C R U I S E PA SS E N G E R M AG A Z I N E – I SS U E 3 6 w in t er 2 0 0 9 AU S T R A L A S I A
Issue 36, winter 2009, AUSTR AL ASIA
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WORLD VOYAGES
D EST I N AT I O NS
River cruises: BURMA & EUROPE wildlife encounters
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I T I NER A R I ES
insider’s guide pick of the ships top 10 Ports
new horizons: japan & china
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winter 2009
contents
in every issue 7
Editor’s Letter & Your say
FEATURES 68 Popular Port: singapore
10 Cruise News
76 Historic Ships
18 NEW SHIPs: pacific jewel & carnival dream
79 Movers & Shakers: 83 subscription offer
21 cruise essentials
99 Local Cruise Calendar
24 Cruise Insight: the gay scene
104 ICCA Directory
54 Cruise Region Focus: world cruising
112 Last Word
28 regional cruise Explore New Zealand’s
Fiordland and Marlborough Sounds on Island Passage.
32 river cruise: europe A fairytale cruise from Budapest to Romania exceeds all expectations.
38 river cruise: asia A true tale of high drama on the normally placid Irrawaddy River, Burma.
42 10 of the best
Distribution Partners:
Spectacular ports from Santorini to Sydney. :LUPVYZ 0WTQLIa 7UDYHO
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92 beyond the sea 50 Luxury cruise New horizons: why Japan and China are emerging as popular cruise destinations.
64 expedition cruise History, native culture and scenic beauty: discover the Columbia and Snake rivers.
72 family cruise A Caribbean cruise on board Independence of the Seas.
84 ship to shore
Top tours in cruise regions for encounters with wildlife.
92 BEYOND THE SEA Expect the unexpected on
FABULOUS PRIZES TO WIN! 91 photo competition Your cruise shots could win you a fantastic Panasonic digital camera, LowePro backpack or Velbon tripod!
97 2009 readers’ choice awards
42 50
Vote for your favourite ship and you could win an OrientExpress holiday worth $4,500
110 READER SURVEY Fill out our simple survey and you could win a European river cruise for two with APT.
safari in Tanzania.
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I
GREAT VALUE
CRUISING
JUST ASK YOUR LOCAL CRUISE PROFESSIONALS
ASIAN CRUISING - LIBRA IS BACK
9 NIGHTS
FROM
OR FROM 232,400 MEMBERSHIP REWARDS POINTS†
$
2324*
I N C LU
3 N IG HDES C RU IS TS
PER PERSON TWIN SHARE
FRE EI!N*G
*
CRUISE DEPARTS 8 NOV 2009 INCLUDES • Return flights to Kuala Lumpur flying Malaysian Airlines • 1 night pre & post cruise in Kuala Lumpur • 7 night cruise on board SUPERSTAR LIBRA for the price of 4 • Transfers throughout • All on board meals, entertainment & gratuities
PRICES FROM Sydney $2394* Melbourne $2376* Brisbane $2395* Adelaide $2421* Perth $2324*
MEDITERRANEAN 10 NIGHTS
FROM
$
PERSON TWIN SHARE 4172* PER
OR FROM 417,200 MEMBERSHIP REWARDS POINTS†
CHRISTMAS IN DUBAI 11 NIGHTS
FROM
$
PERSON TWIN SHARE 4643* PER
OR FROM 464,300 MEMBERSHIP REWARDS POINTS†
INCLUDES Return airfares to Barcelona flying Singapore Airlines • 2 nights pre cruise & 1 night post cruise in Barcelona • 7 night cruise on board MSC SPLENDIDA • All on board meals & entertainment Cruise departs 19 Oct 2009
INCLUDES Airfares to Dubai flying Singapore Airlines • 2 nights in Dubai with breakfast • 7 night cruise on board COSTA LUMINOSA • 2 nights stopover in Singapore with breakfast • Airport transfers in Dubai & Singapore • All on board meals, entertainment & gratuities
PRICES FROM Sydney $4211*, Melbourne $4194*, Brisbane $4214*, Adelaide $4209*, Perth $4172*
Cruise departs 19 Dec 2009 PRICES FROM Sydney $4961*, Melbourne $4945*, Brisbane $4964*, Adelaide $4959*, Perth $4643*
QUOTE 4248 WHEN BOOKING: *SOME AGENTS MAY CHARGE AN ADDITIONAL SERVICE FEE & THESE VARY BETWEEN AGENTS: Conditions & seasonal surcharges apply. Prices are per person twin share. Valid for sale to 30 Jul 09. All collective cruise taxes & port charges are included. Prices & information are correct at time of issue & subject to availability & change at time of booking. Strict deposit amount, conditions apply & heavy cancellation fees. Additional pre & post accommodation & or transfers may be required due to flight schedules however not included in package. Airline seats are subject to availability. Where airfares are included Australian taxes, levies & charges are included & may vary depending on flight routings. Prices may fluctuate due to changes in charges, taxes & currency. Prices do not include taxes or charges collected directly at overseas airports. Please note a surcharge may be imposed on credit or charge card transactions. A service fee will be charged. For current information on travelling overseas & official Government travel advisories visit www.smarttraveller.gov.au
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ANCIENT EMPIRES
SOUTHERN & WESTERN CARIBBEAN
17 NIGHTS FROM $5872* TWIN SHARE
16 NIGHTS FROM $4699* TWIN SHARE
PER PERSON
PER PERSON
OR FROM 587,200 MEMBERSHIP REWARDS POINTS†
OR FROM 469,900 MEMBERSHIP REWARDS POINTS†
INCLUDES Return airfares to Rome flying Emirates • 1 night pre & post cruise in Rome • 13 night cruise on board CELEBRITY EQUINOX • 2 nights in Dubai • All on board meals, entertainment & gratuities Cruise departs 13 Sep 2009
INCLUDES Return airfares to Miami flying Qantas Airways • 1 night pre & post cruise in Miami • 14 night cruise on board NCL DAWN • All on board meals, entertainment & gratuities Cruise departs 4 Dec 2009 PRICES FROM Sydney $4699*, Melbourne $4777*, Brisbane $4795*, Adelaide $5008*, Perth $5171*
PRICES FROM Sydney $5921*, Melbourne $5904*, Brisbane $5924*, Adelaide $6134*, Perth $5872*
SPLENDOURS OF AUTUMN
DIRECT TO THE WILDERNESS
9 NIGHTS FROM $5452* TWIN SHARE
12 NIGHTS FROM $5695* TWIN SHARE
PER PERSON
PER PERSON
OR FROM 545,200 MEMBERSHIP REWARDS POINTS†
OR FROM 569,500 MEMBERSHIP REWARDS POINTS†
INCLUDES Return airfares to New York flying Qantas Airways • 1 night pre & post cruise in New York • 7 night cruise on board QUEEN MARY 2 • All on board meals & entertainment Cruise departs 2 Oct 2009
INCLUDES Airfares to Seattle flying Qantas Airways, returning from Vancouver • 1 night in Seattle & Vancouver • Domestic flight (Seattle to Fairbanks) • 3 night land tour • 7 night Alaska cruise on board SAPPHIRE PRINCESS • All on board meals & entertainment Cruise departs 9 Sep 2009
PRICES FROM Sydney $5452*, Melbourne $5533*, Brisbane $5551*, Adelaide $5758*, Perth $5890*
PRICES FROM Sydney $5695*, Melbourne $5815*, Brisbane $5835*, Adelaide $5976*, Perth $6140*
AFRICA, INDIA & SOUTH EAST ASIA
GRAND ODYSSEY TO THE ORIENT
34 NIGHTS FROM $10,513* TWIN SHARE
63 NIGHTS FROM $17,236* TWIN SHARE
PER PERSON
PER PERSON
OR FROM 1,051,300 MEMBERSHIP REWARDS POINTS†
INCLUDES Airfares to Capetown flying Qantas Airways, returning from Singapore flying Singapore Airlines • 1 night in Capetown • 32 night cruise on board TAHITIAN PRINCESS • 1 night in Singapore • All transfers • All on board meals & entertainment Cruise departs 18 Oct 2009
OR FRO FROM 1,723,600 MEMBERSHIP REWARDS POINTS†
INCLUD
ES
FARIRFEAERE!S
PRICES FROM Sydney $10,809*, Melbourne $10,891*, Brisbane $10,903*, Adelaide $10,903*, Perth $10,513*
*
INCLUDES Airfares to Barcelona returning from Hong Kong • 63 night cruise on board MV DISCOVERY • All on board meals, entertainment & gratuities Cruise departs 28 Nov 2009 ASK ABOUT OTHER FLY FREE OFFERS WITH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY… PRICES FROM Sydney $17,236*, Melbourne $17,236*, Brisbane $17,236*, Adelaide $17,236*, Perth $17,236*
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® Registered trade mark of Harvey World Travel Group Pty Limited. ANCIENT EMPIRES: Domestic flight from Adelaide to Melbourne based on QF E class & is instant purchase. GRAND ODYSSEY TO THE ORIENT: Surcharge might be applicable if flying on a different departure date. Must be booked 90 days or more prior to departure date. SPLENDOURS OF AUTUMN: Note additional post cruise night in NYC for all Perth pax included in the fare. Air is with CX for Perth pax only. †MEMBERSHIP REWARDS: Only available to Cardmembers enrolled in Membership Rewards Ascent Premium, Ascent, Choices or Blue Sk y. Membership Rewards enrolment required (an annual fee may apply). Subject to the Terms & Conditions of the Membership Rewards program. American Express International, Inc. (ABN 15 000 618 208). Incorporated with limited liability in Delaware, USA ® Registered trademark of American Express Company. Only available at participating Harvey World Travel shops. Each Harvey World Travel shop has its own travel agent’s licence number. License no. QLD - TAG 1718, NSW/WA - 2TA5129, VIC – 32392, SA - TTA 165258, TAS - TAS 058, A.C.T - TC373, NT - NT001 HWTA2975
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editor’s letter DEAR CRUISERS
Piracy on the high seas and swine flu on board cruise ships: cruising has been hogging (‘scuse the pun) the headlines recently. Media commentators were agog with possible implications for the industry and such is the nature of 21st-century communications, jokes about potential disasters circulated the globe within nanoseconds. However, all the cruise line operators and specialist cruise travel agents and regular cruisers we talked with reported no downturn in enquiries and bookings, proving once again that cruising is a hardy business. And while our own website, cruises.com.au, has only been operating for a short time, statistics produced from the site (see Cruise News p10) also show our readers and website browsers have a healthy disregard for scaremongering reports and the current financial crisis. Talking about booking cruises, our 2009/10 Cruise Guide is packed with info to help you choose your next voyage – see p83 for more details. Meanwhile, as the digital world advances apace, I hope you continue to enjoy a leisurely few hours reading the entertaining, in-depth features you will find in the following pages of your favourite cruise magazine. Happy cruising,
Sally Macmillan Editor
WRITE TO US AND WIN! We really value your feedback. Please email sally.macmillan@cruisepassenger.com.au, or write to Cruise Passenger, 51 Whistler Street, Manly, NSW 2095, with stories of your recent cruise experiences, queries and comments. The best letter to be featured in the Spring edition will win a copy of the highly sought-after book Antarctica, Secrets of the Southern Continent by our regular contributor David McGonigal. (RRP $89.95, published by Simon & Schuster Australia, available at all good bookshops.) Turn to p 54 for David’s feature on world cruising.
readers’ letters SOLO CRUISING I wish to thank you for producing a very informative and enjoyable travel guide. I live on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and have been on four small-ship cruises in the past two years: Aranui (Papeete), Captain Cook Cruises (Cairns), Blue Lagoon Cruises (Lautoka, Fiji) and Kimberley Quest (Broome). All the cruises were holidays and adventures I will never forget: wonderful service and pleasant shipboard companions. On each occasion I booked direct with the cruise line as I find travel agents are not keen to book singles. While I understand the reasoning I do feel that there is
a definite market in the travel industry for those of us who prefer to holiday alone. Henry Clelland, Noosa, Qld Editor: Congratulations on winning a copy of the 2009 Berlitz Guide! We recommend that you always book a cruise through a cruise specialist who can tailor a trip to your needs; check the ICCA directory, p104.
ROYAL TREATMENT? Earlier this year, my wife and I took a 13-night cruise on Dawn Princess to New Zealand. Because Sydney Harbour was so busy, we were relegated to White Bay, an experience that should be shared by those
who have decided that Darling Harbour’s Wharf 8 is to be demolished to make way for office buildings. The berthing facilities at Auckland offer a classic example of how things should be done. Our balcony cabin was at the rear of the ship, which we were happy to accept as it was near the lifts. However, we discovered that the lifts only go up but all the dining and public areas are down... The only times we were aware that there were 2,070 passengers was leaving or boarding and, of course, during meals in the Horizon Buffet. We soon realised the dining room was preferable.
Apart from these few whinges the cruise was memorable. All the staff tried so hard to meet expectations and nothing was too much trouble. However, most of the Australians we spoke to had cancelled the gratuity levy imposed on them and did their own thing, as we did. It’s just revenue-raising and I bet that the person serving you doesn’t receive this money and why should they, for doing what they are paid to do? All in all, it was a fabulous experience and we loved every moment of it but would choose a smaller ship in future. Gary & Ruth Hansard, Nth Strathfield, NSW
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contributors Issue 36, Winter 2009 Cover: Hong Kong/Photolibrary Publisher Fergus Stoddart Editor Sally Macmillan sally.macmillan@cruisepassenger.com.au News Editor John Pond john.pond@cruisepassenger.com.au Senior Designers Yulia Santoso, Michelle D’Souza
caroline gladstone Caroline Gladstone has been writing about cruising for 20 years. She’s cruised on more than 30 ships and inspected and lunched on many more. This year she’s cruised on Celebrity Cruises’ Millennium, Crystal Cruises’ Serenity and the brand new Costa Pacifica, which was launched in Genoa, Italy on June 5 along with twin sister Costa Luminosa (see Cruise News, p. 16). She also recently visited Singapore – see p. 68 . Her tip for cruisers? “Check out the various ‘last minute’ websites as there are so many fantastic deals to be had this year.”
Assistant Editor Lisa Smyth Sub-editors Sanchia Pegley, Renata Ficek Contributors Rod Eime, Caroline Gladstone, Joanna Hall, Rob Henderson, David McGonigal, John Mitchell, Peter Needham, Maggy Oehlbeck, MT Schwartzman, Fred Shaw National Advertising Manager Chris Waite Phone: +612 8962 2602 chris.waite@edgecustom.com.au Production Manager Rachel Walsh Publishing Coordinator Amy Story Advertising Coordinator Claudia Dinallo Phone +612 8962 2645 claudia.dinallo@edgecustom.com.au Subscriptions Phone: 1300 668 905 edge@subscribenow.com.au Reference authority Douglas Ward Printed by Offset Alpine Printing Distributed nationally by Gordon and Gotch Cruise Passenger is published by
Under licence to MGI CEO: Eddie Thomas Commercial Director: Craig Hodges Chairman: Fergus Herbert 51 Whistler Street, Manly, NSW 2095
All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Copyright Business Essentials (Australasia) Pty Ltd, trading as Edge Custom Media, ABN 22 062 493 869. 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 was believed to be correct at the time of publication, however details can change at any time, and all information contained in this magazine should be considered to be of a general nature only. No travel decision should be made solely on the information provided. Always consult your travel agent.
peter needham Peter Needham is a journalist and travel writer who has worked freelance for the past 16 years, after seven years as editor of travel industry magazine Inside Tourism. His background includes an eight-year stint in London working for the Guardian newspaper and Reuters. He has backpacked around South America, worked in a Saudi Arabian military hospital and as a sub-editor for Australian Associated Press. He lives on the NSW South Coast near Sydney with his wife and sons. He has taken numerous cruises over the past 30 years. Peter suggests you always pack UV-filtering wraparound sunglasses (from Cancer Council Australia), a foldable hat, torch and alarm clock.
joanna hall Joanna Hall is a freelance journalist and author based in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. She writes about luxury travel, lifestyle and health, and although she originally 11 years. Joanna spends a lot of time on the road, in the air, and at sea, seeking out new experiences to share with lovers of travel. But she admits that the ultimate way for her to holiday is on a luxury cruise with great food somewhere exotic. Coincidentally, this is also the theme of Joanna’s upcoming book, Cruising, due to hit bookshops in September, which she co-authored with her journalist/photographer husband, Ben Hall. Joanna’s top tip: “Choose your ship and itinerary carefully, as cruising isn’t a ‘one-size-fits all’ holiday.”
JOHN MITCHELl, MVO OAM John Mitchell is an Adelaide-based public relations consultant who works part-time as a photojournalist. In the past three years he has cruised the Mekong River in Vietnam and Cambodia, the Brahmaputra River in India, and more recently along the Irrawaddy in Burma. John loves wandering through out-of-the-way tribal villages and markets and obtaining candid shots. His main tip? “Do your homework thoroughly to ensure the cruise offers precisely what you are seeking, and take cruises that offer plenty of time on shore.”
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TOURISM NEW SOUTH WALES
cruisenews
BY JOHN POND
SYDNEY’S CRUISE FACILITIES
TOURISM NEW SOUTH WALES
The NSW Government is establishing a cruising committee to explore new ways to ensure Sydney has world-class facilities to support the industry’s record growth. In addition to considering the government’s proposed development of a cruise terminal at White Bay, the Passenger Cruise Terminal Steering Committee will investigate other possibilities, including a shared facility at Garden Island. The committee is likely to include representation from the cruising industry, tourism sector, ports and maritime authorities, harbour foreshore planning authorities and the Royal Australian Navy. Ann Sherry, CEO of Carnival Australia, thanked State Planning Minister Kristina Keneally for listening to the cruise industry. “We have been raising our concerns about the lack of facilities for almost 12 months now and are relieved that Minister Keneally is committed to finding a solution, given the huge and sustained growth in cruising. This committee has been given an opportunity to take a long-term and innovative view in the development of infrastructure in Sydney to ensure the cruise industry realises that potential.”
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winter 2009 www.cruises.com.au
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cruise news
If you are about to head out on a luxurious cruise holiday, there is one thing you must remember to organise besides your swimsuit – travel insurance! 1Cover insurance protects you in the event of a trip cancellation (up to one year before you leave), for medical attention or even an evacuation. In most cases, cruise ships travel further than four kilometres from the Australian shore meaning that international insurance is required. 1Cover does all this and more – leaving you to relax and enjoy your cruise. www.1cover.com.au
OBERAMMERGAU
full cover
AVALON PASSION
In 2010, Avalon Waterways is expanding its themed holidays, offering cruises focusing on wine and music. Passengers can also attend the famous Oberammergau Passion Play, with extensions combinable with several river cruise itineraries from May to September. ‘Magnificent Europe’ (October) will feature a Strauss concert in Vienna, an organ recital in Melk and a visit to the Bayreuth Opera House. Wine themed cruises include ‘Burgundy & Provence’ (August and October); ‘Windmills, Vineyards & Paris’ (August); and ‘The Legendary Danube’ (October). Winter cruises include ‘Christmastime in Germany & Austria’ and ‘Christmastime on the Danube’. www.avalonwaterways.com.au
ON WATCH: NEW SHIPS
ITALIAN STYLE
MSC Cruises introduced its brand of sophisticated European style cruising to New York City recently. MSC Orchestra’s historic arrival marks the first time one of the Italian-owned cruise line’s ships has called into the Big Apple. In September 2010, the line’s newest ship, MSC Magnifica, will arrive in New York for MSC’s inaugural season of Canada/New England itineraries, round trip from New York and Quebec.
This year, cruise lines will launch 18 new ships – 11 will be ocean-going and seven riverboats. Most are being launched in our winter, and include: Seabourn Cruise Line: Seabourn Odyssey was launched in June at the Mariotti shipyard in Genoa. www.seabourn-cruises-luxury-lines.com Celebrity Cruises: Celebrity Equinox, built at Germany’s Meyer Werft in Papenburg, is due to start her maiden voyage in July. www.royalcaribbean.com.au RCI: Oasis of the Seas is being built at STX Europe’s Turku shipyards. The world’s biggest ship underwent sea trials in June and will be officially launched later this year. www.royalcaribbean.com.au Carnival Cruise Lines: Carnival Dream, Carnival’s largest ship so far, is due to be launched in late September. She is being built at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy (see page 18 for full review). www.carnival.com Silversea: Silver Spirit will launch in December and start her inaugural voyage in January 2010. www.silversea.com MSC: MSC Splendida starts cruising in July. She was built at STX Europe’s shipyard at St Nazaire, France. www.msccruises.com.au
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cruise news
DIAMOND AWARD WINNERS
Deal Detective
Seniors Holiday Travel has once again received their Diamond Partnership Awards for Outstanding Sales for both P&O and Princess Cruises. Managing Director Perry Morcombe says their club members just love cruising, and having six cruise ships in Australian waters makes it so easy to find the right cruise for their cruise lovers. Membership of the Seniors Holiday Travel cruising club is free. Ring freecall 1800 300 999 to join.
Here are a few special deals that caught my eye recently – remember they go fast, so although figures were correct at time of writing, they often change daily. Make sure you call your cruise specialist travel agent asap. (Prices may or may not include extra taxes, fuel supplements, flights.) Royal Caribbean International fly/hotel/cruise: fly to Hawaii, then Sydney on a repositioning cruise, Rhapsody of Seas, 17 nights, departing September 30, 2009, from $2,199. Cunard Queen Victoria: up to 50 per cent off three sectors of 2010 world voyage, including 19-night sector Sydney to Hong Kong departing February 20, 2010 from $3,179 per person twin share; 23-night sector San Francisco to Sydney departing January 27, 2010 from $3,679; 32-night sector from Sydney to Singapore departing February 20 from $5,479.
Queen Mary 2: new fares on two sectors of 2010 world voyage, from $4,569 for 23-night sector Hong Kong to Sydney, departing February 13, 2010; $5,779 for 30-night sector Singapore to Sydney, departing February 6, 2010. APT Magnificent Europe river cruise: save up to $4,140 per couple. Travel in 2010 at 2009 prices on departures between April and October. Pay in full by August 31 2009. From $6,375 per person, twin share. Holland America Line ms Amsterdam with Travel the World: save up to $4,575 per person on 32-night Grand Pacific Voyage, departing LA September 30, 2009 arriving Sydney November 1, 2009. P&O Cruises 2010 Earlybird Sale highlights (until August 31, 2009): Eight-night cruise to New Caledonia on board Pacific Sun departing Sydney on July 29, 2010. From $849 pp, quad share. Seven-night South Pacific cruise on board Pacific Dawn departing Brisbane September 18, 2010. From $799 pp, quad share. 16-night cruise to Indonesia and WA coast on board Pacific Sun departing Fremantle January 4, 2010. From $1,499 pp, quad share.
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As we go to press, our website, cruises.com.au, has been up and running for nearly three months. We are thrilled that so many people have been using the site to research their cruises and as we add more features we‘ll keep you updated with developments. Here’s a snapshot of the most-visited sections: * The top cruise lines searched were P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, APT, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines, in that order. No surprises there! * Our Cruise News is updated daily. The most popular news story over the last month was P&O’s announcement of their Food and Wine cruises. Interestingly, the most-read feature was about dining options on cruise ships, which only goes to show that food is a priority for holidaymakers. * The top destination was the Western Med, followed by the Pacific Ocean. So despite the GFC, the cruises.com.au visitor still loves to cruise on the other side of the world. * The top type of cruising was luxury, followed by family. The No.1 enquiry was about Silversea’s new Silver Spirit, due to launch in December. We are also seeing a huge interest in cruising for the whole family. One of the first enquiries was from a family of 15 wanting to go to Alaska. What great memories they will have of that get-together!
winter 2009 www.cruises.com.au
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Journey to the heart of France BY STEVE LIEBMANN
Not to be sneezed at ... On June 12, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared the swine flu outbreak was officially a pandemic, meaning the virus had spread to a number of countries. It is considered a mild disease but has grabbed headlines around the world. When Pacific Dawn was delayed in Sydney and diverted from Queensland, P&O Cruises was constantly in the spotlight. Cruise Passenger spoke with Ann Sherry, CEO of Carnival Australia: CP: Cruise ships today are renowned for their strict sanitation controls. Has the arrival of swine flu in Australia caused any changes to be made to procedures onboard P&O ships? AS: Those who have sailed with P&O Cruises would be aware that we have thorough hygiene practices and rigorous ongoing cleaning of our ships as part of our day-to-day operations. These onboard procedures were developed and approved by several international health agencies recognised as leaders in this field. In fact, our protocols onboard to manage influenza exceed WHO standards and are more comprehensive than you would find in the environments most of us operate in every day. CP: Has the publicity had an adverse effect on bookings for P&O cruises? AS: No, our forward bookings are strong and we have had no cancellations. I think this is because people are sensible. As a community, we are learning to live with swine flu and doing the things we would normally do, except with extra precautions. This sentiment was echoed by many passengers who were cruising on Pacific Dawn at the time: “If you had to be quarantined somewhere I couldn’t have thought of a better place,” said one. “We got fed, the drinks tasted the same and the staff were fantastic. The majority of people onboard had a good time. They’re obviously disappointed we missed out on our ports of call, but it was a fantastic trip.”
NRMA Travel is holding Travel and Cruise Expos in July: expect to receive exclusive savings in a wide range of overseas and Australian holidays, airfares, hotel accommodation and car rental. A team of travel experts will be on hand to help you plan your trip and Cruise Passenger staffers look forward to meeting you there. www.mynrma.com.au/ travelexpo.
cruise news
ADVERTORIAL
River cruising is the best possible way to see France. The scenery was spectacular, the ship – launched only last year – was magnificent and the entire holiday so effortless. After two nights in magical Paris, just some of the many highlights included a wine tasting in the Burgundy region; sightseeing in France’s gastronomic capital, Lyons; and Nice, the ‘Queen of the Riviera’. The itinerary included a great mix of cities, towns and historic villages. There are excellent tours included in the fare and a great choice of optional extras so you can set your own pace. Avalon’s ships are really impressive – spacious and modern with all the comforts of a fine hotel. The dining was first class and we got to taste traditional regional dishes. The crew was fabulous. Nothing was a problem and they were available around the clock to offer advice and help. Avalon offers among the widest choice of destinations and itineraries available – just one more reason why customers keep returning. In fact, I met several passengers who were on their second or third Avalon cruise and many others who were off to book the next one. I feel the same way. Respected Australian journalist Steve Liebmann recently returned from the Avalon Waterways 11-day ‘Flavours of Burgundy & Provence’ river cruise from Paris to Nice. For more information, visit www.avalonwaterways.com.au.
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cruise news
dubai departures
Due to an increase of shipboard travel throughout the Gulf region, Royal Caribbean International is creating a cruise hub in Dubai. Major cruise operators will deploy ships in the region to service the increasing numbers of cruisers travelling there throughout the European winter. Ports of call will include Dubai, Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. Royal Caribbean expects to host 32,000 cruise tourists on its liners between January and April 2010. The area saw a 65 per cent increase in cruise traffic last year. European-based Costa Cruises, which has been operating in Dubai for three years, will also have several more Dubai departures in the coming months.
Cruise Passenger meets Costa Cruises
Costa Cruises’ Dario Rustico, Sales and Marketing Director, Pacific Asia Operations (above), caught up with Cruise Passenger during his brief visit to Australia recently. Apart from his enthusiastic descriptions of Costa’s new ships, Luminosa and Pacifica (see p16), Mr Rustico announced exciting new itineraries for the Australasian market. Mr Rustico said, “More and more Australians are cruising today and choosing to do so with Costa Cruises. This year we’re excited to announce the christening of the Costa Luminosa and Costa Pacifica in Italy and the arrival of Costa Classica in Asia.” Also discussed were the company’s 2010 plans, which include the launch of premium cruise liner Costa Deliziosa. “We are increasing our presence in Asia with the arrival of Romantica in 2010,” he said. “Australians are looking for interesting destinations without travelling all the way to Europe or the Americas, so Costa has come up with some wonderful Asian itineraries.”
superliner summer
JPondMar09
Princess Cruises has announced details of the 2010 summer program for its Australian-based superliners, Sun Princess and Dawn Princess, featuring a new Australian circumnavigation voyage with an international flavour. The new 28-night ‘Round Australia’ itinerary on board Dawn Princess will feature visits to Bali as well as cities and coastal highlights of each state. Sydney departures in September 2010 and March 2011 and one Melbourne departure in November 2010, with early booking fares available from $4,079 pp twin share. Dawn Princess is based in Melbourne for the 2010 summer, offering nine cruises between November 2010 and March 2011, while Sun Princess will be based in Sydney full time, offering 13 cruises during the same period. www.princess.com
Cruises & Honeymoons
BUY from one of Australiaʼs leading Cruise Specialists. Best advice, best prices. “We know cruising, because we go cruising”. CALL Pauline Australia wide: 02 9369 4466 or visit www.chcruises.com P&O • Princess • Cunard • Holland America • Royal Caribbean • Crystal • Regent Seven Seas & all leading cruise & riverboat companies world wide. Lic.No.2TA004052. Members of the International Cruise Council of Australia & The Travel Compensation Fund
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cruise news
Costa ships’ spectacular
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osta Cruises christened its new ships, Costa Luminosa and Costa Pacifica, in a dazzling double ceremony in Genoa, Italy, in June. ‘An Italian Portrait in Music and Light’ – the event’s name reflecting the theme of light for Luminosa and music for Pacifica – was attended by thousands of people. The show included displays by the Italian Air Force, Italian elite gymnasts, French acrobats and a performance by Costa Cruises’ own musical maestro, Mauro Pagani. Pier Luigi Foschi, Costa Crociere Chairman and CEO, said, “We are thrilled to be celebrating this event in Italy, where Costa Cruises has been based since 1854. It’s an achievement that reflects the strength of our company … and by 2012, we will have launched another three ships.” Costa Luminosa will be operating sevenday cruises from Dubai later this year, while Pacifica will be based in Rome for cruises in the Eastern and Western Mediterranean.
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1 The joint christening was the first time two new ships have been christened together at the same time and same place. 2. Italian National Rhythmic Gymnastic team. 3. Mauro Pagani, founder of rock ground Premiata Forneria. 4. Fly-past by Frecce Tricolori, the Italian Air Force’s national aerobatic demonstration team. 5. Sister ships.
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winter 2009 www.cruises.com.au
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new ships From exciting kids’ areas to a circus at sea, this season’s new ships are bound to be fun for everyone. WORDS MT SCHWARTZMAN
family fun Launching in September, Carnival Dream is billed as the “ultimate family vacation” and boasts the latest in entertainment, kids’ spaces and balcony staterooms.
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Fact File Vessel: Carnival Dream Cruise line: Carnival Cruise Lines Tonnage: 128,000 GRT Max passenger capacity: 4,633 Total crew: 1,369 Passenger decks: 14 Enters service: September 2009 Facilities: 1,823 cabins including 887 with private balconies; 4 restaurants including 2 main dining rooms, casual buffet, and alternative supper club; Cloud 9 Spa and adults-only Serenity Retreat; Carnival WaterWorks aqua park; Seaside Theater outdoor movie screen; 5 separate play areas for kids and teens.
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ver at Carnival Cruise Lines, the company is readying to launch the 3,646-passenger, 128,000-GRT Carnival Dream – the largest Fun Ship ever built. “We’ve taken everything we’ve learned about shipbuilding and incorporated it into the magnificent Carnival Dream,” says Carnival president and CEO Gerry Cahill. Unique features of Carnival Dream include a new concept in entertainment called Ocean Plaza, an indoor/outdoor café and live music venue. Other noteworthy features include “scenic whirlpools” that extend over the ship’s beam, and a variety of new cabin categories that include the innovative Cove balcony staterooms that are closer to the waterline. Moreover, Carnival is billing Carnival Dream as the “ultimate family vacation”, packed with more than 1,765 square metres of space catering for children of all ages from toddlers to teenagers, including a sprawling aqua park and a Camp Carnival play area covering more than 460 square metres and divided into three sections, each dedicated to a different age group (2 to 5, 6 to 8, and 9 to 11). Kids 12 to 14 and 15 to 17 have their own activity centres. Carnival estimates it will host 625,000 children on all its 22 ships – about half of all kids carried by the North American-based cruise lines. Carnival Dream enters service on September 21 with a 12-day Grand Mediterranean cruises from Rome, with two additional 12-day cruises departing in October. The ship then sails a 16-day transatlantic crossing on October 27 to New York, where she operates two eight-day Bahamas/Florida cruises. On December 3, Carnival Dream takes up year-round residence in Port Canaveral, where she operates a one-time, nine-day Caribbean cruise before commencing her regular schedule of seven-day eastern or western Caribbean cruises.
winter 2009 www.cruises.com.au
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new ships
sydney-bound Pacific Jewel is P&O Cruises’ latest addition to the Australian fleet and will be sailing a superb range of accessible Australian and South Pacific itineraries.
