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Photo: Tim Faircloth.

repare for the journey of a lifetime with our competition for a chance to win a double cabin on an extraordinary Ponant 11-day luxury expedition cruise!* Explore the wild and grand landscapes of Kimberley, one of the last unspoiled regions on the planet, as you travel from Darwin to Broome, in 2025.

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PRIZE DETAILS AND INCLUSIONS • Cruise duration: 11 days on board • Dates: 11-21 September 2025 • Cruise value: AU$25,040* • Australia’s Iconic Kimberly itinerary for 10 nights from Darwin to Broome onboard Ponant Explorer Le Jacques-Cartier in a deluxe stateroom for two people.

• All onboard meals at two restaurants including 24-hour room service, 24-7 complimentary bar package that includes all onboard beverages (excluding premium listed) including daily stocking of the mini bar.

• Daily shore excursions led by destination experts on the Zodiac fleet including cultural encounters with First Nations communities of the region.

• Access to ship facilities including an open deck pool and onboard lectures for an immersive experience in this ancient region.

CRUISE HIGHLIGHTS • Hunter River: Discover wild mangrove forests, home to saltwater crocodiles and diverse bird species.

• King George River and Twin Falls: Marvel at the highest falls in Western Australia.

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• Lacepede Islands: Observe an abundance of nesting birds and a large population of turtles.

TO ENTER, GO TO: CRUISEPASSENGER.COM.AU 7

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Contents

Cruise

Travel

October 2024 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 Claire Waddell 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, John Arlidge, Andrea Black, Bernadette Chua, Greg Dickinson, Paul Feinstein, Sally Howard, Kristie Kellahan, Daisy Melwani, Ian Moore, Teresa Ooi, Chris Singh, Caroline Smith, Anabelle Thorpe, Sarah Treleaven, Sue Wallace, Alice Williams Subscriptions Phone 02 8227 6486 – Australia Phone +612 8227 6400 – International cruisepassenger.com.au Cover: Ponant in the Kimberley

by Tim Faircloth.

Printed by IVE.

cruisepassenger.com.au

Cruise & Travel magazine is published

by Big Splash Media Pty Ltd, Suite G01, 46a Macleay Street Potts Point, Sydney 2011 bigsplashmedia.com.au Phone: +61 2 9356 8888 MULTI MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS

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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22 Contents CLOSE TO HOME 40 14 Upfront

Who’s to blame for “overtourism” – and who takes the blame? Plus, new liners, yachts and cruises, and how Disney is expanding on the water.

Record season

Australians and Kiwis will cruise in unparalleled numbers this year.

42

Australia

Amazing voyages where you won’t need to pack a passport.

47 New Zealand

Kiwi cruises close to home – from Auckland to the Subantarctic Islands.

52

South Pacific

Love islands: Fiji, French Polynesia, Tonga and more.

OCEANS

56

Off the shoulder

No more shoulder season.

Reviews

60

Flower power

Japan blooms brightly for Oceania Cruises.

66

Magic in the Med

An unforgettable summer in Europe with NCL.

72

The reluctant expeditioner

A veteran cruiser drags her husband onto a cruise.

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& TRAVEL

80

90

94

Class war in the skies as airlines go all out for luxury.

The still waters of Europe, from Como to Saimaa.

How a stand-up comedian became Basil Fawlty in France.

New heights

84

My life in food

Nobu Matsuhisa on Crystal Cruises and his legendary black cod with miso.

Best breaks by lakes

92

Last word

Turkey transformed This Turkish resort could be in the Maldives.

86

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Indecent proposals The most demanding travellers are asking for more and more.

04

New research shows Australia is a vast untapped market for river cruisers.

Reviews

Subscribe today!

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Cruise

A view of one’s Saône

Time traveller Tauck’s Blue Danube cruise is a waltz through history.

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RIVER CRUISING (reverse section)

AmaWaterways’ voyage through Burgundy is a treat for the palate and the eyes.

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Go your own way How smart travellers beat Europe’s crowds

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Welcome FROM THE PUBLISHER

Spring sees our ships return – enjoy them while you can

W

elcome to our spring edition. As we go to print, the ships are on their way for a new local season of sailings around Australia and beyond.

If you’re in need of some inspiration before booking a cruise in local waters, read our special report on the itineraries that matter, starting on page 40.

This wave season, there are some new additions to our regular fleet: Silversea’s gorgeous Silver Nova will operate from Sydney and Melbourne; Ponant’s Paspaley Pearl will be taking a select group of passengers (she carries just 30 guests) to exotic destinations such as the Spice Islands; while Norwegian Sun will be sail mainly from Melbourne to New Zealand.

Fun ships such as Disney Wonder, technological marvels such as Celebrity Edge, and grand dames such as Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth and Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas will all be back. And there will be exciting visits from lines such as Regent Seven Seas, Oceania and Viking.

All this splendid activity might give you the impression that all is well with Australia’s cruise industry. But it’s not. There are notable absentees this season: Princess, for instance, one of the country’s favourite lines, has only committed two ships to our waters – once, there were five. And in February, 92-yearold P&O Australia, the line that was the foundation which turned Australia into one of the great cruising nations, will be closed down and two of its ships rebadged to Carnival Cruises.

Cunard and Royal Caribbean have also reduced their presence.

At a time of global and local record demand, this seems completely illogical. But it’s actually the consequence of greed, bureaucratic stupidity and zealots in Australia and New Zealand. These two countries have benefited most from the cruise industry’s growth. Now, as the saying goes, they are killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

Our website, cruisepassenger.com.au, was first to investigate the storm clouds gathering over an enterprise that delivers

A first for First Nations

• Natalya Leahy, President of the American line Seabourn Cruises, emerges from a smoking ceremony on a beach in the heat of the Kimberley, wearing tribal paint. But this is no tourist experience. Seabourn has become the first cruise line to appoint

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more than $5 billion to the Australian economy. So why is this happening? And why now?

Firstly, both Australia and New Zealand have initiated huge and immediate increases in fees – port fees in particular.

Melbourne hiked fees 15 per cent last year, which was enough to bring Virgin Voyages visits to an abrupt end, and see Cunard and Princess cancel turn-around itineraries which allowed Victorians to board a ship in the state without flying.

The cost of pulling into Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal is already at a record high. It costs $219,000 to dock Quantum of the Seas in Sydney – the city charges $44.72 per passenger, while Miami, home of the American cruise industry, charges just $19.19 and Rome just over $10.

Auckland has tripled its tourist levies, earning a wave of criticism from its own industry, which is struggling to revive tourism as a mainstay of the NZ economy.

Second, there are regulations in both Australia and New Zealand not faced anywhere else. Who can forget ships being turned away by New Zealand’s biosecurity laws because they had the odd barnacle on their hulls? Thousands of holidays were laid waste, and those who paid big bucks to visit us had a sombre message to tell their friends once they arrived home.

Australia’s Coastal Trading legislation requires cruise ship operators to apply for licences to sail from port to port. So far, they have been granted annual exemptions – but what happens if they are not? The journey of thousands of miles from the Caribbean to Australia would be wasted, and no-one in business likes risk.

What has brought all of this to a head, leading to a 30 per cent reduction in cruise capacity in 2025/26? Well, cruising is a global industry and its primary assets, namely its fleets, can go anywhere. And right now, the most profitable place to be is the warm and welcoming Caribbean. Prices are high, and vessels such as Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas – currently the world’s biggest ship – is running at 104 per cent occupancy.

Some say this is just cyclical. Our low dollar and high fuel prices have been seen before, and when the global economy shifts, the ships will be back. Others are not so sure.

But there is no doubt that relaxing regulation and removing the uncertainty is one important step to convincing cruise executives in Miami to give us our ships back. Another step – and most are resigned to this – is that the incredible value currently on offer in the local market will need to change.

Price rises are on the way.

So as the fleet pulls in this year, our advice is: enjoy it while you can, and book early for next year. CT

Smokin’

Seabourn President Natalya Leahy is welcomed to Jar Jar Island, WA, as Seabourn Pursuit arrives in the region.

Peter Lynch, Editor-in-chief and publisher

the Traditional Owners as godparents to a ship, adventure vessel Seabourn Pursuit, which has been sailing its first season in the region.

It is no token move either. Money provided by Seabourn and Western Australia has seed-funded an arts centre and year-round living quarters, and is helping younger members of the Wunambal Gaambera people to fully participate in the industry that is bringing tens of thousands of travellers from all over the world to their land.

The journey from the germ of an idea to the ceremony on Jar Island is a long one. But its importance cannot be overstated. Many have tried to involve local owners before, but this is the first big success. Ponant has also formed partnerships with local people.

Read the full story in New Wave magazine in this issue – or read the digital version here: https://issuu.com/bigsplashmedia/ docs/new_wave_2024

NewWave RESPONSIBLY SAILING OUR OCEANS & RIVERS

WELCOME TO COUNTRY Cruise lines partner with First Nations

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Join us on Crystal for the voyage of a lifetime, where days are spent immersed in the world’s most breathtaking destinations, and evenings are elegant affairs filled with fine-dining, entertainment and captivating company.

We are delighted to announce our latest offer. The new Crystal Explorer Fare rewards guests who plan ahead, giving you up to 20% off cruises in 2025 and beyond.* Simply put, Crystal is Exceptional at Sea.

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TO VIEW AND BOOK ONE OF OUR CURATED ITINERARIES, CONTACT YOUR TRAVEL ADVISOR, VISIT CRYSTALCRUISES.COM OR CALL 1300-503-640.

*Prices shown are in AUD per person based on Double Guest Room with Veranda, are subject to availability, including all taxes and port charges and include Crystal Explorer Fare discounts. Crystal Explorer Fare Offer: The offer is available on new bookings made at least twelve (12) calendar months prior to the sailing date.

Pricing based on Explorer Sale Non-refundable option: Guests selecting this option will receive twenty percent (20%) off the cruise-only fare. Full payment of the reduced fare will be due at time of booking. Guests may cancel prior to one hundred eighty (180) days of the sailing date and receive a future cruise credit equivalent to the reduced cruise fare paid less applicable administrative fees. Those discounts are subject to availability and may be withdrawn or reduced at any time. Please see www.crystalcruises.com for full terms and conditions.

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Upfront | Inspiration for today’s sophisticated traveller |

page

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A&K private adventures

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Upfront

RATED & BERATED

How hostile is your holiday destination?

Greg Dickinson takes a look at other European favourites that have become unwelcoming.

R

ecently, thousands of demonstrators marched on La Rambla in Barcelona holding placards that read things like “Tourism kills the city” and “Tourists out of our neighbourhoods” – standard issue in an anti-tourism protest.

But there were other placards, which read things like “Dear Tourist: Balconing is fun!” (alluding to the sometimes deadly act of tourists jumping from balconies into pools) and the rather blunt: “Tourists go home, you are not welcome.”

Some protesters took things further, squirting tourists dining at restaurants on La Rambla with water pistols, forcing them to vacate their tables.

Barcelona is not the only place where the anti-tourist sentiment is becoming increasingly personal. From the city explicitly telling hedonistic British visitors to “stay away” to the 14

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islanders turning tourists away from their most beautiful beaches, here’s a look at the popular European destinations pleading for us to steer clear this summer. / VENICE In April 2024, Venice took the unprecedented step of charging day-trippers €5 to visit the city.

On the first day of the entry fee, protest groups marched on the narrow canal walkways of Venice, holding banners proclaiming “Welcome to Veniceland” and “No to the ticket”.

Venice is the poster child for Europe’s overtourism woes. In 2021, cruise ships were banned from docking in the historic city centre after years of furious demonstrations. In 2018, a campaign called “#Enjoy, Respect Venezia” saw wardens patrolling the streets, stopping people

from loitering or sitting on steps in overcrowded parts of the city. It is unlikely that tourists will experience any direct, open hostility on their visit, although be mindful that locals are keen to ensure that their few pockets of peace and quiet remain so.

Hostility ranking: 6/10 / AMSTERDAM In Amsterdam, the loudest anti-tourism sentiment is not only coming from fringe protest groups. In March last year, the “Stay Away” online advertising campaign targeted people searching for stag dos or party weekends in Amsterdam. These videos showed young, inebriated men getting arrested or fined for inappropriate behaviour.

Amsterdam has also revealed plans to ban cruise ships by 2035 to end what Ilana Rooderkerk, leader of the liberal D66 party, described as a “locust plague” of tourists.

Hostility ranking: 7/10 / SANTORINI The Greek island of Santorini has boomed in Cruise &Travel

13/9/2024 11:41 AM

Mass appeal

The visible effects of overtourism as tourists crowd the walkway at the Doge’s Palace in Piazza San Marco on a busy day in Venice, Italy.

popularity since the dawn of social media platforms such as Instagram, with tourists queueing to capture that definitive shot of the white-walled, blue-domed buildings of Oia. It means the island’s population of 15,000 swells to more than two million each summer.

Santorini’s rise in popularity has made it difficult for residents to find affordable housing.

Some workers have apparently been forced to camp out on the beach or live in caves. The local authorities have also taken action to cap the number of cruise ships that can dock in Santorini; last year 800 visited the island, making it the most popular in Greece.

For now, the hostility against tourism remains targeted at officials, rather than tourists; wine growers, for example, have complained that they are losing land to new hotels.

Hostility ranking: 4/10 / CAPRI In peak season, as many as 16,000 tourists per day flock to Capri, outnumbering its 12,900 residents. In a rather half-baked attempt to limit visitor numbers (or perhaps, more accurately, to Cruise&Travel

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cash in on them), Capri this year doubled its entry fee from €2.50 to €5, payable when boarding a ferry from nearby Naples or Sorrento from April through to October.

Despite simmering resentment over the tide of apartment rentals that has emerged on the island since the Airbnb boom (there are more than 500 today, up from 110 in 2016), there have not been any anti-tourist protests on the island.

Tourists are more likely to experience confrontation in another form: using disposable plates, cups or cutlery on the island comes with a fine of €500 (about $828).

Capri’s mayor, Marino Lembo says the notion of the island being ruined by tourism is overblown. “I don’t agree with nostalgics who say Capri was more beautiful 100 years ago.

There was misery and poverty back then. Now there is wealth, and that is thanks to tourism,” he told Reuters.

Hostility ranking: 3/10 / PROVENCE Despite being hugely popular among tourists, and despite the French population’s penchant for speaking their minds, there has been remarkably little public backlash to overtourism in sunny Provence.Action has been more organisational than grassroots.

Last year, French tourism minister Olivia Gregoire outlined plans to manage tourist numbers in the country’s most popular spots in response to threats to “the environment, the quality of life for locals, and the experiences for its visitors”.

What this looks like, in practice, is a daily cap of 400 visitors to the famous Sugiton coves in Marseille’s Calanques National Park. The Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur region has also partnered with the Waze navigation app, so it suggests users return to the region’s busiest spots at later hours. So don’t expect to be squirted with a water pistol just yet.

Hostility ranking: 2/10 / CORFU More than 1.5 million tourists arrive in Corfu by air each summer, supplemented by tens of thousands of cruise passengers. The island isn’t immune to protest, although these are usually targeted against specific projects, such as the Erimitis development which received significant backlash, or grumbles about waste management and traffic in Corfu Old Town.

Greece has a reputation as one of Europe’s most welcoming and friendliest destinations. So while there are rumbles of discontent about tourism – whether in Athens, Crete or Rhodes – it is largely in frustration against the lack of an overarching plan. The upshot is that you will, almost certainly, be served your Greek salad and Mamos beer with a smile this summer.

Hostility ranking: 2/10 CT

Who’s to blame for overtourism?

There are many players in the debate around overtourism. But who is the most culpable? Peter Lynch gives his view.

• Tourists: are they the villains?

Tourists, particularly those who travel during peak seasons, undoubtedly contribute to the problem. The allure of popular destinations, fuelled by social media and the desire for Instagrammable moments, leads to overcrowding.

However, it’s unfair to place the entire blame on tourists. They are often hostage to school or national holidays, unaware of the negative consequences of their travel choices, and the marketing strategies of travel companies can be misleading.

• Travel companies: profiting at the expense of destinations?

Travel companies, both large and small, bear a significant responsibility towards destinations. Aggressive marketing, discounted packages and emphasis on popular destinations create a surge in numbers. While their business models rely on attracting customers, they often unwittingly prioritise profit over sustainability. By promoting responsible travel practices and offering alternatives, travel companies can play a vital role in mitigating overtourism.

• Governments: failing to protect their treasures?

Governments, both national and local, have a duty to protect their natural and cultural heritage. However, many have been slow to implement effective policies to manage visitor numbers. The lure of tourism revenue often outweighs concerns about sustainability, leading to lax regulations and inadequate infrastructure. By implementing visitor caps, increasing entrance fees during peak seasons and investing in sustainable tourism infrastructure, governments can make their destinations sustainable.

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Upfront

/ Ritzy yachts

T

Spice of life Matiere Premiere Crystal Saffron Extrait De Parfum, $599.

he Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection has taken delivery of its second ship, Ilma. Sized at 240 metres, she is slightly larger than her sister ship, Evrima, which launched in 2022. Ilma’s maiden voyage departed Monte Carlo in Monaco in September. The ship accommodates 448 guests in its 224 suites, and has five restaurants and seven bars, as well as a wine vault and The Ritz-Carlton Spa. The company’s third ship, Luminara, will launch later in 2024. The brand has also unveiled its plans to expand the Yacht Collection to the Asia-Pacific region, with Luminara offering 10 voyages between December 2025 and May 2026.

The cruises will visit 28 ports across 10 countries including Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and Thailand.

• Oceania Cruises has upped the ante, offering extensive Asian shore excursions next year. From the vibrant city of Hong Kong and the lush coves of Bali to the ancient temples of Kyoto, guests will be able to access some of the most remote ports in Asia and learn about the different cultures and cuisines.

There will be cooking classes in Thailand, visits to produce markets in Vietnam and treks to wet caves in the Tu Lan system in China. Itineraries range from six-day jaunts to 24-day voyages in the first half of 2025.

GO DEEPER

BALI hide

• Luxury property group Mandarin Oriental has announced a new hideaway resort with private residences on the picturesque Bukit peninsula of Bali. Set to open in 2027, perched on a cliffside plateau of elevated terraces, the resort will provide dramatic panoramic views of the Indian Ocean’s azure waters. Food and beverage options will include a specialty Chinese restaurant, a speakeasy bar and a beach club, providing a culinary journey that highlights the best of Indonesian and international cuisine.

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13/9/2024 4:38 PM

The Rebirth of a Sydney icon

Celebrate

the Grand Re-opening and indulge in exclusive benefits

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Upfront

• Rosewood has just opened its newest property in Salzburg, Austria, home of The Sound of Music. Schloss Fuschl is a 15th-century castle and former hunting lodge for the Prince-Archbishops of Salzburg. The last Prince-Archbishop, Count Hieronymus von Colloredo, is remembered today as a patron of Mozart, a native of Salzburg. The castle has 98 guestrooms including 42 suites and six lakeside chalets.

Inspired by the local forests and wildlife, the rooms are decorated to match the seasons.

There’s an Austrian focus in the food and beverage offerings – alpine breakfasts, strudel for afternoon tea and more than 1400 regional and world wines to choose from. At the Schloss Fuschl See Club guests can lounge by the lake. For activities, you can attend a Sound of Music piper performance or go ice skating, tobogganing or skiing in winter.

The HILLS

ARE ALIVE

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/Go big!

N

orwegian Aqua, the first of NCL’s Prima Class, will be about 10 per cent larger than other NCL ships and feature a range of new onboard offerings.

The ship will launch in April 2025, with food and beverage outlets including Thai restaurant Sukhothai and NCL’s first full plant-based eatery, Planterie, where guests can find dishes such as smoked tempeh and the Mediterranean Goddess Bowl. The ship will also have the world’s first hybrid rollercoaster and waterslide.

