Cruise Ex-UK In 2012 With Oceania

Oceania Cruises will be offering four ex-UK cruises and three cruises returning into the UK during 2012, enabling guests to combine no-fly cruising or cruises with a simple ferry crossing or single outbound flight to join the line’s luxurious, mid-sized ships.

Oceania's first new-build luxury cruise ship Marina will offer two ex-UK sailings in June, a 12-night round-trip from Dover (embarking June 6), calling into Scotland, the Orkney Islands and Skye, four port calls in Ireland and returning to Dover via Fowey (Cornwall); and a voyage from London to Copenhagen, via Ireland, Iceland, Faroe Islands and Norway (embarking June 18). 

British guests will also be able to disembark in the UK following a 12-night sailing on board Marina from Copenhagen to Dover, boarding in Denmark’s capital on August 31 and calling into Norway, the Shetland Islands, Scotland, three ports in Ireland (including an overnight in Dublin), and returning to Dover via Falmouth (Cornwall).

Oceania's smaller 650-guest Nautica will offer two ex-UK sailings, a magnificent 21-night round trip from Dover, departing on July 3, that calls into Scotland, Shetland Islands, Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, the Isle of Skye, Belfast and Dublin, Falmouth, Cherbourg and Zeebrugge, before returning to Dover. Nautica will also sail a 12-night cruise around the British Isles, departing from Dover on July 24, calling into Scotland, the Orkney Islands, Skye, four ports in Ireland, Fowey and Le Havre.

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

Get A Balcony Upgrade With Celebrity

The offers are coming in thick and fast this week - and some more pre-Christmas cheer! How about this one: join Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Eclipse on a 14-night Iceland and Fjords cruise from just £2,473 per person (based on two people sharing an oceanview stateroom) this summer.

This price includes a free upgrade from an oceanview to a balcony stateroom (if booked by January 31) and a 14-night cruise departing from Southampton and calling at Reykjavik (Iceland), Akureyri (Iceland), Klaksvik (Faroe Islands), Geiranger (Norway), Molde (Norway), Flam (Norway) and Bergen (Norway) before returning to Southampton; all meals and entertainment on board and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

Plus, guests receive FREE car parking in Southampton port or a complimentary coach transfer to the port, if booked by January 31. Price is based on a July 7 departure.

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

Maiden Voyages of the MS Caledonian Sky

Noble Caledonia have acquired the MS Caledonian Sky, sister ship to their MS Island Sky, to sail an inaugural series of voyages for them from May to July next year, including The British Isles, Iceland, Norway and Russia's White Sea.

Caledonian Sky accommodates a maximum of 114 passengers in 57 spacious outside suites. Many have walk-in wardrobes and some feature tub baths. There will be seven categories of suites and 16 suites will have private balconies.

For those familiar with the Island Sky, she will feel like a second home, although there are some differences. The dining room, lounge, Lido Deck and bar are all similar. However, The Club on the Caledonian Sky has been transported to the very top deck. Here, there is a library and bar which leads out on to a lovely forward deck, with wonderful views from ceiling-to-floor windows.

For more info, check out www.noble-caledonia.co.uk or consult the UK's adventure Cruise specialists The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

Hurtigruten's New Voyages for 2012/13

Fancy exploring the rarely visited North East Greenland National Park, the largest in the world and yet the least visited with approximately 500 visitors each year? Or how about exploring Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated town in Greenland? Or why not experience an Equator Baptism by King Neptune on a cross-hemispheric journey from the Canary Islands to Buenos Aires?

All this and much more is possible with Hurtigruten whose latest dedicated programme of Explorer Voyages for 2012/13 in Spitsbergen, Greenland, Antarctica and Europe features new itineraries, experiences and the chance to visit some of the most remote places in the world.

New itineraries introduced, all on board MS Fram, include:

National Park Expedition - This voyage takes in three Arctic islands, Spitsbergen, Greenland and Iceland. Seven days are spent within the North-East Greenland National Park, which is the largest in the world and the least visited, with approximately 500 visitors each year. It is one of the most isolated places on earth, and hikes, small boat trips, lectures and briefings can all be enjoyed. A day is spent at Ittoqqortoormiit, the most isolated town in Greenland, and the trappers living here are the only ones allowed to hunt within the National Park. The 14-day voyage from Spitsbergen to Greenland and then on to Iceland departs on September 6, 2012, in the Arctic autumn and before the winter closes in and makes this corner of the planet uninhabitable. Prices are from £4535pp full board, cruise only.