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ot every new ship comes direct from the shipyard. Some have been given a second or third lease on life with a new name for a different cruise line. Such is the case with Pacific Jewel, which was built in 1990 as Crown Princess. Even then, she was a trendsetter. Her striking profile was said to resemble a dolphin, and the dome atop the forward superstructure encompassed a multipurpose room with striking sea views in nearly every direction. As Pacific Jewel, much remains the same, although she has been given a multimillion-dollar makeover – so she is fresh and fit for her new role in the fleet of P&O Cruises Australia. Passengers boarding Pacific Jewel will find spacious cabins (nearly 200 with private balcony), an indulgent spa and fitness centre that P&O Cruises describes as “a luxurious temple to pampering”, and dazzling aerial entertainment on the open-air upper deck, which has been specially redesigned for performances of Australia’s first seagoing circus, featuring high-flying trapeze artists. The 70,310-GRT Pacific Jewel enters service on December 13 on cruises out of Sydney. Sailings include a variety of Australian and South Pacific itineraries ranging from three to 16 nights, which means Pacific Jewel offers close-to-home getaways for every time frame and budget.
Fact File Vessel: Pacific Jewel Cruise line: P&O Cruises Australia Tonnage: 70,310 GRT Max passenger capacity: 2,053 Total crew: N/A Passenger decks: 11 Enters service: December 2009 Facilities: 832 cabins including 198 with private balconies; 3 restaurants, 4 lounges and 8 bars; 2 swimming pools; 1,300-square-metre fitness centre.
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Seniors Holiday Travel Acknowledged AGAIN! “Australia’s Biggest Cruise Sale” Winners! The winners of the P&O Cruises’ “Australia’s Biggest Cruise Sale” trade competition were announced recently as the cruise line thanked Australia’s travel agent community. The winner of the major prize was Mr. Perry Morcombe, Managing Director of Australia’s largest “Seniors Friendly” Travel Club for Seniors - Seniors Holiday Travel. Mr. Morcombe said: “I think that is our twentieth award from P&O and Princess Cruises, including the Diamond Awards in recognition of outstanding sales for both P&O and Princess Cruises - and that’s for the fourth year in a row!”
Book any cruise with Seniors Holiday Travel before 30th September 2009 and receive a year’s FREE subscription to Cruise Passenger Magazine.
To celebrate, Seniors Holiday Travel is now offering DOUBLE ONBOARD CREDITS on a wide range of Princess Cruises group departures, including the cruises featured below, for bookings made by 31st July 2009.
PREMIUM CRUISING FROM AUSTRALIA
Explore some of the most beautiful and intriguing destinations in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and around the world aboard Australia’s largest and most modern superliners, Sun Princess and Dawn Princess. Natural wonders, spectacular wildlife and unique cultures await you on each of the magnificent Discovery Voyages, ranging from 13 nights around New Zealand, to the 42 night Cherry Blossom cruise, to the “biggie”, the 104 night Round the World cruise. NZ Cruise #1 - Circumnavigation 27 Nov 2009 from Sydney 13 nights - 7 ports
Interior from $1999 - Oceanview from $3140 Balcony from $3380
Onboard Credits $100 per person Offer Valid until 31 July
Round the World Date 21 May 2010 - 104 nights - 42 ports Interior from $19,199 - Oceanview from $26,899 - Balcony from $33,319 Onboard Credits $2000 per person until 31 July
Cherry Blossom Cruise - 3 March 2010 42 nights - 15 ports - Interior from $6182 Oceanview from $7952 - Balcony from $9802
Onboard Credits $400 pp until 31 July
To Book any of these cruises, FREE CALL 1800-300-999 for Australia’s FREE “Seniors Friendly” Travel Club. Seniors Holiday Travel Or email Cruise@SeniorsHolidayTravel.com.au Call now for your FREE Cruising Club membership, and receive FREE updates of the best cruising deals as soon as they are released.
NZ Cruise #2 - Circumnavigation 19 Feb 2010 from Melbourne 13 nights - 6 ports
Interior from $2099 - Oceanview from $Waitlisted - Balcony from $3653
Onboard Credits $150 per person Offer Valid until 31 July
Fares are per person, in AUD, inclusive of discounts off full brochure fares for new bookings, in complete twin accommodation, based on lead Interior, Oceanview and Balcony stateroom categories apply to availabilities at time of printing, inclusive of all taxes and government fees. Full brochure fare means maximum fare for the given category. Depending on the cruise, most passengers will qualify for a discount off the full brochure fare. Some Oceanview staterooms may have partially obstructed views; guaranteed non-obstructed staterooms may be available at additional cost. Supplements apply for other stateroom categories. Princess Cruises has limited staterooms available at discount fares. Fares may vary or be withdrawn at any time. To be read in conjunction with the Booking and Passage Conditions information available online at princess.com/legal/passage_contract/index.jsp
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cruise essentials
Gone are the days of weighty steamer trunks: the new generation of luggage is here. Perfect for packing the latest onboard accessories… WORDS: CAROLINE GLADSTONE
embark…
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n the Golden Age of Cruising, those romantic years of the 1920s and ’30s, passengers travelled with steamer trunks. They packed their ball gowns, dinner suits and finery into sturdy timber and metal chests burnished with their names or family crests and set off across the Atlantic. Today, cruise ships have replaced the transatlantic ocean liners of old and the practical suitcase, and its successor – the trolley bag on wheels – have replaced the trunk. Cruise passengers, however, can still pack all their best clothes, even a different outfit for every day, as there are no luggage weight limits – unless of course you’re flying to or from a port to join the ship. The modern passenger is spoilt for choice when it comes to luggage, with an enormous array of colour coordinated trolley bags, carry-on luggage, beauty cases, travel wallets and tags.
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2 The basic black Samsonite Sahora trolley case was a best seller when first introduced a decade ago. Halfway between a hard shell and a soft bag, it zips open into two halves for more organised packing. Also comes in red. RRP $350; $290 at Sydney Luggage Centre.
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1 You won’t be hit for excess baggage charges with this nifty little luggage scale. It’s by Go Design; $39.99.
3 Leather Cube Trunks will cut a stylish figure at the dock. They come in black with red trim and red with black trim, and have built-in combination locks. $289 each. 4 These stylish pairs are made by Australian Catherine Manuell Design (CMD). The carry-on bag and beauty case in Red Floral and Peasant (black and white) are sold as a set. $399. The large Peasant design trolley case is $275.
5 Belgian company Hedgren makes some of the grooviest – and long-lasting – travel gear around. This ladies’ satchel, called Fanzine, is a top seller. RRP $119; $105 at Sydney Luggage Centre. 6 Korjo TSA-accepted locks can be opened by Transportation Security Administration agents in the US and their counterparts in the UK using a special ‘universal key’. From $20.
Luggage and accessories from Sydney Luggage Centre stores at Mascot (02 9669 6381) and Town Hall (02 9267 1139), Sydney; www.sydneyluggagecentre.com.au. Korjo locks available at Paxtons, Sydney City Superstore (02 9299 2999); www.paxtons.com.au.
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cruise essentials
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uthor and frequent river cruiser Mark Twain coined the phrase “clothes maketh the man”. But these days it seems that gadgets are a boy’s best friend, and modern ships cater to passengers who want to bring their toys on board. There is broadband and/or Wi-Fi in cabins or in dedicated computer rooms, so pack the laptop and email those holiday snaps and videos to the folks and friends back home.
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ONBOARD SHOPPING All cruise ships have onboard boutiques and shopping arcades selling perfumes and apparel. • Celebrity Cruises ships have some of the biggest retail areas at sea and carry an enormous selection of jewellery of quality brands. • Cunard Line carries topend brands including Hermès and Dunhill. • P&O Cruises has a range of Sony electronics, including cameras, along with Guess watches and Quicksilver clothing. • Holland American Line’s apparel shop carries the branded Signature Collection, which has been specially designed for the line. The ships also carry Rado, Longines, Citizen and Anne Klein watches. Digital cameras are available from the onboard photographers.
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1 Apple’s MacBook Air, weighing just 1.36kg and encased in 0.4cm x 1.94cm of sleek, sturdy anodised aluminium, is the perfect travel companion. From $2,899.
2 The Canon EOS 1000D digital SLR is ideal for those making the upgrade from a fixed lens camera. Its 10.1 megapixels, 2.5-in LCD and 18-55mm lens make it a bargain at $949.
3 Early risers or night owls won’t lose their way on deck with this Korjo alarm clock with built-in flashlight. $27.95. 4 Fun digital cameras are all the rage – with a big 10 megapixels it’s the right size for handbag or jacket pocket. Canon IXUS 951S comes in pink, silver, blue, green and grey. $389.
5 You can take this camera tripod anywhere. It’s light, versatile and remarkably good value at just $37.95. The Gorillapod by Joby comes in five cool colours. 6 You won’t miss that whale frolicking off the bow when you’re equipped with these folding Nikon EX Sportstar Binoculars. They’re water- and fog-proof and come in silver and black. $199.
Cameras, binoculars and Gorillapod tripod available at Paxtons, Sydney City Superstore (02 9299 2999); www.paxtons.com.au. MacBook Air laptop computer from Apple, 133 622, www.apple.com.
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ueer eye
for the pink buy
Tapping into a relatively new market and a group with a large disposable income, companies are offering cruises especially for the gay and lesbian community. Words Fred Shaw
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arket researchers are always trying to identify the latest hot consumer markets. One niche market that has been identified is the gay and lesbian (G&L) community with its above-average disposable income and willingness to spend money on entertainment, food and wine, personal development, and travel. Quick to separate this market from others, the researchers branded this group the Pink Dollar. The 2006 Census found that there are 50,000 Australians identifying as same-sex couples. However, this figure is flawed as many G&L respondents would not have openly identified themselves as being gay or lesbian.
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A conservative estimate of the spending power of the Pink Dollar in Australia is approximately $25 billion per annum. In the US it is estimated that this market is valued at more than US$641 billion per annum. Profiling the community in Australia, researchers found that the average G&L has a salary of $42,482 before tax, while 37 per cent were employed in a professional occupation. They are identified as either single or in a relationship. Those in relationships are commonly known as DINKS (Double Income No Kids). The attractiveness of the Pink market has seen the development of a range of products catering to the Pink Dollar, with travel being one of the first. In the US three companies were quickly set up targeting the G&L population: RSVP Vacations, Atlantis Events and Olivia. RSVP Vacations and Atlantis Events appeal mainly to the male gay population while attracting about 10 to 15 per cent women and Olivia caters exclusively to the lesbian community. All three companies attract a wide range of passengers of all ages, shapes, sizes and colours; they are definitely not solely “party animals�. The three companies charter ships from the major cruise companies such as Royal Caribbean International (RCI), Holland America Line (HAL) and Celebrity Cruises to visit destinations such as the Caribbean, the Mediterranean, the Mexican Riviera and Alaska. Due to the popularity of these cruises the companies are constantly expanding and now include Spain, Italy and the Greek islands. RSVP Vacations and Olivia also offer a series of more adventurous cruises on smaller luxury ships carrying just 200 passengers to the Amazon.
winter 2009 www.cruises.com.au
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cruise insight
Evenings may include T-dances, costume contests, ‘matchmaker’ games, leather parties, church bingo, swimsuit parties and Sailing Solo cocktail parties.
Clockwise from right: Olivia caters for lesbian cruisers; Atlantis Events appeals to male gay passengers; ships such as RCI’s Brilliance of the Seas are chartered for G&L cruises.
While the ships are chartered the standard services that are offered – such as free meals, room service, gym and access to bars and lounges – are similar to mainstream cruises. The major difference other cruisers would notice is the ‘theming’ and activities on board, which are tailored to the G&L community. Evenings may include T-dances, costume contests, ‘matchmaker’ games, leather parties, church bingo, swimsuit parties and Sailing Solo cocktail parties. These events aim to satisfy the diversity and interests of various sub-groups of the G&L passengers on board. Onboard entertainment also reflects the group’s interests and may feature headliners such as the legendary film, television and Broadway star Debbie Reynolds and other top-line entertainers as well as enrichment lectures targeting the lifestyles of gays and lesbians. Cruising offers great flexibility and passengers on these cruises can choose to participate in all activities or select the sessions that they are interested in. Alternatively, passengers can relax by chilling out in the privacy of their cabin, around the pool or in one of the many public areas.
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cruise insight
The only negative waged at these cruises is that they are too short (usually seven days) and passengers are exhausted after trying to do too much. The G&L companies are obviously doing everything else right though, because the majority of passengers are repeat cruisers. A major benefit often highlighted about these cruises is that they provide an ideal holiday for G&Ls who are shy or have difficulty meeting other people. All passengers are on board for the length of the cruise and one can feel comfortable knowing that you are cruising with likeminded people. Passengers interact with many passengers on a daily basis and should you be interested in meeting a ‘special someone’ then its easy to introduce yourself over cocktails, while having a meal or when attending any number of activities. In July 2004 a new contender appeared on the G&L horizon: R Family Vacations, chartering ships from Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL). One of the founding members of this company was Kelli Carpenter, the partner of TV host, stand-up comedian, actress, singer and Broadway producer Rosie O’Donnell. Rosie and Kelli have four children and wanted a family vacation that would give them the opportunity to holiday with G&L families and supporters. They also wanted to provide an opportunity for all children of G&L parents to meet other families so that these kids will never again feel like “they are the only ones”. R Family Vacations is unlike other G&L cruise company as it offers a family-focused cruise for all LBGT (Lesbian Bisexual Gay and Transgender) members of the community. It also provides a large range of age-specific children’s activities on all cruises. R Family cruises has also become famous for the star-studded talent they attract to perform on board. Previous performers have included Cyndi Lauper, Gloria Estefan, Sheena Easton, Gavin Creel and the original Broadway star of the musical Annie, Andrea McArdle. Two years ago Australian company allgaycruises.com.au organised the first local G&L cruise. Pacific Sun was chartered from P&O Australia for a three-night return cruise from Sydney. Peter Oxford, spokesman for the company, deemed this cruise a success with more than 1,300 passengers on board and says the company will be exploring the possibility of organising other cruises in the future. Atlantis Events announced earlier this year that it has chartered HAL’s MS Volendam for a G&L cruise from Auckland to Sydney in February 2010. This 11-day cruise departs Auckland on February 17 and will visit three cities on the east coast of New Zealand before crossing the Tasman. After two days in Melbourne passengers will arrive in Sydney to coincide with the culmination of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Although there is still a waiting list, the cruise sold out as the fastest-selling cruise in the company’s history.
Fact File
Top: HAL entertainment venue, Vista Lounge. Above: Cyndi Lauper is just one of the star performers for R Family Vacations cruises.
For information on G&L cruises contact: www.atlantisevents.com www.rsvpvacations.com www.olivia.com www.rfamilyvacations.com www.allgaycruises.com.au To be waitlisted for the G&L cruise on MS Volendam, contact Out and About Travel, 47 Elizabeth Bay Road Elizabeth Bay, NSW 2001 Phone: 02 8667 3336 or contact www.atlantisevents.com
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regional cruise
island dreaming O
ne August night in Dusky Sound, I stood on the upper deck of Island Passage, a small ship built for exploring New Zealand waters mostly inaccessible to larger vessels. The spectacle was entrancing. An astonishing carpet of magic lights spread across the inky sky. Binoculars revealed zillions more stars, suggesting the infinite mysteries of the universe. On that still night the mountainous surrounds of Dusky Sound reached for the stars, silent in their forest cover and a world away from city glare. The southern fiords became familiar to Captain James Cook who, during his second exploratory voyage to New Zealand in 1773, set up an observatory on a small headland in Dusky Sound. While fixing the location of New Zealand on the world map and calculating his position with remarkable accuracy he must surely have marvelled at the starlight. And as those of us on Island Passage discovered, the bewitching show goes on. Fiordland is a wilderness so grand that you feel like a grain of sand. Our vessel appeared to have it all to herself. Island Passage is built to carry up to 21 passengers in considerable comfort; at 42 metres and spanning twin hulls, she is generously spaced, her facilities easily matching larger ocean-going ships. We had flown over the Kepler Mountains from Lake Te Anau to land on Island Passage’s
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top deck. As if the thrill of flying among peaks blasting through halos of cloud and falling to cavernous valleys were not enough, the mountains suddenly parted for our first glimpse of the Tasman Sea, as blue as the mountain tops were snow white. Doubtful Sound snaked below. Breaksea Sound appeared to the south and our helicopter buzzed towards the waiting vessel like a contented dragonfly. Winter had taken Island Passage south from her summer playground, the island-studded Hauraki Gulf that spreads from Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour to Great Barrier Island. In the notoriously wet region of Fiordland we anticipated rain, but a peerless sky greeted our arrival, winter crisp kept the infamous sandflies at bay and the sun continued to shine while we sailed into Dusky and down to Preservation Sound, the most southern of the fiords. The approach of summer will find Island Passage at the top of the
winter 2009 www.cruises.com.au
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HIDENAO BEN NAKAGAWA (http://www.flickr.com/photos/nakagawa)
regional cruise
Those in the know about stars say the spread of light pollution makes the Andes a last refuge for witnessing their true brilliance. But have those stargazers been to New Zealand’s Fiordland? WORDS SUSAN BUCKLAND
South Island, cruising on three-night voyages through the drowned valleys known collectively as the Marlborough Sounds. Captain Cook was so taken with the Marlborough Sounds that he made five visits during seven years of voyages, introducing new crops and farm animals to local Maori and replenishing supplies. On his first visit, in January 1770, he hoisted a flag on Motuora Island to proclaim British sovereignty. Endeavour dropped anchor directly opposite, in a sheltered bay where forest stopped short of the water. Trees still tumble to the edge of the sandy bay, now known as Ship Cove, and it is where most people begin walking Queen Charlotte Track. Whether you are in your 20s or have stopped counting birthdays you will enjoy this walk, which traverses scenery that looks much as Cook would have seen it more than 200 years ago. Near the monument that commemorates the great explorer, we set off on the first leg of the 71-kilometre walk with swimming togs and bottles of water in our backpacks. Reflections of sky and bush danced on the water. Deep in the forest were the fluting calls of tui and bellbirds. Mighty specimens in the forest that escaped the axe were already mature trees when Cook visited in the 1770s. The highest leg across Torea Saddle has simultaneous views of Queen Charlotte and Kenepuru sounds. But for
Above: Discover the tranquillity of the South Island’s. Marlborough Sounds, NZ. Next page, from top: Island Passage in the sounds; Lake Manapouri, Fiordland.
the most part the track is not arduous. Nothing that walks round the block with the dog won’t limber you up for, or that the comforts of Island Passage won’t fix at the end of a severalhour hike. Boats can pick up hiking passengers at various points along the way. While the crew weighs anchor, passengers take their cocktails on deck to watch the sun go down and marvel at the twilight antics of seals and dolphins. When the ship departs the Marlborough Sounds at the end of November to commence summer cruises of three- to five-day voyages in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf of islands, sea-skimming birds and pods of dolphins will be frequent companions. My first voyage on Island Passage was a cruise in the Hauraki Gulf. Previous trips in the Gulf had been on yachts, keening into the wind and getting drenched with sea spray. But setting forth in a luxuriously
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winter 2009
contents
in every issue 7
Editor’s Letter & Your say
FEATURES 68 Popular Port: singapore
10 Cruise News
76 Historic Ships
18 NEW SHIPs: pacific jewel & carnival dream
79 Movers & Shakers: 83 subscription offer
21 cruise essentials
99 Local Cruise Calendar
24 Cruise Insight: the gay scene
104 ICCA Directory
54 Cruise Region Focus: world cruising
112 Last Word
28 regional cruise Explore New Zealand’s
Fiordland and Marlborough Sounds on Island Passage.
32 river cruise: europe A fairytale cruise from Budapest to Romania exceeds all expectations.
38 river cruise: asia A true tale of high drama on the normally placid Irrawaddy River, Burma.
42 10 of the best
Distribution Partners:
Spectacular ports from Santorini to Sydney. :LUPVYZ 0WTQLIa 7UDYHO
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Sydney
Auckland
Melbourne
Rotorua Gisborne Napier Wellington
Burnie
regional cruise
AUSTRALIA
NEW ZEALAND Christchurch Dunedin Oban
Apart from a lighthouse, the small and resolute Mokohinaus Islands and their remarkably clear waters belong to the birds that nest in their rocky crevices. furnished cruiser with the amenities of a much larger vessel was like seeing familiar waters for the first time. During the five-night cruise our group soon settled into the type of camaraderie less easily found on a large liner. On the upper deck were kayaks and three boats for shore and fishing trips. We first climbed into one of these at Waiheke, island home to many beaches and several vineyards. Skipper Paul Mabee anchored off a quiet cove with access to the shore. The feeling that the world was ours intensified as our small ship sailed across to the Coromandel, a peninsula that rises in a final farewell to the mainland before reaching towards Great Barrier Island. Passengers tried their luck with rods and landed snapper and kahawai (Australian salmon). Both wound up on the chef’s barbecue, although I felt a twinge of regret that such splendid fighting fish ended their lives on a platter. Otherwise, the onboard cuisine went down in a haze of saltsea satisfaction. At Great Barrier some of us tried to mitigate the calorie intake with a vigorous walk. Our chance came in Port Fitzroy on trails through native bush at Glenfern, a waterfront property belonging to yachting champion-turned-conservationist Tony Bouzaid. Glenfern is a snapshot of Great Barrier Island, still largely forested thanks to its distance
from the mainland, rimmed by splendid beaches and with a rugged, mountainous interior. Obliging weather meant Island Passage could proceed to the Mokohinaus Islands, the most distant islands on our voyage. Apart from a lighthouse, the small and resolute Mokohinaus and their remarkably clear waters belong to the birds that nest in their rocky crevices. For a thrilling 10 minutes en route, dolphins kept us company, surfing between the hulls of the vessel like silver arrows. On the home run Island Passage called in to Kawau Island and the native bird sanctuary of Tiritiri Matangi. Instead of roads or cars on these islands there are walking tracks and beaches with no-one on them. And I thought of Rudyard Kipling’s poetic description when he visited New Zealand in 1891: “Last, loneliest, loveliest, exquisite, apart.” Kipling was referring to Auckland but the famous phrase is often, understandably, applied to Fiordland.
FACT FILE Vessel: Island Passage Cruise line: Island Escape Cruises Tonnage: 497 GRT Max passenger capacity: 21 Total crew: 8 Entered service: 2007 Facilities: Dining room, library, alfresco bar, saloon bar, wide-screen plasma TVs in main recreational areas, 3 passenger decks, BBQ area, 6-seater helicopter, 2 sport fishing boats and 1 passenger transport boat, fishing and snorkelling equipment, kayaks, laundry facilities. All cabins have ensuites, air conditioning and access to generous movie and music selections. 2009 cruise schedule: Until September Island Passage is cruising in Vanuatu on 3- and 5-night cruises among her northern islands, departing Santo. In November, Island Passage commences 3-night cruises in the Marlborough Sounds. Island Escape Cruises +64 9 358 1717 www.islandescape.co.nz
highs The vessel is spacious yet intimate and well designed.
lows My cabin door wouldn’t stay open when we were moving.
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Alain Doire/France Guide
old-world
europe
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A fairytale cruise from Budapest to Romania along the famous Danube river exceeds all expectations. WORDS JOHN BORTHWICK
B
udapest to Bucharest. There’s a nice ring to this itinerary, a river cruise book-ended by rhyming cities. We’re headed downstream from Hungary to Romania, from the Blue Danube to the Black Sea. Our week-long cruise on Tauck’s rivership Swiss Emerald starts with a good look around hilly Buda and flat Pest. Contrasts are name of the game here: Budapest’s dining options, for instance, range from veal paprikash to Burger à la King, with the accompanying music veering from Franz Liszt to goulash Johnny Cash. Oddly, never The Blue Danube waltz. Meanwhile, Hapsburg-era palaces rub their elegant shoulders with neo-brutal Soviet Hangover architecture. Heroes Square sits at the end of Andrassy, one of the long, Haussmann-style boulevards that dissect this grand city. Our guide proclaims a list of famous Hungarians: 22 saints, 13 Nobel laureates, two Belas (Lugosi and Bartok), Rubik (of the cube), Biro (of the ballpoint), Estée Lauder and Zsa Zsa Gabor. In a semicircle around Heroes Square stand 14 bronzes of Hungary’s greatest warriors, kings and bishops, but nowhere a Zsa Zsa, pen, cube or lipstick. “They don’t make ’em like the used to,” quips a fellow passenger when we visit the compact and beautiful Budapest Opera House. Local boy Liszt said it better, calling the 1884 building “this little jewel box”. It becomes even more so when, as a surprise for us, a costumed tenor and soprano appear on a balcony to serenade us with duets from Don Giovanni and La Traviata. Time to go with the flow. Our sleek, 110-metre rivership turns downstream on its 1,350-kilometre journey south and east through Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. But first, a shocking revelation. The Blue Danube is brown at Budapest. Perhaps this is something in the eye of the beholder. Allegedly, the river looks blue when you’re in love, green if it’s a one-sided affair, grey when the passion has ebbed – and black when it’s all over. Brown doesn’t rate a mention on this love litmus test. One morning we go ashore at rural Solt to catch a spectacular show at a sort of Paprika Western theme farm. A team of Hungarian Puszta cowboys performs daredevil stunts for us, culminating in a rider standing balanced atop the haunches of his two thundering steeds while driving them and three lead horses at furious speed around the arena – “horse surfing” describes it best. My fellow passengers (some 120) are mostly American, while the crew is Dutch, Romanian and Indonesian. Each night we dine like gourmands. I then retire to my ensuite cabin where the floor-to-ceiling windows slide open and I can watch the endless river, just metres away. A full moon rises as banks as dark as the Black Forest slide past. There’s also
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POLAND
HUNGARY Budapest Solt
ROMANIA Vukovar Belgrade
Kanzan Narrows Iron Gate
Bucharest
Fact file The Budapest to Black Sea river cruise has departures from July to August 2009, from $4,461* per person twin share. *Price calculated using an indicative exchange rate for US$ of $0.74. It is subject to change and will be recalculated on final payment. Travel the World is also offering savings of up to $1,351 per person on this itinerary. It is valid for sailings on July 10, July 23, August 21 and August 28, 2009. For information or bookings, contact Travel the World on 02 8296 7071 or 1300 804 502 or Cruise Scene on 1800 678 555. The writer travelled courtesy of Tauck World Discovery
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a flat-screen satellite TV that allows me to just turn off all the news from the disaster world we’ve left briefly behind. Tomorrow is another dawn, another country, Croatia. We tour ashore at Vukovar, a pretty 10th-century town that was befouled by ethnic cleansing during the 1990s Balkan War. Walls pockmarked with bullet holes contrast with today’s easygoing ambience. Cruising overnight, come morning we dock in Belgrade, capital of Serbia. Our politically incorrect (and thus great fun) guide, Lilly, cracks joke about the neighbourhood delusions of grandeur: “Everybody in the Balkans remembers mostly when their side was great – even if the last time was in the 14th century.” Every few nights Tauck arranges for a new troupe of folk dancers to entertain us in the dining room. The performances are vigorous and authentic but one blasé New Yorker muses, “Their leaps and hoots seem pretty much the same to me. Main difference from country to country is the embroidery.” We approach the once dreaded Iron Gate of Romania. On the northern bank are Romania and the wild Carpathian Mountains; to our right is Serbia. This 100-kilometre-long series of limestone gorges that culminates in the Kazan Narrows and the Iron Gate was once a forbidding gauntlet for river craft; before it was dammed in the 1960s, boats took four days to complete the upstream battle against it. Today we pass easily through, courtesy of several modern locks. I am reminded of the antiquity of life along this river with the sight of an ancient stone pylon on the shore, the remains of Roman Emperor Trajan’s Bridge, the first to cross the Danube, way back in 103 AD. The shoreline scenery varies, with dense woods giving way to villages with onion-domed spires and gothic crosses. Going ashore for the first time in Bulgaria feels more like the Danube Blues than the Blue
Previous page: Peles Castle, Romania. Above: The Danube river between Serbia and Romania. Left: The Russian Church, Bucharest.
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Danube. From the little port of Svishtov our coach passes through sulking villages devoid of enterprise or the young, a threadbare Iron Curtain wasteland. Little do I know that this is the prelude to arriving at a little hilltop village that will be highlight of the trip for me. In the village of Arbanassi we are led to a stone chapel, built discreetly low so as not to attract the wrath of the Moslem Ottomans who occupied this area for centuries. Inside this 16th-century Church of the Nativity are vaulted ceilings decorated from floor to dome with some 2,000 frescoes and icons. Plus, the Tauck team has hatched another surprise. Four dark-garbed cantors glide into this numinous cavern, their chants filling the space with soaring harmonies. I return to Swiss Emerald with my sombre first impressions of Bulgaria turned right on their head. In Romania it’s time to say farewell to all that fine fare and wine, to the good-hearted crew, and to the sunny upper deck from where we have scoped this grand river. We sample the Black Sea at Mamaia. Tauck never stints on celebrations, so it’s champagne corks galore, then a plunge into the ocean. But, just as the Blue Danube isn’t blue, the Black Sea isn’t black. It is, I am pleased to report, blue. Our last two days are devoted to seeing the crumbling Belle Epoque glory of Bucharest’s past, plus Ceausescu’s mad, one-thousand room palace of hubris. And of course “Draculastan”, including Vlad the Impaler’s tomb on Snagov Island.
Above: Swiss Emerald. Below: Heroes Square, Budapest.
CONTACT YOUR TRAVEL AGENT FOR MORE INFORMATION TODAY
www.uniworldcruises.com.au
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abandon ship! A photojournalist tells how he leaped from Pandaw IV to a mud island on the first night of their cruise along the normally tranquil Irrawaddy. WORDS AND PHOTOS JOHN MITCHELL
A
t 7.15pm on the first evening of our 12-night voyage along the Irrawaddy in Myanmar (Burma) my wife, Julie, and I were in the forward saloon of RV Pandaw IV for a briefing about the next day’s activities. We were sitting at the bar with several passengers while the majority were chatting as they sat comfortably at cane tables and chairs. What happened next was how I imagine Titanic hit the iceberg. There was a mighty roar as a 150km/h force-3 hurricane slammed into the vessel, causing it heel at 40 degrees and skate across the surface for about 200 metres. It was a memorable moment – but not one that I wish to repeat. We had joined Pandaw IV that morning after a flight from Rangoon to Bagan, where we met
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another 24 passengers – mainly Australian – who had completed a 10-night cruise down the Chindwin River and were starting the second stage of their voyage, a 10-night cruise along the Upper Irrawaddy River. The voyage was to be the highlight of our stay in Myanmar. Initially, we thought the wild weather was adding to our adventure, but as dozens of glasses and bottles crashed to the floor, we realised our predicament was serious. It was pitch dark outside, torrential rain was beating down and we had no means of communicating with the outside world. Furniture slid wildly across the floor – with many passengers still sitting in chairs – while those of us at the bar gripped the railing to stop from tumbling to the floor and sliding against the passengers who were already wedged tightly
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Left: Village and stupa (temple) at sunset, Upper Irrawaddy River. Below: Rivership Pandaw IV.
clearly put our safety well before their own. A powerful floodlight illuminated the ship and an announcement was made that we could return in about 30 minutes – after the crew had sorted out some semblance of order in the dining room. Once on board, everyone was checked for injuries, aided by passenger Dr Mike Loxton, an ex-Royal Australian Navy doctor, and his partner, Susan. Luckily, all passengers had escaped any serious injuries. Several of the crew were less fortunate, and Mike and Susan tended to sailors who had sustained severe cuts that needed stitches. The next morning we discovered the crew had worked tirelessly throughout the night, and the galley had prepared hot breakfast for all. Win told us that we would be steaming non-stop to Mandalay for repairs before continuing our cruise – a decision that brought rousing cheers all round. By the time we entered Mandalay Harbor in time for a captivating sunset people had all but forgotten the “unfortunate incident” that resulted in a strong bond between all the passengers. The following afternoon we drove to U Bein, location of a 1.2km teak footbridge – the world’s longest – and after walking to the halfway mark we moved to small rowboats. At sunset we enjoyed cocktails on the water, served from an ice cooler Win had loaded aboard his vessel. Pure luxury. With Pandaw IV shipshape and Bristol fashion, we simply soaked up the atmosphere of our cruise for the next eight days. One highlight was Katha, where we travelled around the streets by
against the far wall by the tables and chairs. As the eye of the storm passed over us, Win, Pandaw IV’s purser, shouted against the almostdeafening rain that we had to temporarily abandon ship. Everyone held hands, and after struggling some 10 metres through the pouring rain to stairs to the main deck, most of us leaped onto a mud island while crew assisted less able passengers. On shore, the crew moved us as far from the ship as possible – our vessel was still in danger of capsizing – and I cursed myself for leaving my camera in our cabin. It took an hour for the storm to ease, but by then the mood had turned from one of high drama to that of almost a party. We swigged from wine bottles that the crew handed out, talked excitedly of our narrow escape, and to a person praised the professionalism of the crew, who had
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92 beyond the sea 50 Luxury cruise New horizons: why Japan and China are emerging as popular cruise destinations.
64 expedition cruise History, native culture and scenic beauty: discover the Columbia and Snake rivers.
72 family cruise A Caribbean cruise on board Independence of the Seas.
84 ship to shore
Top tours in cruise regions for encounters with wildlife.
92 BEYOND THE SEA Expect the unexpected on
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safari in Tanzania.