By day, the Glow Court will be a sports court and by evening, a nightclub for teens. And to attract the higher end

of the market, NCL is also debuting the line’s first-ever Three-Bedroom Duplex Haven Suites, which will accommodate up to six guests. The four two-storey spacious suites feature separate living and dining areas and a sprawling balcony.

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Three OCEANS • Silversea has announced its ultra-luxury 2027 world cruise, “The Three Oceans”. The cruise will go for 149 days across 80 destinations and 35 countries.

Silversea has designed the cruise to focus on connecting with local culture, with exclusive culinary and seasonal experiences. Silver Dawn will depart Los Angeles on January 8 and arrive in Copenhagen on June 7, crossing the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans along the way. Highlights include humpback-whale watching in Hawaii and visiting Robben Island, South Africa, along with 11 overnight port calls and a two-night overland journey from Durban to Port Elizabeth.

TWO of a KIND

• Crystal Cruises will build two new ships, a sign of luxury line’s strong recovery. Just two years ago, the line was bankrupt.

The cruise line has signed a contract with renowned Italian shipyard Fincantieri for the new cruise ships, each playing host to 690 passengers. The first ship will arrive in 2028, with the

delivery date of the second ship yet to be announced.

It was also revealed that there is an option for a third ship to be built. The ships will feature the only Nobu at sea, new options for solo travellers, and a comprehensive spa and fitness centre.

/Turkish delight

N

ext year, Turkish Airlines will roll out a new business class offering. The new Crystal Business Class will come with lie-flat seats, sliding doors and high-tech amenities. The cabins will feature 42 pod-style seats arranged in a 1-2-1 configuration. Every other row in the middle section will have a honeymoon suite with a pull-down divider between the two seats. Each suite will have a 22-inch, 4K high-definition entertainment screen and noise-reducing headphones. Other touches include a wireless charging station, adjustable ambient and reading lights, marble tables, rose-gold finishes and plush leather and fabrics sourced from Turkey.

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Collaboration

WORLD TRAVELLER PRINCESS CRUISES

Princess Cruises’ World Cruise for 2025 will be an amazing 113-night journey – and the best part is that it’s leaving from Sydney, writes Teresa Ooi.

P

icture this – waving goodbye to the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge as you sail past the heads and into the open ocean. This will mark the start of the Crown Princess® World Cruise, which sets sail from the Emerald City on 4 June 2025.

Over 113 glorious nights, you will call at 38 divine destinations in 28 countries across five continents. The around-the-world holiday is great value for money, with prices starting from $32,349 per person in an interior stateroom on a Princess Plus fare, which includes two casual dining meals per day, premier beverage package, MedallionNet® Max WI-FI and more. This works out as $287 per person, per day.

One of the added attractions about going on a Princess world cruise is that you can immerse yourself in the exclusive MedallionClass® experience, from contactless boarding to keyless stateroom entry and all food and drinks delivered to you wherever you are on board.

You’ll no longer have to queue to grab a cocktail, you can make dining reservations and book onboard activities such as dance classes

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from your 20-cent sized wearable Medallion – which also allows you to keep track of your loved ones anywhere on the ship. / THE ITINERARY As your World Cruise adventure begins in Sydney, you will be able to enjoy some of the best sights the city has to offer. You can jump on a hop-on, hop-off Sydney tour with your luggage safely stored, or take a city drive to Bondi Beach.

From Sydney, Crown Princess will sail down to Adelaide, arriving at 8am – allowing you the time to go on a wine-discovery tour visiting the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Glenelg.

You will then sail to Fremantle, WA, before crossing the Indian Ocean to arrive in Port

Louis in Mauritius, Cape Town in South Africa, and then Namibia.

You will then cruise to Cape Verde Islands, Canary Islands and Casablanca, the commercial hub of Western Morocco. Be prepared to be blown away by Casablanca’s blend of Moorish style and European Art Deco. Stop by the Hassan II Mosque, which has a 210-metre minaret with lasers directed toward Mecca.

Crown Princess will then call at Gibraltar.

Beneath its white cliffs is a profusion of palm, pine and cypress trees and some 600 varieties of flowers which are not seen anywhere else in the world. Veiled Moroccan women in kaftans mingle with vacationing Europeans who stroll along the narrow, steep lanes.

Bon voyage

Clockwise, from above: Cruise to the Blue Lagoon, Reykjavik, and New York; relax on board pre- and post-spa in the Sanctuary; and watch a sunset over the ocean every night.

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In the Mediterranean, the ship will visit Valencia and vibrant Barcelona, with its wide, tree-lined promenade of Las Ramblas. Marvel at the Gaudi’s Basilica La Sagrada Familia in this travellers’ paradise.

The ship will visit Mallorca, Cartagena, Tangier, Seville, Lisbon, Bilbao, Bordeaux, Ireland, Glasgow, Liverpool, Dover and Norway.

Then it’s on to Reykjavik in Iceland, the northernmost capital in the world and the gateway to Iceland’s natural wonders from ice fields to thermal pools.

As the ship makes its way to Isafjordur in Iceland, look out for polar bears, and enjoy oceans filled with seals, Minke and humpback whales in Nanortalik in Greenland.

After Crown Princess crosses to Canada, New York, Miami, Colombia and calls at Lima in Peru, it will make its way to Tahiti and Moorea in French Polynesia then Auckland and back to Sydney on 26 September 2025. / WHAT’S ON BOARD Crown Princess has a breathtaking, three-level Atrium with a relaxing atmosphere filled with world-class entertainment and restaurants.

Crown Princess is renowned for its classy selection of restaurants – from Crown Grill, for a juicy steak or seafood, and Sabatini’s Italian Trattoria to the Chef’s Table Experience for a special occasion degustation dinner with matched wines, Salty Dog Grill for gourmet burgers, Ultimate Balcony Dining for breakfast or a romantic dinner at sea, and a pop-up Crab Cruise&Travel

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“OVER 113 GLORIOUS NIGHTS, YOU WILL CALL AT ... 28 COUNTRIES ACROSS FIVE CONTINENTS.” Shack on select evenings serving Bayou-style boiled crawfish and spicy sausages. There’s also the 24-hour International Café on the 5th deck, next to the Piazza, which offers a variety of pastries, salads and quick snacks. Afternoon tea is served daily by white-gloved waiters in the main dining room.

Princess is renowned for its lavish, West End-style musical productions with dazzling stage sets and Broadway classics, held at the Princess Theatre. Hot music and cool cocktails with a DJ spinning popular club tunes make for an ideal spot for late-night dancing at Skywalkers Nightclub, 15 decks above the sea.

Built in June 2006, Crown Princess was last refurbished in 2022. The 19-deck ship caters for 3080 passengers and 1200 crew. There are 1547 cabins and staterooms with nearly 900 balconies.

On the 113th day, when Crown Princess sails back into Sydney Harbour, you will disembark the ship having experienced the love of a Princess cruise like you have never known before. CT For more information, see princess.com or call 1300 159 654.

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Upfront

Sailing on the

ORIENT EXPRESS • Imagine sleeping on Louis Vuitton linen, surrounded by furnishings and banquettes decorated in Dior monogram. Did we forget to mention the endless supply of Dom Pérignon and the Acqua di Parma toiletries?

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton now has a stake in Orient Express – as well as its first two sailing ships. The Orient Express Silenseas will set sail in 2026, with 54 suites, including the 1415-square-metre Presidential Suite, along with two swimming pools, two restaurants and a speakeasy bar.

Also on board is a private recording studio, and the cruise will include spa treatments, meditation sessions and, of course, immersive shore excursions.

• Capella Hotels & Resorts has announced the development of its second resort in Taiwan, which is scheduled to open in 2028. The new property will feature 65 exclusive villas and will span 99,000 square metres. The Capella Kenting will be set on the oceanfront of the western coastline of the Hengchun Peninsula in Pingtung. Each villa will have a private swimming pool, hot-spring facilities and 180-degree sea views. The Capella Wellness program will be the highlight of guests’ stays and will blend traditional southern Taiwanese practices with Capella’s signature therapies.

TAIWAN TREASURE

/ Mouse roars

D

Sweet sounds Dyson OnTrac headphones, $799.

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isney Cruise Line will build four new ships, set to launch between 2027 and 2031. The trio will join Disney Treasure, debuting this December, and Disney Adventure and Disney Destiny, which will set sail next year. Over the next seven years, Disney’s fleet will grow to 13 ships, allowing Disney to connect with even wider audiences, reaching destinations such as the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Europe, Alaska, Mexico, Canada, Hawaii, the South Pacific and Australia and New Zealand. Disney Adventure will be Disney’s first ship to sail in South East Asia.

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Moorish marvels

ABERCROMBIE & KENT

The Great Imperial Cities of

MOROCCO

Finish in Marrakech, absorbing the city at its most authentic. Listen in to fascinating stories about the old city – with its architectural jewels and souring minarets – and be captivated at Djemaa el-Fna square, as you look out upon vibrant vendors, acrobats, dancers and street musicians.

Few destinations promise such an exotic and sensory travel experience as Morocco, where African and Arabic cultures collide with a glamorous touch of French.

M

orocco’s Imperial cities – Fes, Rabat, Meknes and Marrakech – speak of ancient wars and civilisations, each telling their own unique story, with medieval walls, vibrant souks, bustling medinas and traders plying their wares.

Soak up the history, culture and food of these extraordinary cities on the expertly designed Tailor-Made Journey Mosaics & Medinas, complemented by the finest local guides and expert insights at every turn.

Along the way, you’ll visit five UNESCO World Heritage sites and stay in charming boutique hotels, infused with rich Moroccan character. / MOSAICS AND MEDINAS 8 days from $10,645 per person After a warm welcome in Casablanca, begin in the charming capital of Rabat, where you’ll follow your expert guide to uncover the superbly preserved relics of the city’s Moorish past. Then, Cruise&Travel

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Clockwise, from above: Fez’s old medina; the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca; Hassan Tower, Rabat; classic Moroccan tagines.

visit the most hauntingly beautiful ruins in Morocco, Sala Colonia, set amid crumbling walls in a tropical garden of colour.

Journey overland to the great Imperial city of Meknes, and marvel at impressive 17th-century monuments built by a powerful sultan. Continue to Volubilis, where you’ll explore Roman ruins, wandering among arches, basilicas and capitols, and see glorious and colourful mosaic floors.

Arrive in Fes, where you’ll take a sensory tour through the bustling medina, visiting the famous tanneries. Feast your eyes on the Royal Palace, mosques and medersas, and follow the scent of cumin and saffron through the souk, where artisans work on leather bags and luxuriant carpets.

/ TAILOR-MADE JOURNEYS WITH A&K Luxury tailor-made travel with A&K means seeing a country exactly as you want to see it, on an itinerary fashioned for you by the world’s foremost experts. Travel privately with your loved ones or companions, where every local encounter and luxury accommodation is chosen with your wishes in mind. On these journeys, you’ll enjoy exclusive access privileges, skip the queues to world-famous sites and have authentic experiences beyond the scope of any guidebook. / OTHER WAYS TO TRAVEL With A&K, you can also experience Morocco on a Luxury Small Group Journey or a Wings Over the World journey by private chartered air. It’s not too late to travel in 2024. But spaces are limited, so get in touch to find out more. CT To find out more about any of A&K’s journeys to Morocco, visit abercrombiekent.com.au, call 1800 161 299 or contact your travel advisor.

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Aman in DUBAI

• Luxury hotel group Aman has announced a second opulent property in the heart of Dubai. Set to open in 2027, the Janu Dubai will be located opposite the icon Jumeirah Beach, offering sweeping views across the skyline towards the Burj Khalifa on one side and garden views on the other. Janu Dubai will comprise approximately 150 hotel keys, as well as a limited number of Janu branded and fully serviced residences and a member’s club.

/ Taxing times

N

ew Zealand’s government has slapped an eye-watering 88 per cent fee increase on cruise passengers for “customs border processing” at a time when the country is suffering a 22 per cent drop in passenger numbers. The New Zealand Cruise Association (NZCA) is opening discussions with the government to urge it not to proceed. The increase is set to come into effect on 1 December 2024. The NZCA says this is coming at a time that is already extremely difficult for the cruise industry in New Zealand.

• Following a temporary residence on the Venice SimplonOrient Express, Belmond’s first permanent Dior Spa launched on the Royal Scotsman in April 2023. This will be Belmond’s third Dior Spa on a train. The new Dior Spa Eastern & Oriental Express will be housed in one of the train’s 16 Art Deco-inspired carriages. Signature treatment D-Jungle, an exclusive face-and-body treatment of Asian inspiration, will offer guests the opportunity to enjoy a rhythmic, deep muscle massage from head to toe, performed using stretching techniques and targeting specific energy points.

SPA on TRACK

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The raw and the cooked

• Oceania Cruises will be adding sushi and Indian cuisine on its fleet’s Terrace Café and a revamped poolside lunch menu at Waves Grill. The sushi station boasts 45 new dishes, created by Oceania Cruises’ newly appointed executive culinary directors, Chef

Alex Quaretti and Chef Eric Barale, including two types of sashimi per day, two types of uramaki, three kinds of nigiri and a daily vegetarian option. The new Indian Corner operates once every cruise during dinner service and features 15 authentic Indian recipes.

NEW DAWN for SKY

• Caledonian Sky will make a grand return to the Mediterranean next year, after sailing Fiji with Captain Cook Cruises. This little luxury ship will resume cruising Europe under the Travelmarvel/APT banner. From April to October 2025, there will be 13 itineraries, including two extended combination journeys, offering travellers an array of premium cruising opportunities. The ship carries an average of 100 passengers with a crew of 70, boasting one of the highest crew-to-guest ratios in Europe.

/ Princess eclipses Europe

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rincess’s largest-ever Europe season will see five ships sailing the region in 2026, including Enchanted Princess, Sky Princess, Majestic Princess and Sapphire Princess. Highlights include an opportunity to experience the 2026 total solar eclipse and the chance to sail on the newest Princess ship, Sun Princess. Round-trip cruises from Copenhagen will return and there are new itineraries from Rome. The cruise line will also offer guests the chance to extend their journey on land with the Highlights of Spain, Classic Italy or the Ring of Kerry “cruisetour” itineraries.

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CRYSTAL

TRIP of a LIFETIME Take the scenic route on Crystal’s combined voyages – and 14 grand tours also come with up to 15 per cent savings.

/ COPENHAGEN TO COPENHAGEN • 15 nights aboard Crystal Serenity • 30 June to 15 July 2025 • From $14,950 per person This is a captivating journey through the cultural gems of Northern Europe. From enchanting Copenhagen to historic Bornholm and the olde-worlde allure of Poland’s Gdansk, you’ll then traverse the Baltic Sea to Klaipeda before exploring the rich history of Stockholm and Helsinki. Discover the medieval wonders of Visby and Riga, before finishing in artsy Berlin. CT

S

ee even more of the world on Crystal’s back-to-back sailings, where a more relaxed journey has ample adventure along the way. From the eternal shores of Italy and the bright lights of Singapore to the rainbow reefs of the Caribbean, you can also save up to 15 per cent on 14 different voyages.

Enjoy elegant new spaces aboard reimagined ships Serenity and Symphony, where exceptional service is par for the course. Dine in award-winning restaurants such as Beefbar and Nobu’s UMI UMA, experience total rejuvenation in the Aurora Spa, and elevate your journey with onshore excursions designed to inspire.

All this and more awaits on the Crystal adventure of a lifetime. / CAPE TOWN TO SINGAPORE • 26 nights aboard Crystal Symphony • 23 December 2024 to 18 January 2025 • From $16,700 per person Escape the hectic holiday season by stepping aboard a luxurious cruise from fascinating South Africa and exotic 26

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Madagascar to the silky-white beaches of Mauritius, the Seychelles and the Maldives. Continue the journey to Sri Lanka and Malaysia for delicious food and cultural tours, ending with the bright lights of Singapore. / MARSEILLE TO MARSEILLE • 20 nights aboard Crystal Serenity • 17 May to 6 June 2025 • From $15,300 per person This Mediterranean voyage features marvellous architecture and cultural icons in Rome and Barcelona, island hopping off the coast of Italy and plenty of indulgence in the Chianti wine region.

You’ll also see the art treasures of Florence and ruggedly beautiful Sardinia, ending with a spot of shopping in glitzy St Tropez.

Find out more about Crystal’s combined voyages by contacting your travel advisor, visiting crystalcruises.com, or calling 1300 503 640.

On the itinerary

From top to bottom: Gardens by the Bay, Singapore; Nyhavn Pier, Copenhagen; Basilica of NotreDame-of-la-Garde, Marseille.

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When in ROME

• Mandarin Oriental has unveiled a new luxury property in the centre of Rome, scheduled to open in 2026. The hotel will be made up of 10 19th-century villas, accommodating 108 guestrooms and suites. Within the grounds there will be six restaurants and bars. The spa will provide a wide range of wellness experiences, while swimmers will enjoy the large indoor and outdoor pools.

There will also be six treatment rooms, one VIP treatment suite, thermal rooms and a dedicated sundeck. The property is between Via Piemonte and Via Sallustiana within the Gardens of Sallust, an ancient Roman archaeological site.

/ Living la Dolce Vita

B

ookings have opened for Italy’s first luxury train-travel experience, the La Dolce Vita Orient Express, including eight, round-trip Made in Italy itineraries which depart from Rome.

The journeys will visit destinations such as Venice, Matera, Tuscany, Piedmont, Portofino, Abruzzo and Sicily. Other itineraries spotlight the breathtaking mountainous village of Palena, and see La Dolce Vita ferried to Sicily. On board, guests will dine on cuisine created by acclaimed three-Michelin starred chef, Heinz Beck. Accommodation offerings include 12 deluxe cabins, 18 suites and one La Dolce Vita Suite.

• Small-ship cruise line STAR Windstar Cruises will debut a SEEKER new ship in 2026. Star Seeker’s

maiden voyage will be a transatlantic sailing in early January from Malaga to Miami. After her christening, she will sail the Caribbean before heading up the West Coast of the US to Alaska for a full season of summer cruises. From there, the ship will sail to Japan before heading to South East Asia. Star Seeker will have 112 suites, most featuring private verandas or floor-to-ceiling infinity windows. The ship will have five dining options, a full-service spa, a fitness facility, and the Watersports Platform, which turns the ocean into an infinity pool by letting guests access the sea directly from the ship.

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Go Grand

OCEANIA CRUISES

Oceania Cruises® have revealed their 2025 Grand Voyages, sailing to regions around Asia, South America and Australasia, writes Teresa Ooi.

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W

atching a voodoo ceremony in Togo; spotting a milky stork in Cambodia; learning the ancient art of tai chi in Shanghai – these are some extraordinary highlights of Oceania Cruises Grand Voyages in 2025.

Cruising from Rio de Janeiro to Cape Town; Tokyo to Singapore; or Perth to San Diego, you will be spoilt for choice picking a voyage from one of the world’s leading culinary- and destination-focused cruise lines.

The diverse range of Oceania Cruises Grand Voyages will allow guests to discover world wonders such as Borobudur in Indonesia and penguin watching in Uruguay.

You can also snorkel off Brazil’s best beach; drive into the pampas in Argentina; or simply explore the city of Agadir in Morocco. The list goes on.

“Our 2025 Grand Voyages offer our discerning guests the chance to explore the globe without the constraint of time, immersing themselves deeper into destinations with our enriching shore excursion offerings, before relaxing on board our small, luxurious ships,” said Frank A. Del Rio, President of Oceania Cruises.

The line’s foodie ships – Allura, Vista, Marina and Riviera – feature a hands-on cooking school and a variety of incredible Culinary Discovery Tours™. In Helsinki, you can pick a chef-led foraging tour where you can meander around a local market picking the best reindeer and cloudberries before preparing regional dishes in the onboard Culinary Center.

On Oceania Cruises’ Go Local and Go Green shore excursions, you can also learn about mangrove conservation and crab nurseries in Bali or Gaelic sports such as hurling in Cork, Ireland.

