with local indigenous communities and encourages its guests to visit local villages and learn about the culture and way of life of the Maleku people.

Welcome to the new world of luxury, where sustainability is as much of a priority as attentive service and high thread-count sheets. In a world where travellers are increasingly concerned with their carbon footprint, and where holidays are increasingly about connecting with a place and the people who live there, luxury hoteliers are increasingly putting sustainability at the centre of their operations.

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So great is the demand for sustainable luxury that Small Luxury Hotels of the World recently launched a dedicated portfolio, the Considerate Collection, to highlight its most sustainable properties. This collection, which already has more than 30 members and aims to increase that number to 50 by the end of 2022, defines sustainability as supporting the environment, community and culture. Its members must meet a range of standards set by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and are subject to regular evaluations.

The Considerate Collection includes properties such as Dar Ahlam, a Moroccan retreat overlooking the Atlas Mountains. Powered by solar panels, Dar Ahlam’s design celebrates local traditions through its use of adobe, maboo and olive wood. The hotel allows guests to experience Berber culture through sunrise tea ceremonies in the Sahara and sleeping beneath the stars in a traditional tent.

Many resorts are now working closely with their local communities. At Soneva Fushi in the Maldives, guests are invited to visit the nearby island of Namoona, where Soneva is working with local communities to reduce and recycle.

Sustainable stays From left: Soneva Fushi's onsite surf pro; the four-bedroom villa; and an arial shot of the resort.

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Further down the African coast, Zuri Zanzibar, a coastal retreat that is part of Design Hotels, is also working with locals to improve waste management in the community. The hotel also supports the community economically, sourcing its bathroom amenities and beaded curtains from local social enterprises.

Over on the Thai Island of Kho Yao Noi, Cape Kudu hotel rewards guests and locals who volunteer to collect jetsam that has washed up on the beach with free drinks or ice creams. At the Mt Cook Lakeside Retreat on New Zealand’s South Island, in an area recently ravaged by bushfires, guests can plant a tree as part of the lodge’s native replanting scheme.

You don’t have to leave Australia to enjoy some sustainable luxury. Wilderness regeneration is a key priority for properties such as Emirates One & Only Wolgan Valley in the Blue Mountains outside Sydney – the only resort in this country to achieve carbon-neutral status – and Arkaba Conservancy in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges.

Unsurprisingly, the sustainable luxury movement has largely been driven by properties in more remote locations, places that celebrate the natural world that envelops them. However, urban properties are also stepping up. Some urban hotels are literally building sustainability into the fabric of their buildings.

Singapore’s Oasia Hotel Downtown, housed in a high-rise hotel and office complex, has much of its 27-storey façade covered with 21 different species of climbing vines – making it the closest you can come to a wilderness experience in the heart of a bustling city. The innovative design by WOHA Architects features open-sided gardens that eliminate the need for artificial air conditioning. The carbon impacts are impressive: the building supports 10 times as much greenery as the park that previously stood on the site.

The shift to sustainable luxury is not limited to hotels. Cruise companies are also getting on board. Oceania Cruises has launched 150 shore excursions under its Go Green banner, which include everything from a naturalist-led hike through Vietnam’s Bach Ma National Park to sampling zero-emission rum in the world’s only carbon-free distillery in Dartmouth, United Kingdom.

Guests sailing with Regent Seven Seas Cruises can also sign up for a range of Eco Connect excursions focused on sustainable local businesses – including a sloth rehabilitation sanctuary in Costa Rica. CT 11

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Upfront

Go solo

Oceania Cruises, known for its culinary-focused itineraries and vessels, is dedicating more staterooms to solo travellers. As part of the OceaniaNEXT initiative, the line is refurbishing its current fleet to include 14 Solo Oceanview Staterooms, which will debut aboard Regatta, Nautica, Insignia and Sirena in September and October this year. With the addition of these 56 staterooms, plus those that have already sold out on the upcoming Vista, due April 2023, Oceania Cruises is reinforcing its commitment to solo travellers. Guests travelling in these single-occupancy staterooms will pay a lower supplement than standard single supplement fares, which can be twice the advertised per person double occupancy fare. The rooms are centrally located on Deck Six and designed in the same elegant style as the classic double-occupancy room, with ample space, plush Tranquility Bed, mini bar, seating area and storage.

La vie en rose Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque Rosé, $379.99, wine.com.au

Hit the road

Motor enthusiasts can now take a week-long driving holiday through the Tuscan countryside with Four Seasons. The five-star hotel brand has designed this experience in partnership with Canossa Events, who provide the driver’s choice of either a luxury vintage or modernday supercar. The self-guided tour takes drivers through the rolling hills of Chianti into the colourful landscape of Siena and Montalcino. Each holiday is curated, so guests 12

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get access to the best and most exclusive experiences on the route. Along the way, motorists will dine at Michelin-starred restaurants and savour wines from Tuscany’s famous vineyards, as well as taking in performances of ballet and opera. With luxury at its heart, this experience uses the sumptuous Four Seasons Firenze as a home base. Located in the centre of Florence, the historic hotel has one of largest private gardens in the city – a tranquil haven of statues, fountains and century old trees – as well as a selection of ultra luxurious suites.

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She sells sea shells Bottega Veneta Point shell-embellished crochet clutch, $8250, matchesfashion.com

s luxury travellers look for more space and unique experiences, Azerai Resorts in Vietnam have revamped their offerings across their three properties. Prime example: Azerai Can Tho now has one- and two-bedroom villas to compliment the resort’s existing three, four and five bedroom villas. Three hours from Ho Chi Minh City, Azerai Can Tho is situated on a private islet in the Mekong Delta that’s accessible only by boat. The resort comprises more than eight lush hectares with 60

GOOD MORNING VIETNAM rooms in addition to the five private pool villas that offer residential-style accommodation. All three of Azerai’s properties also offer a suite of experiences that vary across the properties, from cooking classes to unique cruises and visits to historical sites. Azerai Can Tho, for instance, conducts

a half-day excursion along the Mekong River, including a private cruise, a visit to a local plantation, trekking and picnic lunch. Azerai La Residence in Hue launched its own elegant 55-foot cruise boat in 2021, offering guests stylish cruises on the Perfume River in central Vietnam. The locally built vessel accommodates up to 16 passengers and sails on an afternoon tea cruise, a sunset cocktail cruise and a dinner cruise. Meanwhile, Azerai Ke Ga Bay offers an excursion to the tallest and oldest lighthouse in Vietnam.

Travel like a ROCKSTAR Explore Europe like a celebrity on a private jet air tour with APT. The luxury Australian brand has launched unique itineraries in Eastern Europe, Northern Europe and Southern Europe that allow you to travel on your own private aircraft with dedicated crew, so you spend less time in transit and more time exploring – in a way that isn’t possible if travelling independently. The individual itineraries range from 10 to 14 days but if you’re feeling wealthy, the 35-day Ultimate Europe by Private Jet trip combines the three tours in one journey, covering the whole continent and encompassing history, architecture, culture and food.

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Upfront

Top secret Forget the regular airport lounges, Bernadette Chua checks into the most exclusive pre-flight hangouts in the world.

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he Virgin Australia Beyond Lounge is the newest super-secret ultraexclusive lounge, carefully hidden in the depths of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane’s international airports.

It takes more than a business or first-class ticket to get in. To compete with Qantas’ exclusive invite-only Chairman’s Lounge, Virgin’s VIP lounge will only be available to influential members of government, A-listers, high-ranking business leaders and extremely loyal frequent flyers. The airline is tight-lipped about who it will offer the invitation to, but it’s understood that the lucky few will get a 12-month membership, to be reviewed every year, and an option to nominate a plus one.

If the chances of you scoring an invite are low, here’s a peek into some of the most exclusive airport lounges around the world.

Beyond Lounges Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane

Down an unmarked corridor, behind electronic glass doors stamped with “Private” only openable by members, the lounge is warm, elegant and contemporary. Privacy pods have built-in charging stations; the bathrooms have private shower facilities, towels and amenities

by Appelles Apothecary & Lab; and the food is designed around Australian ingredients.

Other perks of being in this super-secret club?

Members can access a dedicated phone concierge service to assist with booking, four complimentary business-class upgrades per year, and a complimentary Velocity Gold membership for the primary member’s EA.

British Airways Concorde Room Heathrow Airport

Adorned with chandeliers, fresh flowers and the nose of a Concorde, this lounge is only open to first and business class travellers or silver and gold members of British Airways Executive Club.

The Concorde Room was recently spruced up and the cabanas and spa have been removed, replaced with a new Forty Winks nap lounge equipped with special snoozing pods. There’s a new range of cocktails designed by worldrenowned mixologist Ryan Chetiyawardana, and a menu that nods to classic British flavours.

Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Doha

Al Safwa Lounge is decorated with fine art and artefacts on loan from the Museum of Islamic Art and from local and international artists. The minimalist aesthetic, with high ceilings and water features, is soothing and as it’s only open 14

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Lounge pass

From top: British Airways Concorde Room; Swiss Air First Class Lounge; Virgin Beyond Lounge.

to limited travellers, it’s quiet. The 10,000-sqm resort-style lounge offers shower facilities stocked with luxury amenities, a garden area, quiet rooms, a games room and nursery for children, and a dining area offering an à la carte menu of Arabic and Western dishes.

The lounge is open to Qatar Airways first and business class, and One World first and business class passengers.

Swiss Air First Class Lounge Zurich

The lounge looks out onto the tarmac so you can watch planes take off, and there’s a five-star à la carte restaurant and an American-style diner.

Don’t miss the wall-to-wall fridge holding 1000 bottles of wine and champagne from around the world, or the specialty champagne bar.

But the best bit is the two complimentary hotel rooms. They’re available on a first-comefirst-served basis, but the lucky travellers will enjoy double beds, en-suite bathrooms and panoramic views of the Alps.

Emirates First Class Lounge Dubai

Guests who fly in the pointy end of the plane will be escorted to the coveted Emirates First Class Lounge. There’s a Quiet Room where travellers can snooze, spa-like shower facilities and a Moet & Chandon bar. Guests get complimentary facial treatments and shoe shines, plus access to a private in-lounge duty-free shopping boutique so there’s no mixing with the hoi polloi at all. CT Cruise &Travel

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Collaboration

ABERCROMBIE & KENT

Rock the

e

KASBAH

xplore magical Morocco and uncover the exotic secrets of sensuous Marrakech, cosmopolitan Casablanca, bustling kasbahs and souks packed with treasures. Now, you can experience the jewel of North Africa in luxury with Abercrombie & Kent.

Renowned for taking travellers to the heart of a destination in style, Abercrombie & Kent will guide you on a unique 12-day itinerary through Morocco. The Splendours of Morocco tour is designed for just 18 guests and is departing all year round in 2023.

The adventure kicks off when you arrive in Casablanca on day one, known for its fascinating mix of Roman, Art Nouveau and Art Deco architecture.

Put on your walking shoes the next day to visit the amazing Hassan II Mosque, where the minaret stands as the tallest religious structure in the world. You will visit the Moorish city of Rabat and the Mohammed Mausoleum, which contains the tomb of Mohammed V, founder of modern Morocco. Sit down to a welcome dinner with a female professor who will share her insights on the role of women in modern Morocco, an exclusive Abercrombie & Kent experience.

On day three, discover the walled city of Old Fes in the cultural heart of Morocco. Stroll the old quarter with its 9000 narrow lanes, alleys and souks and watch local craftsmen in action, then explore the beautiful Royal Palace in New Fes. Day four sees you journey to the ruined Roman city of Volubilis, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to some of the best-preserved Roman ruins in North Africa.

You will then travel past endless date plantations to a small oasis town called Erfoud. Take a four-wheel drive through the Sahara Desert, amid sand dunes that reach up to 150 metres high. Take a camel ride to a nomadic camp in the Sahara Desert where you will spend a night, enjoying a traditional campfire meal and being entertained by belly dancers.

Like African traders of days past, you will travel overland along the Road of a Thousand Kasbahs to Ouarzazate, a city built as a French garrison in

Just deserts

Clockwise from top left: Moroccan rugs for sale in a souk; camel riders head for a desert camp; mint tea in the desert; Marrakech architecture; Hassan II Mosque.

the 1920s. Some of the region’s kasbahs have featured in classic movies such as Lawrence of Arabia.

Journey to the Red City of Marrakech and begin to uncover its secrets , visiting the medina and the soaring Koutoubia Minaret.

On your penultimate day, you can spend time at Jardin Majorelle, a pretty garden created by French painter Jacques Majorelle and later restored by legendary designer Yves Saint-Laurent. You can learn to cook with Moroccan spices, explore the souks of Marrakech or simply wander through the Jewish Quarter.

You depart Morocco the next day, filled with unforgettable memories of an unbelievable adventure. CT abercrombiekent.com.au Cruise &Travel

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MENA L

Discover exotic locations and ancient wonders in luxury.

NORTH AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST From the bustling medinas and walled cities of Morocco to Egypt’s iconic river, the Nile.

From the diverse holy sites of Israel to the ancient forts and castles of Oman. From the desert kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Jordan’s ‘rose-red’ city of Petra. Experience a deep cultural immersion in one of the most fascinating regions of the world.

A&K’s expert guides are true locals in every destination. With privileged access, unrivalled insight and a long-standing presence on the ground, A&K sets the benchmark for bespoke itineraries across North Africa & the Middle East. No matter your dream, A&K can curate the perfect luxurious adventure just for you.

Nile in Style

Mosaics & Medinas

Glimpse of Israel & Jordan

Experience majestic ruins, temples, tombs, bazaars and the timeless beauty of the Nile on a luxury bespoke cruise. From Luxor to Aswan, glide along emerald waters past breathtaking desert landscapes, and explore archeological marvels with your own personal A&K Egyptologist — including the iconic Valley of the Kings and Pyramids of Giza — tailor-made just for you.

Dive into vibrant, colourful Morocco on a tailor-made journey where ancient history and contemporary cultures collide. Marvel at the ruins of Volubilis, get lost in the Berber villages, wander through enchanting Souks, visit the tanneries of Fes, and taste the delicious, iconic cuisines of Marrakech. You’ll be truly dazzled by Morocco’s exotic fusion of sights, tastes and smells.

From the mineral-rich waters of the Dead Sea to the rugged fortress of Masada, follow biblical heroes and age-old explorers through some of the world’s most iconic and ancient sites. With expert private local guides, uncover the impressive historical legacy of these neighbouring meccas on an exclusive tailormade journey.

9 days from $7,645 pp

8 days from $8,910 pp

10 days from $11,315 pp

Call 1300 851 800, visit www.abercrombiekent.com.au or contact your travel agent to find out more.

Tailor-Made Adventures | Small Group Journeys | Luxury Expedition Cruises Terms & Conditions apply.

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Subscriptions Collaboration

Subscribe & Win

N

ow subscribing to Cruise&Travel luxury magazine comes with an added bonus: the chance to win a weekend at one of Melbourne’s newest, hippest hotels.

Located in the city’s new 80 Collins precinct of industry influencers, high fashion and hospitality hot spots, Next Hotel Melbourne is a sophisticated sanctuary to drink, dine, stay and play – and you could win a fabulous two-night stay for two worth $1,350.

The prize includes the chance to relax and rejuvenate in the hotel’s Club Room with a complimentary bottle of wine, daily breakfast for two at La Madonna and a romantic dinner for two to savour the chef’s Mangiare menu.

As well as the chance to win, your subscription includes four luxurious Cruise&Travel magazines that have dream holiday ideas, voyage features and Insta-worthy destinations.

Plus, there are plenty more great competitions to win.

Head to page 30 for the chance to win the ultimate Arctic cruise with business class flights.

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For a chance to win, go to cruisepassenger.com.au/magazine and subscribe to the fabulous new Cruise&Travel.

Prize for two people includes: • Two nights in the Club Room at the Next Hotel in Melbourne • Daily breakfast for two at La Madonna • A romantic dinner for two sampling the chef’s Mangiare menu • Complimentary bottle of wine

Cruise &Travel

31/5/2022 12:07 pm

Azamara OnwardSM Launch, Monaco

AZAMARA ONWARD NOW SAILING!

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WELCOMING AZAMARA ONWARD SM After many months of anticipation and preparation, Azamara OnwardSM has been officially named during an historic ceremony which took place in Monte Carlo, Monaco, on Monday 2nd May 2022. She was named by Godmother Beth Santos, Founder & CEO of Wanderful, Captain Carl Smith, Master, Azamara OnwardSM and Carol Cabezas, President of Azamara®.

It was an afternoon of celebration in the glorious sunshine with the picturesque backdrop of Monte Carlo. We had guests from across the globe joining us for the momentous occasion, viewing from both the quay and onboard the ship. Guests were served champagne followed by entertainment such as a beautiful performance by The Children’s Choir of Nice and a spectacular aerobatic act.

As she sailed away on her Maiden Voyage visiting amazing destination such as Rome, Amalfi, Kotor and Dubrovnik, we waved her off with a ‘Sea you Soon!’ greeting.

Celebrate Azamara Onward’s arrival by booking our USD $500 Shore Excursion Credit* offer, available to book on select sailings through 5th May 2023 when booked before 30th June 2022!

Ceremonial Scissors

Captain Carl Smith, Beth Santos and Carol Cabezas

Azamara OnwardSM Christening

TO SEE MORE ABOUT AZAMARA ONWARDSM AND HER LAUNCH, PLEASE VISIT: AZAMARA.COM/EN-AU/ONWARD Change The Way You SeaSM Cruise &Travel

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*Shore Excursion credit is applicable on select voyages only. See Azamara.com/en-au/ShoreOBC for full details and Terms & Conditions. ©2022 Azamara. Ships registered in Malta. ‘Change The Way You Sea’ is an international service mark of SP Cruises OpCo Limited.

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31/5/2022 12:07 pm

Collaboration

HURTIGRUTEN

NORWAY

your way

h Nightlight

Clockwise from above: Cruisers catch a glimpse of the Lights in Lofoten; feeding deer near Tromsø; sled dogs; the fishing village of Reine.

urtigruten started life delivering mail to idyllic Norwegian coastal towns, but are now famous for leading journeys around their awe-inspiring homeland.

While they’re best known for cruises, Hurtigruten also offer a range of touring packages that bookend their coastal experiences with incredible land programs. Whether you want a small-group escorted journey or an independent tour, you’ll see spectacular scenery, visit picturesque villages and learn about Norwegian culture. Go in winter and catch the famous Northern Lights or in summer to experience the midnight sun.

To make the most of your time here, don’t miss Hurtigruten’s Norway in a Nutshell, a one, two or three-day proogram that comprises rail, ferry and coach travel through the countryside.

You’ll take the famous Flåm Railway - a marvel of railway engineering – to the town of Flåm. From there, take the ferry to Gudvangen, passing through the incredibly narrow Nærøyfjord, then to Voss,

past snow-capped mountain peaks, valleys, rivers and waterfalls. The last of your Norway in a Nutshell journey takes you to Bergen, the colourful gateway to the fjords.

While it’s incorporated into the line’s Follow the Lights and Complete Norway tours, Norway in a Nutshell can also be added as a pre- or post-cruise program to any of the coastal sailings.

Follow the Lights

Hurtigruten’s team of experienced guides takes groups of just 24 travellers on the world’s best Northern Lights expeditions. The tours are 18 days northbound or 14 days southbound, and include many memorable sights and experiences along the way.

The obvious tour highlight is the Northern Lights, which are best seen in Tromsø, a beautiful city that sits within the Arctic Circle. While there, you can also admire the city’s architecture, which includes the 1965 Arctic Cathedral with its unique roof and stained-glass windows.

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31/5/2022 12:09 pm

“See glaciers, fjords, maelstroms and cliffs, as well as farms, breweries and Viking feasts.”

While sailing the Helgeland coast, you’ll spot the famous mountain with a hole through its centre and the Seven Sisters mountain range. Visit Kristiansund, famous for its salted dry fish, and take an excursion along the Atlantic Road – a National Scenic Route that stretches for eight kilometres and spans eight bridges, crosses picturesque landscapes and is surrounded by the open sea.

The route from Alesund to Bergen also offers brilliant views of the island-studded coastline including fjords to the east.

Follow the Lights also visits the Honningsvag, the northernmost point in Europe, only 2,000 kilometres from the North Pole. You’ll also stop in Kirkenes, where you can meet a Sámi family and visit a reindeer farm, and Sinetta, Finland, for a visit to Santa Claus village and a night in a glass igloo. From there, you’ll discover Finnish Lakeland, where you’ll stay in beautiful log accommodation. Explore Helsinki, Finland’s capital, and take a fascinating day trip to medieval Tallinn in Estonia.

Norway Independent Tours

If you prefer a more independent adventure, this 16-day journey can’t be beaten.

Begin in Oslo and explore the best the historical and beautiful Norwegian capital has to offer, before boarding the train to Myrdal to begin your Norway in a Nutshell adventure, visiting Flåm, Gudvangen, Nærøyfjord, Voss and Bergen.

From here, you’ll begin the cruise portion of your package and sail north along the Viking route of Hjeltefjord. On this leg, you’ll stop in Ålesund, Kristiansund, Trondheim and Rørvik, before crossing the Arctic Circle, where you’ll see glaciers, fjords, maelstroms and cliffs, as well as farms, breweries and Viking feasts. Stop in beautiful Tromsø, famous for its architecture. In winter, try dog sledding, cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, or hike the area in summer.

Sailing from Tromsø, you’ll continue to search for the Northern Lights en route to Havøysund, the world’s northernmost fishing village, and Kjøllefjord, where you can learn about the Sámi way of life.

At Kirkenes, you’ll turn around for the return journey – on which you’ll now see by day what you sailed past at night. Stop at the island groups of Lofoten and Vesterålen, Risøyhamn, to deliver passengers, groceries and mail, and Stokmarknes, where Hurtigruten was founded more than 125 years ago.

Throughout the journey, you’ll have countless optional excursions to choose from that will allow you to get the full experience of this magical land.

Intent on seeing the Northern Lights? Hurtigruten’s Northern Lights Promise means that if you don’t see them at least once on your in-season journey, they’ll give you another six or sevenday Classic Voyage for free. hurtigruten.com.au CT Cruise &Travel

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31/5/2022 3:45 pm

High flyer

Singapore Airlines’ fleet of A380s has had a major upgrade. Already the world’s largest passenger plane, the A380 is now fitted with six ultra luxurious first-class suites. These suites are closer to hotel rooms than airplane seats, at about 4.6 sqm, and are fitted with reclining leather armchairs, a plush bed, a wardrobe stocked with pyjamas and slippers, and a vanity table complete with a Lalique amenity kit. Those travelling in pairs can combine suites and convert the beds into a double. Meals arrive on Wedgewood china with fine linen, with Champagne on tap to wash it down. In addition to the suites, there are 78 business class, 44 premium economy and 343 economy seats on the A380.