Trans-Atlantic Crossing – This is a completely different, cross-hemispheric offering from Hurtigruten and the first time it has been offered travelling south. This is the main leg of MS Fram’s winter repositioning journey from Las Palmas in the Canary Islands to Buenos Aires. With the famous Equator Baptism by King Neptune and his wife for those crossing the Equator for the first time and BBQs on deck, this voyage is all about enjoying life on the ocean wave in a relaxed atmosphere with the ship's crew. The 19-day voyage departs on October 14, 2012, and is priced from £1,292pp full board, cruise only. Just £68 per day.

Autumn Adventure – This new eight-day North Atlantic Islands voyage begins in Reykjavik, Iceland, and sets off across the North Sea toward Torshavn on one of the 18 Faroe Islands and one of the smallest capitals in the world. Next stop is Lerwick in the Shetland Islands, by far the northernmost town in Scotland and Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands, with a population of just 8,500. The voyage also calls at Leith/Edinburgh before crossing the North Sea to Bergen. Departing on September 19, 2012, it costs from £872pp full board, cruise only.

Hurtigruten has also doubled the number of departures on its most popular Antarctica voyage, The Classic Expedition’ For 2012/13, there are now six departures. New International Maritime Authority (IMA) fuel rules ban the use of heavy fuel oils from use and carriage from August 1. MS Fram uses Marine Gas Oil (MGO) rather than the heavy fuel oils used by some other ships. A 10-day Classic Expedition costs from £3,443pp, including flights from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia and back, full board.

For more info, visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk or contact the UK's leading adventure-cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Fred. Olsen's Weekend ‘Summer Sale’

For a limited period over the Bank Holiday period, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines will be offering special reduced prices on six summer cruises, with durations ranging from 7 to 16 nights, to a variety of exciting destinations. These deals will be available from Friday 27th to Monday 30th May 2011 inclusive, and offer, amongst others, the chance to view the volcanic region of Iceland from the comfort and safety of a cruise ship!

Available from a choice of convenient regional UK departure ports – Southampton, Rosyth (Edinburgh) and Dover – these great prices start from just £56 per person per night, representing incredible value, with sale fares available across a range of cabin types.

The cruises selected for the special sale are:

· M1114 – a 13-night cruise to the Baltic, departing Dover July 2, priced from £799 per person, based on two adults sharing a twin cabin.

· D1115 – a 16-night cruise to Greenland and Iceland, departing Rosyth (Edinburgh) July 28, from £899 per person.

· M1116 – a 14-night cruise to the Canary Islands, departing Dover July 30, from £849 per person.

· L1111 – a 7-night cruise to France, departing Southampton on August 1, from £599 per person.

· W1112 – a 16-night cruise to Greenland and Iceland, departing Dover on August 11, priced from £899 per person.

· L1113 – a 14-night cruise to the Baltic, departing Southampton on August 18, from £899 per person.

Prices include accommodation, all meals and entertainment, port taxes and any applicable Fuel Supplement. Themes of ‘The History of Weather’ and ‘Classical Music’ are available on cruises W1112 and D1115 respectively through Fred. Olsen’s onboard enrichment programme, Vistas, which is free to guests.

Find out more at www.fredolsencruises.com or contact the cruise-agent specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

In the Wake of The Vikings with Zegrahm

Zegrahm Expeditions is excited to announce a community-based partnership with W.I.L.D. Expeditions, an adventure education organisation dedicated to empowering our youth to be stewards of the environment through life-changing kayaking and sailing experiences.

W.I.L.D. Expeditions has recently begun work building a traditional 56-foot Viking ship to educate kids about Viking heritage and give them additional means to explore the waters of the Pacific north-west. In conjunction with Zegrahm’s July 'In the Wake of the Vikings' voyage, the adventure travel company is offering any traveller who lives in the north-west and books this upcoming voyage an exclusive tour of the Viking ship in Anacortes, Washington, including the opportunity to meet the shipbuilder himself.

In addition, for each of these bookings Zegrahm will donate $1,000 per booking to W.I.L.D. Expeditions to help complete the building of the ship and fund upcoming youth programmes.

The building of the vessel is being completed by master shipwright Jay Smith, who was recently featured on the History Channel special, “The Big Build: Viking Longboat.” Jay has gathered over 70 crooks from oak trees in Oregon for the ship's frames and pure Alaskan yellow cedar from British Columbia for planking. Studying with Scandinavian masters to perfect his trade, the ship will be traditionally built by hand, using many of the old Viking tools.