The line’s smaller ships, Nautica, Regatta, Sirena and Insignia, accommodate only 670 guests each and can access boutique ports giving guests a more intimate experience.

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HIGHLIGHTS OF

2025 Grand Voyages / Radiant Brazil & Argentina 26 January to 16 February 2025 This 21-day voyage on board Marina from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires will give you the chance to snorkel off Ilha Grande or hike to Tres Tombos waterfall in Ilhabela. You can shear sheep in Argentina, watch Magellanic penguins on the Punta Ninfas promontory and witness the spectacular beauty of Tierra del Fuego’s Lakes.

Colombo, Sri Lanka. Here you experience a meditation session with a Buddhist Thera or participate in Kandyan dance therapy. Wander through the old city of Goa on the coast of India before enjoying a luxury beach escape in the breathtaking Maldives. Spot pygmy kingfishers, chameleons and lemurs in Madagascar’s national parks, and discover the vibrant heritage of Mozambique in Maputo.

/ Tropics of the Far East 14 February to 10 March 2025 The 24-day voyage on board Riviera will depart from Tokyo to Singapore. You can meander through the pine groves of Miho under the shadow of Mount Fuji, cruise in one of the world’s longest underground rivers in an outrigger canoe in Puerto Princesa and explore the medieval Candi Tikus temple in Surabaya.

/ Southern Seas Explorer 4 May to 3 July 2025 The 61-day itinerary from Perth to San Diego on board Insignia will showcase the beauty of Australia from kangaroos at Cape Le Grand National Park in Western Australia to the pink lake at Esperance. In New Zealand, you will be able to watch flying dolphins, gannets and blue penguins in the Bay of Islands, savour stunning wines in Napier and experience hot springs in Te Puia. After crossing the international date line, you can go island hopping in the South Pacific, visiting Vanuatu, Fiji and Bora Bora before calling at Honolulu, Hilo and San Diego.

/ Outback & Island Pearls 23 June to 17 July 2025 You’ll be sailing for 25 Days from Bali, Indonesia to Papeete, French Polynesia aboard Regatta.

Explore Komodo, one of the three major islands making up the UNESCO World Heritage site of Komodo National Park, and snorkel off Lautoka, the soft coral capital of the world, before wandering amidst lush rainforests and orchid farms.

Visit beautiful Gina’s Tropical Gardens, and learn about local Samoan plants at Sopo’aga Falls before discovering the local sea life during a snorkel safari in Bora Bora Lagoon. / Indian Ocean Treasures 17 April to 22 May 2025 The 35 Days from Singapore to Cape Town, South Africa, aboard Nautica. Explore the cosmopolitan city of Kuala Lumpur before landing in

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Cruise heaven

Clockwise, from left: Oceania Vista; fine dining on board; Oceania Sirena calling on Bora Bora; the Grand Dining Room; Aquamar Spa + Vitality Center; a Penthouse Suite.

/ Mediterranean Odyssey 15 August to 6 September 2025 The 22-day cruise onboard Allura will depart Athens for Monte Carlo. You will marvel at the well-preserved Ephesus, the allure of Amalfi Coast and the beautiful beaches of Ibiza. Your ship will overnight in Istanbul, giving you time to explore the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia before arriving at Monte Carlo to stroll along the Grand Corniche and visit Grimaldi Palace. CT Visit OceaniaCruises.com, call 1300 355 200, or speak with a professional travel advisor to book.

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MINOR goes MAJOR in SINGAPORE • Minor Hotels has announced plans to launch an Avani Hotels & Resorts property in Singapore, the first for the Lion City. Scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2027, the 13-storey upscale property aligns with Minor Hotels’ expansion strategy to strengthen its footprint in major global destinations.

The 200-key hotel will be at 24 Peck Seah Street in the heart of the bustling Tanjong Pagar, within minutes’ walk to the Central Business District and Chinatown. The neighbourhood is a food hotspot, offering dining options ranging from traditional hawker fare at Maxwell and Amoy Street food centres to Michelin-recommended global cuisine along Kiong Siak Road, Telok Ayer and Duxton Hill.

/ She’s a pearler

P

aspaley Pearl by Ponant will kick off its inaugural season with a 10-night voyage to be among whale sharks, Komodo dragons and fascinating cultures from Dili to Bali, departing on January 10. Designed to accommodate only 30 guests with 21 crew, the motor yacht will explore the most bio-diverse regions of Raja Ampat in Indonesia, Rowley Shoals in Australia and Tufi in Papua New Guinea. The partnership between pearl retailer Paspaley and French expedition line Ponant will

open new experiences in the Kimberley. All itineraries will be accompanied by four naturalist guides. On-board dining options include locally inspired cuisine with rare seafood sourced from the Kimberley region including pearl meat, northern prawns and barramundi. Dishes and menus have been designed by experienced chef Serge Dansereau, formerly of Bathers Pavilion.

• Raffles Hotels & Resorts has announced the opening of a new hotel, Raffles Jaipur, in the Indian state of Rajasthan. There are 50 guestrooms and suites, each unique in layout and decor. Guests can avail themselves of the brand’s signature butler service and, unique to Raffles Jaipur, they will provide curated healing rituals traditional to Rajasthani culture, including botanical-infused bathing, health elixirs made from local spices and plant-based ointments. Arkaa, the hotel’s specialty restaurant, will serve primarily plant-based dishes using local ingredients sourced from nearby microfarms. And drinks will be concocted with freshly ground spices and herbs sourced from the hotel’s garden.

Tickled PINK

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/ Ancient whirl

A

bercrombie & Kent has announced two extraordinary private jet journeys for 2025, visiting the remnants of some of the world’s most captivating ancient civilisations. The journeys include visits to the natural wonders of Lençoiš Maranhenses National Park in Brazil and Salar de Uyuni salt flats in Bolivia, the Roman ruins of Volubilis in Morocco, and the remnants of the Khmer empire in Cambodia. A&K’s chartered Boeing 757 has 48 first-class, fully lie-flat seats and a range of amenities, including iPads and an espresso maker. A dedicated cabin crew (complete with executive chef ) provides personalised service. Touch down in exotic destinations not easily accessible via the major carriers, reliably coming and going on a timetable based on A&K’s itinerary – not an airline’s convenience. And stay in hotels like the Explora, which hosts horseback rides to Torres del Paine National Park (left).

Golden Age of AMSTERDAM

• The Pulitzer Amsterdam hotel has recently unveiled three exceptional new suites that invite guests to immerse themselves in the Golden Age of Amsterdam. They include two new Collector’s Suites, which are inspired by the historic landscape of the city. The threestorey Merchant Suite offers a beautiful sitting and dining room, as well as three bedrooms and three bathrooms. With views onto the Keizersgracht, the suite includes a personal concierge and private airport transfer. The Porcelain Collector’s Suite takes inspiration from locally sourced porcelain artistry, from delicate vintage Delft tiles to modern interpretations of traditional porcelain.

OUTBOUND with AURORA • Australian-owned Aurora Expeditions will cast a wider net in 2026, taking adventure-seekers to remote Raja Ampat in Indonesia and to visit the orangutans of Central Kalimantan in Borneo. The line has more than 33 years’ experience in exploration and

adventure cruising, and was founded by legendary adventurer Greg Mortimer. In the 2026 season, it will also offer solo cabins with no single supplement on every sailing to the polar regions of Antarctica and Arctic, as well as Costa Rica, the Mediterranean, Scotland, Ireland and South East Asia. There will also be an expedition to Oslo in Norway and Reykjavik in Iceland to experience the total solar eclipse on board Sylvia Earle.

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13/9/2024 4:43 PM

EUROPEAN RIVER CRUISING 2025 NEW EMERALDACTIVE EXPERIENCES & EXCEPTIONAL DISCOVERIES

BIRD Y L R EA RS OFFE G N SELLI FA S T

Explore Europe’s classic rivers at your own pace with our EmeraldACTIVE experiences, and enjoy exceptional inclusions.

15-DAY SPLENDOURS OF EUROPE CRUISE

EXCEPTIONAL INCLUSIONS

13-DAY NICE TO PARIS & SENSATIONS OF LYON AND PROVENCE CRUISE

NETHERLANDS

Amsterdam 14

All meals on board

Complimentary drinks

Cologne

Daily guided tours

Miltenberg

Regensburg

Beaune Chalon-Sur-Saône

EmeraldPLUS excursions

Nuremberg Passau

7 Saône River Lyon

Dürnstein

Melk Vienna AUSTRIA

All gratuities, porterage, charges & taxes

Bratislava

HUNGARY

Highlights: visit 5 countries, 25 excursions including 4 EmeraldPLUS experiences, Bavarian band performance, 41 meals, wine and beer with lunch and dinner* person 4,995 per twin share*

From $

person* 2,500 per

SAVE $ up to

Tournon Viviers Avignon Arles

SLOVAKIA

Budapest

EWCR

Airport transfers

EmeraldACTIVE experiences

Bamberg

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EmeraldACTIVE excursions

5

EmeraldACTIVE experiences

Rhine Gorge

Rüdesheim

2 Paris

8

GERMANY

Rhône River

EPFN

FRANCE

Monaco

Nice 3

Highlights: best of France,14 excursions including 3 EmeraldPLUS experiences, celebrity chef dinner 25 meals, wine and beer with lunch and dinner* person 7,195 per twin share*

From $

person* 1,800 per

SAVE $ up to

Visit emeraldcruises.com.au, Call 1300 286 110 or contact your local travel advisor *Conditions apply. For full conditions, refer to brochure or website, all prices in AUD and are based on per person twin share, cruise/tours/cruises. Offers on new bookings & not available to use with Future Travel Credit Vouchers. All prices based on Super Earlybird savings paid in full 10 months prior to departures in an E Category Stateroom unless stated otherwise. Super Earlybird has limited availability and available until sold out. EWCR price based on 27/10/25 departure.

EPFN price based on 20/08/25 departure. Valid on new bookings until 30/09/24 & subject to availability or until sold out. Surcharges may apply on credit card transactions. Prices, dates, availability correct at 15/07/24 & subject to change.

Emerald Cruises (a division of Scenic Tours Pty Ltd). ABN 85 002 715 602. Booking Code: EVMA207

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STARS OF THE RIVER EMERALD CRUISES

It’s luxury river cruising with a difference. You can keep fit and active while exploring the timeless waterways of Europe with Emerald Cruises.

T

E

here’s no better way to discover Europe than on a relaxing river cruise. Navigating the continent’s classic waterways, Emerald Cruises’ fleet of award-winning Star-Ships not only offers authentic experiences incorporating regional cuisine, culture, history and story-telling, but additionally, unique active programs for the perfect blend of relaxation and activities.

/ Get up and go Those seeking a more energetic experience and faster pace while river cruising will appreciate Emerald Cruises’ exclusive EmeraldACTIVE program. These complimentary activities and excursions are expertly designed to bring new perspectives on enthralling European destinations. Working closely with the ship’s cruise director and wellness team, a dedicated activity manager oversees this inspiring program of daytime tours and onboard activities, tailored to suit all fitness abilities and ages.

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rices ture. nge.

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/ Onshore hikes and cycling forays If exploring Europe’s awe-inspiring regions is on your radar, the EmeraldACTIVE guided Cruise&Travel

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hike the esteemed Côtes du Rhône’s vineyards then sample world-class wines.

hikes and walking tours provide immersive experiences amid some of the continent’s most picturesque spots, while guided cycling tours invariably head off the beaten track through stunning landscapes. Emerald Cruises local tour guides are extremely knowledgeable, sharing fascinating insights to further enhance your European cruising experience.

Get set for memorable EmeraldACTIVE

experiences on Emerald Cruises’ marvellous itineraries. On the 15-day Splendours of Europe, cycle from Melk to Dürnstein along Austria’s Danube River to encounter the rolling vineyards, quaint towns and dramatic landscapes of the UNESCO World Heritagelisted Wachau Valley. Guided hikes to ancient treasures include 10th-century-era Bratislava Castle, perched in Baroque gardens above the Slovakian capital’s Old Town, and the ruins of Dürnstein Castle, where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned after the Crusades.

Further exciting activities beckon when you join the 8-day Sensations of Lyon & Provence.

Cycle through Lyon, renowned for its gastronomy and World Heritage-listed city districts, or from medieval village Tournon,

/ Paddle captivating waterways Get up close to Europe’s most majestic waterways on an exhilarating EmeraldACTIVE kayaking tour. Beyond historic Avignon, paddle along the beautiful Rhône River, or the Pinhão, a tributary of Portugal’s Douro River that flows through the heart of the magnificent Douro Valley. This unforgettable tour features in the 8-day Secrets of the Douro, on board the uniquely designed Emerald Radiance, where you can also select guided active walks covering destinations such as Porto, a charming seaside city famed for its Port wines. / Stay active on board Continue the active focus while on board your luxury river cruise. With iconic European scenery as your backdrop, start your day with complimentary morning yoga, stretching, or HIIT workouts on the Sun Deck. Other guided activities extend to dance classes, power walks around the walking track and aqua aerobics in the indoor heated pool. Going it alone, the pool’s propulsive current for resistance swimming, gym, putting green and complimentary bicycles mean you’ll always find ways to keep active. CT Book your 2025 river cruise now. Cruise from $4995 per person for the classic 15-day ‘Splendours of Europe’ European river cruise, with earlybird offers available until 31 October 2024. For more information visit emeraldcruises.com.au, or call 1300 286 110.

Get active

Clockwise, from above: Kayaking on the Douro; cycling Europe’s beautiful cities; practising yoga on board.

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Collaboration

APT AND SEABOURN

PERFECT PARTNER ships From the icy realms of Antarctica and the Arctic to the unspoiled beauty of the Kimberley, cruisers can embark on an unrivalled journey of elegance and exploration with APT and Seabourn, writes Alice Williams.

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s the world of luxury cruising continues to evolve at high speed, a new partnership between APT and Seabourn is poised to set a new standard in expedition travel. This alliance combines APT’s century-long expertise in crafting remarkable travel experiences with Seabourn’s reputation for opulence at sea.

With the 2025 itineraries for Northern Europe, the Arctic and the Kimberley already released, and the highly anticipated Antarctica voyage set for 2026, APT and Seabourn are exploring some of the most remote and breathtaking corners of the planet. / Northern Europe and the Arctic, a journey of myth and majesty For those with an eye on the largely unspoiled Cruise &Travel

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Image: Seabourn.

Image: Seabourn.

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beauty of Northern Europe, the APT and Seabourn partnership offers two itineraries through this fascinating region.

Board Seabourn Venture for a curated 10-night North Atlantic voyage that covers up to 13 destinations, each more spectacular than the last, from the ancient streets of Kirkwall, the capital of the Orkney Islands, to the serene beauty of Iceland’s remote Westfjords. Highlights include a visit to Dynjandi Waterfall, where you’ll stand in awe of one of Iceland’s most magnificent natural wonders. In the charming village of Siglufjordur, you’ll become immersed in the region’s history at the Herring Era Museum, then enjoy a tasting of local delicacies that capture the essence of Icelandic cuisine.

The second itinerary, a 13-night Arctic expedition, elevates the experience even further, venturing into the far reaches of the North Atlantic and into Artic Greenland. With up to 10 destinations on the itinerary, this voyage is designed for the true adventurer. Visit Ittoqqortoormiit, one of the most remote

PIcture perfect

Clockwise, from left: Seabourn Venture cruising Greenland; and Iceland; King George Falls, WA.

settlements on Earth. Here, you’ll gain insight into the lives of the Inuit people who have called this harsh, beautiful land home for centuries.

In Skjalfandi Bay, you’ll embark on a local boat to search for some of the diverse species of whale that frequent the area. The itinerary includes a private visit to Vok Baths, a serene geothermal spa that will be open exclusively to APT guests, offering a moment of relaxation in the wilderness.

On board, a commitment to luxury is evident in every detail. Seabourn Venture, launched in 2022, was purpose-built for ultra-luxury expedition cruising. With a maximum of 264 guests, the ship offers an intimate experience with personalised service and attention to detail. All 132 suites have ocean-front views and private verandas.

The ship’s elegantly appointed public spaces, including the Constellation Lounge, Discovery Centre and The Club, provide the perfect setting to relax after a day of exploration. There’s an abundance of on-board dining, from gourmet meals at The Restaurant to made-to-order sushi and 24-hour in-suite dining.

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Image: Seabourn.

/ Kimberley’s untamed beauty Closer to home, APT and Seabourn’s Kimberley Coastal Expedition aboard Seabourn Pursuit offers an invitation to sample one of Australia’s last true wilderness experiences.

The nine-night itinerary is designed to get you up close to the Kimberley coast, with daily excursions on Zodiac vessels that take you to the region’s natural wonders, from the awe-inspiring King George Falls to the intricate patterns of Aboriginal rock art on Freshwater Cove.

With this voyage, you have the opportunity to witness the Horizontal Falls, a natural phenomenon where the tide creates a waterfall effect as it rushes through narrow gorges.

Another magical experience is exploring Montgomery Reef by Zodiac, where the reef appears to rise from the ocean as the tide falls, revealing a unique marine ecosystem.

Like Seabourn Venture, the ship was designed with the ultra-luxury expedition traveller in mind. With just 264 guests, Seabourn Pursuit offers a level of intimacy and personalised service rare in the cruising world. All suites feature private verandas, and the ship’s dining experiences are exceptional, with menus inspired by the destinations you’ll explore.

Being aboard Seabourn Pursuit for the stunning Kimberley sunset is a magical experience.

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Just remarkable

Clockwise, from far left: Mt Kirkjufell, Iceland; WA’s Montgomery Reef; Naturalists Island, WA; dining on Seabourn Ovation; Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland; penguin viewing with Seabourn Venture.

Image: Seabourn.

Adventure can be found below the waves too, as Seabourn Venture is equipped with two custom-built submarines, offering an unparalleled opportunity to explore the mysteries of the deep. The ship’s 24-person expedition team, among the best in the industry, will guide you through each destination, ensuring you gain a deep understanding of the landscapes and cultures you encounter.

/ A taste of elegance and history with Mediterranean marvels For those seeking a more traditional luxurycruise experience, Seabourn Ovation offers a delightful journey through the Mediterranean, one of the world’s most beloved cruising regions. This small-group voyage, hosted by an expert APT Tour Leader, guides you through some of the Mediterranean’s most storied destinations. With up to five ports of call, this journey is as much about the culinary experiences as it is about the iconic scenery.

In Tuscany, indulge in farm-to-table produce and paired wines at the renowned Col d’Orcia estate, while in Saint-Tropez you’ll be treated to a behind-the-scenes tour of a family-run vineyard, culminating in a cellar-room tasting.

Art and history enthusiasts will relish a private tour of Casa Rocca Piccola, a 16th-century palace in Malta, and an exclusive before-hours visit to Casa Vicens, the first house designed by the legendary Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona.

Seabourn Ovation, with its elegant interiors and exceptional service, provides the perfect

backdrop for a voyage on the Med. The ship’s culinary offerings, from gourmet dining to casual fare, are among the best at sea, while its luxurious public areas promise that you’ll travel in style and comfort. All suites offer sweeping ocean views through the glass doors of their private verandas. / The pinnacle of remote exploration APT and Seabourn’s Antarctic Voyage is an expedition to the most remote continent on the planet, in utmost luxury. The 15-day experience includes a 10-night cruise aboard Seabourn Venture deep into Antarctica. Included in this mesmerising holiday are return flights on an APT private charter from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, the voyage to the White Continent, as well as four nights at the 5-star Alvear Palace Hotel in Buenos Aires.

Your cruise on Seabourn Venture will be an expedition like none other. Here in the enchanting world of ice and water, you’ll be led by the line’s Expedition team to see penguin rookeries and seal colonies. You’ll learn about the history and geology of the vast landscapes, on and off the ship.

