SeaDream Yacht Club's New Brochure For 2012/13

SeaDream Yacht Club has introduced a newly-designed, glossy, 64-page brochure reflecting SeaDream’s yachting lifestyle and featuring the 2012/13 voyage schedule, destination information, pricing and a comprehensive look at the chic, twin, 344ft vessels SeaDream I and II.

The new brochure details SeaDream’s Caribbean, Mediterranean, Amazon, Black Sea and Trans-Atlantic voyages. In 2012, the deluxe line will feature 102 different ports in the Mediterranean, with 17 in Greece alone. SeaDream’s onboard amenities include all gourmet dining, open bar with select premium brands, gratuities, golf simulator, complimentary mountain bikes and a water sports marina with motorised and non-motorised water toys.

Popular Mediterranean itineraries commence in May with the 112-guest, SeaDream I sailing the French & Italian Rivera itinerary, while her twin, SeaDream II starts the summer with sailings in the Greek Islands. 

The 2012/13 brochure also details a number of new voyages. Among them are: the Amazon River, with SeaDream II sailing from Barbados to Iquitos, Peru, round-trip on two 20-night voyages beginning February 13, 2012. SeaDream II returns to the Amazon in 2013 and offers a shorter, 7-night upper-Amazon itinerary sailing Iquitos round-trip. Additionally, the brochure highlights expanded ports of call in Turkey (10 ports) and Croatia (11). This year also includes calls to Slovenia, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Albania and Russia.

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

Southampton's £10million World Cruise Windfall

P&O Cruises will boost the local Southampton economy by some £10million in January as around 6,000 people depart on four world cruises from the South Coast port for the first time.
 
Collectively, the four cruises will visit 148 ports of call and highlights include overnight stays in Buenos Aires, New Orleans, Sydney and Cape Town, as well as scenic cruising in the Amazon, Cape Horn, Beagle Channel and the Amalia Glacier in Patagonia.
 
All four ships will be flying the 175th Anniversary flag as P&O kicks off a full year of celebrations to mark the 175th anniversary of the formation of the famous Peninsular Steam Navigation Company.
 
World cruises offer unrivalled value for money with prices for the 2012 itineraries starting at £82 per person per night, including all meals, entertainment and accommodation on board. They are also increasingly seen as the ideal way to travel the world in comfort and style.

The record quartet of 2012 world cruises are:

·        Aurora (pictured, above), 98-night westabout full world circumnavigation, departing January 4
·        Oriana, 97-night eastabout full world circumnavigation, departing January 5
·        Arcadia, 109-night Grand Odyssey, departing January 9

·        Adonia, 87-night South America Grand Adventure, departing January 13
 
A number of cabins are also still available on the full Aurora world cruise, with prices from £8,799 for the 98-night voyage.  A range of shorter sectors of the world cruises are also available and priced from £1,349 for a 17-night voyage from Southampton to Dubai on board Oriana.

For booking details, be sure to check with the UK's leading cruise agent specialist of The Cruise Line Ltd on this link.

Lindblad's Latest Adventure Options

Starting this month, Lindblad Expeditions' Peruvian Amazon expedition will be the first to offer kayaking in the Upper Amazon, providing guests even more accessibility to the lagoons, small tributaries and creeks of this pristine region.

The intimate and stately vessel, the Delfin II, will be equipped with five 2-person kayaks to provide this in-depth experience. Guests will be able to enjoy the signature Lindblad Expedition, a combination of elegant accommodation, knowledgeable experts and uniquely close encounters with the nature and culture of the region.

Or how about this fabulous itinerary: Vietnam & Cambodia — Along the Mekong River, including Angkor and Saigon. Lindblad's 14-day voyage takes in the sublime temples of Angkor Wat, the floating villages and vibrant markets along the Mekong, and the cities of Phnom Penh and Saigon. Sail aboard the new 48‐guest Jahan, with accommodations of a standard not available here before. Rates begin at $7,980 per person, based on double occupancy.

To find out more, see this link to visit the UK's adventure cruise specialists, the Cruise Line Ltd.

