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Don Menzies Managing Director Travelcom |
Sailing around the Caribbean in a luxury yacht doesn't have to be just a dream.
Windstar has revealed its 2014 seven-day Caribbean programmes on what will be three very different itineraries.
The season will start in December 2013 and run through until March 2014, giving those in the Northern Hemisphere a welcome respite to the long winter.
The Flavours of the Caribbean cruise on Wind Surf departs from Dutch St. Maarten to French-influenced Martinique, with calls to Le Marin, Martinique; Pigeon Island, St. Lucia; Roseau, Dominica; Les Saintes, Guadeloupe; and Basseterre, St. Kitts.
Wind Star's itinerary will include a Jewels of the Windward Islands voyage sailing roundtrip from Bridgetown, Barbados with stops at Pigeon Island, St. Lucia; St. George's Grenada; Mayreau, St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Tobago Cays, St. Vincent and the Grenadines; and Bequia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Last but by no means least, Wind Surf's Yachtsman's Caribbean itinerary will sail from Philipsburg, St. Maarten, calling on Falmouth Harbour, Antigua (overnight); Soper's Hole, Tortola, B.V.I; Jost Van Dyke, B.V.I. (overnight); Virgin Gorda, Prickly Pear Beach, B.V.I. (overnight); and Gustavia, St. Barthelemy.
Crystal goes to Northern Europe
Crystal's 2013 Northern Europe programme will be highlighted by shorter summer voyages and more overnight stops.
The Baltic, Scandinavian and British Isles programme will start in June 2013 with Crystal Serenity's three seven-day itineraries and five 10-day cruises.
Passengers can explore Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Estonia, Germany, Belgium, Finland, Russia, the UK and Ireland.
For the first time, two new cruises sail to and from Dublin, and a London to Copenhagen cruise is the start of the cruise line's return to Amsterdam, Zeebrugge and Helsingborg.
Voyager's UK celebrations
Naming celebrations took place last week in Portsmouth for UK-based mv Voyager.
After spending a few days being shown off in Portsmouth, she will embark on a five-month India voyage, returning to the UK summer for another four cruises.
Captain Cook Cruises' remote island tour
Fijian specialist cruise company Captain Cook Cruises is taking a departure from the norm next year by visiting the remote Lau Islands.
Guests will be able to cruise for 11 nights on MV Reef on 22 October 2012 and will visit the northern island of Lau, Wailagilala; Lau's largest Island Vanuabalavu, known as the most beautiful Island in the Lau group, Fulaga; the uninhabited Vuaqava; Kabara known for its wood turning and Tongan heritage; and the beautiful white beaches of Totoya Island.
On the way to and from the Lau Islands the cruise will stop in at Yanuca Island, Savusavu Bay and Kadavu, famous for its wildlife and underwater world Captain Cook Cruises' managing director Jackie Charlton says the cruise company is really excited to be offering the first-ever cruise around the Lau Islands.
'We have worked really hard, using local knowledge and advice, to put together a fantastic 11 night itinerary that will not only show off everything Lau has to offer, but that will allow passengers to experience a remote and unspoilt part of Fiji,” she added.
Celebrity Reflection's christening with a difference
Celebrity Reflection was christened last week in a very special ceremony.
In keeping with Celebrity Cruises' partnership with the Breast Cancer Foundation, four women have been chosen as Reflection's godmothers and were there to preside over the ceremony.
The four, all employees of the cruise line, and two of whom have been diagnosed with breast cancer, are Helen O'Connell, manager of Celebrity's community relations, Rosey Rodriguez, a 17-year company employee, as well as Jovanka Goronjic, AquaSpa manager on the Australian-based Celebrity Solstice, and Megan Mathie, a glassblower on Solstice, both of whose mothers have the disease.
Fantasia's new adult-only space
Adults in search of a cruise ship with quiet adult-only spaces will be happy to know that MSC Cruises has come up with the answer.
All its Fantasia class ships, MSC splendour, MSC Fantasia, MSC Divina and MSC Preziosa will have adult-only sanctuaries with spa, solariums, exclusive bar menus and their own deck space.
'With its own dedicated spa service, bar menu and complimentary delicious fruit skewers, Top 18 is the perfect place to relax, unwind, and watch the waves go by,” MSC told Cruise Weekly in a statement.
The top 18 Exclusive Solarium space will be available from the beginning of the Northern Hemisphere summer season.
New luxury ship for Uniworld
Luxury river cruise specialist Uniworld is set to launch a new river cruising ship.
The SS Catherine, a sister ship to the award-winning SS Antoinette, will debut in the south of France in 2014.
Uniworld's general manager John Molinaro told Cruise Weekly that SS Catherine will be very like her luxury sister-ship.
He said the new 159-passenger SS Catherine would boast 'Red Carnation Hotel touches”, an outdoor dining terrace, a bistro, the jungle-themed Leopard Lounge and an indoor pool and spa.
SS Catherine's passengers will be able to take eight-day cruises on the Rhone and Saone rivers in Burgundy and Provence.
The fully refurbished River Royale, which currently cruises the Rhone and Saone rivers, will now sail to a completely new itinerary.
The itinerary will begin and end in the UNESCO World Heritage city and include visits to Aquitaine Châteaux and Pauillac, the gateway to the Medoc wine route, and St. Emilion, the oldest wine area of the region.
More ships for Viking
Viking Ocean Cruises is getting two more ships built, with an option for two more.
The cruise company has just signed an agreement with ship-builders Fincantieri and the ships will both weigh in at 48,000 tonnes.
'This additional order indicates just how strong early response has been to our ocean cruise concept which focuses on small ship destination cruising at a great value.
We are very excited to have Fincantieri as a partner as we work to bring the destination back to ocean cruising,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking.