P&O'S Green World Tours Expansion

Following on from a successful first season, P&O Cruises is adding a number of new options to its Green World Tours programme for 2012. This also comes after the programme received an Environmental Initiative Award for its notable contribution to advancing the environmental aspect of cruising.

Green World Tours are a range of charitable and responsible tourism-based shore experiences designed to support the towns and communities visited on longer itineraries, as well as giving the passenger a unique experience ashore.

The first Green World Tour was in November 2009 and tours are now operated by P&O in 16 destinations worldwide. The tours vary in price and are non-profit making. Some include a donation while others just cover costs, and passengers are free to donate as they choose.

Tours are offered on some longer itineraries, such as Oceana’s 24-night Eastern Mediterranean cruise departing February 26 (including a call in Ashdod), and all world cruises. In 2012, Arcadia, Aurora, Oriana and Adonia are offering world voyages of between 87 and 109 nights in duration, with shorter sectors available. Tours are offered in ports of call including Limon, Bali, Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, Port Kelang (Kuala Lumpur), Phuket and Port Elizabeth.

Green World Tours are also offered to various wildlife centres and charitable projects, such as the Sea Turtle Conservation Centre in Laem Chabang and the Cats and Dogs Rescue Centre in Koh Samui.

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

Crystal Now On Offer To 2014

Adding to its previously-released early 2013 schedule, ultra-luxury Crystal Cruises has announced 63 more exciting itineraries, filling the rest of 2013, plus early 2014 - the cruise line’s earliest-ever advance schedule announcement.

In all, 269 ports are featured in 75 countries, with more than a dozen maiden calls and 146 local overnights, comprising the May 2013-May 2014 schedule, which will be open for booking later this autumn.

Take a look at these highlights:
· A 7-/12-/9-night Mediterranean route rotation, offering back-to-back combination possibilities with minimal repeat ports.

· 75 per cent of summer cruises lasting seven to ten nights, with more than half weekend departures.

· Two- to three-night stays in 53 different locations, including such stunners as Tokyo, Cape Town and Bali, with the majority of overnights on embarkation or debarkation days.

Crystal Symphony (above) will spend the summer throughout Northern Europe, followed by a North American autumn, returning to Antarctica for the festive season then traversing the South Pacific and New Zealand/Australia for seven Asian-centric voyages in early 2014.

Crystal Serenity will be in the Mediterranean from April to December, returning to North America for a Caribbean/Central America holiday before heading westward around the globe for 2014’s World Cruise.

For booking details, be sure to check with luxury cruise specialists The Cruise Line Ltd on this link.

New Voyages To St Helena

A series of new voyages departing in 2012 to the far-flung British outpost of St Helena have been introduced by St Helena Line.

Lying 1,500 miles north-west of Cape Town, the island has a rich history and dramatic natural beauty, and bookings are now being taken for the new 18-night Hideaway Tour, which departs Cape Town on May 7, 2012, on board one of the world’s last working Royal Mail ships, the 128-berth RMS St Helena (above).

Leading the tour will be Colin Lewis, Professor Emeritus of Rhodes University (South Africa), hugely knowledgeable about St Helena – its history and natural environment. Prof. Lewis will offer a special insight into this British outcrop, which was the place of Napoleon’s exile.

After a relaxing five-night voyage on board the part passenger, part cargo ship, passengers will arrive at St Helena on May 12, where they’ll be joined by island residents Basil George and Vanessa Thomas for a fascinating and diverse eight-day itinerary. Highlights include a trip to Napoleon’s last residence, Longwood House (arguably one of the finest Napoleonic museums in the world), plus other sites of historic importance, including Napoleon’s Tomb.

A boat trip, tour of the grounds at Plantation House where the Governor resides, an evening talk from the National Trust of St Helena and a walking tour of the capital, Jamestown, are also included. A Botanical Day will allow the chance to uncover some of the world’s rarest flora and fauna, plus the opportunity to spot the endemic Wirebird. The RMS arrives back in Cape Town on May 25.

The Hideaway Tour costs from £2,765 per person based on two sharing an A deck cabin. The price includes eight nights’ B&B accommodation on St Helena, entry fees and guide costs, all meals on the RMS and some meals in St Helena. Return international flights to Cape Town are not included.

For more booking details, be sure to check with the UK's adventure-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Discover the remote hideaway of St Helena

Calling all intrepid travellers with a passion for the unknown! A new hosted tour to discover the far-flung South Atlantic island of St Helena has been introduced by St Helena Line.