Listen Very Carefully, I Will ‘Sail’ This Only Once!

Two stars of the BBC’s much-loved Second World War comedy, ’Allo ’Allo!, Herr Otto Flick of the Gestapo (Richard Gibson) and Private Helga Geerhart (Kim Hartman), are to join two Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ voyages in 2012. Both actors will be lecturing and performing on the theme of ‘Comedy’ as part of the line’s award-winning cruise enrichment programme, Vistas.

They will be taking centre stage on board Boudicca’s 14-night ‘Canaries & Morocco’ cruise in January and on a 25-night sector of Balmoral’s epic ‘New World’ cruise, in March.

Boudicca’s voyage is a 14-night cruise, departing from Southampton on January 5, calling at the islands of Madeira, La Gomera, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote, then Agadir in Morocco and a final call into Lisbon before returning home. Prices start from £1,189 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside twin cabin, Grade ‘H’, and include all meals and entertainment on board, as well as port taxes.

Balmoral’s cruise is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on March 9 to Southampton, also calling at Salvador, Recife, Fortaleza and Santarem (all in Brazil), then the Cape Verde Islands and, finally, Funchal, Madeira, before reaching Southampton on April 3. Prices for this exciting cruise sector start from £2,684 per person, based on two adults sharing a superior outside twin cabin, Grade ‘B’, and include all meals and entertainment on board, as well as flights from London to Rio and port/airport taxes. There is no extra charge for enjoying the company of Herr Flick and Private Helga!

Find out more at www.fredolsencruises.com or consult the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Azamara's Amazonian Adventure

The special offers keep rolling in this week. Here's another one worth passing on:

Join Azamara Club Cruises’ Azamara Journey for an 18-night Amazon River cruise from only £2,899 per person (based on two people sharing an inside stateroom).

The price includes the 18-night Amazon cruise, departing Manaus (Brazil) and cruising the Amazon River, calling at Parintins, Boca Da Valeria, Alter Do Chao, Macapa, Devil’s Island (French Guyana), Bridgetown (Barbados) and Mayreau (Grenadines) before arriving into San Juan (Puerto Rico); all meals and room service; destination-influenced entertainment and enrichment programmes; housekeeping and dining gratuities; bottled water throughout the cruise; house wines with meals; speciality coffees and teas; and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. Flights are not included.

The price is based on a November 7 departure.

For more information, visit www.azamaraclubcruises.co.uk or the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

SeaDream Honoured By Cruise Critic

In the first annual Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards, SeaDream Yacht Club's SeaDream I has been placed as No 1 for Service in the Small Ship category.



Cruise Critic Editor-In-Chief Carolyn Spencer Brown explained: “Cruise Critic members who have reviewed the ship are clearly very happy with their cruise experience. SeaDream I gets excellent ratings for service, which is attentive and formal, without being fussy or intrusive.”

Cruise Critic-issued awards are based entirely on reviews/ratings submitted by cruisers when they posted a review. Cruise Critic, the online guide to cruises, is one of the most influential travel sites on the web. With a world-renowned editorial staff, it provides objective cruise reviews, features, ports-of-call profiles and destination information.

Acknowledging the award, Bob Lepisto, President of SeaDream, said: “The crew aboard SeaDream I & SeaDream II are to be thanked for their tireless efforts to ensure each guest is well taken care of. Independent reviews like this reaffirm our claim of providing unbeatable service.”

Just last month, SeaDream I was showcased in London, at Tower Bridge, to over 400 UK travel industry professionals and the media, with a series of exclusive invitational events. Following her first visit to London, the ship sailed to Hamburg for a 20-day dry-dock and now, for the first time, is positioned for her northern-summer season in the Baltic, Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Together with sister vessel, the ships are rated the ‘World’s Best Small Ship Cruise Line’ (source: the Berlitz Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships). The expression “yachting” is not only a statement about size, it describes a lifestyle aboard the intimate vessels. Chic and stylish, SeaDream’s 56-stateroom vessels are favoured for their elegant informality, personal service provided by a crew of 95, state-of-the-art facilities, inclusive open bar and gratuities, ocean-view accommodations, luxury spa and world class cuisine. Itineraries include the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and the Amazon.

