Oceania's Big New Year Savings

Oceania Cruises, who operate four mid-sized luxury cruise ships specifically designed for lovers of good food and elegant living, is offering savings of up to £1,687 per person on selected departures between January 17 and March 29.

The offer is part of Oceania's `Explore your World’ promotion, which, on selected cruises, also gives clients free gratuities (worth up to $925 per booking) and a $1,000 shipboard credit per stateroom to spend on spa treatments, drinks, shore excursions or gifts from the onboard shops.

The sailings include a 25-night cruise from Bangkok to Beijing on board the 650-guest Nautica, departing on February 28, with port calls in Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and China, now from £3,025 (was £4,712, saving £1,687); and two cruises on board sister ship Regatta - a 21-night sailing from Auckland to Sydney, departing on March 8, now £2,541 (was £2,942, saving £401); and a 25-night voyage from Sydney to Papeete departing March 29 (now £3,025, saving £539), which also include the $1,000 per stateroom shipboard credit and free gratuities. 

Then there is an 18-night South Pacific sailing departing January 17 from Papeete to Auckland on board Regatta, which now costs from £2,178* (was £2,656, saving £478), with $1,000 credit per stateroom and free gratuities. 

And, in South America, the January 22 sailing on board Insignia, exploring Peru and Chile as the ship cruises the west coast of South America, now costs from £2,176 (was £3,080, saving £904), with $1,000 credit per stateroom and free gratuities.

For more info and booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's luxury cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

Pick Patagonia!

Patagonia is set to become the next big thing in Adventure Cruising. With fantastic scenery and amazing wildlife, it is the up-and-coming place to go.

Many mainstream cruise lines will visit during the winter 2011/12 season, while specialist local operators like Chile's superb Nomads of the Seas can offer the small-scale luxury experience.

For more information, why not visit the UK's leading adventure-cruise specialists The Cruise Line Ltd or contact them on 0800 008 6677 for their full Adventure Cruise Collection brochure.

Gap Adventures 2011/12 Line-Up Of Polar Cruises

Gap Adventures introduces its 2011/12 Arctic and Antarctica cruise season with a slew of new features. Perfect for the cold weather and adventure enthusiasts, a trip aboard the M/S Expedition delves deep into the vast array of wintry wildlife and breathtaking scenery of narrow waterways, glaciers, icebergs and rugged mountains, which very few people will ever have the opportunity to see.

Gap Adventures is pleased to provide free destination cruising guides, as well as complimentary Wellington boots for the duration of the trip to keep passengers' feet warm and dry. Plus, travellers on select cruises who book category five cabins receive exclusive, complimentary Canada Goose Adventurer jackets. Parkas are also available for purchase online for $269 (approx: £173).

Gap Adventures 2011/12 Polar Cruises

For the ardent adventure-seeking passengers, Gap Adventures now offers sea kayaking in the Arctic and Antarctic - a unique opportunity to get up-close-and-personal with the native wildlife. Following in the footsteps of bold explorers, travellers can also camp and experience the majesty of Antarctica at night. Excursions must be pre-arranged as they are not sold on board.

Travellers with ample holiday time can also enjoy extensions and add-ons pre- or post-cruise. Antarctica extensions allow travellers to unravel the mysteries of Easter Island, indulge in the fine food and wines of Chile and Argentina or travel to the heart of the Amazon to discover Iguazu Falls. Arctic add-ons allow travellers to explore the beauty of Longyearbyen (Svalbard Islands) and Oslo.

Passengers who book a space on a selection of the Arctic cruises by January 31 will also receive a 25 per cent early-booking discount.

Uniquely equipped to meet the demands of cruising in polar environments, the Expedition provides an exceptionally safe, spacious and comfortable experience for all passengers. At a nimble 105 metres in length, the ship is able to approach remote areas to which many other vessels cannot navigate. This is also one of the most stable expedition ships in its class.

For more information, visit http://www.gapadventures.co.uk./

Day Trips to Antarctica and Galapagos Islands

By guest blogger Steve Newman.

Setting foot on the wild and rugged Galapagos Islands and exploring the Antarctic base on foot are just two of the many unforgettable experiences awaiting guests aboard Seabourn Odyssey during its 73-day South America circumnavigation in 2011.

The Yachts of Seabourn is offering a choice of more than 120 optional shore excursions during the journey around South America, providing guests with numerous opportunities to see, hear, touch, taste and feel the amazing diversity of environments, historic and modern cultures, and the breathtaking natural scenery of the continent.