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Above right: Villagers lead traditional lives in Myanmar. Below from top: Temples of Myanmar; there are more than half a million monks; workers ferrying goods.
horse-drawn carts and saw the home where George Orwell is supposed to have gathered material for his best-selling novel, Burmese Days, while working as a police officer in the Upper Irrawaddy city. We watched stonemasons carving massive, intricate buddhas, marvelled at the way in which about 60 grams of gold can be beaten into 5,000 pieces of gold leaf, and visited silver workshops. Another highlight was passing through the second and third Irrawaddy defile – where the river narrows and has cliffs and hills on either side. The second defile is especially stunning with towering gorges lined by forests of teak. As we exited the second defile, the vessel swung through 180 degrees and began the return journey to Mandalay. We moored for the night in Mingun and wandered through the ancient, unfinished Pa Hto Daw Gyi Pagoda (it was meant to reach 150 metres, hence its name – Unfinished Magnificent Temple) and also saw the world’s biggest working bell. At Sagaeing, one of Myanmar’s major meditation centres, we visited one of more than 1,000 hermitages and sanctuaries where some 5,000 monks and nuns live. Myanmar is home to more than half a million monks, while Mandalay has in excess of 5,000 temples and stupas. On our 10th and final evening there were farewell cocktails on the sundeck, where we learned more about our 30-member crew. That the vast majority of the passengers were repeat
clients – many had taken two or more Pandaw cruises – is testimony not only to the quality of the cruises, but to the exceptional service, food and drink on board. The 55-metre vessel replicates the steamers that plied the Irrawaddy back in the days of Rudyard Kipling. The accommodation is romantic: teaklined cabins feature brass trimmings, and each has an ensuite bathroom. Two rattan chairs and a coffee table sit outside on the companionway. The dining room is airy and spacious with glass sliding doors and panoramic windows. Breakfasts are cooked buffets plus a spread of toast, bread, fruit, juices, tea and coffee. Lunches are substantial buffets; evening meals are served at the table and range from fresh seafood to curries and western dishes. Local beer, wine and spirits are free. Abandoning ship of the first night of my cruise? It merely whetted my appetite further for yet another wonderful Pandaw experience. Having also taken the 750km Pandaw cruise between Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in Vietnam, and Siem Reap in Cambodia, I’m now a confirmed Pandaw addict!
FACT FILE
Kathmandu
Vessel: RV Pandaw IV Cruise line: Pandaw Built: 2004 Length: 55 metres Max passenger capacity: 56 Crew: 28 Passenger decks: 3
Bhutan
INDIA
Katha
Mingun Mandalay
Sagaeing
Hanoi
MYANMAR
Rangoon
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THAILAND
For more information and bookings, call Active Travel 02 6249 6122 www.activetravel.com.au
winter 2009 www.cruises.com.au
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room with a view Sailing in or sailing out? Many believe
nothing equals the adrenaline rush of sailing into
an exotic or familiar port, while
sailing out can be,
even better. WORDS MAGGY OEHLBECK
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winter 2009 www.cruises.com.au
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If you are sailing into port on a ship’s maiden voyage, the welcome can be astounding – as witnessed by the maiden voyage of Queen Mary 2 (QM2), which brought Sydney to a screeching halt. Small craft sailed out to greet her, fire boats showered huge jets of water into the air and crowds lined the shore. And in Pago Pago, American Samoa, the heavens opened and flowers were strewn around her from a helicopter. Most ships arrive early morning and have berthed well before 8am. Often they enter the harbour in the pre-dawn hours, and you could awake to find yourself staring at the wharf’s pylons. Best practice is to read the ship’s newsletter the night before for arrival details. It should tell you what time the pilot will come on board. Ultimately, everything is dependent on port conditions. In small or island ports, ships anchor offshore and passengers are ferried to a landing by tender – usually the ship’s lifeboats.
…SAILING OUT
Most ships sail at 6pm, except on special occasions when it might be 10pm or 11pm. While streamers are long gone, in some smaller ports – in New Zealand or Tasmania for instance – the sound of the bagpipes piping your ship out to the strains of “Auld Lang Syne” or “Now Is the Hour” is enough to give you goosebumps. Or in Albany, Western Australia, when P&O UK liner Adonia sailed out, the locals lined the foreshore beaming her farewell with their car headlights. Everyone on board snuffled into their hankies. At the start of a voyage, the upper deck of the ship will soon be rocking to the rhythms of a Caribbean band or swaying to the sounds of a South Pacific group. Colourful cocktails are circulated, while below, champagne flutes are sipped, as a Palm Court orchestra plays. All this before you have even left the harbour and farewelled the last lighthouse.
10 top-drawer ports
SAILING IN…
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10 top-drawer ports
1
WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO
Who sails there? Carnival, HAL, RCI, NCL, Princess
Postcard-pretty, this port in the Netherlands Antilles is an all-time favourite for many cruise passengers sailing the Southern Caribbean. The legacy of Willemstad’s early settlers – Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese and more – is easily visible as you sail into or out of the historic capital. Steepgabled houses painted in gelati colours – pistachio, banana, raspberry and hazelnut – snuggle side by side, just as they do in Amsterdam. Standing on deck of MS Statendam looking over the roofs below, I have an irresistible urge to try to pluck them from this toy-town lookalike. Once ashore, most people head for the picturesque old quarter of Punda to peruse the jewellery shops (gold and semi-precious stones are a good buy), see the floating markets and watch the famous pontoon bridge – one of the largest in the world – open and close to allow ships to pass into the narrow channel. Another important sight is the oldest synagogue (1634) in the Americas, one of the finest examples of Dutch Colonial architecture. Then there is the island’s most famous export, the delicious orange-flavoured liqueur Curacao, to sample.
2
san Francisco, USA Who sails there? Silversea, HAL, Princess
The city on the bay in which Tony Bennett and other crooners left their heart is often enveloped in fog. We cluster on the deck ready to see the Golden Gate Bridge from a different perspective – beneath. But where is it? Suddenly its graceful orange-red spans loom above us and Silver Shadow sails silently and seamlessly under the ‘gate’. The next most conspicuous sight in the bay is the island of Alcatraz – home to notorious gangster Al Capone, Robert Stroud (the ‘birdman’ of Alcatraz) and other incorrigibles. No longer a prison, it is a tourist attraction that can be reached by ferry. We turn our attention to the city side. Although compact and easily walk-able, San Francisco is spread over a series of steep hills. (Try a cable car to find out just how steep!) We pass Fishermans Wharf and Pier 39 and wave to the sea lions basking in the sun’s first rays. You couldn’t ask for a better arrival than that.
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10 top-drawer ports
3
MONTE CARLO, MONACO
Who sails there? Silversea, Seabourn, Crystal, Regent Seven Seas
With more than 30,000 inhabitants, this tiny principality on the Mediterranean is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. Thanks to amazing (Princess) Grace – American-beauty-turned-actress-turned-royal – Monte Carlo tops the chart as one of the Mediterranean’s most desirable ports. From your ship (or private yacht), looking at it from the water is like having a box at the opera, as you gaze at the parade of stars strutting the picturesque set. Monaco continues to be a preferred hideaway for the rich and famous. So you might rub shoulders with a high roller, a minor royal or a Formula One racing driver in a chic café. Its most famous building is easily the beautiful baroquestyle casino, which has been the setting for many a Hollywood movie, and where innumerable fortunes have been won and lost. But for many, the greatest drawcard is the Monaco Grand Prix.
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4
new york city, usa
Who sails there? Cunard, Carnival, HAL, Regent Seven Seas
There is no experience more momentous than sailing into New York after a transatlantic crossing. It is one of the great rites of passage. Nor is there anything to equal arriving on board a Cunard queen. It was Samuel Cunard who started it all with the first crossing of Britannia from Halifax to Southampton. My first crossing was as a teenager on a Dutch ship no longer in existence. We stayed up all night, waiting for our first glimpse of the city that never sleeps. Some decades later, on a crossing on Queen Mary 2, nothing
5
much had changed. We arrived in the pre-dawn hours. New York women were all ‘minked’ up and the men were wearing Astrakhan hats. Everyone is eager for that first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty, the Brooklyn Bridge and the breathtaking sight of Manhattan, still lit up despite the hour. The best views are from the top deck, where you can see the Statue of Liberty on your left, Manhattan ahead and Brooklyn on your right. But if you want to enjoy the view of the statue on arrival from your cabin then book on the port side.
SANTORINI, GREECE
Who sails there? Star Clippers, Minerva, Azamara, Seabourn
This alluring island in the Cyclades group is probably one of the most famous of all Greek Islands, not only because it soars steeply out of a sapphire sea – said to harbour the lost city of Atlantis – but also because its familiar crescent shape profile was created by a stupendous volcanic eruption in 1450 BC. The volcano is still active! You will sail across its fathomless caldera en route to the capital, Fira. Clinging on to the terraced cliff face, Fira is lined with the quintessential Greek whitewashed streets featuring boutiques, bars and restaurants that all have breathtaking views. Running along the edge of the caldera, the street Agiou Mina leads to the much-photographed 18th-century church of Agios Minas, which has a distinctive blue dome and white belltower. A thrill for many is a donkey ride up 580 cobbled steps from the tiny port of Skala Firon to Fira, some 270 metres above. When you get to the top, you can enjoy the sight of your ship resting peacefully at anchor below.
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Who sails there? RCL, HAL, Regent Seven Seas, P&O International
This Brazilian beauty is easily one of the most recognised and dazzlingly beautiful harbour cities in the world. Once the eye alights on the 30-metre statue of Christ the Redeemer (now one of the world’s New Seven Wonders) standing on top of Corcovado Mountain, you witness a sight that you will remember for a lifetime. Besides appreciating the sheer natural beauty of this spectacular harbour, you can take the cogwheel train up the mountain, through the emerald-green rainforest, to the foot of the statue. For more panoramic views, take the aerial tramway up Sugarloaf Mountain. Just remember that there is no guarantee you will see the ‘Girl from Ipanema’, especially among the Carnival throngs.
10 top-drawer ports
6
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
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istanbul, turkey Who sails there? Regent Seven Seas, Oceania, Silversea
Istanbul is the only city in the world that straddles two continents: separating them is the beautiful Bosphorus River. Istanbul is one of the most mesmerising sights at any time of day or night, but it is probably more spectacular sailing out than in, especially at sunset. It is hard to imagine a lovelier sight than watching the last rays of the sun make silhouettes of the city’s many minaret-studded mosques, while the sound of the muezzin calling the faithful to prayer soars above the roar of the traffic. Meanwhile, the harbour is abuzz with water traffic. Ferries hover like dragonflies, alighting briefly here, then darting off there. From the water you can identify the Galata Bridge, which separates the Bosphorus from the Golden Horn, and the elegant Bosphorus suspension bridge, which links the European side of the city with the Asian side. The most famous mosque near the water is Süleymaniye, but to see the Blue Mosque and Santa Sofia you will need plenty of shore time.
8
hong kong, china
Who sails there? RCL, HAL, Costa, Star Cruises
Hong Kong, like many Asian cities, is an emerging cruise hub. With the advent of a new cruise terminal in four years’ time, it will feature strongly as a favourite port on cruise ship itineraries. But there is no denying it is already a fabulous harbour city. At no time is it more dramatic than when dusk darkens to night. Suddenly, Central surges into a wall of cascading light from its many high-rises topped by dramatic neon signage. Tallest among them is the IFC building, while on the Kowloon side, the tallest is the ICC building. The harbour itself is a never-ending source of fascination with its kaleidoscopic colours and shapes – the much-loved Star Ferries scurry back and forth, junks placidly ply their trade and bulk carriers muscle past. But still there are oases of serenity, on top of the Peak, or at the legendary Peninsula Hotel on Kowloon’s waterfront.
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9 sydney, australia Who sails there? Princess, P&O, RCL
This is a given. Few ports can come anywhere near Sydney. No matter what size craft you are on, from the moment you sail past the sandstone majesty of the Heads into the world’s most beautiful harbour, there is a sense of awe – it doesn’t matter how often you have done it. But sailing in on QM2 takes the cake. Standing on the upper decks while rounding North Head in the early hours, we were almost eye-to-eye with spectators lining the clifftop. She comes in at a heck of a bat, so don’t lounge around in your cabin thinking you have all of the time in the world, or you’ll miss out. The stalwarts among us are primed to tick off the landmarks, the Bridge, the Opera House and tiny Fort Denison. We tower above it as Commodore Warner ‘spins the wheel’ in a semicircle past the Fort, then noses the majestic liner in to a berth at Garden Island. I reach for my hanky, and I’m not alone.
10
venice, italy
Who sails there? MSC, HAL, Princess, Silversea, Crystal Sailing into Venice from the Adriatic Sea, you will enter the vast (and shallow) lagoon, follow the narrow shipping lane past the island of Lido, then enter the Giudecca Canal. At no time do ships pass along the magnificent Grand Canal, lined with the private palazzi of merchants and noblemen. Eye-popping in their opulence, these days most are museums, hotels or belong to foundations. The only way to explore the Grand Canal by water is to take a vaporetto (water bus), motoscafo (motor boat), water taxi or gondola.
Even so, from the deck of a ship, you glide past quite a few of La Serenissima’s incomparable treasures: the entrance to Piazza San Marco, and a fleeting glimpse of its priceless gem, Basilica Di San Marco, and the pink-and-white marble Palazzo Ducale (Doge’s Palace). Water city it may be, but to discover the Venice behind the mask, you will have to explore by foot.
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I
GREAT VALUE
CRUISING
JUST ASK YOUR LOCAL CRUISE PROFESSIONALS
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FROM
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$
2324*
I N C LU
3 N IG HDES C RU IS TS
PER PERSON TWIN SHARE
FRE EI!N*G
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CRUISE DEPARTS 8 NOV 2009 INCLUDES • Return flights to Kuala Lumpur flying Malaysian Airlines • 1 night pre & post cruise in Kuala Lumpur • 7 night cruise on board SUPERSTAR LIBRA for the price of 4 • Transfers throughout • All on board meals, entertainment & gratuities
PRICES FROM Sydney $2394* Melbourne $2376* Brisbane $2395* Adelaide $2421* Perth $2324*
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CHRISTMAS IN DUBAI 11 NIGHTS
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INCLUDES Return airfares to Barcelona flying Singapore Airlines • 2 nights pre cruise & 1 night post cruise in Barcelona • 7 night cruise on board MSC SPLENDIDA • All on board meals & entertainment Cruise departs 19 Oct 2009
INCLUDES Airfares to Dubai flying Singapore Airlines • 2 nights in Dubai with breakfast • 7 night cruise on board COSTA LUMINOSA • 2 nights stopover in Singapore with breakfast • Airport transfers in Dubai & Singapore • All on board meals, entertainment & gratuities
PRICES FROM Sydney $4211*, Melbourne $4194*, Brisbane $4214*, Adelaide $4209*, Perth $4172*
Cruise departs 19 Dec 2009 PRICES FROM Sydney $4961*, Melbourne $4945*, Brisbane $4964*, Adelaide $4959*, Perth $4643*
QUOTE 4248 WHEN BOOKING: *SOME AGENTS MAY CHARGE AN ADDITIONAL SERVICE FEE & THESE VARY BETWEEN AGENTS: Conditions & seasonal surcharges apply. Prices are per person twin share. Valid for sale to 30 Jul 09. All collective cruise taxes & port charges are included. Prices & information are correct at time of issue & subject to availability & change at time of booking. Strict deposit amount, conditions apply & heavy cancellation fees. Additional pre & post accommodation & or transfers may be required due to flight schedules however not included in package. Airline seats are subject to availability. Where airfares are included Australian taxes, levies & charges are included & may vary depending on flight routings. Prices may fluctuate due to changes in charges, taxes & currency. Prices do not include taxes or charges collected directly at overseas airports. Please note a surcharge may be imposed on credit or charge card transactions. A service fee will be charged. For current information on travelling overseas & official Government travel advisories visit www.smarttraveller.gov.au
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luxury cruising
new
HORIZONS
As cruise lovers seek ever more exotic onboard and offshore experiences, Japan and China are emerging as two of the most popular destinations – and for good reason. WORDS joanna hall
T Clockwise from above: Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto, Japan; ancient temple, Forbidden City, China; the Great Wall of China; Kobe port, Japan; Forbidden City.
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here’s always an air of anticipation among cruise passengers when sailing into a port for the first time, and our arrival into the city of Shanghai, dubbed the Paris of the East, proves to be no exception. On the left-hand side of the Huangpu River, the spaceaged Oriental Pearl TV Tower dominates the emerging skyline of the Pudong district. Opposite, the city’s famous Bund promenade stretches as far as the eye can see, dotted with Colonial buildings and heaving with sightseers. Earlier that morning, Regent Seven Seas Mariner had cruised into China’s Yangtze River from the Yellow Sea, and navigated the busy Huangpu tributary, which snakes its way through a heavily industrialised landscape into Shanghai. And although it was not one of the most picturesque few hours of our 15-night northern Asia cruise, everyone agreed it was one of the highlights. Shanghai is one of the most popular ports of call in China, and is visited by Seven Seas Mariner each year on its Grand Circle Asia Pacific cruise. The segment, which usually starts in Osaka, features stops in Japan and ends in Hong Kong, has been growing in popularity in recent years.
There are good reasons why this is so. Seasoned cruisers have their favourite places, but they are often on the lookout for new horizons to explore. When it comes to history, culture, cuisine and sightseeing, Japan and China are two countries that rarely disappoint. From the Alps in the north, to the great cities and sacred sites in the south, Japan is a nation of contrasts. It has many diverse destinations that lure visitors every year, but three of the most common that appear on cruise itineraries include Yokohama, Osaka and Nagasaki. Yokohama is less than 28 kilometres from Japan’s capital city, Tokyo, making distance no obstacle for anyone who wants to shop, eat the freshest sushi on the planet or explore the city’s many fascinating districts and famous sights.
winter 2009 www.cruises.com.au
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The latest statistics from the International Cruise Council Australasia (ICCA) show that Australia’s love affair with cruising in Asia is definitely growing. The number of Australians cruising there in 2008 increased by 45 per cent compared with 2007, and the region now ranks third on the league table in popularity. “Most Australians have had some exposure to Asia’s many cultures and they see the region as an appealing and exotic destination,” says the ICCA’s general manager, Brett Jardine. “But it is also a comfortable distance to travel without the hassles of jet lag, and cruising offers a convenient way for passengers to see multiple cities and experience different Asian cultures within the one holiday.” According to Jardine, Japan and China in particular have become favoured destinations. “Cruising offers a unique way for Australians to delve into both countries’ rich histories, and visit their unique natural and manmade attractions without feeling overwhelmed by language barriers and cultural differences,” he says. Established late in 2008, the Asia Cruise Association (ACA) is a collaboration between Costa Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, Silversea Cruises and Star Cruises to promote cruising in the region. Royal Caribbean’s Rama Rebbapragada, regional vice president, international, says it reflects the growing importance of the region to cruise lines. “Royal Caribbean sees great potential in Asia in terms of providing new destinations for international cruise guests, given its varied and exciting cultures and their accessibility to the coastline,” Rama says. “Asia’s cruise industry is set to grow in a big way, with the annual number of passengers expected to reach 1.5 million by 2010.”
luxury cruising
What the experts say
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OSAKA TO HONG KONG HONG KONG TO SINGAPORE
Regent Seven Seas Cruises takes you to exotic destinations in unparalleled style aboard the newly refurbished all-suite, all-balcony Seven Seas Mariner with exceptional savings FREE Unlimited Shore Excursions Shipboard Credit of US$400 per suite* Single Supplement of just 20%*
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Osaka, Nagasaki, Inchon (Seoul), Dalian, Tianjin (Beijing), Shanghai, Hong Kong
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Hong Kong, Hong Gai, Chan May (Hue), Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Ko Samui, Laem Chabang (Bangkok), Singapore
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Singapore to Sydney – 17 Nights – Departs 01 Nov 2009 Auckland to Los Angeles – 19 Nights – Departs 02 Dec 2009
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* Cruise fare quoted in US dollars, per person based on double occupancy Including governmental taxes and fees (US$370 - US$425 per person) and reflect all relevant savings for category F (Osaka-Hong Kong) and D (Hong to Singapore). May not be combinable with other offers, are capacity controlled and maybe withdrawn at any time without notice.Accommodation is subject to availability at time of booking. Terms and Conditions apply. FREE Unlimited Shore Excursions are capacity controlled and subject to availability. Requested excursions may not be available at time of booking. Supplement will apply on Regent Choice excursions and excludes Private Arrangements and all Adventures Ashore programs. Restrictions apply. Single supplement of 20% applies to categories D-H accommodation and is capacity controlled. Single occupancy Shipboard Credit is US$250 per suite. Reservations must be made prior to 31 July 2009. Premium Cruise Holidays is a division of Brandons Travel, Licence No. TAG23.
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Cruise West: Spirit of Oceanus has itineraries in September and October 2009 visiting Kobe, Uwajima, Kagoshima, Miyajima and Takamatsu, and an 18-night Grand Asia cruise visiting Kobe, Nagasaki, Shanghai, Xiamen and Hong Kong. The Yachts of Seabourn: Seabourn Pride and Spirit have itineraries in 2009-11 visiting Hong Kong, Xiamen, Shanghai, Qingdao, Kagoshima and Kobe. Azamara Cruises: Azamara Quest has itineraries in 2010 and 2011 visiting Hong Kong, Xiamen, Shanghai, Osaka and Kagoshima. Cunard: Queen Victoria’s 2010 World Cruise will visit Hong Kong, Shanghai, Nagasaki and Yokohama. Costa Cruises: Costa Classica and Costa Allegra have itineraries from August to November 2009, visiting Hong Kong, Tianjin, Shanghai, Fukuoka and Nagasaki. Holland America Line: MS Volendam has 16-day trans-Pacific and Japan, and 32-day trans-Pacific and Orient itineraries in September 2009, visiting Hakodate, Otaru, Kobe, Dalian, Xingang, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Oceania Cruises: Nautica has itineraries in March 2010 visiting Hong Kong, Shanghai, Hiroshima and Osaka. Princess Cruises: Diamond Princess has itineraries in September and October 2009, visiting Qingdao, Dalian, Xingang, Okinawa, and Nagasaki. Silversea: Silver Shadow’s 2010 itineraries include Yokohama, Osaka, Okinawa, Tianjin and Shanghai.
luxury cruising
Who else is cruising Japan and China?
Then there’s Osaka, a gastronome’s town famous for many delicacies including its baked or grilled squid, ikayaki. But it’s also only 47 kilometres from Japan’s former imperial capital, Kyoto, which is home to one-fifth of Japan’s national treasures. On the southwestern corner of the country is the port city of Nagasaki, a picturesque spot and a site of major historical significance that was almost wiped from the face of the earth in 1945 by an atomic bomb. In China, one of the major drawcards for most cruise passengers is the opportunity to visit two of the world’s most famous landmarks – the Forbidden City and Great Wall of China. On our Seven Seas Mariner cruise this involved a two-day excursion to Beijing from the port of Tianjin. The Great Wall, an enduring symbol of ancient Chinese civilisation, was the highlight of the first afternoon. A major section of the wall is located just north of Beijing and we discovered that it’s one of the few wonders of the world that truly possesses a ‘wow’ factor. It also proves quite a challenge to climb! Back in the city centre, the 74-hectare Forbidden City is no less impressive. Regarded as the world’s largest palace complex, it is an ancient mini-metropolis filled with architectural wonders. Further south, and in stark contrast, Shanghai is a city growing so fast that its skyline changes almost every time a new cruise liner arrives. It earned its moniker – the Paris of the East – as a result of its love of art and architecture, and its obvious espousal of Western culture. Although large and under construction in many areas, it’s a fascinating city that can be explored on foot. Most cruises of northern Asia end with a sail in to Hong Kong’s majestic harbour, one of life’s ‘must-do’ travel experiences, and a unique visual and sensory treat. Hong Kong itself is one of the world’s great cities to explore; packed with sights, cultural experiences and some of Asia’s best cuisine. Asia is an undeniably alluring and diverse region, and a place that has drawn adventurous travellers for many years. With more cruise lines choosing to venture further north into China and Japan, yet more exotic destinations have become possible for cruise lovers to explore.
Tianjin
Dalian
? 6E6C Osaka
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Nagasaki Shanghai
Hong Kong
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regent seven seas
Hcruises > C <6 EDG :
The all-suite, all-balcony Seven Seas Mariner will visit Japan and China in October 2009. A 16-night cruise from Osaka to Hong Kong departing on October 1 starts from US$6,695 per person, plus port charges of US$425 per person (double occupancy). The cruise visits Nagasaki and Dalian, and features overnight stops in Tianjin (for Beijing) and Shanghai. The cruise fare includes accommodation, entertainment, gratuities, food and an all-inclusive beverage program including soft drinks, selected wines and spirits. Seven Seas Voyager will also be calling into various ports in China on its world cruise in February 2010, and Seven Seas Navigator will visit China and Japan in September 2010. For more information, visit Regent Seven Seas Cruises at www.rssc.com, or call Wiltrans on 1800 251 174.
highs Cruising into Shanghai, first glimpse of the Great Wall of China, the all-inclusive cruise fare.
LOWS All-day bad weather in Nagasaki, and the cruise terminal in Shanghai wasn’t complete, which made access to the city tricky.
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around the world in
100 days
(or so)
For many serious travellers, a world cruise â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or part thereof â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is the ultimate journey. David McGonigal looks at the wide range of options.
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cruise region focus
C
ruising is an area of Australian travel that is booming as we collectively discover the joys of life at sea, the pleasure of unpacking just once and the indulgence of the midnight buffet. Perhaps it’s not surprising that a nation of inveterate travellers has also moved beyond the one- or two-week voyage to lengthy voyages around the world. While a complete circumnavigation has been the goal of explorers and adventurers since it was determined that the world was round, never before has it been possible to do it in such luxury and comfort.
WHERE TO START? There appear to be just about as many departure ports as there are departures for world voyages. And that’s looking at the complete voyages. All, of course, also offer shorter sectors so if you wish to sail into or out of Sydney or Hong Kong, for example, there is no shortage of options. Southampton is the favoured UK port but the US east coast is split between Miami and Fort Lauderdale and the west coast between LA and San Diego. If your desire is to set off and see the world from your own hometown, you’ll find most world cruises stop in Sydney and Brisbane plus a selection of other Australian ports including Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle, Darwin and Cairns. For Sydneysiders who can‘t decide whether to sail from or back into Sydney, Dawn Princess offers an around-the-world voyage that begins and ends in Sydney and visits 43 ports along the way.
SEASONS, DURATIONS AND COSTS If you live in the northern hemisphere the idea of sailing somewhere warm in winter may have a lot of appeal. So you’ll find a lot of vessels leave the UK and the US aiming for the tropics early in the year. The sail plans vary widely and the duration is generally 100 nights, give or take 10 or so nights. Prices, too, are far from standard. About the cheapest fare for the whole voyage is around $20,000 per person – quite good value for spending about a third of the year on a ship. But a more luxurious cruise with more inclusions may be from $90,000 for the cheapest berth (the price of a top suite on a cheaper voyage) up to $300,000 for the best suite on board.
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popular destinations ANTARCTICA Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a new destination for large ships and if some government rumblings become louder, it may not always be possible to visit. But Holland America Line, the first line to take a very large vessel to Antarctica, takes the very southern route around Cape Horn, visiting the Beagle Channel and Ushuaia, the wonderful Chilean fiords and then south to the South Shetland Islands and the Antarctic Peninsula. There are no landings in Antarctica but a ship can take you surprisingly close, to see the amazing glaciers and wildlife of the southern continent. Another regional highlight is that strange British outpost in the south Atlantic: the Falkland Islands and the quaint town of Port Stanley.
W i n t er C r u i s e s
ANNUAL BROCHURE NOV 2009 - DEC 2010
MEDITERRANEAN, NORTHERN EUROPE, OCEAN VOYAGES, CARIBBEAN, SOUTH & NORTH AMERICA, SOUTH AFRICA
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cruise region focus
Seychelles This scattering of 115 islands off the east coast of Africa, about 1,500km east of Kenya, is beauty with a French accent. The main island is Mahe and Victoria, the capital, houses about one-third of the country’s population of 80,000. The greatest attraction is the beaches: beautiful white-sand strands between giant granite tors stretch endlessly to a perfectly warm, azure sea. It’s a wonderful place for swimming, snorkelling, diving, fishing and just about any other aquatic activity you can name. Walks inland can take you to strange and pretty pitcher plants, and the famed, suggestive double coconut, the Coco de Mer.
Rio de Janeiro, brazil A cruising highlight is arriving in Rio by ship. Rio is arguably the world’s most beautiful coastal city with sheer volcanic plugs spilling onto perfect golden beaches. Once ashore, take a stroll along the golden beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. There’s an edge to the cities of Brazil that gives them a vibrancy the rest of the world lacks. The warm climate makes minimal clothing the best option – and no-one wears micro-clothes like a Brazilian. Ride a cable car high above the city and take in the twin landmarks of Sugarloaf Mountain and Corcovado with its giant statue of Christ the Redeemer. Universally known as ‘Rio’, this is the world’s party town and anyone who visits discovers that the beat really does go on. The beaches attract some of the more beautiful people in the world and the bars pulsate with great music and great dancers.
Anzac Cove Fittingly for a voyage that begins and ends in Australia, the world voyage on Dawn Princess includes a day at Anzac Cove in Turkey. Recognised as a defining point in the development of Australia, New Zealand and Turkey, it’s an evocative site that many find to be an emotional one, as well. The cove (which has been Anzac Cove on Turkish maps, too, since 1985) is just 600 metres long and extends between the headlands of Ari Burnu and Hell Spit on the Gallipoli Peninsula. It’s an incongruously pretty spot, despite the erosion of the beach over the years, most notably since the road was widened in 2005. There are both ANZAC and Turkish cemeteries here and a visit brings perspective to an important moment in the history of our nations.
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cruise region focus
cape town, south africa Cape Town is a city of great beauty and about three million residents. Cape Province is where South Africans go for their holidays. It’s a vast swathe of manicured farmlands, rich vineyards and spectacular Cape Dutch architecture. Sailing in, a perfect crescent-shaped bay leads the eye to Table Mountain, the sheer-sided, flat-topped mountain that is the city’s signature landmark. When capped with a layer of cloud – the famous ‘tablecloth’ – it’s one of the most glorious urban locations in the world. The old Cape Town harbour of the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is an array of well-preserved buildings, and good shopping and dining. A less salubrious site that is one of the most popular attractions in Cape Town is Robben Island, the prison that housed Nelson Mandela for many years and is now a World Heritage site.
Suez Canal Great voyages require defining moments and few are as significant in the world of cruising as passing through the Suez Canal. The canal is one of the shipping world’s most remarkable waterways – it joins the Mediterranean and Europe to the Middle East and Asia. It opened in 1869 and doesn’t have any locks throughout its almost 200-kilometre length. The cultural heritage is as remarkably diverse as the desert landscape is starkly beautiful. The ports of the Red Sea and the Suez Canal are gateways to their own wonders. Sharm el-Sheikh near the tip of the Sinai Peninsula is a brilliant diving location; Port Safaga is the Red Sea entrance to Luxor and the glory of the Pharoahs; and Aqaba at the top of the eponymous gulf leads to mysterious Petra.