For more information, visit www.seadream.com or contact the luxury-cruise experts of booking agents The Cruise Line Ltd.

SeaDream's Small Ship Luxury

Those looking for a true small-ship experience, as well as genuine luxury at sea, should definitely make sure they have SeaDream on their Wish List.

SeaDream are a rarity in today's cruise world, visiting the yachting playgrounds, intimate harbours and ports where larger ships cannot go and providing an in-depth port experience along the way, often with overnight stays to enjoy the evening entertainment.

The two ships, SeaDream I and SeaDream II spend May-October in Northern Europe, the Baltic, Norwegian Fjords, the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, and reposition to the azure waters of the Caribbean in the winter and spring.

With only 112 guests being pampered by an award-winning crew of 95, they ensure some of the most personable and distinctive cruising on the high seas, including new, specially-designed exclusive voyages to the Amazon from Barbados (above) to Iquitos, Peru, in 2011/12.

For more info, look up www.seadream.com or visit the UK's luxury cruise experts of The Cruise Line Ltd.

John Blashford-Snell & The Amazon with Fred Olsen

As part of Vistas, its wide-ranging cruise enhancement programme, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is proud to welcome on board the famed explorer Colonel John Blashford-Snell. Lecturing aboard Braemar’s cruise of the Brazilian Amazon, M1203, appropriately he will be talking about ‘Amazonia’ and expeditions to this fascinating region.

There could hardly be a better guest speaker for such an exciting cruises as Blashford-Snell has led some of the most ambitious expeditions ever undertaken. In 1968, when Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia invited the British Army to send a team to explore the Blue Nile, the then Royal Engineers’ Captain Blashford-Snell was invited to select and lead a team. The success of that venture led to many more, including the first vehicle crossing of the Darien Gap in 1971/2, and in 1974/5 the navigating of 2,700 miles of the Great Zaire River (also known as the Congo).

Colonel Blashford-Snell has led more than 100 expeditions, resulting in many important discoveries and supports numerous charities. His knowledge and experience will no doubt make him a fascinating and well-informed speaker.

The cruise departs on February 2, 2012, with flights from London-Gatwick and Manchester, to join the ship in Bridgetown, Barbados. Braemar then sails for the mouth of the Amazon, and cruises deep into the heart of this mighty river, visiting Santarem, Parintins and Manaus. The vibrant rainforest, with its colourful flora and fauna, will be brought even more vividly to life by the expert talks courtesy of Col. Blashford-Snell.

On the return journey, Braemar visits Tobago, then returns to Barbados for the flights home. Prices start from £1,939 per person, based on two adults sharing an inside twin cabin, Grade ‘I’. The price includes return chartered flights and transfers, accommodation and all meals and entertainment on board, in addition to port and airport taxes. Flights are with a fully-escorted exclusive Fred. Olsen charter.

Find out more about this cruise by visiting www.fredolsencruises.com or more about the Vistas enhancement programme at www.fredolsencruises-vistas.com or, for bookings, contact the UK's leading specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Hapag-Lloyd's 2012/13 Expedition Season

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises announces the arrival of their March 2012-May 2013 expedition brochure. Their small and beautifully appointed expedition ships, MS Hanseatic and MS Bremen, will be offering 12 international (English/German) itineraries next season.

They include travel in Antarctica, the Northwest Passage, Greenland, Spitsbergen, Norway, the Amazon, the South Seas and New Zealand. In addition, the expedition itineraries feature new ports of call in Madagascar and Mozambique and a maiden voyage through theSea of Okhotsk in Russia’s Far East.

The two ships were created to provide intensive exploration in the most elegant surroundings for a maximum of 184 guests on Hanseatic and 164 on Bremen.

Expedition Highlights:

Sea of Okhotz

For the first time, Hanseatic sets out to circumnavigate the Sea of Okhotsk in Russia’s Far East, taking guests to volcanoes, geysers and glaciers. Zodiac stops will include Iony, a tiny island populated by sea lions, and Shantar Islands and Malminskie Islands, natural sanctuaries for songbirds, birds of prey, seals and sea otters.