With its state-of-the-art design, all-veranda, ocean-front suites and a dedicated expedition team, Seabourn Venture is the epitome of expedition cruising. After your daily off ship exploration by Zodiac or ashore, return to the ship to unwind with a gourmet meal, a visit to the spa, or simply relax in the comfort of your suite, taking in the ever-changing vistas of the Antarctic landscape.

Each of the APT and Seabourn partnership voyages offers a unique blend of adventure and culture, and a new standard for cruising. CT Join Sir Peter Cosgrove, former Governor General of Australia, on APT’s Northern Europe and Arctic departures, and the Kimberley charter on 18 June 2025. Sir Peter will conduct lectures on topics such as World War I/II and geopolitics, plus host Q&A sessions and dinners. For more information, visit aptouring.com.au or seabourn.com or call 1800 469 2938.

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N O RTH E R N EU RO P E 2025 D ISCOVER TH E N EW

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Iceland and Arctic Explorer

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tour in Húsavík.

Relax with a private visit to Vök Baths, opened exclusively for APT guests.

Spend five days in Northeast Greenland National Park – the world’s largest national park. Icebergs, glaciers, unique geological formations and Arctic wildlife including polar bears await.

Visit Ittoqqortoormiit, one of the most remote settlements on earth, and be welcomed by the small local community as you learn about their lives.

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Australia

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Cruise Trends as a part of a World Cruise itinerary. The two ships will make a grand entrance into Sydney Harbour together on February 20. / Carnival Cruise Line The family-oriented cruise line is offering itineraries across Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. Carnival Luminosa arrives in Brisbane in November for her homeport summer season, while Carnival Splendor is based year-round in Sydney.

RECORD SEASON Australia and New Zealand are gearing up for a cruise season like no other, with exciting new itineraries and record-breaking passenger numbers. Peter Lynch reports.

A

ustralia’s cruise industry celebrated the region’s season start in Sydney with new statistics showing a big increase in those wanting berths in the next six months.

“Earlier this year Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) announced a very important milestone. Our annual passenger figures show we have overtaken the numbers achieved previously in 2019 and moved into new territory.

We’re setting new records,” says CLIA’s Managing Director Joel Katz. “Australasia has followed the global trend with positive figures of our own, recording 1.34 million passengers from across this region in 2023.”

Australia alone contributed 1.24 million passengers to that total,

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surpassing 2019 levels and confirming once again that this is one of the world’s most passionate cruise markets. / Azamara Cruises Azamara Pursuit will sail a variety of cruises in the region, arriving in Geraldton in mid-December then sailing the Great Australian Bight with visits to Albany, Esperance and Kangaroo Island before making her way across the Tasman for a series of New Zealand voyages. Azamara Pursuit will also be in Sydney Harbour over the New Year period and will cruise back through the Bight to Hong Kong as it departs Australia in late February. Azamara Onward will also sail in Australian and New Zealand waters from mid-February

/ Celebrity Cruises Celebrity will return to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific with the technologically advanced Celebrity Edge. It will embark on 17 sailings, ranging from three to 14 nights. Departing from Sydney and Auckland, she will visit 26 ports during her six months in region.

Celebrity Solstice will also return to local waters for two turns departing from Sydney on October 19 for Asia and then April 9 for Fiji and the Transpacific. / Cunard Queen Elizabeth will arrive in October for a homeporting season from Sydney, with the third edition of the Great Australian Culinary Voyage and the inaugural Australian Literature Festival at Sea being some of her season’s highlights. In February, the brand-new Queen Anne will make her maiden voyage to Australia as part of her world cruise. / Disney Cruise Line The mouse is returning to Australia and New Zealand for a second season from October 2024 to February 2025. Itineraries range from two to seven nights, sailing from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland. The magic of Christmas will be celebrated on select sailings from 24 November 2024 to 3 January 2025. / Heritage Expeditions The cruise line will celebrate its 40th anniversary next year. The line’s voyages will sail from New Zealand to the Subantarctic Islands of Australia and New Zealand, into the “heart of Antarctica”, the Ross Sea, along Australia’s iconic

Kimberley coast, and around New Zealand’s three main islands. / Holland America Line Westerdam arrives in Sydney in November this year. Guests can choose from a range of great itineraries, including a 35-day circumnavigation of Australia departing November 17, visiting stunning destinations including Cairns, Bali, Broome and Hobart. / MSC Cruises MSC is preparing for its World Cruise 2025, which will see MSC Magnifica take a 116-night voyage around the world visiting 50 destinations across 21 countries and five continents. From March 4, she will head Down Under to enjoy an extended tour of New Zealand and Australia as one of the last international ship visits to help round off the cruise season. / Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Sun will make her Australian debut this summer, arriving in Brisbane on December 18. She will sail a selection of 12- to 15-day voyages between Australia and New Zealand, including new itineraries to the Great Barrier Reef and South Pacific between Cairns, Australia, and Lautoka, Fiji. / Oceania Cruises Oceania Cruises is preparing for an exciting return to Australia and New Zealand with a revamped Insignia, Regatta and Nautica. The ships will be taking passengers on 16 itineraries around the region.

One of the highlights is a 34-day circumnavigation of Australia aboard Regatta during the festive season. / P&O Cruises Australia The all-Aussie cruise line is set to embark on its final summer season at sea. The line will be going out with a bang with 80 sailings from Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, visiting destinations such as the Pacific Islands, Great Barrier Reef, Moreton Island, Kangaroo Island, Tasmania and Exmouth. In March 2025, P&O’s Pacific Adventure and Pacific Encounter will join the Carnival Cruise fleet, sailing year-round from Sydney Cruise &Travel

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“AUSTRALIA … IS ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST PASSIONATE CRUISE MARKETS.”

Subantarctic Islands, as well as Northeast Australia and Indonesia.

In January, Paspaley Pearl by Ponant’s new 30-guest expedition vessel, Paspaley Pearl, will embark on her inaugural season in Raja Ampat and the Spice Islands, before turning to the Kimberley.

from Sydney to Auckland, and another 14-night Auckland to Sydney sojourn. Meanwhile, Seven Seas Voyager sails into Australia in January 2025 on her 18-night Singapore to Sydney itinerary, the Pristine Australian Wilderness cruise.

and Brisbane as Carnival Adventure and Carnival Encounter.

/ Princess Cruises The line has Royal Princess returning to Sydney for a second homeport season, where she will be joined by Crown Princess and Diamond Princess. In June 2025, Crown Princess will make her inaugural 113-night world cruise voyage from Sydney and become the largest ship Princess has ever homeported here year-round.

/ Royal Caribbean The summer season features the return of Ovation of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas. The line offers more than 40 domestic and international cruises, visiting destinations around Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

/ Ponant The expedition vessels Le JacquesCartier and Le Laperouse will conclude their Kimberley season at the end of September 2024. Le Laperouse will then sail Cairns to Bali, exploring Northeast Australia and Indonesia. Le Jacques-Cartier will embark on an exploration of Indonesia in October, and Australia’s South Coast and Tasmania from December. From January, she will explore New Zealand. From December, Le Soléal will explore New Zealand, including two departures to its Cruise&Travel

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/ Regent Seven Seas Cruises Seven Seas Explorer will return to Australia and New Zealand for the third time, in December 2024, offering three itineraries including a 16-night Bali to Sydney voyage, a 14-night festive-season cruise

/ Scenic Luxury Cruises The line will operate the ultraluxury Scenic Eclipse II in Australia, exploring the Great Barrier Reef, the Kimberley region and the West Australian coastline including the Abrolhos Islands. In New Zealand, the ship will cruise both the North and South Islands including the Bay of Islands and Fiordland. In

So many choices

Arriving in the port of Eden on NSW’s South Coast ( left) and at Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal (above).

expedition mode, Scenic Eclipse II will venture to the rarely visited East Antarctica and the Ross Sea. / Seabourn Seabourn Quest arrives in Melbourne for the summer on January 10. Quest follows Seabourn Pursuit’s majestic maiden season exploring the Kimberley in 2024. / Silversea Silver Nova will make its debut in Australian waters at the end of 2024, marking the start of the line’s local season. In addition to Silver Nova, Silver Muse will offer voyages through Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania from December 2024 to March 2025. CT 41

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Australia

HOME RUN

From the Kimberley’s ochre cliffs and tumbling waterfalls to Sydney Opera House, the latest Australian cruise itineraries showcase the very best of Down Under, writes Sue Wallace. > Here’s a round-up of some of the best local cruise itineraries that may well see you packing your bags and leaving your passport behind.

LUXURY / Silversea Silver Cloud regularly cruises to the stunning, wild and remote Kimberley where you will find amazing scenery, cobalt seas and diverse wildlife, including saltwater crocodiles, as well as ancient Gwion Gwion rock artworks.

A 10-day cruise from Darwin return stops at King George Falls, one of the Kimberley’s natural wonders; Ashmore Marine Park, home to an abundance of marine life; and Montgomery Reef, with its dramatic tidal changes. At Vansittart Bay, on a visit to Jar Island, you can view Gwion Gwion and Wandjina styles of rock art along with an intact wreck of a Second World War C-53 plane.

A 16-day Cairns-to-Sydney cruise on Silver Nova stops at 10 east-coast ports including the Whitsundays, where you can head out on a half-day catamaran excursion to Whitehaven Beach.

Then, it is on to Mooloolaba, Newcastle, Melbourne, Adelaide and pretty Kangaroo Island, known for its wildlife, fabulous beaches and scenic views. Guests will disembark in Sydney’s showstopping harbour, where the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House star. / Seabourn All-inclusive boutique cruise line Seabourn also showcases the Kimberley and its many aweinspiring sights. Its newest vessel, Seabourn Pursuit, will add an extra

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“YOU WILL FIND AMAZING SCENERY, COBALT SEAS AND DIVERSE WILDLIFE.” 13 expedition voyages to more than 40 destinations from next August and September, with a focus on wildlife, history and culture.

A 10-day Kimberley Expedition Waterfalls & Wandjinas cruise on Seabourn Pursuit starts in Darwin, visits the Kimberley highlights, and finishes in the former pearling town of Broome. Don’t miss a sunrise or sunset on fabulous Cable Beach.

A 16-day Southern Australia Coasts cruise on Seabourn Sojourn visits Hobart and Adelaide, finishing in Fremantle. / Scenic Ultra-luxurious Scenic Eclipse II offers an 11-day cruise from Darwin to Broome – get set to see pristine islands, lots of birds and amazing concealed reefs full of busy marine life.

The Scenic Discovery Team uncovers the richness of the iconic Kimberley. On each Discovery Voyage, up to 10 exciting helicopter experiences are available, from “flightseeing” over the iconic King George River and Horizontal Falls to heli-fishing.

Another exciting itinerary is the 15-day Australian Odyssey from Broome to Fremantle featuring Western Australia and the Abrolhos Islands. It includes the amazing

Rowley Shoals, Montebello Islands, Exmouth, Dirk Hartog Island, Geraldton and Busselton. / Ponant Due to launch next year, the new Paspaley Pearl by Ponant, a 30-guest boutique expedition motor yacht, will sail year-round to some exceptional destinations including the Kimberley, Arnhem Land and Cape York.

It will visit private Kimberley locations including secret pearling destinations. Naturalist guides will share their knowledge about the region’s rich culture, history and remarkable biodiversity.

The 11-day Kimberley You Haven’t Seen cruise leaves from Broome to Wyndham on 24 April 2025.

The luxe cruise line already has Le Jacques-Cartier and Le Laperouse cruising in the Kimberley. / Regent Seven Seas Cruises The premier all-inclusive luxury cruise line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, will explore Australia with ships Seven Seas Explorer and Seven Seas Navigator. Eight sailings ranging from 10-19 nights in Australia and New Zealand include the ports of Sydney, Hobart and the Whitsunday Islands. A crocodile-safari excursion from Airlie Beach cruises along the Proserpine River, where you will see lots of saltwater crocodiles and dine on a bush-tucker lunch.

Aussie classics

Australia: It’s a paradise whether you’re in the water or on the water.

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Australia

“IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE RIVER’S RICH HERITAGE, AND ENJOY SLOW TRAVEL ALONG THE WATERWAYS.”

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PREMIUM / Oceania Cruises Oceania Cruises offers the 20-day Wonders of Australia cruise on Regatta over the Christmas period (22 December 2024 to 11 January 2025) from Sydney to Perth, also stopping in New Zealand.

Its 16-day Treasures of Captain Cook cruise from Sydney to Melbourne (25 January to 10 February 2025) includes New Zealand ports. The See Melbourne Through the Eyes of a Local excursion includes an iconic tram ride and a tailored tour to suit your interests, from shopping to art.

At your own speed

Clockwise, from left: Norwegian Sun; the Kuranda cable car; snorkelling off Airlie Beach; Majestic Princess; the paddlesteamer Australian Star; all the fun of Disney.

/ Princess Cruises Crown Princess, which accommodates 3090 guests, will make her home in Australia from October 26 this year. She’s set to do 78 cruises to 21 different ports around the country.

Cruises range from three to 28 nights, with six unique itineraries and 21 maiden port calls.

Over the 2024/25 summer season, Crown Princess will be joined by Diamond Princess and Royal Princess sailing from Australia. All three ships will offer 117 departures from two to 113 days between October 2024 and September 2025, and will sail from seven different ports including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle, Hobart and Auckland.

CONTEMPORARY / Carnival Cruise Line Looking for a family cruise? This five-day cruise from Sydney to Tasmania on board Carnival Splendor departs 16 November 2025.

A six-day Great Barrier Reef cruise from Brisbane return on Carnival Luminosa from 8 February 2026 to 14 February 2026 visits Airlie Beach and Cairns. A cable car ride above a rich rainforest at Kuranda gives a great bird’s eye view of the area. / Disney Cruise Line Get your Mickey ears out – Disney Cruise Line returns to Australia in October with more than 50 cruises, including two-night Disney Magic at Sea cruises from Sydney to Brisbane.

Disney Wonder will also offer three-night cruises from Melbourne and a four-night Melbourne to Hobart and Sydney. Eden is another stop on a fun-filled three-night cruise from Sydney return. Get set for storytelling, imaginative dining, Broadway-style shows and themed parties. New festive Christmas sailings will take place from 24 November 2024 to 3 January 2025. / Norwegian Cruise Line Depart on an epic 14-day voyage from Melbourne on the Norwegian Sun. You’ll visit destinations around Australia, including Portland, Adelaide, Kangaroo Island, Burnie and Hobart, before sailing to the beautiful regions of New Zealand. Norwegian Sun will cruise the Milford, Doubtful and Dusky sounds before heading to Dunedin, Wellington, Napier and Tauranga.

Disembarkation will be in Auckland.

The cruise departs on 15 February 2025 and shore excursion highlights include a visit to a sustainable farm to learn about New Zealand’s indigenous flora and fauna.

OFFBEAT/BOUTIQUE / Murray River Paddlesteamers Set to launch in June next year, the PS Australian Star, a new Murray River Paddlesteamer with luxe river staterooms, will offer year-round, all-inclusive, overnight experiences with three-, four- and sevennight itineraries along the majestic Murray River from Echuca, Victoria.

It’s an opportunity to immerse yourself in the river’s rich heritage and the golden age of paddlesteamers, and enjoy slow travel along the waterways.

There are 19 modern staterooms, each opening to a deck and featuring an ensuite and superb ever-changing river views. CT

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The Kimberley, Western Australia

what if every moment was a mileston e?

30 YEARS EXPLORING THE WORLD. DISCOVER OUR AUSTRALIA. Contact your travel advisor, call 1300 306 872 or visit silversea.com

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TO THE CURIOUS

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11:56 am

New Zealand

KIWI COUNTRY

Picture-perfect scenery is a highlight of any New Zealand cruise, writes Sue Wallace.

> > New Zealand is one of the world’s most scenic cruise destinations, with 15,000 kilometres of rugged and pretty coastline, towering peaks, steaming geysers, hot springs and sprawling vineyards. Expect lots of “wow” moments and plenty of Insta shots.

Cruises between Australia and New Zealand usually travel along both North and South islands and depart from Auckland in New Zealand and Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane in Australia.

Here are some of the stand-out itineraries on offer, showcasing the very best of New Zealand.

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Admiring the reflection

The awe-inspiring Milford Sound, Fiordland National Park on South Island.

LUXURY / Silversea Want to celebrate Christmas at sea? Silver Muse will embark on a 16-day Christmas cruise from Sydney to Auckland from 20 December 2024 to 5 January 2025.

The cruise will visit 14 ports, stopping at Melbourne and Burnie, Tasmania, before crossing the Tasman to beautiful Milford

Sound in the South Island’s Fiordland National Park, one of the four national parks forming the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Te Wahipounamu. It will also visit Doubtful Sound and the ports of Bluff, Dunedin, Akaroa, Picton, Napier, Gisborne, Tauranga and Auckland. / Seabourn The 2025-2026 winter season will see Seabourn cruises visit 15 breathtaking destinations on the North and South Islands.

A highlight is a 14-day New Zealand cruise from Auckland on Seabourn Quest

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New Zealand calling at Wellington, Kaikoura – known for its year-round whale watching – Lyttelton, Timaru and Oban on Stewart Island, before cruising the spectacular Fiordland National Park to Milford Sound, then on to Australia. / Scenic New Zealand’s most famous sights feature in an 11-day Taste of New Zealand Queenstown to Wellington cruise from 18-28 November 2024, on the ultra-luxury discovery yacht, Scenic Eclipse II, complete with its own helicopter and submersible.

Guests will sail around the bottom of the South Island, stopping at the isolated Stewart Island, the final Antipodean outpost before Antarctica. The ship will also pull in at the charming cities of Dunedin, Christchurch, Nelson and Napier, before finishing the journey in Wellington.

Ponant New Zealand’s southern islands are highlights of Ponant’s Expedition to New Zealand’s Subantarctic Islands itinerary from Dunedin return. The 14-night cruise on the luxurious Le Soléal explores the rugged landscapes and vast penguin colonies of the Subantarctic Islands, led by a team of naturalist guides and experts. There are multiple departures this year through to 2026. / Regent Seven Seas Cruises The elegant Seven Seas Explorer will sail from Sydney to Auckland for a 14-night Christmas cruise from 20 December 2024. If you are Lord of the Rings fans, the In the Footsteps of Lord of the Rings excursion could be the perfect Christmas treat. The tour visits the Wellington studio where film-maker Peter Jackson brought the story to life, a visit to the woods where the Hobbits strolled, and a tour of the Weta Workshop to see the props. All excursions are inclusive on the luxury cruise line.

/ Princess Cruises Princess Cruises offers an Across the Ditch immersive program featuring the best of New Zealand, including authentic Māori experiences, culture and local flavours, on board and ashore, to showcase what makes the country so unique. An interesting excursion heads to the glittering glowworm cave inside Auckland’s Tamaki Makaurau Waitomo Grotto. While cruising through Akaroa Harbour, you may spot white-flippered blue penguins and New Zealand Aotearoa fur seals.

A round trip on Discovery Princess from Sydney to New Zealand visits six ports.

CONTEMPORARY

OFF BEAT/BOUTIQUE

/ Carnival Cruise Line Carnival Cruise Line ventures to many New Zealand destinations, including Fiordland National Park, Milford Sound and the stunning Bay of Islands. There are 10-, 11- and 12-night cruises available, including a 10-night Sydney return leaving on 20 October 2025, which visits Wellington, Lyttelton and Port Chalmers, then cruises the Fiordland National Park and back to Sydney.

/ Heritage Expeditions New Zealand-based small expedition company Heritage Expeditions offers immersive cruises in New Zealand, Japan and the Antarctic. The luxury 140-guest Heritage Adventurer explores the coast of New Zealand, navigating through fiords and cruising up harbours, with Zodiac excursions to isolated bays and hidden gems.

