Orion's Flavours Of Asia

From the flash of saffron robes in a Buddhist temple to the remote crystalline beaches of Tioman Island and the bustle of floating market stalls on the Mekong, the whiff of durian, the silence of a misty dawn in Halong Bay or the buzz of motor bikes in Ho Chi Minh City, Orion Expedition Cruises now offer two superb seven-night voyages that combine the sensory contrasts of Asia into never-to-be forgotten experiences of sights, sounds and smells that encapsulate South-East Asia.

Enjoy an inclusive overnight stay and visit to the world’s largest religious complex, the World Heritage listed temples of Angkor Wat. Take an early morning elephant ride through the temples to see first-hand the technological and architectural wonder of the ancient Khmer kingdom, with its canals and reservoirs and a rice economy able to support a million people.

Cross the broad muddy waters of the Mekong Delta and mix it with the locals on an exclusive Zodiac exploration of the river and floating markets – Orion II being the first foreign ship to be granted permission to do this.

Bargain for batik, beaten brassware and shot silk in dazzling colours, sip a dry martini, lounge on an untouched beach, snorkel transparent waters and photograph sampans with their distinctive timber hulls and sun-bleached yellow sails. These two itineraries reveal a balance of history, culture and relaxation that capture the energy of bustling modern Asia balanced by the serenity of the ancient.

· The seven-night Gulf of Siam Explorer departs October 10 and December 22 and February 27, 2012. The voyages alternate between Singapore and Bangkok and visit Tioman Island, Kuala Terengganu, Ko Samui, Ang Thong Marine Park and Ko Kut. Priced from £3,340 per person, including seven nights on board Orion II, all meals, entertainment and educational programmes, use of the ship’s sporting equipment and facilities, Zodiac excursions, port and handling charges, tender transfers and government fees and taxes.

· The seven-night Thailand, Temples & The Mekong expedition departs October 17 and December 15, and March 5, 2012. The voyages alternate between Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City and visit Ko Kut, Sihanoukville (for an overnight trip and stay at Angkor Wat), Phu Quoc and Can Tho (Mekong Delta). Priced from £3,340 per person, including seven nights on Orion II, all meals, entertainment and educational programmes, use of the ship’s sporting equipment and facilities, Zodiac excursions, port and handling charges, tender transfers and government fees and taxes.

For more info, visit www.orionexpeditions.com or contact the UK's leading adventure-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

Think Exotic With P&O

P&O Cruises is offering a new collection of exotic fly-cruise holidays on four ships in early 2013, with an array of 50 new holidays on offer on the Adonia, Arcadia, Aurora and Azura.

These exotic cruises are presented in a new Winter Holidays brochure, combined with cruises on the other three ships in the P&O Cruises fleet – Oceana, Oriana and Ventura – featuring holidays throughout the winter to the Caribbean, Canary Islands and Mediterranean.

All cruises in the Winter Holidays brochure can be viewed online at www.pocruises.co.uk. Cruises on Oceana, Oriana and Ventura are on sale now and the new exotic cruises can be booked from July 15.

The new exotic fly-cruise holidays combine iconic, far-flung destinations and start from just 13 nights in duration and £989 per person, based on Azura’s Mumbai to Singapore voyage, calling in Colombo, Langkawi, Bangkok (from Laem Chabang) and Singapore.

Free onboard spending money, which increases per person depending on the grade of cabin booked, and Early Booking savings are available for bookings made before November 30. In addition, an extra 10% discount is available for bookings made by August 31.

For more info, seet www.pocruises.co.uk or, to book, contact the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Silversea Adds More Relais & Chateau Voyages

Ultra-luxury Silversea Cruises is pleased to announce that four additional voyages this year will feature the exclusive "Relais & Châteaux L'École des Chefs" interactive cooking school.

"Our L'École des Chefs cooking school is proving extremely popular with guests and we're pleased to roll it out to more voyages this year," said Rudi Scholdis, Silversea's director of culinary development.

The new L'École des Chefs voyages for 2011 are:

NORTHERN EUROPE

Voyage 4122: Silver Whisper departs Stockholm July 23 on a seven-day sailing to Copenhagen with calls in Tallinn, St. Petersburg (three-day/two-night stopover) and Helsinki. Silver Savings fares start at £3,068.

Voyage 1121: Silver Cloud departs Copenhagen July 30 on a 17-day round-trip sailing, with calls in Alesund, Geiranger, Helleysilt, Lofoten, Tromso, Honningsvag (North Cape), Murmansk, Archangel (overnight visit), Hammerfest and Kristiansund. Silver Savings fares start at £5,583.