Seabourn’s new shore excursions in South America include:

Galapagos in a Day, Guayaquil, Ecuador: Since their exploration more than 150 years ago, these remarkable islands have not lost their ability to inspire and are home to many unique, indigenous species. Seabourn guests fly from Guayaquil to the islands, visiting the Giant Tortoises Reserve, the Twin Pit Craters and stop at the world renowned Charles Darwin Research Centre.

Antarctic Expedition, Punta Arenas, Chile: From Punta Arenas, guests board a chartered flight due south, crossing the Polar Circle to touch down at Frei Base, maintained by the Chilean Air Force and situated on an ice-free area. Stepping off the plane, guests explore the base and its surroundings on foot. A mile downhill walk on a dirt road brings them to the base and, from here, they board an inflatable boat to visit Ardley Island, a highly protected area occupied by breeding colonies of penguins.

A tremendous variety of excursions are available at the 31 ports of call during Odyssey’s 73-day South America circumnavigation. Capital cities such as Quito, Santiago, Lima, Buenos Aires and Montevideo as well as world class metropolises such as Rio de Janeiro and Salvador de Bahia combine with exotic locations in Patagonia and the Amazon.

The voyage departs January 4, 2011, from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. To reserve space on Seabourn’s optional shore excursions online prior to the cruise, guests can visit www.seabourn.com. Fares for the entire voyage begin at £17,998 per person, based on double occupancy. For travellers who are unable to sail on the full 73-day voyage, shorter itineraries are available, starting from £4,999 per person for 19 days.

For more information, visit http://www.seabourn.com/ or check with the luxury and adventure cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Voyage to Murmansk

No sooner, it seems, do we put our focus on adventure-style cruising than all kinds of exciting opportunities for this more offbeat voyaging crop up.

We have already detailed some of them on here at Time Spent At Sea (notably the amazing Chilean Patagonia voyages of Nomads of the Seas), but the latest press release to hit my Inbox highlights yet another aspect of this trend.

Voyages of Discovery have been around for a few years now, using their boutique little MV Discovery (the former Island Princess and 'Love Boat' of Princess Cruises) to explore some of the lesser-known parts of the cruise world.

But the announcement of one special cruise for 2011 really caught my attention, especially for the huge slice of World War II history it represents. Voyage to the White Sea and Archangel is a fabulous-looking opportunity to travel in the wake of the great Northern convoys that played such a big part in winning the War.

It is probably one of the more unusual itineraries, even by Voyages of Discovery standards, and it is certainly one that would pique my interest (if ever I could afford to take 18 days off!). Not only does it include a terrific sequence of ports of call, VoD will also have a superb range of guest speakers to accompany the voyage, including Enigma machine expert Mark Baldwin.

Here is the full press release:

‘Voyage to the White Sea and Archangel’, a new 18 day cruise from Voyages of Discovery departing 15^th June 2011 has sold 10% of its cabins within the first few days of release. For the majority of passengers the cruise represents a journey to the unknown so this is a remarkable feat in the current market. Tellingly, it is one of the best sold cruises from the summer 2011 programme, despite being one of Discovery’s most expensive cruises with prices from £1,899.

In an industry dominated by ever larger ships and crowds, the team at Voyages of Discovery has taken a bold view on the future of cruising which is paying dividends. It has returned to its grass roots by putting product at the heart of its marketing strategy by offering some of the most fascinating, spectacular and unusual destinations available anywhere on the cruise market.

While other brands build ever larger ships, resulting in compromises on destinations, Voyages of Discovery has capitalised on the benefits of a small ship by visiting new, off the beaten track destinations which will appeal to an increasingly sophisticated and well travelled cruise market. While others have cut corners or added hidden charges in order to woo customers with discounts, Voyages of Discovery has focused on providing unique, great-value travel experiences which are planned meticulously to offer more time on shore.

Voyage to the White Sea and Archangel will see Discovery travelling to the lesser-visited Solovestky Islands, a symbol of Russia’s spiritual past; historic Trondheim, Norway’s ’coronation city’; Archangel, where revolution, war and communism have all left indelible marks; and Murmansk, terminus for the most perilous and infamous of the World War II Allied convoys.

On route, passengers will witness the spectacular view of the midnight sun from the North Cape accompanied by experts including Mark Baldwin from Bletchley Park, who will be bringing one of the few original, working 1944 Enigma machines on board. The guest speakers also include a celebrated historian and natural scientist who will unlock the mysteries of wartime espionage, the legacy of revolution and the Soviet Union.