Heritage Explorer is an 18-guest expedition yacht perfect for immersive exploring. The five-day Unseen Queen Charlotte Sound Walking Cruise leaves from Auckland on 4 November 2024 to one of New Zealand’s wildest, most remote and beautiful destinations. CT

/ Disney Cruise Line Disney Cruise Line will set sail on a season of New Zealand voyages from October 2025 to February 2026. The 2025-2026 season itineraries include a new 10-night TransTasman voyage sailing from Auckland to Sydney from 19 December 2025. It will visit five New Zealand destinations for the first-time, including Tauranga, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch and Fiordland National Park.

The season runs from October 2024 to February 2025. You can gather around the Christmas tree with Mickey and Minnie Mouse for a fun-filled tree lighting on sailings from November 24 through December 28.

Best of New Zealand

Clockwise, from above: Waimarino Adventure Park, Bay of plenty; wildlife viewing with Heritage Expeditions; the Maori Village; Hobbiton in Waikato; ziplining at Christchurch Adventure Park; birdwatching in Canterbury; Christchurch nightlife.

PREMIUM / Oceania Cruises Oceania Cruises offers a selection of New Zealand sailings, including a 14-night Sydney to Auckland cruise leaving on 10 February 2025. A highlight is cruising the magnificent Milford Sound on the west coast of the South Island, with its cascading waterfalls, towering peaks and scenic vistas. Dolphins, New Zealand fur seals and Fiordland crested penguins are often seen. The cruise also stops at Timaru, Christchurch, Napier, Gisborne and Rotorua.

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“DOLPHINS, FUR SEALS AND FIORDLAND CRESTED PENGUINS ARE OFTEN SEEN.”

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Your Your adventure adventure starts starts here here

Bookyour yourgetaway getawaynow now Book marlboroughnz.com marlboroughnz.com

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13/9/2024 3:39 PM

Collaboration

A story to tell

DESTINATION MARLBOROUGH

Clockwise, from left: Clos Henri wine estate; a Helicopters Nelson heli-tour; Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre; Bay of Many Coves Resort.

Nature’s greatest hits

The scenery changes so often in Marlborough that a road trip here is like watching a big-budget blockbuster, writes Chris Singh.

A

s the writer-director of your own movie, you’re venturing into the heart of Aotearoa’s geographical magnificence, flicking through picturesque sunken valleys, soaring alpine peaks, and mesmerising vineyards sparkling with the region’s signature sauvignon blanc. It’s like nature’s greatest hits thrown at you over every twist and turn.

But Marlborough is also an open book, telling the story of Aotearoa’s unmatched beauty in various ways, from the sheltered waterways and sea-drowned valleys of the Marlborough Sounds (Te Tauihu-o-te-Waka) to the majestic foothills of Wairau Valley. Choose your own adventure while tracing the tip of South Island, with many richly rewarding paths offering an endless sense of adventure and a deep connection to the land.

Perhaps your story best unfolds while kayaking 1500 kilometres of secluded bays and historic sites, with dolphins, whales, seals and seabirds listening intently as you bare your soul.

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Or maybe your spirit sits best when it’s sipping wines from more than 30 cellar doors, indulging in leisurely long lunches in and around the charming town of Blenheim (Te Waiharakeke).

Visit the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre (omaka.org.nz) where stories, not just stuff, are king! Hollywood-style sets showcasing iconic aircraft and rare artifacts bring to life the evolution of aviation in the two World Wars.

Combined with mannequins by special-effects geniuses, Wētā Workshop makes Omaka a must-do for all ages.

Spin yourself a tale of luxury at Bay of Many Coves Resort (bayofmanycoves.co.nz), a stately five-star getaway straddling the native bush and secluded bay of Queen Charlotte Sound

(Tōtaranui) with world-class cuisine, breathtaking scenery and restorative adventure all wrapped into one.

Perhaps your history is best expressed in the sky. Jump on a scenic flight with Helicopters Nelson (helicoptersnelson.co.nz) and share the beauty with the birds, hopping around Marlborough’s stunning landscapes with luxury tours that’ll take you from the lush vineyards of the Awatere Valley to the rugged terrain of Middlehurst Station and the scenic shores of Arapawa Island (Arapaoa) where you’ll uncover the secrets of blue pearls.

Cycle through the gentle trails of the country’s premier wine region with Explore Marlborough (exploremarlborough.co.nz). Sip on stories of Marlborough’s rich wine history, whispered gently by bucolic cellar doors set against cinematic landscapes. You’ll surely find your truth among these historic vineyards while your knowledgeable guide takes you on an adventure of a lifetime.

All great writers need fuel for their imagination, so continue your wine trail in the dramatic foothills of Wairau Valley. Visit Clos Henri (closhenri.com), an organically run wine estate resting on 10 generations of winegrowing expertise from the Bourgeois family. The highly textural, elegant wines are born from an expert blend of ‘new world’ and ‘old world’ techniques and best discovered in the estate’s unique tasting room, the Saint Solange Chapel.

With so many paths to trace and an abundance of stories to absorb, Marlborough is that transformative experience that so many travellers yearn for. This special part of the world is waiting when you’re ready to write your next chapter.

Find out more at visit marlboroughnz.com CT

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South Pacific

ISLAND WONDERS

Grab your snorkel and mask and get set to be blown away by the beauty of the South Pacific, writes Sue Wallace. > Turquoise seas, silky soft white sands, coconut-laden palm trees and cute islands – it’s no wonder South Pacific cruises often top the bucket lists of cruise lovers. From the pinkish-hued sand of Champagne Bay in Vanuatu to the bluest of blue seas in Fiji and a touch of France in pretty Noumea, the South Pacific is perfect for couples, families, first-time cruisers and those who love to follow the sun.

Here are some handpicked cruise itineraries that will entice you to pack your swimmers and sunscreen and enjoy long lazy days discovering South Pacific gems.

LUXURY / Silversea Silversea offers more than 40 journeys to French Polynesia and the Pacific region, including a two-week voyage leaving from Lautoka, Fiji, return on the sleek Silver Cloud from 6 May 2025.

The cruise also visits Tonga, the Cook Islands and French Polynesia, providing a deep dive into local lifestyles. Highlights include meeting island communities off the beaten track, swimming in tropical waters teeming with sea life, walking among lush vegetation and learning about eco-systems from onboard biologists.

Two-week Tahiti cruises are also popular, from Papeete return on Silver Whisper. / Ponant Ponant offers a choice of 64 cruises in Oceania and the Pacific Islands, and also ventures to mysterious Easter Island.

It won’t take long to fall under the spell of the idyllic beaches of French Polynesia and New Caledonia, where the snorkelling and marine life is amazing.

A 14-night Polynesia and Easter Island

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cruise on Le Boreal from Papeete to Hanga Roa Easter Island is a standout. / Regent Seven Seas Cruises Seven Seas Navigator embarks on a variety of voyages in the South Pacific, including an immersive exploration of French Polynesia with a round-trip sailing from Papeete, Tahiti. There are multiple overnight stays across the sailings, including at the “world’s most romantic island”, Bora Bora. The 10- to 18-night sailings also visit Mystery Island, Vanuatu; Suva, Fiji; Noumea, New Caledonia; and Apia, Samoa. A standout excursion includes a motorised outrigger canoe ride discovering the beauty of Raiatea, known as the homeland of ancient Polynesians. You will pass by wild hibiscus, ginger and bamboo groves and hear tales about those who sailed to faraway Hawaii and New Zealand.

PREMIUM / Oceania Cruises A dolphin-watching expedition to the outer reefs from the Tahitian port of Moorea, with a marine-biology researcher as your guide, is one of the impressive excursions on offer on a French Polynesia cruise. Acrobatic spinner dolphins and other marine mammals frequent the warm waters of the area, where pilot whales and humpbacks are seen during the breeding season.

CONTEMPORARY / Princess Cruises Princess Cruises visits many enchanting islands on its extensive Tahiti, French Polynesia and South Pacific Cruise itineraries. Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Vanuatu cruises showcase the stunning natural beauty of the region, along with its

colourful cultures and rich histories. An 11-day round trip from Sydney on Crown Princess, leaving 4 December 2024, visits five ports including Noumea, a little piece of France in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Try the delicious croissants and pastries from a local patisserie. The ship also stops at Mystery Island, Port Vila and Luganville in Vanuatu. / Disney Cruise Line You’ll meet all your favourite Disney characters on Disney Wonder, on a 14-night cruise from Hawaii that crosses the international dateline on its way to Sydney, stopping at South Pacific ports along the way.

The cruise sails 3-19 October 2024, with an itinerary that takes you to the picturesque beaches and colourful coral reefs of Pago Pago in American Samoa, as well as Fiji and New Caledonia. The Disney cruise will include fun deck parties, dazzling Broadwaystyle shows and gourmet, themed dining.

There’s also a 15-night cruise scheduled for 10-24 February 2025. / Norwegian Cruise Line NCL offers cruises that venture to two of the world’s most popular holiday destinations – French Polynesia and Hawaii in one cruise, as well as South Pacific cruises.

The French Polynesian cruises depart from Papeete, Tahiti, and Honolulu, Hawaii, with itineraries that have been designed to showcase the most beautiful scenery in the region. Activities include paddle boarding in Maui, diving and snorkelling in Tahiti or, if you want to relax, simply sitting back and

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taking in the stunning views in Raiatea. A 14-night South Pacific: Fiji, Vanuatu and Great Barrier reef cruise on Norwegian Sun departs on 23 April 2025, visiting 11 ports.

OFF BEAT/BOUTIQUE / Paul Gauguin Cruises Gauguines and Gauguins – Tahitian hosts and hostesses – star aboard the luxury Ms Paul Gauguin, a small-sized ship designed for navigation among the lagoons and shallow seas. It has 165 spacious staterooms and suites, all with sea views and most with balconies. Six itineraries, ranging from 7 to 14 nights, visit Tahiti, Huahine, Taha’a, Bora Bora and Moorea. Cruises also call in the Marquesas Islands, the Tuamotu Islands and the Cook Islands. CT

Remote access

Clockwise, from top left: PNG island, Kitava; Bora Bora, Tahiti; local dish of marinated raw fish; local culture in Tahiti; and Tahuata Island, the Marquesas; Norwegian Sun off Papeete.

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Oceans 56 Cruising shoulder season | 60 Oceania in Asia | 66 NCL in the Med

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Aurora in the Arctic

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Cruise Trends

Off the shoulder

It’s getting tougher and tougher to find off-peak pricing and uncrowded ports, writes Alice Williams.

T

here was a time when it was the ultimate travel hack – shoulder season was that sweet spot between peak and off-peak, where prices were lower, crowds thinner, and you felt like you’d gamed the system.

But experts are saying that era is over. Dead.

Gone the way of the dodo or Blockbuster video.

The very thing that made shoulder season great is what will ultimately put it in the ground: too many people. The dream of cheap off-season travel is gone, because the crowd followed you.

Travel deals were like those old-school insider stock tips, you had to know a guy who knew a guy. Now the guy who knows is an algorithm, and the deal is everywhere. Websites track pricing trends down to the second, and if you’re not booking at 3am on a Tuesday, while standing on one leg, you’re paying full freight.

Worse, everyone has access to the same information. Thanks to booking-comparison

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tools, social media hack videos and price alerts, everyone is heading to the Mediterranean right when you are.

The result? Prices during shoulder season have shot up, and those “hidden” months are suddenly not so quiet. Summer rates are creeping into spring and autumn, and the more people chase deals, the more they drive up demand, pushing prices higher.

European ports that were once blissfully quiet in May or September are now packed year-round. / Overtourism and crowds that never seem to leave In theory, shoulder season meant fewer tourists, more personal space, and a less claustrophobic experience. But in practice, the concept of “fewer tourists” doesn’t seem to exist in 2024.

Overtourism is a global problem being fought locally – New Zealand hitting tourists with elevated taxes, Japan’s photo barricades, April’s anti-tourism protests in the Canary Islands. The United Nations predicts that travel demand will exceed pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year. In other words, everyone’s travelling, all the time.

When it comes to cruises specifically, the influx has disrupted the supply-demand

model leading to higher rates in what used to be shoulder or off-peak seasons.

As a result, we’re seeing fewer and fewer dips in cruise pricing throughout the year. And those who thought they could outsmart the calendar?

They’re right there with you in the buffet line.

Small group-adventure travel company Intrepid Travel reported that last year it saw a 61 per cent increase in shoulder-season bookings to Western Europe. It reported a 29 per cent increase to southern Europe.

In response, the group has increased the number of departures to Spain, Italy, Portugal and France by 47 per cent in April and 27 per cent in October.

Japan also saw a huge influx of travellers this spring. The number of visitors departing for Japan in March-May 2024 rose 17 per cent compared with the same months in 2023, and jumped a whopping 41 per cent compared with the same months in 2019, according to the US Government’s International Trade Administration. / Weather is the new wildcard At the most basic level, off-peak and shoulder seasons were defined by less-than-ideal weather. Sure, you might get rained on in the spring or swelter in the summer, but it felt more Cruise &Travel

13/9/2024 12:21 PM

like a fair trade for the lower prices. But our undeniably changing climates have upturned predictable weather patterns.

Springtime heatwaves in Europe, hurricanes in the Caribbean – wild weather events are no longer confined to specific seasons. Summer highs are extending into autumn, and extreme weather is making formerly desirable off-peak months unpredictable. Cruise itineraries are being reshuffled consistently, often at the last minute. / So, is shoulder season actually dead?

Not yet. But the once-great travel hack has become mainstream, with demand driving up prices, flexible schedules flooding the market, overtourism crowding the ports, and climate change making everything unpredictable.

In the cruise world, we’re starting to pay peak prices for more of the year, and you’re dealing with a shoulder season that looks an awful lot like summer in terms of crowds.

The golden age of off-peak travel may be gone, but that doesn’t mean the adventure is over. Be smart about booking, look for value rather than just deals, and focus on making the most of your cruise – no matter when you go.

The world is more connected, more flexible, and yes, more expensive – but the experience is still yours to own, even if the secret’s out. CT Cruise&Travel

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When and Where in the World REGION

PEAK SEASON

OFF PEAK

Alaska

May – August

September – April

Asia

November – May

June – October

Caribbean

December – April

May – November

Galapagos

December – February

March – November

Hawaii

January – March

September – December

Mediterranean/Southern Europe

May – August

September – April

Mexico

December – April

May – November

Middle East

December – February

March – November

Northern Europe/Baltics

June – August

September – May

Oceania

November – February

March – October

South America

December – February

March – November

South Sea Islands

May – October

September – April

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16/9/2024 9:47 AM

Upfront

EDEN WHARF grows up • The NSW Government has granted approval for proposals to extend the Eden Cruise Wharf, allowing larger cruise ships to visit the regional port, and lift the current cruise-ship visit cap of 60 visits per season. It will permit vessels of up to approximately 370 metres to call at the berth, which could mean that even a ship such as the 364.75-metre Icon of the Seas could stop by at Eden.

/ Fly, stay and cruise

F

rench luxury expedition line Ponant has unveiled 18 itineraries for its new Fly, Stay & Cruise packages in the Kimberley from May to September 2025.

Ponant will have two expedition ships cruising the region for next year’s season – the 184-guest Le Jacques-Cartier and its sistership, the 264-guest Le Soleal. The new packages will include return flights from all major Australian and New Zealand cities, airport and hotel transfers, one-night pre-cruise accommodation and a 10-night luxury expedition cruise. There will also be two new round-trip itineraries from Darwin.

• Princess Cruises is gearing up for its EIGHT to biggest ever Alaska season, announcing it will send eight ships to the region ALASKA that in 2026. The sailings will encompass 180 departures and 19 destinations. A particularly noteworthy feature of Princess’s Alaska sailings is the ‘North to Alaska with Princess’ program, which includes a range of naturalist talks, a planetarium Northern Lights experience, a local seafood menu and more, to offer a more immersive cultural look into Alaskan lifestyles and environments. There are also more than 20 cruise-tour options available, offering the chance to combine your cruise with an overland holiday.

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Cruise &Travel

13/9/2024 12:25 PM

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13/9/2024 10:29 AM

Voyage

Flower Power

Oceania Cruises offers the perfect way to tour Japan, writes Andrea Black.

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What a view

Arakurayama Sengen Park with Mt Fuji in the distance.

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I Voyage

t’s cherry-blossom season in Japan, parks and streets are awash in glorious pink and white. In Yokohama, the blooms are bursting in Sankeien Garden. It’s a clear day, and beyond the petals we can make out Mt Fuji.

I’m on the “Highlights of Yokohama” shore excursion with Oceania Cruises; our ship, the recently refurbished 342-stateroom Nautica is close by in Tokyo Bay. We’re lucky to be here in the sakura season marking the beginning of spring.

It’s a nice reminder of “being in the moment” and we’re certainly in no rush to tick off the sights. Our guide talks us through the blossoming calendar on display. The photo board shows all that we will see from white wisteria to pink azaleas. He also leads us through the array of architecture in the park. Somewhat of an outdoor museum, there are 17 historic buildings amongst the foliage, including a pagoda constructed in 1457 in Kyoto. Along the way, we leisurely spot carp, turtles, eels and cats.

Next on this sunny March day, we’ll be transported to the top of The Yokohama Landmark Tower to take in the panorama before exploring Chinatown. It’s been a fascinating morning, we’ve seen beautiful blooms and buildings, found our bearings, and now the time is ours to explore as we please.

It’s no secret that Australians are heading to Japan in increasing numbers. According to Japan National Tourism Organization data, 613,100 Australians visited in 2023. With a strong Aussie dollar against the yen, and an array of culinary and cultural options, it’s easy to be enticed. And it’s even easier to see the appeal of a cruise in Japan. On the Taiwan to Tokyo 12-day sailing aboard Nautica we sail into ports to enjoy these in-depth discoveries every day. On the final five days I have explored Hiroshima, Kobe (giving us the option of visiting Osaka or Kyoto), then Nagoya and finally Yokohama and Tokyo.

Navigating sprawling cities from airports or even train stations can be difficult, even if you can speak Japanese. On a cruise, you will sail into a central port and can decide to spend the morning getting to know the cultural, culinary and historic highlights on an excursion and then take your time exploring, knowing that your luxury haven will be waiting on the harbour.

And there’s no need to worry about getting lost. Oceania Cruises’ daily newsletter, Currents, lists the exact address where the ship is in Japanese and English, to show to a taxi driver or train-station attendant. There’s also an emergency phone number to call.

Oceania Cruises offers in-depth excursions because they partner with the best guides available in each port. In Hiroshima, on the Peace Memorial Park & Museum excursion, we meet our guide Keiko, who took on the role of a guide to honour her parents, both survivors of the atomic-bomb explosion in the city on 6 August 1945. Our small tour group wanders amongst the cherry blossoms and oleanders along the banks of the Motoyasu River at Peace Memorial Park, where Keiko explains the horror of that day, the bomb killing perhaps 80,000 instantly, with a death toll reaching 140,000 by the end of that year. On site is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, where the introductory exhibit shows a 3D projection

New tastes

Clockwise, from above: Trying Hitsumabushi in Nagoya; Oceania’s fitness track, grand staircase and Casino Bar; exploring Tokyo’s parks and shrines.

OCEANIA CRUISES

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Expert tips

Favourite meal: Michelin Bib Gourmand awarded Jibundoki (savorjapan.com/0004027463/) is walkable (or a short taxi ride) from the port of Yokohama. A meal for two featuring tempura as well as tuna sashimi and agedashi tomago with drinks in a private room comes in at under $100.

What to pack: Why not dress up?

Evening dresses, some slacks (that aren’t jeans), and a crisp shirt and blazer should be on top of any cruiser’s packing list. Dinners at specialty restaurants and The Grand Dining Room call for elegance. Make it an event!

Secret tip: In Kobe, the ship docks right near a train station offering shinkansen (bullet trains) to Osaka in just 13 minutes or Kyoto in 28 minutes. Plan for a half-day excursion in your city of choice and then stay there for the rest of the day and make your way back on the train. Easy!

of the city before and after the devastation. Keiko then takes us to see the statue of Sadako Sasaki before telling the story of the 1000 paper cranes.

