Cruise W E E K L Y
Tuesday 23 April 2013
Orion renamed, re-equipped for 2014 Cairns and Auckland will be the departure ports for the first sailings of Lindblad Expeditions’ new National Geographic Orion. The former Orion, to be relaunched as the National Geographic Orion, is set to be converted into an exploration vessel with more focus on SCUBA diving and less focus on luxury. Lindblad Expeditions, in association with National Geographic, unveiled the inaugural program for the newest addition to its fleet, recently acquired from Australia’s Orion Expedition Cruises, after an initial release to past passengers last week. The National Geographic Orion will officially launch in March 2014, newly equipped with kayaks, an ROV (remote operated vehicle reaching depths up to 300 metres), snorkelling gear for 100 passengers and a SCUBA program that can accommodate up to 24 divers at once. The expedition team is expected to resemble that on the National Geographic Explorer and will include a National Geographic photographer on most departures. On 19 March 2014, the first voyage is scheduled to depart from Auckland for a 22-night cruise via New Zealand’s Bay of Islands and Australia’s Norfolk Island to Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. National Geographic is selling the trip online with flights departing from the US, creating a 25-day itinerary.
Nothing flushing on Princess A BLOCKAGE within the onboard vacumn operating system caused hundreds of toilets aboard Crown Princess to stop working. Maintenance crews aboard the ship, currently operating in the Western Caribbean region, quickly rectified the problem, but not before dozens of upset passengers voiced their opinions on social media channels.
The final ports of call are Australia’s Thursday Island and the Great Barrier Reef’s Lizard Island, before ending in Cairns. The second sailing departs Cairns on 9 April 2014, sailing back through Thursday and Lizard islands and PNG, and then to Micronesia and Palau. The third voyage, to the Spice Islands and the Coral Triangle, starts in Palau and ends in Darwin, visiting West Papua and Timor. National Geographic Orion will then resume Kimberley cruises from May to August. In September 2014, an expedition to Borneo is also featured on the program, sailing from Singapore to Bali. Other itineraries later in the year include Melanesia, Tahiti and Antarctica. For details, see www.orionexpeditions.com.
Hurtigruten’s top-selling tour Norway’s North Cape has again proved to be the most popular shore excursion offered by Hurtigruten last year. Aussie travellers are “highly recommended” to book shore excursions before departing Australia, according to the line’s local representative, Discover the World Cruising. Last year, more than 54,000 people took the “Journey to the end of the World” to visit the northernmost point of Europe – Hurtigruten’s continuously best-selling excursion. The ‘North Cape’ tour is priced from $160 per person and ‘Breakfast at the North Cape’ starts at $211 per person. Tromsø, the Norwegian city north of the Arctic Circle, was also a winner with guests, with almost 21,000 passengers attending the ‘Midnight Concert in the Arctic Cathedral, while in third place was ‘A Taste of Vesteralen’, costing from $105 per person - a scenic bus tour from Harstad to Sortland. A total of 45 different excursions are offered on the 12-day Classic Round Voyage from Bergen to Kirkenes and back - for details, see your travel agent or call 1800 623 267.
Cruise Calendar Cruise Weekly’s cruise calendar details upcoming port calls of passenger cruise ships at various destinations in Australia. sydney Rhapsody of the Seas Pacific Jewel Dawn Princess Carnival Spirit
Wed 24 Apr Sun 28 Apr Sun 28 Apr Mon 29 Apr
melbourne Dawn Princess
Tue 23 Apr
brisbane Pacific Dawn Pacific Dawn
Sat 27 Apr Tue 30 Apr
Darwin Coral Princess
Thu 25 Apr
BURNIE Dawn Princess
Wed 24 Apr
HOBART Dawn Princess
Thu 25 Apr
MSC 96 hour cruise sale MSC Cruises is offering savings of up to 58% in a “96 hour cruise sale” which kicks off in exactly a week’s time. Bookings must be made between 8am Sydney time on 30 April and 8am on 04 May 2013, with prices for a seven night cruise onboard MSC Splendida from Genoa, Marseille, Barcelona, Rome or Valencia starting at a stunning $390 per person. And that’s not all - children under 18 cruise free in a cabin with two full paying adults, paying only port charges. A choice of ten ships are on offer, with a range of 7, 8, 9 or 11 night itineraries departing from September to November 2013. To book see your travel agent, and for more information go to www.msccruises.com.au.