Not only will 'In the Wake of the Vikings' expose travellers to the unspoiled islands of the Faroes and the volcanic wonders of Iceland - two areas difficult to explore unaided - but Zegrahm’s expert expedition team adds an educational component by bringing the region’s cultural heritage and natural history to life. Among others, archaeologist Colleen Batey will share her stories of excavating Viking sites in Northern Scotland, Iceland and the Orkney Islands, and her work with the Smithsonian on the 'Vikings: North Atlantic Saga' exhibit.

Iceland native Ragnar Hauksson will lecture on the everyday life of Icelanders coupled with the folklore, fairy tales, and sagas. And, expedition leader and Zegrahm co-founder Mike Messick will ensure travellers make the most of their time in these northern realms with ample opportunities to explore the itinerary’s planned ports of call and several expeditionary exploits by Zodiac. Additionally, travellers will have the opportunity to:

• “Storm the beach”—via Zodiac—at Dunrobin and explore this 13th century castle and its Versailles-inspired gardens.

• Sail past seabird colonies perched on cliffs along the region’s dramatic fjords.

• Take a cliff-side hike and enjoy stunning views while learning about the volcanic geology below your feet.

• Tour (and taste!) Scotland’s best-known industry: whisky.

• Visit picturesque coastal villages still steeped in Viking tradition.

• Embark on a thrilling snowmobile ride across Europe’s largest glacier.

To learn more, visit Zegrahm’s Web site at www.zeco.com or contact the UK's leading adventure-cruise specialist agents The Cruise Line Ltd.

Greenland & Iceland With Fred. Olsen

As a complete change from the traditional ‘sun and sea’ holiday, a Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines summer cruise to Greenland and Iceland offers some spectacular scenery, and the chance to visit some unforgettable ports, in a very different landscape, while you experience the long days in the ‘Land of the Midnight Sun’.

Cruising from a northern port saves time at sea, and Boudicca’s 16-night cruise to Greenland and Iceland (D1115) departs on July 28 from Rosyth (Edinburgh). After a day at sea, the first port of call is Torshavn in the Faroe Islands. The cruise then offers a chance to visit some little-known ports in the south of Greenland - Qaqortoq, Narsarsuaq and Nanortalik.

Qaqortoq was founded by Norwegian traders in 1775 and retains some lovely old colonial buildings; it also boasts a magnificent fountain, with carved whales blowing water from their blowholes.

There is a scenic cruise around Cape Farewell, the southernmost tip of Greenland before the voyage reaches Iceland; first, Isafjordur, then Reykjavik, for an overnight stay. This allows time to visit the 'Big Three’ geological wonders of Gullfoss waterfall, Geysir, with its steaming plumes of naturally hot water from the earth’s centre, and Thingvellir National Park. Boudicca then returns to Rosyth.

This cruise additionally offers a theme of ‘Classical Music’, through Fred. Olsen’s cruise enhancement programme, Vistas. Guests can join in with this activity at no extra cost.

Prices start from £1,750 per person, based on two adults sharing an outside twin cabin, Grade ‘E’, and include accommodation, all meals and entertainment on board, and port taxes.

Black Watch has a similar itinerary on her 16-night cruise to Greenland and Iceland from Dover, departing on August 11, W1112. This voyage also visits the rarely seen ports in southern Greenland and some extraordinary landmarks, including the Mountains of 12 Apostles and Cape Farewell. Like Boudicca, Black Watch has an overnight stay in Reykjavik, before returning to Dover.

The cruise additionally offers a theme of ‘The History of Weather’, hosted by the scientist, physicist and climate-change expert Professor Henry Hutchinson, through Fred. Olsen’s cruise enhancement programme, Vistas. Guests can join in with this activity at no extra cost.

Prices start from £1,729 per person, based on two adults sharing an outside twin cabin, Grade ‘E’. The price includes accommodation, all meals and entertainment on board, and port taxes.

Find out at www.fredolsencruises.com or contact the cruise agent specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

More Big Savings With Oceania

Oceania Cruises is offering savings of up to 57% off selected cruise departures in spring and summer, including sailings on board new Marina, with an onboard credit of $1,000 per stateroom. All prices include all meals and complimentary bottled water and soft drinks but exclude flights.