Perfect timing IWC Pilot’s Watch Mark XVIII Edition Le Petit Prince, $5800, iwc.com

Tiny explorer

Paul Gauguin Cruises has renewed its partnership with South Pacific marine education and conservation foundation Te Mana O Te Moana to continue the cruise line’s popular Moana Explorer Program. The program is designed for children and teens, aged seven to 15, to help them discover and value the natural wonders of the South Pacific through hands-on, interactive learning onboard and ashore. Depending on the itinerary, young participants might explore underwater life, conduct water experiments, create natural jewellery, go on a treasure hunt, learn about Tahitian culture, discover island legends and geology or design a Polynesian tattoo. There is no fee for the program as it is included as part of Paul Gauguin Cruises’ all-inclusive cruise fares. Guests are encouraged to reserve the program at the time of booking or any time before their sailing date.

WELLNESS on the WATER

Luxury line Silversea has unveiled a new wellness offering on Silver Dawn. The Otium wellness program is inspired by the Roman ideals of leisure, enjoyment, indulgence and relaxation, and it is incorporated into every aspect of the voyage, with pillars of the program including sleep, bathing, balcony, food and spa experiences. Silver Dawn’s spa is designed with Otium in mind, spanning 790 sqm including an outdoor relaxation area. The treatment menu is designed by wellness experts for optimum relaxation; as well as massages and other rejuvenating treatments, guests can unwind in the thermal area with champagne. Similarly, guests are encouraged to relax and be pampered on their private balconies, with experiences and treats tailored to the climate.

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Cruise &Travel

31/5/2022 12:13 pm

Collaboration

The innovative design of Aurora Expeditions’ vessels is a game changer for expedition cruising, writes Jocelyn Pride.

PHOTOGRAPHY: JOCELYN PRIDE (KAYAKING); RACHELLE MACKINTOSH (SEAL).

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outh Georgia, a speck of an island with jagged mountains dipping into glacial subantarctic waters, is home to an unparalleled concentration of wildlife – millions of penguins and fur seals, 400,000 southern elephant seals and skies dotted with seabirds, as well as rich feeding waters for leopard seals, orca, humpback, fin and blue whales. It’s also the focus (along with the equally fascinating Falkland Islands), of the much-anticipated maiden voyage of Aurora Expeditions’ new vessel Sylvia Earle in early November 2022.

Next generation innovation

For more than 30 years, Aurora Expeditions has had a reputation for innovation. In 1994, it was the first company to introduce camping and kayaking on their Antarctic itineraries; 2001 brought an expedition retracing Sir Ernest Shackleton’s footsteps; and in late 2019, the line launched Greg Mortimer, the world’s first passenger ship to feature the Ulstein X-bow®,

Cruise &Travel

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AURORA EXPEDITIONS

NEW-AGE CRUISING

Ice cruise

From top: a rendering of Sylvia Earle; travellers in Antarctica; Balcony Stateroom; a fur seal in South Georgia.

which Sylvia Earle also has. Curving into the sea, the sleek bow is designed for a smoother ride, especially in high seas.

“There’s no better vessel I’d prefer to captain,” says Greg Mortimer’s Captain Oleg Klaptenko.

“It cuts through waves and ice like butter.”

Not only is this good news for people who suffer seasickness, the vessels’ consistent speed and greater stability also reduce time on the water and emissions. Already certified 100 per cent carbon neutral, sustainability is at the heart of Aurora’s ethos.

Recognising women in conservation

Greg Mortimer honours Aurora Expeditions’ cofounder and explorer Greg Mortimer OAM. In keeping with the pioneer theme, Sylvia Earle is named after leading conservationist and marine scientist Dr Sylvia Earle. In 1998, Earle was selected as Time’s first ever Hero for the Planet and remains dedicated to protecting the oceans.

“I see great synergy in working closely with a company that shares my vision for the future and which is, from the top down, passionate about

the marine environment,” she said of the naming.

In a world first, each of Sylvia Earle’s decks is named in honour of a pioneering female conservationist from across the globe.

Small in size, big in adventure

With a maximum of 132 passengers and an iceclass 6 rating, Greg Mortimer and Sylvia Earle can go where larger ships can’t. Everything is designed for exploring outdoors: passengers are whisked away on Zodiacs with an exceptional expedition team who lead activities such as hikes, kayaking, snorkelling, photography workshops and overnight campouts.

Between activities, the wilderness is never far away; all cabins have ocean views, 80 per cent with a private balcony. Almost all public spaces feature floor-to-ceiling windows and, as well as the outside decks, at a push of the captain’s button, observation wings extend out either side of the ship when something exciting happens.

Following Sylvia Earle’s maiden voyage – Subantarctic Safari, November 4 to 20 – she’ll spend the southern summer in Antarctic waters on itineraries including a 21-day South Georgia and Antarctic Odyssey. Aurora will offer more luxury-meets-adventure expedition cruising in 2023, with itineraries in Costa Rica, Norway, Canadian Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, the British Isles and the islands of the Atlantic. CT auroraexpeditions.com.au 23

31/5/2022 12:16 pm

Upfront

A pearler

A partnership between Ponant and Paspaley offers ultra-luxury sailing experiences in the Kimberley.

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uxury small ship line Ponant is bringing its three-masted sailing ship Le Ponant to the Kimberley in a unique partnership with the Paspaley pearl family.

The yacht has recently undergone a major refit to reduce the number of staterooms – she now carries just 32 passengers – and to make her even more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Le Ponant, the line’s expedition fleet flagship, will join Le Laperouse and Le Soleal in one of Australia’s most spectacular regions and is predicted to attract high-end world tourism.

The Kimberley is a hugely competitive market, with Coral Expeditions, APT and True North currently sailing there, and Scenic’s ultra-luxe Eclipse yacht arriving in the area in 2023.

However, a three-masted sailing ship is an entirely new experience and coupling that experience with the Paspaley vintage Grumman Mallard seaplanes, which will ferry guests to and from the vessel, creates an amazing sense of luxury that others will find it hard to replicate.

Le Ponant usually sails the Mediterranean and Ponant Asia Pacific Chair Sarina Bratton was the driving force behind the yacht’s move to Australia.

She approached the chair of the French line with the suggestion to keep the ship in her region yearround, offering cruises in The Kimberley from April to October and in South East Asian destinations such as Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Melanesia for the remainder of the year.

Built in 1991, Le Ponant is 89 metres long and offers 16 staterooms and suites, with one crew member per guest and a dedicated chef preparing fine food showcasing the local culinary heritage. She features a marina for Zodiacs, kayaks and glass bottomed boats, a wellness space for spa, massage and yoga, and the Le Diamant panoramic restaurant.

Iconic Australia

From top: Cruisers on a Zodiac in the Kimberley; a Paspaley pearl; Le Ponant at sea.

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Ponant is part of the Groupe Artemis company, which owns a huge portfolio of luxury brands including Gucci and YSL, making it a natural partner for Paspaley – one of the oldest pearling operations in the world. Ms Bratton has also worked with the pearl brand in the past, having launched a Paspaley boutique onboard Orion during her time as managing director of Orion Expedition Cruises.

“This unique experience will see the third ship of the Ponant fleet to be based in the Asia Pacific region showcasing Australia, promoting sustainability at sea and creating compelling travel experiences in barefoot luxury,” Ms Bratton said.

Ponant’s director of expeditions, Mick Fogg, said the size of the sailing vessel meant it would be free to plot its own course through The Kimberley’s many small-ship locations.

“We have created these very special sailings with flexible itineraries allowing us to design the best possible experience for guests,” he said. “Each voyage will offer a combination of iconic locations and hidden gems.”

Mr Fogg told Cruise&Travel that a sailing ship offers a slower pace that lets travellers enjoy the beauty of the destination as well as the ability to visit locations that others can’t.

Prices for the itineraries start at $3,000 per night, with the option to charter the whole vessel, and sailings are expected to attract both Australians and international guests.

Le Ponant will operate out of Kuri Bay, which is owned by the Paspaley family and is home to the family’s fleet of three Grumman Mallard seaplanes.

The seven-and eight-night itineraries begin on April 7, 2023, and will feature journeys from Kununurra to Broome. CT

Cruise &Travel

31/5/2022 12:18 pm

This overwater bungalow sails!

TAHITI & THE SOCIETY ISLANDS

COOK ISLANDS & THE SOCIETY ISLANDS

MARQUESAS, TUAMOTUS & THE SOCIETY ISLANDS

Papeete to Papeete 19 departures in 2022 & 2023 7 nights from $4,000 per person* Book early and save up to 30%*

Papeete to Papeete 7 departures in 2022 & 2023 11 nights from $7,460 per person* Book early and save up to 30%*

Papeete to Papeete Departs 3 December 2022 14 nights from $11,770 per person* One departure only!

Receive $800 as a Welcome Offer!*

*All advertised prices based on the Ponant Bonus fare per person, in Australian Dollars (AUD), based on a double occupancy in the best available category, including port taxes and transfer, yield managed, correct at time of printing, subject to availability. Welcome Offer: per stateroom based on double occupancy and advertised in Australian Dollars (AUD). Offer valid for guests travelling with Paul Gauguin Cruises for the first time. Offer not redeemable for cash, not retroactive, and not combinable with any other offers, except the Ponant Bonus and Single Traveller Offers, or stated otherwise. New bookings only and can be changed or withdrawn at any time. Refer to au.ponant.com for full terms and conditions. ABN: 35 166 676 517.

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PAUL GAUGUIN CRUISES • SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS 2022-2023

Contact your preferred Travel Agent or Paul Gauguin Cruises on: Australia: 1800 878 671 | New Zealand: 0800 854 777 paulgauguin.aus@ponant.com | au.ponant.com/paul-gauguin

SOU TH PACI FIC ISLA NDS LES ÎLES 2022DU – 2023 PACI FIQU Saisons 2022 -2023 E TAHITI • POLYNÉSI

E FRANÇAISE • Fiji

Order your 2022/23 brochure now.

Call 1800 878 671, or visit au.ponant.com/ paul-gauguin

31/5/2022 12:18 pm

Upfront

Celebrity godmother Simone Biles, 19-time World Champion, seventime Olympic Medalist and one of the most decorated gymnasts of all time, has been announced as the godmother of Celebrity Beyond, the latest ground-breaking ship to join the Celebrity fleet. A long-standing and highly regarded tradition for new ships, the role of godmother is to inspire the guests and crew who sail on the ship. In her role as godmother, Biles will name Celebrity Beyond at the official ceremony in Fort Lauderdale on November 4.

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Wrapped up warm Moncler logo wool-blend shawl, $1905, matchesfashion.com

Off the GRID

ix Senses has designed a new hotel in northern Norway for the adventurous and eco-conscious traveller. The 94-room Six Senses Svart lies just within the Arctic Circle where summer days last forever and winter nights are lit by the breathtaking Northern Lights. The circular building will be poised on poles above the crystal-clear waters of the Holandsfjorden fjord, at the base of the glacier.

Designed with modern and sustainable Scandi interiors, public spaces will be filled with quirky artwork and artefacts charting local heritage. The

team will work with existing sustainable fishing and farming operations and use local like-minded suppliers to stock the restaurants and bars, and there will be a big focus on wellbeing and getting in tune with oneself. The Alchemy Bar for instance, will highlight the history of regional healing techniques by turning local flora and fauna into pampering scents and scrubs. The Marketplace will be a zero-waste dining venue, where whatever isn’t eaten fresh from the farm may well get pickled. Six Senses Svart is set to open in 2024.

OCTOPUS’S GARDEN

There are few superyachts in the world as famous as Octopus.

The spectacular vessel was custom-built for the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen and is one of the largest yachts in the world.

While Mr Allen loaned the yacht to governments to aid in finding and recovering significant artefacts from sunken warships, it has never been available for private charter – until now. Octopus is opulent and decadent, but strong enough to handle the harsh conditions of polar expeditions.

Unsurprisingly, she comes with a hefty price tag: a cool US$2.2 million a week.

Octopus is currently in the middle of a round-the-world tour that concludes in Antarctica in December.

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Cruise &Travel

31/5/2022 12:19 pm

YACHT a LOT W

e already knew that size matters, but it seems 2022 will go down in cruise history as the year of the small ship. Everywhere, everyone is offering yachts.

The newest brand on the market is luxury hotel chain Ritz-Carlton. Its luxury yachts are just 624 feet, but pack quite a punch with five restaurants, a spa and 246 crew for just 298 guests.

The new yacht designs – three ships are in the pipeline with the first, Evrima, due to sail in August – includes a marina terrace similar to a private beach. All 149 suites also have their own private terrace, as well as a personal concierge to help guests with their specific needs.

Ritz-Carlton is certainly not alone in the move to yachting rather than cruising.

Australia’s own Scenic Eclipse was one of the first in the field, and is shortly to be joined by a sister ship sailing in the Kimberley for a season.

Emerald, another Scenic brand, recently launched Emerald Azzurra for a season in Saudi Arabia; APT has Eleganza, which carries just 34 passengers, in Croatia; and French small ship luxury line Ponant is bringing its stunning Le Ponant sailing vessel to the Kimberley, qualifying for yacht class at around 200 passengers.

If that’s not enough yacht innovation for you, something completely different is the upcoming “air yacht”, commissioned by a German businessman and created by Italian designer Pierpaolo Lazzarini.

Equipped with eight counter-rotating electric engines powered by superlightweight batteries and solar panels, the nearly 500-foot-long yacht can traverse both the sky and the sea at 60 knots for more than two days straight with zero emissions. It’s quite the addition to the yacht scene. CT Cruise &Travel

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Chic at sea

From top: Emerald Azzurra in Rhodes; the marina terrace on Evrima; Scenic Eclipse and one of her Zodiacs.

“Australia’s own Scenic Eclipse was one of the first in the field.”

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31/5/2022 12:22 pm

Upfront

Paint by Ritz-Carlton

Take the TAYCAN ROAD T

ake the roadtrip of a lifetime in the new Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo, the newest electric offering from the German luxury car maker.

Drivers with a need for speed can take the supercar on an epic sevenday roadtrip through the Norwegian fjords and the Sunmore Alps. The Drive the Fjords supercar adventure is available on selected dates in June, August and September and has been created by specialist travel company Off the Map Travel to showcase

Norway’s National Tourist Routes.

Highlights include a ferry into the Geiranger fjord, a gondola ride with views of the North Atlantic, a private helicopter ride over the fjords, and a night in a traditional Sámi tent deep in the pine forests. All hotel accommodations along the route support the program’s sustainability emphasis, stocking rooms with eco-toiletries, serving locally sourced produce in the restaurants and providing chargers for your vehicle.

The decadent Ritz-Carlton in Boston is offering a paint and stay package for guests with artistic ambitions. The Painting En Plein Air package includes an overnight stay in the Ritz-Carlton Boston, breakfast in the hotel’s Artisan Bistro, and a private two-hour outdoor morning painting tutorial with local artist Norman Crump.

The lesson will take place in Boston Common or Public Garden, where guests can learn to capture the light, colour and movement of the city. Mr Crump is a plein air and studio artist who has been painting Boston landscapes for more than 40 years and is best known for his bold designs and use of vibrant colour. Working primarily in oil and recently in acrylic, Mr Crump’s paintings have been commissioned by corporate and private collectors worldwide.

Aman in the Big Apple The new Aman New York will open its doors in August, offering 83 hotel suites and 22 residences.

The two restaurants inside the building are Arva, Aman’s convivial Italian restaurant and Nama, Aman’s interpretation of Japan’s washoku dining tradition with a counter for omakase-style fine dining, alongside a Wine Library, all linked by a wraparound Garden Terrace. Featuring reflective pools and dramatic firepits, the 650-sqm outdoor space benefits from a retracting glass roof allowing year-round access. Meanwhile, the exclusive Jazz Club offers world-class live performances – a classic New York experience – and serves as a nightly gathering place.

Every suite features a large-scale mural by contemporary Japanese artist Ryoko Adachi and a functioning fireplace, a first in New York City, while the oversized bathrooms have oval bathtubs, marble rain showers and double vanities.

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Add height Stella McCartney Gaia lace-up espadrilles, $550, farfetch.com

Cruise &Travel

31/5/2022 12:23 pm

Wild luxury

The Clayoquot Wilderness Lodge has reopened for the season after changing hands last year. The British Columbian property underwent a $2m makeover including renovations of the 25 tent interiors to feature furnishings by local designers and king beds that look over Clayoquot Sound. Designated as a UNESCO-protected Biosphere Reserve in 2000, with Clayoquot at the centre, ecosystems range from temperate coastal rainforest and old-growth conifer forest to rocky coastal shores. This remote lodge can only be accessed by seaplane from Vancouver or by boat from Tofino, and signature experiences include canyoning, horse riding and whale and bear-spotting

by Zodiac. A second stage of renovations is slated for late next year.

All aboard Orient Express will open its

Floral fancy Missoni asymmetric printed twill dress, approx $479, net-a-porter.com

second hotel in Italy at the spectacular Palazzo Donà Giovannelli in Venice – one of the stops on the legendary Orient Express train – in early 2024. The historic building was built in 1400 by architect Filippo Calendario, who is best known for Venice’s famed Doge’s Palace, and was the former home of the Duke of Urbino, a patron of the arts. An ode to the heritage of Venice, the Orient Express Venice Hotel will have 45 rooms and suites, all overlooking the gardens and canals of the city, and the hotel bar will be in the former ballroom on the main floor of the building. Passengers on the Orient Express La Dolce Vita train will be able to disembark at the Venice Santa Lucia Station and reach the Orient Express Venice Hotel on foot or by boat.

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31/5/2022 12:24 pm

Reader Competition

VALUED AT $43,000

WIN THE HOLIDAY OF YOUR DREAMS COURTESY OF OCEANIA CRUISES

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npack once and wake up to a new port every day. That’s why cruising is at the top of everyone’s bucket list. Cruise&Travel and Oceania Cruises are giving you the chance to win this once-in-a-lifetime journey – including business class airfares.

You’ll travel on the luxury small ship Marina in August next year with just 1,238 guests. Sail from Tromsø, Norway, to Reykjavik, Iceland – one of the hottest tourist destinations in the world right now. In between, you’ll visit fascinating towns and mingle with the people of Norway, Denmark, Greenland and Iceland.

Onboard, you’ll feast on the Finest Cuisine at Sea – Oceania Cruises has won award after award for its food offerings, including our own Cruise Passenger Best Cruise Line for Food in 2020.

In addition to multiple open-seating gourmet restaurants, Marina offers memorable food and wine experiences at La Reserve by Wine Spectator as well as the opportunity for private dining at the exclusive and highly regarded Privée.

Marina is a newly refurbished ship filled with amazing art,

elegant public areas and luxuriously appointed rooms.

Your Veranda Stateroom is fitted with an Ultra Tranquility Bed, a mini bar with unlimited complimentary drinks, a private veranda, a generous bathroom with full-size bathtub and Bulgari amenities. You’ll also enjoy 24-hour complimentary room service and twice daily maid service.

Designer touches are everywhere, highlighting the finest residential design and furnishings, including the sparkling Lalique Grand Staircase and the Owner’s Suites furnished in Ralph Lauren.

While onboard, you can fill your time with live entertainment, lectures and enrichment programs, a culinary centre with cooking classes and treatments at the Aquamar Spa and Vitality Centre*.

TO ENTER: GO TO CRUISEPASSENGER.COM.AU/COMPETITIONS

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* Treatments are available at additional cost

One lucky winner and their guest will cruise from Tromsø, Norway, to Reykjavik, Iceland, in a Veranda Stateroom onboard Marina.

Cruise &Travel

31/5/2022 4:42 pm

* Treatments are available at additional cost

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THE AMAZING SIGHTS YOU’LL SEE

ou’ll fly business class return from Sydney to Tromsø, where you’ll board Marina for a 15 day voyage from Norway to Iceland. Departing Tromsø on August 7, you’ll cruise the Norwegian and Greenland Seas towards Longyearbyen, a small town in the Svalbard archipelago. You’ll overnight here to experience the famous Midnight Sun, then cruise the Greenland Sea towards Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland, one of the most remote settlements in the world.

Sail the Scoresby Sound, Denmark Strait and Prince Christian Sound, stopping in Nanortalik, Qaqortoq and Paamiut, then spend a day in Nuuk, Greenland’s largest city, before embarking on two days at sea that will get you to your final destination of Reykjavik, Iceland.

Cruise &Travel

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31/5/2022 12:25 pm

Oceans 36 Wave season | 54 Origin of species | 60 Above & beyond

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Onward and upward

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31/5/2022 12:26 pm

Ocean trends

Ride the wave in

LUXURY It’s a wave season to be proud of, in which cruise lines will showcase their best and brightest, writes Bernadette Chua.

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Cruise &Travel

31/5/2022 12:29 pm

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uxury cruise lines and small ship operators are returning in force for what promises to be a jam packed few months from September to March. Here’s what the lines are offering this wave season.

+ Ultra-luxury Ponant

Fit for royalty

Queen Elizabeth in Tasmanian waters; afternoon tea service on Queen Elizabeth.

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They’ve stormed the Kimberley, sending three ships to sail one of Australia’s most remote destinations next year.

In fact, the luxury expedition line has already successfully started its 2022 Kimberley season and has big plans for 2023. The arrival of the line’s refurbished three-masted sailing yacht, Le Ponant, heralds a big season for the line with the 32-passenger vessel starting voyages in April 2023. The special relationship Ponant’s chairwoman Sarina Bratton has with the Paspaley family will allow guests sailing on Le Ponant the chance to fly in one of Paspaley’s vintage Grumman Mallard seaplanes, and to see the Paspaley pearl operations in Kuri Bay. Other Ponant vessels Le Laperouse and Le Soleal will also be based Down Under, sailing a range of exciting immersive itineraries. The new Wild Landscapes of Kimberley & South-East Asia departs from Bali and takes adventure lovers to the islands of East Timor, Indonesia and the Kimberley. The 15-day voyage also visits the Lacepede Islands Nature Reserve and Komodo National Park, home to the Komodo dragons that rule these remote islands.

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Ocean trends Regent Seven Seas Ultra-luxury line Regent Seven Seas sails into Australian waters in December. The line’s Seven Seas Explorer has six itineraries, mainly between Sydney and Auckland, as well as two repositioning voyages taking in the sights of Asia.

Starting on December 12, Seven Seas Explorer departs from Singapore and makes her way through Indonesia before reaching Darwin on December 20. Guests will spend time in Semarang and Surabaya, and enjoy an overnight stop in Bali.

Explorer will glide down the east coast of Australia, calling at Cairns and Brisbane, and arriving in Sydney for the Australian wave season.

Seven Seas Explorer will also head to New Zealand and visit Auckland, Napier, Wellington and Christchurch, as well as sailing the fiords of the Dusky and Doubtful Sounds.

WAVE SEASON

On the 14-day New Zealand Yacht itinerary, Seabourn Odyssey visits the charming city of Dunedin, with its gold-mining history. Here, guests can go on an e-bike adventure to Taiaroa Head, a scenic headland with rugged cliffs, a 19thcentury lighthouse, and a colony of more than 100 northern royal albatross.

Seabourn The all-American luxury line known

for its partnership with American Michelin-starred chef Thomas Keller and its Ralph Lauren-designed interiors will spend several months Down Under.

Seabourn Odyssey will start her voyages on December 5, and sail on a number of Australia and New Zealand jaunts until her 30-day repositioning voyage on March 9.

Meet the locals

From top: A crocodile in the Kimberley; Le Soleal in Sydney Harbour.

Silversea Silver Muse, Silver Shadow and Silver Whisper will grace our shores over the 2022/23 wave season, with Silver Explorer currently sailing on expedition voyages in the Kimberley between Broome and Darwin.