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hotels Southampton De Vere Grand Harbour Down by the Solent waterfront and alongside the ancient city wall, it would be hard to miss the modern De Vere Grand Harbour hotel with its imposing multistorey glass atrium. There are 173 rooms (with free internet) and pre- and post-cruise packages are offered. www.devere-hotels.com Jurys Inn Southampton Opened in 2005, this highrise overlooks East Park and is the hotel largest in the city with 270 rooms. Décor throughout the hotel is modern with air conditioning, wireless high-speed internet, satellite TV and quite large rooms. http://southamptonhotels.jurysinns.com
Sydney Park Hyatt Sydney Perfectly positioned on the water’s edge in the shadow of the Harbour Bridge and overlooking the Opera House and conveniently near the Overseas Passenger Terminal, the 158-room Park Hyatt is both stylish and comfortable. It offers services and facilities to match its high standing, and meals in this superb setting are a highlight. http://sydney.park.hyatt.com Four Points by Sheraton Australia’s largest hotel is situated on the city side of the tourist precinct of Darling Harbour so it’s convenient to both. Boasting 630 rooms, the modern Four Points offers good facilities and extends to include the Dundee Arms pub, a sandstone building dating back through 150 years of Sydney history. www.starwoodhotels.com
are modern and well equipped with flat-screen TVs and wireless internet. It offers a choice of restaurants and easy access to the sights of London. www.londonbridgehotel.com
NEW YORK The Lowell New York The aristocratic ambience of The Lowell New York permeates every crevice of this prestigious hotel. Situated between Madison and Park Avenue in the fashionable Upper East Side, The Lowell has 47 suites and 25 deluxe rooms. Highly recommended to anyone wanting to celebrate in superior style. www.lowellhotel.com Wellington Hotel Finding an acceptable yet affordable hotel in Manhattan can be a challenge. The Wellington Hotel is a reasonable hotel in a great location just south of Central park and within easy walking distance of Times Square and Fifth Avenue. It’s a large hotel of 600 rooms and suites with wireless internet throughout and comfortable rooms. www.wellingtonhotel.com
London Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel Built in 1889, the hotel went from being quite staid to being very stylish with renovation in 2000. The 200 luxurious guest rooms now match a beautiful exterior façade. The location, with Hyde Park as its backyard and the shopping opportunities of Knightsbridge at the front door, make this a grand experience in many ways. www.mandarinoriental.com/london London Bridge Hotel South of the Thames and near the Tate and Globe Theatre (as well as very close to the Tube), the London Bridge Hotel is a recently restored neoclassical landmark with 138 rooms. The rooms
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ANCIENT EMPIRES
SOUTHERN & WESTERN CARIBBEAN
17 NIGHTS FROM $5872* TWIN SHARE
16 NIGHTS FROM $4699* TWIN SHARE
PER PERSON
PER PERSON
OR FROM 587,200 MEMBERSHIP REWARDS POINTS†
OR FROM 469,900 MEMBERSHIP REWARDS POINTS†
INCLUDES Return airfares to Rome flying Emirates • 1 night pre & post cruise in Rome • 13 night cruise on board CELEBRITY EQUINOX • 2 nights in Dubai • All on board meals, entertainment & gratuities Cruise departs 13 Sep 2009
INCLUDES Return airfares to Miami flying Qantas Airways • 1 night pre & post cruise in Miami • 14 night cruise on board NCL DAWN • All on board meals, entertainment & gratuities Cruise departs 4 Dec 2009 PRICES FROM Sydney $4699*, Melbourne $4777*, Brisbane $4795*, Adelaide $5008*, Perth $5171*
PRICES FROM Sydney $5921*, Melbourne $5904*, Brisbane $5924*, Adelaide $6134*, Perth $5872*
SPLENDOURS OF AUTUMN
DIRECT TO THE WILDERNESS
9 NIGHTS FROM $5452* TWIN SHARE
12 NIGHTS FROM $5695* TWIN SHARE
PER PERSON
PER PERSON
OR FROM 545,200 MEMBERSHIP REWARDS POINTS†
OR FROM 569,500 MEMBERSHIP REWARDS POINTS†
INCLUDES Return airfares to New York flying Qantas Airways • 1 night pre & post cruise in New York • 7 night cruise on board QUEEN MARY 2 • All on board meals & entertainment Cruise departs 2 Oct 2009
INCLUDES Airfares to Seattle flying Qantas Airways, returning from Vancouver • 1 night in Seattle & Vancouver • Domestic flight (Seattle to Fairbanks) • 3 night land tour • 7 night Alaska cruise on board SAPPHIRE PRINCESS • All on board meals & entertainment Cruise departs 9 Sep 2009
PRICES FROM Sydney $5452*, Melbourne $5533*, Brisbane $5551*, Adelaide $5758*, Perth $5890*
PRICES FROM Sydney $5695*, Melbourne $5815*, Brisbane $5835*, Adelaide $5976*, Perth $6140*
AFRICA, INDIA & SOUTH EAST ASIA
GRAND ODYSSEY TO THE ORIENT
34 NIGHTS FROM $10,513* TWIN SHARE
63 NIGHTS FROM $17,236* TWIN SHARE
PER PERSON
PER PERSON
OR FROM 1,051,300 MEMBERSHIP REWARDS POINTS†
INCLUDES Airfares to Capetown flying Qantas Airways, returning from Singapore flying Singapore Airlines • 1 night in Capetown • 32 night cruise on board TAHITIAN PRINCESS • 1 night in Singapore • All transfers • All on board meals & entertainment Cruise departs 18 Oct 2009
OR FRO FROM 1,723,600 MEMBERSHIP REWARDS POINTS†
INCLUD
ES
FARIRFEAERE!S
PRICES FROM Sydney $10,809*, Melbourne $10,891*, Brisbane $10,903*, Adelaide $10,903*, Perth $10,513*
*
INCLUDES Airfares to Barcelona returning from Hong Kong • 63 night cruise on board MV DISCOVERY • All on board meals, entertainment & gratuities Cruise departs 28 Nov 2009 ASK ABOUT OTHER FLY FREE OFFERS WITH VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY… PRICES FROM Sydney $17,236*, Melbourne $17,236*, Brisbane $17,236*, Adelaide $17,236*, Perth $17,236*
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= 10 $100 of travel
Check out more great travel Ch de deals at harveyworld.com.au Most Harvey World Travel agencies are independently owned & operated
® Registered trade mark of Harvey World Travel Group Pty Limited. ANCIENT EMPIRES: Domestic flight from Adelaide to Melbourne based on QF E class & is instant purchase. GRAND ODYSSEY TO THE ORIENT: Surcharge might be applicable if flying on a different departure date. Must be booked 90 days or more prior to departure date. SPLENDOURS OF AUTUMN: Note additional post cruise night in NYC for all Perth pax included in the fare. Air is with CX for Perth pax only. †MEMBERSHIP REWARDS: Only available to Cardmembers enrolled in Membership Rewards Ascent Premium, Ascent, Choices or Blue Sk y. Membership Rewards enrolment required (an annual fee may apply). Subject to the Terms & Conditions of the Membership Rewards program. American Express International, Inc. (ABN 15 000 618 208). Incorporated with limited liability in Delaware, USA ® Registered trademark of American Express Company. Only available at participating Harvey World Travel shops. Each Harvey World Travel shop has its own travel agent’s licence number. License no. QLD - TAG 1718, NSW/WA - 2TA5129, VIC – 32392, SA - TTA 165258, TAS - TAS 058, A.C.T - TC373, NT - NT001 HWTA2975
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14652 SC Star Flyer FP CPM ad
22/5/09
12:27 PM
Page 1
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Visiting:
Visiting:
Visiting: French Polynesia • Papeete, Tahiti • Moorea • Bora Bora • Huahine • Rangiroa • Hiva Oa • Nuka Hiva
Costa Rica • Cocos Islands Panama • Pearl Islands • Balboa
St Maarten • Philipsburg Azores • Punta Delgada Portugal • Lisbon • Portimao • Cadis
Monaco Morocco • Monte Carlo • Tangier Spain • Motril • Ibiza • Palma, Mallorca France • St Tropez
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www.starclippers.com Creative Cruising T: 1300 362 599 E: sales@creativecruising.com.au 54-63_CP36_Cruise RegionWorld.indd 60
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eik
ece
For those who don’t wish to undertake a complete world cruise there are some natural points where you can begin or end a voyage. Many work well if you wish to sail into, or out of, Australia. Doing this gives you the experience on some of the world’s most impressive ships without committing a lot of time. Here’s a selection:
cruise region focus
son
departure points
Mumbai While India has modernised dramatically in recent years, the colour and complication of a nation that has scores of languages and numerous religions creates a rich travel destination. Mumbai (previously Bombay) is a mid point between Australia and Europe that offers plenty of Australia-bound flights.
Singapore Well-served by flights to all ports of Australia, Singapore offers a clean, safe, Asian experience at the beginning or end of a cruise. Highrise and high teas feature in this well-organised ex-British colony that markets itself as the ultimate shopping destination.
Hong Kong Now ostensibly reunified into China, Hong Kong has lost none of the bustle and drive that make it such a great trading port. Its beauty at night when the harbour waters reflect the lights of the skyscrapers is unsurpassed. Again, it’s very convenient for flights to and from Australia.
Dubai Created out of the desert with some remarkable architecture and some even more astounding feats such as indoor snow skiing in a scorching climate, Dubai is certainly different. Good shopping and great hotels combined with easy flight links to home can make this a convenient halfway point to break the journey.
Piraeus, Athens There’s a historical joy in sailing in or out of the ancient Greek port of Piraeus, even if it’s now effectively a suburb of Athens. From the Parthenon to Delphi, Piraeus remains a gateway to the birthplace of European civilisation and the stepping off point to the glories of the Greek Islands.
Civitavecchia, Rome A fort designed by Michelangelo greets you as you sail into Civitavecchia, the port about 80 kilometres west of Rome on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Whether your interest is in Rome specifically or Italy generally or anywhere in Europe, Civitavecchia features on many cruise itineraries and is a convenient entry point.
009.
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pick of the ships Aurora P&O’s Aurora departs Southampton on January 5, 2010 to arrive in Madeira for a flight back to London 104 nights later. It goes via the Suez and Asia to Australia and back to Europe via Africa. There is a wide range of starting and finishing points along the way so you could spend 56 nights and disembark in Sydney, or take 32 nights from Singapore to Melbourne. From approx. $20,256 per person, cruise only, for 104-nights; www.pocruises.com
Seven Seas Voyager On January 13, 2010, Seven Seas Voyager sails from Fort Lauderdale and returns 135 nights later. The cruise goes through the Panama Canal and Central America to San Diego and across the Pacific to Australia via French Polynesia, Samoa, Fiji and Vanuatu. After an extensive look at Australia and Asia it crosses the Indian Ocean to Africa and the Caribbean. Sectors are available, eg, 33 nights Sydney to Hong Kong. From approx. $100,000 per person, cruise only, 135 nights; www.rssc.com
Dawn Princess On May 21, 2010 as Sydney hunkers down for winter, Dawn Princess will sail from Sydney for Darwin and Bali to return 104 nights later. She voyages through Asia and India (including Mumbai) to the Middle East, through the Suez Canal and on to Europe, the USA, the Caribbean, the Panama Canal and Los Angeles, then back across the Pacific via Tahiti, Moorea, Pago Pago and Auckland. From approx. $19,152 per person, cruise only, 104 nights; www.princess.com
Crystal Serenity Crystal Cruises has taken an unusual approach with its 108-night departure of Serenity from Miami to London on January 11, 2010. Billed as an exploration of ancient empires, it doesn’t venture further into Asia than India and eschews Australia and the Pacific altogether. From the Caribbean it sails to Buenos Aires then Cape Town, around to Zanzibar and the Seychelles, Maldives and India. From approx. $76,000 per person, cruise only, 108 nights; www.crystalcruises.com
Queen Mary 2 Of course the grand new dame offers a world voyage. QM2 sails from Southampton on January 11, 2010 and returns 101 nights later. She travels out through the Middle East and Asia then after Australia and New Zealand, returns via Africa, Rio, Barbados, Florida and New York. Shorter options include 23 nights from Hong Kong to Sydney and 17 nights from Sydney to Cape Town. From under $25,000 per person, cruise only, 101 nights; www.cunard.com
MS Amsterdam The world sail plan of MS Amsterdam is indicative of Holland America Line’s adventurous planning. She sails from Fort Lauderdale on January 6, 2010, via the Panama Canal to the bottom of South America and across the Drake Passage to Antarctica and up to Montevideo. Next it’s over to Africa then India and Asia, up to Siberia and through Vancouver to disembark in either Seattle or LA. From approx. $25,831 per person, cruise only, 114 nights; www.hollandamerica.com
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expedition
pioneer spirit
The Columbia River penetrates a landscape rich in history, native culture and scenic beauty. Adventure cruiser Roderick Eime takes a voyage of discovery on board Cruise West’s Spirit of ’98.
T
he scene was perfect. Canoeists paddled serenely on the lake surrounded by lush forests of pine against a backdrop of one of North America’s most spectacular mountainscapes. Then all hell broke loose. On May 18 1980, at 8.32am, shaken by an immense 5.1 quake, the entire side of Mount St Helens collapsed in the world’s greatest recorded landslide. But that was just the warm-up. The landslide uncorked the huge magma chamber and, like a massive champagne bottle, it exploded with such fury that more than 500 million tons of volcanic ash was ejected at 480 kilometres per hour. Spirit Lake, popular with holidaymakers and nature lovers, disappeared. Today, the evidence of the cataclysm is everywhere. Trees, stumps and logs lie strewn across the landscape, blasted from their roots, while the once-pristine river remains smothered under the weight of tons of ash. A visit to Mount St Helens National Volcanic Monument is just one of the highlights of Cruise West’s Northwest
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Passage itinerary along the Columbia and Snake rivers of Washington and Oregon. The seven-night inland expedition follows much of the route pioneered by the famous pair, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark in 1805, as they forged westward in search of new territory. Beginning in Portland, Oregon, Spirit of ’98 steams upstream, away from the bustling riverside industry, through the thick forests and past the waterfalls of the Cascade Mountain Range and Columbia River Gorge, through eight locks into the rolling badlands beyond. All the while, travellers learn about the European, Native American and geological history of the region coupled with
winter 2009 www.cruises.com.au
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expedition
Above: Mount St Helens, viewed from the observatory. Left: Jet boating in the Snake River Gorge.
examinations of the significant flora and fauna, with particular focus on the annual ‘salmon run’. Each day brings a new and varied set of activities. At Bonneville Dam, built during the Depression, the vessel is lifted more than 20 metres in the dam’s 17-million gallon lock. An ingenious salmon ‘ladder’ skirts the structure, allowing the valuable fish to complete their ancient passage to the spawning grounds many kilometres upstream. Virtually the entire Pacific Northwest derives its power from the hydroelectric plants attached to each of the eight dams as well as the many wind turbines springing up along the hilltops. The excursion program is an eye-opener, especially for way-out-of-towners. Visits vary from town tours like Pendleton, with its rich cowboy heritage and fascinating subterranean culture – yes, literally underground – to hands-on explorations of Washington state’s burgeoning wine industry. Wine snobs are well catered
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Mt. St Helens
er
Snake Riv
Longview
mbia
Pacific Ocean
Colu
River
Walla Walla Umatilla Pendleton
Portland
The Dalles
OREGON
Fact file Vessel: Spirit of ’98 Cruise line: Cruise West Star rating: 2-plus Tonnage: 99 Max passenger capacity: 96 Entered service: 1984, refurb 1995 Facilities: All cabins have private facilities, some have minibar. Bar/ library/lecture room, dining room, sundeck/outdoor dining, exercise machine, internet, elevator.
Cruise West www.cruisewest.com
Highs Excellent crew and staff; commendable enrichment program; interesting shore excursions.
Lows Cuisine satisfying but not exceptional; limited ship facilities.
getting there V Australia flies daily to LA from Sydney and three times a week from Brisbane, with easy domestic connections through Virgin Blue. Fares from Australia to Portland start from $1,299 return. www.vaustralia.com.au
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IDAHO
expedition
WASHINGTON
Hells Canyon
Above: Mount St Helens erupting in 1980. Above right: Learn about Native American culture. Right: Spirit of ‘98 is the perfect vessel for this region.
for and the quality of vintages are surprisingly good. Despite the sometimes-scorching temperatures of the semi-arid lands, cool-climate wines such as pinot noir and chardonnay abound. Curiously named Walla Walla boasts a main street lined with numerous tasting rooms and quality eateries such as the Backstage Bistro. At the farthest reach of the trek, an exciting jet boat tour of the remote Snake River and its dizzying canyon bordering Idaho is another memorable event. For those unfamiliar with Native American history and culture, this is a great opportunity to put matters straight. Dispel those tired ‘cowboy and Indian’ clichés and learn, firsthand, the stories, traditions and rituals of the Nez Perce, Cayuse and Umatilla tribes, among others. The strength and integrity of the people who populated the land some 10,000 years before the European arrival was demonstrated in just a few minutes when local Nez Perce arts council chairperson Angel Sobotta came aboard for a short talk. She spoke with such eloquence and elegant authority that the small audience was utterly transfixed. Even though she must have given this talk many times, her voice still quivered at the mention of her late grandparents who helped her recover and preserve the endangered traditions of her people. Angel Sobotta’s message was clearly one of peace and reconciliation, and not for Native Americans alone, but for all the planet. A visit to the tongue-twisting Tamàstsklit Cultural Institute and its detailed exhibitions will walk you through the passage of time from before the arrival of white man, through the turmoil of integration to today. Those interested in collecting art and artefacts can add significant and beautiful items to their collection. Spirit of ’98 is a perfect vessel for this region. Built to a style reminiscent of the early 20th-century river steamers, she is fitted out with an interior to match – rich wood panelling, plush furnishings and spacious public areas. Her crew, however, is her strongest asset and their service is attentive without being obtrusive. Meals are served in the beautifully styled Klondike Room and while tasty and
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Dispel those tired â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;cowboy and Indianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cliches and learn, firsthand, the stories, traditions and rituals of the Nez Perce, Cayuse and Umatilla tribes, among others. satisfying with plenty of variation, they are perhaps a half-star behind leading local operators. There are no tender transfers as the vessel docks for each excursion and transport is by a dedicated Gray Line coach. For those wishing to expand their adventure cruising horizons, this short expedition is a perfect inclusion as part of a wider stateside vacation. The nearby cities of Portland and Seattle are among the prettiest and most visitor-friendly in the country and both are well served by air, rail and road.
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popular port
singapore sensations
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popular port Singapore combines the cultural wonders of its past with the hightech vibrancy of the modern age and offers something to everyone. WORDS caroline gladstone
I
’m scared of heights but thankfully not afraid of fish. So when I chickened out of a ride on the new Singapore Flyer, the world’s tallest observation wheel standing 165 metres high, I sought solace by popping my feet into a tank full of fish. The Kenko Reflexology and Fish Spa shares the same complex as the new Singapore Flyer, a short stroll from the waterfront entertainment hub of Marina Bay. My spa ritual began with a 10-minute neck and shoulder massage and a do-it-yourself foot scrub in preparation for dunking my tootsies in a shallow pool shared with hundreds of garra rufa fish (and a dozen other people). The little critters, which come from Turkey and are nicknamed Doctor Fish for their acclaimed therapeutic powers, immediately swam up and nibbled away at my dead skin cells performing a kind of exfoliation and apparently promoting my circulation as well. The ticklish treat, costing $40 for 30 minutes, is one of the many quirky things on offer in Singapore, a destination that seems forever on the move. I hadn’t been to the Lion City for almost a decade and while I hardly recognised the waterfront esplanade with its new twin theatres shaped like durians – that spiky, pungent fruit – and forest of skyscrapers, I was glad I could still enjoy the colonial charm and immerse myself in the time-warped ethnic quarters. Singapore is that archetypal melting pot of cultures; a place where old traditions such as tea ceremonies, fortunetelling and marigold garland weaving linger on in 19thcentury shophouses against a backdrop of new development and high-tech gadgetry. An amazing diversity of attractions, shopping centres by the score and a near-religious devotion to food make it the perfect place for a cruise stopover. Long acclaimed as the world’s busiest container port, with a mind-boggling 800 to 1,000 ships anchored offshore at any one time, Singapore is now shoring up its position as the cruise hub of Asia. It will open the new International Cruise Terminal in 2011 and expects to boost its passenger arrivals from the current 950,000 a year to 1.6 million by 2015. Under construction at Marina South, a 15-minute drive from the existing Singapore Cruise Centre, the new terminal will provide two extra berths, big enough to take the world’s superliners, including Royal Caribbean’s 225,000-ton, 360-metre Oasis of the Seas.
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To get an overview of the frenetic harbour activity you can take the not-so-high cable car and glide across to Sentosa, the tropical island that’s packed with funfair rides and edged with a couple of white sandy beaches. The ride gave me a bird’s-eye view of two other enormous projects taking shape on opposite sides of the harbour – The Marina Bay Sands complex developed by the Las Vegas Sands consortium, and Resorts World @ Sentosa, developed by the Genting Group, founder of Star Cruises. Both complexes include casinos: however, The Marina Bay Sands will have the honour of debuting Singapore’s first casino when it opens in late 2009, a few months ahead of its rival. Both are ‘integrated resorts’ and will have multiple hotels, retail, dining and entertainment outlets and a ‘wow’ factor. The Marina Bay Sands drawcard is a jaw-dropping ‘skypark’ – a one-hectare open space perched on top of three hotel towers, while Resorts @ Sentosa will pull in the crowds with big-ticket tenant Universal Studios Singapore, the first such theme park in South-East Asia.
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Previous page: Clarke Quay. Right: Singapore cityscape. Opposite, left to right: the art of tea drinking; new Esplanade Theatre; temple in Chinatown.
Clarke Quay’s rows of old warehouses now abound with restaurants and bars, each trying to outdo each other with a new twist.
CONDITIONS: Prices are per person twin share. Prices do not include international airfare. Prices are correct at time of issue on 21 May 2009. Seasonal supplements apply. Prices are subject to change without notice. Valid for travel between Jun 09 - Nov 09. All other terms and conditions are as per Helen Wong’s Tours current CHINA brochure. Lic. No 2TA4103
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I headed back to the ‘mainland’ on the new Sentosa Express monorail that delivered me right inside another new shopping centre, VivoCity. As history rather than retail therapy beckoned, I took a leisurely ride on a bumboat along Singapore River. These restored wooden boats once plied the river by the hundreds, carrying goods between warehouses at Boat, Clarke and Robertson quays. The three-kilometre round trip is packed with colonial gems: we swooped under 19thcentury bridges, passed Boat Quay’s shophouses adorned with colourful shutters, viewed Raffles Landing Site (where the colony’s founder, Sir Stamford Raffles, stepped ashore in 1819), and enjoyed close-up views of the grand Palladian-style Fullerton Singapore, a five-star hotel that was once the General Post Office. More quirky offerings were on hand at Clarke Quay, whose rows of old warehouses now abound with restaurants and bars, each trying to outdo each other with a new twist. At the Metropole Herbal Restaurant I was served a six-course meal that included dishes designed to give me a clearer complexion, slow the ageing process, strengthen the kidneys and nourish the brain. Manager Doris Ho gave me a tour of the apothecary section of the restaurant so I could view its mysterious traditional potions. She held up a long-dried specimen that she explained was a deer penis and a huge
jar filled with a red liquid, which was a brew of deer penis wine. And from a drawer she took out two large dried geckos. The wine, at $35 a glass, is said to have aphrodisiacal powers; the geckos, when boiled up into a soup, are claimed to be good for asthma. I spent the following day in Chinatown learning the art of tea drinking at Tea Chapter, one of two remaining tea-houses in Singapore. The tea ceremony involved tasting six different types – green, white, yellow, turquoise (oolong), red and black, each in a different cup. Housed in a wonderful century-old building, Tea Chapter is in fact a relatively new business, started in 1989 by 13 friends who wanted to revitalise tea drinking among a younger generation that had acquired a liking for coffee. Singapore needs at least three days to do it justice and savour its cultural diversity. A visit to Little India to trawl the sari shops and watch women make marigold garlands is a pleasure, and if you happen to be there on the right day you can have your fortune read by a parrot astrologer. I missed that treat but was lucky to squeeze in an amazing experience on my last day – Jungle Breakfast at the Singapore Zoo. As we patrons dined on bacon and eggs, a family of orangutans swung down from the trees to join us and munch their bananas. And as I’m not scared of apes, I even had my picture taken with them.
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GETTING THERE Cruises lines visiting Singapore include: Azamara Cruises Aurora Expeditions Costa Cruises Cruise West Fred Olsen Cruise Lines Hapag-Lloyd Cruises Holland America Line Oceania Cruises Orion Expedition Cruises P&O Cruises Princess Cruises Regent Seven Seas Cruises Royal Caribbean Silversea Cruises Singapore Cruises Star Clippers Star Cruises
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high-seas
independence How to enjoy a blast of summer sun after a white Christmas in New York? Take a Caribbean cruise. When in Romeâ&#x20AC;Ś words frances danziger
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family cruising
A
t almost 10, my stepdaughter, Amelia, is crazy about getting more independence. She wants to do everything by herself – ride around the block, walk to the shop or visit friends in the neighbourhood. So when she learned we were taking her on a cruise ship called Independence of the Seas and brought home a brochure, she immediately began planning how she was going to explore the ship. By herself. A cut-away diagram in the Royal Caribbean International (RCI) brochure provided all the information she needed. Three months ahead of our departure date she had it all worked out. Over breakfast she would run her finger across the brochure muttering, “I’ll go from the swimming pool down to level four, then have some lunch and then pick up my jumper and go ice-skating for a while.” The truth was, taking a cruise in the Caribbean was something none of us had planned to do. I’m fortunate to have family living in New York City and when we received an invitation to spend a second consecutive Christmas in Manhattan, we couldn’t resist. There was just one drawback: too many dark, cold and short days. We needed a summer holiday to bolt onto our cold Christmas. But somewhere different, warm and relatively close to New York. But where do you go from New York? You go where New Yorkers go. The Caribbean. On a cruise. Now, we hadn’t been on a cruise before. All our holidays had involved some element of foreign adventure, exploration and excitement – and none of us could see much sign of these in the brochure. At least it would be sunny and something new. We’d give it a go. So with this resolved, we decided to go all out and cruise on the biggest ship in the world. At 160,000 tons, Independence of the Seas is referred to as a ‘superliner’ and it dwarfs anything we have ever seen in Australian waters. Carrying a maximum of 4,000 passengers plus 1,397 crew, the numbers are truly staggering and will only be outdone when her sibling Oasis of the Seas is launched in November this year. Flying into Fort Lauderdale Airport we could see the enormous ship berthed at the cruise terminal nearby. We threw off our New York woollies, made it through check-in and headed up the gangway. Then we looked up – and Martin cricked his neck as he strained to see the top of the ship. The sheer size of it was enough for Martin to decide Amelia’s liberty needed to be reined in. The ship was simply too big to let a nine-year-old child, even a confident one, wander around by herself. She was not impressed. But Amelia’s misery lifted when she found out she had a cabin to herself with a balcony and an interconnecting door
“I thought the ship would be too big, too crowded with too many people – but I was pleasantly surprised. The ship is so big there is plenty of space for everyone.” into our cabin. She flung open the doors to the balcony and proclaimed it all “fantastic”. Things got better still that evening when, having been originally allocated the far too early 6pm dining time, we signed up for Royal Caribbean’s My Time dining program. This meant we could eat in the main restaurants whenever we wanted – we simply showed up at the Romeo and Juliet dining room and the hostess found a table for us. With its sparkling chandeliers, brocade drapes and thick carpets, Amelia was utterly mesmerised by the grandeur of the room and even more impressed with Kevin, our gorgeous waiter who treated her like a grown-up. That first night after dinner, we began exploring the ship. Independence of the Seas is huge. At the time of writing it is the biggest superliner in the world and I must say I was a little worried about the size. In the back of my mind, I thought the ship would be too big, too crowded with too many people – but I pleasantly surprised. The ship is so big there is plenty of space for everyone. Even for the cruise sceptic there is much to like about this ship. We love trying new things as a family so the rock-climbing wall, basketball court and ice-skating rink were high on our list. Martin scaled a number of different routes up the wall on a daily basis and gave the Americans an Aussie workout on the basketball court. Just days after ice-skating in Central Park for the first time, Amelia was skating again, much to her amazement, “on a cruise ship in the middle of the Caribbean”. The nightly shows in the Alhambra Theatre were not high on my To Do list. Music hall entertainment, dancers, vaudeville comedians – well, they’re just not my thing. Or so I thought. Persuasion from my husband came with the news that the Alhambra Theatre has a bar and my experience could be dulled with the medicinal properties of a good vodka martini. I don’t know whether it was the stiff drinks or my husband’s new-found enthusiasm, but I have to confess that the nightly shows were wonderful. The comedians,
Opposite: From rock-climbing to surfing and kids’ clubs, there is plenty to keep the whole family entertained.
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magicians, dancers and acrobats were entertaining and amusing. We went again – every night. On our first morning we enrolled Amelia into the free kids’ program, Adventure Ocean. Her age group was called Voyagers and was hosted by a lovely Scotsman and a welcoming young woman from New Zealand. Instantly Amelia felt at home. In fact, she felt so at home in Adventure Ocean she didn’t want to leave. The daily treasure hunts around the ship, lunch with other kids in the Windjammer Café and dinner in the 1950s-style diner Johnny Rockets were much more fun than being with us. And therein lies the secret of Adventure Ocean – if you have happy, safe kids, you have happy parents. With Amelia having the time of her life with her Voyagers, Martin and I had no qualms about leaving her on the ship while we headed for land. First stop – Belize. It sounds gorgeous. Years earlier, friends from California had spent a summer there and told romantic stories about the magnificent beaches, wildlife and jungles. While Martin took a diving trip, I booked myself in for snorkelling. Picked up by tender from the ship, we spent two hours bobbing around in incredibly warm water exploring the coral. After a quick shower back on board, I took the tender into Belize City. In a word – disappointing. The quay area is filled with a maze of touristy and duty-free shops offering a mixture of fake and designer handbags. I managed to find my way through the shops and out beyond the four-metre-high fences. The people of Belize are very poor. On the other side of the wire, people were selling handmade goods with a disinterested attitude that combined desperation and disinterest. Almost every street was dusty, and many houses were surrounded by barbed wire. The blackboards of local cafés listed their speciality as stewed pigs’ tails, but after the food I’d been enjoying on board, I wasn’t in a hurry to try any. Finally, on the penultimate day, Martin gave diving a miss and we went to the Mexican island of Cozumel. This time we didn’t book an organised tour – we simply disembarked, hired an air-conditioned jeep and explored the island. Even coming from Australia, Cozumel has genuinely spectacular beaches with incredibly blue water. After stopping at the side of the road and running into the water for a pre-lunch swim, we pulled up to a gorgeous restaurant right on the beach. With chairs and tables plonked in the sand and the water just a few feet away, we settled in for a lazy couple of hours while the waiter brought sensationally fresh shrimp and conch ceviche, shrimp tacos and fresh fish, along with icy margaritas. Heaven. Back on Independence of the Seas we couldn’t believe we had only two more nights before we would be back at Fort Lauderdale. How could we cram in everything else on offer? Amelia chose to spend her entire final day slathered in sunscreen in the H2O Zone, aka the kids’ pool area, emerging shrivelled and tired with a dinner date organised with a friend and her family. Meanwhile, I booked in a one-on-one boxing class with a likely lad from Lancashire who led me into the full-size boxing ring in the centre of an incredibly modern gym. The Fitness Centre is packed with the latest equipment – running machines where you can choose the scenery on your personal screen – as well as healthy lifestyle classes, yoga, Pilates and strength training. We followed the gym session with a dip in the fabulous adults-only solarium pool
“...the nightly shows were wonderful. The comedians, magicians, dancers and acrobats were entertaining and amusing.”
area and a dunk in one of the whirlpools that literally hang over the side of the ship. After all our strenuous exercise, lunch in the Windjammer Café was, we felt, essential to restore our energy. While the café has an enormous and ever-changing selection of meals on offer, my personal favourite was the sensational Indian food with curries as fragrant and deliciously spicy as any I’d ever had in my homeland of curries, England. A new hairdo was also called for – and after a couple of hours in the salon, I emerged ready for our final evening on board. After some last-minute shopping in the Royal Promenade – an incredible 200 metres of quality shops and cafés, we plonked ourselves down for a shandy outside the Dog and Badger English pub and cheerfully watched the final parade of entertainers as they wound past. It was time for our last dinner on the ship. While we had packed in as much as we could on our six nights we had failed to try everything. We began making a list of things we could do next time: “SurfRider, golf, nightclub, casino, three other bars, four restaurants…” We will definitely be back.
fact file FLORIDA Fort Lauderdale
Gulf of Mexico Cancun
CUBA
Isla Cozumel
MEXICO
BELIZE
Vessel: Independence of the Seas Cruise line: RCI Star rating: 4 Max pax capacity: 4,376 GRT: 154,407 Entered service: May 2008 Facilities: Water park; 2 pools; rock-climbing wall; 6 whirlpools; golfsimulator; ice and inline skating rinks; 3-level dining room.
HIGHS Ice-skating on a ship! Adventure Ocean – it’s free and it’s brilliant. Staff at Johnny Rockets diner bursting into 1950s song and dance routine at lunchtime.
LOWS Realising I needed my passport to visit Belize and finding it locked in the safe with only my husband knowing the code! Smokers in the casino … ugh. Royal Caribbean: 1300 754 500 www.royalcaribbean.com.au
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historic ships
In the days before children’s hostesses and organised entertainment, activities for children were organised by the Entertainments Committee. From fancy dress parties to paddling pools, sand boxes and three-legged races – children were never forgotten.
Rock and roll: three characters find their sea legs.
I’ve heard tell that some of today’s big cruise ships still have a ship’s cat – Queen Mary 2 for example! This little fellow belonged to Strathnaver in the 1930s and was a popular member of the crew among passengers – his favourite hangout was on a ledge outside the butcher’s shop!
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ruising from Australia in the 1920s and 1930s was still in its infancy when these photographs were taken. Life on board the ships then followed a more relaxed style than today, with passengers organising their own entertainment. Soon after sailing the Staff Captain, or another Senior Officer, would call a meeting of passengers who would then elect an Entertainments Committee. It was the responsibility of this committee, with help from the ship’s staff, to organise sports and deck activities and evening entertainment. Passengers entering into competitions would contribute a small amount of money, which would cover the purchase of prizes; all were bought either from the ship’s shop or souvenir shops ashore at ports of call. Any monies left over at the end of the cruise would be donated to the ship’s charities.
In days gone by it was crew members who, for an extra few shillings a month, would form a ship’s band. They entertained at dinner dances that were held on deck as the ship sailed along in the tropics beneath starry nights.