Route of the Vikings: 14 nights from £1,399 saving £1,829 PLUS $1,000 on board credit.

Departing July 1, Oceania has a 14-night sailing from Copenhagen to London on Marina, crossing the North Sea and Atlantic through Norway, the Shetland Islands, Faroe Islands, Iceland (above) and Ireland before disembarking in London.

Greek Isles Odyssey: 12 nights from £1,499, saving up to £1,235pp PLUS $1,000 on board credit.

Departing July 9, this cruise sails from Istanbul to Athens through some of the Greece’s most beautiful and historic islands on board the mid-sized Nautica, with with savings up to £1,235 per person for an Outside ocean-view stateroom, based on two sharing.

Myths and Legends: 12 nights from £1,199, saving up to £1,160pp PLUS $1,000 on board credit.

Departing July 21, this magnificent sailing from Athens cruises the Greek Islands, Montenegro and Croatia before disembarking in Venice on Nautica, now from £1,199 per person for an Inside stateroom.

Majestic Inspiration: 14 nights from £1,399, saving up to £1,529pp PLUS $1,000 on board credit.

Departing August 2, cruise through the magical Aegean Sea on a 14-night cruise on board Nautica and save up to £1,529pp for an Inside Stateroom, based on two sharing, with a $1,000 credit/stateroom. The sailing departs from Venice and continues into the Aegean Sea cruising through Croatia, Greece, Italy, Monaco and France before disembarking in Barcelona.

For more info, visit www.oceaniacruises.co.uk or luxury cruise specialists The Cruise Line Ltd.

Oceania's New European Itineraries For 2012

Oceania Cruises has announced its 2012 European cruise collection and, following the launch of two new ships in 2011 and '12, for the first time the company will operate four ships in Europe including Marina (above), which launched in January and sister Riviera, due to debut in April next year.

The 2012 European season includes more than 72 sailings from April through to December. Other exciting firsts include a complimentary hotel stay before every voyage, an overnight stay on every itinerary, more late-night departures and the addition of three seven-night voyages.

Featuring 41 distinct itineraries, Regatta, Nautica, Marina and Riviera will cover the entire continent, calling at 145 different ports of call, 12 of which are new for 2012.

Marina, Oceania's first new-build, will spend most of the summer sailing the Mediterranean visiting classic port like St Tropez and Monte Carlo. From May 12-22, Jacques Pépin, Oceania’s executive culinary director, will join her 10-day Tuscan Artistry itinerary to host cooking demonstrations, lead on-shore market tours and oversee the operations in his namesake onboard restaurant, Jacques. Beginning in June, Marina will join Nautica in Northern Europe, visiting Dublin, Reykjavik, Oslo and Copenhagen.

The 12 new ports of call include Akureyri, Iceland; Cephalonia for Argostoli, Greece; Batumi, Georgia; Cartagena, Spain; Cherbourg, France; Motril for Granada, Spain; Horta, Azores; Qaqortoq, Greenland; La Palma, Canary Islands; Vigo for Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Tasiilaq for Ammassalik Island, Greenland; and Trapani, Sicily.

For more information about the new 2012 European collection, visit Oceania Cruises at www.oceaniacruises.co.uk or call the luxury cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

Spotlight On The European Arctic

This year, adventure cruise company Aurora Expeditions celebrates its 15th season of exploring the European Arctic. This exciting kingdom of the polar bear is best discovered on board Aurora's Polar Pioneer, a small ice-strengthened ship that takes a maximum of 54 passengers and has the flexibility to reach places larger ships can’t.

On an expedition to the Arctic with Aurora, passengers can stretch their legs on mountain walks and tundra whilst searching for reindeer, musk ox or an Arctic fox. Zodiac cruises will bring passengers up close to walrus, whales, seals and polar bears. For the more daring, they also offer an exciting range of adventure activities, including sea kayaking and polar scuba-diving.

Jewels of the Arctic - August 10 and September 2 (14 days, from AU$7,655 including ship accommodation, all meals onboard, all shore excursions, lectures, medical services, port charges and taxes)

This adventure combines the best of Spitsbergen and Greenland, with a taste of Iceland. Cross from Spitsbergen’s rugged north-west coast over the Greenland Sea to fantastic icebergs and the fairytale landscape of granite spires rising 2,000m above the fjords. Be welcomed by local Inuits and learn some of the trade secrets of their culture.

