CW for Tue 04 Dec 2012 - APT new style cruises, Sydney berthing issues, Solstice arrives, Celebrity

Cruising from Australia will never be the same again.

Introducing Celebrity Solstice.速 Arrives in Sydney on Sunday.

Internationally acclaimed, unlike anything else in Australia and now available from your doorstep, the Celebrity Solstice is your new choice in cruising from Australia. Discover the Celebrity difference with superior service, award winning cuisine and unparalleled accommodation.

View Celebrity Solstice at Circular Quay on Sunday, 9 December from 6:30am.

Like us on Facebook for your chance to win a 12 night cruise on Celebrity Solstice.

Contact your travel agent. Call us on 1800 754 500 celebritycruises.com.au | facebook.com/celebritycruisesausnz

JMAK= : ( ( . / < Tuesday 04 December 2012

APT releases new style of cruises Free flights and discounts are on offer for APT's first small ship expeditions in Australia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Japan and Cuba.

APT General Manager Marketing Debra Fox said Caledonia Sky “feels like a private yacht or a fine country club” and is equipped with five different cabin styles, with each suite almost twice the size of suites on standard big ships.

The ship has 10 onboard zodiacs for expeditions led by experts, who also conduct onboard lectures.

Also in the brochure is the 15-day Spirit of the Spanish Main, aboard Island Sky, from Nassau in the Bahamas, cruising around Cuba to Mexico and Belize, priced from $10,295.

Fares include tipping, shore excursions and house wines, beers and soft drinks with all lunches and dinners.

Each departure is a one-off, which Fox said makes the APT expedition program the most specialised on the seas.

For details, see www.aptouring.com.au.

THE Australian company has opened bookings for adventure-based luxury cruises on its newest investment, UK-based Noble Caledonia and its specialist ships which include the 110-passenger Caledonia Sky and Island Sky. Refurbished in May, Caledonia Sky is the main vessel featured in the new brochure, ‘APT Luxury Small Ship Expedition Cruises 2013-14’, specifically tailored for travellers from Australia and New Zealand.

‘Fly free’ deals and discounts of up to $1,050 per person are now available for early bookings.

Highlights include a 14-day South East Asia Explorer from Darwin to Singapore, following ‘The Journey of the Krait’ route of one of the most successful covert operations in Australian military history, is priced from $9,995pp, twin share, departing 25 September 2013.

An 11-day Kimberley cruise departing September 2013 is priced from $7,995 per person twin-share, with options to explore Darwin or Broome, while the 28-day Grand Kimberley, including the coastal cruise and a 17-day 4WD land tour, starts at $17,395.

The 16-day Japanese Spring Gardens, priced from $11,995, is organised by APT's sister company Botanica and sails from Kyoto, around Japan to South Korea.

The 19-day Beyond the Dragon's Lair, priced from $13,959, starts in Jakarta and finishes in Port Moresby.

Crystal unveils North Europe CRYSTAL Cruises' new Baltic, Scandinavian and British Isles program is highlighted by shorter summer voyages and 25% more overnight calls.

Beginning 8 June 2013 aboard Crystal Serenity, three new seven-day itineraries and five 10-day cruises will explore Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Estonia, Germany, Belgium, Finland, Russia, the UK and Ireland.

Almost all voyages will offer overnight stays, including two nights in St Petersburg.

Two new cruises sail to and from Dublin for the first time, and a London-Copenhagen sailing marks the line's return to Amsterdam, Zeebrugge and Helsingborg.

See www.wiltrans.com.au for details.

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Conditions: Prices are per person twin ER & share ex. SYD, MEL, BNE, ADL, PER includes taxes and fuel surcharges, valid for departures from valid Nov’12 to Jun’13 ’13 and seasonal surcharge apply. Please check with Helen Wong’s Tours for exact departure eparture p dates. Prices & taxes are current at time of brochure printing 15 Sep ’11. and are subject j to availability and change without notice otice at time of booking. All other conditions as per p Helen Wong’s Tours current brochuree range.

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TODAY’S ISSUE OF CW Today’s issue of CW features four pages of all the latest cruise news and photos.