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The Deck Buffet Lunch. The question is, just which company first invented the deck buffet? We do know that way back in the 1840s passengers onboard P&O Royal Mail Ships sailing through the Red and Arabian seas would be served lunch on deck to avoid the heat below decks. This was in the days long before airconditioning and the main course was a hot Goan curry!
One of the most popular sports, usually reserved for men only, was the greasy pole. Two men, each armed with a pillowcase filled with wet rags, would face each other while straddling a well-greased pole and at a given signal would attempt to unseat the opponent. It was a lot of fun and always attracted huge crowds of cheering onlookers.
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF ROB HENDERSON (CARNIVAL AUSTRALIA HISTORIAN) & DOUG CREMER COLLECTION
historic ships
In tropical climes it was traditional to serve ices to all passengers. At precisely 11am, stewards would appear on deck with trays of vanilla ice-cream. A gong would be sounded and passengers would gather to collect their ice-cream or wait for a steward to deliver.
Of course, for Australians and New Zealanders one of the most popular organised activities was cricket. The two teams would usually be drawn from passengers, but it was common for a team to be drawn from officers and crew who would then challenge passengers for the Oronsay Cup â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the name of the ship on which these photographs were taken.
What could be more Australian? Bondi or St Kilda on Sea? Shipboard life for many centred around sun bathing and swimming â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not too many sales of sun hats or lotions here!
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movers & shakers
Bruce Poon Tip is taking over the world Of adventure travel, anyway. Launching with a credit card and the help of his friends, Poon Tip has built one of the biggest travel companies in the world. Words SALLY MACMILLAN
B
ruce Poon Tip, the dynamic CEO of G.A.P Adventures, founded the company 19 years ago when he was just 22. He studied business and tourism at college, went off travelling and was disappointed to discover that there was very little on offer for travellers between basic backpacking and highend resort packages. Bruce returned home to Canada and, with one credit card and the help of a couple of friends who worked for nothing, set up the company that now offers more than a thousand ‘off the beaten track’ itineraries worldwide. Its non-profit foundation, Planeterra, supports international charities and community projects. ‘Sustainable tourism’ is a key component of G.A.P Adventures – was sensitivity to your surroundings a big motivation when you established the company? No, wish I could say it was! To be honest, the way we started was so grassroots – our concept is that we offer home-stays in villages, cultural experience for travellers in remote areas – that as we grew it became a natural progression for us to work closely with small local communities. As it was hard for us to succeed in such remote areas we were determined
Above left: G.A.P’s new polar ice ship, MS Expedition. Above: Company founder and CEO, Bruce Poon Tip.
to invest in their sustainability. We partnered with Conservation International, a non-profit organisation in Washington, which worked well for two years but it became more and more obvious that if we were to deliver what we promised – a local, cultural, community – we needed to be involved in the areas we relied on. It was a business decision in many ways, plus being the ‘right’ thing to do. Your new ship, MS Expedition, is launching this year. What will she bring to adventure cruising? MS Expedition is a polar ship with an ice-class hull that we bought from a Norwegian coastal company. We spent about US$16 million on fitting her out at Aker Yards in Finland and her first trip was to the Azores, in April. We chose to have the fitout carried out in Finland because although it
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editor’s letter DEAR CRUISERS
Piracy on the high seas and swine flu on board cruise ships: cruising has been hogging (‘scuse the pun) the headlines recently. Media commentators were agog with possible implications for the industry and such is the nature of 21st-century communications, jokes about potential disasters circulated the globe within nanoseconds. However, all the cruise line operators and specialist cruise travel agents and regular cruisers we talked with reported no downturn in enquiries and bookings, proving once again that cruising is a hardy business. And while our own website, cruises.com.au, has only been operating for a short time, statistics produced from the site (see Cruise News p10) also show our readers and website browsers have a healthy disregard for scaremongering reports and the current financial crisis. Talking about booking cruises, our 2009/10 Cruise Guide is packed with info to help you choose your next voyage – see p83 for more details. Meanwhile, as the digital world advances apace, I hope you continue to enjoy a leisurely few hours reading the entertaining, in-depth features you will find in the following pages of your favourite cruise magazine. Happy cruising,
Sally Macmillan Editor
WRITE TO US AND WIN! We really value your feedback. Please email sally.macmillan@cruisepassenger.com.au, or write to Cruise Passenger, 51 Whistler Street, Manly, NSW 2095, with stories of your recent cruise experiences, queries and comments. The best letter to be featured in the Spring edition will win a copy of the highly sought-after book Antarctica, Secrets of the Southern Continent by our regular contributor David McGonigal. (RRP $89.95, published by Simon & Schuster Australia, available at all good bookshops.) Turn to p 54 for David’s feature on world cruising.
readers’ letters SOLO CRUISING I wish to thank you for producing a very informative and enjoyable travel guide. I live on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and have been on four small-ship cruises in the past two years: Aranui (Papeete), Captain Cook Cruises (Cairns), Blue Lagoon Cruises (Lautoka, Fiji) and Kimberley Quest (Broome). All the cruises were holidays and adventures I will never forget: wonderful service and pleasant shipboard companions. On each occasion I booked direct with the cruise line as I find travel agents are not keen to book singles. While I understand the reasoning I do feel that there is
a definite market in the travel industry for those of us who prefer to holiday alone. Henry Clelland, Noosa, Qld Editor: Congratulations on winning a copy of the 2009 Berlitz Guide! We recommend that you always book a cruise through a cruise specialist who can tailor a trip to your needs; check the ICCA directory, p104.
ROYAL TREATMENT? Earlier this year, my wife and I took a 13-night cruise on Dawn Princess to New Zealand. Because Sydney Harbour was so busy, we were relegated to White Bay, an experience that should be shared by those
who have decided that Darling Harbour’s Wharf 8 is to be demolished to make way for office buildings. The berthing facilities at Auckland offer a classic example of how things should be done. Our balcony cabin was at the rear of the ship, which we were happy to accept as it was near the lifts. However, we discovered that the lifts only go up but all the dining and public areas are down... The only times we were aware that there were 2,070 passengers was leaving or boarding and, of course, during meals in the Horizon Buffet. We soon realised the dining room was preferable.
Apart from these few whinges the cruise was memorable. All the staff tried so hard to meet expectations and nothing was too much trouble. However, most of the Australians we spoke to had cancelled the gratuity levy imposed on them and did their own thing, as we did. It’s just revenue-raising and I bet that the person serving you doesn’t receive this money and why should they, for doing what they are paid to do? All in all, it was a fabulous experience and we loved every moment of it but would choose a smaller ship in future. Gary & Ruth Hansard, Nth Strathfield, NSW
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movers & shakers
is more expensive than in say, Latvia or the Canaries, we wanted the best steel work and interior finishes possible. In fact, the interiors look a bit like an Ikea showroom – there is no chintz and it’s all very tasteful and solidly constructed. She is definitely an expedition ship rather than a luxury vessel but we have 70 crew on board to look after up to 120 passengers. She is Britain and Norway until June, then spends the [northern] summer in the Arctic and will be in Antarctica for the 2009-10 season. And while voyages to Antarctica are very expensive to run, for adventure travellers having another ship operating in the region will probably have an impact on price over the long term; it means there is more choice and more space available for passengers. How do you see adventure cruising, particularly in Antarctica, faring in the current economic climate? There’s a lot of capacity in Antarctica. The ‘skyrocketing’ numbers of people visiting Antarctica are actually small – twice the number of people turn up at a footy game at the MCG than go to Antarctica in a year. Passenger numbers have increased in that a lot of big ships go there as part of a South America tour, but passengers don’t actually get off the ships. The smaller-ship business is one side of the cruising industry that’s faring better in the recession. Larger cruise ship companies seem to be experiencing more problems. In terms of the cruising industry in general, the river cruising market is seeing an upturn. We have a boat in the Amazon that’s proving very successful. Smaller river boats will be a natural evolution. Where do you believe the adventure cruising hot spots will be in 2010? Definitely the Galapagos Islands, and Antarctica, of course. It’s still considered to be the last frontier – any serious traveller who wants to see all seven continents must see Antarctica. Spitzbergen [Norway] is the fastest-growing cruise region in terms of passenger numbers. What are your favourite places in the world? As I get older, my new favourite places are much more remote. Having children (two girls, aged five and seven), changes your priorities, and they’re fun to travel with.
Above left: Bruce in Torres del Paine, southern Chile. Above right: Victoria Falls, Africa.
I find myself attracted to Iceland – it’s beautiful – and Mongolia. I used to be really attracted to hustle and bustle, but now I love wide open spaces. Last year, I led a tour for the first time, in Peru. I have a whole new respect for tour leaders – it is very intense and I’ll never do that again! I was up the latest at night, up first in the morning – you’re ‘on’ all the time and as I spend a lot of time alone, travelling and working, it was quite a shock. The company has grown enormously: are you under a lot of pressure? I’m under a lot less pressure than I was a couple of years ago. I’m growing the business and I can now afford to pay great directors, so it’s been easier for me to focus on the direction of the business. My original team was made up of tour leaders, who were wonderful but in terms of industry experience, my current management team have incredible industry experience; they are teaching me. Is G.A.P expanding in Australia and New Zealand? Definitely. It is the fastest-growing region in the world. Of all the awards G.A.P has won, which are you most proud of? Number one is National Geographic Adventure magazine’s ‘Best Do It All Outfitter on Earth’. Out of 180 finalists in 2007, we were top. We’re also one of three finalists in the 2009 Tourism for Tomorrow awards. It’s a very prestigious award with thousands of applicants.
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ship to shore
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84
Fins, feathers, fur and fang are major attractions on cruise excursions. Passengers are increasingly keen to catch a glimpse of – or maybe even a close encounter with – local wildlife. Words peter needham
winter 2009 www.cruises.com.au
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CANADA: BEAR COUNTRY Canada teems with spectacular birds and animals, the beefy and the beautiful: polar bears, grizzly bears and brown bears; beluga whales, muskox, moose, seals, caribou and a wide variety of bird species, including penguin-like, thick-billed murres. A great way to relish Canada’s scenic spectacle – and see as much wildlife as possible – is to combine a cruise with trip on VIA Rail Canada, the country’s national passenger rail service. VIA trains traverse the Rockies, the Prairies and Northern Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec as well as the Atlantic region of the world’s second-largest country. Railcruise combinations aren’t confined to Canada. Some packages wrap journeys through the Canadian Rockies on VIA’s Rocky Mountaineer train with an Alaska Inside Passage cruise. VIA destinations include places like Churchill, Manitoba –‘Polar Bear Capital of the World’ – the only human settlement where polar bears can be observed in the wild. Best viewing time is mid-October to
This page: Polar bears in Canada, a vast country teeming with spectacular wildlife and scenery.
mid-November, when migrating bears head to Hudson Bay and wait until the water freezes, allowing them to continue their migration over the ice.
Australian Pacific Touring uses Holland America Line’s Statendam and Veendam on its 13-day ‘Glacier Discovery Cruise & Denali Explorer’. The package includes a seven-night Inside Passage cruise and a six-toseven-hour ‘Tundra Wilderness’ tour delving deep into Denali’s 400,000 hectares. The park abounds with caribou, dall sheep, moose, grizzly bears and wolves. HAL is famous for its range of shore excursions, with options including dog-sled rides, whale-watching and guided hikes.
www.cruises.com.au winter 2009 85
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84-89_CP36_ShipToShore.indd 86 3481-09 VIA Cruise Australia magazine 2009.indd 1
23/6/09 9:53:14 AM 17/03/09 10:04:42
A zoo without cages – that’s one description of the Galapagos Islands. Thanks to English naturalist Charles Darwin and BBC wildlife presenter David Attenborough, the Galapagos Islands have become more identified with wildlife cruises than any other destination. Cruise excursions to the Galapagos are generally operated by specialist small ships, such as the 100-passenger Galapagos Explorer II. That vessel is used by Tempo Holidays and Odyssey Travel, among others, to visit this remarkable part of the world, abode of iguanas, penguins, sea lions, blueand red-footed boobies, frigate birds and turtles. Tempo Holidays runs shore excursions with bilingual naturalist guides over a four-night period in its seven-day ‘Galapagos Indulgence’ package. Tempo’s product manager, Sue-Ann Hamilton, says the ship’s selling points include a crew of naturalists holding nightly lectures, 50 spacious suites over five decks and a crew of 70 (including six naturalists).
ship to shore
10:04:42
Basking in the Galapagos
Tempo’s package departs Quito every Friday; from $3,610 per person twin-share, including cruise, two nights in a five-star hotel in Quito, meals, shore excursions and hotel transfers. The islands are a yearround destination. LAN Airlines fly to South America daily from Australia; for details, visit www.lan.com. Celebrity Cruises operates high-end Galapagos voyages aboard its 98-passenger vessel Xpedition. Wits have dubbed Celebrity’s lavish excursions to this part of the world “the spoiled meeting the unspoiled”. Celebrity Xpedition has sailed in the Galapagos Islands since 2004 and carries one naturalist for every 14 passengers.
APT Glacier Discovery Cruise & Denali Explorer costs from $6,727 twin-share (excluding international airfares).
Above: Bartolome, one of the Galapagos Islands. Right: Iguana colony in the ‘zoo without cages’.
Celebrity Cruises seven-night Galapagos cruises on Xpedition cost from $4,433.
Canadian Arctic cruise specialist Cruise North Expeditions is owned by the Inuit of Northern Quebec, the people whose region the company visits. Cruises sail to islands in Canada’s Arctic where massive polar bears patrol their favourite beaches as prehistoric-looking muskox gaze on. Cruise North was named one of the top five adventure travel companies 2009 by the editors of National Geographic Adventure magazine. The company’s ice-class rated 122-passsenger ship, Lyubov Orlova, is deployed at the northern limit of the great boreal forest in Kuujjuaq, a little over two hours by air from Montreal. All expeditions offer guided hikes at no extra cost, plus sea kayaking. One cruise, ‘High Arctic Expedition’, visits Bylot Island, a migratory bird sanctuary for rare peregrine falcons, ivory gulls, murres, kittiwakes and snow geese. It also calls at Lancaster Sound, dubbed the Serengeti of the Arctic. You may even spot a narwhal.
Cruise North’s August 18, 2009 departure costs from US$6,195 twin-share.
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ENRICH YOUR TRAVEL
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INSIDERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S VIEW: Visits Romania and the popular Black Sea resort of Mamaia and Bucharestâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s impressive Peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Palace.
INSIDERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S VIEW: A private Imperial Evening at a traditional palace in Vienna featuring dinner and Viennese musicians.
For more information or bookings contact Cruisescene on 1800 678 555 or email kevin@dbt.com.au or visit www.cruisescene.com.au *Conditions:Valid for new bookings only. Offer is inventory controlled and is valid until further notice. Offers may be withdrawn without prior notice. All fares are per person twin share and quoted in Australian dollars and have been calculated using an indicative H[FKDQJH UDWH IRU 86 GROODUV RI 86 GROODU SULFLQJ ZLOO EH FRQYHUWHG WR $XVWUDOLDQ GROODUV IRU Ă&#x20AC;QDO SD\PHQW $OO SULFHV DUH FRUUHFW DV DW -XQH DQG DUH LQFOXVLYH RI DOO WD[HV DQG PRVW JUDWXLWLHV DQG DUH VXEMHFW WR DYDLODELOLW\ FXUUHQF\ Ă XFWXDWLRQV DQG VXUFKDUJHV XQWLO Ă&#x20AC;QDO SD\PHQW LV UHFHLYHG $GYHUWLVHG VDYLQJ RI $ SHU FDELQ DSSOLHV WR -XO\ $XJXVW GHSDUWXUHV RQO\ &DW 7UDYHO WKH :RUOG UHVHUYHV WKH ULJKW WR PRGLI\ RU ZLWKGUDZ WKLV SURPRWLRQ DW DQ\ WLPH 'RQQD %DUORZ 7UDYHO /LF 1R 7$ A6KRUH H[FXUVLRQV OLVWHG DERYH DUH LQ 86'
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CARIBBEAN & PACIFIC UNDERSEA TREASURES Underwater wildlife is best viewed by snorkelling or diving. Royal Caribbean International offers snorkelling tours in many Caribbean destinations. A new alternative is â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Snubaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a combination of snorkelling and Scuba. RCI also offers certified dives and Scuba courses ending in certification.
Royal Caribbean Internationalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s twotank certified dive with equipment in Costa Maya, Mexico, lasts four hours and costs about A$193 per person.
Above: Walrus, Kamchatka. Below: Sea fans and black grouper, New Caledonia.
There are very few new destinations in the world that are relatively easy to access and yet still offer people a new and totally different experience. The Russian Far East (Russiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pacific Coast) is one of the last frontiers, closed to foreigners under the communist regime and even today very few outsiders have been privileged to visit. Cruising is the perfect way to explore a region, which still lacks infrastructure beyond the cities. The region is one of the most isolated on the globe. Vast areas of wildernesses dominate a landscape that includes a myriad of environments from the tundra of the far north to the forests and snow-capped peaks of Kamchatka and the volcanic Kuril Islands. The scattered inhabitants (it has the one of the lowest densities of people per square kilometre in the world) coexist with an abundance of terrestrial and marine wildlife. Heritage Expeditionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; expedition vessel, Spirit of Enderby, comes from the Russian Far East and its officers and crew know the area better than anybody else. With just 50 passengers it can go places other vessels canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, guaranteeing more landings and more time ashore. Their guides include local English-speaking Russians. Heritage Expeditions offers four different cruises along the Russian Far East coastline between July and September. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Birding the Kuril Islandsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Kuril Islands are a 32-island chain that lie like a string of pearls between Russia and Japan, dividing the Pacific Ocean from the Sea of Okhotsk. It is home to many unique species of birds and mammals and a breathtaking string of volcanoes dominates the islands. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Cruise the Ring of Fireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this includes Kamchatka Peninsula and the northern Kuril Islands, and participating in this cruise will expose you to one of the most geologically active and biologically diverse regions of the globe. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Across the Top of the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is set to cruise across the Arctic Circle through the Bering Strait and into the 24-hour midsummer daylight of the Arctic Sea. Passengers can expect to encounter migratory birds, polar bears, walrus and reindeer. The final cruise of the season, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Jewel of the Russian Far Eastâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, departs from Nome, Alaska, and includes Chukotka, Kamchatka and Kuril Islands finishing in Sakhalin Island in the south this 18 day cruises provides you with rare insights to a land and a people that few have ever experienced.
ship to shore
o
REMOTE RUSSIAN FAR EAST
Visit www.www.heritage-expeditions.com, or call free phone 0800 262 8873 (in NZ) or +64-3 365 3500.
New Caledoniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s French flavour and tropical charms attract thousands of tourists annually on P&Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s popular 70,000-ton Pacific Dawn. The idyllic islands of Ouvea and Isle of Pines, both popular shore excursions, are great for snorkelling. Aboard Pacific Dawn, snorkel equipment is available for hire from the Aqua Hut. You can take it with you ashore on a snorkelling tour. Vanuatu offers similar snorkelling opportunities, with aquatic life in these seas including parrot fish, leopard ray, turtle and dugong.
P&O Cruises: call 13 24 690 or visit www.pocruises.com.au
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photo competition
WIN
travel camera Send us your cruise photos and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll publish the best â&#x20AC;&#x201C; plus you could win a powerful Panasonic digital camera!
AMAZING prizeS UP FOR GRABS
Most of us pack a camera when going on a cruise and, thanks to the wonders of digital photography, take hundreds of pictures. Now you could win a fantastic Panasonic Lumix digital camera, a Lowepro camera backpack and a Velbon tripod, just by sending us your best cruise photo. We will showcase your photos on our website, cruises.com.au, and publish the winners in the December issue of Cruise Passenger magazine.
first prize: The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 hybrid camera has a remarkable 12x optical zoom in a compact, stylish body and 25mm ultra-wide-angle lens. It also includes AVCHD Lite*1 video recorder, making the TZ7 a truly versatile point and shoot. Find out more at www.panasonic.com.au.
HOW TO ENTER: Send us up to three photos (high-resolution digital only), taken on a cruise ship or at a destination reached by ship. It must have been taken within the last five years. Email your photos to: cruises@edgecustom.com.au by October 16, 2009. In addition to your photos, please include the following details in your email entry: your full name and address; name of ship and/or location featured. The photographer of the picture judged the best will win a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7 hybrid camera (right). Runners-up will receive a Velbon tripod and Lowepro camera backpacks. The judging panel will consist of representatives from Edge Custom Media, Maxwell Optical and Panasonic. See www.cruises.com.au for full Conditions of Entry.
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the chameleon soul of east
W
An adventure safari through the wilds of Tanzania is the perfect land-based journey for all types of travellers, from families to adventure seekers and romantics. Words: Karen Thomas
92
hen you read Karen Blixen’s memoir Out of Africa (or watch the movie) it makes you hanker to explore the vast, faraway land of Africa. To experience first-hand the magic that became Blixen’s solace should be high on the to-do list for any discerning traveller. After an exhausting Christmas and New Year spent with family and friends in the United Kingdom and New York, I was determined to enjoy some quality time with my husband and our 17-year-old daughter and 19-year-old son. With the help of &Beyond – specialists operating and/
winter 2009 www.cruises.com.au
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beyond the sea
Top row: Back to nature in luxury at Lake Manyara Tree Lodge. Left: Under Canvas camp, Serengeti.
the northern end of the lake. Casmir presents us with refreshments and informs us that the remaining journey to the lodge will be full of intimate wildlife encounters. Our first sighting is of a troop of olive baboons, some with babies. The national park requires that visitors adhere strictly to the code of not feeding the animals, which is fine by me! Next we spot a herd of graceful giraffes: seemingly unaware of our presence, the tall, elegant creatures munch their way through the treetops. We catch a glimpse of the lake up ahead and watch in awe as a flurry of pink flamingos skim the water preying for fish. Before we make the final leg to our camp, a parade of elephants ambles across our path – an average day in the game-viewing world of Tanzania.
TREEHOUSE ADVENTURES
or owning 45 lodges throughout 16 African countries – our family ventured to the wilds of Tanzania for a week-long safari.
THE JOURNEY BEGINS After a bizarre start to our trip, one that involves lost luggage and the need to replace our ‘safari-appropriate’ clothing in downtown Nairobi, we set off for the long, dusty journey to Lake Manyara National Park. Full of enthusiasm about what lies ahead, we are upbeat and ready for adventure. During the trip, we see female villagers draped in a multitude of vibrant fabrics and carrying babies in their arms or the day’s water supply atop their
heads. As we cross the border into Tanzania, we offer a lift to a teenage girl hitchhiking her way to boarding school. At 17 – the same age as my daughter – her ankle-length skirt contrasts wildly with my daughter’s cropped shorts and I notice the teens quietly process the huge cultural divide.
A line of lanterns guides our vehicle towards the reception area at the lodge where we’re welcomed in song by the lodge’s assistant manager, Asheri, and the rest of the staff. Refreshing hand towels and a flute of champagne for the adults offer a decadent touch to our first night in safari-style lodging. Set on poles and constructed solely from timber and glass, our luxury treehouse has a huge open area featuring a lounge, king-size bed (complete with mosquito net) and bathroom. A wide verandah spans the width of one side of the treehouse suite and a lush, semienclosed shower – overlooked only by the olive baboons – awaits our tired, dusty bodies.
WILDLIFE ENCOUNTERS We arrive at the gates of the national park and meet Casmir – the driver who will take us to Lake Manyara Tree Lodge, our exclusive accommodation at
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beyond the sea
We head to the main dining room to indulge in a delightful meal of PanAfrican cuisine and meet our comical waiter Donald (of whom we become quite fond during our visit). On leaving the restaurant, Donald utters the words made famous in The Lion King – “Hakuna matata” – no worries.
World-famous sights Our two-day stay at Lake Manyara Tree Lodge is absolute bliss, but it must come to an end. We set off for the three-hour drive to World Heritagelisted Ngorongoro Crater, where our next luxury safari lodging lies. During the trip we stop off to visit a Masai village. Tiny, humble mud huts housing nothing but buffalohide mattresses are home to families and baby animals alike. Children run barefoot and snotty-nosed, beaming happy smiles at us. Villagers offer to sell their handmade beadwork, and somehow my husband manages to barter away our daughter’s hand in marriage. Nearing the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, perched on the edge of the world-famous Ngorongoro Crater at the eastern edge of the Serengeti, the scenery becomes lush and verdant. Only a few lodges are allowed to operate within this conservation area,
From top: Fine food at Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, at the eastern end of the Serengeti; luxurious housing; relaxing spas at the lodge.
which covers more than 8,000 square kilometres. On arrival it looks as if we have stepped on to the set of a Harry Potter movie: the rooftops look hauntingly similar to a witch’s hat and the décor is eccentric. However, the opulence of the lodge – which combines baroque, Moroccan, gentrified English and a little African styling – fast overrides the wackiness. There are huge sofas to sink into, leatherbound books on side tables and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the crater beyond. The lodge consists of three adjacent camps – Tree, North and South – and features 30 Masai-inspired suites perched on stilts along the rim of the crater. Each camp comprises a communal lounge and dining room with first-class service.
Serengeti sojourn After a brief stay at the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, we set off for the Serengeti and Under Canvas camp where we will stay in luxury tents for the last two nights of our weeklong safari. During the final three hours of our drive, the landscape becomes dry and unrelenting. We enter the
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Fact File www.tanzaniatouristboard.com &BEYOND Previously known as CC Africa, &Beyond offers luxury holidays for the discerning cultural tourist to Africa, Latin America and India. www.andbeyond.com
Above: Under Canvas camp, Serengeti.
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14,700 square kilometre ‘endless plain’, the meaning for Serengeti, and immediately spy migratory herds of eland, zebra, giraffe, wildebeest and gazelle. In the distance we see the animals following each other in a line as they make their way north towards Kenya. We are greeted at our remote campsite by the entire staff, and quickly venture off on an early evening game drive where we observe our very first cheetah – three of them in fact. We watch the sun slowly melt into the open plains of the Serengeti and return to our Bedouin-style tent to wash off under the udder of our outside shower. We delight in drinks around the glow of an open fire and an excellent dinner before retreating to bed, for one of the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had. All good things come to an end and it was with great sadness that our family had to say goodbye to Tanzania, and our &Beyond camp team. The warm hospitality of Tanzania’s people combined with its vast open space and spectacular cavorting wildlife, from elephants and baboons to cheetahs and giraffes, are just a few of the things that appeal in Africa. And it’s this allure that will make our family want to return over and over again.
23/6/09 10:09:27 AM
2 CH
IC E
O
Win
9 READE 00
’ RS
w! rs’ o e n ade t vo 9 re AWARDS 0 20 oice ch
S AWARD
a luxury holiday with orient-express hotels, valued up to $4500!
Vote now in the 2009 Cruise Passenger Readers’ Choice Awards for your chance to win four nights’ accommodation at any of the Orient-Express Hotels throughout the world.
Please fill in the form here or on our website, www.cruises.com.au, according to your own cruising experience - whether you’re a first-timer or have cruised the world 10 times, your vote is really important to us. Mail your entry form to 51 Whistler Street, Manly, NSW 2095, Australia or fax to +61 (0) 8962 2601.
Name:
Address:
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* to receive Cruise Passenger monthly Cruise News e-newsletters
What is most important to you when selecting a cruise? ❏ the ship ❏ the destinations When are you next planning a cruise holiday? ❏ this year ❏ next year ❏ later When are you next planning to travel internationally? ❏ this year ❏ next year ❏ later
Best Large Ship (1200 pax plus): Best Mid-size Ship (500-1200 pax): Best Small Ship (under 500 pax): Best Luxury (five star plus) Ship: Best Value Family Ship (must have kids club): Best River Cruise Ship: Best Ship's Cabin (standard outside cabin w/balcony): Best Ship's Cuisine (main dining room): Best Ship's Pool Area: Best Ship's Gym: Best Ship's Spa: Best Ship from Aust/NZ (based in our waters 2 months min): Best Adventure Cruise Ship: Best Cruise Region Best Cruise Port: Best Individual Cruise Agent: Best Multiple Cruise Agent: Best Fly/Cruise Airline: For your chance to win this fabulous prize, vote now in the 2009 Cruise Passenger Readers’ Choice Awards and tell us how many countries Orient-Express operates in. Visit www.cruises.com.au or post this form to 51 Whistler Street, Manly, NSW 2095
Find an unforgettable experience with Orient-express hotels, trains & cruises Orient-Express Hotels, Trains & Cruises offers a myriad of luxury travel experiences in some of the most exquisite locations our planet has to offer. With 51 hotels, trains, cruises and restaurants in 25 countries, in settings as diverse as Peru, Botswana, Tahiti, Portugal and Australia, you are guaranteed to find an unforgettable experience within the Orient-Express collection.
Romance is a word synonymous with luxury travel and Orient Express Hotels, Trains & Cruises offers some of the best locations and services to rekindle the romantic in you or simply provides the perfect backdrop to a holiday of a lifetime. Visit www.orient-express.com to find your Orient-Express experience.
Conditions ● Prize consists of four nights accommodation and breakfast, within the collection of Orient-Express Hotels. Subject to availability at the time of booking, and based on lead-in category of accommodation ● Offer not redeemable for cash, does not include travel insurance, personal expenses or visa fees if/where applicable ● The total value of this prize is up to $4500.
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Discover Paradise... ... the Aranui way
Aranui 3
Cruise in the comfort of the unique Tahitian passenger-freighter
Have your clients experience a 14 day soft adventure cruise onboard the Aranui 3 to the most unspoilt and remote Marquesas Islands! Travel in the comfort of this unique 2002 custom-built passengerfreighter which caters for 200 passengers with its lounges, bars, conference room, swimming-pool, dining-room, boutique shop and 86 cabins fully air-conditioned with outside views. You will take part in delivering essential supplies to the 6 main Marquesas and 2 Tuamotu islands while experiencing some of the world’s most remarkable scenery along the way.
Excursions & Activities included:
• Visiting local Marquesian villages and handcraft centres • Archaeological and cultural sites, tikis churches, all with onsite lecturers • Enjoying traditional dance shows, 4WD, hiking and sightseeing tours • Restaurants, picnics & BBQs on white sandy beaches • Visiting Paul Gauguin & Jacques Brel Museum (entrance fee not included) • Local multi-lingual tour guides (English, French and German) • Fantastic 14-day cruise, which includes all meals and free wine • A doctor is also available during all excursions + onboard travel *Conditions apply. For bookings made after 31 March, 2009. Lic No 2TA003131 ABN 24 003 926 369
Ultimate Cruising has 17 night packages starting from $7599* per person twin share ex Sydney and Melbourne; including all prepayable taxes, airfares, transfers, pre-post accommodation at the Manava Suite Resort Tahiti and a 13 night Aranui cruise. Conditions apply.
Call 1300 662 943 for copies of the 16 page Aranui brochure www.ultimatecruising.com.au
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local cruise calendar
2009-10 local cruise calendar Check here to see when ships are visiting major ports in Australia and New Zealand. The World Calendar is included in the 2009/10 Cruise Guide; subscribe or renew your Cruise Passenger subscription now for your free copy (just $19.95 – details p. 83).