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Tuesday 23 April 2013
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Environmental efforts on the rise Cruise lines are involved in ongoing worldwide efforts to help to protect the world’s ocean, air and beaches. In celebration of Earth Day yesterday, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) highlighted how its members are working to preserve the environment that is so essential to the cruising experience. CLIA says its member cruise lines have been at the forefront of wastewater treatment, emissions reduction and the development of technologies to further reduce the environmental impact of cruising. Some of the most impressive measures include self-generating most of the water used onboard, using recycled hot water to heat passenger cabins and tinting windows to keep corridors cooler. Even the condensation from shipboard air-conditioning units is collected and then reused to wash the decks on Disney Cruise Line’s ships, saving million gallons of fresh water. Celebrity Cruises has installed solar panels on five ships.
CCC offers Fiji connectivity FREE wireless internet has been rolled out on Captain Cook Cruises’ range of 3-11 night cruises in Fiji on the MV Reef Endeavour. Passengers will be able to connect in the ship’s Tabua Suites as well as in the Yasawa Lounge, Pool Deck and on the Sundeck, with the company saying 3G connection speed will be accessible from most of its anchorage ports. Padi diving operator Viti Water Sports has also been appointed to coordinate diving and snorkelling activities for passengers.
Several cruise lines now issue passengers with e-tickets instead of paper documents and use fabric bags instead of plastic for laundry and dry cleaning. Others use non-toxic slick hull coatings that save as much as 5% on fuel usage. “It is very important that we understand the extensive investments and ongoing commitment of our member lines to safeguard the environment for future generations through responsible practices and continuous innovation,” said Brett Jardine, general manager of CLIA Australasia. “The cruise industry has invested extensively to develop and implement a wide range of new technologies that protect air and water quality and increase energy efficiency.” CLIA also called on passengers to play their part by recycling paper, plastic, cans and glass through dedicated bins on ships and to turn off lights when not in their cabins. For details about other cruise line initiatives, see www.cruiseforward.org.
New Myanmar river cruiser ORIENT-EXpress this morning announced the deployment of a new river cruiser in Myanmar, operating on both the Ayeyarwady River and the Chindwin River. Orcaella will feature 25 river-facing cabins including 17 suites, and all will have floor-toceiling sliding glass doors and ensuites. There’s also a lounge area, bar and pool, with Orcaella to offer seven and 11-night itineraries between Yangon and Bhamo, operating January-April and July-December. Orient-Express already operates Road to Mandalay, a sister ship to Orcaella which has been cruising the Ayeyarwady for 17 years. For details see www.orient-express.com.