PLUS see CW’s front full page wrap from Celebrity Cruises introducing Celebrity Solstice.

Also, see page five for information on APT’s European Wine Cruising in 2013.

Voyager celebrates in UK THE UK-based Voyages of Discovery's refurbished mv Voyager will have its official naming ceremony in Portsmouth today.

After a four-day showcase in the city, the ship will then sail to the West Indies on a fivemonth voyage, before returns to Portsmouth UK in summer 2013 for four other cruises.

The Captain is set to visit Lau NEXT year Captain Cook Cruises is embarking on the first ever Discovery Cruise to the rarely visited Fijian Lau Islands.

The 11-night cruise onboard the MV Reef Endeavour is scheduled to depart on 22 October 2013, and will visit the northern island of Lau, Wailagilala; Lau's largest Island Vanuabalavu; the most beautiful Island in the Lau group, Fulaga; the uninhabited Vuaqava; Kabara known for its wood turning and Tongan heritage; and the untouched white beaches of Totoya Island.

On the way to and from the Lau group the cruise will stop in at Yanuca Island, Savusavu Bay and Kadavu, famous for its wildlife and underwater world.

“Captain Cook Cruises is so excited to be able to offer the first ever cruise around the Lau Group of Islands,” said Jackie Charlton, MD of Captain Cook Cruises, Fiji.

“We have worked really hard, using local knowledge and advice, to put together a fantastic 11 night itinerary that will not only show off everything Lau has to offer, but that will allow passengers to experience a remote and unspoilt part of Fiji,” she added.

The cruise is priced from $3,430 per adult, $730 per child (kids 5 -17 years sharing with adults) and $1,200 (under 4 years) which includes a nanny service.

CHINA

Call 1300 788 328

see your Travel Agent or

helenwongstours.com

Website: www.cruiseweekly.com.au | Phone: 1300 799 220 | Fax: 1300 799 221 | Email: info@cruiseweekly.com.au

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Cruise Calendar Cruise Weekly’s cruise calendar details upcoming port calls of passenger cruise ships at various destinations in Australia.

SYDNEY Pacific Jewel Oosterdam Carnival Spirit Pacific Pearl Rhapsody of the Seas Voyager of the Seas Celebrity Solstice Celebrity Solstice Costa Neoromantica

Tue 04 Dec Wed 05 Dec Thu 06 Dec Thu 06 Dec Fri 07 Dec Sat 07 Dec Sun 09 Dec Mon 10 Dec Mon 10 Dec

BRISBANE Celebrity Solstice Pacific Dawn Costa Neoromantica

Fri 07 Dec Sat 08 Dec Sat 08 Dec

CAIRNS Costa Neoromantica Rhapsody of the Seas

Wed 05 Dec Tue 11 Dec

Windstar’s Caribbean plans WINDSTAR’S 2014 Caribbean northern hemisphere winter season will consist of three “eclectic” itineraries.

The season will kick off in December 2013 and will run through to March 2014, and will include a seven-day Wind Surf Flavours of the Caribbean cruise from Dutch St. Maarten to French-influenced Martinique, with calls to Le Marin, Martinique; Pigeon Island, St. Lucia; Roseau, Dominica; Les Saintes, Guadeloupe; and Basseterre, St. Kitts.

The Caribbean offering will also include a seven-day Jewels of the Windward Islands itinerary onboard Wind Star sailing roundtrip from Bridgetown, Barbados with stops at Pigeon Island, St. Lucia; St. George's Grenada; Mayreau, St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Tobago Cays, St. Vincent and the Grenadines; and Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Rounding out the trifecta will be a seven-day Yachtsman's Caribbean itinerary onboard Wind Surf from Philipsburg, St. Maarten, calling on Falmouth Harbour, Antigua (overnight); Soper's Hole, Tortola, B.V.I; Jost Van Dyke, B.V.I. (overnight); Virgin Gorda, Prickly Pear Beach, B.V.I. (overnight); and Gustavia, St. Barthelemy.

See your travel agent for details.

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Berthing row lessening Sydney appeal The Federal Government’s allocation of limited berthing rights at Garden Island for cruise lines in 2012/13 & 2013/ 14 will reflect negatively on Sydney Harbour’s cruise ship handling ability, NSW Tourism Minister George Souris has predicted.