The arrival of so many Silversea ships shows great confidence in the Australian luxury market with the line sailing 31 voyages in Australia and New Zealand, including a new itinerary through the Kimberley and Australia’s west coast, unlocking the best of the region for guests. On top of Silversea’s offering in the Kimberley, Silver Explorer will complete an all-new 17-day itinerary, enabling guests to discover the Dampier Archipelago and the Monte Bello Islands, before venturing as far south as Freemantle. Silver Muse, meanwhile, will sail shorter options of 12 and 13 days throughout Australia and New Zealand, with an overnight in Hobart due to strong demand from guests; as well as longer voyages that also incorporate Asia and Melanesia. The line has a fantastic Papeete to Auckland itinerary which visits the idyllic South Pacific islands of Bora Bora, Pago Pago, Apia and more.

+ Upper premium Oceania Cruises The culinary and destination-focused line will

be sending Oceania Regatta to Australia between December and March. Departing from Sydney, Regatta will head to Queensland before sailing to destinations in the South Pacific including Lautoka, Moorea and Papeete.

In Moorea, Oceania offer an excursion to the coral reef to see the island’s pod of dolphins with a marine biology researcher as your guide. If the season is right, you may also see pilot whales and even humpback whales. Regatta will also spend a night in Bora Bora, offering a raft of shore excursions, including a Moana Jet Ski Adventure for views of Bora Bora’s twin volcanic peaks from the sea.

Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Eclipse will be heading Down Under, with a special focus on New Zealand cruises. Varying between nine and 12 nights, Eclipse will head to destinations like Christchurch, the Bay of Islands and Tauranga. In the Bay of Islands, cruisers can take a special eco-cruise and discover the area’s rich wildlife: dolphins, penguins, marlins, whales and an array of birdlife. It’s also a prime spot to swim and kayak.

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“The arrival of so many Silversea ships shows great confidence in the Australian luxury market.”

Eclipse will also head to Tasmania visiting the city of Hobart and Port Arthur, a World Heritage site and one of the world’s most significant penal colonies.

Cunard The traditional cruise line heads back Down Under with themed voyages on offer.

Queen Elizabeth will make her regal entrance on an eight-night Fremantle to Sydney from November 7 to 15. She’ll also visit New Zealand, take guests on short jaunts around Australia’s east coast and host special cruises for gardening and food lovers.

The Australia’s Gardening Journey on Queen Elizabeth is a seven-night voyage with nine leading gardening experts who will impart their knowledge, discuss the latest gardening trends, share ideas in hands-on workshops and more. Celebrity chef Matt Moran is set to host a special culinary cruise, during which guests will learn about Indigenous ingredients and sample beautiful Australian wines on bespoke shore excursions.

Viking Viking Ocean is offering an Auckland-

Sydney (and vice versa) voyage, visiting the main cities of The Land of The Long White Cloud, as well as taking in the rugged South Island

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coastline and the scenic Foveaux Strait. The cruise also stops in Tasmania and Melbourne and sails the Gippsland Coast. This voyage will sail 12 times between December and March, and guests can also add pre and post cruise extensions to take in the best of Australia, Sydney, Auckland or Tongariro National Park.

+ Premium

New perspectives

From top: Silversea Zodiacs in Montgomery Reef; travellers with Celebrity Cruises on a Queensland beach.

Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Spirit, fresh from her refurbishment, will be sailing voyages around New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific. A highlight journey departs Papeete in French Polynesia, during which Norwegian Spirit visits Moorea, Bora Bora, Pago Pago, Lautoka, Dravuni and the Isle of Pines before arriving in Sydney. There are also several 12-night Australia and New Zealand cruises, and an Australian-only cruise.

Royal Caribbean

It’s going to be a bumper season for Royal Caribbean with the line bringing two of its biggest and best Down Under. Both Ovation of the Seas, based in Sydney, and Quantum of the Seas, based in Brisbane, are 37

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Ocean trends

“Princess will have an entire MedallionClass enabled fleet of four ships based in Australia this wave season.”

WAVE SEASON

Ride the wave

From top: Princess cruisers in the Panama Canal; Viking Orion in Sydney Harbour.

bringing new elements to the market, with bumper cars, bionic bars and array of dining options. Both vessels are offering everything from sampler voyages for cruisers to experience the ships to longer journeys around Australia and to the South Pacific and New Zealand.

Princess This family-friendly line will have an entire MedallionClass enabled fleet of four ships based in Australia this wave season, including two Royal-Class sister ships, Royal Princess and Majestic Princess based in Sydney for the first time. Grand Princess will make her debut in Australia sailing out of Melbourne while Coral Princess will return to Brisbane as well as sail the line’s signature longer voyages, including the 28-day Round Australia (departing from Sydney, Brisbane and Fremantle) and 35-day Hawaii, Tahiti & South Pacific itineraries. In 2023, Coral Princess’ 107-night Round World Cruise from Australia will visit 26 countries across six continents covering 32,500 nautical miles.

+ Adventure Coral

Expeditions Australian small ship adventure line Coral Expeditions has continued its operations throughout the last two years. Successfully sailing in the Kimberley, they have expanded their voyage offerings to Tasmania where guests can embark on cruise and hike itineraries to explore the state’s beautiful landscapes and search for wildlife.

Coral is also offering a special Yachtsman’s Cruise to watch the famous Sydney to Hobart race.

In April 2023, Coral Adventurer is sailing a Solar Eclipse Expedition in partnership with the Australian Geographic Society. The ship sails to the remote Australian territory of Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island where guests will not only see whale sharks and dugongs, but also the rare hybrid solar eclipse event.

APT APT will sail the luxurious Caledonia Sky in the Kimberley next year, travelling back and forth between Broome and Darwin. The selling point is a dedicated 10-member expedition team who will take you ashore to Bigge Island to discover Indigenous rock art, take a high-powered boat ride through the Horizontal Falls and guide the Zodiac expedition to explore Montgomery Reef. CT

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Hand Selected Luxury Offers As Australia’s premier online Cruise Travel agency, CruiseAway is dedicated to finding the perfect cruise holiday for every Australian traveller. After being in business for over 20 years specialising in everything to do with cruise holiday travel worldwide, we believe there is a perfect cruise holiday out there for everyone.

Italy, Greece & the Adriatic Celebrity Beyond, Rome to Rome 17 October 2023 | 15 nights Celebrity Suite: $14,999 pp Italy . Greece . Croatia . Montenegro

Land of the Midnight sun Queen Victoria, Southampton to Southampton 3 June 2023 | 17 nights Queens Grill: $13,699 pp England . Norway

Ancient land and cities Azamara Pursuit, Athens to Rome 1 November 2022 | 15 nights Azamara Pursuit: $14,529 pp Greece . Egypt . Israel . Cyprus . Italy

Included in your Celebrity Suite

Included in your Queens Grill Suite

Included in your Continent Suite

Premium Drinks | $USD400 Onboard credit | Hi-Speed Wi-Fi | Gratuities | Personal Retreat Host | Priority check-in, departure, port tendering/boarding | Reserved Theatre seating | Exclusive access to Luminae at the Retreat | Complimentary in-suite dining | Daily delivery of afternoon savouries | Complimentary 24-hour room service | Complimentary Welcome bottle of Sparkling wine | Complimentary in-suite speciality coffees

Personal Butler | Champagne and Chocolates on arrival | Complimentary Bar, Fresh fruit replenished daily, in suite | Marble bathrooms | Exclusive access to the Grills Lounge and Terrace | Dine when you choose in the Queens Grill restaurant each evening| Priority embarkation and disembarkation | Priority Tender services

Azamazing Evening event | Premium Drinks | English Butler service | Gratuities | Daily Savouries | Afternoon tea service in-suite | Dining from restaurant menus for breakfast lunch and dinner | Complimentary seating in speciality restaurants | Concierge services for personal guidance and reservations | Hi-Speed Wi-Fi | Shuttle service to and from port communities

CruiseAway.com.au | 1300 887 590

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Collaboration

SUMMER NCL

spirit

The return of Norwegian Cruise Line to Australia and New Zealand means plenty of fun. And as the only cruise line to sail Hawaii year-round, the line also offers international options for Aussies looking to book their summer cruises.

Words | TALLIS BOERNE MARCUS

Norwegian Pride

Clockwise from top left: Cruisers in Sydney Harbour; paddleboarders near Pride of America; the lush mountains of Hawaii; Onda

by Scarpetta, all Norwegian Spirit.

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Here’s everything you need to know about Norwegian Cruise Line’s summer Sydney, Auckland and Papeete departures and its year-round sailings in America’s gorgeous island state.

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orwegian Cruise Line continues to thrive around the world, treating cruisers to sensational itineraries across Africa, Europe, Alaska, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

However, right now NCL wants Aussies to feel the warmth and ease that can only be conjured by cruising close to home, with an assortment of appetising itineraries across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

With Norwegian Spirit paying a long-awaited visit to Australia and New Zealand later this year, we’ve put together a few of the glittering itineraries in the region that you can look forward to, as well as what’s new after her extensive refurbishment.

If you want to escape Australian shores but aren’t keen on a long-haul flight, NCL also has you covered. A quick 10-hour direct flight will take you to the green mountains, blue waters and red-hot entertainment of Hawaii, where NCL cruises year round.

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“No one does Hawaii like NCL. Now is the time for travellers to experience the difference for themselves.”

A NEW LOOK In NCL’s rich 55-year history, there’s never been a makeover as expensive or glamorous as Norwegian Spirit’s $141 million refurbishment.

The adult cruiser craving effortless luxury will be delighted by the doubled-in-size Mandara Spa™, now fitted with Thermal Suite including a steam room, sauna, shower experience and heated-tile loungers. Equally elegant and opulent is Spice H20, a luxurious adults-only pool retreat that morphs in the evening into a spritely cocktail lounge and open-air nightclub.

At a slightly smaller size than others in the fleet, at 268 metres long and 10 decks high, Norwegian Spirit has the amenities of a big ship with a heightened intimacy and attention to service.

You’ll still have your pick of nine bars and lounge, 14 dining options and Broadway-style entertainment, including acclaimed musicals Blazing Boots and Palace of Lights.

You can also stay in style in your balcony stateroom just gazing over endless ocean through floor-to-ceiling glass doors.

WHERE’S SHE SAILING? Norwegian Spirit will sail a series of six 12-day itineraries around Australia and New Zealand and five 7-, 12-, 14- and 15-day South Pacific itineraries.

A highlight itinerary departs from Sydney and will take you to taste delicious oysters of Eden and the European-style delicacies 41

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Collaboration

NCL

of Burnie in Tasmania, then to experience the culture of Melbourne before an epic New Zealand adventure.

There, you’ll sail Dusky, Doubtful and Milford Sounds and get the chance to spot penguin colonies, kayak through gorgeous Fiordland and indulge in fine dining.

On a more direct voyage to the Land of the Long White Cloud, you’ll enjoy incredible activities ashore, like a visit to the Royal Albatross Centre in Dunedin, a trip into the historic Larnach Castle, soaking in Rotorua’s hot springs, learning about Maori culture at Te Puia and more.

For something different, cruise straight out of Sydney and just a couple of days later find yourself among the glowing green pine trees and astonishingly clear water of Isle of Pines, New Caledonia. This is just the first of many stunning stops across the Pacific, including Mystery Island in Vanuatu, two ports in Fiji, Apia in Samoa and four more days in French Polynesia.

GO HAWAII Pride of America departs Honolulu 52 weeks a year, every Saturday, embarking on a seven-day Inter-Island round trip.

Voted the best Hawaiian itinerary by several publications, there’s a reason this cruise runs so often. It is the only cruise that visits four islands over just seven days, with zero sea days and port calls across Oahu, Maui, Big Island and Kauai.

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You’ll have your choice of more than 70 shore excursions, but you’ll almost certainly see the waterfalls and brilliant beaches of Maui, the intersection of endless greenery and unique architecture in Hilo, the dramatic natural landscapes packed into Kauai and can even enjoy a special cruise to see the dramatic and towering cliffs of the Napali Coast.

For the moments you aren’t on land, you’ll have 14 dining options, 10 bars and lounges, two pools and more than 50 treatment options at Mandara Spa to keep you busy onboard your comfortable ship.

Ben Angell, Norwegian Cruise Line Vice President and Managing Director APAC says no one does Hawaii quite like Norwegian Cruise Line and now is the perfect time to go for it.

“With direct flights to Honolulu taking off once again and cruises sailing every Saturday, year-round, a heavenly Hawaiian holiday aboard Pride of America is the ideal close-to-home escape for cruisers who can’t wait to set sail again,” he said.

“Truly, no one does Hawaii like NCL. Now is the time for travellers to experience the difference for themselves.” CT ncl.com/au

Spirited cruising

From top: the Spinnaker Lounge; cruising into Sydney Harbour; a luxe suite on Pride of America.

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THIS IS HOW YOU HAWAI‘I Only NCL visits 4 Hawaiian islands in 7 days with overnight stays in Maui & Kaua’i and sailings departing every Saturday, year-round.

DAY 1 HONOLULU, O‘AHU

DAYS 2 & 3 KAHULUI, MAUI

DAY 5 KONA, HAWAI‘I

DAYS 6 & 7 NĀWILIWILI, KAUA‘I

ONLY NCL VISITS 4 ISLANDS DAY 4 HILO, HAWAI‘I

B E S T H A W A I ‘ I I T I N E R A R Y P O R T H O L E C R U I S E M A G A Z I N E 15 Y E A R S

DISCOVER MORE AT NCL.COM.AU | CALL 1300 CRUISE | OR CONTACT YOUR TRAVEL AGENT Cruise &Travel

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©2022 NCL Corporation Ltd. NCL Australia Pty. Ltd. ABN 80 607 578 781. Ships’ Registry: Bahamas and USA.

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GO HAWAII

Hawai‘i conjures up images of azure ocean, palm trees, cocktails and lazy days on sun-drenched beaches, but there’s more on offer in this tropical island state, writes Sue Wallace.

K

ick off your shoes and wander along some of the world’s most iconic beaches, indulge in a sweet coconut-scented massage and sip a mai tai – then join a Mālama activity such as a beach clean-up or tree planting.

The Mālama program was designed to give tourists a chance to make deeper, more meaningful connections with Hawaiians and with this one-of-a-kind place while making a difference by contributing to sustainable and regenerative endeavours. It’s a beautiful way to engage with a destination in a more profound way and leave a place better than you found it.

Need more reason to head to this welcoming tropical state? Here’s what to expect on the different islands.

O‘AHU

Home to Hawai‘i’s capital Honolulu and iconic Waikīkī Beach, this island is where you’ll find big waves and luxe beachfront hotels that are perfect for a holiday in the sun.

On ISLAND TIME

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Stay Looking for standout accommodation? Check out the Ritz-Carlton Residences on Waikīkī Beach with immaculate residential studios and suites with ocean views and impressive living spaces, while Espacio The Jewel of Waikīkī is home to nine exclusive guest suites just steps from Waikīkī Beach, and Halekūlani Hotel has a shimmering heated pool decorated with a beautiful orchid mosaic made from 1.2 million glass tiles.

Dine There’s a fish sommelier at Mina’s Fish House, the acclaimed line-to-table beachside restaurant at Four Seasons Resort O‘ahu Ko‘olina. Get set for a tableside education on Hawaiian fish. Or revel in magnificent sunsets and cocktails under the 130-year-old kiawe tree with views of the Pacific Ocean and Diamond Head crater when you dine at House Without a Key at Halekūlani Hotel. For casual bites try Kahuku Shrimp Trucks, North Shore shave ice and Leonard’s malasadas.

Do Visit Pearl Harbor, check out the Hawai‘i State Museum of Natural and Cultural History and take to the skies for a scenic helicopter tour.

MAUI

Romantic Maui is popular for its sunkissed beaches, misty waterfalls, luxe accommodation and adventure tours that get the adrenalin pumping.

Stay Plenty of look-at-me luxe accommodation here. Splurge at the adults-only Hotel Wailea, a Relais & Châteaux property, where they’ll lend you one of their 1957 Porsche 356 Speedster reproductions. The Fairmont Kea Lani resort is splashed with bright tropical plants and luxe amenities, while the hip Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort comes with four infinity pools and a super spa.

Dine Try a traditional lū‘au feast with meats, fish and tropical fruits all from the surrounding area. Mama’s Fish House, an oceanfront oasis for 40 years, has a standout signature cocktail with guava, lime and ginger. Leilani’s on the Beach comes with ‘ukulele music and local dishes, while at Kō, it’s about creative cross-cultural cuisine.

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Aloha

Clockwise from above: Traditional Hawaiian dancers; boat captain guiding tourists; stand up paddle– boarding in crystal water; free diving in search of turtles.

Do Watch a spectacular sunrise or sunset at lofty Mount Haleakalā’s Summit, or join the Pride of Maui sunset cruise to enjoy a lū‘au dinner party with Polynesian dancers. A five-hour Maui Molokini Snorkel Adventure visits the exceptional sites of Molokini Crater and Turtle Town.

KAUA‘I

Known as the garden isle, this island is home to an amazing emerald tropical rainforest covering much of the island’s surface with dramatic cliffs and pinnacles.

Stay Tropical gardens and beautiful river pools take centre stage at The Grand Hyatt Kaua‘i Resort and Spa which also has a golf course, swimming pools, waterfalls, man-made lagoons and spa.

Timbers Kauai features 47 private residences and is part of the Hokuala resort community, featuring Jack Nicklaus Signature Ocean Course golf, plus winding trails and freshwater lagoons.

Dine Try the Hawaiian-inspired tapas at Bar Acuda or grab a fresh juice acai bowl at Kalalea Juice Hale family restaurant.

The Plantation House by Gaylords offers an authentic island dining experience with local dishes by Chef Johnny Saguid.

Do Go chasing waterfalls on the Kīpū Ranch off-road tour then hot foot it to Allerton by Fire, a unique tour of Allerton Garden with dinner at the Allerton Estate House accompanied by Polynesian dancing, music and a fire knife performance. Or try ziplining with a bike – Kaua‘i ATV’s Sky Bike attraction is the only zipline bike offering in the US.

ISLAND OF HAWAI‘I

Nearly double the size of all the other Hawaiian islands put together, it is nicknamed Big Island and is known for its sheer size and massive volcanoes – it’s Instagram heaven.

Stay Auberge Resorts Collection’s Mauna Lani Resort sits on the dramatic Kohala Coast in the centre of five great mountains, while the Four Seasons Resort Kohala Coast Hotel is surrounded by white-sand beaches and black-lava landscapes. The recently renovated Westin Hāpuna Beach Resort includes four reimagined dining venues, 18-hole Hāpuna Golf Course designed

by Arnold Palmer and two pools overlooking Hāpuna Beach.

Dine Perched above Pauoa Bay, check out the island’s most spectacular sunset panoramas and great food at Brown’s Beach House at The Fairmont Orchid. Ulu Ocean Grill at Four Seasons Resort Hualālai serves fresh produce from 160 local farms, fusing the flavours of Hawai‘i with pan-Asian techniques.

Do Lace up your hiking boots and explore the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and then reward yourself with a bird’s eye view on a scenic helicopter flight. Snorkel with manta rays and go stargazing in those big starry skies. Check out the black sands and Hawaiian green sea turtles at Punalu‘u Black Sand Beach. CT gohawaii.com 45

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Collaboration

COAST to COAST MY CRUISES

Indulge in a luxury transpacific voyage stopping at beautiful and exotic destinations with My Cruises.

T

ake in sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean as you embark on a once-in-a-lifetime luxury cruise from the idyllic islands of Hawaii all the way to the stunning Australian coast. Handcrafted by the expert team at My Cruises, this 19-night fly, stay and cruise holiday is perfectly packaged with flights, hotel stays and so much more. If a transpacific crossing is on your bucket list, this exclusive itinerary is not one to miss!

Before setting sail across the Pacific, you’ll first enjoy a two-night stay in tropical Honolulu.

Famed for its sun-soaked beaches, volcanic peaks and otherworldly scenery, this island haven truly offers something for everyone. Whether you want to laze on the golden sands of Waikiki Beach, hike

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To secure your place on this indulgent cruise getaway, call the My Cruises Experts on 1300 924 585 or visit mycruises.com.au.

Pacific adventure

From top: Mt Rotui, Moorea; Celebrity Solstice in Sydney Harbour; Auckland’s Sky Tower.

the iconic Diamond Head crater or trace history at the Pearl Harbour National Memorial, Honolulu is sure to leave a lasting impression.

Then it’s time to set sail with Celebrity Cruises. Your home for the next 17 nights will be Celebrity Solstice, a stylish and modern ship filled from bow to stern with world-class amenities. As you make your way across the Pacific, enjoy award-winning onboard experiences, like revolutionary entertainment offerings, lavish spa treatments and distinctive restaurants with menus inspired by the destinations you’ll visit.

A transpacific cruise journey offers the chance to travel to one of the world’s most remote and sought-after destinations, French Polynesia.

During this voyage, you’ll visit the pristine islands of Moorea, Papeete and Raiatea. Nothing can compare to the crystalline lagoons, sugar-soft sand and lush, unspoiled nature this region has to offer.

Before returning to Australian shores, you’ll also enjoy a visit to breathtaking New Zealand. Ascend the iconic 328-metre Sky Tower for 360-degree views over Auckland, before sailing to the mesmerising Bay of Islands, where you can swim with bottlenose dolphins and connect with Maori culture. There’s no better way to end such an iconic cruise itinerary.

To ensure this luxury voyage is one you’ll never forget, My Cruises has also included a range of exclusive bonuses you simply won’t find anywhere else, from flights and hotel stays, to onboard beverage and WiFi packages. It’s all part of the My Cruises way, to create seamless cruise journeys, with every last detail taken care of. CT mycruises.com.au Cruise &Travel

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Luxury

HONOLULU TO SYDNEY IN 2023 ONBOAR D C E L E BRI TY S OLST I CE

SAILING 01 OCT 2023 | HONOLULU – MOOREA – PAPEETE – RAIATEA – AUCKLAND – BAY OF ISLANDS – SYDNEY 19 NIGHT FLY, STAY & CRUISE HOLIDAY WITH $3000 BONUS VALUE • One way flight to Honolulu from Sydney • BONUS 2 Night hotel stay in Honolulu + Airport and port transfers • 17 Night luxury cruise from Honolulu to Sydney onboard Celebrity Solstice in an Interior Stateroom • Onboard dining and entertainment + Onboard all port taxes, charges and prepaid gratuities • BONUS Onboard beverage package with cocktails, spirits, wine, beer and soft drinks

FROM

VALUED AT

$6490

*

PER PERSON

4990

$

*

• BONUS Onboard wifi package + My Cruises holiday savings

EXCLUSIVE TO

1300 924 585 MYCRUISES.COM.AU

*FROM SYDNEY. Book by 31 May 22. Deal code: MC-106326. Prices are correct at time of publication, are based on twin-share per person and subject to availability and currency fluctuations. Prices subject to change without notice, until reservation is confirmed. From $5240*pp ex Brisbane and Melbourne. From $5540*pp ex Adelaide. From $5690*pp ex Perth. Terms and Conditions apply. A low deposit of $499 per person secures the cruise package. A second deposit (part payment) will be required, with the date and amount to be advised by our Cruise Experts at time of booking. For full terms and conditions visit MyCruises.com.au. The above-mentioned terms and conditions are to be read in conjunction with the terms and conditions published at CelebrityCruises.com. Itineraries are subject to change with 2023 deployment. My Cruises provides holiday packages offered by Ignite Holidays Pty Ltd and is a subsidiary of Ignite Travel Group. ATAS Accreditation No. A1034

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Voyage

ONWARD & UPWARD Five lands

Beautiful Liguria in Cinque Terre, Italy.