Spitsbergen Odyssey – July 11, 21 and 31 (11 days, from AU$6,080, including ship accommodation, all meals onboard, all shore excursions, lectures, medical services, port charges and taxes)

Explore the home of the polar bear. There are no open-sea crossings on this discovery voyage where you’ll find deep fjords, mysterious desert mountains and seals and whales in the Arctic pack ice. This voyage offers the best chance for finding polar bears and features wildflower walks, trapper camps and historical remains of whaling stations. Avid divers will love the inaugural Arctic scuba dives, which begin on this voyage on July 31

For more information, visit http://www.auroraexpeditions.com.au/ or the UK's leading expedition cruising specialists The Cruise Line Ltd.

New Ex-UK Cruise from Celebrity

Celebrity Cruises has announced their bumper summer 2012 itineraries for UK-based Celebrity Eclipse. Be one of the first to sign up for the brand new 14-night Iceland & Fjords cruise from just £1,599 per person (based on two people sharing an inside stateroom).

The price includes a 14-night Iceland & Fjords voyage (cruise-only) departing from Southampton and calling at Reykjavik (Iceland), Akureyri (Iceland), Klaksvik (Faroe Islands) and then Geiranger (above), Alesund, Olden and Bergen (all Norway), before retuning to Southampton; meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. Price is based on July 7, 2012, departure.

For more information, visit www.celebritycruises.co.uk or contact the cruise agent specialist of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Circumnavigating Iceland on a 14-day expedition

In late July of 2011, Zegrahm Expeditions will be circumnavigating Iceland on a 14-day expedition that reveals the element-sculpted landscapes and volcanic wizardry that have made this Land of Fire and Ice famous. And, with 75% of Europe’s second largest island only accessible by ship, they plan to put the MV Clipper Odyssey’s fleet of Zodiacs to good use as they explore Iceland’s rugged coastlines and isolated bays. In addition to the expeditionary exploits by Zodiac, other highlights to look forward to include:

• Admiring all Iceland’s stunning landscapes: bubbling hot springs, glittering glaciers, soaring volcanoes, and plunging waterfalls;

• Walking among ruins that recall the heyday of Viking exploration;

• Searching for breeding whooper swans, along with myriad other seabirds;

• Snowmobiling across Vatnajokull Glacier, Iceland’s largest; and

• Exploring the fabled Golden Circle—Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss Waterfall, and the Geysir Center

An amazing expedition team will accompany this voyage to help illuminate the path of early explorers and bring the region's natural history and culture to life. Zegrahm directors Kevin Clement and Jonathan Rossouw will be on board to highlight the natural history and wildlife of the region. Iceland native, Ragnar Hauksson, will join the voyage to discuss the everyday life of Icelanders coupled with the folk tales, fairy tales, and sagas that have heavily influenced modern-day Iceland.

Join Zegrahm and this stellar expedition team as they circumnavigate Iceland! This itinerary will not be offered again in 2012 so go on online today to reserve your space!

For further information  visit http://www.zeco.com/ or Cruise specialists The Cruise Line.

Free Cabin Upgrades in 2011 with Hurtigruten

By guest blogger Steve Newman.

Hurtigruten is offering a free cabin upgrade on selected voyages spread across a wide variety of cabin categories for anyone booking between January 1 and March 31 in 2011. Available on specific Spitsbergen and European voyages, the offer allows customers to book and pay for a cabin and then enjoy an upgrade into the next cabin grade for free.

Offer applies to :

6-Day Spitsbergen Polar Encounters – July 31 and August 4; from £2283pp for a voyage around the north-west coast of Spitsbergen. Price includes an upgrade from an N to U cabin worth £110pp, five nights’ full board on the ship and return flights between Oslo and Longyearbyen. Based on two sharing,

9-Day Spitsbergen Polar Encounters – August 17; from £2830pp for a voyage around the whole west coast of Spitsbergen. Price includes an upgrade from an N to U cabin worth £160pp, seven nights’ full board on the ship, one night’s B&B in Longyearbyen and return flights between Oslo and Longyearbyen. Based on two sharing.

9-Day Spring in Western Europe – April 7; from £1031pp, calling at Lisbon, Porto, La Coruna, Bordeaux, Sark, Guernsey, Honfleur and Dover. Price includes an upgrade from an N to U cabin worth £240pp, eight nights’ full board and transfer from Dover to London Heathrow. Based on two sharing.