Travelling on board one of the world’s last working Royal Mail Ships, the RMS St Helena, the 22-day Hideaway Tour departs Cape Town on June 17 and costs from £2,395 per person. Leading the tour from the departure will be Colin Lewis, Professor Emeritus of Rhodes University (South Africa) and an expert on St Helena, its history and natural environment. Prof. Lewis will offer a unique insight into this British outpost, taking travellers beyond the guidebook.

Arriving in St Helena on the June 22, the group will be joined by Island residents Basil George and Vanessa Thomas for a fascinating and diverse eight-day itinerary.

St Helena is perhaps best known as the place of Napoleon’s exile. The tour includes a trip to Longwood House, the last house of the French revolutionary, in addition to other sites of historic importance, including his Tomb. There is also a Botanical Day where some of the world’s rarest flora and fauna will be identified, plus a tour to spot the Wirebird, endemic to St Helena.

Other tour highlights include a boat trip, scenic island tour, evening talk from the National Trust of St Helena and a walking tour of the capital, Jamestown. The RMS arrives back in Cape Town on July 6.

The tour costs from £2,395 per person based on two sharing an A deck cabin. The price includes eight nights’ accommodation on St Helena, entry fees and guide costs, all meals on the RMS and meals as specified in St Helena. International airfares are not included. Economy fares from London to Cape Town with South African Airways start from £614 per person.

The 128-berth RMS is a unique blend of passenger ship and cargo vessel, acting as the lifeline to St Helena being the sole source of supply of all goods to her island namesake. Passengers are made up of tourists and St Helenians, or ‘Saints’ as they are fondly known locally, travelling home.

For more information, contact www.rms-st-helena.com or call the adventure cruise specialists of the The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

Late deals from Silversea

Tackle this late deal with Silversea Cruises - from just £4,663 per person on an all-inclusive basis, join an 18-day voyage onboard Silver Wind departing March 12 from Cape Town (South Africa) and calling at Walvis Bay (Namibia) for an overnight stay onboard, São Tomé (São Tomé and Principe), Dakar (Senegal), Porto Praia (Cape Verde Islands), Porto Grande (Cape Verde Islands) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain) before arriving at Las Palmas (Canary Islands).

Silversea Cruises is offering a complimentary shore excursion in Namibia, where guests will be taken to the Namib Desert to enjoy a special, buffet-style dinner against the dramatic backdrop of golden-coloured dunes. To heighten the overall ambiance, there will also be special entertainment, including fire-spinning performances, camel rides, colourfully clad Herero ladies and a trio of musicians.

All prices are per person, based on two people sharing a Vista Suite and include return flights, transfers, port charges, government fees and taxes.

For more information, visit http://www.silversea.com/ or contact the UK's luxury cruise specialists at The Cruise Line Ltd.

A Spirited Adventure off the West African Coast.

By guest blogger Steve Newman

If you’re one of those who feels they don’t want to go to the bigger companies for a cruise of a lifetime, then take a look at Spirit of Adventure, which has just one small ship – MV Spirit of Adventure (above). Due to her small size, it means the ship can get in to exciting off-the-beaten track ports that the larger cruise ships can’t reach.

Therefore, the company’s itineraries always include fascinating destinations. For example, in February next year Spirit will set out from Cape Town on a 17-day cruise calling at such small ports as Luderitz and Walvis Bay in Namibia and Douala in Cameroon. Spirit of Adventure voyages include excursions in the price as well, so it’s ideal for those who want to get off and explore.

The ship has a capacity of 350 and a crew of 170 and novel features include films being shown in the open air on Sun Deck (weather permitting). The light and airy Verandah restuarant provides informal dining with buffet meals and the opportunity to dine al fresco when the weather is fine.

There is one sitting in the nautically themed dining room and the open dining policy allows you to sit where you like.

All in all, the ship will visit seven countries along the lesser-known west coast of Africa. You will be able to enjoy stunning landscapes and wildlife-watching trips and get closer to the cultural traditions as you discover the villages and bustling cities of this enigmatic region.

Highlights include looking out for the dolphins and seals of Walvis Bay and calls to lesser-visited ports, including Luanda in Angola and Cotonou in Benin

Price includes return scheduled flights, all gratuities on board, excursions and travel to and from your UK departure points.

Spirit of Adventure will also be exhibiting at the Cruise Show in Birmingham NEC in October.

For further details, please visit http://www.spiritofadventure.co.uk/

Sizzling Seabourn

Call me biased, but when it comes to truly distinctive, ultra-deluxe cruising, Seabourn have pretty much set the standard since their inception in 1988. Their original trio of chic, classy small-scale vessels introduced a whole new way of enjoying life at sea, and they maintained that style and reputation right through the 1990s and early 2000s.