Voyage to the White Sea and Archangel follows the success of Discovery’s ambitious Winter 2010/11 programme which includes a 79-day complete circumnavigation of South America, with opportunities to explore landscapes such as the Amazon, the Orinoco, the Falklands and the magnificent Galapagos.

Nomads of the Seas, Pt 2

OK, in the opening part of our Photo Essay on the unique Nomads of the Seas operation in Chilean Patagonia, we looked at their special ship, the MV Atmosphere, and her amazing array of equipment for their signature up-close-and-personal tours of the region.

This time I'd like to highlight the region, as it is also one of the world's truly unique environments and an amazing realm of stunning scenery and enchanting wildlife.

From Nomads' point of view, Patagonia starts as soon as you sail south from their port of Puerto Montt, the biggest city in the Lake District region of the country. Surrounded by mountains and volcanoes (some of them still active), the backdrop is never less than breathtaking, but it also changes with astonishing regularity, even from minute to minute as the light changes.

The journey continues out of the Reloncavi Sound into the Gulf of Ancud, passing by the huge island of Chiloe on the starboard side. Watch out for dolphins (including one species found only in Chilean waters), sea-lions, penguins, sea-otters, blue whales (in season - late summer, around February in the southern hemisphere) and a multitude of seabirds, including cormorants, comical steamer ducks and albatross.

Most of the hinterland is thickly forested, which makes for a fascinating combination with the rugged mountains. The many islands and rocky outcrops are home to sea-lions, penguins and kelp geese, as well as some vibrant and verdant plant life, which in turn attracts many tiny hummingbirds. Several types of dolphin often frolic alongside the ship (and even more so when you go out for excursions in the RIB inflatable boat) and even when the weather turns grey and rainy (which it is sure to do at some stage in these regions), there is always something to admire in the passing vistas.

With luck (and the right weather!), you will see imposing volcano of Corcovado and the currently active Chaiten, still spewing out clouds of smoke and ash two years after its most recent eruption.

Ultimately, this is an extraordinarily desolate and even forbidding part of the world. But the sheer fact that so few people live here - and even fewer visit - makes this one of the great cruise adventures you can take. And, when you take one of Nomads' helicopter tours to go hiking, kayaking, fishing or merely sight-seeing over this impossibly rugged countryside, it is utterly absorbing and totally unforgettable.

Nomads of the Seas - A Photo Essay

It is now six weeks since we got back from Chile and our amazing experience cruising around Patagonia with the superb Nomads of the Seas, so it is long overdue for a proper report on the trip (which will also be the feature story in the next edition of World of Cruising magazine, out in June).

So, to do something different, I thought I would turn this into a kind of photo essay, using some of our many (like 1,753!) pictures of the trip to illustrate a few key points about this unique operation that sails out of Puerto Montt in southern Chile.

Let's start with the ship itself, the purpose-built M/V Atmosphere, carrying just 28 passengers and barely 160ft long but absolutely packed with features and some astonishing gadgets - like its two Bell 407 helicopters (for sensational sight-seeing and tours inland), five jetboats, a US Navy-quality RIB inflatable boat (for up-close dolphin and whale-watching) and a variety of canoes and kayaks.

The ship has a very comfortable lounge and bar, an open dining room and a very chic little spa, with massage, sauna and three thalassotherapy whirlpools, and that is about the extent of the facilities. But that is more than enough - as we found out in due course!

It's Orion, Doubled

Having sung the praises of adventure cruising in general just recently - including our truly amazing voyage with Nomads of the Seas in Patagonia last month (of which more in future blogs when the earthquake situation in Chile stabilises) - it was interesting to see various 'adventure' themed press releases roll in this week.

One that really caught my eye was from Australia-based Orion Expedition Cruises, who have announced a second ship to join their highly distinctive and exclusive operations Down Under, but operating in the Far East to the likes of Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia.

As well as being another endorsement for the brilliant Adventure Cruise Collection recently put out by The Cruise Line Ltd, it highlights yet again how the market for this kind of holiday is expanding almost exponentially. 'Soft' adventure holidays, with an upmarket, boutique style, are definitely a major growth opportunity, and the Orion press release helps to explain why:

Orion Expedition Cruises is to increase the size of its fleet with the addition of a second specialist expedition cruise ship to join the existing 106-passenger Orion.