IN July, it was revealed by Cruise Weekly the Australian Navy base at Woolloomooloo would be used by superliners Radiance of the Seas and Celebrity Millennium, along with Queen Mary 2 over the next two seasons, due to a shortage of available docking spaces in the NSW capital.

“We’re disappointed we only got six berths out of the Navy.

“We were hoping for more than that,” Souris told Cruise Weekly.

“The figure is so low it’s almost not an announcement,” he added.

“It’s very disappointing, so I fear that we are going to see some big oceanliners moored in the water and passengers ferried by punt.”

Souris said the floating pontoon in the middle of Sydney Harbour alternative, was “not a good solution - it’s not what ‘A’ grade customers have paid for.”

He told CW that cruise lines promoting Sydney now have to rely on selling the Opera

Hurtigruten Antarctic Peninsula Expeditions

House and Harbour views of the city.

“We’ve got to get past that, the experience has to be good too.”

He referred to talks with the Navy as an “incomplete chapter” but championed Federal Tourism Minister Martin Ferguson for his efforts at pushing the case for more Garden Island berths.

“He [Ferguson] did very well for us, but the end result was unfavourable,” Souris said.

The NSW Minister added it was key not to part with the Navy, with its provisioning bigger than that of the cruise line industry.

“We’re not chasing them out,” he added.

MEANWHILE, Souris has weighed in on the debate over the Sydney port price hike which will see cruise lines charged a $20 per person levy from 01 Jul next year, rather than the current $250 per hour fee.

The Minister said he appreciates Sydney needs additional cruise facilities for the burgeoning industry, “to the extent that if this fee raises money to enable us to do the infrastructure, then I’m more than OK with it.”

In his personal view, Souris said: “Cruise passengers want to come to Sydney Harbour - that’s the main ticket item.

“In the grand scheme of things it won’t make much of an impact on a passenger’s decision to go or not go on a cruise,” he concluded.

Sydney is not without its competition, the Minister added, acknowledging the recent Queensland government proposal to build a $500 million cruise facility on the Gold Coast (CW 25 Sep), admitting he was baffled where cash would come from to fund the project.

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Website: www.cruiseweekly.com.au | Phone: 1300 799 220 | Fax: 1300 799 221 | Email: info@cruiseweekly.com.au

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ZZZ FUXLVHZHHNO\ FRP DX Tuesday 04 December 2012

Follow us on: Just one click away from keeping up to date with all the breaking news as it comes to hand...

Free flights to Galapagos

Carnival gets into the sale spirit

INTREPID cruisers looking to nab a deal to the Galapagos may want to have a look at the latest deal from Lindblad Expeditions, which is offering a free roundtrip airfare to Galapagos from Miami with selected expeditions aboard the 96-guest National Geographic Endeavour.

The deal is applicable on the following 2013 departures: 11 January, 25 January, 22 February, 15 March and 05 April, for bookings made before 31 December 2012.

For details see your local travel agent, or visit www.wildearth-travel.com.

CARNIVAL Cruise Lines launched a one week Carnival Spirit sale yesterday, offering up to $300 off per cabin on a range of cruises.

Special fares include a nine-day New Caledonia cruise priced from $820pp, and a 10-day New Caledonia and Vanuatu cruise from $885pp.

The sale ends Sunday, see www.carnival.com.au.

Solstice arrives in Darwin AS the city awoke and began to prepare for the day, Celebrity Solstice slipped into Darwin’s Fort Hill Wharf at 7am on Friday morning, heralding the commencement of her 2012/13 Australian summer season.

Measuring a whopping 16-storeys in height, and boasting 10 restaurants, 15 bars (including a martini bar), a real grass lawn, and capacity for 2,850-guests Solstice is the largest ever vessel to call Australia home.

Whilst in regional waters Solstice will depart on 17 sailings ranging in length from one- to 35-nights, including an 18-night ‘Round Australia’ cruise.

For details see your local travel agent, or visit www.celebritycruises.com.au.

Solstice is pictured below at Fort Hill Wharf.