FAR EAST

Voyage 3126: Silver Shadow departs Incheon (Seoul) September 23 on a 12-day sailing to Hong Kong, with calls in Qingdao, Shanghai, Jiangyin, Nanjing and Xiamen. Highlights include cruising the Yangtze River and overnight stays in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Silver Savings fares start at £3,968.

Voyage 3127: Silver Shadow departs Hong Kong October 5 on a 12-day sailing to Singapore with calls in Chan May, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Ko Samui, and Kuantan. Highlights include overnight stays in Ho Chi Minh City and Bangkok. Silver Savings fares start at £3,968.

Through its exclusive partnership with Relais & Châteaux, the distinguished international association of charming properties and gourmet restaurants, Silversea enjoys the privilege of featuring the only Relais & Châteaux L'École des Chefs cooking school at sea. The innovative programme offers guests a special culinary curriculum, including hands-on instruction, and entertaining events hosted by Silversea culinary trainer David Bilsland. Educated in classic French cooking, Bilsland's career includes several years as a chef instructor at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in London. He presents a programme developed in collaboration with Jacques Thorel, the owner of L'Auberge Bretonne and a consulting Grand Chef Relais & Châteaux.

The curriculum for each of these cruises is carefully designed to celebrate the cultural flavour of the ship's itinerary. Highlights include specialised workshops covering a range of topics from basic knife skills and kitchen terminology to sauces and baking; cooking demonstrations with wine pairings and interactive Q&A sessions; lively cooking competitions between Chef Bilsland and the ship's own culinary team; a "Lunch and Learn" event offering small groups of guests a chance to sample a delicious meal of specially prepared dishes; and inspired "Take It Home" recipes that will give guests an edge when entertaining at home.

Also offered on certain voyages, when the itinerary permits, is a "Market to the Plate" experience that provides an escorted tour of a local market followed by a cooking class, and a "Culinary Outing," an instructor-escorted excursion to a local restaurant, hotel or other venue where guests can enjoy a unique culinary exploration.

All prices are per person, based on two people sharing a Vista Suite and include complimentary return economy class air, port charges, government fees and taxes. The $500 (V4122 and V1121) and $1,000 (V3126 and V3127) Onboard Spending Credit is offered per suite, based on two people sharing, for use towards additional benefits such as shore excursions, the spa, boutiques or the wine restaurant.

For more info, visit www.silversea.com or contact the UK's leading luxury cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd at 0800 008 6677.

Celebrity's First Asia Season Now On Sale

Celebrity Cruises has announced its first-ever season sailing in Asia in the winter of 2012/13, and the series of voyages on Celebrity Millennium is now on sale, visiting nine countries new to the brand, including Vietnam, Thailand and China.

Celebrity's inaugural Asian season will consist of a series of 14-night open-jaw cruises between Singapore and Hong Kong and includes overnight stays in Singapore, Bangkok (Thailand), Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Halong Bay (Vietnam) and Hong Kong. The season also will include two 14-night sailings round-trip from Singapore with overnight stays in Bali (Indonesia) in January 2013.

At either end of Millennium’s Asia season will be two trans-Pacific sailings. The westbound cruise will coincide with the total solar eclipse in November 2012. Guests will be able to view the eclipse while at sea when sailing from Fiji to New Zealand. In April 2013, the ship will reposition from Hong Kong to Shanghai on a cruise featuring overnight calls in Hong Kong and Beijing (Tianjin). Millennium will then continue eastbound across the North Pacific to Alaska and will call at various ports in China, Japan, and Russia.

Guests can also take advantage of one of Celebrity's signature cruise-tours, which combine a cruise with a five-night pre or post-cruise escorted land package out of Hong Kong. They will feature trips to Xian and Beijing to view the famed Terracotta Warriors and the Great Wall of China. All of these packages are escorted by a local tour director and include hotel accommodations, transportation, select activities, breakfasts and some additional meals.

While sailing, a variety of shore excursions are available. A number of overnight stays in port will offer the opportunity to enjoy two or three-day excursions, with examples including a two-night/three-day overland experience from Bangkok to Siem Reap to visit Angkor Wat (Cambodia). The tour focuses on the temples of Angkor to see the best examples of stone carvings recovered from temples across Cambodia.

During cruises that include an overnight stay in port at Halong Bay (Hanoi), an overnight shore excursion offers a visit to the Old Quarter of the city; an opportunity to witness unique Vietnamese performing arts at the Hanoi Water Puppet Theatre; dinner at a traditional restaurant; and an overnight stay in a leading hotel.

For more info, see www.celebritycruises.co.uk or contact the cruise agent specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.