CRUISE SHIPS VISITING AUSTRALIAN PORTS Date
Ship
Cruise Line
Date 11-Nov-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
1-Sep-09
Kimberley Quest II
Pearl Sea Cruises
Princess Cruises
21-Nov-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
1-Sep-09
Orion
Orion Expedition Cruises
Adelaide 7-Nov-09
Sun Princess
Ship
Cruise Line
Date
Ship
Cruise Line
8-Nov-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
28-Nov-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
5-Sep-09
The Matrix
Matrix Cruises
13-Nov-09
Seven Seas Mariner
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
29-Nov-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
14-Sep-09
Coral Princess
Coral Princess Cruises
20-Nov-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
5-Dec-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
21-Sep-09
Oceanic Discoverer
Coral Princess Cruises
11-Jan-10
True North
North Star Cruises
8-Dec-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
25-Sep-09
True North
North Star Charters
23-Jan-10
Athena
Classic Int’l Cruises
8-Dec-09
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
26-Sep-09
True North
North Star Charters
30-Jan-10
Athena
Classic Int’l Cruises
9-Dec-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
28-Sep-09
Kimberley Quest II
Pearl Sea Cruises
1-Feb-10
Athena
Classic Int’l Cruises
17-Dec-09
Silver Whisper
Silversea Cruises
1-Oct-09
True North
North Star Charters
5-Feb-10
Athena
Classic Int’l Cruises
17-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
6-Oct-09
True North
North Star Charters
8-Feb-10
Athena
Classic Int’l Cruises
18-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
7-Oct-09
True North
North Star Charters
24-Feb-10
Queen Victoria
Cunard
19-Dec-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
12-Oct-09
True North
North Star Charters
27-Feb-10
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
19-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
29-Oct-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
7-Mar-10
Aurora
P&O Cruises
19-Dec-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
30-Oct-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
11-Mar-10
Queen Mary 2
Cunard
20-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
30-Oct-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
20-Mar-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
28-Dec-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
29-Nov-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
26-Mar-10
Volendam
Holland America Line
9-Jan-10
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
11-Mar-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
27-Mar-10
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
16-Jan-10
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
13-Mar-10
True North
North Star Charters
23-Jan-10
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
18-Mar-10
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
30-Jan-10
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
4-Apr-10
The Matrix
Matrix Cruises
Cairns
ALBANY 4-Nov-09 5-Nov-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
10-Feb-10
Nautica
Oceania Cruises
10-Nov-09
Seven Seas Mariner
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
28-Feb-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
Tues/Fri/Sat
Coral Princess
Coral Princess Cruises
23-Nov-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
2-Mar-10
Balmoral
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
15-Aug-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
15-Feb-10
Athena
Classic Int’l Cruises
9-Mar-10
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
22-Sep-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
16-Feb-10
Athena
Classic Int’l Cruises
18-Apr-10
Volendam
Holland America Line
23-Sep-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
13-Oct-09
Oceanic Discoverer
Coral Princess Cruises
Coral Princess
Coral Princess Cruises
14-Oct-09
Oceanic Discoverer
Coral Princess Cruises
27-Feb-10
Queen Victoria
Cunard
broome
10-Mar-10
Aurora
P&O Cruises
13-Jul-09
17-Mar-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
20-Jul-09
Oceanic Discoverer
Coral Princess Cruises
22-Oct-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
24-Mar-10
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
21-Jul-09
Kimberley Quest II
Pearl Sea Cruises
26-Oct-09
Amsterdam
Holland America Line
29-Mar-10
Volendam
Holland America Line
Brisbane
22-Jul-09
Orion
Orion Expedition Cruises
27-Oct-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
23-Jul-09
Orion
Orion Expedition Cruises
28-Oct-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
2-Aug-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
25-Jul-09
The Matrix
Matrix Cruises
10-Nov-09
Orion
Orion Expedition Cruises
12-Aug-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
31-Jul-09
True North
North Star Charters
25-Nov-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
15-Aug-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
1-Aug-09
True North
North Star Charters
2-Dec-09
Volendam
Holland America Line
29-Aug-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
3-Aug-09
Coral Princess
Coral Princess Cruises
4-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
5-Sep-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
4-Aug-09
Kimberley Quest II
Pearl Sea Cruises
5-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
10-Sep-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
8-Aug-09
The Matrix
Matrix Cruises
5-Dec-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
12-Sep-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
10-Aug-09
Oceanic Discoverer
Coral Princess Cruises
13-Dec-09
Silver Whisper
Silversea Cruises
19-Sep-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
10-Aug-09
Orion
Orion Expedition Cruises
15-Dec-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
26-Sep-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
11-Aug-09
Orion
Orion Expedition Cruises
26-Jan-10
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
3-Oct-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
12-Aug-09
Orion
Orion Expedition Cruises
27-Jan-10
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
10-Oct-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
18-Aug-09
Kimberley Quest II
Pearl Sea Cruises
14-Feb-10
Nautica
Oceania Cruises
18-Oct-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
22-Aug-09
The Matrix
Matrix Cruises
3-Mar-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
19-Oct-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
24-Aug-09
Coral Princess
Coral Princess Cruises
4-Mar-10
Arcadia
P&O Cruises
20-Oct-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
28-Aug-09
True North
North Star Charters
18-Mar-10
Pacific Princess
Princess Cruises
Hanseatic
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
24-Oct-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
29-Aug-09
True North
North Star Charters
29-Apr-10
29-Oct-09
Amsterdam
Holland America Line
30-Aug-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
Cooktown
31-Oct-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
30-Aug-09
Orion
Orion Expedition Cruises
17-Aug-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
7-Nov-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
31-Aug-09
Orion
Orion Expedition Cruises
26-Nov-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
31-Aug-09
Oceanic Discoverer
Coral Princess Cruises
6-Dec-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
www.cruises.com.au winter 2009 99
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local cruise calendar CRUISE SHIPS VISITING AUSTRALIAN PORTS Date 16-Dec-09
Ship Rhapsody of Seas
Cruise Line
Date
Royal Caribbean Int’l
hamilton island
Darwin
Tuesdays
Ship
Reef Odyssey
Cruise Line
Date
Ship
Cruise Line
16-Dec-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
Barefoot Cruises Australia
21-Dec-09
Silver Whisper
Silversea Cruises
23-Jul-09
Coral Princess
Coral Princess Cruises
Fridays
Fantasea Ammari
Fantasea Cruises
23-Dec-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
24-Jul-09
Coral Princess
Coral Princess Cruises
Mondays
Whitsunday Magic
Australian Tall Ships
29-Dec-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
30-Jul-09
Oceanic Discoverer
Coral Princess Cruises
Mondays
Bahia 36 (Melissa)
Sunsail
2-Jan-10
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
31-Jul-09
Oceanic Discoverer
Coral Princess Cruises
Fridays
Bahia 36 (Melissa)
Sunsail
2-Jan-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
1-Aug-09
Orion
Orion Expedition Cruises
21-Oct-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
3-Jan-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
13-Aug-09
Coral Princess
Coral Princess Cruises
21-Nov-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
6-Jan-10
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
14-Aug-09
Coral Princess
Coral Princess Cruises
4-Dec-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
8-Jan-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
20-Aug-09
Oceanic Discoverer
Coral Princess Cruises
14-Dec-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
10-Jan-10
Nautica
Oceania Cruises
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
20-Aug-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
2-Mar-10
21-Aug-09
Oceanic Discoverer
Coral Princess Cruises
Hobart
11-Jan-10
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
24-Jan-10
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
21-Aug-09
Orion
Orion Expedition Cruises
4-Nov-09
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
26-Jan-10
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
21-Aug-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
6-Nov-09
Amsterdam
Holland America Line
27-Jan-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
22-Aug-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
11-Nov-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
28-Jan-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
2-Sep-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
12-Nov-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
30-Jan-10
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
3-Sep-09
Coral Princess
Coral Princess Cruises
12-Nov-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
1-Feb-10
Volendam
Holland America Line
4-Sep-09
Coral Princess
Coral Princess Cruises
13-Nov-09
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
3-Feb-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
10-Sep-09
Oceanic Discoverer
Coral Princess Cruises
22-Nov-09
Seven Seas Mariner
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
4-Feb-10
Nautica
Oceania Cruises
10-Sep-09
Orion
Orion Expedition Cruises
1-Dec-09
Orion
Orion Expedition Cruises
6-Feb-10
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
11-Dec-09
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
6-Feb-10
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
19-Feb-10
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
11-Sep-09
Oceanic Discoverer
Coral Princess Cruises
24-Sep-09
Coral Princess
Coral Princess Cruises
13-Dec-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
25-Sep-09
Coral Princess
Coral Princess Cruises
14-Dec-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
19-Feb-10
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
1-Oct-09
Oceanic Discoverer
Coral Princess Cruises
15-Dec-09
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
20-Feb-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
2-Oct-09
Oceanic Discoverer
Coral Princess Cruises
15-Dec-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
22-Feb-10
Seabourn Odyssey
Seabourn Cruise Line
10-Oct-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
16-Dec-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
22-Feb-10
Queen Victoria
Cunard
27-Oct-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
23-Dec-09
Silver Whisper
Silversea Cruises
23-Feb-10
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
27-Oct-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
28-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
24-Feb-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
28-Nov-09
Volendam
Holland America Line
29-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
25-Feb-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
1-Dec-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
29-Dec-09
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
1-Mar-10
Volendam
Holland America Line
2-Dec-09
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
31-Dec-09
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
4-Mar-10
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
9-Dec-09
Silver Whisper
Silversea Cruises
8-Jan-10
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
5-Mar-10
Aurora
P&O Cruises
4-Mar-10
Seabourn Odyssey
Seabourn Cruise Line
13-Jan-10
Nautica
Oceania Cruises
7-Mar-10
Balmoral
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
8-Mar-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
14-Jan-10
Orion
Orion Expedition Cruises
19-Mar-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
9-Mar-10
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
24-Jan-10
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
23-Mar-10
Volendam
Holland America Line
16-Mar-10
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
26-Jan-10
Athena
Classic Int’l Cruises
25-Mar-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
5-Apr-10
Volendam
Holland America Line
29-Mar-10
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
Orion
Orion Expedition Cruises
Fremantle
27-Jan-10
Athena
Classic Int’l Cruises
1-Feb-10
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
Newcastle 16-Nov-09
19-Jul-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
2-Feb-10
Nautica
Oceania Cruises
9-Aug-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
2-Feb-10
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
Port Douglas
25-Aug-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
3-Feb-10
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
25-Aug-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
2-Nov-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
5-Feb-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
6-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
3-Nov-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
17-Feb-10
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
7-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
9-Nov-09
Seven Seas Mariner
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
24-Feb-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
8-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
24-May-10
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
Captain Cook's Explorer Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
25-Nov-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
25-Feb-10
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
18-Dec-09
Athena
Classic Int’l Cruises
24-Mar-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
Sydney
20-Dec-09
Athena
Classic Int’l Cruises
31-Mar-10
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
Fridays
2-Jan-10
Athena
Classic Int’l Cruises
1-Apr-10
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
4-Jun-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
5-Jun-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
22-Jun-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
4-Jan-10
Athena
Classic Int’l Cruises
melbourne
15-Jan-10
Athena
Classic Int’l Cruises
2-Nov-09
18-Jan-10
Athena
Classic Int’l Cruises
3-Nov-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
14-Feb-10
Athena
Classic Int’l Cruises
4-Nov-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
27-Feb-10
True North
North Star Cruises
4-Nov-09
Amsterdam
Holland America Line
28-Feb-10
Queen Victoria
Cunard
6-Nov-09
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
2-Mar-10
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
9-Nov-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
11-Mar-10
Aurora
P&O Cruises
10-Nov-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
11-Mar-10
The Matrix
Matrix Cruises
15-Nov-09
Seven Seas Mariner
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
12-Mar-10
Balmoral
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
18-Nov-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
14-Mar-10
Queen Mary 2
Cunard
2-Dec-09
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
14-Mar-10
Athena
Classic Int’l Cruises
3-Dec-09
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
15-Mar-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean Int’l
8-Dec-09
Volendam
Celebrity Cruises
22-Mar-10
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
9-Dec-09
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
30-Mar-10
Volendam
Holland America Line
12-Dec-09
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
31-Mar-10
Volendam
Holland America Line
12-Dec-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
Captain Cook Cruises
2-Jul-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
5-Jul-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
11-Jul-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
21-Jul-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
31-Jul-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
17-Aug-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
31-Aug-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
9-Sep-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
12-Sep-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
25-Sep-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
3-Oct-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
13-Oct-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
16-Oct-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
16-Oct-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean
100 winter 2009 www.cruises.com.au
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local cruise calendar CRUISE SHIPS VISITING AUSTRALIAN PORTS Date
Ship
Cruise Line
Date
Ship
Cruise Line
Date
Ship
Cruise Line
17-Oct-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
29-Dec-09
True North
North Star Cruises
3-Mar-10
Volendam
Holland America Line
17-Oct-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean
29-Dec-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
4-Mar-10
Balmoral
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
20-Oct-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
30-Dec-09
True North
North Star Cruises
5-Mar-10
Balmoral
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
24-Oct-09
Star Princess
Princess Cruises
31-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
6-Mar-10
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
31-Oct-09
Amsterdam
Holland America Line
3-Jan-10
True North
North Star Cruises
14-Mar-10
Pacific Princess
Princess Cruises
31-Oct-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
4-Jan-10
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
20-Mar-10
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
1-Nov-09
Amsterdam
Holland America Line
5-Jan-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
21-Mar-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
2-Nov-09
Amsterdam
Holland America Line
6-Jan-10
Volendam
Holland America Line
22-Mar-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
3-Nov-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
7-Jan-10
Nautica
Oceania Cruises
28-Mar-10
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
6-Nov-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
7-Jan-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean
28-Mar-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
8-Nov-09
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
8-Jan-10
Nautica
Oceania Cruises
29-Mar-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
9-Nov-09
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
8-Jan-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean
3-Apr-10
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
14-Nov-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
9-Jan-10
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
7-Apr-10
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
15-Nov-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
11-Jan-10
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
15-Apr-10
Volendam
Holland America Line
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
16-Nov-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
19-Jan-10
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
26-Apr-10
17-Nov-09
Seven Seas Mariner
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
21-Jan-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean
Townsville
18-Nov-09
Seven Seas Mariner
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
22-Jan-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean
Tuesday
Coral Princess
Coral Princess Cruises
19-Nov-09
Seven Seas Mariner
Regent Seven Seas Cruises
23-Jan-10
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
26-Aug-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
21-Nov-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean
28-Jan-10
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
8-Sep-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
26-Nov-09
Orion
Orion Expedition Cruises
29-Jan-10
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
8-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
27-Nov-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
30-Jan-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
14-Dec-09
Silver Whisper
Silversea Cruises
29-Nov-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
31-Jan-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
26-Feb-10
Aurora
P&O Cruises
Hanseatic
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
1-Dec-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean
1-Feb-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
28-Apr-10
5-Dec-09
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
1-Feb-10
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
Whitsundays
6-Dec-09
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
3-Feb-10
Volendam
Holland America Line
Wednesdays
Coral Trekker
Barefoot Cruises Australia
6-Dec-09
Volendam
Holland America Line
4-Feb-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean
Wednesdays
Windjammer
Barefoot Cruises Australia
7-Dec-09
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
5-Feb-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean
Wed/Sun
Bahia 36 (Melissa)
Sunsail
8-Dec-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
5-Feb-10
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
27-Aug-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
9-Dec-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
8-Feb-10
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
21-Sep-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
10-Dec-09
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
18-Feb-10
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
26-Oct-09
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
10-Dec-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
18-Feb-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean
3-Dec-09
Volendam
Holland America Line
11-Dec-09
Dawn Princess
Princess Cruises
21-Feb-10
Diamond Princess
Princess Cruises
12-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
11-Dec-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean
23-Feb-10
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
13-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
17-Dec-09
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
23-Feb-10
Arcadia
P&O Cruises
14-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
18-Dec-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
24-Feb-10
Arcadia
P&O Cruises
15-Dec-09
Silver Whisper
Silversea Cruises
19-Dec-09
Silver Whisper
Silversea Cruises
24-Feb-10
Seabourn Odyssey
Seabourn Cruise Line
1-Jan-10
Nautica
Oceania Cruises
21-Dec-09
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean
25-Feb-10
Seabourn Odyssey
Seabourn Cruise Line
25-Jan-10
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
22-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
26-Feb-10
Rhapsody of Seas
Royal Caribbean
12-Feb-10
Nautica
Oceania Cruises
23-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
27-Feb-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
1-Mar-10
Queen Mary 2
Cunard Line
24-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
28-Feb-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
3-Mar-10
Arcadia
P&O Cruises
25-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
1-Mar-10
Millennium
Celebrity Cruises
10-Apr-10
Volendam
Holland America Line
25-Dec-09
True North
North Star Cruises
2-Mar-10
Aurora
P&O Cruises
19-Apr-10
Pacific Sun
P&O Australia
26-Dec-09
The World
Residensea
3-Mar-10
Balmoral
Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
27-Apr-10
Hanseatic
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
28-Dec-09
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
3-Mar-10
Sun Princess
Princess Cruises
22-May-10
Pacific Dawn
P&O Australia
CRUISE SHIPS VISITING new zealand PORTS Date
Ship
Cruise Line
Date
Island Escape Cruises P&O Australia P&O Australia P&O Australia Princess Cruises P&O Australia P&O Australia P&O Australia Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Holland America Line Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises
2-Dec-09 6-Dec-09 15-Dec-09 20-Dec-09 20-Dec-09 22-Dec-09 25-Dec-09 2-Jan-10 3-Jan-10 3-Jan-10 7-Jan-10 12-Jan-10 16-Jan-10 17-Jan-10 20-Jan-10 23-Jan-10
Auckland Sun/Fri 4-Jun-09 25-Jun-09 5-Jul-09 8-Jul-09 15-Jul-09 25-Jul-09 4-Aug-09 15-Oct-09 25-Oct-09 1-Nov-09 12-Nov-09 15-Nov-09 22-Nov-09 23-Nov-09
Island Passage Pacific Sun Pacific Sun Pacific Sun Dawn Princess Pacific Sun Pacific Sun Pacific Sun Star Princess Millennium Star Princess Dawn Princess Amsterdam Millennium Sun Princess
Ship Seven Seas Mariner Sun Princess Pacific Sun Millennium Volendam Diamond Princess Dawn Princess Sun Princess Rhapsody of Seas Silver Whisper Dawn Princess Rhapsody of Seas Diamond Princess Millennium Dawn Princess Nautica
Cruise Line Regent Seven Seas Cruises Princess Cruises P&O Australia Celebrity Cruises Holland America Line Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean Silversea Cruises Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Oceania Cruises
Date 26-Jan-10 26-Jan-10 1-Feb-10 2-Feb-10 5-Feb-10 9-Feb-10 9-Feb-10 10-Feb-10 13-Feb-10 14-Feb-10 14-Feb-10 15-Feb-10 17-Feb-10 18-Feb-10 27-Feb-10 28-Feb-10
Ship Rhapsody of Seas Rotterdam Sun Princess Dawn Princess Pacific Sun Diamond Princess Rhapsody of Seas Dawn Princess Queen Victoria Millennium Sun Princess Seabourn Odyssey Arcadia Royal Princess Sun Princess Dawn Princess
Cruise Line Royal Caribbean Holland America Line Princess Cruises Princess Cruises P&O Australia Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean Princess Cruises Cunard Line Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Seabourn Cruise Line P&O Cruises Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Princess Cruises
www.cruises.com.au winter 2009 101
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local cruise calendar VISITING new new zealand zealand PORTS CRUISE SHIPS VISITING Date Date 3-Mar-10 4-Mar-10 9-Mar-10 10-Mar-10 13-Mar-10 17-Mar-10
Ship Ship Pacific Sun Queen Mary 2 Pacific Princess Millennium Spirit of Enderby Volendam
Cruise Line Line Cruise
Date Date
P&O Australia Cunard Line Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises Heritage Expeditions Holland America Line
15-Dec-09 18-Dec-09 20-Dec-09 26-Dec-09 27-Dec-09 27-Dec-09 28-Dec-09 28-Dec-09 2-Jan-10 7-Jan-10 12-Jan-10 12-Jan-10 13-Jan-10 15-Jan-10 17-Jan-10 17-Jan-10 20-Jan-10 23-Jan-10 27-Jan-10 27-Jan-10 28-Jan-10 29-Jan-10 31-Jan-10 5-Feb-10 5-Feb-10 9-Feb-10 10-Feb-10 10-Feb-10 10-Feb-10 13-Feb-10 14-Feb-10 15-Feb-10 20-Feb-10 20-Feb-10 22-Feb-10 23-Feb-10 24-Feb-10 25-Feb-10 10-Mar-10 28-Mar-10
Christchurch (LYTTLETON) 18-Oct-09 29-Oct-09 30-Oct-09 8-Nov-09 11-Nov-09 17-Nov-09 18-Nov-09 19-Nov-09 27-Nov-09 27-Nov-09 2-Dec-09 11-Dec-09 14-Dec-09 16-Dec-09 19-Dec-09 21-Dec-09 25-Dec-09 27-Dec-09 28-Dec-09 29-Dec-09 3-Jan-10 6-Jan-10 13-Jan-10 14-Jan-10 16-Jan-10 16-Jan-10 19-Jan-10 22-Jan-10 28-Jan-10 28-Jan-10 29-Jan-10 30-Jan-10 6-Feb-10 9-Feb-10 10-Feb-10 10-Feb-10 11-Feb-10 12-Feb-10 13-Feb-10 14-Feb-10 15-Feb-10 17-Feb-10 19-Feb-10 19-Feb-10 23-Feb-10 24-Feb-10 26-Feb-10 14-Mar-10 11-Mar-10 29-Mar-10
Star Princess Star Princess Millennium Dawn Princess Amsterdam Rhapsody of Seas Millennium Sun Princess Millennium Seven Seas Mariner Sun Princess Pacific Sun Volendam Millennium Diamond Princess Dawn Princess Diamond Princess Volendam Rhapsody of Seas Silver Whisper Dawn Princess Sun Princess Diamond Princess Volendam Dawn Princess Rhapsody of Seas Diamond Princess Millennium Nautica Sun Princess Dawn Princess Rhapsody of Seas Diamond Princess Pacific Dawn Millennium Sun Princess Volendam Diamond Princess Rhapsody of Seas Dawn Princess Queen Victoria Seabourn Odyssey Arcadia Millennium Sun Princess Dawn Princess Pacific Sun Millennium Volendam Rhapsody of Seas
Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Holland America Line Royal Caribbean Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises Regent Seven Seas Cruises Princess Cruises P&O Australia Holland America Line Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Holland America Line Royal Caribbean Silversea Cruises Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Holland America Line Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises Oceania Cruises Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean Princess Cruises P&O Australia Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Holland America Line Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean Princess Cruises Cunard Line Seabourn Cruise Line P&O Cruises Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Princess Cruises P&O Australia Celebrity Cruises Holland America Line Royal Caribbean
Star Princess Star Princess Millennium Dawn Princess Amsterdam Rhapsody of Seas Millennium Sun Princess Seven Seas Mariner Millennium Sun Princess Spirit of Enderby Pacific Sun Volendam
Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Holland America Line Royal Caribbean Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Regent Seven Seas Cruises Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Heritage Expeditions P&O Australia Holland America Line
Dunedin 19-Oct-09 28-Oct-09 31-Oct-09 7-Nov-09 10-Nov-09 16-Nov-09 17-Nov-09 18-Nov-09 26-Nov-09 28-Nov-09 1-Dec-09 2-Dec-09 10-Dec-09 13-Dec-09
Ship Ship
Cruise Line Line Cruise
Millennium Diamond Princess Dawn Princess Diamond Princess Millennium Rhapsody of Seas Volendam Silver Whisper Dawn Princess Sun Princess Millennium Diamond Princess Volendam Dawn Princess Rhapsody of Seas Nautica Diamond Princess Millennium Volendam Sun Princess Dawn Princess Volendam Rhapsody of Seas Diamond Princess Pacific Sun Sun Princess Volendam Millennium Pacific Dawn Diamond Princess Rhapsody of Seas Dawn Princess Millennium Arcadia Sun Princess Dawn Princess Volendam Pacific Sun Volendam Rhapsody of Seas
Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises Royal Caribbean Holland America Line Silversea Cruises Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Holland America Line Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean Oceania Cruises Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises Holland America Line Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Holland America Line Royal Caribbean Princess Cruises P&O Australia Princess Cruises Holland America Line Celebrity Cruises P&O Australia Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises P&O Cruises Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Holland America Line P&O Australia Holland America Line Royal Caribbean
Seven Seas Mariner Volendam Rhapsody of Seas Silver Whisper Volendam Volendam Volendam Volendam Volendam
Regent Seven Seas Cruises Holland America Line Royal Caribbean Silversea Cruise Line Holland America Line Holland America Line Holland America Line Holland America Line Holland America Line
Millennium Dawn Princess Amsterdam Millennium Sun Princess Millennium Seven Seas Mariner Sun Princess Pacific Sun Volendam Millennium Volendam Diamond Princess Dawn Princess Rhapsody of Seas Sun Princess Dawn Princess Rhapsody of Seas Diamond Princess Diamond Princess Millennium
Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Holland America Line Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises Regent Seven Seas Cruises Princess Cruises P&O Australia Holland America Line Celebrity Cruises Holland America Line Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises
Picton 28-Nov-09 15-Dec-09 29-Dec-09 31-Dec-09 15-Jan-10 25-Jan-10 12-Feb-10 22-Feb-10 12-Mar-10
Tauranga 26-Oct-09 11-Nov-09 14-Nov-09 21-Nov-09 22-Nov-09 23-Nov-09 1-Dec-09 5-Dec-09 14-Dec-09 18-Dec-09 19-Dec-09 21-Dec-09 21-Dec-09 24-Dec-09 2-Jan-10 3-Jan-10 6-Jan-10 13-Jan-10 15-Jan-10 17-Jan-10 18-Jan-10
Date Date 18-Jan-10 19-Jan-10 22-Jan-10 24-Jan-10 25-Jan-10 27-Jan-10 31-Jan-10 1-Feb-10 6-Feb-10 8-Feb-10 9-Feb-10 10-Feb-10 10-Feb-10 11-Feb-10 11-Feb-10 12-Feb-10 13-Feb-10 15-Feb-10 26-Feb-10 27-Feb-10 1-Mar-10 11-Mar-10 15-Mar-10
Ship Ship Volendam Dawn Princess Nautica Nautica Rotterdam Rhapsody of Seas Sun Princess Dawn Princess Pacific Dawn Diamond Princess Pacific Sun Diamond Princess Rhapsody of Seas Diamond Princess Dawn Princess Millennium Sun Princess Volendam Sun Princess Dawn Princess Pacific Sun Millennium Volendam
Cruise Line Line Cruise Holland America Line Princess Cruises Oceania Cruises Oceania Cruises Holland America Line Royal Caribbean Princess Cruises Princess Cruises P&O Australia Princess Cruises P&O Australia Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Holland America Line Princess Cruises Princess Cruises P&O Australia Celebrity Cruises Holland America Line
Wellington 17-Oct-09 29-Oct-09 30-Oct-09 9-Nov-09 12-Nov-09 18-Nov-09 19-Nov-09 20-Nov-09 26-Nov-09 29-Nov-09 3-Dec-09 12-Dec-09 16-Dec-09 17-Dec-09 22-Dec-09 24-Dec-09 24-Dec-09 26-Dec-09 30-Dec-09 30-Dec-09 4-Jan-10 5-Jan-10 15-Jan-10 16-Jan-10 16-Jan-10 17-Jan-10 19-Jan-10 21-Jan-10 27-Jan-10 29-Jan-10 29-Jan-10 30-Jan-10 8-Feb-10 11-Feb-10 11-Feb-10 12-Feb-10 13-Feb-10 13-Feb-10 16-Feb-10 18-Feb-10 18-Feb-10 24-Feb-10 25-Feb-10 27-Feb-10 13-Mar-10 13-Mar-10 30-Mar-10
Star Princess Millennium Star Princess Dawn Princess Amsterdam Rhapsody of Seas Millennium Sun Princess Millennium Seven Seas Mariner Sun Princess Pacific Sun Volendam Millennium Dawn Princess Millennium Diamond Princess Volendam Rhapsody of Seas Silver Whisper Dawn Princess Sun Princess Rhapsody of Seas Millennium Volendam Dawn Princess Nautica Millennium Nautica Sun Princess Rhapsody of Seas Dawn Princess Pacific Dawn Millennium Sun Princess Rhapsody of Seas Dawn Princess Volendam Queen Victoria Millennium Seabourn Odyssey Sun Princess Dawn Princess Pacific Sun Millennium Volendam Rhapsody of Seas
Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Holland America Line Royal Caribbean Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises Regent Seven Seas Cruises Princess Cruises P&O Australia Holland America Line Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Holland America Line Royal Caribbean Silversea Cruises Princess Cruises Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean Celebrity Cruises Holland America Line Princess Cruises Oceania Cruises Celebrity Cruises Oceania Cruises Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean Princess Cruises P&O Australia Celebrity Cruises Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean Princess Cruises Holland America Line Cunard Line Celebrity Cruises Seabourn Cruise Line Princess Cruises Princess Cruises P&O Australia Celebrity Cruises Holland America Line Royal Caribbean
102 winter 2009 www.cruises.com.au
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Cr uise specialist travel agents LISTED BELOW are MASTER ACCREDITED members of The International Cruise Council Australasia
Location
Agency
Name
Surname
telePhone
Location
Agency
Name
Surname
telePhone
Antarctica
International Cruise Council Australasia: Who We Are The International Cruise Council Australasia (ICCA) is a not-for-profit organisation formed in 1996, committed to training travel consultants and raising consumer awareness of cruising.
ICCA news
Brett Jardine, General Manager, ICCA
Of all the reasons to take a cruise holiday, the opportunity to discover several different ports in multiple countries ranks as number one for me. As you’ve seen in the story on page 42, there are some very impressive major ports all over the world. But there are also many smaller ports that boast an ambience that will leave you with long-lasting memories. Two in particular stand out as personal favourites – Huatulco, on the Pacific coast of Mexico, and Bodrum, on the west coast of Turkey. Huatulco is a classic seaside village where cruise ships are able to dock at a purpose-built pier that extends from the heart of the town. As in many small seaside ports you’ll find local markets nearby where you can hunt for treasures and the typical
Mexican architecture will ensure your camera gets a thorough workout. The entrance to the harbour of Bodrum, in the eastern Mediterranean, is dominated by the Castle of St Peter, a magnificently preserved monument that dates back to medieval times. On either side of the castle the waterfront is dotted with outdoor cafes where you can relax and marvel at the myriad of wooden gulets – traditional sailing boats modelled on the ancient vessels that used to trade along the coast of Turkey. I certainly wouldn’t have stumbled on either of these places if it hadn’t been for the pleasure of a cruise holiday!
The cruise lines listed below are members of the International Cruise Council Australasia. ICCA members are dedicated to industry training, support and increasing the awareness of cruising in the Australasian market.
WORLD VOYAGES
For a profile and contact details of each ICCA cruise line member listed above, please visit www.cruising.org.au or www.cruising.org.nz Consultants listed hold ICCA Master Accreditation as at May 20, 2009. For full details of any listed agency, please see www.cruising.org.au, www.cruising.org.nz or telephone 61-2-9905 9001. www.cruises.com.au winter 2009 103
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ICCA accredited directory Cruise uise specialist specialist travel travel agents agents LISTED LISTED BELOW BELOW are are MASTER MASTER ACCREDITED* ACCREDITED Cr members of The International Cruise Council Australasia *To become a Master Accredited Member with the ICCA, travel consultants undergo an extensive combination of theory and practical training courses to qualify them as Australasia’s leading cruise specialists. Location
Agency
Australian capital territory HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL BELCONNEN BELCONNEN CANBERRA CITY TRAVELSCENE CANBERRA CITY MAWSON JETSET SOUTHLANDS PHILLIP OZCRUISING PHILLIP OZCRUISING TURNER TICKET TO TRAVELS New south wales ALBURY HUME TRAVEL ALBURY HUME TRAVEL AVALON JETSET BARRENJOEY TRAVEL CRUISE EXPRESS INTERNATIONAL BALMAIN "AGENT OF THE YEAR 2004" CRUISE EXPRESS INTERNATIONAL BALMAIN "AGENT OF THE YEAR 2004" CRUISE EXPRESS INTERNATIONAL BALMAIN "AGENT OF THE YEAR 2004" BELLEVUE HILL ABOUT CRUISING BELMONT TRAVELWORLD BELMONT BROOKVALE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL B/VALE CAMMERAY DISCOVERY TRAVEL CENTRE PL CARLINGFORD TRAVELSCENE CARLINGFORD HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL CHARLESTOWN CHARLESTOWN COLLAROY BCH ALLEN'S TRAVEL COLLAROY BCH ALLEN'S TRAVEL COOGEE ADVENTURE TOURS & TRAVEL CRONULLA CRONULLA TRAVEL CRONULLA TRAVELSCENE CRONULLA CRONULLA TRAVELSCENE CRONULLA CROWS NEST TRAVELWORLD CROWS NEST WORLD TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS DOUBLE BAY DOUBLE BAY EDGECLIFF TRAVEL CREATIONS GALSTON COMPASS TRAVEL GALSTON COMPASS TRAVEL GORDON NORTHSHORE TRAVEL GYMEA SOUTHSIDE WORLD TRAVEL HORNSBY TRAVELWORLD HORNSBY KOGARAH BENCHMARK TRAVEL KOTARA CRUISE TRAVEL CENTRE KOTARA CRUISE TRAVEL CENTRE LANE COVE NORTH SHORE CRUISE CENTRE LANE COVE NORTH SHORE CRUISE CENTRE MANLY LANDMARK TRAVEL MANLY LANDMARK TRAVEL MANLY LANDMARK TRAVEL MANLY LANDMARK TRAVEL MANLY LANDMARK TRAVEL MOSS VALE MOSS VALE CRUISE & TRAVEL MOSS VALE MOSS VALE CRUISE & TRAVEL MOSS VALE MOSS VALE CRUISE & TRAVEL NARRABEEN NARRABEEN TRAVEL CENTRE TRAVELWORLD NEWCASTLE NEWCASTLE "AGENT OF THE YEAR 2005" NEWPORT NEWPORT TRAVEL NORTH SYDNEY MARY ROSSI TRAVEL PTY LTD NORTHBRIDGE NORTHBRIDGE TRAVEL NORTHBRIDGE NORTHBRIDGE TRAVEL NOWRA TRAVELWORLD NOWRA HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL PARRAMATTA PARRAMATTA PT MACQUARIE MTA TRAVEL - MAXINE ADAMS ROSE BAY JETSET ROSE BAY
Name
Surname
telePhone
LAURA
MURPHY
(02)6253 1600
GAY ANN ANNEMAREE SCOTT TANYA
BOERSMA BURNETT CALDER MCKEOWN LITTLEJOHN
(02)6247 6544 (02)6286 5540 (02)6202 1800 (02)6202 1800 (02)6262 7577
PETER JOI KAREN
HAWTON HAWTON ROBINSON
02)6021 6455 02)6021 6455 (02)9973 1421
HARDY
SCHNEIDER
(02)9810 5377
PATRICIA
CAMPBELL
(02)9810 5377
MEGAN
HILL
(02)9810 5377
JOEL DAVID CASSANDRA SHANE NICK
KNEP BURNS O'BRYAN CAFFYN SLIKKER
0412 173 887 (02)4945 0044 (02)9939 2044 (02)9922 5100 (02)9872 4466
VERA
KOLAROVSKI
(02)4943 6022
JULIE PAUL GILLIAN DONNA MARILYN SUZANNE NOEL
ALLEN ALLEN THOMAS SHEEHAN DICKENSON FINDLAY BRADEY
(02)9982 6677 (02)9982 6677 (02)9665 4285 (02)9527 2733 (02)9527 4988 (02)9527 4988 (02)9906 7000
EILEEN
HAYSE
(02)9302 0700
MARIA MARGARET LYNN DORIS CAROL MARINA MERILYN DEBRA WAYNE ADRIENNE BARBARA JULIA DIANE HELMUT GERD KIM CAROL ANNI RENEE ELIZABETH
THEODOSATOS GRIFFIN BRADLEY DAVIS MARTIN DIMITROPOULOS HESLOP COLLINS CAMPBELL WITTEMAN GROSS BELLIS CRAIG PEUSCH WILMER MCKENZIE FRANKLIN BAILLIEU FISHER KELLY
(02)9362 4400 (02)9653 2028 (02)9653 2028 (02)9418 2546 (02)9525 2211 (02)9476 5544 (02)9553 6155 (02)4935 9900 (02)4935 9900 (02)9428 5900 (02)9428 5900 (02)9976 4900 (02)9976 4900 (02)9976 4900 (02)9976 4900 (02)9976 4900 (02)4868 1177 (02)4868 1177 (02)4868 1177 (02)9913 2917
BRETT
DANN
(02)4926 2000
CHRISTINE CHRISTINE JAYNE JUDY JULIE
RIOU SILINK KELDERMAN LEGRAS GOODSELL
(02)9997 1277 (02)9957 4511 (02)9958 5666 (02)9958 5666 (02)4421 2666
MICHAEL
PORTER
(02)9635 6433
MAXINE HELENE
ADAMS ALTIT
(04)1299 6199 (02)9371 8166
Location
Agency
Name
ROSELANDS ROUND CORNER SEAFORTH ST IVES ST LEONARDS SYDNEY
TRAVELWORLD ROSELANDS IMPULSE TRAVEL WAYWIND TRAVEL PTY LTD ST IVES TRAVEL CRUISE BOUTIQUE BAY TRAVEL CONCIERGE TRAVELLER TRAVELMANAGERS AUSTRALIA HEAD OFFICE TRAVELMANAGERS AUSTRALIA HEAD OFFICE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL SYLVANIA CRUISEABOUT TURRAMURRA "AGENT OF THE YEAR 2008" CRUISEABOUT TURRAMURRA "AGENT OF THE YEAR 2008" CRUISEABOUT TURRAMURRA "AGENT OF THE YEAR 2008" CRUISEABOUT TURRAMURRA "AGENT OF THE YEAR 2008"
MERYL SALLY ZITA ADELINA SHARON JULIE ANN
MCDONALD WILLIAMS COLEMAN ARANCIBIA WELLS RICHARDS
(02)9750 9222 (02)9651 3177 (02)9949 5099 1800 008 133 (02)9751 0100 (02)8270 4800
HELEN
MCIVER
1800 019 599
TWEED CRUISE AND TRAVEL
SYDNEY SYDNEY SYLVANIA TURRAMURRA TURRAMURRA TURRAMURRA TURRAMURRA TWEED HEADS SOUTH
HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL WETHERILL PARK WETHERILL PARK WOLLONGONG TRAVELSCENE ON CROWN WOLLONGONG WOLLONGONG TRAVEL CENTRE Northern territory KATHERINE JETSET KATHERINE Queensland HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL ALBANY CREEK ALBANY CREEK BENOWA ZEPPELIN TRAVEL BENOWA ZEPPELIN TRAVEL BRACKEN RIDGE GATEWAY TRAVEL BRACKEN RIDGE TRAVEL ESCAPES CLEAN CRUISING (DIVISION BRISBANE OF GLOBENET TRAVEL) CLEAN CRUISING (DIVISION BRISBANE OF GLOBENET TRAVEL) BRISBANE CRUISEMART BRISBANE RACQ BRISBANE CITY BRISBANE RACQ BRISBANE CITY BURLEIGH WORLDWIDE CRUISE CENTRE WATERS BURLEIGH WATERS BURLEIGH WORLDWIDE CRUISE CENTRE WATERS BURLEIGH WATERS HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL CABOOLTURE CABOOLTURE CAIRNS BUSINESS & CAIRNS LEISURE TRAVEL CALOUNDRA SUNCITY TRAVEL CALOUNDRA CLEVELAND HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL C/LAND COOLANGATTA LIFESTYLE TRAVEL AND CRUISE ELANORA
TRAVELWORLD ELANORA
FORTITUDE VALLEY FORTITUDE VALLEY GAVEN
Surname
telePhone
LYN
TYSON
1800 019 599
SONIA
ANTILLA
(02)9544 6544
LINDA
LAING
(02)9440 8727
JANETTE
WALL
(02)9440 8727
JENNIFER
SABERTON
(02)9440 8727
ROBERT
WATSON
(02)9440 8727
VIVIAN
IRIARTE
(07)5523 1199 (02)9604 1455
KYLIE
BRACKEN
JONATHAN IAN
HICKMAN (02)4229 9411 LAUGHLIN-YOUNG (02)4229 7233
JANE
FISHLOCK
(08)8972 1455
JESSICA
KIRKPATRICK
(07)3264 6222
ANDRE LISA SHENA DIANA
VON ZEPPELIN LEARY BARRETT LEAVIS
(07)5557 9888 (07)5557 9888 (07)3261 8300 (07)3261 8488
LYNETTE
CHAMBERS
(07)3100 7939
ATHENA
SWIFT
(07)3100 7939
KAREN DEBORAH MARTINE
SWEENEY HANDLEY HERO
(07)3861 9011 (07)3832 7000 (07)3832 7000
ANGELINA
HACKETT
(07)5593 6444
MARGOT
KNISPEL
(07)5593 6444
JACINTA
BLUNDELL
(07)5495 1766
JOHN
O'BRIEN
(07)4080 4000
LYNNE MARGARET BETH
BLAIR FLETCHER MALCOLM
(07)5491 8311 (07)3286 7900 (07)5599 2929
CHRISTINE
LOVE
(07)5598 1444
SENIORS HOLIDAY TRAVEL
TINA
ALMOND
(07)3211 8599
SENIORS HOLIDAY TRAVEL
JULIANNE
HALL
(07)3211 8599
AMANDA
AVERY
(07)5514 3333
MAREE
EVANS
(07)5580 4020
WARWICK SUSAN
COLETTE MALLINSON
(07)5561 7942 (07)5510 9366
OUR VACATION CENTRE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL HELENSVALE HELENSVALE HELENSVALE SEASCAPE TRAVEL HOPE ISLAND CRUISEMART HOPE ISL. TRAVEL HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL MAROOCHYDORE MAROOCHYDORE MAROOCHYDORE SUNCITY TRAVEL MERMAID THE TRAVEL STUDIO WATERS
ROBYN
MILNE-BROWNLIE (07)5443 4266
DEBBIE
TOLHURST
(07)5430 9800
KERRY
FOX
(07)5572 7272
Consultants listed hold ICCA Master Accreditation as at May 20, 2009. For full details of any listed agency, please see www.cruising.org.au, www.cruising.org.nz or telephone 61-2-9905 9001. 104 winter 2009 www.cruises.com.au
103-109_CP36_ICCA.indd 104
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ICCA accredited directory Cruise uise specialist specialist travel travel agents agents LISTED LISTED BELOW BELOW are are MASTER MASTER ACCREDITED* ACCREDITED Cr members of The International Cruise Council Australasia *To become a Master Accredited Member with the ICCA, travel consultants undergo an extensive combination of theory and practical training courses to qualify them as Australasia’s leading cruise specialists. Location
Agency
THE CRUISE CENTRE (DIVISION OF TRAVEL CONCEPTS) THE CRUISE CENTRE MILTON (DIVISION OF TRAVEL CONCEPTS) THE CRUISE CENTRE MILTON (DIVISION OF TRAVEL CONCEPTS) THE CRUISE CENTRE MILTON (DIVISION OF TRAVEL CONCEPTS) MOOLOOLABA TRAVELWORLD MOOLOOLABA NERANG TRAVEL MASTERS NERANG TRAVEL MASTERS NOOSA HEADS GREGOR & LEWIS NOOSA WATERS HORIZON TRAVEL & CRUISES PL NOOSAVILLE NOOSA CRUISE AND TRAVEL RUNAWAY BAY RUNAWAY CRUISE & TRAVEL RUNAWAY BAY TRAVELWORLD RUNAWAY BAY RUNAWAY BAY TRAVELWORLD RUNAWAY BAY WORLD TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS SOUTHPORT GOLD COAST TEWANTIN NOOSA TRAVEL THE GAP HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL THE GAP HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL TOOWOOMBA TOOWOOMBA TOOWOOMBA TRAVELWORLD TOOWOOMBA TUGUN JETSET TUGUN WARWICK HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL WARWICK PULSE TRAVEL PTY LTD WEST END (TRAVELSCENE STH BRISBANE) south australia ADELAIDE CRUISE BOOKING CENTRE ADELAIDE CRUISE COLLECTION COLLINSWOOD D.B. TRAVEL COLLINSWOOD D.B. TRAVEL GLENELG JETSET GLENELG GLENELG PHIL HOFFMANN TRAVEL - GLENELG PERCHALLA AND TURNER TRAVEL HYDE PARK ASSOCIATES NORWOOD JETSET NORWOOD PARKSIDE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL PARKSIDE SEMAPHORE SEMAPHORE CRUISE CENTRE UNLEY JETSET HYDE PARK UNLEY JETSET HYDE PARK WALKERVILLE WALKERVILLE TRAVELWORLD MILTON
tasmania DEVONPORT DEVONPORT DEVONPORT GLENORCHY HOBART HOBART HOBART HOBART KINGSTON KINGSTON ULVERSTONE victoria BALLARAT BALNARRING BALNARRING BALWYN BENDIGO BENTLEIGH BENTLEIGH BERWICK
RACT TRAVELWORLD INC CRUISELAND DEVONPORT RACT TRAVELWORLD INC CRUISELAND DEVONPORT RACT TRAVELWORLD INC CRUISELAND DEVONPORT RACT TRAVELWORLD INC CRUISELAND GLENORCHY ANDREW JONES TRAVEL ANDREW JONES TRAVEL ANDREW JONES TRAVEL RACT TRAVELWORLD INC CRUISELAND HOBART MURRAY ST
telePhone
Location
Agency
ANDREA
Name
DONALD
(07)3368 2113
ELIZABETH
CLARKE
(07)3368 2113
AILEEN
ROATES
(07)3368 2113
GILDA
MCMANUS
(07)3368 2113
ZOE CHRIS LEE MELINDA JOAN VERONICA JUDITH ROSLYN MARGARET
SPARKS RANDALL BAVIN GREGOR LUGUEL BAILLIE WATT PILCHER LAWRENCE
(07)5444 3766 (07)5596 0511 (07)5596 0511 (07)5447 4666 (07)5455 6260 (07)5449 8866 (07)5537 7222 (07)5528 9991 (07)5528 9991
BLACKBURN BRIGHT BRIGHTON BRIGHTON CAULFIELD CAULFIELD CAULFIELD CHELSEA CHELSEA
JETSET BLACKBURN HEATHER TRAVELSCENE BRIGHT HOLLY BAYVIEW TRAVEL TRACEY THE CRUISE SPECIALISTS JOEL EXECUTIVE EDGE TRAVEL & EVENTS PL SHIRLEY EXECUTIVE EDGE TRAVEL & EVENTS PL GILA EXECUTIVE EDGE TRAVEL & EVENTS PL YVONNE CHELSEA TRAVEL JULIE-ANN CHELSEA TRAVEL KERRY CROYDON TRAVEL AMANDA "AGENT OF THE YEAR 2006" DAVID LEACH DAVID TRAVELSCENE DINGLEY WENDY TRAVELSCENE DINGLEY ROBERT GLOBAL WONDERS TRAVEL MEILING WINGS AWAY TRAVEL ANNE WINGS AWAY TRAVEL ELISE WINGS AWAY TRAVEL JONATHAN JETSET FRANKSTON LUKY JETSET FRANKSTON BIRGIT CUSTODIAN TRAVEL & CRUISE ANNE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL GEELONG PETER HAWTHORN TRAVEL & CRUISE ATHENA VOYAGER TRAVEL CORPORATION PAULETTE CRUISEMAKERS CAROL TRAVELSCENE MALVERN CLAIRE NATIONAL NETWORK TRAVEL & CRUISE BRYAN JETSET MENTONE ROMAINE TRAVELWORLD MENTONE SELENA ALLABOUT TOURS & TRAVEL JOSIE CRUISE VACATIONS DEBRA MERIDIAN TRAVEL KIRSTY HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL SUNBURY BARRY JETSET TOORAK MARGERY JETSET TOORAK ANNETTE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL TRARALGON THERESIA JETSET BRANDON PARK ANDREW
MARION
PICOT
(07)5556 7222
BARBARA MICHELLE
SHERIFF JOHNSTON
(07)5449 7000 (07)3300 5300
LORETTA
NOBBS
(07)4632 8933
GEOFF LES DEE
KING CATTERALL STEVENS
(07)4632 9133 (07)5525 6199 (07)4661 2366
TERRI
BETTANY
(07)3004 6666
ARLENE KAY DOROTHY SUSAN ENZA PHIL
MACK WHEATON BALDWIN HEINE FRANCAVILLA HOFFMANN
(08)8231 9414 (08)8217 8000 (08)8344 3011 (08)8344 3011 (08)8294 5900 (08)8350 5700
BECKY
KENT-PERCHALLA (08)8464 9600
RITA BRIAN HELEN KAYE MICHAEL JOHN
COLEMAN BENNETT LEES PRIDHAM CLARK AULD
FIONA
RAYMOND-CRAWN (03)6424 5677
JENNIFER
ROBERTS
(03)6424 5677
REBECCA
SIMS
(03)6424 5677
LIFESTYLE TRAVEL BALLARAT BALNARRING TRAVEL SHOP BALNARRING TRAVEL SHOP TRAVELRITE INTERNATIONAL PTY LTD JETSET BENDIGO JETSET BENTLEIGH JETSET BENTLEIGH BERWICK VILLAGE TRAVEL & CRUISE
(08)8333 6800 (08)8274 1222 (08)8449 7333 (08)8272 7377 (08)8272 7377 (08)8344 8288
BARBARA
MAY
(03)6232 6587
DI KRISTY KRISTEN
BLACKWOOD GRUNDY KUMPULAINEN
(03)6224 3499 (03)6224 3499 (03)6224 3499
ROBYN
EVANS
(03)6232 6380
BURNETTCOSGROVE
(03)6229 7744
CHRISTINE
BENBOW
(03)6232 6511
KAREN
SMITH
(03)6425 2099
JOY JACQUI KERRY
ZULIC JUROVIC HOLMES
(03)5331 8277 (03)5983 1998 (03)5983 1998
HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL KINGSTON CATHI RACT TRAVELWORLD INC CRUISELAND KINGSTON RACT TRAVELWORLD INC CRUISELAND ULVERSTONE
Surname
AMANDA CATHY JULIE SHARON BRUCE
JAMES GRAHAM HOGBEN CAIRNS SHAW
(03)9836 2522 (03)5441 8811 (03)9563 9122 (03)9563 9122 (03)9707 3300
CROYDON CROYDON DINGLEY VILL. DINGLEY VILL. DONCASTER ESSENDON ESSENDON ESSENDON FRANKSTON FRANKSTON GEELONG GEELONG HAWTHORN JOLIMONT KEILOR MALVERN MELBOURNE MENTONE MENTONE NEWTOWN NORTHCOTE ROSANNA SUNBURY TOORAK TOORAK TRARALGON WHEELERS HILL
western australia APPLECROSS PASSPORT TO THE WORLD APPLECROSS PASSPORT TO THE WORLD APPLECROSS PASSPORT TO THE WORLD ARMADALE TRAVELWORLD ARMADALE ARMADALE TRAVELWORLD ARMADALE BELDON BRIDGE THE WORLD TRAVEL BELDON BRIDGE THE WORLD TRAVEL BELMONT HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL BELMONT BICTON BICTON TRAVEL PTY LTD BICTON BICTON TRAVEL PTY LTD BUNBURY TRAVELWORLD CATHIE RICE BUNBURY TRAVELWORLD CATHIE RICE CLAREMONT CRUISE & TRAVEL CLAREMONT CENTRE FLOREAT LEAHNI COLLINS TRAVEL MANDURAH CHAMPAGNE TRAVEL MANDURAH CHAMPAGNE TRAVEL MANDURAH HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL MANDURAH MANDURAH HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL MANDURAH MIDLAND JETSET MIDLAND MIDLAND JETSET MIDLAND MYAREE TRAVEL FOCUS MYAREE TRAVEL FOCUS NEDLANDS ALPHA TRAVEL NEDLANDS PEPPIMENT GROVE PERTH PERTH SUBIACO WARWICK WILLETTON
Name
SUE NADIA DEBRA SANTO CINDY BOB ANNETTE SHIELA CAROLE PHILIP CATHIE LEN
Surname
telePhone
TESTRO CLARKE NELSON MCGLYNN BORDEN ATLAS VERSTANDIG SILVEY FULHAM
(03)9877 9788 (03)5755 1121 (03)9596 7299 (03)9596 7100 (03)9519 7777 (03)9519 7777 (03)9519 7777 (03)9773 1900 (03)9773 1900
RALPH
(03)9723 9995
LEACH BOWDEN BOWDEN SHEW ROGERS MARRGATT DONELEY WILSON LUXTON CLUTTERBUCK ANGELOVICH SALALIDIS CHERNY JOHNSON BURROWS WILSON FERDINANDS LUSCOMBE PUGLIA ABRAHAM ECCLES HUXLEY SMITH SCHAUB LANE GUILLAUME
(03)9723 2403 (03)9551 8811 (03)9551 8811 (03)9891 6549 (03)9337 3744 (03)9337 3744 (03)9337 3744 (03)9783 1334 (03)9783 1334 (03)5221 2133 (03)5221 1722 (03)9819 2322 (03)9658 6222 (03)9336 7844 (03)9576 0211 (03)9654 4000 (03)9585 3800 (03)9584 0100 (03)5229 8641 1800 640 037 (03)9459 4933 (03)9744 4544 (03)9827 2200 (03)9827 2200 (03)5174 7877 (03)9562 0282
STONE REDMAN JOHNSTON SCIDONE JACKSON MEEK HAYDEN ROBB SMETHURST SMETHURST RICE PASALICH
(08)9316 3333 (08)9316 3333 (08)9316 3333 (08)9497 2554 (08)9497 2554 (08)9307 5366 (08)9307 5366 (08)9479 1933 (08)9339 0277 (08)9339 0277 (08)9721 9588 (08)9721 9588
MICHELLE
VAN DER KROFT
(08)9383 2711
LEAHNI WAYNE DEREK RAY MEREDY GEOFF RONNIE GAYNOR MELISSA GINA
COLLINS CALNON HALL TURNER BRANDIS MALTHOUSE MALTHOUSE VANTSANT VITANZA MAITLAND
(08)9383 7732 (08)9535 9999 (08)9535 9999 (08)9535 5144 (08)9535 5144 (08)9274 5866 (08)9274 5866 (08)9317 4455 (08)9317 4455 (08)9386 2699
BROADWAY TRAVEL & CRUISE CENTRE TONI
CHAMBERS
(08)9386 7599
CRUISEABOUT COTTESLOE
TINA
KORDYS
(08)6104 1200
PARAMOUNT CRUISE CENTRE PARAMOUNT CRUISE CENTRE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL SUBIACO QUALITY TRAVEL TRAVELWORLD WILLETTON
DENISE PAMELA RICHARD MAL HEATHER
OFFICER STRICKLAND SEOW KING NIEVES
(08)9325 2144 (08)9325 2144 (08)9388 2335 (08)9246 3330 (08)9354 9066
Consultants listed hold ICCA Master Accreditation as at May 20, 2009. For full details of any listed agency, please see www.cruising.org.au, www.cruising.org.nz or telephone 61-2-9905 9001. www.cruises.com.au winter 2009 105
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ICCA accredited directory Cr uise specialist travel agents LISTED BELOW are MASTER ACCREDITED* members of The International Cruise Council Australasia *To become a Master Accredited Member with the ICCA, travel consultants undergo an extensive combination of theory and practical training courses to qualify them as Australasia’s leading cruise specialists. Location new zealand CHRISTCHURCH CHRISTCHURCH CHRISTCHURCH CHRISTCHURCH CHRISTCHURCH CHRISTCHURCH CHRISTCHURCH MOTUEKA MOTUEKA CHRISTCHURCH CHRISTCHURCH CHRISTCHURCH CHRISTCHURCH CHRISTCHURCH HOWICK HOWICK UPPER HUTT UPPER HUTT UPPER HUTT
Agency
Name
YOUNG AND LEE HOUSE OF TRAVEL YOUNG AND LEE HOUSE OF TRAVEL YOUNG AND LEE HOUSE OF TRAVEL WESTSIDE UNITED TRAVEL WESTSIDE UNITED TRAVEL WESTSIDE UNITED TRAVEL WESTSIDE UNITED TRAVEL KROUPA & BOURKE HSE OF TRAVEL KROUPA & BOURKE HSE OF TRAVEL HOUSE OF TRAVEL MERIVALE HOUSE OF TRAVEL MERIVALE HOUSE OF TRAVEL MERIVALE HOUSE OF TRAVEL MERIVALE HOUSE OF TRAVEL MERIVALE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL HOWICK HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL HOWICK SILVERSTREAM CRUISE & HOLIDAY CENTRE SILVERSTREAM CRUISE & HOLIDAY CENTRE SILVERSTREAM CRUISE & HOLIDAY CENTRE
Surname
telePhone
ANITA CAROLYN MEL DALE JENNY ALANA KIRSTI JASON REBECCA SUE PAUL ANNE SANDY BELINDA MOIRA GERALD BRUCE
REDWAY HARRIS LOWEN MAISEY PAWSON ALDRIDGE BUTLER KROUPA PRATT BEECHEY WILSON CROMBIE CONNOLLY MCKEOWN WALKER PATTERSON FORSYTH
(03)366 3166 (03)366 3166 (03)366 3166 (03)359 6055 (03)359 6055 (03)359 6055 (03)359 6055 (03)528 1122 (03)528 1122 (03)355 2200 (03)355 2200 (03)355 2200 (03)355 2200 (03)355 2200 (09)535 9208 (09)535 9208 (04)527 8980
ELAINE
CHANEY
(04)527 8980
JAN
FORSYTH
(04)527 8980
Location
Agency
Name
Surname
telePhone
HAMILTON HAMILTON HAMILTON WARKWORTH WARKWORTH FEILDING
UNITED TRAVEL HAMILTON UNITED TRAVEL HAMILTON UNITED TRAVEL HAMILTON WARKWORTH UNITED TRAVEL WARKWORTH UNITED TRAVEL UNITED TRAVEL FEILDING
LYN MURRAY DANIELA LYNETTE MEL ROSALIND
MACDONALD WHITEHEAD SUTER GILES EDWARDS CHAPMAN
(07)838 1100 (07)838 1100 (07)838 1100 (09)425 8009 (09)425 8009 (06)323 8667
FEILDING FEILDING FEILDING WELLINGTON WELLINGTON AUCKLAND AUCKLAND AUCKLAND AUCKLAND AUCKLAND AUCKLAND AUCKLAND AUCKLAND AUCKLAND AUCKLAND AUCKLAND
UNITED TRAVEL FEILDING UNITED TRAVEL FEILDING UNITED TRAVEL FEILDING BUSINESS WORLD TRAVEL BUSINESS WORLD TRAVEL MIDDAY TRAVEL LTD MIDDAY TRAVEL LTD MIDDAY TRAVEL LTD MIDDAY TRAVEL LTD MIDDAY TRAVEL LTD MIDDAY TRAVEL LTD FINE TRAVEL FINE TRAVEL FINE TRAVEL FINE TRAVEL FINE TRAVEL
TIFFANY LEAH DIANE AGOTA PAUL EVELYN JEFFREY IVAN JANE JIN LILY XINXIN JENNIE MERRILL LEANNE PAUL MARTIN
ANDERSEN MORRESEY FLYGER WATT BESWICK LEE LIU HUI XUE YU SHEN READY HOLST ROBSON COLLINS JUDD
(06)323 8667 (06)323 8667 (06)323 8667 (04)470 6044 (04)470 6044 (09)623 2425 (09)623 2425 (09)623 2425 (09)623 2425 (09)623 2425 (09)623 2425 (09)921 5178 (09)921 5178 (09)921 5178 (09)921 5178 (09)921 5178
Cruise specialist travel agents LISTED BELOW are ACCREDITED members of The International Cruise Council Australasia SUBURB
AGENCY
Australian capital territory BELCONNEN HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL BELCONNEN MANUKA PAGONIS AND JAMES TRAVEL ASSOCIATES MANUKA TRAVELSCENE MANUKA PHILLIP BRITAIN AND EUROPE TRAVEL BUREAU PHILLIP OZCRUISING WESTON HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL WESTON new south wales ALBURY ALBURY TRAVEL ALSTONVILLE DUCK CK MOUNTAIN TRAVEL BANORA POINT HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL BANORA BATEMANS BAY HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL BATEMANS BAY BEECROFT DAVIS AND JAMES TRAVEL ASSOCIATES BEGA TRAVELWORLD BEGA BLACKTOWN FLIGHT CENTRE BLACKTOWN BONDI SABRA TRAVEL BONDI JUNCTION CRUISES & HONEYMOONS BONDI JUNCTION TRAVEL BLITZ CARINGBAH CARINGBAH TRAVEL SERVICE CASINO CASINO TRAVEL SHOPPE CASTLE HILL TRAVELWORLD CASTLE HILL CHARLESTOWN TRAVELWORLD CHARLESTOWN CHERRYBROOK HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL CHERRYBROOK COFFS HARBOUR CRUISE NOW DOUBLE BAY HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL DOUBLE BAY DUBBO HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL DUBBO EDENSOR PARK GRAND TOURING
PHONE
(02)6253 1600 (02)6208 0155 (02)6260 8080 (02)6282 2000 (02)6202 1800 (02)6288 4400 (02)6041 5577 (02)6628 3701 (07)5524 8199 (02)4472 9990
SUBURB ERINA ERINA FAIRY MEADOW FIVE DOCK GLENDALE GLENDALE GORDON GORDON GOSFORD GREEN HILLS GYMEA HOMEBUSH KILLARNEY VALE
(02)8401 2400 (02)6492 3599 (02)9622 1188 (02)9389 9933 (02)9369 4466 (02)9388 0220 (02)9525 9766 (02)6662 6255 (02)9899 2625 (02)4942 1551 (02)9875 2400 (02)6652 1833 (02)9327 0200 (02)6885 1633 (02)9682 4066
KINCUMBER KINGSFORD KOTARA LAKEHAVEN LAURIETON LINDFIELD LISAROW LISMORE LIVERPOOL MANLY MCMAHONS POINT MENAI MERIMBULA MONA VALE MOSMAN
AGENCY
PHONE
SUBURB
HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL ERINA FAIR HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL MYER MALL ERINA FAIR MEADOW TRAVEL TRAVELSCENE AT LAZE AWAY TRAVEL TRAVELWORLD GLENDALE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL GLENDALE FLIGHT CENTRE GORDON HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL GORDON TRAVELWORLD GOSFORD TRAVELWORLD GREEN HILLS JETSET GYMEA DIPLOMA WORLD TRAVEL HOMEBUSH HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL BATEAU BAY THE TRAVELLERS HUT KINGSFORD TRAVEL AGENCY HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL KOTARA TRAVELWORLD LAKEHAVEN CAMDEN HAVEN TRAVEL JETSET LINDFIELD (DREAM CRUISING) HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL LISAROW HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL LISMORE FLIGHT CENTRE LIVERPOOL HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL MANLY SELECT TRAVEL SPECIALISTS
(02)4367 7410 (02)4365 4090
MOSMAN MURWILLUMBAH NEWCASTLE NEWCASTLE NEWCASTLE WEST NORTH RYDE NTH SYDNEY
HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL MENAI SUMMERLAND TRAVEL MERIMBULA TRAVELSCENE MONA VALE TRAVEL SPECIALISTS MOSMAN
(02)9541 1244 (02)6495 1008 (02)9979 7780 (02)9932 4000
(02)4285 2422 (02)9712 1177 (02)4956 7226 (02)4953 6600 (02)9418 4299 (02)9498 8433 (02)4324 7444 (02)4933 3077 (02)9531 0507 (02)9735 9169 (02)4332 5000 (02)4363 1699 (02)9662 7611 (02)4957 7278 (02)4392 7722 (02)6559 9048 (02)9416 9055 (02)4329 7722 (02)6621 2548 (02)9600 6988 (02)9976 2822 (02)9955 1153
NTH SYDNEY NOWRA NOWRA ORANGE PENSHURST PTMACQUARIE PTMACQUARIE RAMSGATE RANDWICK RAYMOND TERRACE ROSE BAY ST IVES ST IVES ST IVES SYDNEY SYDNEY SYDNEY SYDNEY SYDNEY SYDNEY
AGENCY HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL MOSMAN HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL JETSET NEWCASTLE TRAVELWORLD ON KING HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL MARKETOWN ESCAPE TRAVEL MACQUARIE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL HEAD OFFICE - NTH SYDNEY TRAVELWORLD NTH SYDNEY HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL NOWRA SOUTH COAST CRUISE AND TRAVEL TRAVELWORLD ORANGE TRAVELWORLD PENSHURST JETSET PORT MACQUARIE PORT MACQUARIE TRAVEL AGENCY PTY LTD RAMSGATE TRAVEL SERVICE ALTITUDE TRAVEL TRAVELWORLD RAYMOND TERRACE JONES AND TURNER TRAVEL ASSOCIATES INSPIRED TRAVEL ST IVES TRAVEL CRUISE BOUTIQUE TRAVELBOOKERS ABC TRAVEL CRUISE CENTRAL PTY LTD DQ INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SERVICE PL ECRUISING.TRAVEL "CRUISE AGENT OF THE YEAR 2003" FLIGHT CENTRE ELIZABETH ST MEMBERSHIP TRAVEL SERVICES
PHONE (02)9960 7622 (02)6672 3400 (02)4929 1234 (02)4929 1322 (02)4929 2777 (02)8198 6200 (02)8229 4088 (02)9966 1100 (02)4421 3055 (02)4423 0276 (02)6362 1744 (02)9580 8500 (02)6584 1411 (02)6583 1422 (02)9529 3444 (02)9326 3577 (02)4987 1844 (02)9388 2900 (02)9449 8598 1800 008 133 (02)9440 1455 (02)9233 4777 (02)9007 9868 (02)9241 3611 1300 369 848 (02)9235 3522 (02)9271 3717
Agencies listed have at least one Accredited staff member as at May 20, 2009. For full details, please see www.cruising.org.au, www.cruising.org.nz or telephone 61-2-9905 9001. 106 winter 2009 www.cruises.com.au
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ICCA accredited directory Cruise specialist travel agents LISTED BELOW are ACCREDITED members of The International Cruise Council Australasia SUBURB
AGENCY
SYDNEY SYDNEY SYDNEY SYDNEY SYDNEY TAREE TERRIGAL TORONTO TORONTO WAHROONGA WAHROONGA WEST LINDFIELD WINDSOR WINSTON HILLS
MP TRAVEL PTY LTD TRAILFINDERS TRAVELEDGE PTY LTD TRAVELFORCE TRAVELSCENE ON CLARENCE TRAVELWORLD TAREE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL TERRIGAL TRAVELWORLD TORONTO HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL TORONTO TRAVELSCENE WAHROONGA JETSET WAHROONGA VILLAGE MOORE LEISURE TRAVEL FLIGHT CENTRE WINDSOR HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL WINSTON HILLS WOLLONGONG TRAVELWORLD WOLLONGONG WOLLONGONG TRAVELSCENE WOLLONGONG @ INTERNET TRAVEL WOY WOY TRAVELWORLD WOY WOY NORTHERN territory DARWIN TRAVELSCENE DARWIN CITY Queensland ALBANY CREEK JETSET ALBANY CREEK ALBANY CREEK HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL ALBANY CREEK ASHGROVE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL ASHGROVE ASHMORE TRAVELWORLD ASHMORE ASPLEY INTEGRITY TRAVEL AYR BRANDONS TRAVEL BEERWAH AUSTRALIA ZOO TRAVEL BRIBIE ISLAND HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL BRIBIE ISLAND BRISBANE GERMAN AUSTRALIAN TRAVEL BRISBANE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL WILSTON BRISBANE NOLLER & TURNER TRAVEL ASSOCIATES BRISBANE TRAILFINDERS BRISBANE BRISBANE WORLD TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS BRISBANE BUDDINA HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL KAWANA BUNDABERG HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL BUNDABERG BUNDALL RCI TRAVEL PTY LTD BURLEIGH TRAVELWORLD BURLEIGH WEST CAIRNS TOWNSVILLE BUSINESS AND LEISURE TRAVEL CAIRNS THE TRAVEL LOUNGE CAIRNS ESCAPE TRAVEL CAIRNS CALOUNDRA TRAVELSCENE CALOUNDRA CALOUNDRA ESCAPE TRAVEL CALOUNDRA CARINDALE TRAVELWORLD CARINDALE CARINDALE FLIGHT CENTRE CARINDALE CHERMSIDE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL CHERMSIDE CLEVELAND JETSET CLEVELAND COOLUM BEACH GLOBAL TRAVEL COOLUM EDGE HILL HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL EDGE HILL EIGHT MILE RACQ EIGHT MILE PLAINS PLAINS FORTITUDE DIPLOMA WORLD VALLEY TRAVEL SERVICE - QLD FORTITUDE RACQ FORTITUDE VALLEY VALLEY GOLD COAST HUGHES TRAVEL MAIL CENTRE HELENSVALE TRAVELWORLD HELENSVALE