“A sign of good luck in Japanese folklore says that a crane can live for a thousand years, and a person who folds an origami crane for each year of a crane’s life will have their wish granted,” she says. “Sadako folded more than 1000 but she died (of leukaemia from the atomic bomb) at just 12 years old.”

The plaque underneath reads: “This is our cry. This is our prayer. Peace in the world.” Our group, mostly Americans and Australians, stands in solemn silence and unity with Keiko.

After our tour there’s enough time to wander around this beautiful city, and even sit down for to sample the local delicacies (here it’s okonomiyaki, a savoury pancake with pork) before leisurely returning to the ship. This became a common theme. In Osaka, I’d sit down to takoyaki (octopus balls), in Nagoya it was an izakaya to sample hitsumabushi (unagi and rice). As Nautica sails out of Hiroshima Harbour, two locals at the port fly semaphore flags signalling U and W meaning “I wish you a pleasant voyage”.

After cocktail hour, it’s dinner time aboard Nautica. We could choose an a la carte experience at The Grand Dining Room, a more relaxed meal (perhaps grilled fish prepared to order, or sushi) at the Terrace Café, or even order room service, but we’re Cruise&Travel

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Voyage

“When we have Australians on board, they make for great audiences because they want to have a great time.”

OCEANIA CRUISES keen to take it up a notch. There are two specialty restaurants on board, and they come at no extra cost. At steakhouse Polo Grill, one might order Maine lobster one night and slow-roasted prime rib the next.

My pick of restaurants is the Italian-inspired Toscana, where a stacked trolley of olive oil is wheeled around along with freshly baked bread. The fresh mozzarella di bufala caprese salad, followed by linguine cioppino with seafood in a light pinot grigio and cherry tomato sauce, were both worthy of Oceania Cruises registered claim to serve the “finest cuisine at sea”.

Feasting on culinary delights can be balanced out with daily complimentary fitness classes at the Aquamar Spa + Vitality Centre. Vinyasa yoga, Pilates and even HIIT workouts are on offer, as are several excellent treatments. I opted for the revitalising “vital bamboo massage”, where warm bamboo stalks are utilised to work deeper than hands alone.

Afterwards, I might take a seat in the inviting library to leaf through the collection while perched on an overstuffed leather chair with nailhead trim. The design of suites and public areas reflects the opulence of the Hollywood Regency period of the 1930s. The soft blues, metallic silver and glass with ample curves, velvets and bold patterns complement the glorious ocean views outside. My Veranda Stateroom features a private teak veranda, Bulgari amenities and, as a closing treat, Belgian chocolates on the pillow with turndown service.

Mornings are spent drinking barista-made coffee while taking in the view at Horizons, an observation lounge with dramatic floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s here that I meet cruise director Leslie Jon, it’s his job to make sure every guest is having a fabulous time. Just the night before, I saw him on stage introducing the guest pianist and comedian in the Nautica Lounge to much applause. A former Hollywood performer himself, he knew how to work the room.

“When we have Australians on board, they make for great audiences because they want to have a great time,” he says.

There was dancing afterwards. Jon has been entertaining at sea for 52 years and is nearing retirement. He’s seen it all at sea. I ask him his favourite country to sail in. He looks out at the vista: the sky is blue, there’s a new adventure around every corner and in the distance, there are cherry blossoms framing the scene.

“I have to say cruising through Japan, I just love it here,” he says. CT 64

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Life on board

Clockwise, from above: Spinach and ricotta tortellini at Toscana restaurant; stateroom balcony; the games room; and the Artist Loft.

Book it

• Oceania Cruises currently has 18 voyages scheduled to travel through Busan and Japan from now until 2026. These voyages are either aboard Regatta (Nautica’s sister ship, catering for 656 guests) or Riveria (1250 guests).

For information on Oceania Cruises’ luxury small ships, visit oceaniacruises.com, or call 1300 355 200.

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13/9/2024 10:53 AM

Sacai x Mark Gonzales bomber jacket, $1940.

Gucci loafers, $1650.

Cruise Asia

Trunk show Judith Leiber Couture clutch, $7049.

Magda Butrym swimsuit, $831.

Chloé Marcie shoulder bag, $3620.

Bleue Burnham Chloroplast signet ring, $5034.

Sla DoubleJ + Orlebar Brown mini dress, $1300.

Christian Louboutin sneakers, $845.

Borgo De Nor midi dress, $1665.

Burberry scarf, $920.

Thierry Colson “Zouk” shirt and shorts, $1116 each.

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La DoubleJ pants, $1300.

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Voyage

Summer in Europe is calling, with more enticing cruise itineraries than ever before, writes Kristie Kellahan.

a

nchors away! Cruising in Europe has never been more popular. Norwegian Cruise Line has responded to demand by creating 225 new voyages for its 2026 season, including the port-immersive itineraries we love, featuring overnight stays and late departures.

More 7-14 night voyages are available than ever before, with limited-to-no sea days. That’s more time to discover the wonders of Italy, Spain, France and beyond, as I did on Norwegian Escape in June. With inflation bumping up the price of everything from spritzes to sun loungers in tourist hotspots, all-inclusive cruising with NCL

represents terrific value for a European summer to remember. / Shore thing It’s freezing in Australia, everyone grumbling that it’s the coldest winter in years. On the other side of the world in Sardinia, I’m living la dolce vita, splashing around in the turquoise sea. I’m on a beachbreak shore excursion in Cagliari, blissed out by the sunshine, the sight of tanned locals and the alluringly chic Italianness of it all. How do seven-year-old Italian girls possess more style than I could ever dream of having? I don’t know, but I’m surrounded in the water by pint-sized fashionistas.

Escape to it all

Florence (Livorno) is just one of the many European ports Norwegian Escape visits.

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MED NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE

Magic in the

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Voyage Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, is one of the port stops on a fantastic 10-day NCL itinerary that features the highlights of Italy, plus a few days in Spain, Malta and the South of France.

It’s fast-paced, no sea days, more see days. I’m up with the birds to be the first off in Civitavecchia, gateway to Rome. A day is never long enough in the Eternal City, but it’s enough time to say ciao to the landmarks and eat an enormous gelato. In Messina, Sicily, the gelato odyssey continues.

An overnight stay in port is an invitation to savour the destination and explore further than you might be inclined to in one day. That’s what I do in Livorno, taking the train to Florence and lingering over a sunset dinner of lasagne, caprese salad and tiramisu at Trattoria Marione.

Strolling a romantic city like Florence is different by night than it is by day.

In Cannes, I try on the South of France glamour lifestyle, spending the day at an exclusive beach club and stocking up on French pharmacy essentials. Languid days in Mallorca and Barcelona are for shopping and watching the world go by.

By the time we reach the gorgeous port of Valletta, I’m on a mission to taste all of the Maltese pastizzis. At one euro a pop, why not? Europe is a feast worth devouring with gusto. / Let them entertain you Make no mistake, Escape is a ship where the good times roll. Be entertained in the Escape Theater by a Broadwaystyle production of The Choir of Man, an immersive “night at the pub” with a group of energetic singers. They even hand out free pints.

On other days, I bop along with 800 passengers to a Frankie Valli tribute show and try to figure out the magician’s secrets.

One of the most popular entertainment venues on the ship is Syd Norman’s Pour House, a lively bar with a talented lineup of musicians. Arrive as soon as the doors open for the Fleetwood Mac tribute show and Prom Night.

Overflow crowds for both shows are ushered to an outdoor area that lacks the same atmosphere as the live venue.

There’s always something happening on Escape, be it hilarious standup comedy, a glow party on the pool deck, duelling pianists or water park rides for young and old.

Boredom is not an option. / Tastes and tipples It’s easy to see why NCL’s restaurant and beverage departments win so many awards. The food on Norwegian Escape is delicious, from the unpretentious Garden Cafe buffet fare to the upscale Cagney’s Steakhouse and shareable plates at Pincho Tapas Bar. A ship of this size offers so many dining options, you’ll run out of days on board before you run out of tasty treats to nibble on.

In addition to buffet standards such as roast meats, burgers and salads, Garden Cafe keeps it interesting with themed menus each day. The Asian dishes are a favourite, as are the BBQ classics.

Another casual, complimentary venue is O’Sheehan’s Neighbourhood Bar & Grill. Open 24 hours a day for classic comfort food and cold draft beer, it’s the top choice for many of Escape’s guests. I find it a convenient choice

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE for a quick breakfast or lunch before heading out on shore excursions. It’s also the spot for late-night fish-and-chips cravings. Diets don’t count on the high seas.

Escape’s identical main dining rooms, Taste and Savor, offer a traditional, complimentary meal service at lunch and dinner. Alongside the daily specialties, a wellconsidered selection of favourites such as steak frites and grilled salmon is always available. / Bite into this NCL’s great-value Free at Sea packages include specialty dining credits, an incentive for many to try restaurants that normally attract an additional fee.

Teppanyaki is the ultimate dinner and a show, an entertaining couple of hours noshing on grilled sirloin and jumbo scallops prepared by a chef/showman as he belts out a litany of hit songs. Open wide for the flying shrimp as it’s launched in your direction.

Cruisers will find much to love in the premium steaks and seafood at Cagney’s Steakhouse, while French favourites are centre stage at Le Bistro. Arrive hungry at Moderno Churrascaria, the Brazilian steakhouse, as the waiters will keep bringing flame-grilled beef, lamb, chicken and sausage to your table until you raise the red flag.

New for-fee dining concepts not to miss are Bayamo’s fresh seafood dishes with a Cuban flair and Food Republic, a pan-Asian array of savoury plates, including bao buns and dumplings.

Good times roll

Clockwise, from above: The Haven pool; excursions to Venice; and to Mykonos.

/ The freedom of choice One of the reasons extended families and groups of friends give NCL the thumbs-up is the wide range of accommodations on each of the ships in the fleet. Catering to individual preferences and budgets, the line provides plenty of choice to tailor just the right cabin selection for everyone.

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Expert tips

Favourite meal: On the ship, I enjoy specialty restaurant Moderno Churrascaria. A feast for carnivores, the Brazilian steakhouse experience offers unlimited servings of grilled steak, chicken, sausages and pineapple.

Favourite snack: Off the ship, it’s a close tie between oozy, cheesy pastizzi in Malta and daily gelato indulgences. I’ll take one scoop of salted caramel and one of Rocher, thanks!

What to pack: NCL’s dress code is relaxed, which means you can leave the formal wear at home. During my trip, the temperatures soar and I live in sundresses and big, floppy hats.

Don’t forget to pack comfortable walking shoes that have already been broken in.

“There’s always something happening on Escape, be it hilarious standup comedy, a glow party on the pool deck ... Boredom is not an option.”

Secret tip: Don’t overdo it when booking shore excursions. On this busy 10-night voyage, there are no sea days. You’ll have a better time if you factor in a couple of unscheduled mornings or afternoons to rest and enjoy the ship. On the other hand, many of the shorex sell out quickly, so do lock in the ones you really want.

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NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE

and access to a communal lounge, where those cruising alone can meet other solo travellers.

With capacity for more than 4000 guests, the most popular accommodation category on Norwegian Escape is the Balcony Cabin. Travelling in early June, the weather is gloriously warm and sunny, and I take every opportunity to sit on the balcony.

For those who want to spend less on the cabin and more in the destinations, there are Inside Cabins and Oceanview accommodations. At the upper end of the luxe scale, there are Suites and Mini-Suites, cabins with more space and premium amenities. Some have exclusive access to The Haven, a private “ship within a ship” that features butler service and use of The Haven Courtyard.

Cruisers with kids, grandparents and others in tow rave about the Family Cabins, which accommodate groups of all sizes with connecting rooms and flexible bed configurations.

NCL is also recognised as a pioneer in solo cruising. Studio Cabins on NCL ships are often the first to sell out, prized by solos as a way to enjoy smart amenities and to avoid the dreaded single supplement. Designed for one and one alone, these cabins offer a good amount of space, a private bathroom

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A special Haven

Clockwise, from above left: The Haven restaurant; and Haven cabin on Norwegian Escape; pamper time at the Mandara Spa.

/ So spa, so good I love a deal almost as much as I love a spa treatment. When the two are combined, say less. Just sign me up without delay. At Mandara Spa, a luxurious haven of indulgence, the best deals are offered on port days.

Take your pick from the extensive menu of treatments: facials, massages, wraps and beauty services. I opt for the 75-minute top-to-toe massage, an invigorating body treatment that pampers me from soles to scalp. Hot stones melt away the stress knots, and by the time the talented Filipino masseuse has worked her magic on my tricky neck and shoulders, I feel a renewed pep in my step.

The Spa uses premium products, including cruise ship favourites Elemis and Kerastase. Eager to spend remaining onboard credit on the last day of the cruise, I treat myself to a goodie bag of Elemis bath and beauty products to take home.

Also well worth the onboard credit spend is a day pass to the Thermal Suite. The adults-only relaxation area features saunas, steam rooms, ice and snow rooms, vitality pools and heated loungers. It’s perfect for a rejuvenating day of chilling out. Just the mini-break I need on this wonderful, busy tour of Europe. CT

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13/9/2024 11:10 AM

THE BEST KEPT SECRET IN CRUISING

Norwegian Viva®, Santorini, Greece

Mykonos, Greece

START PLANNING YOUR HOLIDAY TODAY SCAN NOW

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Voyage

The

R E L U C TA N T

Making a break for it

Kayaking Fair Isle in the Shetland Islands.

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AURORA EXPEDITIONS

Could Jane Archer’s husband be converted into an expedition cruiser? She took him on a voyage to Svalbard with Aurora Expeditions to find out.

EXPEDITIONER

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Expert tips

Favourite meal: The food was very good, but the one I went back for three times? The bistecca alla griglia (sirloin steak, to you and me) in the Tuscan Grill, which is part of the main dining area but opens as a specialty restaurant in the evenings. There’s no charge, but you need to book.

AURORA EXPEDITIONS

“W

What to pack: Plan for casual on board and layers for the trips ashore and Zodiac cruises. T-shirts and fleeces, a couple of pairs of pants, waterproof trousers, leggings, walking boots, gloves, hats, sunglasses and binoculars will do the trick. Aurora lends you muck boots and gives passengers a thick coat with a removable lining that doubles as a lighter jacket if it’s not too cold, so you don’t need to pack either.

Secret tip: Stock up on drinks packages on day one and if things change, which they do due to wind, waves, ice or prowling polar bears, order a beer and relax while the expedition team work out a plan B.

hy would I want to go somewhere cold?” has been my hubby Mark’s stock reply whenever I’ve asked if he’d like to join me on an expedition cruise in the polar regions. Why, you may therefore be wondering, is he here with me en route to Svalbard on Aurora Expeditions’ ship Greg Mortimer.

When I asked if he’d like to join me on this two-week cruise from Aberdeen in Scotland to Norway and on to the icy wastes than counting passenger numbers in the hundreds or of the Arctic, I was only being polite. Imagine my surprise, then, thousands, offering lots of places to eat and putting on flashy production shows, Greg Mortimer holds just 130 guests, has one when he said, “I ought to really.”

Nothing to do with being with me, though; rather he wanted restaurant, a lecture room and a mudroom where we store to find out what our daughter does working in expedition teams outdoor gear and board the Zodiacs. Being first to change and in on cruise ships around the world. Coincidentally, one of those line for the inflatables quickly becomes a badge of honour.

The ship also has that all-important expedition team my ships was Greg Mortimer’s sister, Sylvia Earl, so the cruise was a husband wanted to see in action – a collection of naturalists, perfect fit.

Would he enjoy the cruise? I honestly didn’t know, but any geologists, biologists and other “ists” who use the time while concerns vanished in seconds the first time we went out in the sailing to give talks about polar bears, the climate, Arctic history inflatable Zodiacs. We’re in the Shetland Islands, about as far and more, and take us out on Zodiac cruises or treks ashore on north as you can go and still be in the UK, and heading over to port days. (Two of the team instead take a group of hard-core sheer cliffs on the Island of Noss that tower 180 metres above kayakers out paddling whenever possible.)

And then there is the itinerary, which is really just a guideline, the sea and are buzzing with seabirds.

What a spectacle. Skuas, kittiwakes, guillemots: they are all as what we do each day is dictated by the weather. Expedition there, thousands of them, in nests balanced on the rocks, flying cruisers don’t just need an adventurous spirit, they have to be above us or diving into the water after some passing fish. And flexible too.

Ours is a repositioning voyage, the last leg of Greg Mortimer’s just for good measure, a seal pops his head up to watch us, disappears, then pops up again and repeats over and over. It’s long journey from winter in Antarctica to summer in the Arctic.

After three days in the Shetlands that has like being in the thick of a David included puffin-spotting (so cute!), tea and Attenborough show.

“IF YOU SEE A BEAR, cakes with the locals in Fair Isle (population “That was fantastic,” Mark enthuses, as 50 and hundreds of sheep) and a lot more we get back on board and strip out of our EVERYONE COME wind, rain and even hail, there’s a day at sea muck boots, polar jackets, woolly hats and TOGETHER AND as we continue north to Norway. several layers of clothes. It might be How wonderful! The sky is blue, the sun summer in Scotland, but it’s cold.

STAY QUIET. AND IT IS is shining, and we’ve all stripped down to Expedition cruising, you’ll have gathered, NOT THE TIME TO T-shirts as we set out on hikes on the is nothing like a holiday at sea with the likes Norwegian mainland and in the Lofoten of Carnival, Princess or Oceania. Rather TAKE PHOTOS.”

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Nature’s best

Clockwise, from above: Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands; “don’t step on the plants”; puffins on Fair Isle; Zodiac trip to Gaffelbreen glacier; nap time for this polar bear.

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Voyage Islands, where one day we’re learning about Vikings in a traditional longhouse and another hiking up Tjeldbergtind mountain, 352 metres above Svolvaer, where our ship is moored.

The town is gorgeous, although I can’t say I am enamoured by the cod hung outside: It stays there to dry out for up to 12 weeks and is, shall we say, an acquired smell. Even worse, the heads are cut off and hung separately. The latter are exported to Nigeria; the other parts go mostly to Italy and Portugal.

As we sail towards our exciting final destination, Svalbard, it’s time for a mandatory dos-and-don’ts briefing. Do keep a distance from animals and avoid making loud noises around AURORA EXPEDITIONS wildlife. Don’t step on plants, take souvenirs or take off your life vest when ashore – in case you have to beat a hasty retreat to the Zodiacs to get away from a polar bear. Above all, don’t panic if That afternoon Greg Mortimer relocates, and we head out in you do see a bear. Hmm. Not sure how that will play out, given the Zodiacs to see Gaffelbreen, a huge glacier at the end of St they are not as cuddly as they look and can run faster than us.

Jonsfjord. The scenery is spectacular, the sky is blue, the sun is Jeff, the firearms expert on the expedition team, has more shining (don’t be fooled, it’s also very cold!), we are crunching useful advice. “If you see a bear, everyone come together and through thick ice and every so often a seal pops its head up to stay quiet. And it is not the time to take photos.” Thus primed, watch us. Magical doesn’t even come close. we make our first landing, but not before the Our fellow passengers – most from the UK, area has been scouted. Once ashore, the lots from Australia and many on their first expedition team, all carrying rifles but expedition cruise – have just one teeny niggle. trained to shoot to scare unless the worst We’ve not seen a polar bear. happens, are stationed at each end of the Cue super-human efforts by the captain and landing sites to keep an eye out for bears, expedition guys to find one, and untold Aurora Expeditions has an eight-day Spitsbergen: with others at points in between to tell us excitement when they do. There he is, sitting Realm of the Polar Bear about life in this frozen wilderness (Svalbard on the ice, totally unfazed by his new celebrity cruise on Greg Mortimer is part of Norway and inhabited), as well as status, even when the Zodiacs are lowered so departing 16 June 2025 the plants, birds and animals that live here. we can get a closer look. Mission accomplished! from $18,495 per person.