11-Day Pearls of the Baltic Sea – April 25; from £2511pp, calling at Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki, St Petersburg, Tallinn, Gudhjem and returning to Oslo. Price includes an upgrade from an N to U cabin worth £220pp, 10 nights’ full board and transfer from Dover to London Heathrow. Based on two sharing.

8-Day Climate Voyage – July 21; from £2603pp, a special voyage, themed around climate change from Iceland to Spitsbergen via one of the world’s most isolate islands – Jan Mayen. Price includes upgrade from N to U cabin worth £130pp, seven nights’ full board on the ship, return flight from Longyearbyen to Oslo. Based on two sharing,

For more information, visit http://www.hurtigruten.co.uk/ or check with the adventure cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

The Land of Ice and Fire

By guest blogger Steve Newman

You can now visit the Northen seas with Saga for 14 nights, departing from Dover on June 28, 2011 from just £2264 per person.

Enjoy a thrilling two-week voyage absorbing the breathtaking landscape of Iceland and returning via Norway. Discover beauty and be mesmerised by the freshness and colours of nature, taking in the puffin colonies and the spectacular Godafoss Falls.

The journey reveals the dramatic geological treasures of Iceland with its frozen coastline, bubbling geysers and beautiful fjords, as well as discovering the thriving capital of Reykjavik. You also call at the Orkney Islands, with their fascinating ancient heritage, and remote Faroe Islands.

Highlights:

• Discovering Iceland’s hot bed of geothermal activity, eerie lava formations, hot springs and glaciers
• Visiting the Laufas Farm Museum and gain an insight into early Icelandic farm life
• Visiting the amazing Godafoss Falls – Europe’s most powerful waterfalls, punctuated with dozens of rainbows.
• The Orkney Islands archaeological sites, including the Stone Age Ring of Brodgar and the Neolithic village of Skara Brae (above)
• Exploring Norway’s cultural city of Bergen, with its colourful gabled houses

Ports of call:

Dover, England – Kirkwell, Orkney Islands – Heimaey, Iceland – Reykjavik, Iceland - Grundarfjordur, Iceland – Isafjord, Iceland – Akureyri, Iceland – Seydisfjordur, Iceland – Torshavn, Faroe Islands – Bergen, Norway – Dover, England

Price Includes:

• Travel insurance
• All on-board gratuities
• Entertainment and activities
• Welcome cocktail party and Captain’s Dinner
• All meals onboard, including 24-hour room service
• All port taxes and visas
• UK mainland travel service to your departure point

For further details, look up http://www.sagacruises.co.uk/

In the Wake of the Vikings

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Scotland and adventure travel may seem like an unexpected pairing. Yet, Zegrahm Expeditions combines Scotland with the unspoiled islands of the Faroes and the volcanic wonders of Iceland for a 14-day expedition from July 13-26, 2011, aboard Clipper Odyssey that is sure to transform your view of Northern Europe from well-trodden to well-off-the-beaten-path.

Travelling in the wake of true expeditionary travellers — the Vikings — be amazed by the dramatic scenery that sets the stage for Zegrahm's expert team of lecturers to bring the region's natural history and culture to life. Voyage highlights include:

• Tour (and taste!) Scotland's best-known industry: whisky
  
• Storm the beach (via Zodiac) at Dunrobin and explore this 13th-century castle and its Versailles-inspired gardens
  
• Sail past seabird colonies perched on cliffs along the region's dramatic fjords
  
• Take a cliff-side hike and enjoy stunning views while learning about the volcanic geology below your feet
  
• Visit picturesque coastal villages still steeped in Viking tradition
  
• Embark on a thrilling snowmobile ride across Europe's largest glacier
  

For further information about Zegrahm Expeditions’ cruises, visit http://www.zeco.com/ or call the adbenture cruise specialists at The Cruise Line on 0800 008 6677.

Circumnavigate with Zegrahm!

Zegrahm Expeditions Embarks on Five Hallmark Circumnavigations in 2011

SEATTLE, WA, OCTOBER 20, 2010—In addition to their expert leaders and unique expeditionary style of travel, Zegrahm Expeditions has perhaps become best known for their circumnavigations of some of the world’s most interesting, and, often times, obscure, archipelagos. In fact, the 20-year-old company was the first to circumnavigate Baffin Island in the Canadian Arctic and New Guinea in the western South Pacific. Zegrahm believes linking together all the fascinating locales within a single destination by small-ship offers travellers an in-depth and uncompromised view of the local culture, history and natural environment. Plus, many of the areas that Zegrahm visits have little to no infrastructure in place, so travelling by small ship is the only way to go.