Celebrity Reflection christened CELEBRITY Cruises named its fifth Solstice class vessel in a ceremony in Miami last weekend, assisted by four godmothers fighting breast cancer.

The godmothers, who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, are Helen O'Connell, manager of Celebrity's community relations, and Rosey Rodriguez, a 17-year company employee; as well as Jovanka Goronjic, AquaSpa manager on the Australian-based Celebrity Solstice, and Megan Mathie, a glassblower on Solstice, both of whose mothers have the disease.

The 3,046-passenger Celebrity Reflection is parent company Royal Caribbean's 42nd ship.

HMS Bounty investigation AN investigation has begun into the events and decisions which led to the sinking of the HMS Bounty, a replica of the legendary British navy ship, famous for the 1789 mutiny of crew.

The replica HMS Bounty was built for the 1962 movie Mutiny of the Bounty, starring Marlon Brando, and after went on to star in several other productions, including the Pirates of the Caribbean series.

Of late however, the vessel served as a training ground for those who wanted to crew tall ships, and at the time of her sinkage, was on the market for over US$4 million.

The vessel met her end off the coast of North Carolina during Hurricane Sandy, after her Captain, Robin Walbridge, made the unusual decision to sail her away from the harbour in New London, Connecticut, as the Sandy loomed, and into the eye of the storm.

According to reports, had Bounty stayed in the harbour she would have sustained serious damage, and speculation has it that Walbridge, an experienced captain with over 17 years at sea under his belt, decided to try to save the ship by sailing it into the Atlantic, to navigate it out of the storm’s path.

Bounty sank 144 kilometres off Cape Hatteras in 18-foot waves, after two rough days at sea, where she begun to take on water.

The US Coast Guard managed to rescue 14 crew members after they abandoned ship, however one, Claudene Christian (a relative of one of the original Bounty mutineers) passed away after arriving on shore.

Captain Walbridge went down with the ship, and despite search efforts, he was not located.

The investigation will look into whether equipment or crew contributed to the tragedy.

HMS Bounty as she went down

3 2 5 7 + 2 / ( THE Duchess and the Queen.

Queen Victoria’s doting Godmother, Camilla The Duchess of Cornwall, will visit her charge on 13 December, to mark the vessel’s fifth birthday.

While on board, The Duchess will sign the Visitors Book, witness the unveiling of a specially-commissioned portrait of her by noted Royal artist Richard Stone, and will also meet 12 Prince's Trust apprentices who participated in the Trust's “Get into” work experience programme at Cunard.

Save up to 35% off sailing STAR Clippers Royal Clipper, Star Clipper and Star Flyer, will operate a record 169 cruises in the Mediterranean, Baltic, Central America, Cuba and the Caribbean, transits of the Panama Canal, and six crossings of the Atlantic Ocean between 2013 and April 2014.

The itineraries are laid out in a new 68-page brochure, which also includes savings for early bookings, with several sailings offered at 35% for bookings before 31 January 2013.

Star Clippers was founded in 1989 by Swedish entrepreneur, Mikael Krafft, with two identical four-masted barquentines, the 113m Star Flyer, which set sail in 1991 and her twin, Star Clipper, which launched in 1992.

The duo were joined in 2000 by third vessel, Royal Clipper, with all three being re-creations of the classic 19th century clipper sailing ships.

Bikes and yachts in Europe OUTDOOR Travel has secured a limited number of berths onboard a unique former gentleman's luxury yacht, built in 1926.

The yacht offers 5-berths all with their own bathroom, whilst guests enjoy food prepared onboard by the vessel’s resident chef.

As an added bonus guests can make use of onboard bikes for full day self-guided cycling tours in Europe.

The two 15-day tours depart from Maastricht to Paris on 21 Sep 2013, and from Paris to Maastricht on 11 Oct 2013, and are priced from $2,840pp.

See your travel agent, or call 1800 331 582.

Website: www.cruiseweekly.com.au | Phone: 1300 799 220 | Fax: 1300 799 221 | Email: info@cruiseweekly.com.au

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Advertise with us

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For details call us today: 1300 799 220

A Cruisey Christmas gift guide by: Louise Goldsbury On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: Twelve summers cruising Eleven waiters waiting Ten decks a-leaping Nine ladies dancing Eight men a-watching Seven kids a-swimming Six pokies playing Five l ifebuoy rings Four bingo cards Three course lunch Two cocktail drinks And a towel partridge in a towel tree!