Then, when their crown was in danger of being stolen by several high-quality rivals, they set out to restore their class-leading advantage and raise the bar still further. The result was the stunning Seabourn Odyssey in June 2009, a new vessel of such breathtaking vision and clarity the usual caveats of waiting to see how a ship's first 2 months panned out went completely by the wayside.

Here was a newcomer that immediately demonstrated that it knew exactly what it was supposed to be, how best to appeal to regulars and first-timers alike, and how to launch with everything perfectly in sync service-wise (the usual bane of new vessels). Odyssey maintained the same handsome, sleek profile but also looked the part of sharp 21st century technology (as opposed to yet another floating tower block).

More importantly, Odyssey wasn't just a larger-scale version of the original trio. Although she was three times the size of her stablemates, she both refined the highly successful formula and expanded on it in a totally delightful way, making the suites more sumptuous, the public rooms more glamorous, the service more personable and the whole experience more memorable.

Now, just a few months before the launch of sister Seabourn Sojourn and with third vessel Seabourn Quest set for 2011, the company has announced a visionary range of new itineraries and options for 2011 and 12.

From March 23 (the day the new programme goes on sale) to June 30, the full Europe and Asia schedule of voyages will be available at special promotional fares from £2,300 per person. These incredible fares will also include round-trip airfare for the first time, making it the most inclusive launch campaign Seabourn have ever done.

From January 2011 to April 2012, the line will offer its most extensive and diverse menu of itineraries ever, calling at a record 266 ports in 78 countries during 252 scheduled voyages visiting a wide variety of popular destinations and exotic locations across the world. Fares and details will be available on Seabourn’s website on March 23rd, and a lavishly illustrated catalogue will be published in April.

It will feature:

New Itineraries
In 2011/12, Seabourn returns to Canada and New England with a series of 9-day Autumn Maritime cruises on Sojourn, which will include the yacht’s maiden call to New York. Sojourn will also operate six 14-day Patagonian Passage voyages to the picturesque Chilean Fjords, Cape Horn and the Falkland Islands between Valparaiso, Chile, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Seabourn Pride remains in Asia for a second season of year-round exotic cruises to major destinations such as Japan, China, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan. New for 2011, Pride will operate a series of 12-day cruises from Singapore-Bali with calls to exotic ports in Borneo, Sulawesi and Java.

(Big cheers for that Patagonia series, by the way - the ultimate combination of great destination and perfect vehicle)

In early 2012, Seabourn Legend will be based in the Arabian Sea and offer Indian Ocean Delights, with stops to Oman’s capital city of Muscat, also known as “Arabia’s jewel,” and the vibrant city of Mumbai, India. Other new itineraries include a 60-day Stars of the Southern Cross cruise round-trip from Los Angeles to French Polynesia, New Zealand, Australia and Hawaii aboard Odyssey; new seven-day St Petersburg & the Baltic cruises between Copenhagen and Stockholm aboard Sojourn; week-long Gems of the Adriatic and Dalmatian Discoveries cruises round trip from Venice aboard Spirit; an 18-day Path of the Vikings transatlantic voyage from Dover to Quebec, and a 12-day Canada & Colonial Autumn voyage from Quebec City to Fort Lauderdale aboard Sojourn.

New, Exotic Ports of Call
Seabourn’s record number of port visits will include more than 50 destinations that are either maiden calls or ports the line has not visited in years. New stops include Bangaram (Laccadive Islands), and Porbandar, India; Matarani, Peru; Brindisi, Italy; Burnie, Tasmania; Cape Town, South Africa; Chan May, Vietnam; Constantza, Romania; Pointe des Galets, Reunion; Doha, Qatar; Port Elizabeth, South Africa; Port Louis, Mauritius; Fanning Island, Republic of Kiribati; Port Stanley, Falkland Islands; Gili Sudak Island and Waikelo, Sumba, Indonesia; Qaqortoq, Greenland; Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi; the island of St Helena; Sur and Khasab, Oman; Manama, Bahrain; Maputo, Mozambique; and Walvis Bay, Namibia.

New Seabourn Journeys
In 2011/12, Seabourn will offer two new Seabourn Journeys, fully-escorted packages for guests wishing to extend their stays on land. A new 3-night pre- or post-cruise Journey from Sydney, provides an in-depth exploration of the Australian Outback, including a sunset camel safari to a bush barbecue and visits to the breathtaking scenic wonders, the Olgas and Uluru, and the largest monolith on earth, also known as Ayers Rock. Also new is a 5-night Safari Journey from Cape Town, South Africa, to the Singita Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve.

To my mind, it all adds up to a stunning array of luxury cruising and superb destination planning. So, if March 23 (when Seabourn's 2011 programme goes on sale) isn't already in your diary, is should be pretty soon!