Costa's First World Cruise In 17 Years A Deliziosa Success

Rounding off a successful 2011 for Costa Cruises, the Costa Deliziosa (above) has embarked on the first Around-The-World Costa cruise in 17 years.

 

With the 2011-2012 tour fully booked months in advance, the European cruise giant is now preparing to offer the itinerary again in 2013.

 

The 100-day historic cruise that departed Italy on December 28 will tally up 37 calls and 250 excursions to some of the world’s most fascinating locations across five continents, following the routes of the great navigators of the past.

 

The journey is split into three segments, named in tribute to great explorers – Christopher Columbus: Savona to France, Spain, Madera, Antilles, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Panama Canal, Mexico and California; James Cook: California to Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia and Singapore; and Marco Polo: Singapore to Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, the Arab Emirates, Oman and the Red Sea.

 

Those interested in the progress of the Costa Deliziosa can connect live with two webcams installed on board the ship by visiting Costa’s website, www.costacruise.com.

 

Five theme-oriented celebrations will be held on the seas during the journey with a total of 2,300 passengers onboard to join in the festivities and special shows.

 

Costa also has two other epic cruises on offer for 2012 for travellers looking to explore the world from a unique viewpoint. The Great Cruise to Four Continents on Costa Victoria will set sail on March 7, and the Great Cruise to the Other Side of the World departs on September 19.

 

The 2013 Around-The-World tour will depart Savona, Italy, on January 6 and return on 16 April, once again aboard the Costa Deliziosa.

Costa's New Japan itineraries

Costa Cruises is offering three new itineraries to popular Japanese destinations and will introduce new cities in 2012 after resuming its itineraries in the area this weekend.



Costa Classica (above) left Shanghai on August 26 for a four-day cruise calling at Fukuoka (Japan) and Cheju (South Korea) before returning to Shanghai.



This decision demonstrates Costa’s confidence in Japan’s tourism market and its support of the revitalisation of the local tourism industry. As the first international cruise company to enter the Chinese market, Costa has been operating cruise itineraries from China to Japan for more than five years.



From August to October this year, Classica will operate a total of 12 cruises to Japan and South Korea, with the wide selection of itineraries including Japan's Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Kagoshima. Four-day cruises visit Fukuoka and Cheju; a six-day cruise takes in Pusan (South Korea), Fukuoka and Kagoshima; and a five-day cruise visits to Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Cheju.



In 2012, Costa will further expand its operations in Asia and the Far East with the deployment for the first time of the Costa Victoria (75,200 gross tonnage and 2,394 total guests), which will replace Classica (53,000 tons and 1,680 guests). Victoria will also offer 246 veranda cabins and increase its offer in the area by about 40%.



New destinations in Japan include the tropical paradise of Hososhima/Miyazaki; Wakayama, which boasts the largest hot spring resort; Osaka, Japan’s second largest city; the popular sightseeing cities in the Kanto Area; Yokohama and Tokyo, the capital city.



According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (www.jnto.go.jp), a joint statement from the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Maritime Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization has reaffirmed that operations can continue normally into and out of Japan's major airports and sea ports.



For more info, visit www.costacruises.co.uk or, for bookings, contact the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Enjoy Scenic Washington State & British Columbia with American Safari Cruises

Well-known in yachting circles as a favourite for 'gunkhole' cruising — a yachter’s paradise of quiet, scenic anchorages — the San Juan and Canadian Gulf Islands star in American Safari Cruises’ Pacific Northwest Passage itinerary returning in 2012. The cruise features Washington state and British Columbia, with a new home port of Seattle, Washington.

Beginning September 14, 2012, the 22-guest Safari Quest (above) sails 10 week-long cruises round-trip from Seattle. The yacht returns in the spring for six more week-long cruises beginning March 29, 2013. The Pacific Northwest Passage itinerary explores the inlets and islands of the San Juan and Canadian Gulf Islands including visits to Victoria, Jervis Inlet, the Harmony Islands, Princess Louisa Inlet, Nanaimo and the Gulf Islands in British Columbia; Friday Harbor, San Juan Island and Stuart Island in Washington.

Sailing from Seattle, the yacht passes through the historic Hiram M. Chittenden Locks to Puget Sound. In Victoria, guests enjoy a tour of Butchart Gardens with a traditional British high tea, a visit to the Royal British Columbia Museum and the historic Empress Hotel.

A flexible itinerary allows time to search out and view wildlife such as orca whales, eagles, seals, sea lions, porpoise, black bears and deer. ASC's expedition-style cruising means the yacht freely explores among the inlets and islands of the Pacific Northwest. An onboard expedition leader provides expert narration while leading waterborne or land-based adventures including kayaking, hiking, beachcombing and skiff rides. Paddle boards are also available for solo adventures in these scenic waters.

Other highlights of the cruise include exploration by foot or by kayak in Princess Louisa Inlet, only half a mile wide and culminating at the spectacular Chatterbox Falls; scenery and solitude while relaxing in the upper deck hot tub; stroll along Nanaimo’s picturesque waterfront promenade; a visit to the town of Friday Harbor with boutiques, galleries and a Whale Museum; hiking along a bluff to Turning Point Lighthouse on Stuart Island and kayaking among the sheltered Harmony Islands.

Cruise fares start at $3,995 per person, based on double occupancy.

The inclusive cruise includes all yacht activities and equipment; transfers; meals; fine wine, premium spirits and microbrews; and all port charges, taxes and fees. The Quest also features a hot tub, Tempurpedic mattresses, and heated tile floors in all bathrooms and upper category balconies. An all-American crew has a guest-crew ratio of 2 to 1. Yachts can also be booked as a private charter or by individual stateroom.

For more info, visit www.americansafaraicruises.com or contact the UK's leading adventure-cruise travel agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Costa Returns To Japan

Costa Cruises has announced it is resuming its Japan itineraries and introducing new destinations, following the terrible earthquake that hit the country earlier this year.



On August 26, Costa Classica will be leaving Shanghai for a four-day cruise calling at Fukuoka (Japan) and Cheju (South Korea) before returning to Shanghai.



This decision demonstrates Costa’s confidence in Japan’s tourism market and its support of the revitalisation of the local tourism industry. As the first international cruise company to enter the Chinese market, Costa has been operating cruise itineraries from China to Japan for more than five years.



From August to October this year, Costa Classica - home-ported in Shanghai - will operate a total of 12 cruises to Japan and South Korea.



The wide selection of itineraries includes three Japanese destinations: Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Kagoshima: four-day cruises to Fukuoka and Cheju (South Korea); a six-day cruise to Pusan (South Korea), Fukuoka and Kagoshima and a five-day cruise to Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Cheju (South Korea).



In 2012, Costa will further expand its operations in Asia and the Far East , with the deployment for the first time of the Costa Victoria (75,200 gross tonnage and 2,394 total guests), which will replace the Classica (53,000 gross tonnage and 1,680 total guests).



For the first time on these cruises, the Victoria will offer guests the chance to book 246 veranda cabins to enjoy the splendid scenery of the Far East, including Japan, from the privacy of their own cabins. Costa Cruises will increase its offer in the area by about 40%.



Victoria will also sail to an array of new destinations in Japan including the tropical paradise of Hososhima/Miyazaki; Wakayama, which boasts the largest hot spring resort; Osaka, Japan’s second largest city; the popular sightseeing cities in the Kanto Area; Yokohama and Tokyo, the capital city.



According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (www.jnto.go.jp), a joint statement from the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Maritime Organization and the International Civil Aviation Organization has reaffirmed that operations can continue normally into and out of Japan's major airports and sea ports.