We see numerous reindeer, an abandoned By the time we disembark in Longyearbyen, The price includes return mine, and huts from which Norwegian fur Svalbard’s capital, everyone, Mark included, is charter flights between trappers hunted polar bears until that was an expedition-cruise convert. Me? I was Oslo and Longyearbyen, all excursions, wine or outlawed in 1973. There were barely 1000 converted when I came here years ago with beer with dinner and a bears left in Svalbard at that time. Now there my daughter. We sailed around Spitsbergen, polar coat. Kayaking is are an estimated 3000. On the island of the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago, extra, from $1250 for the Poolepynten, we are allowed to creep slowly and saw so many polar bears that I gave up whole cruise. and silently towards a herd of walruses, counting. Sightings are never guaranteed, but auroraexpeditions.com.au watch them for 15 minutes and then retreat if they are top of your hit list a circumnavigation 1800 637 688 so others can follow in our footsteps. has your name on it. CT

Book it

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Land of few

A trappers’ hut in Svalbard; the writer, Jane Archer, advises packing for several layers.

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Loro Piana Noel Fair Isle cashmere sweater, $3680.

Dior Eyewear DiorPacific sunglasses, $718.

Moncler Resile Trek boots, $1435.

The Polar

Cordova Sol leggings, $118.

Trunk show Toteme wool-blend sweater, $860.

NL Pure 10x42 binoculars, $4190.

Canada Goose Arctic Tech parka, $2457.

Loro Piana Bernina cashmere gloves, $863.

Tom Ford flannel shirt, $1677.

On Cloudrock hiking boots, $310.

Patagonia Torrentshell waterproof pants, $190.

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Dries Van Noten sweatshirt, $1005, and sweatpants, $945.

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16/9/2024 9:56 AM

DISCOVER THE MYSTERIES OF SOUTH AMERICA Whether cruising through the fjords of Patagonia, sailing in a luxury expedition yacht around the Galapagos, or gliding in an intimate riverboat through Peru’s Amazon — wherever you go in South America, you’ll be enchanted by ancient sites, extraordinary landscapes, incomparable wildlife, and mesmerising cultures, histories and myths.

A&K’s expert guides are true locals in every destination. With privileged access, unrivalled insight, as well as luxury vessels and accommodations that blend impeccable service with style, A&K sets the benchmark for Tailor-Made Journeys across South America.

NEW

Ultimate Galápagos Expedition

Chile & Argentina: Patagonian Wilderness

Sail the Galápagos on an A&K Luxury Expedition Cruise in unparalleled comfort aboard the stylish Ecoventura yacht Theory, encountering the islands’ iconic wildlife and more.

9 days from $19,890 pp Departs 26 April, 7 June, 30 August, 11 & 25 October, 8 November 2025

Experience the stunning coasts, capes and wild seas of the far south on this immersive Tailor-Made Journey through Patagonia. Hike to the edges of glaciers, take an unforgettable sea voyage through magical fjords and channels, and choose from a suite of wilderness adventures with a skilled naturalist in tow.

15 days from $24,945 pp

Peru in Depth Peru offers some of the world’s most astonishing attractions. On this Tailor-Made Journey you’ll discover the modern culinary hub of Lima, explore the rainforest wonders of the Amazon by luxury riverboat, delight in Cusco’s tapestry of colonial charm, immerse yourself in the islands of Lake Titicaca, and make the pilgrimage of a lifetime to the ruins of Machu Picchu.

15 days from $22,330 pp

Call 1300 589 717, visit www.abercrombiekent.com.au or contact your travel advisor to find out more.

*Terms & Conditions apply. Prices shown are per person based on twin share and are subject to availability.

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&Travel 80 Flying high | 90 Lakeside breaks | 92 Turkish luxury

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Indecent proposals

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Flight Trends

New heights

Airlines are waging class war, with double beds and ‘press for champagne’ buttons, aiming to part travellers with a little more cash, writes John Arlidge.

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ir Richard Branson has always been a class warrior. His airline, Virgin Atlantic, was the cheeky David that took on the pukka, clipped-vowel Goliath of British Airways – and won. On his very first jet, a leased Boeing 747, Branson offered Upper Class, a cabin between business and first class. Virgin Atlantic was the first large carrier to introduce Premium Economy, a cabin between economy and business. It also pioneered the optimistically named Economy Delight, which offers extra-legroom seats on its long-haul jets.

At 73, Branson is not tired of waging class war. Virgin Atlantic is expanding its exclusive new Retreat Suite, introduced on its hangar-fresh Airbus A330neos, which features two large seats with sliding doors for privacy and enough room on either side of the vast dining table for two people to sit comfortably and eat facing one another. More Retreats will be introduced on new aircraft.

Virgin Atlantic’s move formalises the creation of the first five-class jet: Retreat, Upper Class, Premium Economy, Economy Delight and Economy Classic. Where it leads, others are following. New business-class seats, with names like Business Plus, are emerging on other carriers.

Lufthansa now offers a Business Plus suite, the only seat with privacy doors in its business-class cabin. US carrier JetBlue boasts the Mint Studio on its transatlantic Airbus A321 aircraft. The suite has an ottoman seat on one side which gives you a choice of where to sit. Your hand baggage can be stowed beneath the ottoman. Singapore Airlines’ long-haul Airbus A350s and Boeing 777s have vast front-row seats in business class. American Airlines is introducing a new Flagship Suite on

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“SAVVY TRAVELLERS HAVE LONG KNOWN WHICH INDIVIDUAL BUSINESS-CLASS SEATS TO CHOOSE BECAUSE THEY OFFER EXTRA ROOM.”

Business perks

Clockwise, from below left: Emirates brand ambassador Penelope Cruz; mid-air bedmaking; dining on JetBlue; Virgin Atlantic Upper Class bed; Singapore Airlines’ first class.

its new Boeing 787s, which will also eventually be retrofitted on existing 777s. Air New Zealand’s forthcoming Business Premier Luxe seat offers doors – a first for the carrier.

It’s all a world away from what airlines offered as recently as 25 years ago: only two classes, business and economy, on most long-haul routes.

Savvy travellers have long known which individual business-class seats to choose because they offer extra room.

These tend to be at the front of the cabin, where seats have more legroom and a bed that does not taper towards the end because it does not have to tuck under the side of the seat in front. Regular travellers on Qantas’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners plump for the front-row middle seats which offer 15 per cent more room than other seats in the business-class cabin.

With business plus, airlines are now recognising their frequent flyers’ choices and introducing more premium business seats – with a fee.

Some airlines plan to follow Singapore Airlines’ lead in its Suites Class by creating beds that can become double beds in business-plus suites. Many are introducing new ottoman seats, either facing the main seat or on one side of the suite.

All offer more storage and a bigger TV screen, and some come with a separate desk.

Andy Morris, chief commercial officer of Northern Ireland-based seatmaker Thompson Aero Seating, which makes the Retreat Suite for Virgin Atlantic, JetBlue’s Mint Studio and Qantas’ business seats, says that, like the showers on Emirates A380s, the new premium business seats are a “halo” product that elevates the airline’s brand.

Some carriers are flirting with going beyond bigger business-plus seats. Virgin Atlantic offers an extra pillow in its Retreat Suite and might introduce plusher bedding. Others Cruise &Travel

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are considering special amenity kits. Food and drink are likely to stay the same, though, to avoid complaints from passengers in regular business class – although US carrier United recently emailed its frequent flyers to gauge their interest in a “pressfor-champagne” button in business-plus seats.

The new classes are not all about the big seats. Many airlines have for years offered passengers the chance to pay a little bit more for front-row extra-legroom economy-class seats but Virgin Atlantic has created up to 14 rows of Economy Delight at the front of the economy cabin on its new jets. The 28 seats on its A330s have a 34-inch pitch, the most generous legroom of any carrier in economy. All are window and aisle pairs, which makes them appealing to couples.

There are 45 Economy Delight seats on Virgin Atlantic’s Airbus A350s, arranged in sets of three across the cabin. The window seat in the second row of Economy Delight in the rear cabin has no seat in front of it, making it one of the best and best-value economy-class seats in the sky. Food, drink and amenities in extra-legroom seats remain the same as for all the other seats in economy on Virgin Atlantic and all other carriers that offer extra legroom seats at the back of their jets.

Who will be the winners of the new class war between airlines? The most innovative carriers, of course, but most of all, you and me: the passengers. We’ve never had so much choice. CT

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My Life in Food

NOBU MATSUHISA

“Cooking is my life; cooking is my job.”

Nobu Matsuhisa created Umi Uma for Crystal.

Paul Feinstein asks how he did it.

T

he name Nobu Matsuhisa conjures many things for many people. It represents one of the first modern sushi restaurants in Los Angeles: Matsuhisa, opened in 1987. It’s famous for the ground-breaking Japanese/Peruvian fusion cuisine served at his eponymous Nobu restaurants, found in more than 50 locations internationally. And it’s a byword for luxury accommodation at the 18 Nobu hotels dotted around the globe.

And Nobu’s unique on-board restaurant concept, Umi Uma, is a star attraction on Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony, offering a cornucopia of Nobu specialties such as his crispy rice cake with spicy tuna and his uber-famous black cod with miso. It’s one of the greatest dining options on any cruise ship, and it’s exclusive to Crystal.

When did you know you wanted to do this for a living?

When I was a kid, my brother took me to a sushi restaurant. This was my first experience. This was the first time I sat at the counter and watched the chef make [the sushi] one by one. This experience wowed me, and I knew then I wanted to be a chef.

Japanese and Peruvian cuisine fusion was a new concept in 1994. What inspired you to bring those flavours together?

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I was born in Japan, and I started training in Japan. Japan is very simple.

For sashimi you use soy sauce and wasabi. But when I moved to Peru when I was 24, I tasted a ceviche. And ceviche is the same fish but cooked with lemon juice. They never use soy sauce. And then they use garlic, chilli paste, cilantro, all the same fish, but cooked in a completely different way. After this experience, my eyes opened, and it meant cooking with more freedom. Then I started to create more while keeping the simple product but cooking in a different way.

Black cod with miso is the dish you’re most famous for. Why do you think it struck a chord with so many people?

The miso cod is basically a very traditional Japanese food. In Japan, we didn’t use to have refrigerators. To make the fish keep longer, you marinated or salted. With the black cod, I started to marinate one day, two days, three days.

And finally, after three days, I cooked it for myself, and it tasted great. Then I put

it on the menu and started recommending it to customers. The first one ate it and loved it. Then the second customer loved it. After a while it became my signature dish and the most world famous.

Celebrity chef

Clockwise, from left: Nobu Matsuhisa; Umi Uma on Crystal Symphony; Chef Nobu’s delectable miso-glazed black cod; prized seating at the sushi bar.

What first attracted you to working with Crystal to create a restaurant concept at sea?

Well, I started it in 2003, and in the beginning, it was a big challenge for me.

We have restaurants in cities, but we never did it on a cruise ship because I worried about how I could get fresh products and how I could do business every day. So, I started the challenge little by little, just to understand more than before. But I already had the concept with Matsuhisa with exactly the same menu, and the same service, which I started with Crystal Cruises.

How would you describe the Umi Uma experience?

Umi Uma is a 60-seat restaurant, so not too big. It’s a mix of homey, friendly and comfortable, with really good food and service. Because it’s on a cruise ship, it’s homier – as you get to know the same customers every day. That means you get to make it more like a family.

How would you describe the style of service at Umi Uma? Umi Uma is only 60 seats, so you have to pay close attention. But I’m not looking for Michelin-style service; it’s more casual, with good food and people eating while they’re comfortable.

Will you be cooking on any of the cruises?

Can we expect to see you behind the counter at Umi Uma? Of course. I go on cruises, and I’m a guest chef. I cook, I do a cooking demonstration, and I stay in the kitchen to create new dishes with the chefs. Cooking is my life; cooking is my job. CT Cruise &Travel

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Hotels & Resorts

Indecent

PROPOSALS

As hotels scramble to satisfy super-rich guests’ every desire, we’re entering a new era of hospitality “hyper-personalisation”, writes Sally Howard.

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few years ago I stayed at a luxury fivestar hotel in Miami, where a deliciously indiscreet concierge spilled the beans about the lengths his team had to go to when a British band of rockroyalty status came to stay. The guitarist had specifically requested a shepherd’s pie via room service (cue one Floridian chef’s bamboozled googling), while the lead singer demanded, the concierge bemoaned: “Full blackout of the suite to help him sleep. He did not want to see one ray of light peeking through the curtains”.

But in a competitive market for luxury hospitality, today it’s not just celebrities that demand their every whim fulfilled. In 2024, major hotel brands are indulging in a death match of concierge one-upmanship, touting personalisation of everything from a hotel

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room’s temperature on arrival and room scent to pillows and installed artwork, including pictures of guests’ families and pets, with smaller hoteliers saying that the trend – dubbed “hyperpersonalisation” – risks a looming crisis in concierges’ and housekeepers’ workload.

It’s the most well-to-do guests who give even the starriest celebs a run for their money, says Katherine Scott, a private travel consultant. In recent years, Scott has arranged a private tour of the Vatican to fit a demanding guest’s “preferred breakfast time”; a private “rendezvous with monkeys” in Japan; and for one demanding male guest, a string of hotel stays featuring on-site wood-fired pizza ovens – “wood-fired was nonnegotiable” – at which the guest’s hotel minibar had to be stripped of beer and gin miniatures and fully stacked with cans of “full-fat” Coca-Cola.

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“The demographic we are talking about here is high net sandcastles for proposing guests, and in glass bottles on the end worth but time-poor,” explains Scott, who is regularly of fishing rods. telephoned in the small hours by her international clients. “Of n the UK, hyper-personalisation often has a more whimsical course, they also have very low levels of patience. They want bent. Zoë Cunliffe, the manager-owner of The Gilpin, a luxury what they want, and they want it now.”

Scott’s most memorable task was to arrange a trip for a group lodge in the Lake District, explained that hyper-personalisation of well-to-do women on a girls’ minibreak, who wanted to be is “all about anticipating guests’ needs”. “During a recent trailed around Paris by a fleet of Mercedes, so they didn’t have turndown, our team noticed some cold and flu medicine in one to walk for more than five minutes at a time in their towering of our guest’s bedrooms,” she recalls, “so we sourced local honey, heels. These Sex and the City wannabes presented a challenge, fresh ginger and some sliced lemon and left them on the bedside Scott admits, where prickly Parisian gendarmes were table alongside a little note with instructions on how they can concerned. “The Mercs couldn’t park up constantly or drive make a soothing tea and wishing them a speedy recovery.”

Philip Steiner, general manager of London’s Bankside Hotel, alongside them: it was a bloody nightmare to organise,” she says that having discovered one of his guest’s children loved says, laughing.

Harry Potter, his team transformed the family’s As one of the planet’s luxury-hotel hubs, it’s no room into a Potter paradise “with a recreated surprise that the Maldives provides rich pickings Hogwarts door and personalised Hogwarts when it comes to examples of the hyperCONCIERGES Touches like this, Steiner believes, personalisation trend. At upmarket Patina ARRANGED AN letters”. “ensure that every guest feels genuinely Maldives, for example, each guest is welcomed “UNDERWATER recognised and valued”. with a package of completely personalised Sharon Brown, hotel manager at The Resident 3D-printed edible vitamins. At five-star The PROPOSAL” FOR Liverpool, said that the boutique recently Emerald Maldives Resort and Spa, meanwhile, a ONE GUEST, satisfied one guest’s bizarre request for a guest in one of the thatched luxury villas – which come with pools and Jacuzzis and views across FEATURING FULL “picture of a toad, sitting under a mushroom in the rain, placed in a frame on the bedside table”. the fringing powder sands of the Raa Atoll – once SCUBA GEAR...

A range of apps and platforms have now told his private butler that he “missed his Ferrari emerged to help hoteliers personalise guests’ back home” and asked if he could drive a Ferrari experience, including “guest communication platform” Duve, around the island resort.

“The villa host responded by mounting a Ferrari logo on the and Canary Technologies’ “guest experience platform”. Marriott, golf cart, which absolutely delighted him,” explains general Hilton and IHG have apps that allow guests to personalise their stays and make “special requests” before arrival. manager Srikanth Devarapalli.

Heightened expectations can be hard for smaller hoteliers, Rémi Delpech, the managing director of luxury riad hotel IZZA in Marrakech, once arranged to have a famous footballers’ says Vicky Saynor, proprietor of Hertfordshire self-catering initials embossed into a leather-covered coffee machine. “Four- boutique Bethnal & Bec. “What we find very tricky being a small thousand euros,” he says, laughing. “At least he took it home business is the many requests we get – ‘Can you do something with him!” The hip W Ibiza, meanwhile, made one aspiring dad special as it’s my partner’s birthday?’, for example – with these DJ’s dream come true by arranging for him to spin the decks extras being expected for free.” When Saynor suggests that guests source these extras themselves, she is routinely “met poolside for an evening.

Unsurprisingly, it’s bespoke destination marriage proposals with dissatisfaction and contempt”.

Nevertheless, with the five-star bar – and the price of a suite that tend to involve the most extreme requests. At Milaidhoo, a thatched boutique on the Baa Atoll, also in the Maldives, – climbing ever higher, the hyper-personalisation trend shows concierges arranged an “underwater proposal” for one guest, no signs of cooling. With brands occupying the upper echelons featuring full scuba gear, a professional underwater of luxury travel in a constant battle to outdo one another, and photographer and a proposal message “revealed on a coral their guests expectations ever loftier, the likes of golf-cart reef”; and staff at luxury resort Baros have stashed rings in Ferraris and shepherd’s pie could soon seem tame. CT

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Over the top

Clockwise, from left: Extravagant requests are the norm in Maldivian resorts Baros, The Emerald and Milaidhoo.

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Collaboration

A five-star makeover

Clockwise, from left: The Sofitel Sydney Wentworth’s main entry; the lobby; the hotel’s impressive exterior; the Wentworth Bar on the Level 5 terrace; Bar Tilda; and the new restaurant, Tilda.

SOFITEL HOTELS

A new age of

TIMELESS LUXURY Sydney is set to welcome a much-loved luxury landmark back to the scene.

Chris Singh discovers what’s new at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth.

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he iconic horseshoe facade of Sydney’s Wentworth building once welcomed guests as they checked in for their flight at Qantas’ only city terminal. Before the Wentworth opened as the harbour city’s first international five-star hotel in 1966, passengers boarding the national airline would start their journey here before being whisked to the airport in style.

When the property was reflagged as the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth in the early 2000s, the hotel entered a new era, backed by the French brand’s unmistakable taste for grandeur, and maintained an illustrious reputation for classic hospitality.

Much like The Plaza in New York City or The Savoy in London, Sofitel Sydney Wentworth is deeply rooted in a sense of place, positioned as Sydney’s indisputable Grand Dame. This is why the world is watching as the hotel springs into a new era, shouldered by a $60 million investment that has completely transformed the Wentworth from top to tail with an imaginative blend of heritage charm and modern luxury.

The new-look luxury hotel is perfectly located for pre- and post-cruise stays, being only a 88

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15-minute walk from the Overseas Passenger Terminal and close to key Sydney attractions.

A dedicated concierge team is on hand to assist with personalised suggestions. Renowned as the Hotel of the Arts, the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth leans on long-standing partnerships with cultural institutions such as Opera Australia and the Art Gallery of NSW. All 436 rooms and suites feature decadent furnishings such as a dreamy Sofitel MyBed™ and luxury Balmain Paris bathroom amenities.

The elevated offering will be lifted by a state-ofthe-art health-and-wellness studio.

But what has truly transformed the guest experience is four immaculate dining and drinking venues, each curated by House Made Hospitality – a group that’s already elevated Circular Quay with the likes of Lana, Grana and Apollonia at Hinchcliff House and Martinez.