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A REFURBISHED SHIP IS JUST THE TICKET FOR GETTING AMONG THE ACTION IN TRUE AZAMARA STYLE. Sue Bryant IS ABOARD FOR THE RELAUNCH.

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Voyage

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tilt walkers and jugglers paraded on the dock at Monte Carlo to celebrate the launch of Azamara’s fourth ship, Azamara Onward, which was named, or rather, renamed on May 2 by US-based entrepreneur Beth Santos.

The vessel, one of eight identical ships built in 1999 for the longdefunct Renaissance Cruises, is a sister to Azamara’s other three ships, Journey, Quest and Pursuit. Azamara acquired Onward last year from Princess Cruises, where she sailed as Pacific Princess, and spent US$50 million on a much-needed revamp.

The reason cruise lines race to snap up these R-Class ships, as they’re called, is their size. Carrying just 684 passengers each, they’re small enough to dock in the heart of interesting ports, staying true to Azamara’s philosophy and selling point of “destination immersion”. On my four-day preview cruise, we moored a stone’s throw from the atmospheric Vieux Port in Marseille. Across the bay, I could see several bigger ships crowded into the big-ship dock, 10 kilometres from the city centre.

We also dropped anchor just off the gorgeous town of Portovenere on the Ligurian Riviera, a short tender journey to the waterfront. Here again, I could see bigger ships passing us by for the less lovely port of La Spezia. And in Monaco, we were surrounded by gleaming mega-yachts belonging to mysterious oligarchs.

Despite their small size, Azamara’s ships offer plenty of choice.

You’ll find four restaurants for dinner, for example. There are enough bars and lounges to create a sense of space, and a stylish, spacious pool deck with smart new grey padded loungers.

The public areas are done out in shades of pale grey, gold, stone and cream, inspired by the colours of water, sand, wood and stone. The suites are beautiful, gleaming new, with furnishings in pale grey and creamy white, and smart bathrooms.

Australians, one of the crew told me, who tend to opt for longer voyages, prefer the Club Continent suites, which are wider than the standard cabins, filled with light and have a brand new bathroom with walk-in shower.

There are always going to be issues when it comes to refitting a 23-year-old ship. My issue was with the standard balcony cabins, which make up the bulk of the accommodation. They’ve certainly been revamped – the carpets feel new, the beds are extremely comfortable and the robes suitably fluffy – but not completely, in that the woodwork is dark and chipped and my sofa was stained.

The bathrooms are tiny, something you can’t change, but does anybody ever enter a cabin and say, “Oh good, a shower curtain”?

Having said that, a lot can be forgiven when the food and service are as good as Onward offers. The mainly Asian crew is delightful – intuitive, thoughtful and cheerful – and friendly

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AZAMARA ONWARD

Vessel with a view

Left: Onward at Ajaccio, Corsica.

Right, from top: Onward’s stairway, sunset veranda and Club Veranda Room.

The Verdict Highs: The intimate size of the ship, superb food on offer, personal service, and late nights in port.

AzAmazing Days are an excellent way to immerse into destinations.

Lows: Standard cabins still look a bit tired, despite the refit. Specialty cocktails are a little pricey.

Verdict: Perfect for adults wanting an immersive itinerary and a friendly, small-ship vibe.

“They’re small enough to dock in the heart of interesting ports, staying true to Azamara’s philosophy and selling point of ‘destination immersion’.”

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Voyage AZAMARA ONWARD

without being obsequious. There’s real interaction between passengers and the officers. Some captains have a following, as does talented cruise director Eric de Gray, who is on Onward for the maiden season and performs several shows during the course of a voyage.

Food punches above its weight. The lunchtime buffets in the Windows Café are exceptional, with a huge salad bar and an impressive assortment of hot dishes, cheeses and dainty desserts.

The two speciality restaurants, Italian-influenced Aqualina and the steakhouse Prime C, are gorgeous, located high on the ship with dreamy sunset views and some seriously impressive dishes.

My seabass with a creamy risotto in Aqualina was faultless.

You do have to pay US$30 per person for these, though, and suite passengers get priority (and also don’t pay), so book early during your cruise. I love the little bar in Prime C, too; even if you’re not dining there, it’s an elegant and peaceful spot for a pre-dinner martini.

If you can’t get into the speciality restaurants, try to bag a table at the rear of Discoveries, the elegant main dining room, where you’re overlooking the ship’s wake. Or have dinner in the Windows Café, where there’s a table d’hôte menu in the evenings as opposed to a buffet, and tables out on the sunny aft deck.

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nward has some new features, too, making it stand out from its sisters. There’s a new shop selling tasteful clothing, sustainably made bags, ceramics and beauty products from around the Mediterranean. There’s also a new drinking venue, Atlas Bar, aft on Deck 10, in the space that used to be the library. Done out in shades of gold and aqua, this elegant, cosy bar has a limited menu of special, destination-themed cocktails that cost US$17.95 each, unless you’ve bought the ultimate drinks package, in which case they’re included.

I fell immediately for the Mumbai Hug: chilli-infused Grey Goose vodka over ice, with ginger syrup and a garnish of lime and coriander. It was like the freshest of curries in a glass. Other offerings include the London Fog Martini: Earl Gray-infused Tanqueray, lemon and simple syrup served under a dramatically smoking dome. You can pair the cocktails with decadent tapas, from shots of wagyu beef in broth to melt-in-the-mouth arancini which you inject with a pomodoro sauce before biting into them, although there’s a charge for these.

Azamara says its real selling point is “destination immersion” and Atlas Bar is certainly a creative nod to this. But what is destination immersion? Even as recently as a few years ago, any cruise line that went beyond the unimaginative city tour by coach was considered adventurous, so Azamara did stand out then. But nowadays, everybody is offering immersive, experiential tours.

Look at Silversea with its S.A.L.T. programme of food-themed excursions, for example.

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I asked Azamara’s president Carol Cabezas where the line sits among competitors, which presumably include lines like Oceania and Viking, with similar sized ships and an emphasis on culture. She quickly put me straight: “Our focus on how we design our voyages is differentiating us. And how we plan our land experiences. Viking, for example, never even used to publish which ship you’d be on, or what time you were arriving or leaving. We tell you. Statistically, we have the longest amount of time in port than any other line in the industry. While our ships are lovely, we understand that the guest is coming for the destinations and we are giving them the opportunity to experience day and night.”

These late sailings are certainly a bonus, especially in the Mediterranean, when evening to many is the best part of the day.

For example, on a 10-night cruise to Greece later this season, there are late departures from five ports: Mykonos, Volos, Kavala, Kusadasi and Santorini.

What really persuaded me that Azamara is different, though, was the effort and attention to detail that went into our AzAmazing Day in the pretty Italian town of Portovenere.

These special days ashore have temporarily replaced the AzAmazing Evenings, which, before Covid, took all the ship’s passengers ashore to a local cultural event, often a concert or a performance in a special venue.

Covid restrictions and the unpredictability of local rules mean that the evening has for now morphed into a daytime event designed to show off local food and culture.

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ortovenere itself is exquisite, a waterfront of skinny old houses in gelato shades of pale pink and creamy yellow, backed by forested hills. We jumped off the tender and were directed by Azamara flags to a jetty, where local caterers had set up ravishing displays of Italian specialties. This is how I found myself munching on sweet, ricotta-filled cannoli at breakfast time, and sampling an Aperol spritz with a sharp local

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Concierge

Favourite shore excursion: The Best of Cinque Terre day, which involved travelling by boat along the craggy Ligurian coastline past the five candy-coloured villages of the Cinque Terre, clinging to the hillside. We stopped in Vernazza for coffee, then took the train that runs along the coast to Monterosso, for a long, leisurely lunch of pasta con salsa di nocci (a deliciously creamy walnut sauce) and zucchini fritti, followed by a paddle in the still-cold sea.

cheese and a vegetable filo pie before downing my double espresso. We wandered around the town to discover an opera trio singing in the grounds of the old fort. A jazz band played in one of the narrow streets. The town was the perfect setting for the event and locals, too, were stopping to listen to the music.

The AzAmazing days are a bonding experience for the passengers and by the following night, everybody was ready for the White Night party, held against the glittering backdrop of Monte Carlo, the pool deck festooned in white bunting. The crew laid on an enormous feast: a bouillabaisse station, mountains of lobster, moules marinière, steak, barbecued chicken, dainty desserts and French cheeses. Cruise director Eric led the band and everybody danced on deck. I bet those oligarchs were looking on from their superyachts in envy. CT Cruise&Travel

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Harbour highlights Clockwise from above: Monte Carlo’s busy harbour; Onward at sea; Saint Peter Church at Portovenere.

The most surprising thing about the ship: Passengers have really embraced the new Atlas Bar, which was packed both before and after dinner. It’s a much better use of the space than the library; if you want somewhere quiet to read, there are plenty of nooks and crannies in The Den on deck five. You do have to pay extra for the fancy cocktails but regular drinks are part of the all-inclusive deal.

What to pack? Smart casual, with comfortable shoes as you’re likely to do a lot of walking. There are no formal nights on Azamara. Remember something white for the White Night party, which takes place once per cruise; everybody makes an effort for this, although I did spot one woman attending in her white bathrobe.

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on’t worry – they’re juvenile males and just want to play,” says our guide, Marco, as several sea lions spot us treading water, lumber awkwardly towards the edge of the rocks and plunge in.

Marco signals for us to follow him and as we dip our snorkel masks beneath the surface and kick our fins, we see the sea lions – now transformed into sleek aquatic athletes – twist and dive alongside us.

On arrival in the Galapagos Islands we’d been briefed to always stay a couple of metres away from any wildlife, but clearly the most commonly seen marine mammals in the archipelago aren’t interested in abiding by any rules. Two of them almost touch us as they swim alongside. Their whiskered faces momentarily gaze curiously into ours before they dodge around an unhurried turtle floating below us and head off in search of more fast-paced fun.

The underwater encounter is an exhilarating experience and it’s one of the main topics of conversation over dinner aboard Silversea’s Silver Origin a few hours later. That said, we never run out of subjects to talk about, as every day brings at least one pinch-me moment.

These protected islands scattered 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador are a unique bucket list destination, where you can witness firsthand an incredible story of evolution and natural history Colours of that’s like nowhere else on earth.

Galapagos They were made famous by the renowned From left: a blueBritish naturalist Charles Darwin, who arrived on footed boobie; Silver Origin at sea. the research vessel HMS Beagle in 1835 and was

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Origin of species On Silversea’s newest Galapagos vessel, Jeannine Williamson explores the magical islands that inspired Charles Darwin himself.

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SILVER ORIGIN

Galapagos friends

From top: Marine iguanas cuddled up on a rock; the author with a giant tortoise.

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astonished at finding iguanas swimming in the sea and giant tortoises and finches that differed from island to island. It was here that he developed his revoltionary theory of evolution, that the creatures able to adapt to their environment were the ones that made it.

During our round-trip expedition cruise from San Cristobal – one of four inhabited islands in the group of more than 120 isles and islets created by volcanic eruptions over five million years – we visit places unchanged since Darwin’s day, aside from hiking trails and wooden stairs created to ease walking and access the steepest hills. As Silver Origin is always at sea and doesn’t stop at any ports, all tours are by Zodiac; over a week there are seven landings for guided walks and a daily choice of scenic boat trips, kayaking and snorkelling.

Tourism is strictly controlled and there’s never any chance of ending up in a crowd as only one ship at a time is allowed at each destination. This makes everything even more special.

On a Zodiac sailing past craggy Vicente Roco Point we spot the world’s only tropical penguin. Marco explains they were originally swept over from Antarctica on the Humboldt Current, which flows north from their original habitat and up the west coast of South America.

“It was a one-way ticket – they couldn’t get back, so they had to adapt if they were going to survive and they now have a much thinner plumage,” he explains, also pointing out how the birds spread their wings to keep cool and lean forwards to protect their feet from the sun.

Further along the coastline, feet come to the fore again as we spot one of the most recognisable species in the Galapagos, the almost comical blue-footed boobie. Marco tells us their vividly coloured feet are due to pigments in their diet and during mating season, the males attract prospective suitors with an elaborate courtship dance that shows off their feet and females are drawn to the birds with the brightest feet.

Another extraordinary bird that is unique to the Galapagos, only found on the islands of Isabela and Fernandina, is the Cruise &Travel

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flightless cormorant. It is the largest of the world’s 29 species of cormorant and the only one that cannot fly. Again, our Zodiac provided a close glimpse of the black birds with jewel-like turquoise eyes, looking ungainly as they hop from rock to rock extending their stubby little wings for balance. Again, with no natural predators they no longer need to fly, but when it comes to hunting for food it’s a different matter. They barely make a ripple as they dive like arrows into the sea, reaching depths of up to eight metres and staying below for more than a minute at a time in search of fish.

Land hikes bring one-of-a-kind experiences at every stop. At Highs: Exceptional and Espinoza Point on Fernandina we unique wildlife spotting have to step carefully around opportunities with very hundreds of inert marine iguanas knowledgeable guides, basking on the beach. The lethargic fully inclusive cruise on an scene is occasionally broken by eco-friendly ship with high levels of comfort and butler females digging deep nests in the service in every suite. sand while vivid orange Sally Low: Due to the expedition Lightfoot crabs busy themselves nature of the voyage and alone the shoreline. Another day small size of the vessel we see land iguanas with do not expect the full shimmering golden scales.

Silversea experience with Other curiosities include the Champagne, caviar and entertainment. small lava lizards that can be found Best suited to: Outdoor across most of the archipelago, types with a reasonable with some species endemic to amount of fitness and individual islands. It’s believed mobility to go on hikes and they arrived from the mainland on get in and out of the Zodiacs floating rafts of vegetation carried used for all shore excursions.

The Verdict

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Life at sea

From top: Playful sea lions underwater; the Zodiac launch on Silver Origin; the luxurious firepit onboard.

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SILVER ORIGIN

by ocean currents. It’s fascinating to watch them communicate with each other using vigorous push-ups and head bobs.

The big daddy of all wildlife is the giant Galapagos tortoise, which we see on a visit to Santa Cruz, another of the populated islands. These tortoises are found nowhere else in the world. In fact, the name of the islands derives from the saddle-back shape of the shell that reminded the 16th century colonising Spaniards of the shape of a horse riding saddle known as a galapago.

The tortoises were almost hunted to extinction by 18th and 19th century sailors who kept them onboard ships as a fresh food source due their ability to survive for months at a time without food or water. Nowadays, of course, the reptiles, like all species in the Galapagos, are safeguarded and no longer have any fear of humans, which means you can get up close and get amazing photos. We see them on a visit to Montemar, an eco-reserve where the tortoises roam freely and bathe in mud pools to keep cool. Montemar also has an organic coffee plantation and afterwards there’s an entertaining and informative coffee and chocolate tasting and the chance to buy jewellery and products made by local craftspeople.

Many are made from recycled materials, including novel rings created from old skateboards.

Omnipresent wildlife aside, there are some fascinating man-made sights, too. On Floreana we land on the wide sheltered sweep of Post Office Bay and walk a short distance along the sand to find the story behind its name. Up a short pathway is a wooden barrel, recreating the one first created by homesick whalers from the UK and America when they stopped at the island to replenish water supplies. They posted letters to their families that were delivered by mariners who were heading back to their home ports. Today’s visitors can pop their own cards in the stampless mailbox and hope they are picked up by subsequent passers-by from their countries. It’s a fun thing to do and one of mine arrived on a friend’s doormat – stamped by the sender – a month afterwards.

We travelled in ultimate comfort on Silversea’s first-ever destination specific ship, launched earlier this year. Replacing Silver Galapagos, Silver Origin is a third larger but carries the

Comfort and adventure

From top: Onboard hub Basecamp; a Zodiac tenders ashore. Opposite: a sea lion poses for photos.

same number of passengers – just 100 – and incorporates eco-friendly technology as part of the line’s commitment to the environment. An innovative area is Basecamp, with an interactive LED screen with facts and stunning video footage on the islands. It’s a hub for meeting for shore tours, chatting to the expedition team and changing out of snorkelling gear, which is all provided. It’s the only ship in the Galapagos to feature butler service to every suite and as it sails year-round there are novel amenities such as a cosy faux fire pit where guests can gather on chillier evenings. There’s also a stargazing platform to observe unpolluted night skies.

Half of the food served on Silver Origin comes from the islands, including meat, cheese and home-made guava jam from small farms and artisan producers, and the rest comes from the Ecuadorian mainland. Many passengers – myself included – were surprised to discover Ecuador produces wine from a range of grape varieties. It was among the wines offered at mealtimes and really worth a try.

One day, executive chef Carlo Bermudez shares the secrets of creating the perfect ceviche, a South American staple made by curing raw fish and other ingredients in lime juice. Like all the food served on board, it is fresh and delicious.

The two dining venues are The Restaurant and The Grill, both large enough to seat all passengers at the same time. The Grill, on the top deck, converts from al fresco to indoor dining depending on the weather.

It also features Silversea’s Hot Rocks dining concept where you cook meat and seafood on sizzling heated stones.

The cabins are well designed, again with the destination in mind.

There’s walk-in space in the wardrobe to store expedition equipment.

New to Silversea are so-called horizon balconies. With drop-down floorto-ceiling panoramic windows and a tiled floor area with a table and seating they form part of the main cabin area or can be turned into an ‘indoor’ veranda that can be sectioned off by a curtain from the rest of the suite. Another innovative addition is a sliding mirror in the bathroom that reveals a window, so you can look out at passing views when you’re brushing your teeth.

As we disembark Silver Origin we are met by the sight of rotund sea lions sleeping contentedly on public benches, completely unbothered by our presence. I wonder if they are taking a rest after embarking on their energetic diving sessions with far less adept Homo sapiens. CT

“[Tortoises], like all species in the Galapagos, are safeguarded and no longer have any fear of humans... you can get up close and get amazing photos.”

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ABOVE & BEYOND

Celebrity’s newest vessel exceeds already high expections Bryant. in every way, writes Sue Bryant

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Jungle fever

From left: Celebrity Suite balcony; the onboard Eden space.

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life-sized silver peacock guards the entrance to the Cyprus restaurant on Celebrity Beyond. Clarita Brinkerhoff’s Homage to Hera is studded with some 28,854 sparkling Swarovski crystals, all set CELEBRITY BEYOND by hand. Like everything on this swish, sumptuous new ship, including the 4,500-piece art collection, it’s both a thing of beauty and a talking point.

Celebrity Beyond is the newest and biggest member of rack of lamb and lime and berry pavlova. There’s also a tranquil Retreat Lounge the Celebrity Cruises fleet and embarked on her maiden voyage and the best bit, a private sunbathing space that now spans two decks and has its from the British port of Southampton in April. Celebrity’s own pool, over which three hanging cocoon chairs are suspended. design team has taken elements that were already fabulous in Edge and Apex, Beyond’s predecessors, and created something ew on Beyond are the Aqua Sky Suites, a step up from the AquaClass even better. Cool, stylish interiors meet expansive outdoor staterooms. Either category is a good bet if you want to spend time in the space dotted with greenery, secluded spaces and bars with a SEA Thermal Suite, a serene paradise of saunas, steam, healing salt crystals South-Beach-meets-the-Med vibe. and luxurious heated loungers, as access here is included. Guests in these suites The ship is luxurious without seeming opulent, and chic can try out Goop-recommended amenities, too, from an acupressure mat to without overloading on glitz. You won’t find white-gloved waiters a “crystal-infused meditation pillow”. standing to attention, or a requirement to wear black tie for You’ll be able to enjoy the healthy menus in Blu, a restaurant exclusive to dinner, or instructions to sit at the same table every night. This is AquaClass guests (Aqua Sky Suite guests can eat in Luminae, too), although I’d the ultimate ship for Gen X. It’s the ship that will blow away all recommend trying some of the other restaurants. Why would you eat in the same your preconceptions about cruising. place every night when there are 18 different venues to try?

If you’re already familiar with This combination of unfettered luxury and choice, says Tim Jones, Celebrity’s Edge-class ships, there Celebrity’s vice president and managing director, Asia Pacific, is what are some enhancements on the new makes the ship stand out. “Not everybody who wants a luxury holiday vessel. Beyond is 20m longer and wants a small ship experience,” he told me. “Beyond offers all the beauty Highs: Beautiful design, classy has an extra deck, which means and seclusion and the intimate level of service you get on a small ship but dining, theatrical shows at the there’s an even wider choice of couples it with amazing venues like Eden and the production shows in absolute cutting edge. dining and entertainment venues.

The Theatre, and all the restaurants.”

Lows: Although Celebrity Beyond includes drinks, tips There’s more than a little starFamiliar bars and restaurants from other Celebrity ships appear on and WiFi, extras can mount quality sparkle thrown into all of Beyond, with some changes. The Rooftop Garden, a lounging area up if you want to do classes in Celebrity’s newest ships, thanks to enclosed by living plants and hedges, and sculptural “trees”, is bigger, the gym, try a spa treatment partnerships with superstar chef and eat your way through Daniel Boulud, famed British the speciality restaurants. interior designer Kelly Hoppen, and Verdict: This is the ship that Gwyneth Paltrow, Celebrity’s will persuade sceptics that cruising can be cool – and fun.

Wellbeing Advisor and founder of wellness website Goop.

There’s more star quality in Captain Kate McCue, who’s at the helm of Beyond and is the first American woman Take time to captain a major cruise ship. With 357,000 From left: The Instagram followers and a cool three public pool million more on TikTok, Captain Kate deck; private is pulling in the cruise fans and flying the cabana spaces. flag for diversity, a concept Celebrity takes very seriously.

Much of the new space on board is taken up by The Retreat, Celebrity’s enclave of suites. This ship-within-a-ship complex gets larger and more lavish with every new vessel the line builds. Suites range from the spacious Sky Suites to the seriously big hitters. Edge Villas, for example, span two decks and have a private plunge pool. The two Iconic suites, the biggest, sit on the bridge, enjoying vast entertaining space, their own Peloton bikes, huge decks and a curated collection of tasteful objets d’art.

Stay in a suite and you can dine at Luminae at The Retreat, a suites-only restaurant designed by Kelly Hoppen and featuring signature dishes by Daniel Boulud including octopus pasta salad, herb-crusted

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The Verdict

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CELEBRITY BEYOND

Concierge

What was your favourite meal on Beyond?

Le Voyage is a treat. Daniel Boulud’s first signature restaurant at sea is inspired by the chef’s travels around the world. It’s located off the Grand Plaza but has no windows, so you’re focused entirely on the cocoon-like atmosphere, just 50 covers in surroundings of soft gold – and the food. There are just eight starters and nine mains which dazzle in their delicacy and explode with taste.