And, 2011 is no exception. Zegrahm’s travel year commences with the first of the following five highly-anticipated circumnavigations, two of which are brand-new itineraries for Zegrahm:

· Circumnavigation of Sumatra: Zegrahm celebrates the start of the New Year with an inaugural 18-day sojourn around Western Indonesia’s equator-straddling island of Sumatra. Travellers will be amazed by orangutans in Gunung Leuser National Park (above), spectacular Krakatoa Island and stone-jumping super-humans on Nias Island, plus the region’s incredible array of wildlife, unspoiled wilderness and more than a dozen ethnic groups.

· Circumnavigation of Sicily: Zegrahm’s first-ever April expedition circling the Mediterranean’s largest island combines visits to amazing archaeological wonders — from the Roman theatres and villas of Taormina and Lipari to the ornate Norman-Arab castles and cathedrals in Cefalu, Palermo and Monreale — with a tasty immersion into the region’s famed viticulture and cuisine.

· Circumnavigation of Iceland: This 14-day expedition reveals the element-sculpted landscapes and volcanic wizardry that have made the Land of Fire and Ice famous. Travellers search for breeding whooper swans; ride snowmobiles across Europe's largest glacier; walk among ruins that recall the heyday of Viking exploration; and explore the fabled Golden Circle — Thingvellir National Park, Gullfoss Waterfall and the Geysir Center.

· Circumnavigation of Ireland: The Emerald Isle truly sparkles on this fascinating August voyage that brings history to life as Zegrahm explores the Neolithic burial site of Newgrange; the Viking legacy of Waterford; and the 18th-century English architecture in Dublin, Cork and Killarney. No less spectacular are the rolling green glens of the Ring of Kerry, Dingle Peninsula's dramatic cliffs and Northern Ireland's Giant's Causeway.

· Circumnavigation of the Black Sea: Eurasia’s most intriguing destinations are revealed —Turkey, Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria — on a 15-day expedition where beautiful landscapes are enhanced only by the stunning architecture and archaeological sites that travellers experience on one of two September departures. This itinerary is a long-time favourite among Zegrahm travellers.

To learn more about each of these itineraries, plus read accounts of past circumnavigation expeditions, visit http://www.zeco.com/. To book in the UK, be sure to contact specialist agents The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

Iceland, Dublin, Faroe Isles and St Kilda

By guest blogger Steve Newman

To many of us, a cruise is made by the amount of wildlife we see from the deck or on land when taking organised excursions. To this end, Swan Hellenic has partnered with Marinelife, the marine conservation research charity, to bring a daily wildlife image blog to cruise passengers and the public alike.

The Marinelife team has been recording all sightings and engaging with passengers on board the Minerva throughout her visit to Iceland with a programme of presentations and deck watches. Marinelife’s team is writing a daily blog on the Swan Hellenic website to keep the general public up to date with a range of spectacular encounters, which include many hundreds of dolphins of multiple species, a Humpback Whale mother-and-calf pair and sightings of the infamous Eyjafjallajokull volcano.

Minerva will be returning to Iceland sailing on a round trip from Portsmouth from 21 July - 05 August 2011. She will be visiting four ports on the “Land of Fire,” including the capital Reykjavik. Iceland is place renowned for its ice fields, volcanic springs and thundering waterfalls. The ship will also call at Dublin and Torshavn in the Faroe Isles.

Apart from elation at the coastal scenery and the wildlife, there is sadness on this trip, too. It rather depends on how it affects you, but I defy anyone not to be moved when you’re on St Kilda. Fifty miles out from the Western Isles, even as you start to approach you wonder how people could have lived here. This feeling is enhanced when you pass where the young men climbed the cliffs to collect seabird eggs in swells they would have regarded as nothing but have many visitors clinging to the rail.

Surviving until the 1930s, when they asked to be evacuated, you wander among their stone houses (above) now numbered and marked with the occupants' names, trying to imagine how they eked out a living here and marvelling at their dry-stone walling skills. The sadness comes when you discover that in just one egg collecting trip, almost half the young men of the island were lost in heavy seas.

Having visited both here and Iceland, I can assure you you’ll be left with memories that will stay with you for ever.

For those wishing to know more, Swan Hellenic will be exhibiting at the Cruise Show in Birmingham in October.

For more info in the meantime, go to http://www.swanhellenic.com