Indian Ocean

Guests will experience lemurs in pristine nature, animals in the wild, and wonderful beaches on romantic coasts through Mauritius, Madagascar, Mozambique and South Africa. This tropical 16-day adventure will include ports in Madagascar and a first time stop in Mozambique.

The Northwest Passage

In 2012, the popular exploration route will be offered on board Hanseatic. It starts in Nome/Alaska amidst impressive testimonies of the Inuit culture before sailing through the Canadian Arctic, the heart of the Northwest Passage and ending in Reykjavik/Iceland.

Antarctica

Glaciers, icebergs, deep fjords and bays offer the setting for an unforgettable Antarctic expedition. In addition to observing bird colonies, guests will also have the opportunity to explore the Falkland Islands and South Georgia, bath in the hot springs on Deception Island and observe whales in the Antarctic Sound.

For more info, visit www.hl-cruises.com or contact the UK's expedition cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Oceania Cruises adds South Pacific and Hawaii

New for Oceania Cruises’ 2011/12 winter collection are 27 unique itineraries, of which 16 are totally new, along with new destinations that include Hawaii and South Pacific, including Tahiti, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Tonga and American Samoa, as well as a return to Australia and New Zealand. Cruise-only fares start from £499 per person (Marina, January 3, 2012, 10-night Caribbean Islands in the Sun voyage).

Oceania Cruises specialises in exceptional cruise experiences with a focus on cuisine, comfort and service, with a wide choice of fine dining restaurants – including speciality dining at no extra charge - on each of their four ships. The brand new (in January) 1,250-guest Marina also adds two speciality restaurants and two private dining venues.

New itineraries include an 11-night sailing around the spectacular and exotic islands of French Polynesia on the 684-passenger mid-sized luxury cruise ship, Regatta. The `Tahitian Breeze’ itinerary departs from Papeete on January 6, 2012, and costs from £1,061pp, including all meals, no supplement for specialtiy dining, complimentary bottled water and soft drinks (excluding flights).

Other highlights include a new Dubai to Cape Town cruise, showcasing Arabia and Africa; popular Amazon River cruise to depart from New York City; a new 16-day South America cruise round-trip from Valparaiso, offering the opportunity to discover rarely-visited Nazca Lines, plus Machu Picchu; and a grand 35-day Hong Kong to Athens adventure via the Suez Canal.

For more information, visit http://www.oceaniacruises.co.uk/ or contact the luxury cruise specialists of The Cruise Line.

Reef and Rain Forest Cruises

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Reef and Rainforest is proud to present an unparalleled range of first-rate wildlife cruises on carefully selected small ships and expedition vessels, mostly to destinations in which they have years of experience. The emphasis is on wildlife and natural history, both above and below water. None of the ships has more than 150 passengers, and many a good deal fewer, so that pristine natural locations won't be swamped. On most cruises, biologists, conservationists and other specialists act as your guides, better to reveal the hidden mysteries of the natural world.

Destinations include North and Central America, Peru, Brazil, Galapagos Islands, Antarctica, Arctic, India, Africa and Indian Ocean, Madagascar, Seychelles, Papua New Guinea.

Highlights include:

Antarctic Fly Cruise - Antarctica XXI the first air cruise to Antarctica. Jumping over Cape Horn and the mythical waters of the Drake Passage, Antarctica XXI invites you to a unique experience that will take you to one of the most remote places on earth, the coldest, highest, windiest, driest, and most inhospitable continent - Antarctica. In less than 2 hours of flying from Punta Arenas to King George Island, the largest Island of the South Shetland Archipielago, you will be at the gates of the white continent. From King George Island we will navigate for six days and five nights along the Antarctic Peninsula, visiting the most wonderful places and enjoying the best wildlife sites of Antarctica.