I had exquisite tamarind and peanut-crusted prawns with a papaya slaw and a green Thai curry, followed by branzino in za’atar spice with a fennel confit and a citrus sauce, a thing of beauty. Book early.

What should I do on Celebrity Beyond?

Relax on the Magic Carpet.

Hang out at the cool Sunset

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Bar. Watch the Chandelier Show in the Grand Plaza.

Go and see all the shows in the Theatre and then head for The Club for DJ sets, karaoke and dancing. Spend a day in the SEA Thermal Suite. Bask in a “martini glass” hot tub on a slender stalk, looking down on the pool. Introduce your kids to Camp at Sea, featuring more than 500 activities. Dine in Le Petit Chef at Le Grand Bistro, an enchanting 3D animation in which tiny chef figures race around your plate, chattering and chopping food, amid a riot of colour. Just as they complete your 3D dish, waiters arrive, bearing the real thing.

What should I pack?

There’s no need for anything formal, just smart casual.

Expect to spend a lot of time on deck. Bring workout gear if you want to try the classes in the gym.

with the addition of two infinity pools cantilevered out over the side of the ship. Be warned: Anybody approaching the pools along the deck can see your legs kicking around and the magnifying effect of the glass is not flattering.

The Sunset Bar, always a popular hangout for sundowners as the ship leaves port, has had a makeover by designer Nate Berkus.

Now it spans two decks and has a cool, almost Mexican vibe, with squashy sofas from which you can gaze out over the ship’s wake.

Also new are three superb production shows. I’d challenge even the harshest cruise show sceptic not to be blown away by these. There are no fussy stage sets, just vast, high-definition screens, 33.5m wide, forming a backdrop to the dancers.

I saw two of the three. In Elements, there’s an additional star of the show, Daniel Wurzel’s “air fountain”, a silky sheet that flies, twirls and dances, untethered, in a jet of air, at one point extending out over the audience. Arte, meanwhile, uses a dramatic backdrop of famous paintings that come to life with jaw-dropping dance routines as you’re catapulted through a century of fine art. There were standing ovations all round and I would go to each show again.

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“Eden is another gorgeous space, a beautiful, airy lounge at the aft end of the ship, spanning three decks and encircled on three sides by glass.”

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den is another gorgeous space, a beautiful, airy lounge at the aft end of the ship, spanning three decks and encircled on three sides by the greatest expanse of glass ever to be fitted on a cruise ship. To get here, you wander through Odyssey, another art installation in the form of a dark, shimmering hall of mirrors dotted with vast, smooth rock-like formations in gleaming bronze. Unsurprisingly, Odyssey is the subject of many a selfie. You’ll emerge into a space that’s flooded with light and filled with whimsical sculpture and tropical plants, creating the feeling of a jungly conservatory that also comes with a cocktail bar, café and fine dining restaurant. At night, the mood in Eden changes from airy lounge to sultry nightclub, complete with acrobatic cabaret dancers. Once a week, there’s a silent disco here, at which you can put on a pair of headphones and dance with wild abandon.

The social hub of the ship is the Grand Plaza. Restaurants and bars surround this space on decks four and five, looking down over the Martini Bar, over which a shimmering LED chandelier is suspended.

Check the daily programme for the Chandelier Show, when the installation ripples with light. Underneath, the Chill time mixologists juggle bottles and cocktail shakers, performing From left: Edge amazing – and amusing – stunts and demonstrating Stateroom; The astonishing skill as they prepare the bar’s signature martinis. Retreat sun deck.

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I love the Magic Carpet, an orange platform cantilevered over the side of the ship. The platform moves up and down, with a different function at each of its resting places. On Deck Five, it serves as an al-fresco extension to the superb Raw on 5 seafood restaurant, while on Deck 14, it becomes a lounge adjacent to the pool. On a sunny day, you can sink into a squashy, greyand-white sofa and breathe in the sea air. With water on three sides, you really do feel as though you’re flying.

Does Celebrity Beyond sound too good to be true?

I’d struggle to think who wouldn’t enjoy it. Couples, families, groups of friends, anybody LGBTQ+, those cruise-doubters who think all ships are garish theme parks or mired in tradition and routine – even people who think they’d never be happy on a big ship. Head for the Mediterranean in summer or the Caribbean in winter to try it out. You’ll get a taste for life on Edge-class ships ready for when Celebrity Edge comes to Australia in December 2023. And you’ll be back for more. CT 65

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Dining

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hen it comes to cruise cuisine, not all venues are created equal. Each line proudly advertises their culinary offerings, a drawcard almost as important as the destinations.

Often the most beautiful spaces on a ship – think: Versace plates and Lalique crystal chandeliers – many restaurants deliver the full package: ocean views from every table, personalised service, curated wine lists and tantalising menus created by renowned chefs.

There are many variations on the food theme. For example, Silversea’s S.A.L.T is part of a wider culinary program involving market trips and cooking demonstrations, while Azamara’s steakhouse is sure to tingle your tastebuds.

Here’s the Cruise&Travel pick of the world’s best cruise lines for food. Bon appetit!

Comparable to the best restaurants on land, fine dining is a highlight of any cruise, writes Louise Goldsbury.

Chef’s kiss

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OCEANIA CRUISES

Restaurant: Privée Ships: Marina and Riviera Cuisine: Celebratory dining experiences Ambience: Intimate, private, sensory Seats: 10 Head chef: Frédéric Godineau Signature dish: Beetroot and goat cheese Napoleon (with truffle vinaigrette) “It’s a very nice pairing between the roasted beetroot and the fresh goat’s cheese with herbs. It is built like a mille-feuille and matches perfectly with the delicate flavour of the truffle.

Every guest that tastes this dish loves the unusual combination of the three ingredients. You wouldn’t think they would pair so well together on the plate, but it is a true taste sensation.”

Suggested pairing: Gewürztraminer or riesling from Alsace Other recommendations: Cheese soufflé; lobster risotto; sea bass filet baked in puff pastry crust with beurre blanc; roasted beef tenderloin with foie gras and truffle sauce

Best dessert: Raspberry mille-feuille (prepared tableside) Wine list: Privée serves up the finest wines from around the world that pair effortlessly with the menu, from the Ferrari-Carano cabernet sauvignon, a robust mountain-grown red, to the light and dry Müller-Catoir Mussbach Riesling Kabinett Signature cocktail: The Big O Martini Cost: Surcharge applies

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AZAMARA

Restaurant: Prime C Cuisine: Classic American steakhouse Ambience: Stunning views, lush décor Seats: 72 Signature dish: Ten-ounce rack of lamb, served on the bone and crusted with herbs “Cooked to perfection with a beautiful mouth-watering, herbalflavoured crust, our rack of lamb just melts in your mouth.”

Suggested pairing: Domaines Buron de Rothschild Lafite Reserve Legende Speciale, Pauillac 2012 Other recommendations: New York strip loin steak; duck leg confit Best dessert: Mini cinnamon-sugar donuts Wine list: A collection of limited production, small label and rare vintages from France, California, Argentina, South Africa and beyond Cost: Speciality dining is US$30 per person per visit. Suite guests dine complimentary, upon availability

VIKING

Restaurant: The Restaurant Cuisine: Regional Ambience: Open and inviting Seats: 468 Head chef: Anthony Mauboussin Signature dish: Chairman’s choice poached salmon and cucumber salad, served with a side of pickled cucumber salad and potatoes, accompanied by a chive sauce.

“Details such as cold marinating the slices of cucumber enhance the clean, fresh taste of our chairman, Torstein Hagen’s, favourite dish, and one that Norwegians have loved for generations.”

Suggested pairing: Maison Castel, Maison Castel Grand Reserve Chardonnay, France Other recommendations: Heirloom beets and cherry tomatoes confit; double baked artichoke soufflé; Norwegian-style meatballs; roast Chateaubriand Béarnaise Best dessert: Suksessterte (an almond meringue and custard tart) Wine list: A carefully curated selection of wines from iconic regions around the world including France, Germany, South Africa, Chile, Spain and New Zealand Signature cocktail: Pap’s Brandy Special Fee: Included in cruise fare Cruise &Travel

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SILVERSEA

Restaurant: S.A.L.T. Kitchen Cuisine: Destination-focused, regional specialties Ambience: Relaxed, welcoming, vibrant Seats: 154 Head chef: Cyril Mougin Signature dish: Roast lamb cutlets with wild aromatic herbs, with sympetherio, a Cretan bean and bulgur wheat ragout “Craggy mountains covered in wild greens (horta) means Cretan lamb is exceptional. This dish showcases the farmhouse style of utilising the best of the land in one hearty dish.”

Suggested pairing: Douloufakis ‘Aspros Lagos’ Cabernet Sauvignon Other recommendations: Cretan fried vegetables two ways – golden battered eggplant slices (melitzanes tiganites) and crunchy zucchini and feta fritters (kolokithokeftedes) with a yoghurt dip; gamopilafo (lemony rice pilaf with chicken breast and roasted baby carrots) Best Dessert: Bougatsa (a creamy custard pie) Wine List: More than 160 complimentary wines from every major wine region, with Italian wines particularly well-represented as an homage to Silversea’s heritage Signature Cocktail: Selene, the Moon Cost: Included in fare

CUNARD

Restaurant: Queens Grill Cuisine: French-inspired Ambience: Intimate, exclusive, sophisticated Seats: 132 Head chef: Nicholas Oldroyd, Cunard operational exec. chef; Mark Oldroyd, Queen Elizabeth exec. chef Signature dish: 28-day aged beef Wellington, sauce perigourdine

“Details such as cold marinating the slices of cucumber enhance the clean, fresh taste.”

Come to the table

Clockwise from above: Onda by Scarpetta’s spaghetti; Cunard’s beef Wellington; Viking’s poached salmon; Silversea’s lamb cutlets; Oceania’s lobster risotto.

“It’s a real skill to execute this dish, from the construction to the cooking, ensuring the pastry is cooked, crisp and the beef still medium-rare.

Having this carved tableside is the ultimate in culinary experiences and one that remains traditional, however, still very modern.”

Suggested pairing: Reunion Shiraz, The Lane Vineyard, Adelaide Hills Other recommendations: Devon crab cannelloni with braised baby fennel, shellfish cream and sauce vierge; smoked potato and egg yolk ravioli with charred corn, courgettes and chervil veloute; fillet of wild Atlantic turbot with morel mushrooms, truffle puree Best dessert: Dark chocolate fondant, served with vanilla ice cream Wine list: One of the finest wine cellars at sea, the Cunard wine list consists of a curated collection

of more than 380 wines from 26 different countries Signature cocktail: Mary Rose from the Gin & Fizz Bar Cost: Included in fare for guests booked in Queens Grill suites

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE

Restaurant: Onda by Scarpetta Ship: Norwegian Spirit Cuisine: Contemporary, fresh Italian Ambience: Effortless elegance Seats: 72 Signature dish: Fresh, house-made spaghetti with a timeless blend of rich tomatoes, aromatic garlic and basil infused olive oil, plus a non-traditional touch of butter.

“My favourite for many reasons – most importantly its simplicity.

Nothing beats freshly made pasta and a full-bodied tomato sauce that’s full of flavour. This is love at first bite.”

Suggested pairing: Andantino Pinot Grigio from Delle Venezia, Italy Other recommendations: Yellowtail crudo; short rib and bone marrow agnolotti Best dessert: Butterscotch budino Wine list: An eclectic and well curated list that delves into Italy’s regional wines as well as other regions around the world Signature cocktail: Negroni Mediterraneo Cost: Included with NCL’s Free at Sea offer CT 67

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Collaboration

C

ruise lines are leaning into cruisers’ demand for more in-depth experiences on shore.

At the top end of the market, luxury line Regent Seven Seas has revamped its shore excursions, introducing two new concepts: Behind-the-Design tours and Eco-Connect tours.

On one of the Eco-Connect tours, guests can visit the sloths that live in the depths of Puntarenas in Costa Rica, in a special rehabilitation facility that replicates their natural habitat, which has been devastated by deforestation.

The tour will also include tree planting to help rejuvenate Puntarenas’ forests and a visit to the farm that supplies the organic produce and food for these docile creatures.

Another eco-focused tour heads to Bordeaux, France’s premier wine region, to visit the vignerons of Château de La Dauphine who practice biodynamic and organic farming methods.

In 2015, the new owners of Château de La Dauphine adopted sustainable practices that go far beyond organic pesticide-free agricultural methods – biodynamic farming takes a holistic, ethical approach that follows the cycles of nature. Guests tour the vineyards and learn more about biodynamics and how it affects the terroir and the taste of the wines.

“We understand that while our guests love the all-inclusive and superior service standards found on board our luxury fleet, their primary reason for travel is to discover and explore,” said Jason Montague, president and chief executive officer.

“That’s why our incredible destinations team has worked tirelessly over the last two years, creating unique and immersive

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GET connected REGENT SEVEN SEAS

Holidaymakers are looking to connect with the culture and history of their destinations – and Regent Seven Seas has the answer.

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ways to explore hundreds of destinations with completely fresh perspectives and unique experiences.”

The line’s Behind-the-Design tours give incredible insights into some of the world’s architectural feats. In Oslo, the capital of Norway, the tour takes guests to some of the city’s most notable sites, including the 13th-century Akershus Fortress, the famous Oslo Opera House and the modern Munch Museum. Cruisers get a glimpse of the socalled Barcode area, a striking new development of office buildings, shops and apartments, and the Royal Palace, built in the first half of the last century and the residence of the Royal Family. The view from Holmenkollen Hill, site of the former world-famous ski jumping arena, gives views of the town and all its architectural delights. Stops at the fjord, the peninsula of Bygdøy, and the Hill of Ekeberg complete the tour.

There are 10 Behind-the-Design tours for the initial launch, which is exclusive to European destinations in the 2022 summer season, with further international destinations expected to be announced later in the year. Other Behind-the-Design tours focus on sites in Barcelona, Spain; Belfast, Northern Ireland; Glasgow, Scotland; La Coruna, Spain; Lisbon, Portugal; and Sete, France.

Regent Seven Seas also offers more than 150 unique Eco-Connect Tours around the world. These insightful shore excursions let guests discover the valuable and beautiful flora and fauna of places like Costa Rica, Vietnam and Australia, and sample the products of sustainable farming practices in regions like France, New Zealand and Argentina. All offer special, little-known stories and information from knowledgeable guides that change the way guests see the world. CT rssc.com

Flora and fauna

Clockwise from top: a Costa Rican sloth; art in the Munch Museum, Oslo; Akershus Fortress, Oslo; Château de La Dauphine, Bordeaux.

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CELEBRATE HISTORY, ART, FOOD & CULTURE EXPLORE FRANCE FROM $3,695 PER PERSON

PARIS, FRANCE

Juno Beach Gold Beach Rouen Omaha Beach La Roche Guyon Le Pecq

Combine two France cruises for a once-in-a-lifetime vacation.

Les Andelys

Normandy

Juno Beach Gold Beach Rouen Omaha Beach

Giverny Paris SEINE

Burgundy FRANCE

Cruise Train

Les Andelys Mantes-la-Jolie Le Pecq

RHÔNE Lyon

Tournon Viviers RHÔNE

Vienne Provence Avignon Arles

Overnight in Por t

Giverny La Roche-Guyon Paris SEINE

FRANCE Cruise

Nice

Overnight in Por t

FRANCE’S FINEST

PARIS & THE HEART OF NORMANDY

PARIS – AVIGNON or vice versa

PARIS – ROUEN – PARIS

SET SAIL 2022; 2023

SET SAIL 2022; 2023

15 DAYS | 13 GUIDED TOURS | 1 COUNTRY

8 DAYS | 6 GUIDED TOURS | 1 COUNTRY

From $6,495pp in Standard stateroom

From $3,695pp in Standard stateroom

From $9,495pp in Veranda stateroom

From $5,195pp in Veranda stateroom

ENJOY, IT’S ALL INCLUDED • Deluxe accommodation in riverview stateroom

• Specialty coffee, tea and bottled water

• Shore excursion in every port

• Cultural Curriculum: lectures and performances of art, music, cooking, dance and history

• Onboard meals and beverages, including wine, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner

• Unlimited Wi-Fi

• All onboard gratuities, port charges and taxes • No credit card surcharges • Industry-leading Health & Safety Program

MOST AWARDED | VIKING INCLUSIVE VALUE LARGEST & MOST MODERN FLEET 138 747 VIKING.COM OR SEE YOUR LOCAL VIKING AGENT

*Conditions apply. Prices are per person, in Australian dollars, based on double occupancy, subject to availability, includes all advertised discounts and correct at time of printing. Guests are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 at time of travel. France’s Finest based on 7 November 2023 departure. Paris & the Heart of Normandy based on 19 November 2023 departure. Economy class flights included up to the value of $1,800 per person on France’s Finest. Flight credits included up to the value of $1,000 per person. Included Flights and Flight Credits will be booked by Viking and with Viking’s choice of airline from major gateway cities in Australia and New Zealand. These offers are valid on new bookings between 05 March – 30 June 2022 unless sold out prior. For full terms and conditions visit viking.com

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Rivers 72 Trends | 76 InSeine | 82 Room with a view

page

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Room with a View

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River trends

Big spenders and longer itineraries are just some of the river trends we will see in the next 12 months, writes Sue Bryant.

RETURN

to the RIVERS W

ith 10 riverboats moored along the banks of the Danube and 200 travel agents and cruise line executives in town, the mood in Budapest was upbeat. The CLIA RiverView Conference was the first in-person gathering for cruising’s trade body since 2019 and there was much to discuss.

The comeback of river cruising was a big one, and the war in Ukraine was another. Health, safety and Covid continue to be talking points too.

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The scenic route

Clockwise: Scenic Sapphire in Avignon; Scenic passengers on an E-bike tour in Bordeaux; Scenic’sRoyal Panorama Suite.

Big spenders One thing’s for sure: river cruising, in Europe, at least, is well and truly back.

“Revenge travel is real,” says Ellen Bettridge, president and CEO of luxury line Uniworld.

“People have been at home for two years.

They’re ready to go. We put out a 46-day Rivers of the World cruise. It sold out immediately.

Australians went crazy for it; in fact, Americans and Australians bought the whole cruise. We already have a waiting list for 2024.”

Uniworld also announced another bucketlist cruise, a 43-day itinerary for January 2023 Cruise&Travel

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taking in the Nile, the Ganges and the Mekong.

British cruisers get first crack at it, after which it will be put on sale for international guests.

The appetite for luxury seems insatiable.

“We launched a mystery cruise for June this year,” says Bettridge. “It sold out in four hours and they don’t even know where they’re going.

We’ve completely rethought what happens on and off the ship and the price is 40 percent higher than a normal cruise.”

And is Australia coming back?

“Australia was our number two market after the US,” Bettridge says. ““Now that’s the UK

for 2022 – but Australia is going crazy for 2023; better than pre-pandemic.”

Australians, though, are still not planning travel at anything like previous levels, according to the cruise lines at the conference, which included APT, Avalon Waterways, AmaWaterways, Scenic and Emerald Cruises.

The 2022 season is likely to offer bargains to European late bookers who take up the slack left by Australians who would normally be sailing. 2023 is busy but not full – and most lines say they are putting 2024 on sale early to cash in on the positive mood.

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River trends

War in Ukraine

Longer itineraries

There’s no doubt the war is affecting decisions on whether and where to cruise.

Katie Elson, head of marketing for APT, says: “British guests are concerned about the refugee situation. Australians seem more concerned about personal safety.”

Bettridge adds: “We had a US group who were afraid to come to Budapest; they thought there are going to be refugees everywhere. I’ve convinced them otherwise. No cruise line is going to take its customers into harm’s way.”

The tourist board in Hungary pointed out that some passengers feel guilty about visiting places that are taking in traumatised refugees. But, they say, if we don’t support their economies with tourism, they can’t support the refugees.

Longer and more complex itineraries are shaping up to be big as river fans splurge after two travel-deprived years.

“Our first Australian guests arrive in Europe on April 22,” says APT’s Elson. “Australians are certainly interested in back-to-backs, longer cruises and pre- and post-cruise programmes. A lot are booking land [tours] combined with a cruise in Croatia and Montenegro on our new Lady Eleganza, too.”

Alex L. Pinelo, vice president of sales at AmaWaterways, agrees longer journeys are the way to go. “We put together a 46-night European cruise,” he says. “It sold out straight away.

Now we have two more. We want to do the same for France, where you can do back-to-back cruises for 28 days. All our French cruises are combinable.”

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The Ukraine situation has, Pinelo says, slowed down bookings a little for the first half of 2022 but destinations a long way from Eastern Europe are filling up. “The Douro is 90 per cent sold for this summer,” he says. “The Christmas markets season this year is the biggest in the history of the company.”

Kristin Karst, co-founder and executive vice president of AmaWaterways, adds: “For a lot of our guests, it’s a long flight to go to Europe. Previously, people would have loved a seven-night cruise but now they want back-toback. Because they’ve been working from home during the pandemic, they can keep that hybrid style while they’re travelling. People have become much more flexible.

They’ve saved money during the pandemic – and we don’t know what’s coming tomorrow.”

Cruise control

From top: An Avalon Active Discovery tour; Scenic’s culinary class; Uniworld’s Mekong Jewel restaurant; Montenegro.

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Creative land programs Another aspect of river cruising that’s changing is the greater variety of land programs on offer.

Uniworld has added train travel as a preand post-cruise option in Hungary, Italy, Turkey, Romania, Austria, Switzerland and others, while Emerald Cruises has added a new 11-night Danube cruise for 2023, from Passau to Belgrade and also now offers city stay extensions to Munich (during Oktoberfest), Seville and Copenhagen.

AmaWaterways has added the historic Polish city of Krakow as an extension to its Danube cruises, with the benefit of the continuity of having the same cruise director hosting the programme from sea to land.

Avalon Waterways continues to enhance its Active & Discovery cruises with some genuinely creative included excursions.

“In the Ardèche, on our Rhône cruises, we hike to the mouth of a cave,” says managing director Pam Hoffee. “We kit everybody out in caving gear and head down into the cave, where there’s a winemaker waiting. He ages his wine in the cave. We turn off our headlamps and taste the wine as it’s meant to be tasted, with no other sensory distractions.”

New destinations are coming online, too.

AmaWaterways will offer cruises in Colombia in 2024; Uniworld has moved into the Peruvian Amazon in partnership with Aqua Expeditions; while Avalon Waterways offers Peru combined with the Galapagos. Asia, most lines agree, will be well and truly back by October this year, having started to open up.

Masks are on the way out What about health and safety protocols, with different countries in the world each taking a different attitude to Covid?

“Travel agents have become epidemiologists and experts in form-filling,” says one cheeky cruise rep. In reality, masks do seem to be on the way out, although the rules are still confusing. You could, in theory, sail on the same river from a country that doesn’t require masks to one that does. Most lines require masks to be worn only when walking around the ship, with policies reviewed regularly.

Buffets, too, are coming back, while social distancing rules are being relaxed; on most river lines, for example, you no longer have to sit with the same people for every meal.

While uncertainties lie ahead in Europe, all the river cruise operators here say there’s a new sense of celebration in the air. “There’s more dancing on board every night than I have ever seen,” says AmaWaterways’ Karst.