Ponant launches 14/15 guide Compagnie Du Ponant has released its 2014/15 winter brochure boasting 21 different itineraries varying in duration from 6-17 nights. The company’s 132-stateroom Le Soleal yacht will form part of the brochure and will feature alongside Le Boreal and L’Austral. Le Ponant will offer sailings around the Cape Verde Islands off the western coast of Africa as part of the season - see traveltheworld.com.au
P O R T H O L E The fat controller will love this. Carnival Cruise Lines has announced a special shore excursion to visit a “full sized replica” of Thomas the Tank Engine. The exciting trip is available during several selected upcoming voyages aboard Carnival Glory which call at Saint John in New Brunswick, Canada. It includes a rain ride along the town’s waterfront along with a variety of ‘Thomas & Friends’ entertainment such as handicrafts, videos and storytelling - plus a special appearance by none other than Sir Topham Hatt. A message in a bottle thrown into the Atlantic Ocean in 1985 has washed up in Croatia, after floating for 28 years and travelling almost 8000km. The bottle was found during a beach cleanup day near the port of Ploce on the Adriatic Sea, among “the rubbish that winter rains have brought to the shore,” according to its finder, 23-year-old Matea Rezic. Rezic said that the bottle was broken but the message, written with a blue ballpoint pen was “in good shape as it was plastic coated,” according to an AFP report. The mysterious message simply stated “Mary, you are really great person, I hope we can keep in correspondence. I said I would write. Your friend forever. Jonathon, Nova Scotia, 1985”. A photo of the missive has been posted on Facebook, sparking a thus far unsuccessful search for the erstwhile Jonathan or Mary amid speculation as to how on earth Jonathan thought she would get the message by putting it in a bottle and tossing it into the ocean.
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Into Africa: Shore Excursions on the dark continent by: Roderick Eime AS we begin the second leg of the inaugural G Adventures West Africa itinerary aboard MS Expedition, we have already ticked off South Africa, Namibia, Angola, Congo, Sao Tome & Principe, Benin, Togo and Ghana. It’s a chance to reflect on some of the favourite shore excursions enjoyed so far. From my own impressions and a most unscientific straw poll of passengers, here are the favourites (in no particular order): Angola: The instant charm of the people and a quaint train ride in historic carriages along seaside from the port of Lobito to the town of Benguela was a great kick-off for what was to follow. Professional ground operation from www.ecu-tur.com enhanced the whole experience. Sao Tome & Principe: Again, a former Portuguese colony and former slave port, people here opened their arms to us with this tiny coffee and cocoa producing nation delivering a full and enriching day of cultural and historical insight. Decidedly Caribbean in feel, the people smiled broadly as they sang and danced for us. The doe-eyed and cheery children just melted passengers’ hearts. On nearby Principe we luxuriated at Mark Shuttleworth’s Bom Bom Island Resort where I encouraged our Zodiac driver to drop me at the beach to explore some ruins which turned out to be an overgrown 15th century Portuguese church. Togo: In the true West Africa of legend and fable, Togo is a nation with a balanced and confident persona. Part of the once notorious ‘slave coast’ it became a model German colony until 1914, after which Togo developed into a Francophone nation comprising several
Village girl, Togo
dominant ethnic groups, all of whom still cling to superstition, animalism and voodoun (aka voodoo). The famous Akodessewa fetish market in Lomé was always going to be a highlight and did not disappoint. Chock full of desiccated animals of all sorts and thronging with hucksters eager to make a meal from the goggle-eyed tourists, we snapped up little nailriddled tourist dolls and talismen for all kinds of ailments, woes and protection. Some of us ventured to the rear stalls for the “good stuff” and readings by oracles. With the valuable assistance of ethnohistorian David Conrad, I left with a genuine, blood-stained sacrificial item from one of the darkened and decidedly spooky back booths. Just exactly what it does, we’re not sure yet! The afternoon was a village visit with a twist. We were presented to the local ‘king’ and feted with more robust song and dance. Here the (post-menopausal) ‘power women’ attend to the serious affairs of the village and they preside over proceedings from a position of undeniable authority. Ghana: While in itself Ghana may not have offered the most startling assortment of attractions, who could not be impressed with the quirky concept of fantasy coffins, where you can have made a casket to represent your wildest desire, be it a beer bottle, bible, boat or movie projector. True. The wild hurly-burly of the craft markets kept most to a few hard-fought trinkets, but David excelled again and returned with an exquisite 19th century Benin bronze figurine easily worth four-figures which he acquired for a song. We continue on to Sierra Leone and Senegal before wrapping up this time next week. For more information see www.gadventures.com.
15th century church, Principe
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Exploring Benin wetlands
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