Exploring Alaska’s Coastal Wilderness -
Cruise length: 8 days
Highlights: Spend a full day in Glacier Bay National Park; kayak and zodiac among icebergs in Tracy Arm Fjord; visit favoured summer feeding areas of humpback whales; and explore coastlines with some of the highest densities of nesting bald eagles

Amazon cruise (Above): Iquitos to Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve
Cruise length: 4, 5 or 8 days
Highlights: Explore small inlets, winding river systems, local villages and the wildilfe rich Pacaya Samiria National Reserve. The wildlife of the Reserve includes 13 species of primates and 200 species of birds

7-night Naturalist Cruises in the Galapagos
Cruise length: 8 days
Highlights: Explore one of the world's great natural wonders where geographical isolation has led to the evolution of may unique species, including marine iguanas, giant toroises and Darwin finches.

For more information loook at Reef and Rain Forest Cruises

Jack Hanna joins Aqua Expeditions!

This November, Aqua Expeditions will host naturalist and TV personality Jack Hanna and his film crew as they explore and document one of the most remote areas of the Peruvian Amazon, the Pacaya Samiria Reserve. Taking viewers Into the Wild, Hanna will sail on a three-night journey on the MV Aqua through various Amazon river tributaries and come face to face with the mystical pink dolphin, cayman, sloth, giant lilies and hundreds of other rare and exotic Amazon animal and plant species.

And, in a very rare opportunity, Aqua Expeditions has been granted access to a limited number of cabins for travellers to join Jack and his crew on this adventure.

Departing Iquitos on November 6 (returning November 9), this exclusive itinerary will allow Aqua guests to meet Jack and his staff in the luxurious and intimate 12-suite vessel.

*Space on the three-day departure is extremely limited. To reserve, contact Dalia Gibu at dgibu@aquaexpeditions.com or by calling toll-free in the US on 1866 603 3687.

ABOUT JACK HANNA

Jack Hanna is an icon in the world of wildlife conservation and exploration. Jungle Jack Hanna's hands-on approach has won him widespread acclaim as Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo, conservationist, author, television personality and lifelong adventurer. After twelve years hosting Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures, he launched his latest syndicated TV series, Jack Hanna's Into the Wild. In 2008, Into the Wild received an Emmy for Outstanding Children's Series, and Jack was nominated for Best Host of a Children's Series. Recognised around the country as America's favourite zookeeper, Jack has made countless television appearances since 1983 on shows such as Good Morning America, The Late Show with David Letterman, Larry King Live, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, The Maury Show, Fox News Programs, and CNN News Programs. For more information, visit http://www.jackhanna.com/.

Azamara's Amazon

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Most people have a hankering to marvel at the mighty Amazon river and its jungle-lined banks. There is a new way to do this with Azamara Club Cruises by joining Azamara Journey for a 14-night Amazon cruise-only from £2043 per person (based on two sharing an inside cabin). The largest river in the world provides guests with the opportunity to experience one of the planet’s greatest natural wonders and the chance to catch sight of a vast array of wildlife.

This eye-catching price includes a 14-night cruise, departing from San Juan (Puerto Rico) and calling at Gustavia (St. Barts), Roseau (Dominica), Mayreau (Grenadines), Bridgetown (Barbados) and then Macapa, Alter Do Chao, Boca Da Valeria, Parintins and Manaus (all in Brazil); meals and room service; destination-influenced entertainment and enrichment programmes; housekeeping and dining gratuities; bottled water throughout the voyage; house wines with meals; specialty coffees and teas; and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

Price is cruise-only and based on 25 October 2011 departure.

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

Azamara Club Cruises will also be exhibiting at the Cruise Show in Birmingham on October 16-17 and at London's Olympia on March 26-27, 2011.

Very often, the best souvenirs are the ones you can't wait to share with friends and family; the keepsakes that are saturated with memories and can sum up an entire trip or voyage on their own. Following this idea, Aqua Expeditions (one of our regular favourites here at Time Spent At Sea when it comes to adventure cruising) and its vessel, the MV Aqua, is now offering guests sophisticated alternatives to the clichéd souvenir.

Committed to providing an authentic wildlife and cultural experience to its guests, Aqua has released a music CD for guests to relive their Amazonian voyage on dry land. The CD is a musical compilation performed by Aqua Expeditions' "house band" - made up of Aqua's crew - and was recorded in Iquitos, Peru, its vessel's home port.