“People are so hungry to be out again, to socialise, eat, drink and have a good time.” CT Cruise&Travel

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Voyage

Water crossing

Pont Alexandre III, Paris.

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InSeine!

Teresa Ooi steps aboard a baby longship to glide along France’s most famous river.

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Voyage

VIKING RADGRID

I

am standing on the sun deck on the newly christened Viking Radgrid as she quietly pulls away from the embankment of Pont de Grenelle, in the heart of Paris, on her special voyage to Vernon.

I am beside myself with excitement, as this marks my first European river cruise on the romantic Seine.

Leaving Paris and setting off on France’s second longest river is unbelievably serene. Radgrid is remarkably quiet, perhaps because of the dieselelectric hybrid engines. Often, like many others, I think we have come to a halt – but lo and behold, we are still moving.

Radgrid is brand new, one of four purpose-built Viking longships designed specifically to navigate the Seine. At 125m – some 10m shorter than Viking’s standard river vessels – they are affectionately called “baby longships”, and they are certainly perfectly proportioned for docking in Central Paris.

Boarding the ship at Pont de Grenelle, a short walk from the Eiffel Tower, is amazingly easy – and we’re so close to the landmark attractions of Paris: the historic Grand Palais; the Dome des

Deck life

Clockwise from top: Pretty La RocheGuyon; Viking Radgrid in Paris; the onboard sun deck; Veranda Stateroom.

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“The joy of this cruise on the Seine is the ease of seeing so much of regional France and Paris on well organised excursions accompanied by informative guides.”

Invalides, where Napoleon Bonaparte’s tomb lies in state; and the Arc de Triomphe on the Champs-Élysées.

Viking’s chairman, Torstein Hagen, told us that the line “fought for seven years to get docking rights in the heart of Paris”. Now Viking has been promised this covetable space for the next 15 years.

By introducing a square bow on this Viking longship, Mr Hagen said the line has been able to build its Aquavit Terrace viewing platform at the bow and still accommodate 168 guests in 84 staterooms across four decks.

Radgrid and the other three Seine longships are identically stylish, each with an airy Atrium, a sun deck the length of the ship, a lounge for aperitifs and comfortable staterooms, the majority with verandas. In keeping with Viking’s trademark Scandinavian décor, Radgrid staterooms are decked out in blond wood and subdued tones of blues and rich cream.

Our first stop is Le Pecq, at the foot of the chateau of Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

As it is still early spring, the trees are still bare and the winds chilly, but we embark on a walking tour of the chateau – lovingly restored and part of it turned into the Museum of National Antiquities – its park and the famous 17th century terrace, built for Louis XIV in 1673 (Viking cruises include at least one free tour each day).

At 7pm, Radgrid casts off and departs Le Pecq for La Roche-Guyon, cruising through the evening to arrive quietly at around one the next morning.

La Roche-Guyon is a tiny village with a population of just 473 on a languid section of the Seine about halfway between Paris and Rouen. With its narrow, cobblestoned streets, it is considered one of the most beautiful villages in France.

The owner of a local patisserie turns up with baskets of freshly baked pain au chocolate and croissants – some of the best I’ve ever tasted.

The village played a key role in the final months of World War II. Overlooking fields of fruits trees, the chateau was used by the Germans as an antiaircraft post against the Allies. Here, Hitler stationed Field Marshall Erwin Rommel at the chateau as the headquarters in anticipation of an Allied invasion. According to our guide, Rommel used to conduct meetings in the grand salon, bedecked with enormous tapestries. One of these

1870s tapestries was bought by the late designer Karl Lagerfeld; when Lagerfeld failed to pay his taxes, the tapestry was recovered by the museum.

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Voyage

Concierge

VIKING RADGRID

My favourite shore excursion: On the last evening, I experienced the best shore excursion – a night cruise on a small boat to the heart of the City of Light. We sliced through the water of the Seine, under her 37 bridges, including the famous Pont Alexandre III, and past the Eiffel Tower, sparkling in all her glory with laser beams lighting up the dark sky, graced by a full moon. The magical night cruise was accompanied by generous servings of dark-chocolatedipped strawberries with chilled Veuve Clicquot champagne. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect night in Paris.

What to pack for Paris in spring: Packing for the City of Light in spring can be bothersome as temperatures often swing from 5 degrees in the evening to 20 degrees during the day, so you’ll need to be prepared for all seasons. Pack thermals, thick tights, shearling-lined or leather jackets, walking boots and include a warm hat and cashmere wrap. For daywear, pack a comfortable pair of trainers, jeans, lots of long-sleeved tops and a light down coat or puffer jacket. Make sure you have plenty of sunscreen for sunny days and relaxing on the sun deck on your cruise ship. Pack a raincoat for those intermittent Paris showers, a couple of pretty summer dresses and several elegant eveningwear options for when the sun sets and it’s time for cocktails in the Viking Lounge. After all, you can always aspire to be a chic Parisian – even if you are not….

Moments of calm

From left: Veranda Suite living room; Monet’s famous garden; sun deck lounge chairs.

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La Roche-Guyon is also the gateway to the town of Giverny, where impressionist painter Claude Monet lived for 43 years until he died in 1926 at the age of 86. The lake in his garden, with the iconic Japanese bridge, water lilies, wisteria and azaleas, has been immortalised in his famous paintings of the space.

Alas, Monet’s home and gardens are closed as it is still too early in the season, with many of the flowers and trees yet to recover from the cold winter. But you can still enjoy a collection of his extraordinary works in the Musée des Impressionnismes and visit his tomb decorated with hyacinths at a nearby church at Eglise Sainte-Radegonde de Giverny.

For the more energetic, Viking invites you to “Discover Monet by bicycle” on a gentle two-wheeled ride to the museum, with

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a reward of macaroons and cider on the ride back to the ship.

Back on board, there’s another artfocused event taking place, a talk on Impressionism from art historian Patricia, who shares her insights on famous painters with connections to France’s iconic Seine including Pissarro, Renoir, Monet and Van Gogh. You can see why Viking is considered the thinking person’s cruise line!

On another afternoon, there’s a lesson in making tarte au citron with executive chef Teodor. There are also several tasting sessions, including cognac on one evening and, on another, a French cheese tasting led by fromage maestro Monsieur Bernard.

Life onboard Radgrid is genteel, soothing and comfortable. Breakfast in the sun-drenched Aquavit Terrace is always a delightful affair with offerings of freshly baked warm croissants and local fruit with your choice of yoghurt, as well as cooked breakfasts such as eggs Benedict. Evening Cruise&Travel

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meals at the main restaurant are always three-course affairs, from delicious onion soup or lobster bisque, to chateaubriand and Chairman Hagen’s favourite: Norwegian salmon served with fresh cucumber salad and potatoes. Premium wine and beer are complimentary and Viking’s house champagne is Veuve Clicquot.

To top it all off, every night a selection of local treats – macaroons from Normandy, cocoa-dusted almond chocolates from Rouen and salted butter caramel from Brittany – are placed in our cabins.

The joy of this cruise on the Seine is the ease of seeing so much of regional France and Paris on well organised excursions accompanied by informative and animated Viking guides. If you prefer less energetic activities, including just watching the world go by as you float down the river, you can easily do so on rocking chairs on the Terrace. I can’t think of a more relaxed way to experience the joie de vivre of France. CT 81

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Voyage

Jane Archer finds patience is a virtue as she finally steps aboard her long-awaited European river cruise.

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w

hoever said the best things on life are worth waiting for was spot on. I was supposed to cruise on Avalon Waterways’ new river ship Avalon View in 2020 and then you-know-what came along and the launch was put on hold. I have waited two years for this moment – now I’m finally stepping on board and can tell you it’s been worth the wait. I’m greeted by smiling crew, a stylish atrium and – oh my goodness – just look at my room.

I’m in a Panorama Suite, which has an entire wall of glass facing the river – literally a window on the world so you always have a view of the passing scenery (now you can see how the vessel got its name!). Better still, the glass is a door that opens two-thirds the width of the room, creating an inside balcony. It sounds weird I know, but stick with me.

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ROOM with a VIEW The suite life

The Panorama Suites on Avalon View offer unparalled all-day views of the surrounding countryside.

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Voyage

AVALON VIEW It’s a design Avalon came up with to cater for the growing number of cruisers migrating from ocean ships to the rivers and wanting a balcony. Thing is, you can put balconies on ships sailing the wide-open ocean, but it’s not so simple on rivers because vessels can’t be wider than the locks they have to pass through – and there are lots on Europe’s rivers. Add a traditional balcony and you have to take space from inside the cabin. But on Avalon you get the best of both worlds – a full-size cabin and a balcony. Honestly, when the sun shone and the window was fully open, it was like being outside.

Because space hasn’t been taken away from the inside of the suite, there’s room for a large bathroom with a glass-enclosed walk-in shower and ample cupboard and wardrobe storage for even the heaviest packer. Adding a large mirror along one wall makes the room feel bigger than it is (200 square feet for those into numbers) and by angling the bathroom wall slightly, Avalon has been able to put the bed facing the river so you always wake to a view. Luxury indeed!

And my goodness, are there some views to be had on this, Avalon View’s inaugural Active & Discovery cruise on the Danube from Deggendorf in Germany to Budapest in Hungary. It’s a brilliant itinerary that takes us past historic towns and through the Wachau, a beautiful valley lined with 84

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A healthy balance

Clockwise from top: Beautiful Budapest at dusk; excellent onboard cuisine; Active & Discovery tour by bike; and by kayak.

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“There are hiking, cycling, canoeing and wine-tasting tours, trips to monasteries – even a medieval knights tournament.” apricot groves, castles and vineyards. With just 166 of us on board, it’s small, intimate and so easy to make new friends.

Along the way there are hiking, cycling, canoeing and wine-tasting tours, trips to monasteries and even a medieval knights tournament. Phew! No wonder these Active & Discovery itineraries skew to a younger audience than classic river cruises. More recent history is not forgotten either, I join a sobering guided tour of Mauthausen Concentration Camp, which is now a museum remembering the thousands of Jews who were murdered there by the Nazis during the Second World War. With most tours included in the cost of the cruise, you can do as much as the shore schedule allows without having to worry about the budget. You bring the stamina, Avalon promises the adventure.

I’m not the only one in a room with a view. Most of my fellow passengers are in one, as these suites make up 80 per cent of the ship’s accommodation.

“We have river cruising’s only suite fleet,” Avalon president Pam Hoffee proudly tells me. She is also on board for this special inaugural cruise. “This is our fourteenth European suite ship so wherever you cruise with us in Europe, it’s like coming home.”

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Concierge

Favourite meal on board: I didn’t have to wait long for this. My dinner on day one started with an Avalon Fresh cocktail of fresh apples and sun-dried tomatoes in maraschino syrup and continued with a chicken consommé followed by braised short ribs with porcini sauce, creamy polenta and spring leek and carrot, accompanied by a delicious Austrian Zweigelt wine.

What to pack: The dress code on Avalon View is casual and comfortable.

Plan for light summer clothes for the months of June, July and August, something warmer for the rest of the year, especially in winter, when it gets very

cold on the Danube. If you’re planning to join active excursions (cycling, hiking and the like) pack accordingly. For the evenings, think smart casual. Avoid shorts in the dining room or lounge in the evenings.

Sample price: Mine was a seven-night Danube Dreams cruise from Deggendorf in Germany to Budapest in Hungary. The same itinerary departing September 17, 2022, costs from $4,588 pp for a Cat E cabin or $6,137 pp for a Cat B Panorama suite.

Prices are based on double occupancy and include most shore excursions, beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, tips and WiFi. Flights are extra.

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AVALON VIEW

Wining and dining

Clockwise from right: The Royal Suite; dining at the onboard restaurant; a stroll on the Sky Deck; an Active & Discovery painting class.

For those who want more space, two posh Royal Suites on the upper deck have the same design but an extra 100 square foot of room. For a more affordable option, 16 cabins on the lower deck are a tad smaller than the Panorama Suites and don’t have the view.

Head to Avalon View’s restaurant and lounge and there are more walls of glass. The restaurant is open daily for self-service breakfast and lunch, and served dinners. The waiters are charming, cheery and always ready to top up your glass (wine, beer and soft drinks are included in the price during lunch and dinner, otherwise drinks are extra – around $7 for a large beer, from $8 for a glass of wine).

There are fish, meat and veggie options on the menus, and if you need anything tweaking, the chefs are pleased to help. Look out also for the Avalon Fresh logos. These are meals – both vegetarian and pescatarian – created specially for Avalon by Viennese chefs Karl and Leo Wrenkh, of whom more later. Luckily there is a gym on the lower deck of the vessel where you can run off some of the calories.

The lounge is the hub of the vessel, used for everything from early morning yoga and cardio classes with the ship’s ‘adventure host’ to wine-tasting, cooking demonstrations, port talks and evening entertainment. A light bites tapasstyle dinner is also served here a few times on each cruise.

In a small aft salon you can help yourself to tea, coffee, juice, cookies and muffins throughout the day, as well as still, sparkling and flavoured water from a fountain.

Passengers can also use the fountain to fill the glass water bottles Avalon provides as part of its war on singleuse plastic. In bathrooms, wall-mounted L’Occitane toiletries have replaced small bottles for the same reason, and there are even wooden pens in place of plastic ones.

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Paper programs and menus have also been banished; instead the info is on an app, which even this technophobe found easy to use.

The sundeck is the place for 360-degree views. There is ample seating, either in the sun or shade, as well as a small whirlpool, walking track and giant chess set.

A couple of times per cruise, weather permitting, there’s a BBQ lunch in the rooftop Sky Grill.

Avalon hasn’t just done things differently with its river ship design. It has also shaken up the days ashore to offer something for everyone, whether they want to be active, see the sights or learn something new.

This is how I find myself with 15 other passengers on a special cookery tour learning to make mushroom stroganoff, barley risotto and breadcrumb dumplings in Vienna with Karl Wrenkh. He and Leo are legends in the city after opening a ‘mostly’ vegetarian restaurant and cooking school there in 2009, long before the concept of healthy eating had made its way to the Austrian capital.

“If the world ends, come to Vienna, as everything happens 10 years later,” Karl jokes as he gets us all chopping, grating and mixing various ingredients for the feast we are making, while we keep our spirits up with a glass or two of the local wine he has thoughtfully provided. I like to think I did a sterling job stirring the stroganoff sauce but an even better job when it came time to eat it.

While I am cooking, friends head off on a bike tour of Vienna’s Ringstrasse, a grand boulevard lined with opulent palaces and neo-classical and neo-renaissance buildings. But I’m also doing my fair share of active stuff (it’s actually necessary to counter all the eating, but far more rewarding than going to the gym as you get to hear fascinating stories along the way).

From Engelhartstzell in Austria, I join a steep hike up to a viewpoint over the Schlögen Oxbow, a perfectly formed horseshoe bend in the river; in Spitz, also in Austria, I saddle up for a bike tour along the Danube to Krems, stopping en route in Dürnstein, a pretty village overlooked by a now-ruined castle where English king Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned in 1192 (long story but all to do with a spat with the then-Duke of Austria). From the Hungarian town of Visegrád, I’m back on two legs, this time hiking to a tower where Vlad III, aka Vlad Dracula (yes, the man who inspired the name of Bram Stoker’s fictitious vampire), was held prisoner between 1463 and 1475. Another long story, but this time a spat with the then-King of Hungary.

Budapest, our journey’s end, looks stunning as we sail in after dark, past the spectacular Parliament building and fairytale turrets and arches of Fisherman’s Bastion all lit up. Talk about keeping the best view to last. Like the View we’re sailing on, it’s one I will remember forever. CT

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Escapes 92 Lodge life | 104 Return to Asia | 114 Branson’s barefoot luxury

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Re-bonjour Paris

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My Life In Travel

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“A perfect holiday needs family, beach Pilates – and great rosé!”

Perfumer Jo Malone has travelled the world in pursuit of fragrance inspiration but ‘scenttrekking’ is one adventure she’s yet to tick off her list...

ranch in Montana. Every summer my family head out there and regroup with the same old friends.

You have to keep your wits about you there. I’ve almost stepped on a six-foot rattlesnake and come face-to-face with wild moose, but there are blissful moments, too, where you expect Robert Redford to emerge from behind a hill.

A perfect holiday needs

Travels inspire my perfumes

...three things: family, beach and Pilates – the latter being a recent but all-consuming obsession of mine. Staff who go the extra mile are also important to me, as is really fresh food that has either come straight from the land or sea. And great rosé, too.

I’ll always pick sand over slopes

...to the chagrin of my children. We went skiing as a family in Whistler one Christmas and I ended up tearing my calf muscle in a Bridget Jones-style tumble. I’d like to say I was racing down a mogul-strewn black run – but I wasn’t. The long and short of it is, my skiing days are probably over.

I was raised on caravan trips

We would either visit a pitch in Leysdown on the Isle of Sheppey or rent a cottage in Cornwall. But it was only one or the other, just once a year. Now I’m lucky enough to travel four times a month for work.

Rose picking in Grasse calms my soul

My husband Gary and I have stayed a few times at La Bastide, a tiny hotel nestled in the hills there.

Each morning starts with breakfast on the terrace as a haze of rosy perfume rises from the blooms below.

I can see myself retiring

...in the nearby artsy villages of Mougins, Valbonne or St-Paulde-Vence and opening a studio.

In Mougins – where Picasso escaped from painter’s block – there’s a tiny museum with photos of the artist in situ.

I always get teary-eyed

...after staying at Mountain Sky Cruise &Travel

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Smoked Plum & Leather (aka “cowboy cologne” to our friends in Montana) was inspired by earlymorning rides to the top of the southern hills. My signature scent, Pomelo, always takes me back to lying on a sunbed in Parrot Cay, in Turks and Caicos.

I travel with six perfumes

...or sometimes eight, and I’m always wearing at least two of them.

Most people’s suitcases are bulging with suncream and sandals; mine is always crammed with scents.

‘Scent trekking’ is high on my list

It’s a dangerous method of collecting scents whereby scientists clamber precariously up above the forest tree line, sit on these bouncy canopies and capture the chemical compounds of the blossoms and bark growing high out of human reach. It’s a health and safety nightmare, but I’m desperate to have a go.

Scents of the world

Opposite: Jo Malone.

This page, from top: La Bastide, Grasse; orang-utan in Borneo; ranching in Montana.

I’ll never forget exploring Jordan with the royal family

It was 30 years ago and I was there to witness Noor Al-Hussein’s female empowerment scheme, WAGE [Women and Girls Empowerment]. One day, the late King Hussein and Queen Noor personally led us down the Siq gorge and into Petra on horseback. The next day, we picnicked near the ancient ruins of Jerash. It was magical. I felt like I was this council-estate girl made good.

I met an astonishing man

...on a journey home once. He worked for the Forestry Commission and had travelled the woodlands of the world. He was returning from Borneo where he’d just escaped a tryst with an orang-utan who had mistaken him for her lover.

This might be controversial

...but I love Dubai. It’s got everything. You can ride camels; see hawks fly; take out a dune buggy (a bit too nauseating for me); or just collapse on a sun lounger. For a great view of the dancing Burj Khalifa fountain, I recommend getting a balcony room at the One&Only hotel. For the best Sunday brunch in town, head to Nobu.

I lived in New York while I was fighting cancer

While undergoing treatment I discovered the Neue Galerie, which is just off Fifth Avenue. It houses Klimt’s The Woman in Gold (my favourite work of art ever, the inspiration behind my Jo Loves graffiti spray), and in the basement there’s a beautiful Viennese café where you can nibble a slice of genuine Sachertorte while sipping Viennese coffee – a pocket of respite in the city that never sleeps. CT 91

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Voyeur

LODGE LIFE Words | MARK SARIBAN

Lakeside living

Matakauri Lodge sits on the edge of pristine Lake Wakatipu.

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While New Zealand’s South Island is best known for its rugged mountains and dramatic fjords, it’s also home to some seriously luxurious lodges. Ranging from a grand estate near the island’s biggest city to architectural wonders nestled in remote glacial valleys, there’s a lodge for every taste.

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Voyeur NZ LODGES

Matakauri Lodge

One of the most impressive lodges on the South Island is only a few minutes’ drive from the heart of bustling Queenstown.

Owned the US-based Robertson family, who have another two luxe lodges on the North Island, Kauri Cliffs and the Farm at Cape Kidnappers, Matakauri Lodge is easily the most accessible retreat on the South Island – it’s a mere 20 minutes by car from Queenstown Airport – yet when you stay here it feels like you’re miles from anywhere.

That’s because Matakauri sits on a wooded hill above Lake Wakatipu, looking out over the icy water to the forbidding slopes of Cecil Peak, so all you see from your suite is the lake and an uninhabited mountain that’s too steep for even grazing sheep. Likewise, all you hear is the gentle, insistent sound of waves lapping on the shore below.

There are six Deluxe Suites spread out in pairs away from the main lodge building, each with a spacious living room boasting sweeping windows, below a separate bedroom level and massive bathroom with an oversized tub offering more lake views.

If you’re travelling with kids, there’s also the option of taking the only Deluxe Suite in the main lodge building, which connects to a smaller Lodge Room. And if you’re travelling with large amounts of disposable income, you can take over the Owner’s Cottage, an exclusive four-bedroom villa with indoor and outdoor dining areas and a separate chef’s entrance to a decked-out kitchen.

Whichever room you choose, you’ll be drawn to the windows as you watch the sun light up the Remarkables mountain range in the morning and the ever-present wisps of white clouds cast shadows across the peaks in the afternoon. matakaurilodge.com

Split Apple Retreat

Matakauri Lodge

From top: Owner’s Cottage jacuzzi; fine dining options; Deluxe Suite living room; Owner’s Cottage balcony; Deluxe Suite bathtub with a view.

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Most of the South Island’s luxury lodges successfully weathered the border closures and emerged with refreshed offerings, although the six-star Edenhouse, at the northern tip of the South Island, recently closed, with its new owners in the process of converting it to a private home. So for a dose of luxury in this part of the South Island, your best bet is Split Apple Retreat, an hour’s drive along Tasman Bay from Nelson.

An ultra-luxury wellness retreat, Split Apple offers just three suites – the Japanesestyle Lotus and Fuji suites and the Westernstyle split-level Rainbow suite, each with two private decks overlooking Tasman Bay. Whichever suite you choose, you’ll have access to a yoga pavilion where you can have private hatha, Iyengar, astanga or vinyasa yoga sessions. Massage treatments and meditation sessions are also on the menu, along with cooking lessons with Split Apple co-owner and chef Pen Nelson – she’s responsible for the AsianMediterranean fusion cuisine that’s designed to help you optimise your health as well as delight your senses.

Split Apple Retreat is just outside Abel Tasman National Park, a wilderness reserve with great coastal bushwalking tracks and secluded beaches. There are also two beaches in walking distance of the retreat, including the stretch of sand looking out to Split Apple Rock, a striking granite rock formation that’s believed to be more than 120 million years old.

Note: Split Apple closes for winter and reopens on August 6, with bookings available through to May 31, 2023; splitapple.com.

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Split Apple Retreat

Clockwise from left: al fresco dining; yoga sessions; the view from the pool; the lounge room; Asian-inspired cuisine.

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NZ LODGES

Otahuna Lodge

A Victorian mansion on a sprawling pastoral estate outside of Christchurch, the seven-suite Otahuna is something of an outlier among New Zealand lodges.

