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.

Aurora's Antarctica

Aurora Expeditions voyages to the Antarctic Peninsula for next season are filling fast, buoyed by the popularity of their brand-new fly-sail options to Antarctica and South Georgia. Departing South America, they have been designed to reduce sea time and increase time at the destination. Also popular are their voyages with exciting adventure activities, including sea kayaking, camping, photography, climbing and scuba diving.

Next season, the Australian adventure cruise company will also celebrate the centenary of renowned Australian explorer Sir Douglas Mawson and his first Australasian Antarctic Expedition. A milestone in Australian Antarctic history, this special occasion is being marked with three 'Mawson Centenary Celebration' voyages to Mawson Huts and Commonwealth Bay, departing both Australia and New Zealand.

Aurora Expeditions, the pioneers of ship-based adventures in this part of the world, are committed to small, low-impact groups keen to experience the Antarctic in many ways, whether by walking, scuba diving, kayaking or just sitting quietly and absorbing the surrounding magnificence.

The 2011/12 itineraries reflect this commitment. Voyages start from $5,900, with trips to East Antarctica from $6,500.

For more info, visit www.auroraexpeditions.com.au or contact the UK's leading adventure-cruise specialists The Cruise Line Ltd.

Big Early-Booking Savings With Crystal For 2012

Crystal Cruises is offering savings of up to £1,272 per couple when booking selected early 2012 departures before the end of the month. Massive savings of up to £6,308 are also available on the full 2012 World Cruise if booked before the end of April.

Prices for the early 2012 voyages start from £2,572 per person, cruise-only, based on the January 17 Panama Canal voyage from Miami to Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica.

And there is still plenty of time to book for this year as the freshly redesigned, 922-guest, 50,000-ton Crystal Symphony and the 1,070-guest, 68,870-ton Crystal Serenity cruise through the Middle East, Africa, Caribbean, South America, Mediterranean, Canary Islands, Black Sea, Panama Canal, Mexican Riviera, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, South Pacific, British Isles, Baltic Sea, Arctic Circle, Alaska and New England/Canada.

For further info, see www.crystalcruises.co.uk or the UK's leading luxury cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Costa's New Itineraries For 2012

Costa Cruises is pleased to announce its extensive range of vacation options for 2012, with more than 250 destinations going to more than 130 itineraries, and with around seven shore excursions on offer per port of call.

Sailing around the Mediterranean, Northern Europe, China and the Far East, United Arab Emirates, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Caribbean, South America and a new Round-the-World cruise, Costa has increased its total capacity by 12 per cent in 2012, compared to 2011.

Costa is synonymous not only with convenience and accessibility – thanks to a choice of around 60 ports of embarkation worldwide – but also with value for money, in particular the ProntoPrice formula, with greatly discounted rates exclusively available to early bookers.

There will be more than 2,200 shore excursions to choose from in 2012, with around 300 eco-tourism excursions that minimise the impact on the ecosystem, visiting parks and local communities.

For more information, view http://www.costacruises.co.uk/ or contact the UK's leading cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Falkland Islands Cruising on the Increase

By guest blogger Steve Newman.

The future’s bright for The Falkland Islands Tourist Board, which has just announced its latest tourism forecast for the 2010/11 season.

And the rise in cruise ship visits continues apace. The Falklands are anticipating a growth of 1.3% in cruise passenger arrivals for the current season (October to April), with 49,011 expected to visit. These statistics dovetail with the global upswing in cruising - 1.77 million people are expected to take a cruise next year, according to the latest figures released by the Passenger Shipping Association.

A total of 29 ships are scheduled to call at the Falkland Islands this season as an integral part of wider South America or Antarctica itineraries, comprising both expedition vessels and large cruise lines. The Falklands also welcomes four new vessels to its shores this season, including Le Boreal and Marina Svetaeva.

“Today’s cruise passengers are seeking authentic experiences in relatively undiscovered locations. The Falklands offers just this, plus wildlife in abundance and our latest tourism forecast demonstrates the increasing popularity of this destination,” commented Paul Trowell, General Manager for the Falkland Islands Tourist Board.

For more information on the Falklands, visit http://www.falklandislands.com/ or, if you want to cruise there, have a look at cruise specialists The Cruise Line Ltd.

South America with Noble Caledonia

By guest blogger Steve Newman

In 2012, Noble Caledonia are repositioning MS Island Sky to South America and have just launched the new brochure which features itineraries from the tip of Patagonia up to the West Indies.

From January to April 2012 she will operate a number of cruises throughout Latin America, up as far as Central America and through the Panama Canal to little known areas of the Caribbean.

Having been involved with many small ships in South America and the West Indies, Noble Caledonia know this area to be ideally suited to expedition cruising. The wild, open spaces of Patagonia and the dramatic coastal scenery of the Chilean fjords make for an unforgettable trip particularly if you prefer the cooler temperatures.

Alternatively, Chile’s lake region and northern territory with its magnificent national parks combines well with the natural and cultural wonders of Peru. Continuing north along the Pacific coastline, there is the chance to explore Peru, Ecuador and Costa Rica, including the remote Cocos Island, a mini Galapagos located some 300 miles out in the Pacific and an area much favoured by Jacques Cousteau, known for its sea turtles, rays, dolphins and hammerhead sharks.

Later in the season finds Island Sky exploring the little known but remarkably beautiful islands of the southern Caribbean Sea as well as the Caribbean Coast of Panama and Costa Rica. There will also be the opportunity to visit Cuba, the Southern Bahamas, Turks & Caicos islands and the pristine waters of the British Virgin Islands.

Why not join them for the Island Sky’s maiden visit to these endlessly fascinating waters and explore the wonders of nature and man with our accomplished expedition team and guest speakers?

For more information, visit http://www.noble-caledonia.co.uk.

Celebrity Cruises to Galapagos

Celebrity Cruises to Galapagos

Celebrity Cruise Lines have a special class of ship built for more adventurous travelers called the Expedition class. The only exponent of this class is Celebrity Expedition. This is a much smaller ship, launched in 2001. It is equally elegant and well equipped as any Celebrity cruiser but gives a sense of intimacy to the guests. On a regular cruiser, one may feel lost in the crowd sometimes, but on Expedition this never happens.

Galapagos is one of the interesting places Celebrity Expedition takes its guests to. This trip is a must for everybody who wants to discover the place that inspired one of the world biggest scientific discoveries. Galapagos Island offers the visitors a memorable trip. Celebrity Cruiser line offers the adventurous traveler several alternatives for this voyage. There are 7 to 13 nights cruises, with prices starting from 1800 EUR for 7 nights to 5600 EUR for 13 nights.