The CD contains a collection of 12 tracks of instrumental and lyrical favorites that include Peruvian classics like "El Condor Pasa," "Besame Mucho" and other internationally known pieces. The album cover boasts artwork by famous Peruvian artist Christian Bendayán and can be purchased onboard in the Aqua's boutique.

In addition to this, Aqua Expeditions' Wildlife Checklist, used during excursions into Pacaya Samiria Reserve, can also be transformed into a stylish keepsake. Listing dozens of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, insects and common plants and trees, the guide keeps track of the many wildlife sightings while exploring the Amazon. It reads like a 'wish list' of the most exotic living things on Earth and includes the elusive Pink Dolphin and the endangered Amazonian Manatee; enough to elicit a little jealousy from even the most seasoned adventurer.

More from Aqua Expeditions

Adventure cruising has become very much our theme recently (and certainly this week, thanks to the sterling efforts of guest blogger Steve Newman!), hence the latest news from deluxe Peruvian specialist Aqua Expeditions really strikes a chord with us.

Following on from the success of their first Amazon river-cruise vessel, the MV Aqua, the company will launch an even more luxurious and quality-conscious vessel in 2011, the MV Aria.

Again concentrating on the upper reaches of the river from Iquitos in Peru, the newcomer will help to chart more lesser-known stretches of the mighty Amazon, providing a genuinely fascinating and ultra-personal look at this part of the world, but in great style. Aqua Expeditions were featured in the glossy new Adventure Cruise Collection of the Cruise Line Ltd (the UK's leading luxury adventure cruise specialist) earlier this year, and it seems that is already having an impact on future bookings.

The Aria will feature 16 specially-designed cabins with floor-to-ceiling picture windows (there are just 12 on Aqua, hence this is a slight enlargement), a fully air-conditioned top deck with Observation Lounge as well as Aqua's signature Amazon Grill, with award-winning Executive Chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino, affectionately known as 'the Jungle Chef' in Peru.

In addition to these amenities, Aria will also boast an exercise room and an outdoor Jacuzzi with Sun Deck, a unique addition to accommodate the discerning and fitness conscious traveller.

"We are thrilled to announce the launch of the world's second five-star luxury vessel to sail the Amazon," says founder and CEO Francesco Galli-Zugaro. "The MV Aria will provide the ever-growing number of travellers who wish to explore one of the world's last great wilderness areas with a one-of-a-kind travel experience."

Count us in, say I.

(Now, how do we work our schedule to ensure we can get on board next year!)

PS: You can also look up more about the new ship on their own blog on this link: Aqua Blog

Jungle Journey

By guest blogger Steve Newman

When it comes to thinking about high end luxury cruising, it's a safe bet that Azamara Club cruises would be on your list.

The company has a justifiable reputation for an extraordinary level of personal service, plus superb cuisine and accommodation. New destinations have been announced for next year and amongst these new cruises for 2011 is a 14-night river cruise to the Amazon on board the Azamara Journey (above).

What is highly worthwhile about this trip is the fact you get introduced slowly to the world's greatest river. Boarding at Puerto Rico, you get four days in the Caribbean on your way, two days at sea then a week cruising along the Amazon. Yes that's right, a full week! Which just shows you how long this river is before reaching Manaus, with its amazing opera house and other vestiges of jungle colonial life.

In fact, Manaus is roughly half-way across the continent of South America, so this is not so much a river as more of a continental cruise. One of the ports of call is at Boca de Valeria, a remote village with only 75 inhabitants where you really do see a contrast in life.

Apart from two speciality restaurants, concierge amenities and butler service available to all suite guests, Journey has more verandas than most cruise ships. This means you can sit and watch the green jungle slip quietly by, listening to the howler monkeys and parrots doing what they do best (making quite a noise!) or maybe catch glimpses of a herd of capybara, the world's largest rodent (looking like giant bald guinea pigs), grazing on the banks.

Either way, the Amazon rainforest is a definite one-off in life. It's changing fast, as we all know, so perhaps we should go while we still have the chance.