Orion Expedition Cruises has released details regarding the forthcoming long term charter of Clelia II, a 100-passenger all-suite luxury expedition cruise ship, to be renamed Orion II. The ship, configured to Orion’s exacting requirements, is scheduled to commence expedition voyages under the Orion Expedition Cruises banner in May 2011.

Making the announcement from onboard Orion in Sydney Harbour, Sarina Bratton, Orion’s founder and Managing Director, was upbeat about the expansion of the business she started in 2004, citing a strong existing market – despite tough current worldwide economic conditions – and growing interest from international markets in expedition cruising in this part of the globe.

A loyal Orion past-passenger base, resurgent growth by independent travellers and significant opportunities afforded through charter and incentives markets have provided the platform for the expansion.

Based on thorough research, and following the success of Orion’s recent voyages, Orion II will be based in South East Asia offering a wide range of expeditions that will include Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, the Indonesian archipelago, Japan and Borneo. Details of destinations and itineraries will be released shortly once voyage details and expedition team scouting are finalised.

Recently subject to a €13 million refurbishment, with emphasis on technical enhancements and upgraded environmental systems, the ship will also undergo additional cosmetic enhancements to bring her fully into the Orion style.

Commenting on the additional range of destinations and itineraries, Sarina said Orion Expedition Cruises will be able to provide exclusive expeditions from Antarctica to Asia, and the Kimberley to Melanesia and New Zealand, with the two ships offering a balance of onboard service and luxury combined with unique personal experiences in environmentally and culturally sensitive parts of the region. Together, Orion and Orion II will be two of the most modern and capable expedition cruise ships cruising in Australasia.

The long term charter of a second purpose built ship able to access remote regions in comfort is a further step to fulfilling the company’s original vision to have Orion Expedition Cruises regarded as the operator of choice in the Asia Pacific.

About Clelia II/Orion II

Clelia II will continue to be marketed and operated until April 2011 by Travel Dynamics International, New York, a leading US expedition cruise company serving the American educational and cultural non-profit groups.

Originally launched in late 1990 as Renaissance Four and re-launched in 2009 after extensive technical refurbishment, redecoration and other improvements, the all-suite Clelia II offers fine small-ship cruise travel. In May 2011, the ship will be renamed Orion II.

This private yacht-like cruise ship accommodates only 100 guests in 50 suites, each of which affords ocean views, measuring 215 to 285 square feet, and are appointed with a sitting area or separate living room, twin or queen-size beds, spacious closets, and air conditioning. Each also features satellite TV, DVD/CD player, telephone, mini-refrigerator and marble-appointed en-suite.

Decorated with rich fabrics, handsome wood, polished brass, rare antiquities and fine works of art, the ship’s public spaces are warm and inviting. Bespoke small-ship amenities include:

· Library with Internet access
· Two lounges with audiovisual facilities
· State-of-the-art gym/spa
· Beauty salon
· Boutique
· Hospital
· Elevator serving all passenger decks
· Dining room
· Two sun decks
· Jacuzzi
· Swimming platform

Clelia II complies with the latest international and US Coast Guard safety regulations and is outfitted with the most current navigation and communications technology as well as retractable fin stabilizers for smooth sailing, an ice-strengthened hull for Antarctic voyages and a fleet of Zodiacs to enable easy shore access in remote locations.

Clelia II carries a staff of 65, providing a ratio of over one crew member for every two guests. Taken together with her limited guest capacity, excellence of design, craftsmanship and material, Clelia II's spaciousness and intimate ambience combine to make her ideal for distinctive cultural and expedition voyages.

We're on Countdown Central here at Chez Veness, ready for our big epic adventure of the year - off to Chile and a week's cruise with Nomads of the Seas followed by a post-cruise stay in the capital Santiago.

It marks the start of our loose 'theme' with World of Cruising magazine for 2010, the whole subject of adventure cruising and the best ways to do it in different parts of the world.

We have already highlighted the new Adventure Cruise Collection just published by our sister company The Cruise Line Ltd, but our subjects for the magazine promise to go into a lot more depth in each case.

We will open the Spring edition with the great Pacific North-West, exploring the little-known region between Seattle and Vancouver (including the charming San Juan islands), and then go on to present Chilean Patagonia in all its splendour. After that, we go on to sample river-cruising in Indo-China; the classic Norwegian Coastal Voyage of Hurtigruten; the Galapagos with Haugan Cruises; Alaska in the company of American Safari Cruises; and discover how to enjoy a true African safari with your cruise.

But, for now, we are suitably excited about the prospects of a flight from Miami to Santiago and then Santiago to Puerto Montt (both with LAN Airways, about whom we hear good things) to meet up with Nomads and their unique operation.