PHONE
SUBURB
(02)9993 9000 (02)9251 4404 (02)9080 1799 (02)9262 3666 (02)9283 9614 (02)6551 0899 (02)4385 1115 (02)4959 4011 (02)4959 8666 (02)9489 1978 (02)9487 6633 (02)9416 7344 (02)4587 9271 (02)9620 8300
HERVEY BAY KIRWAN LABRADOR LOGANHOLME
(02)4228 6566 (02)4226 2222 (02)4341 7200 (08)8981 7655 (07)3264 4155 (07)3264 6222 (07)3366 6911 (07)5539 2144 (07)3863 1007 (07)4783 1400 (07)5436 2100 (07)3410 0111 (07)3221 0427 (07)3856 3099 (07)3369 3002 (07)3229 0887 (07)3220 2277 (07)5457 8777 (07)4151 2888 (07)5588 9999 (07)5535 9888 (07)4724 2228 (07)4041 0123 (07)4031 4244 (07)5491 2033 (07)5438 2108 (07)3843 1144 (07)3398 3941 (07)3359 9000 (07)3821 1200 (07)5446 4622 (07)4033 6022 (07)3872 8487 (07)3842 6266 (07)3872 8451 (07)5591 1166 (07)5573 5188
LOGANHOLME MACKAY MACKAY MACKAY CANELANDS MARGATE MAROOCHYDORE MAROOCHYDORE MORAYFIELD NEW FARM NOOSA HEADS NOOSAVILLE NORTH TAMBOURINE PADDINGTON CENTRAL PEREGIAN BCH PIALBA PORT DOUGLAS REDCLIFFE ROBINA ROCKHAMPTON RUNAWAY BAY SAMFORD SANDGATE SHERWOOD SPRING HILL STANTHORPE STRATHPINE SUNNYBANK HILLS SURFERS PARADISE TOOWOOMBA TOOWOOMBA TOWNSVILLE
AGENCY
PHONE
SUBURB
JETSET HERVEY BAY ESCAPE TRAVEL WILLOWS HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL LABRADOR HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL LOGANHOLME ESCAPE TRAVEL LOGANHOLME HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL MACKAY HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL MT PLEASANT ESCAPE TRAVEL MACKAY
(07)4128 3355 (07)4773 7077 (07)5537 3799 (07)3801 3044
MT BARKER MURRAY BRIDGE NORWOOD NORWOOD
(07)3451 6244 (07)4967 3555 (07)4942 1444
NURIOOTPA NURIOOTPA
TRAVEL REDCLIFFE PENINSULA UCANGO TRAVEL SUNCOAST TRAVEL JONKERS TRAVEL HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL NEW FARM HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL NOOSA JETSET NOOSA TRAVELLING PLACES
(07)3889 3999 (07)5409 4041 (07)5443 2588 (07)5498 9411 (07)3358 6588 (07)5447 4077 (07)5442 4155 (07)5545 1600
TRAVELWORLD PADDINGTON
(07)3367 1644
HOBART
TRAVELTIME NOW HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL HERVEY BAY JETSET PORT DOUGLAS REDCLIFFE TRAVEL MTA TRAVEL SPECIALTY TRAVEL CRUISEABOUT BIGGERA WATERS TRAVELSCENE SAMFORD TRAVELWORLD SANDGATE HOLIDAYS DIRECT JETSET SPRING HILL HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL STANTHORPE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL STRATHPINE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL SUNNYBANK HILLS CRUISE TRAVEL & EVENTS
(07)5448 3122 (07)4128 1900
HOBART LAUNCESTON
(07)4099 5899 (07)3284 5192 (07)5593 3322 (07)4922 7229 (07)5529 1631 07 3289 3700 (07)3869 0747 1300 300 633 (07)3832 0833 (07)4681 2144
LAUNCESTON ROSNY
JAN MCSWEENEY TRAVEL JETSET TOOWOOMBA ESCAPE TRAVEL TOWNSVILLE BUSINESS WYNNUM HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL WYNNUM south australia ADELAIDE API TRAVELSCENE ADELAIDE BUNNIK TRAVEL ADELAIDE CRUISEABOUT BURNSIDE ADELAIDE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL BRIGHTON ADELAIDE LIFEPLAN TRAVEL ADELAIDE OLIVER TRAVEL ADELAIDE RAA TRAVEL ADELAIDE ADELAIDE THOR TRAVEL BRIGHTON TRAVEL41 CLAYTON BAY CRUISING PLUS ELIZABETH HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL ELIZABETH FREWVILLE HASTWELL TRAVEL AND CRUISE GAWLER THE TRAVEL PLANNER GLENELG GLENELG TRAVEL KADINA TRAVELSCENE KADINA MODBURY HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL TEA TREE PLAZA MT BARKER TRAVELWORLD MOUNT BARKER
(07)4967 1222
(07)3205 9033 (07)3273 6600 (07)5538 0269 (07)4636 2622 (07)4632 1588 (07)4772 3423 (07)3393 4000 (08)8403 2020 (08)8359 2295 (08)8468 4400 (08)8296 1288 (08)8212 3636 (08)8232 0111 (08)8202 4589 (08)8232 3071 (08)8238 4525 (08)8464 0456 (08)8252 9999 (08)8379 2344 (08)8523 1100 (08)8376 1100 (08)8821 2177 (08)8265 3355 (08)8398 2589
OAKLANDS PARK PORT ADELAIDE RIDGEHAVEN SEAFORD STIRLING TORRENS PARK tasmania BURNIE BURNIE HOBART
SANDY BAY victoria ABBOTSFORD ALBERT ARK ARMADALE ASHBURTON BAIRNSDALE BALLARAT BELGRAVE BENDIGO BERWICK BLACK ROCK BRIGHTON CARNEGIE CHIRNSIDE PARK COLLINGWOOD CRANBOURNE EAST BURWOOD ELTHAM ELTHAM EPPING FOREST HILL FRANKSTON SOUTH GREENSBOROUGH HAMPTON HASTINGS HASTINGS HAWTHORN HIGHTON KORUMBURRA LILYDALE LOWER TEMPLESTOWE
AGENCY
PHONE
TRAVELSCENE MOUNT BARKER JETSET MURRAY BRIDGE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL NORWOOD PHIL HOFFMANN TRAVEL NORWOOD BAROSSA JETSET HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL BAROSSA VALLEY JETSET MARION JETSET PORT ADELAIDE JETSET MODBURY FLIGHT CENTRE SEAFORD FREEWAY TRAVEL PASADENA TRAVEL
(08)8391 5277 (08)8532 1766 (08)8332 9933 (08)8366 5600
RACT TRAVELWORLD INC CRUISELAND BURNIE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL BURNIE RACT TRAVELWORLD INC CRUISELAND COLLINS ST WILSON AND TURNER TRAVEL ASSOCIATES ANDREW JONES TRAVEL RACT TRAVELWORLD INC CRUISELAND LAUNCESTON TRAVEL DISCOVERY AIR & CRUISE RACT TRAVELWORLD INC CRUISELAND ROSNY FLIGHT CENTRE SANDY BAY
(03)6434 2955
(08)8562 1122 (08)8562 3411 (08)8377 0988 (08)8341 1200 (08)8396 1155 (08)8327 2810 (08)8370 9244 (08)8272 4433
(03)6432 2322 (03)6223 7466 (03)6281 6000 (03)6224 3499 (03)6335 5655 (03)63311822 (03)6232 6556 (03)6214 0255
PIE IN THE SKY TRAVEL TRAVELSCENE ALBERT PARK ARMADALE TRAVEL HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL ASHBURTON COOPERS TRAVEL CENTRE JETSET BALLARAT JETSET BELGRAVE NATIONAL TRAVEL BENDIGO CASEY TRAVEL CENTRE JETSET BLACK ROCK BRIGHTON TRAVELWORLD HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL CARNEGIE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL CHIRNSIDE PARK CRUISEWORLD TRAVELLERS TRAVELSCENE CRANBOURNE ALL WORLD TRAVEL HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL ELTHAM TRAVEL BOUND PTY LTD FLIGHT CENTRE EPPING YOUNG AT HEART TRAVEL DELPHINUS CRUISES
(03)8412 0100 (03)9690 3511 (03)9500 0288 (03)9568 1500 (03)5152 6533 (03)5333 7977 (03)9754 1066 (03)5442 1677 (03)9769 5722 (03)9589 0866 (03)9591 9591 (03)9572 5858 (03)9726 5333
HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL GREENSBOROUGH CRUISEABOUT HAMPTON FLIGHT CENTRE HASTINGS WESTERNPORT TRAVEL TRAVEL CONSULTANCY SERVICES (TCS) HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL HIGHTON GIPPSLAND GLOBAL TRAVEL COMPANY LILYDALE TRAVEL CENTRE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL LOWER TEMPLESTOWE
(03)9434 1377
(03)9417 3747 (03)5996 5055 (03)9802 0333 (03)9431 0855 (03)9439 3755 (03)9401 2411 (03)9875 1411 (03)9783 5119
(03)9598 1527 (03)5979 8164 (03)5979 1589 (03)9899 2788 (03)5243 9311 (03)5655 2655 (03)9735 1144 (03)9852 0200
Agencies listed have at least one Accredited staff member as at May 20, 2009. For full details, please see www.cruising.org.au, www.cruising.org.nz or telephone 61-2-9905 9001. www.cruises.com.au winter 2009 107
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ICCA accredited directory
Cruise specialist travel agents LISTED BELOW are ACCREDITED members of The International Cruise Council Australasia SUBURB MELBOURNE MELBOURNE MELBOURNE MELBOURNE MELBOURNE MELBOURNE MENTONE MILDURA MONBULK MORDIALLOC MORNINGTON MT ECCLES SOUTH MT ELIZA MULGRAVE NIDDRIE NORTH BALYWN NORTH RINGWOOD ORMOND PORT MELBOURNE PORT MELBOURNE RINGWOOD RINGWOOD RINGWOOD EAST ROWVILLE SOUTH MELBOURNE SOUTH YARRA SOUTH YARRA ST KILDA SURREY HILLS SURREY HILLS TOORAK TOORAK TOORAK TOORAK TOORAK VERMONT STH WANTIRNA STH WANTIRNA STH YARRA GLEN YARRA JCT
AGENCY
PHONE
CLUB TOURS HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL COLLINS ST ORBIT TRAVEL VICTORIA PTY LTD TRAVEL COUNSELLORS PTY LTD TRAVELCALL/CRUISECALL TRAVELWORLD CENTRAL MELBOURNE MENTONE TRAVEL SERVICE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL MILDURA TRAVELSCENE MONBULK MORDIALLOC TRAVEL SPECIALISTS TRAVELSCENE MORNINGTON SEA-AIR CRUISE & FLY
(03)9642 3553 (03)9650 2095 (03)9670 7071 (03)9607 8252 (03)9867 1800 (03)9602 2122
TRAVELSCENE MT ELIZA IMPACT ORGANISATION-TRAVEL HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL NIDDRIE JETSET NORTH BALWYN SIGNATURE CRUISING
(03)9787 5437 (03)9852 3535 (03)9374 3399 (03)9819 7173 (03)9876 4166
MSA TRAVEL 303 WORLD TRAVEL
(03)9597 9877 (03)9645 3800
PORT TRAVEL
(03)9676 2777
JETSET RINGWOOD HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL RINGWOOD DOOR WAY TRAVEL JETSET ROWVILLE HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL SOUTH MELBOURNE GLOBAL INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SERVICES P/L HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL SOUTH YARRA ST KILDA TRAVEL CENTRE HRG AUSTRALIA SURREY TRAVEL CRUISEABOUT TOORAK ETM TRAVEL INFLIGHT TRAVEL OF TOORAK TOORAK TRAVEL TRAVELSCENE TOORAK JETSET VERMONT (PARADE TRAVEL & TOURS PTY LTD) HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL KNOX CITY STA TRAVEL KNOX CITY HARVARD EXECUTIVE TRAVEL YARRA TRAVEL JUNCTION
(03)9870 6088 (03)9870 1688 (03)9870 1711 (03)9764 8487 (03)9696 7979
western Australia ALBANY JETSET ALBANY ALBANY RAC TRAVEL SERVICES - ALBANY ALBANY TRAVELWORLD ALBANY BELMONT JETSET BELMONT BICTON JETSET MELVILLE BOORAGOON RAC TRAVEL SERVICES - BOORAGOON BUNBURY RAC TRAVEL SERVICES - BUNBURY CARNARVON TRAVELWORLD CARNARVON CITY BEACH CITY BEACH TRAVEL DUNCRAIG CARINE TRAVEL BUG FLOREAT FLOREAT WORLD OF TRAVEL GREENWOOD FOUR CORNERS TRAVEL HILLARYS HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL WHITFORD CITY HILLARYS RAC TRAVEL SERVICES - WHITFORDS
(03)9584 3833 (03)5022 1555 (03)9756 7566 (03)9580 8100 (03)5975 1099 (03)5668 6264
(03)9826 9600 (03)9826 0177 (03)9593 6800 (03)9835 3000 (03)9899 0019 (03)8803 7000 (03)9521 5355 (03)9827 8975 (03)9826 1213 (03)9827 8800 (03)9803 9099 (03)9801 5488 (03)9800 1611 (03)9730 2455 (03)5967 1858 (08)9842 4900 (08)9841 8877 (08)9841 1611 (08)9277 7411 (08)9339 5474 (08)9364 2074 (08)9791 4423 (08)9941 1011 (08)9245 1988 (08)9246 7277 (08)9387 6211 (08)9246 2500 (08)9402 5811 (08)9402 5477
SUBURB HILLARYS KALGOORLIE LEEDERVILLE MANDURAH MIDLAND MORLEY NORTHBRIDGE PERTH PERTH PERTH PERTH PERTH PERTH PERTH PERTH
AGENCY HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL SORRENTO QUAY STODARTS TRAVEL BEST CRUISES "CRUISE AGENT OF THE YEAR 2007" RAC TRAVEL SERVICES - MANDURAH FLIGHT CENTRE MIDLAND RAC TRAVEL SERVICES - MORLEY JETSET NORTHBRIDGE CRUISEWORLD AMERICAN EXPRESS FLIGHT CENTRE CLOISTERS FLIGHT CENTRE WEMBLEY JETSET HAY STREET JETSET HILLARYS MOTIVE TRAVEL TRAVEL AND SPORTS AUSTRALIA PL (SUBIACO) TRAVEL ASSOCIATES AUSTRALIA PL (WEST PERTH) WEST TRAVEL PINJARRA CRUISE AND TRAVEL JETSET RIVERTON JETSET SPEARWOOD DIRECTIONS TRAVEL GREEN ISLAND TRAVEL & TOURS RAC TRAVEL SERVICES - PERTH OPENSEAS TRAVELSCENE WOODLANDS
PERTH PINJARRA RIVERTON SPEARWOOD SUBIACO VICTORIA PARK WEST PERTH WEST PERTH WOODLANDS New Zealand AUCKLAND COUNTIES UNITED TRAVEL AUCKLAND CRUISES DIRECT (INC GO HOLIDAYS) "CRUISE AGENCY OF THE YEAR 2007" AUCKLAND FLIGHT CENTRE BROWNS BAY AUCKLAND FLIGHT CENTRE HEAD OFFICE AUCKLAND FLIGHT CENTRE WAIUKU AUCKLAND HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL HENDERSON AUCKLAND HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL PONSONBY AUCKLAND HOUSE OF TRAVEL ALBANY AUCKLAND HOUSE OF TRAVEL ELLERSLIE AUCKLAND HOUSE OF TRAVEL HOWICK AUCKLAND HOUSE OF TRAVEL ONEHUNGA AUCKLAND HOUSE OF TRAVEL PAPAKURA AUCKLAND HOUSE OF TRAVEL REMUERA AUCKLAND HOUSE OF TRAVEL TAKAPUNA AUCKLAND ICRUISE AUCKLAND INFINITY HOLIDAYS AUCKLAND LETS CRUISE AUCKLAND LION WORLD UNITED TRAVEL LTD AUCKLAND MONDO TRAVEL MT EDEN AUCKLAND THE TOUR COMPANY AUCKLAND TRAVEL MANAGERS GROUP AUCKLAND UNITED TRAVEL ALBANY AUCKLAND UNITED TRAVEL BIRKENHEAD AUCKLAND UNITED TRAVEL FRANCHISE AUCKLAND UNITED TRAVEL MAIRANGI BAY AUCKLAND UNITED TRAVEL ST HELIERS AUCKLAND WAIHEKE WORLD TRAVEL AUCKLAND KIM MILDON FLIGHT CENTRE TRAVEL BROKER AUCKLAND NORTH SHORE BUSINESS TRAVEL AUCKLAND GRAHAM & MAY TRAVEL LTD AUCKLAND CITY UNITED TRAVEL BROWNS BAY BAY OF PLENTY MONDO TRAVEL ROTORUA
PHONE (08)9246 1212 (08)9021 1855 (08)9227 3390 (08)9582 9055 (08)9274 7669 (08)9375 3811 (08)9228 3388 (08)9322 2914 (08)9312 5600 (08)9319 4577 (08)9221 8838 (08)9402 3900 (08)9322 2666 (08)9381 9555 (08)9226 5200 (08)9321 4757 (08)9531 4747 (08)9354 1377 (08)9418 6300 (08)9381 7855 (08)9470 9494 (08)9436 4644 (08)9483 5568 (08)9244 1344 (09)295 0670 (09)917 4909 (09)478 6288 (09)355 7562 (09)235 5180 (09)839 0371 (09)360 0443 (09)414 1687 (09)525 2363 (09)535 4559 (09)636 7074 (09)296 0296 (09)524 4112 (09)486 0995 (09)522 5922 (09)301 9124 (09)476 9514 (09)308 8083 (09)630 2435 (09)262 1829 (09)921 5070 (09)477 5669 (09)480 0402 (09)375 5371 (09)478 7665 (09)575 0810 (09)372 9606 (09)5334 433 (09)414 9700 (09)378 9817 (09)478 7118 (7)350 2770
SUBURB CAMBRIDGE CANTERBURY CHRISTCHURCH CHRISTCHURCH CHRISTCHURCH CHRISTCHURCH DUNEDIN DUNEDIN ELTHAM GISBORNE HAMILTON
AGENCY
CAMBRIDGE UNITED TRAVEL UNITED TRAVEL ON VICTORIA SQUARE ADVENTURE TRAVEL FLIGHT CENTRE COLOMBO STREET HOUSE OF TRAVEL FERRYMEAD HOUSE OF TRAVEL RANGIORA VINCENT GEORGE HOUSE OF TRAVEL PATTERSON CRUISE & TRAVEL UNITED TRAVEL ELTHAM ELLIOTT UNITED TRAVEL CALDER AND LAWSON HOUSE OF TRAVEL HAMILTON HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL HAMILTON EAST HAVELOCK HOUSE OF TRAVEL NORTH HAVELOCK NORTH INVERCARGILL LAKER HOUSE OF TRAVEL (INVERCARGILL) KERIKERI MONDO TRAVEL KERIKERI LOWER HUTT HOUSE OF TRAVEL LOWER HUTT LOWER HUTT PAUL BORRIE UNITED TRAVEL MASTERTON HELEN SOUTHEY HOUSE OF TRAVEL MT MAUNGANUI TRAVELCOM MT MAUNGANUI UNITED TRAVEL AT THE MOUNT NAPIER CHAMPION TRAVEL LTD NZ NELSON UNITED TRAVEL NELSON NELSON HOUSE OF TRAVEL NELSON NEW PLYMOUTH UNITED TRAVEL NEW PLYMOUTH OREWA HOUSE OF TRAVEL OREWA OREWA OREWA UNITED TRAVEL OREWA TRAVEL MANAGERS - OREWA OTAGO HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL DUNEDIN OTOROHANGA DENISE TINDLE UNITED TRAVEL PALMERSTON STEPHEN PARSONS HOUSE NORTH OF TRAVEL PARAPARAUMU HOUSE OF TRAVEL KAPITI COAST QUEENSTOWN HOUSE OF TRAVEL QUEENSTOWN QUEENSTOWN QUEENSTOWN UNITED TRAVEL ROTORUA GALAXY UNITED TRAVEL ROTORUA HOUSE OF TRAVEL ROTORUA ROTORUA HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL ROTORUA TAUPO HOUSE OF TRAVEL TAUPO TAURANGA FLIGHTWORLD UNITED TRAVEL TAURANGA HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL TAURANGA JAMES ROSS TAURANGA MONDO TRAVEL TAURANGA TAURANGA UNITED TRAVEL AT CHERRYWOOD WANAKA HOUSE OF TRAVEL WANAKA WELLINGTON HOUSE OF TRAVEL PLIMMER STEPS WELLINGTON HOUSE OF TRAVEL WELLINGTON WELLINGTON PENINSULAR HOLIDAY SHOPPE WELLINGTON PETONE UNITED TRAVEL WELLINGTON RHIND & GARDINER HOUSE OF TRAVEL WELLINGTON UNITED TRAVEL KILBIRNIE 2006 WHAKATANE MCINTOSH UNITED TRAVEL "NZ CRUISE AGENT OF YEAR 2005" WHANGAMATA HOUSE OF TRAVEL WHANGAMATA WHANGAREI MONDO TRAVEL WHANGAREI WHANGAREI STEPHEN GILLINGHAM HOUSE OF TRAVEL WHANGAREI WHITIANGA TRAVEL OPTIONS UNITED TRAVEL
PHONE (07)827 5100 (03)379 6600 (03)364 3400 (03)379 6396 (03)376 4022 (03)313 0288 (03)477 3464 (03)474 1052 (06)764 7431 (06)868 4129 (07)856 9009 (64)7856 7102 (06)877 8737 (03)214 3500 (09)407 8013 (04)569 0950 (04)569 8770 (06)378 8848 (07)579 9832 (07)575 3068 (06)843 6280 (03)546 8068 (03)546 8780 (06)758 6119 (09)427 9700 (09)426 5743 (09)4265 488 (03)471 6612 (07)873 8242 (06)356 7051 (04)296 1990 (03)442 6668 (03)442 9815 (07)349 7444 (07)348 4152 (07)349 4130 (07)377 2700 (07)577 9957 (07)578 0936 (07)578 5299 (07)576 2204 (03)443 6350 (04)449 4699 (04)496 3010 (04)388 1107 (04)568 8039 (04)477 5750 (04)387 2747 (07)308 6446 (07)865 0010 (09)438 4094 (09)438 2333 (07)866 4397
Agencies listed have at least one Accredited staff member as at May 20, 2009. For full details, please see www.cruising.org.au, www.cruising.org.nz or telephone 61-2-9905 9001. 108 winter 2009 www.cruises.com.au
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L uxury
Kimberley CRUISing
Mekong â&#x20AC;˘ Ganges â&#x20AC;˘ Brahmaputra â&#x20AC;˘ Irrawaddy Chindwin â&#x20AC;˘ Rajang (Borneo) â&#x20AC;˘ Hooghly (India)
There has never been a better time to experience a luxury cruise on the great rivers of Asia. Riverboats are not at all like blue water cruises. Vessels are small, some with a maximum of just 24 guests. All feature elegant cabins, large observation decks, modern bathrooms and cosy dining rooms offering international cuisine. Traditional colonial furniture, impeccable service and the teak and brass fittings of a bygone age complete the ambience. Guests enjoy frequent shore excursions with informative guides to villages, markets & historic sites.
6 & 13 Night Cruises Experience the Kimberley coast between Broome & Wyndham. When you choose to explore the Kimberley with MATRIX Cruises you travel in unparalleled comfort and luxury, as we sample the unique natural and cultural heritage of this fascinating part of Australia. OCEAN ADVENT URE S P T Y LTD
Bookings & Enquiries: 08 9437 1777
Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Great Rivers
Part of the Oceanic Cruises Group
www.matrixcruises.com info@matrixcruises.com
Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most complete Asian Riverboat Brochure: t QBHFT PG FOUJDJOH PQUJPOT GFBUVSJOH t TVQFSC SJWFS DSVJTFT GSPN UP EBZT t CPVUJRVF SJWFS DSVJTF DPNQBOJFT t PG "TJB T GBNPVT SJWFST
Call Active Travel for your copy today
Toll Free: 1800 - 634 157
www.activetravel.com.au
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Powered by the renowned Cruise Passenger magazine, the site gives you access to the best deals in the market, as well as: UĂ&#x160; Â&#x2DC;`iÂŤiÂ&#x2DC;`iÂ&#x2DC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;i`Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;>Â?Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;Â?>Ă&#x152;iĂ&#x192;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;VĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;iĂ&#x160;Â&#x2DC;iĂ&#x153;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160; Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;iĂ&#x160;LÂ?Â&#x153;}Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;Â&#x17D;iĂ&#x17E;Ă&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;ÂŤÂ&#x2C6;VĂ&#x192;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;,iĂ&#x203A;Â&#x2C6;iĂ&#x153;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;vĂ&#x20AC;Â&#x153;Â&#x201C;Ă&#x160;VĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;iĂ&#x160;iĂ?ÂŤiĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;ÂŤ>Ă&#x192;Ă&#x192;iÂ&#x2DC;}iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160;/Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;>LÂ&#x2C6;Â?Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x20AC;iĂ&#x192;i>Ă&#x20AC;VÂ&#x2026;Ă&#x160;VĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;}Ă&#x160;Ă&#x153;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;Â&#x153;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x152;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x20AC;iĂ&#x152;>Â&#x2C6;Â?Ă&#x160;LÂ&#x2C6;>Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;UĂ&#x160;*Â&#x2026;Â&#x153;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;Ă&#x203A;Â&#x2C6;`iÂ&#x153;Ă&#x160;Â?Â&#x2C6;LĂ&#x20AC;>Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x2C6;iĂ&#x192;Ă&#x160; UĂ&#x160; Â&#x2DC;ÂľĂ&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x20AC;Ă&#x17E;Ă&#x160;vÂ&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x201C;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;`Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x20AC;iVĂ&#x152;i`Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;VĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x192;iĂ&#x160;Â?Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;iĂ&#x192;Ă&#x160;>Â&#x2DC;`Ă&#x160;Ă&#x20AC;iĂ&#x152;>Â&#x2C6;Â?iĂ&#x20AC;Ă&#x192;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x192;Â&#x153;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x17E;Â&#x153;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x160;V>Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;}iĂ&#x152;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x152;Â&#x2026;iĂ&#x160;Ă&#x192;ÂŤiVÂ&#x2C6;wĂ&#x160;VĂ&#x160;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x2DC;vÂ&#x153;Ă&#x20AC;Â&#x201C;>Ă&#x152;Â&#x2C6;Â&#x153;Â&#x2DC;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x17E;Â&#x153;Ă&#x2022;Ă&#x160;Ă&#x20AC;iÂľĂ&#x2022;Â&#x2C6;Ă&#x20AC;i
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2009 READER SURVEY COMPLETE THE FORM BELOW AND MAIL TO CRUISE PASSENGER MAGAZINE, 51 WHISTLER STREET, MANLY, NSW 2095, OR ENTER ON OUR WEBSITE, WWW.CRUISES.COM.AU
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23/6/09 12:26:23 PM
Please take 10 minutes to fill out our survey and answer a quick question on the entry form below. You could win a fabulous 15-night APT ‘Magnificent Europe’ cruise for two people, from Amsterdam to Budapest! Worth $13,000, this luxury cruise calls in at historic towns and villages along the Rhine. Main and Danube Rivers, the true heart of Europe. * See www.cruises.com.au for full Conditions of Entry.
WIN!
YOUR NEXT
CRUISE
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20. What is your favourite cruise destination? ❑ South Pacific ❑ The Americas ❑ Antarctica ❑ Caribbean ❑ Indian Ocean/Africa ❑ Asia
24. What is the most important factor you consider when booking a cruise? ❑ Cruise line ❑ Cruise Ship ❑ Price ❑ Season ❑ Other (please specify)
26. On average how much do you spend per person when booking a cruise? ❑ $0-$2,500 ❑ $2,500-$5000 ❑ $5000-$7,500 ❑ $7500-$10,000 ❑ $10,000-$15,000 ❑ $15,000-$20,000 27. On average, other than cruising, how many holidays do you go on each year? ❑0 ❑ 1-5 ❑ 5-10 ❑ 10-20 ❑ 20+ 28. Outside of cruising, what is your favourite type of holiday? ❑ Coach or train ❑ Beach/resort ❑ Driving ❑ Walking ❑ Other (please specify) 29. What gender are you? ❑ Male ❑ Female 29. What age bracket do you fall into? ❑ Under 25 ❑ 26-35 ❑ 36-45 ❑ 56-65 ❑ 65-75 ❑ 75+
❑ 46-55
31. What is your annual household income? ❑ Less than $10,000 ❑ $10,000-$25,000 ❑ 25,000-40,000 ❑ 40,000-60,000 ❑ 60,000-85,000 ❑ 85,000-100,000 ❑ 100,000+ 32. What is your profession?
23/6/09 10:01:38 AM
last word by John Pond
dollars and sense Although a cruise may be advertised as ‘all inclusive’ you may find ‘extras’ add up substantially and you get hit with a big bill at the end of your cruise.
W
hile the cost of your cruise might appear to cover all onboard costs, sometimes there are ‘hidden’ extras that you might not have considered, such as various gratuities. You can go to the purser’s desk at any time and request an up-to-date printout of your account. I usually do this a couple of times during a cruise. Now let’s see what some of the ‘nonessential’ extras may cost. Dining in one of the ‘premium’ restaurants could cost an additional US$25-$30 per person, plus drinks, of course. I usually dine once in the so-called premium restaurants and am often disappointed. On many ships the service is over the top – being asked if you are enjoying your steak four times by different waiters is overkill. I believe the service and food in the main dining room is usually excellent and having your regular waiters is a pleasant plus. Every night you are hounded by the ship’s photographers, but learn to say no unless you really want that photo (which is usually very good, but not every night). Remember, there is no obligation to buy but it’s good to have a memento of the
cruise so buying an occasional picture is not unreasonable. Formal Night usually sees people lining up to have portraits taken against special backgrounds with additional model lighting. Americans love formal portraits. Aussies, less so. The price is much less than you would pay at home and you are under no obligation to buy the finished print. Royal Caribbean recently added a $14.95 surcharge for passengers ordering a filet mignon in its main dining room and a $3.95 ‘late-night service charge’ for room service orders placed between midnight and 5am. If you’re still hungry at that time with all the food offered during the day, including midnight buffets, you deserve to pay the extra charge! Laundry is relatively expensive and I always take a bottle of liquid detergent to wash my underwear and socks every few days. Most ships have self-service laundries that have a nominal charge. Others offer a bag wash – all you can squeeze into bag supplied for a reasonable fee; regular laundry and dry cleaning charges are similar to onshore hotel pricing. The main out-of-pocket expense is alcohol (to which a 15 per cent tip is
automatically added) and soft drinks. If you’re a big soft drink consumer you can buy a card on the first day for about $45 that will give unlimited sodas for the whole cruise. Beauty salon treatments are another expense. The beauticians work on commission and will try to sell you every beauty potion under the sun. Finally, tipping. Until recently most cruise lines recommended how much one should tip at the end of the cruise to those staff that came into immediate contact with you. They provided small envelopes for your room steward, your waiter, assistant waiter, busboy, etc. This was a messy system. Today, most ships add $15 a day to your room account that covers all your gratuities. This works well and most are more than happy to pay this at the end of a cruise. It is subtracted from your credit card and you receive a full statement in your cabin on the penultimate day of the cruise. Please remember that all staff below officer and manager levels are paid a low wage and depend on tips to survive. If you would sooner hand your tips directly to those looking after you, go to the purser’s office and they will delete the tipping fees. But remember these the $15-a-day tips are split between at least five crew and the dollar amount is very small for the service and the wonderful time had on board. John Pond is News Editor of Cruise Passenger and www.cruises.com.au.
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