While most luxury lodges in the country were constructed in the past couple of decades, Otahuna’s Queen Anne-style grand home was built in 1895 by Canterbury pioneer Sir Heaton Rhodes as a wedding present to his bride. It was the largest house in the country at the time and now, lovingly restored by its current owners, offers a unique sense of grandeur.

Standing below a dormant volcanic peak, this magnificent house features a hand-carved kauri staircase, local rimu timber panelling, a dozen working fireplaces and a fine art collection.

During the pandemic pause, owners Hall Cannon and Miles Refo added a new suite, the Loft, in what was originally the attic space. The first new suite since they bought the lodge in 2006, the Loft is a whimsical, bright and modern addition to the existing offering that includes the two master suites, the Rhodes and Verandah.

The heritage-listed building faces some 12 hectares of pastoral land, including manicured lawns, fields of daffodils and woodlands, which is considered a garden of national significance by the New Zealand Gardens Trust. The garden is not a museum piece, however, with 140 kinds of fruits, nuts and vegetables grown here and harvested daily. Dine at Otahuna and the chef will personally explain the provenance of your meal, with up to 80 per cent of the ingredients grown on site.

The lawns of Otahuna double as a helicopter landing pad, so you can be whisked away by chopper to the peaks of the Southern Highlands or the wineries of the Waipara region before returning in the evening for another memorable meal. otahuna.co.nz Cruise &Travel

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The Lodge at Blanket Bay

“Each of the five suites in the [Lindis] lodge building face a seemingly endless procession of snow-capped peaks.”

Otahuna Lodge

From left: The famous gardens; al fresco dining; the spacious Verandah Suite; the exterior of the grand home; the drawing room.

Continue around half an hour down the road from Matakauri on GlenorchyQueenstown Road and you’ll find another luxe lodge overlooking Lake Wakatipu.

Considered one of the finest alpine retreats anywhere in the world, The Lodge at Blanket Bay commands a prime lakeside position on the expansive grounds of a former sheep station.

Originally built as a private fly-fishing retreat for owner Tom Tusher, Blanket Bay has been extended to encompass a grand timber-and-stone lodge building housing guest suites, a Great Room with a soaring nine-metre beam ceiling, dining rooms and terrace. Beyond the main lodge are a series of freestanding chalets overlooking the lake, a villa for larger groups and an exclusive Owner’s Residence.

The Lodge at Blanket Bay is just outside the small town of Glenorchy, which is best known as a staging base for some of the country’s best epic walks, including hikes through Mount Aspiring National Park and Fiordland National Park. But with an opulent suite to enjoy and the ever-changing views of clouds snaking around nearby peaks, you may well content yourself with exploring the grounds at Blanket Bay before an indulgent lunch, or, if you’re feeling adventurous, heading out on a jet boat safari from the lodge’s picturesque jetty. blanketbay.com

The Lindis

Like Blanket Bay, The Lindis’s founding purpose was to take advantage of some great fly-fishing opportunities. A low-set lodge with a striking wooden roof that rises and falls to mimic the surrounding hilly terrain, the Lindis sits at the foot of the spectacular Ahuriri Valley, a threehour drive north-east of Queenstown.

Each of the five suites in the lodge building, as well as the guest lounge and dining area, face out over the valley floor to a seemingly endless procession of snow-capped peaks. You’ll get the same view, but with an extra helping of seclusion, from one of the modernist pods set to one side of the lodge. These tiny pods may not blend into the grassy hillocks like the main building, but with mirrored glass walls on three sides they certainly ‘reflect’ their surroundings.

There’s world-class catch-and-release fly-fishing to be had in the braided river that winds its way in lazy loops past the lodge and down the valley. Outside of fishing season, you can while away days in forays into the wild Ahuriri Conservation Park by road, e-biking or horse-riding through the valley, or exploring the beauty of the region by helicopter. thelindisgroup.com/the-lindis CT 97

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Voyeur

REBONJOUR PARIS

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The world has rediscovered travel and the cities it has been missing – Paris chief among them.

Teresa Ooi revisits one of the world’s most romantic places and reveals the secret of its joie de vivre.

I

t’s been far too long between drinks, and even though we’ve just stepped off the plane we’re ready to feast on the City of Light and all her glorious sights, sounds and flavours.

The first thing we do seems prosaic – sit at a Parisian brasserie and order a salad with warm goats cheese and frites, served by a good-looking waiter with an accent that oozes sex appeal – but it’s a pinch me-moment.

Chic Parisians in their spring blouson jackets and knee-high boots sit chatting with friends at an outside table, tucking into croque monsieurs and sipping rosé without a care in the world.

How are they so composed and eternally elegant – and slim-waisted? It must be a Gallic secret of some sort, though you’d think if they were aware of it they would have bottled it by now and sold it through one of their haute couture labels. I do get an inkling of the magic. The French call it flâner – the art of dawdling or lingering over lunch or coffee – and they all take it incredibly seriously. It’s an intrinsic part of French culture inculcated from a very young age.

Unlike New Yorkers, who often work 24-7, Parisians are very earnest about worklife balance. They insist on at least an hour’s lunch break and refuse to work at weekends. They have a mandated 35-hour work week.

Our urbane guide from Viking Cruises, Jean Louis, later explains: “Parisians love to sleep in on Saturday mornings. As you can see, the streets of Champs-Élysées are empty right now because they are sleeping in. It’s what we call faire la grasse matinée or fat Saturday. They wake up late and the streets only become busy after 11am when Parisians pop over to their local café for croissant and coffee.”

This is surely something that Australians should emulate, especially in the aftermath of the pandemic, which has caused so many to re-think their priorities and re-examine their work-life balance.

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Bienvenue

From left: Hotel Lutetia’s iconic facade; Patrick Charvet, Chef de cuisine Hôtel Lutetia.

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Voyeur PARIS HOTELS

“Hotel Lutetia, on the Left Bank, is an historic yet ultra-cool hotel housed in an iconic Art-Nouveau-meets-Art-Deco building.”

That same pandemic has meant a lack of visitors to the City of Light over the last two years, which has given Paris the time to invest in and build a new crop of boutique hotels, ready for the returning tidal wave of more than 30 million tourists a year.

So, where should you stay?

W

e checked into the five-star Hotel Lutetia at 45 Boulevard Raspail on the Left Bank, an historic yet ultra-cool hotel housed in an iconic Art-Nouveau-meets-Art-Deco building with elegant rooms, an amazing spa and impeccable service.

Hotel Lutetia was originally opened in 1910 by the Boucicaut family, founders of the upmarket Le Bon Marché department store, which is a three-minute walk from the hotel. To the uninitiated, Le Bon Marché is the equivalent of Selfridges in London’s Oxford Street and David Jones in Sydney’s Elizabeth Street.

Around the 1920s, both Picasso and Matisse called it home, and writer James Joyce used to play Irish ballads on the piano bar.

Today, impeccably dressed Parisians often stop at Bar Josephine for pre-dinner cocktails and high-profile celebrities like Catherine Deneuve and Charlotte Gainsbourg can be spotted sipping a flute of bubbles. On Sunday mornings, I’m told, actress Kristin Scott Thomas gets her vegetables at the organic market nearby on Boulevard Raspail.

The first thing I notice when I enter my oversized deluxe room on the fifth floor is my name, delicately sewn onto the top left corner of pillowcase on the king-sized bed. As far as pillow favours go, it beats a little chocolate by a mile.

On the table next to the window leading to a Juliette balcony is a chocolate Viking ship with a mallet, elegantly encased in a glass

La vie en rose

Clockwise from top left: Josephine Baker Suite; drinks on the patio; Bar Josephine; view from the Eiffel Penthouse; Deluxe Room, all at Hotel Lutetia.

cloche, a decadent Parisian tiramisu cake, a bowl of fruits and a bottle of Taittinger with two champagne flutes – all too beautifully presented to be eaten or drunk.

Lutetia has 184 rooms spread over seven floors, including 47 suites. One of the top suites, St Germain Penthouse by Coppola, has been designed in collaboration with legendary film director and Parisian habitué, Francis Ford Coppola. He and his filmmaker daughter Sofia are regular guests at Lutetia, alongside celebrities such as Samuel Beckett, Yves Saint Laurent and Sonia Rykiel.

Another celebrated guest, the late American entertainer Josephine Baker, also has a suite named after her.

But the grand prize is the Presidential Carré Rive Gauche suite, which is almost like a private art gallery or museum, adorned with two sapphire-blue Kangxi vases, 17th century sculptures and contemporary oil paintings.

It also has a 74-square-metre rooftop terrace with panoramic views of the city.

Across the Seine, on the Right Bank, a few minutes away from the Bourse du Commerce and the Samaritaine department store, is the smaller – but still five-star – Madame Rêve, housed in the 19th century Louvre post office building. This hotel is so cool that only those who know, know to buzz at the tiny entrance for access to the tiny lobby.

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The hotel has 82 rooms and suites, 53 with balconies, each offering marvellous views over the glittering city from the Eiffel Tower to Montmartre. My own delightful deluxe room features a king-sized bed and expansive sloping windows with an outlook that has me mesmerised.

Madame Rêve has several in-house dining options. Madame Rêve Café is decorated lavishly in the splendour of a bygone era, with eight-metre-high ceilings, amber-coloured velvet curtains, ornate chandeliers and a long wooden bar. On the third floor, Chef Benjamin Six serves a Japanese culinary experience with French flavours at La Plume, and you ought to enjoy a pre-dinner martini at the intimate Le Bar.

PARIS HOTELS

A

In the know

From top: Madame Rêve Café; Madame Rêve’s rooftop solarium; a Suite Terrasse.

few steps from the Louvre and the Marais is LVMH’s contemporary Cheval Blanc Hotel, designed by New York-based Peter Marino as a tribute to French savoirfaire. The much talked about hotel, located on the Right Bank overlooking the Seine, has only 72 rooms and suites. The elegant Eiffel suite, at 100 square metres has a terrace with panoramic views of Paris and the Eiffel Tower, as well as a separate living, lounge and dining room, and a spacious bathroom and a walk-in hammam shower. It also has a private bar and wine cellar.

Scented amenities are based on signature fragrances created by Francois Demachy, Dior’s perfumer.

Like all haute couture hotels, if you have to ask the price of a room here, you probably can’t afford it. But to give you an idea, prices for a deluxe room of 45 square metres with breakfast start at €1550 ($2275) per night. A deluxe junior suite of 65 square metres with breakfast and complimentary one-way private transfer will set you back €3100 per night. And the Eiffel Suite? Prices are available on request. CT Cruise &Travel

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Concierge

My favourite dishes Nothing beats the taste of my first escargot swimming in hot, garlicky butter, followed by the rich comfort dish of coq au vin. This is my favourite meal at Le Procope, the oldest cafe in Paris in the heart of Saint Germain. Established in 1686, Le Procope is steeped in history; great writers and intellectuals, including Rousseau, Diderot and Verlaine, used to meet here for lingering meals. Decked out in vintage décor, Le Procope offers traditional and bourgeois French cuisine such as onion soup so thick my spoon is able to stand on its own, and is packed with local families lunching. You can have a three-course lunch for $44 or a Philisopher’s meal for $59.

Haute couture

From top: Madame Rêve Grande Suite; the modern Cheval Blanc Hotel; Cheval Blanc’s brasserie, Le Tout-Paris; view of the Seine from Cheval Blanc.

My favourite shops No self-respecting tourist in Paris will miss the chance to amble down some of the world’s finest haute couture streets. On Rue St- Honoré, old-world elegance meets contemporary chic and you’ll find Valentino, Prada, Mui Mui, Gucci and Max Mara. Window shopping in Paris offers seemingly unending joy. You can spend hours just looking, touching and trying on a well-cut top or a pair of cool boots at La Samaritaine.

Take the escalator to the roof terrace of Galeries Lafayette for spectacular views of Paris, or just take in the ambience of strolling down Rue Cambon, home of the flagship Chanel store.

You don’t need to spend much to experience the joys of shopping in Paris.

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Asia

Crouching

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From the sandy islands of Thailand to the neon playground of Seoul, Asia is ready to welcome visitors again, writes Michael Turtle.

Just as the countries themselves are opening up, so are new hotels and resorts, with dazzling designs and opulent facilities welcoming the first guests. Rich tradition and deep spirituality are fused with modern luxuries and innovative cuisine to offer some of the most rewarding (and indulgent) travel experiences in the world. Whether you’re looking for something new or a comfortable favourite, you’ll find it in Asia this year.

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Singapore.

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he Lion City is ready to roar again and Singapore’s hoteliers have been busy during the lockdown preparing some incredible new and renovated properties. The Hilton Orchard Singapore is now the largest hotel in the city with 1,080 refurbished rooms and suites. Set among historic shophouses, The Clan Hotel embraces the heritage of its location with an in-house tea master and antique displays in a modern, 30-storey building. The lavish properties continue on Sentosa with a refresh of the Capella embracing its island setting with beach access and private plunge pools.

For a culture hit, the Singapore Art Museum has opened a new art destination at Tanjong Pagar Distripark, an expansive space that is able to host large-scale installations and other experimental exhibitions. A recently developed heritage trail around Sentosa leads you to 30 historic sites with information signs detailing the island’s transition from military complex to leisure district. And for families, the Jurassic Mile is a new outdoor display with more

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Bright lights

Clockwise from left: Seoul, South Korea; Singapore Art Museum; Grande Whisky Collection; the Clan Hotel’s tea master.

than 20 life-sized dinosaur models along a one-kilometre path (roaaarrr!).

The shopping scene in Singapore has bounced back stronger than ever and the focus is still on Orchard Road, from the city’s oldest department store, Tangs, to glitzy malls like the Mandarin Gallery. Along with window shopping (and actual shopping), there are specialist experiences like a tour and tasting of the Grande Whisky Collection at ION Orchard. Over at the Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, don’t waste your energy walking between the luxury showrooms – nab a sampan, a flat-bottomed wooden boat, and cruise past the boutiques.

Of course, you can’t come to Singapore and not try the food, from frenzied hawker markets to fine dining (and a few places that claim to be both). A food tour is a good way to find the best local bites; the Luxury Gourmet Experience by Wok ‘n’ Stroll is the only tour that takes you to several Michelin-starred restaurants and gives you access behind the scenes.

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Thailand.

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Land of smiles

From top: Kimpton, Koh Samui; fine dining at Kimpton; The Standard Hua Hin; members of a hill tribe in Chiang Mai.

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he biggest addition to Bangkok’s luxury hotel scene is the return of the Four Seasons, now an enormous complex along the mighty Chao Phraya River that’s deservedly described as an urban resort (see page 110). Shaking things up in the Silom neighbourhood is just-opened The Standard, a funky design property that’s now the group’s flagship hotel in Asia, sporting the city’s highest outdoor rooftop bar. It joins The Standard Hua Hin, which opened last year at the beachside location three hours’ drive from Bangkok.

On the islands, Koh Samui is the location for the first Kimpton resort in Southeast Asia, which just opened on a quiet beach surrounded by a laidback village atmosphere. Over on the west coast, the new Banyan Tree Veya Phuket is calling all stressedout global citizens to its wellness centre, which has been developed in response to the pandemic and leads guests through a personalised program including mindfulness sessions, yoga and rehabilitative floatation.

Wellness retreats are booming in Thailand, with Kamalaya on Koh Samui offering a private beach, detox menus and even a monk’s cave for meditation. Look also to new ones outside the obvious tourist destinations, in emerging parts of the country like the Khao Sok rainforest, Koh Lanta island and the villages of Khao Lak, as well as many in the northern jungles of Chiang Mai. While much of Thailand’s tourism has been focused on Bangkok and the southern beach resorts, Chiang Mai has been quietly increasing its high-end offerings, and the latest is the new Meliá, with a stunning rooftop bar and a central location offering easy access to the markets and temples the city is renowned for.

It’s also a perfect base to explore the region’s national parks and waterfalls, visit the hill tribes or join a local cultural workshop on gold leaf painting or traditional weaving.

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Vietnam.

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ietnam’s long coastline is now bookended by two natural escapes – the island of Phu Quoc in the south and the 1600 islands of Ha Long Bay in the north.

The best way to see Ha Long Bay’s dramatic karst limestone formations is on an overnight cruise and Paradise Vietnam has some of the best boats in the World Heritage Site. Paradise Peak, for instance, has just eight rooms – all suites – plus a library and spa on board.

In Phu Quoc, the resorts are set between the sand and the jungle; the newest is the Regent, all pool suites and villas full of natural light, with six restaurants and bars on site. There’s no need to leave the property but, if you do, there are kilometres of pristine beaches and some lively markets to explore nearby.

Vietnam’s biggest urban centre, Ho Chi Minh City, can seem overwhelming with its hectic torrent of motorbikes filling the streets all day and night, so why not escape far up from the traffic to some of the city’s trendiest rooftop bars. Social Club Saigon, on the top two floors of the Hôtel des Arts is the best in town, with an impressive collection of gin, while Glow Rooftop Lounge and

Miss Saigon

From top: Social Club Saigon; Amanoi, Vinh Hy Bay pavilion; Amanoi swimming pool.

Chill SkyBar have panoramic views to match their extensive cocktail menus.

If you prefer an escape to serenity, there’s always the Amanoi on the dramatic coastline of Vinh Hy Bay. It was Vietnam’s first six-star resort when it opened less than ten years ago and embraces its verdant setting on the edge of a national park with timber sundecks, large sliding doors, and latticed windows.

Or go the ultimate adventure – into to the world’s largest cave. Known as Son Doong, it’s ten kilometres long and is so big ‘you can fly a Boeing 747 through it’ as people like to say. To preserve the site, there’s a limit of just 1000 visitors a year, which is why an expedition into the cavern complex costs about $4000 per person.

“Vietnam’s first six-star resort embraces its verdant setting on the edge of a national park.”

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South Korea.

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ith Qantas starting direct flights from Sydney to Seoul in December, South Korea is becoming even more accessible for Australians. An already popular destination, interest in the country has only increased with cultural phenomena like BTS and Squid Game (although it’s unclear why a gory television show is encouraging tourism).

Capitalising on the expected increase in visitors post-pandemic, a new Luxury Collection Hotel, Josun Palace, has opened in Seoul’s trendy Gangnam district, decorated with an art collection and perfumed with the hotel’s signature scent. Exploring Gangnam, you’ll find hip cafes and boutique shops on the tree-lined streets of Garosu-gil, while further away the shopping street of Myeongdong has some of the best high-end designer products.

For South Koreans, spas are more than just pampering, they are an important part of the culture and you’ll find decadent facilities across the country. In Seoul, Shangpree Spa is said to have the best facials in the city and provides tea, snacks and private dressing rooms. Or you can try one of the traditional Korean spas, jimjilbangs, with saunas, herb-infused baths, ice rooms and a range of treatment options.

From Seoul, it’s just over two hours to Busan on the high-speed train, an easy and comfortable way to get to the country’s second largest city (especially in the first-class seats). During the pandemic, the Hilton Busan was rebranded to the Ananti Hilton Busan to better reflect its connection to the local town of Ananti on a secluded stretch of coastline. With epic views of the water, it has the largest infinity pool in South Korea – a good enough reason to visit!

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Country with soul From top: Ananti Hilton Busan; Josun Palace lounge bar; Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival, Busan.

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Japan.

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okyo, a city that never sleeps, is nonetheless waking up from a nap as it prepares to open its borders to the world.

More than 80 new hotels opened in 2020 in preparation for the (delayed) Olympics and most have seen very few international guests. The Four Seasons at Otemachi has jaw-dropping views from the top floors of the new 39-storey skyscraper; the Kimpton in Shinjuku oozes New York cool; and the Yuen Bettei Daita brings traditional Japanese aesthetics to the futuristic capital. Later in the year, two more magnificent properties are due to open – the Bulgari Hotel above Tokyo Station and Tokyo EDITION Ginza, with its ethos of intimate sophistication.

There’s more to see in Tokyo than can fit into just one visit – or even one lifetime – but one ought to make time to try one of the city’s Michelin-starred restaurants. Luckily, there are 203 to choose from (the most of any city in the world), and for the best

Konnichiwa

From top: Four Seasons, Otemachi; Four Seasons rooftop bar; The Shinmonzen.

sushi, two-starred Nihonbashi Kakigaracho Sugita’s tasting menu includes specialties like sliced abalone, monkfish liver and simmered octopus. For a three-star extravaganza, Kanda takes traditional Japanese dishes and adds French touches like caviar and truffles.

For a traditional side of Japan, former capital Kyoto boasts a stunning collection of World Heritage-listed temples and shrines that transport visitors back to the days of shoguns and samurais. It also has some wonderful new hotels, with The Shinmonzen putting a modern spin on a traditional ryokan inn; the contemporary Roku Kyoto paying homage to the temples with its wooden columns and minimalistic design; and the ten-room Arashiyama Mansion Mama offering indulgence with its stone baths overlooking private gardens.

However, the ultimate in traditional Japanese luxury still comes in the ryokans and onsen of the remote mountains and less populated provinces of Kyushu and Shikoku. If ever there’s been a time to look for some simplistic decadence away from the crowds, this is it. CT 109

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Hotels & Resorts

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he Chao Phraya River – snaking through the heart of Bangkok on its way out to the Gulf – has always been the lifeblood of Thailand.

A source of food and employment for millions, it is the king of rivers – or, as it’s also known here, the River of Kings, a moniker earned by carrying monarchs by boat across their empire for centuries.

Now, on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River, the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok welcomes guests to a majestic new estate worthy of royalty. Opened during the pandemic, it’s more than just the city’s latest five-star hotel. This immaculately constructed complex is an urban resort that will change the way you think about accommodation in Thailand’s hectic metropolis.

The river is wide and flows slowly through the city, and I start to reflect that pace not long after arriving at the Four Seasons. The sounds of the tuk tuks and motorbikes on the street disappeared somewhere along the 150-metrelong driveway to the main entrance. Now, I imagine I hear 110

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A palace for the king of rivers Bangkok’s newest five-star hotel flows seamlessly from creative streets to luxury accomodation to water.

Michael Turtle checks in.

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In the drink

Clockwise from left: A dapper doorman welcomes guests; mixologists at BKK Social Club; the riverfront infinity pools.

the breeze passing through trees and the tinkling of water.

Standing in the hotel’s lobby, it’s hard to tell where walls end and where floors lead.

There’s a clear line of sight through full-length windows to the riverfront but, between here and there, I count at least ten different levels stepping down in height, through gardens, water features, dining, pools and a wide promenade. It’s described as “cascading architecture” and I feel the hotel – and myself – flowing from the street to the water, from inside to out, from check in to a recliner.

In fact, if it wasn’t for the check in and concierge in a sizable but discreet rounded section of the ground floor, you may not even realise this was a hotel. Space is in abundance, with large open-air Cruise&Travel

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courtyards bringing natural light throughout. The emphasis is on creating an atmosphere that feels as exterior as interior, where you can breeze past artworks on your way to the various dining options, or float past shimmering floors of decorative water as you descend to the swimming pools.

/ A room with a view It’s not until I head upstairs that the urban resort starts to feel more like a hotel, although the flowing textures follow me to my room. No detail has been overlooked and, where you might have expected a plain wall, there are subtle shapes formed by different coloured wallpapers, framed by wood, with nooks and shelves decorated with lamps and vases.