It is certainly one of the most unusual and enticing trips I will have tried as editor of the magazine, and one which has been a long-standing ambition since I first saw the BBC TV documentary series Flight of the Condor back in the 1970s.

The whole region of sub-equatorial South America has long been a major fascination for me and this will be the ideal opportunity to discover if the fantasy lives up to the reality. We should get to see a lot of the Chilean Andean landscape and its wildlife (the whole week is subtitled as a Wildlife Cruise), and I will have the camera very firmly primed for lots of pictures - many of which you will see in our Summer edition.

Following that up with a few days in Santiago and a chance to visit the neighbouring wine country should be equally captivating. It is a city and region about which I know little (apart from what the Lonely Planet guidebook has told me so far!), but it promises to add an extra dimension to our trip.

So you'll have to excuse me if I seem a little distracted this week. But it should be worth waiting for...!

Set Sail for Adventure

Here at Cruise Central (i.e. anything to do with World of Cruising magazine and The Cruise Line Ltd!), we have set our sights very much on adventure cruising as our 'theme' for 2010, if you like.

And, the more we have looked into it, the more we have discovered a truly rich and rewarding array of possibilities for not only cruise adventures, but life-enriching experiences of ALL kinds.

In compiling our forthcoming new Adventure Cruise Collection (more details in due course!), we have found there is a magnificent variety of voyages to all corners of the earth, each with an upmarket aspect but also with something that marks them out as utterly unique.

Just take a look at any of the following:

Aqua Expeditions on the Upper Amazon in Peru

American Safari Cruises for small-scale experiences in Alaska, the Sea of Cortez and Hawaii

Festiva Sailing Vacations for catamaran sailing in the Caribbean

Sakkara for luxury, personal voyage on the legendary Nile

Quasar Expeditions in the amazing Galapagos Islands

And Sultans of the Seas for yachting in the stunning Maldives

All feature true luxury, genuine, one-off experiences and a level of personal service that the big ships just can't provide. They also have that spirit of adventure which is such an important prospect for many people on vacation these days.

We have also been fortunate to get to know the wonderful Nomads of the Seas operation in Chile, where their purpose-built vessel the MV Atmosphere offers superb sailing and distinctive exursions into the heart of Patagonia, one of the world's true great wilderness areas, and packed with astonishing wildlife, local culture and vast scenic panoramas.

We will be venturing further with Nomads in the near future (including a trip to Chile's capital, Santiago, and their wonderful wine country), so watch out for our full story of their excellent adventure opportunities both here on our Blog and in the Summer edition of World of Cruising (publishing early June).

And keep an eye out for our new Adventure Cruise Collection brochure!

Happy Cruise New Year!

We all look forward to a New Year in one way or another but 2010 promises to be better than most, and not just because the financial and economic scene shows signs of getting back on a healthier, even keel.

As I have already written, there is an amazing variety of new ships to anticipate, with several that should be genuinely ground-breaking (notably Oceania's Marina and NCL's Norwegian Epic).

There should also be plenty of good deals to be had, too, as cruise lines look to tempt people back to sea-going holidays after the recession-hit days of 2008/09 (so be sure to check with our sister company The Cruise Line Ltd for all the best offers - and look early and often in January as many lines are already flagging up their New Year 'Sails'!).

There is also more focus than ever before on attracting first-time cruisers to this holiday style, with companies big (like Royal Caribbean, NCL and P&O) and small (the likes of Compagnie du Ponant, Pandaw Cruises and Hurtigruten) putting out some tempting campaigns to lure newcomers.

In fact, the appeal of the small, deluxe, niche operators like Ponant and Pandaw should be uppermost in the minds of those looking for that 'something new' factor in 2010.

One I am especially looking forward to investigating for the terrific feedback they have already generated in a relatively short time is Chilean specialist Nomads of the Seas and their unique ship the Atmosphere (pictured above).

The appeal of touring the majestic Chilean fjords in the company of this ship's purpose-built style is immensely appealing and should be one of the highlights of the year for us at World of Cruising, so stay tuned for our report in due course.

I would especially recommend taking a look at their website, http://www.nomadsoftheseas.com/, for those who really want to get off the beaten cruise track, enjoy some of the world's most spectacular scenery and wildlife, sample the tastes and culture of a truly unique region and do it all in some of the highest quality possible in the 'soft' adventure-cruising category.

Can you tell I'm looking forward to 2010?!