If all of that sounds like too much trouble, online shopping is your answer.

The cruise passenger in your life is sure to appreciate a present that helps them prepare for their next trip or to better enjoy their time onboard.

Many companies have released cruise-related gifts that may appeal to your friends of family, but you need to order now to receive delivery before Christmas Day. For a cheap stocking-filler, Queensland-based Bling Lanyards has a sale on five-packs in various sparkly designs and colours ($25 with free postage; www.bling-lanyards.com).

A lanyard, by the way, is like a necklace with a plastic pouch to carry your cruise card - handy when you are wearing swimwear or clothes with no pockets.

The Cruisey is a stubbie holder for your drink, also worn around your

Bl ing lanyards for cruise cards

Cruise Weekly is Australia’s favourite online cruising publication.

In production since 2007, Cruise Weekly is published each Tuesday, with a further travel industry update each Thursday.

Cruise Weekly is free and is sent to subscribers via email as an Adobe Acrobat PDF document.

Sign up for a free subscription at www.cruiseweekly.com.au.

PO Box 1010, Epping, NSW 1710 Phone: 1300 799 220 Fax: 1300 799 221

neck, so you can have all hands on deck.

Each one has a nautical phrase printed across it - my two favourites are Ship Shape and Pier Pressure (US$5 each plus postage; www.thecruisey.com).

Australian swimwear designer Kiargo has a new range of bikinis and one-pieces, influenced by the glamour of luxury ocean cruising.

Earlier this year, the company held a fashion show aboard a Silversea ship while docked in Sydney Harbour.

With sizes from 8 to 22, A to G cup, any woman will love one of these flattering, supportive designs (www.kiargo.com.au).

In the UK, the Cruise Gift Store (www.cruisegiftstore.co.uk) is dedicated to cruisers.

The site sells hundreds of items under $20: shirts, magnets, luggage tags, mugs, ties, games, keyrings, pill boxes and much more.

Festive items include Sea-son Greetings cards, Christmas-themed aprons and chocolate ships.

A few funny options include Gin & Titonic ice-cube trays, lifejacket wine bottle chillers, and port and starboard cufflinks.

Café Press (www.cafepress.com.au) also has a wide selection of cruise clothing, journals, posters, bumper stickers, calendars, coasters, and some random products such as pet bowls.

If you can't find the perfect present, personalise it.

This site allows you to customise t-shirts, mugs, iPhone cases, jewellery, water bottles, bathroom products and even pairs of thongs for the whole group.

Of course, the ultimate present is an actual cruise, so look out for the summer sales on offer this month.

Have a cruisey Christmas!

Kiargo’s nautical swimwear

Publisher/Managing Editor: Bruce Piper Editor: Louise Goldsbury Assistant Editor: Amanda Collins Contributors: Roderick Eime and Chantel Long Email: info@cruiseweekly.com.au Cruise Weekly is part of the Travel Daily Group:

The cruise stubbie holder

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Cruise Weekly is a publication of Cruise Weekly Pty Ltd. All content fully protected by copyright. Please obtain written permission to reproduce any material. While every care has been taken in the preparation of Cruise Weekly no liability can be accepted for errors or omissions. Information is published in good faith to stimulate independent investigation of the matters canvassed. Responsibility for editorial comment is taken by Bruce Piper.

Website: www.cruiseweekly.com.au | Phone: 1300 799 220 | Fax: 1300 799 221 | Email: info@cruiseweekly.com.au

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www.aptouring.com.au or see your travel agent *Conditions apply. Prices are per person, and are based on Cat. E Stateroom departing 8 November 2013 (EURC15W). Prices correct as at 7 November 2012 and may fluctuate due to changes in availability, surcharges, fees & taxes. A non-refundable deposit of $3,000 is due within 7 days of booking and final payment due 100 days prior to departure. Australian Pacific Touring Pty Ltd ABN 44 004 684 619 Lic. No. 30112 MKT11080