The man to thank for all of this is Jean-Michel Gathy, the interior designer who has become the darling of the world of luxury accommodation. Belgian born and Malaysia based, he has designed for most of the top hotel brands – perhaps his most famous creation is the infinity pool on the rooftop of the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.

One of Gathy’s signature elements is water, so it’s no surprise he was drawn to a Four Seasons with 200 metres of river frontage.

“Sometimes dramatic, sometimes intimate, but always charismatic,” is how he described his vision for the hotel. I find all those elements just in my room – from the wall of glass that offers a sweeping view of the river, to the freestanding bath from where I can also see the view, and the personal cocktail bar in case I’m in the mood to mix a drink myself.

Even with a king-sized bed, elegant chaise lounge, padded bench seating and open-plan bathroom worthy of a spa, there’s still ample space. The smallest rooms, which include the one I’m staying in, are still an impressive 50 square metres. For guests looking for more space, there are family suites (which can have a cloth tent installed for the kids), two-bedroom suites, or even an epic suite on the top level that includes an enormous open-air terrace perfect for entertaining. / A world of dining Bangkok tends to lie in, perhaps no surprise for a city that likes to stay up late. But the Chao Phraya River never sleeps and, as I eat my breakfast on the terrace of the Riva del Fiume restaurant, I watch the ferries and the barges making their way along the waterway.

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Hotels & Resorts Executive chef Andrea Accordi pops over and tells me that sometimes guests are initially disappointed with the hotel’s signature breakfast buffet because, at first glance, it doesn’t appear to be the enormous spread they expect from a five-star hotel.

But rather than focus on quantity (much of which would go to waste anyway), he has put his effort into quality ingredients and made-to-order plates, curing the fish his own way and creating a special mini breakfast pizza with an egg on top, for instance.

I fall in love with a hazelnut praline croissant roll after I discover its delicious creamy centre and am relieved to find I can get another in the afternoon at the on-site patisserie, Cafe Madeleine, where all the hotel’s pastries are baked under the guidance of executive pastry chef Andrea Bonaffini, whose resumé includes a stint at threeMichelin-starred The Fat Duck in London.

Here at the Four Seasons, the dining already has a Michelin star itself, awarded to Cantonese restaurant Yu Ting Yuan. Specialties like Peking duck and dim sum are prepared in the lively show kitchen, while large windows looking onto the reflection pond provide a tranquil balance. You can order a la carte (including dim sum at lunch), but many guests opt for one of the tasting menus.

After breakfast, Riva del Fiume becomes an Italian restaurant for lunch and dinner, while on the other side of the swimming pools is the French-style Brasserie Palmier, its riviera décor the perfect setting for its seafood-focused menu.

And in the evenings, the hotel’s cocktail bar, BKK Social Club, serves food alongside its bespoke cocktails and suave design that are inspired by the glamour of Buenos Aires.

Modern elegance

Clockwise from left: BKK Social Club; the riverside infinity pools; river view premium room; Riva del Fiume.

/ A creative neighbourhood It’s only in modern times that this stretch of the Chao Phraya River has become popular with

FOUR SEASONS BANGKOK

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Concierge luxury accommodation. From the founding of Bangkok in the late 18th century, the river was mainly about trade, its shores filled with merchant houses, immigrant neighbourhoods, and warehouses. It wasn’t until the 1970s, when trade moved elsewhere in the city, that many of the buildings were abandoned and hotels began to make the most of large blocks of land with water views.

In recent years, there’s been another wave of revival along the river. This time, it’s the creative industries moving into old commercial premises, bringing a vibrancy that’s also encouraging new dining and nightlife in neighbourhoods that hadn’t changed much since the end of the riverport days.

Walking the streets near the Four Seasons, through an area now dubbed the Creative District, I find vintage stores full of quirky antiques and distressed clothing, a designer furniture store, a Japanese-style izakaya down the end of a residential alley, and an unassuming bar that I’m assured is one of the coolest places in the city. There’s a restaurant that has a Michelin star and then, just a short walk away, an old woman selling a bag of sweet bread snacks for about 30 cents.

What I find impressive is that, rather than view this hipster community covered with street art as separate, beyond the walls of the hotel, the Four Seasons has embraced its location on the edge of an edgy neighbourhood and gives guests tips on the best places to visit and even takes tours through it.

The Four Seasons Hotel on the Chao Phraya River may well be an urban resort, it may be somewhere perfectly comfortable with enough dining options that you don’t need to leave. But just as it embraces the river, it’s worth exploring the surrounding neighbourhood and embracing what the river has given to Bangkok.

For regular visitors to Thailand who might normally stay in Sukhumvit or Silom, this is not just a refreshing new hotel, but also a new side of the city. CT Cruise&Travel

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What was your favourite meal?

The jewel of the hotel may be the Michelin-starred Chinese restaurant, Yu Ting Yuan, but I have my favourite meal at Riva del Fiume, where executive chef Andrea Accordi’s Italian heritage shines through.

Thailand’s coastline inspires my starter of sea bream carpaccio with urchin, as well as a taste of pan-fried kinki fish with razor clams and black truffle. The ravioli filled with smoked pancetta and piennolo tomato are gorgeously wrapped gifts that I devour like a child on Christmas, but the highlight is the wagyu from South Australia’s Maruya Station which melts in my mouth.

What was your favourite moment?

Am I in Thailand or Argentina?

It can sometimes be hard to tell at BKK Social Club, the hotel’s flagship bar. It’s designed to evoke the essence of decadent Buenos Aires and capture the vibrancy of Bangkok’s nightlife.

Sitting at the bar, I chat with the mixologists as I take sips of Evita – a cocktail with rum, Campari and Aperol that, perhaps appropriately, is refreshingly sweet with just a hint of sour. I snack on BBQ pork empanadas (although I also eye the lobster tacos) and wonder why you would ever go out elsewhere.

What should I pack?

While elegance flows through every aspect of the Four Seasons Bangkok, there’s still a welcoming casual atmosphere.

Shorts won’t seem out of place during the humidity of the day, with smart linen and comfortable dresses a good choice for a sunset drink and al fresco dinner. If you’re looking for an excuse to dress up, BKK Social Club attracts a trendy local crowd in the evening. To explore the city, I recommend bringing a bag to carry things like water, sun protection, and a camera.

Although taxis are cheap and there’s frequent public transport, good walking shoes will let you explore some more authentic neighbourhoods.

The lowdown The Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River is about 40 minutes’ drive from the main Suvarnabhumi Airport. To get around the city, it’s about 10 minutes in a taxi to Silom and 15 minutes to Sukhumvit. The price for a deluxe room starts at about $600 a night and a suite begins at around $1200 a night. The excellent buffet breakfast is about $50 per person. There’s 24-hour in-room dining, a complimentary boat transfer to public transport, and the concierge can arrange tours, including of the local arts and food scene. More details are available at fourseasons.com/bangkok

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Voyeur

Branson kite-surfed over from Necker Island to welcome Annabel Fenwick Elliott to the exclusive first stay on the retreat that took 14 years to create.

LIKE A VIRGIN

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hy would Sir Richard Branson, who lives perfectly happily on Necker, his legendary island in the Caribbean, need another whopping great estate on an atoll a mere four kilometres away? That’s the first question I have for the man himself, who has kitesurfed from Necker to meet me here at his second home, on Moskito Island.

More than 14 years in the making, Moskito, in the British Virgin Islands, is the Caribbean’s newest private island retreat; a lavish 50-hectare hideaway of 10 private estates, three of which are now available for holiday rental for the first time.

I’m the first journalist to see the island and will be spending the next few days in the company of Branson, fresh from shooting into space aboard his Virgin Galactic rocket, and his sizeable entourage of family, colleagues and friends. The bearded mogul, 71, greets me in swimming trunks, his white, ocean-tousled hair dripping, and ushers me into his home, Branson Estate, where we sink into huge sofas and get chatting.

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Welcome to paradise

Right: Watersports around Moskito Island. Below: the Beach Pavilion.

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MOSKITO ISLAND

This expansive, Bali-inspired complex was the first to be built on the island and comprises three villas – one for himself and his wife Joan, one for his son Sam, wife Isabella and their two children, and one for his daughter Holly, her husband Freddie and their three children – connected by elevated wooden walkways. And it’s all now available for rent (when the family isn’t there).

To answer my original question, Branson bought Moskito, clearly visible from Necker, to avoid it becoming an eyesore. “I heard rumours in 2007 that someone was thinking of turning it into a big chain hotel,” Branson tells me. “So I talked to the owner and said, ‘Please don’t do that.’ This area of the Caribbean is so exquisitely unspoiled; it would have been a great shame. Fortunately, he was happy for me to take it off his hands.”

The result, after more than a decade of construction, has nothing in common with a big hotel, nor a resort, nor a conventional island for hire. Each of its 10 privately owned properties, some still under construction, occupies its own secluded enclave, but only three proprietors are currently renting out their homes when not in use: Branson and the owners of the just-completed Oasis and Point Estates, whose identities – and even nationalities – are a closely guarded secret.

I get to stay in both Oasis and Point, one entirely different from the other but equally luxurious and each micro-managed down to the tiniest detail by a dedicated expert supervisor, both warm Englishwomen with big personalities.

Oasis Estate, a modern, gleaming, multi-level, nine-bedroom home, designed to resemble a yacht, stands tall amid tropical gardens on the highest point of the island and lords it over a winding network of pools, walkways, firepits and a swim-up bar. In addition to a generous gift hamper brimming with bottles of Scotch, BVI gin, branded luggage tags and so on, there are especially nice touches in the giant 247sqm master bedroom, including Alexa-controlled lights, a huge, Tempur-Pedic bed, a nine-nozzle shower and an outdoor standalone bath.

Point Estate can fit up to 22 guests across several thatch-roofed cottages that cling to the cliffside, blending vaguely rustic African and Asian influences with the latest technology. It boasts a gasp-inducing infinity pool with circular windows in its floor that peer into the children’s games room below, and a dining pavilion that offers arguably the best lookout platform for sunsets across the whole of the British Virgin Islands. My favourite extras in this master bedroom, which sits below the dining pavilion and thus nabs the same unrivalled ocean views? A Dyson hairdryer and a welcome bottle of Dom Pérignon 2010.

While seclusion and privacy go without saying within the grounds of every estate, and each is equipped as a luxury home, there’s also a communal element to this island.

There are several spaces, including the Beach Pavilion, in which to dine and mingle (and party, hard, as I discover) with other households, should you wish.

“All the owners get on well and their families spend time together here,” Branson says, as a gaggle of blonde grandchildren cannonball back and forth across his vast living room, frolicking under the sun that pours in through the glass ceiling. No one will disclose the identities of the island’s other homeowners, but one 116

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Tranquil luxury

From top: Headland House, Branson Estate; sundowners at The Cove; chef at the Beach Pavilion.

Opposite: Oasis Estate’s pool.

from a nearby estate is particularly jumpy about me, a reporter, being in their midst.

She quickly drops her guard as we all gather for a lively, Champagne-fuelled Sunday roast in the Beach Pavilion.

Seated opposite the Virgin tycoon, amid his closest friends and family – debating everything from Brexit and the pandemic to Afghanistan and space travel – it’s hard not to be baffled. Here is a man in his 70s who has just kitesurfed (“my favourite way to commute”) several miles on an empty stomach (“a fasting fad I’m trying out”) and is still chatting with the effervescence of a teenager. It’s only noon and I, on the other hand, am already ready for an afternoon nap. Perhaps it’s the heat and the jet lag.

Or the Champagne.

There is a lot of this, served at all times of the day by stealthy, eagle-eyed staff who ensure that no guest’s flute is at any point less than half full. Every meal, cooked by each estate’s dedicated chef – based on a detailed pre-arrival preference questionnaire, some served indoors, others at various beauty spots – is delivered as a celebration, worthy of a decent tipple. I can’t so much as dip my toe into a pool without being offered a cocktail.

Subsequently, I’d say I’m mildly to moderately drunk for the whole of my five-night stay.

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“OASIS ESTATE... LORDS IT OVER A WINDING NETWORK OF POOLS, WALKWAYS, FIREPITS AND A SWIM-UP BAR.”

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MOSKITO ISLAND

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This sort of frivolity is a hallmark of every place I’ve visited in Virgin Limited Edition’s eight-property portfolio – where the service is always impeccable, but without a sniff of rigid formality. Moskito is billed as “a mecca of grand design, marrying barefoot luxury.” As with suits and ties, Branson has never been fond of shoes. In this spirit, I took mine off on the first day, kicked them under the bed and forgot about them for the rest of the week. The only surfaces my soles touched were sand, smooth stone steps, swept wooden walkways and the floor of golf buggies.

So what else does Branson do on Moskito? “We gather the wealthiest people in the world here to put our heads together on new ideas,” he says.

“Everyone works really hard in the morning but we make sure people let their hair down and play hard in the afternoon and evenings. That’s often actually when we make breakthroughs.”

Case in point: the idea for his philanthropic Audacious Project, which launched in 2018, struck Branson as he was dancing on the bar at the Beach Pavilion on New Year’s Eve, with chums including Google’s Larry Page, who owns a nearby island, and Jeff Skoll, eBay’s first president. The plan, which aims to “solve eight of the world’s biggest problems”, was finessed three days clear of their hangover, as they sailed around Moskito in a catamaran.

Are guests of the island’s new estates likely to bump into the likes of Richard, Larry and Jeff during their stay? It’s entirely feasible, and this is certainly a selling point. One does get the sense that, aside from the many Virgin devotees out there, the estates will often be booked by friends and associates of Branson and the other owners.

The Beach Pavilion is open to all, with its welltrodden bar, pool table, chess sets, movie areas and glimmering wraparound pool. The island’s two floodlit artificial-grass tennis courts, designed to mimic those on Necker, are also communal, as is Manchioneel Beach whose fine white sand spills out into the unfathomably warm ocean and towards a vibrant reef, home to some of the most pristine coral in the world.

An outspoken eco-warrior (though he does get flak for this, given he owns an airline and a rocket ship), Branson has always been insistent on environmentally friendly solutions at his retreats. You won’t find a scrap of single-use plastic on Moskito, and there are bamboo straws aplenty and baskets of reef-safe sunscreen at every turn. The island’s latest addition is a machine that turns glass back into sand. How gratifying to think that all the (many) Champagne bottles are returning to whence they came.

Branson is earnest, too, in his wildlife pursuits. Necker is teeming with lemurs – which I sincerely hope will make their way over to Moskito too someday – as well as with endangered tortoises and a flock of flamingos; some of which already do pop over to Moskito from time to time. The fuchsia-hued birds died out in this region a century ago, but Branson introduced 40 in the noughties and they now number 2,000. Flamingos can fly great distances, I’m informed, but quite understandably, they choose to stay put, just as Branson mostly does, between this pair of islands.

Elsewhere on the fringes of Moskito, scuba divers will delight in the wreck of the Kodiak Queen, one of Pearl Harbor’s last surviving boats, which was, at Branson’s request, wrapped in a giant octopus-shaped artwork and sunk in 2017 to form an artificial coral base. Add a multitude of dolphins, rays, green turtles and humpback whales to Moskito’s oceanic back garden and you’ve got yourself a high-definition, Technicolor wonderland in which to bob around at leisure.

During my time on Moskito, which flies by all too quickly, Branson challenges me to two aquatic endeavours. The first is a kitesurfing lesson, with three-time World Wave champion Kirsty Jones, who works here now.

“My son often tries to get me into meditation and it’s not for me; I just end up ruminating on business ideas,” Branson explains over lunch. “Kitesurfing is really the only time I forget the world and stop Cruise &Travel

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Rest and play

Clockwise from far left: Headland House pool bar; watersport toys; Oasis Estate fire pit; beach villa in Branson Estate.

Rates for Moskito Island start at $17,500 (£12,700) per night during low season, based on a four-night minimum stay at Point Estate for up to 16 guests. Rates include a dedicated estate manager, private chef and a team of staff, as well as all meals, drinks, water sports and a personalised itinerary from start to finish. moskito island.virgin.com

thinking about anything else.” Following my lesson, I can quite see why – it is all consuming and, for a beginner, comically difficult.

The second challenge, at the end of a day trip I take to Necker (guests can request this but it’s not a given) to brush shoulders with the lemurs, is to skip the boat and swim the two-hour stretch back to Moskito. I last all of 20 minutes before being stung on the bottom by a jellyfish and scrambling with great haste aboard the boat that has been accompanying me.

That is the only stressful thing that happens to me on Moskito. Dena, manager of Oasis Estate, is so acutely tuned into my every mood that she suggests help before I even know I need it. If I look tired, she subtly shuffles my itinerary. If I scratch an itch, she zooms in with mosquito repellent.

Courtney, manager of Point Estate, is similarly intuitive. Clocking me as likely to be habitually late, she adjusts my schedule so it tells me to be everywhere 15 minutes earlier than I’m actually due. As a result, I’m always on time.

So accustomed do I become to this barefoot luxury, that only near the end of the sad boat ride back to Tortola airport do I realise I don’t know where my shoes are. My last moments before rejoining civilisation are spent frantically fishing around in my suitcase to see if I’ve remembered to pack my only pair. ‘Dena or Courtney will have some!’ is my knee-jerk assumption, but they are far away, out of sight in my wake. I have left Moskito shoeless and thoroughly spoiled. As far as Branson is concerned: mission accomplished. CT 119

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Last Word

“I had wondered how far a butler would go to please a passenger, but this development was unexpected.”

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Service with a smile

Some butlers take the concept of service to a whole new level.

Louise Goldsbury discovers just how far a butler will go in the pursuit of good service.

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he butler did it. He unpacked my luggage, shined my shoes, served afternoon tea and delivered hors d’oeuvres to my suite at sunset.

But he did a lot more than that. Indeed, he went above and beyond his job description – to the point of risking his employment.

I had wondered how far a butler would go to please a passenger, but this development was unexpected.

Butlers are touted as the ultimate professionals in personalised service, trained to provide a higher level of assistance. They can take care of your restaurant reservations or spa appointments, organise in-room gatherings and pour the Champagne.

Some ships have pool butlers who adjust your sun lounge, polish your sunglasses and fetch glasses of iced water. On all-inclusive river cruises, you might ask for coffee on your balcony or a limousine ashore.

On my first luxury cruise, I had no idea how to make the most of these privileges. I packed sandals unworthy of shining, I didn’t eat or drink in my cabin, and my holiday plans required no help. First butler problems.

But then one day, everything changed. I ran into my butler at a bar on land and he bought me a beer. A few lagers later, to my horror, I realised my butler had become my drinking buddy.

The next morning, when I called him to do something simple, he replied: “Seriously?”

Urgent action was undertaken; the parameters of our relationship re-established. I sent him a dress to be pressed, I requested wine and cheese, and instructed him to book me a tour in the next port of call. All of these tasks were completed satisfactorily.

My butler was back.

However, while I was out on my excursion, he performed an extracurricular activity. When I returned that evening, my travelling companion looked a little guilty.

“Remember when you wondered how far a butler would go?” she asked. “Well, I found out for you...

He goes all the way.”

Later in the cruise, I met the chief butler and casually asked what happened if he fancied a guest.

B U T L E R S

He assured me he was not permitted to touch a female passenger, not even in an innocent or friendly manner. “If a lady wants a hug, there is a way a butler is trained to respond,” he said. I left it at that.

On another voyage, I met two women travelling together and we became instant friends. At lunch, Sharon whispered in my ear: “Guess what I did last night... I slept with our butler!”

Here we go again, I thought.

“But please don’t tell Michelle, she has a bit of a crush on him,” Sharon explained.

The next day, by the pool, Michelle strutted over, grinning at me.

“You’ll never guess what I just did,” she said, smirking.

“You slept with your butler?” I joked.

“Oh my god, yes! But don’t tell Sharon.

I think she likes him.”

How on earth this man managed to coordinate his busy schedule with two passengers in the same room, seizing the opportunities when each one was alone, without getting caught, I will never know.

If fraternising with guests gets you fired, two guests must be grounds for spontaneous combustion.

More than 80 cruises since these isolated incidents, I have not encountered any more bad-boy butlers. And none has ever even mildly flirted with me. Perhaps a crackdown, stricter vetting, enhanced training or security cameras have stamped out sordid scandals at sea.

It seems that cruising is so much safer and sanitised in every way these days.

(Sorry if this leaves you disappointed. I never promised you a happy ending.) CT

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Collaboration

Deep Dive Just as every adventurer has a story, every Paspaley pearl has an alluring narrative, writes Teresa Ooi.

O

ver 90 years and across three generations, the Paspaley family has been diving for pearls along the remote and pristine north west Australian coastline. At the heart of their finely crafted jewellery collections is the rare Pinctada maxima pearl oyster, found only in the Kimberley.

Paspaley has now launched the Dive Collection, which honours the pearl divers who go in search of the finest pearls in the world.

“Dive really captures who we are and what we do. Diving has been at the heart of our operations since the very beginning of Paspaley. Our Dive collection celebrates this and is inspired by our hard-hat pearl divers who came across shipwrecks and Dutch coins left by traders who visited the Kimberley in the 1960s,” says Christine Salter, Paspaley creative director.

“The earrings are coin charms set with mother-of-pearl and engraved with stories inspired by the pearl divers’ tattoos – mermaids, sharks, the moon and stars,” she added.

There is a sense of play, passion and craftsmanship in the Dive collection. A fine example is the shark charm adorned with a keshi pearl and diamonds, an ode to the gentle nurse sharks that move gracefully through the waters of the Kimberley coastline. The shark charm can be added to the Dive charm necklace

and bracelet, which feature links influenced by anchor chains, to let the wearer create their own design.

The Dive tassel necklace and earrings are fluid in motion, featuring lustrous Paspaley pearls adorned by elegant long tassels that reflect the frayed and knotted old ropes from retired wooden pearl luggers that lie partly submerged on the beaches in Broome.

Then there’s the Entwined pendant, which highlights significant pearls that were hand-selected by the Paspaley family. Sculptural loops within the design reflect the movement and texture of the ropes and chains that play such a crucial role for Paspaley’s divers on their pearling ships.

Paspaley has also introduced their first ever ring for men, one that reflects the way anchor chains change colour over time.

To the ordinary person, the Kimberley is an unfamiliar world. But for Paspaley divers, for whom the call of the ocean is as powerful as their passion for adventure, the Kimberley is home.

Working closely with nature, the divers collect each shell by hand as they search for the wild Pinctada maxima oysters on the sea floor. This sustainable approach has been recognised and certified by the Marine Stewardship Council, the independent body that assesses the environmentally sustainability of the wild marine industry.

Every piece of Paspaley pearl jewellery has been crafted to connect with the free spirit of the Paspaley woman and man – and Dive, with adventure in its DNA, is no exception. CT paspaley.com

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The Dive Collection Dive tassel earrings, $20,560

Dive entwined pendant, $9,280

Dive long pearl necklace, $24,800

Dive coin charm diamond earrings, $10,260

Drop anchor

From top: Paspaley pearling in action; a Pinctada maxima pearl; a pearling ship; one of the family’s seaplanes; a pearl diver.

Dive chain stack ring, $4,540

Dive layered charm necklace, $29,500

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