Tilda is a high-concept extension of the Australian landscape, celebrating local ingredients and highlighting the country’s unique flora and fauna with seasonal produce crisped in a hard-working charcoal oven.

Then you’ve got Bar Tilda, pulling the glamour of the 1960s into a new age with a

transportive scene of mid-century charm scored by live music. Personalised tastings will be the norm, drawing from a library of 100 Australian whiskies and a rigorous cocktail program.

Set on the hotel’s fifth floor, Delta Rue flips over to the freshness of Vietnamese-French food. Energised by the faded elegance of Hanoi’s 1920s Old Quarter, it’s the perfect spot for a tasting at the champagne bar followed by a vibrant dining experience in a timeless setting.

The signature Wentworth Bar means drinks out on the lively terrace, covered by glass and copper with a dazzling scene set up perfectly for Sydney’s social set and fashioned with spectacular cocktails.

Guests in Luxury Club King Rooms, Prestige Suites or Wentworth Suite can also enjoy private check-in at the hotel’s exclusive Club Millésime with access to daily privileges, including buffet breakfast, “Le Goûter” afternoon tea, and “Apéro Chic” hors d’oeuvres and evening drinks.

With Sofitel Sydney Wentworth leading Sydney into a new age of luxury, the property has seamlessly fused the city’s past, present and future in a way only Grand Dames can. CT Find out more at sofitelsydney.com.au.

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PRIME HOTEL, PRIME LOCATION

• Sofitel Sydney Wentworth places you in the heart of Sydney’s action, within 10-15 minutes’ walk of attractions in every direction.

The Overseas Passenger Terminal, The Rocks and Circular Quay, with highlights of the Opera House and the Museum of Contemporary Art, are all a short stroll away. Head in the opposite direction for the luxury shopping of Martin Place and Pitt St Mall. To the east, you’ll find the entrance to the Royal Botanic Garden, while heading west takes you to the waterfront Barangaroo precinct. In the immediate area, you’ll find some of Sydney’s best bars and restaurants, while the hotel itself will keep you busy with two restaurants, two bars, a state-ofthe-art gym and a luxurious spa.

“A $60 MILLION INVESTMENT HAS TRANSFORMED THE WENTWORTH ... WITH AN IMAGINATIVE BLEND OF HERITAGE CHARM AND MODERN LUXURY.”

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Hotels & Resorts

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akefront holidays are nothing new. Como was a stop on the Grand Tour more than 300 years ago, while it’s more than two centuries since the first travellers arrived at Lake Geneva’s Evian-les-Bains to take its health-giving waters. Throughout the 19th century, wealthy city dwellers built summer palazzos and mansions along the shores of every lake from Orta to Ohrid, with grande-dame hotels springing up and small, waterfront villages blossoming into tourist resorts.

All this leaves a legacy of some of Europe’s most elegant hotels, some maintained in all their fin de siècle glamour, others reinvented as 21st-century spa resorts, with state-ofthe-art sauna circuits, hydro-pools and holistic treatment programs. There are plenty of simpler hotels too, with less-visited countries such as Germany and Slovenia offering superb spa hotels at extremely reasonable prices.

And lakes are fantastic playgrounds for families, offering boat trips and kayaking tours, paddleboarding and pedalos, many with non-tidal “beaches” that are ideal for younger swimmers. Most are encircled with walking and cycling trails, often blissfully flat, with the lake offering cooling dips whenever needed.

Of course, the most famous lake resorts get busy, but choose somewhere smaller and more under the radar, and even in high summer you may find a blissful, beautiful stretch of lakeshore all of your own.

/ PASSALACQUA

Lake Como, Italy This sister property to Grand Hotel Tremezzo was voted the best in the world in 2023, just a year after it opened. It’s a fabulous boutique hotel with sumptuous interiors fit for an empress, marrying classic Baroque elegance with fun designer fabrics in spectacular terraced gardens with pinch-me views.

Sun yourself by the pool, unwind with a game of bocce, or glide across the lake on a boat – this is Lake Como at its most glamorous.

There are complimentary daily activities for guests, from gelato-making workshops and mixology classes to outdoor yoga and flower-arranging courses. The 24 rooms are spread out over three buildings: the main villa, the Palazz (housed in the former stables), and the four-bedroom Casa al Lago with its own private gardens. / DOMAINE DES ETANGS

BEST BREAKS

by LAKES Lakeside living can be bliss. Try these top locations, writes Annabelle Thorpe.

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Charente, France There’s a genuine fairytale feel to this 14th-century castle estate, part of the Auberge Resorts Collection, with seven lakes across its 1000 hectares. The main building – all turrets and gothic windows – has been restored using only local rock, with exposed brickwork and ceiling beams in the spacious bedrooms creating a delightful, rustic-luxe feel. Everything here is effortlessly stylish, from the library to the exquisite, locally (including on-site) sourced dishes served at Dyades, and the Moulin spa, housed in a former watermill.

Tennis, horse riding, cycling and hiking are all on offer, but there’s really nothing better than curling up on one of the sumptuous loungers and drifting quietly into the peace. / SEEHOTEL AM KAISERSTRAND

Lake Constance, Austria The Seehotel has been a private residence, sanatorium and army barracks over the last century, before reopening in 2023 Cruise &Travel

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Calming and charming

Clockwise, from left: Passalacqua, Lake Como, Italy; Domaine des Etangs, Charente, France; Seehotel am Kaiserstrand, Lake Constance, Austria; Hotel Bohinj, Lake Bohinj, Slovenia.

as a contemporary-styled wellness hotel.

Traditional Austrian chintz has been replaced with clean lines and muted colours in the bright, airy rooms, with the same muted elegance running through the Vju restaurant (making the scarlet and hot-pink Red Bar something of a surprise).

The spa has multiple saunas and a warm indoor pool, while the charming town of Bregenz is a short drive away along a waterfront promenade. Best of all is the glass-walled Pavilion on the Lake, accessed by a pier, perfect for sunset drinks and dinner. / HOTEL BOHINJ

Lake Bohinj, Slovenia Bohinj might not match the better-known Lake Bled for glamour, but it is less crowded, and the dramatic scenery of the Julian Alps is equally breathtaking. Hotel Bohinj was completely renovated in 2021; the new design draws on the natural surroundings, with larch-wood panelling in the bedrooms fractured by a backlit silhouette of the Bohinj mountains.

An alfresco fireplace and comfy day beds make the most of the lake views. With average August temperatures of 22 degrees here, it’s rarely too hot to explore the cycling and walking trails knitted around the lake, while the Finnish sauna is perfect for a relaxing hour before hearty dinners of traditional Slovenian dishes. / B BOU HOTEL LA VINUELA & SPA

Andalucia, Spain Twenty minutes’ drive inland from the highrises and hectic pace of the Costa del Sol is this traditionally designed Andalucian hotel on the tranquil La Vinuela Reservoir in the heart of the Axarquia Natural Park. Rooms are a warm mix of Andalusian design and Moorish touches – carved wooden headboards, ornate mirrors Cruise &Travel

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and striking tiled bathrooms – while the library, pool and flower-filled gardens all offer quiet, relaxing spaces.

The private spa circuit at the Mei spa includes fragranced showers and thermal areas, while cycling and horse-riding trails are available around the reservoir. Dinners on the terrace focus on fish from nearby Puerto de la Caleta and meats from the surrounding farms. / GRAND HOTEL VILLA SERBELLONI

Lake Como, Italy There are lakes and then there are lakes, and few can beat Como for its glorious scenery, with fin de siècle villas and picturesque towns scattered along its meandering contours. Villa Serbelloni – the only five-star hotel in Bellagio, the lake’s loveliest village – celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2023.

This grande dame is filled with marble staircases, Murano glass, frescos and antique pieces in the ornate rooms. The cherry on the cake is direct lake access, with the hotel’s private beach enlarged for this summer, while the indoor and outdoor pools mean there’s always somewhere to snooze the afternoon away, whatever the weather. Dinners at Mistral are a highlight, with a more informal restaurant serving traditional Italian dishes. / KURU RESORT

Lake Saimaa, Finland Finland is home to thousands of lakes, but Saimaa dwarfs them all, with the world’s longest lake coastline and more than 13,000 islands. In winter, Saimaa is frozen but in summer it’s a natural playground, with the adults-only Kuru resort offering a tranquil base. Just 20 villas are dotted through the pine forests that run down to the shoreline, with seal-spotting safaris, boat trips, e-bikes and paddleboarding all offering different ways to explore the wilderness.

Wellness – both physical and mental – is a large part of a stay at Kuru, with meditation, yoga and breathwork classes offered alongside a spa. Breakfasts are delivered to the villa each morning, while dinners are a six-course feast using naturally sourced local ingredients.

in Europe’’ to cater for wealthy visitors arriving in Evian to take to the waters. Its 21st-century incarnation is equally wellness-focused; home to the only Evian spa in Europe, with a dedicated team that organises everything from yoga hikes to tandem paraglides and guided tours of Geneva or Annecy.

Golfers are equally well catered for with the Golf Academy and Champions Course, but the lake itself is the greatest playground, with private boat trips, catamaran sailing and a huge range of watersports, alongside a complimentary daily kids’ club for ages three and above. Twelve bars and restaurants mean you never have to eat the same meal twice. / ALDIOLA COUNTRY RESORT

Lake Liscia, Italy A world (but just half an hour’s drive) away from the busy resorts on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda is the Aldiola, an idyllic hideaway surrounded by nothing but holm oak and cork trees, just above the tranquil shoreline of Lake Liscia. Drawing on the heritage of the surrounding Gallura region, rooms are furnished with locally made fabrics, ceramics and wooden furniture, with shady verandas and terraces that overlook the pristine lawns that wrap around the pool.

Days can be spent canoeing on the lake, visiting nearby archaeological sites in Arzachena, or hiking through the unspoilt countryside, before returning for traditional Sardinian dishes and wines in the hotel’s cosy restaurant. / INEX OLGICA HOTEL & SPA

Lake Ohrid, Macedonia Europe’s oldest lake straddles the mountainous border between Albania and North Macedonia, offering all the beauty of the Italian lakes with far less development. Specify a lake-view room to take advantage of the Inex’s location, set above the water on a wooded headland, and make time to visit the picturesque city of Ohrid, just a couple of miles away.

It is one of Europe’s oldest cities, once known as the Jerusalem of the Balkans, dotted with beautiful churches and an atmospheric old quarter. This isn’t a luxurious option, but for nature-lovers (Ohrid is the most bio-diverse lake in the world), walkers and those looking for an under-the-radar gem, it’s a great choice. CT

/ HOTEL ROYAL, EVIAN-LES BAINS

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Hotels & Resorts

I Simple splendour

Clockwise, from above: Bijal is a winner with its pool, BeachHouse, delectable dining, private villas and beachfront site.

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’d expected many things from Bijal, Turkey’s newest, most exclusive luxury resort, but a late-evening choral singsong wasn’t one of them. And yet, on my first night, as I strolled back from the palm-framed terrace at the tranquil BeachHouse restaurant, a cacophony of tweets, cheeps and chirrups rose up from the narrow waterway running parallel to the path.

Tree frogs and cicadas, late-night birds chattering to each other; a deluge of natural noise that made me feel I was somewhere far more tropical than Turkey.

The feeling remained the following morning, wandering up to breakfast past flower beds filled with scarlet hibiscus, vivid-pink bottlebrush and great tendrils of bougainvillaea, a trio of pine trees rising like sentries above the low-rise, Art Deco-style ClubHouse that forms the hub of the resort.

On the ClubHouse terrace, wide rattan sofas and highsided basket chairs flanked tables set with white linen; beyond the soft hum of jazz and the occasional muted whir of a golf cart shuttling guests to and fro, everything was quiet. Blissfully, all-encompassingly quiet, as if I was squirrelled away on some island hideaway, rather than in the big Turkish resort town of Side on the Mediterranean coast.

TURKEY transformed

Barefoot luxury has arrived in a country better known for its sprawling seaside resorts, reports Annabelle Thorpe.

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An island idyll is exactly the vibe the designers of Bijal were aiming for; a re-creation of the effortless, barefoot luxury that defines its Indian Ocean siblings, Joali Maldives and Joali Being – without the sky-high price tag (a stay at Joali starts from about $2500, almost double the nightly rate of Bijal).

With just 19 villas, served by three restaurants, two bars and a troupe of quietly charming butlers, on hand 24/7 to cater for any and every whim, this is a world away from the 500-room resorts that Side is known for, and more than a match in terms of service (and price) for the big-hitters down in Bodrum, including the Aman, Six Senses and Mandarin Oriental.

Bijal isn’t the first hotel in Turkey to channel a Maldivian vibe, although up to now it’s usually been aspects of a resort – a style of accommodation or a beach with a Maldivian feel – rather than the overall.

Bodrum’s super-stylish Lujo resort boasts sand brought in from the Indian Ocean and a spectacular “Lotus Pier”, with over-water cabanas flanking the stem and a bar and lounge spread invitingly across the flower head.

In spectacular golf-focused Belek, the Granada Luxury resort has a collection of over-water Maldivian-style villas – although in this case, the water is a swimming pool rather than the sea.

And I’ve always loved the secluded Perdue, in Faralya, with its thatched-roof suites and hidden-away feel, although it does lack a proper beach.

More than anything, it’s Bijal’s size that sets it apart, setting a new bar for boutique luxury. Many guests stay in their villa for the entirety of their holiday, meaning the tranquillity that enveloped me on my first morning was unbroken throughout

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my stay. Whether snoozing by a cabana on the private stretch of beach, or back at the villa with its luminescent, aquamarine pool, outdoor bath and private walled garden, there was barely a whisper to disturb me.

The hotel’s signature colour, butter-yellow, runs through everything from room keys to bicycles, beach bags and robes and even the sheets (making climbing into bed rather like disappearing into a puffed-up, super-fluffy egg). I took part in a ceramics workshop, became embroiled in an ultra-competitive table-tennis championship and, of course, spent plenty of time on the beach, revelling in that rare sense of being genuinely cocooned from the outside world.

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also ventured beyond Bijal’s rarefied atmosphere, opting for a two-hour guided tour of Side – part ancient city, part waterfront tourist attraction, just a few minutes’ drive from Bijal (which you wouldn’t get in the Maldives).

To my surprise, there was no entrance fee to the ruins; the triumphal arches, colonnaded streets and vast amphitheatre were free to explore, with the remains of millennia-old dwellings scattered between the restored Ottoman houses that cluster together on the headland, the spectacular Temple of Apollo towering above them all.

The town is entirely focused on tourism now; shop windows decked out with jewel-hued handbags, restaurant tables full, the main street packed with holidaymakers who had come by bus or taxi from the surrounding resorts. Bijal was just close enough for me to walk back; a half-hour stroll along the sand as the sun was beginning to set, backlighting the Temple’s four white-marble columns with a burnished-gold light.

I promised myself I would go back down for a dinner, but it turned out that evenings at Bijal were too tempting to miss. The nights began with ice-cold beers at the ClubHouse, followed by Turkish meze, rich with olive oil and unctuous yoghurt, and freshly caught sea bass at the BeachHouse – all enjoyed while watching the sky fade from blue to lavender to a deep, starlit mauve, with palm trees silhouetted in the half-light.

Perhaps surprisingly, the most memorable meal was an extraordinary sushi platter, arranged like a still-life portrait, slivers of salmon, eel, shrimp and crab encased in the lightest rice imaginable. But then perhaps it shouldn’t have been surprising; I was in the new Maldives after all, just a whole lot closer to Europe.

Bijal offers one-bedroom villas from about $1485, B&B. CT

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Last Word

There’s no way to dress this up: 20 years as a stand-up comedian is no training for being polite to people.” giving and friendly locals were beginning to call “Monsieur So British”.

The life of a touring comedian couldn’t have been more different from the country-living, chutney-making, goat wrangler of home and, to be honest, though I didn’t say this on stage (where good news doesn’t get laughs), I thrived on it. It was everything I had always wanted.

Returning home after every stint away was like going on holiday, and how many people returning from work can claim that?

How I became

BASIL FAWLTY Twenty years ago, we swapped our Sussex semi for a French country pile – but the decision to convert the barn into a B&B tested my sanity, writes comedian Ian Moore.

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howbusiness wasn’t meant to be like this; this was not what I’d had in mind at all. I’d driven in a daze for four hours back from a mediocre stand-up gig to our tiny, Victorian semi in southern England. It was now three in the morning. There had been a stroke of luck as I’d managed to find a parking space within walking distance of our house, but then I tripped over the dog as I stepped through the front door, waking our young son and with it my sleeping wife. I was not popular and not happy.

Fortunately, we were going on holiday soon, and it would be our annual chance to spread out a bit in the bucolic, freeze-framed Loire Valley where my half-French wife, Natalie, had family.

It meant long, lazy afternoons and the food of gods. But I wanted more.

The plan had always been that we would retire here one day, much later in life and just soak up the pastoral tranquillity of the area; I would write light, undemanding comic novels and Natalie would tend to her future horses. It was a pipe dream; an ambition, and one that seems a long way off when you’re in your early thirties. “But,” I thought, “what if…?”

I’m not necessarily a persuasive person, but I am infuriatingly relentless, and eventually, later that summer, I wore her down. As I flew off for a 94

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weekend of gigs, Natalie looked for a property.

I came back on the Sunday, we signed for our dream home on the Monday, and we’ve been here ever since, 20 years later. “But how will you work?” my agent asked, mentally deleting me from his roster. “I’ll fly back every weekend,” I replied blithely. “There’s a Ryanair service from my local airport.”

For the same price as our tiny box in the UK we could get land, outbuildings, an orchard, a pond, a pool even… and with those things a whole heap of back-breaking maintenance, which everybody warned us about and we ignored. “So what?” we said, “we’re young!”

We aged very quickly. The main thing about having lots of space is that you fill it. A couple with a young son and an ageing Jack Russell became, in a few short years, a couple with three sons, a pack of dogs, a succession of cats, two horses, numerous short-lived hens and the world’s unfriendliest collection of goats.

I was embarrassingly inept at the complicated French fan dance of meet and greet because mainly, and I will swear this until my dying day, they keep changing the rules! It’s never just a handshake or a kiss on each cheek; everyone and every area has subtle variations laid like traps for the man the wonderfully

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rexit changed things, inevitably. It added a mountain of stress and bureaucracy to a life that was chock-full of those things already, as it became clear that our security depended on me being in the French tax system. The decision, then, to convert one of our barns into a chambre d’hôtes (a posh B&B), was not taken lightly, and when I informed friends that I was moving into the world of hospitality, they laughed. As the old joke goes, they’re not laughing now. There’s no way to dress this up: 20 years as a stand-up comedian is no training for being polite to people. Being woken in the middle of the night because “there’s a spider in our room”, is bad enough; complaints that there is “too much grass in the garden” elicited a fairly intemperate, though fully justified, riposte. The invasive demands and inevitable, incessant and sometimes impolite hectoring of families from all over the world turned me into a kind of even angrier Basil Fawlty. To give you some idea of my state of mind, my first crime novel, Death and Croissants, is centred around a B&B owner in rural France whose guests begin to die off…

My chambre d’hôtes closes its doors for the final time at the end of this summer, for the good of my sanity and for the benefit of the hospitality world as a whole. It will then become a full-time writers’ retreat for quiet types who can make their own breakfast and know when to stay out of my way. After that, our home will return to normal. Normal being a constant roller-coaster of animal husbandry, overloaded bureaucracy, eye-wateringly expensive utilities; a remote, sometimes lonely existence with brutal winters alleviated by wonderful locals, stunning countryside, family and a driveway I can park half a dozen cars on.

I wouldn’t have it any other way. CT Ian Moore is a stand-up comedian, husband, father, farmhand and chutney-maker in France, where he owns a writers’ retreat.

Cruise &Travel

13/9/2024 4:12 PM

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