Vintage Tugboat cruise in Alaska

#expeditioncruising .

For those with a hankering to wake up to birdsong and the scents of the forest, there's a 10-day Inside Passage cruise for you: aboard the 107-year-old wooden coastal tugboat Swell.

Operated by veteran expedition company Maple Leaf Adventures, these trips for 12 guests at a time feature up-close experiences of whales and brown bears, walks through the rainforest, Zodiac-ing among icebergs and visits to natural hot springs

The crew are all local coastal people with stories to share.

Swell is a fully restored, 88-foot tugboat. It has six private cabins with en suite baths, a cosy salon, ample deck lounges, hot tub and an open wheelhouse. Exploration equipment includes shore boats, kayaks and a hydrophone for listening to whales.

Maple Leaf Adventures say the 10- and 11-day trips offer a slow-travel way to experience the grandeur of the Alaskan wilderness.

Departures are from Sitka or Petersburg. Prices start at $10,495 per person.

www.MapleLeafAdventures.com

SunStone sells Silver Discoverer to CroisiEurope, puts Sea Spirit on market.

#expeditioncruising .

The international fleet management company, Florida-based SunStone Ships, has sold Silver Discoverer to French river cruise company CroisiEurope – and has announced that two further vessels are for sale or charter.

Silver Discoverer will sail as La Belle Des Oceans with French line, CroisiEurope

Sunstone has been known recently as the builder of the revolutionary ULSTEIN X-BOW® ship design for Lindblad, Aurora and Victory Cruises among others.

Former Hapag-Lloyd BREMEN under charter to Polar Latitudes as MS Seascape

#expeditioncruising . UPDATED

Swiss shipbuilder, Scylla, is the latest operator to enter the booming expedition cruise market having announced its acquisition of BREMEN from Hapag-Lloyd Cruises in January.

The Swiss company will take delivery of the expedition vessel in May of 2021 following the delivery of H-L's third Hanseatic-class ship, the Hanseatic Spirit.

Scylla owns 31 river ships, with most chartered to various tour operators including Tauck, and is now looking to make the transition to the ocean market. It seems likely that Scylla will in turn charter this vessel to another current operator, further expanding the inventory for expedition cruising.

ExpeditionCruising.com learns the vessel will concentrate on the Antarctic Peninsula with established operator, Polar Latitudes, under a long-term charter.

"The MS Bremen is perfect for that. Our nautical and technical expertise also comes into play here. What's more, we can offer our existing customers new options in Scylla quality and expand our customer base," said Arno Reitsma, CEO of Scylla.

"Although the Bremen is a very special ship in our fleet and has been very close to our hearts for more than 25 years, we want to focus on three modern expedition ships with the latest environmental technology in the expedition arena," said Karl J. Pojer, CEO of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.

Source: Cruise Industry News

Adventure and Expedition Cruising

Get aboard for Norway’s Orca Highway

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Only a few places remain on Norway’s Orca Highway, an exciting 10-night single departure trip, which includes a week on board the small, 12-passenger expedition yacht, R/V Kinfish, in the company of Tashi Tenzing, raconteur, three-time Everest mountaineer and grandson of the first Sherpa to successfully reach that summit.

New luxury expedition vessel, Magellan Explorer, due to begin service 2019

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Magellan Explorer is a new and modern expedition vessel. She was built in Chile to the latest Polar Code specifications to start service in 2019. Magellan Explorer has capacity for 100 passengers in seven categories of accommodation, including dedicated single cabins. All cabins except Porthole cabins feature private balconies. All double cabins except two have two twin beds that can be configured as one king-size bed. All cabins feature a wardrobe, individually controlled heating system, a sitting area, and a private bathroom with shower.

The ship features a glass-enclosed observation lounge and presentation room with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, a spacious and stylish dining room, a well-stocked bar, a library, a meeting room, a gym, a sauna, and a medical clinic. The forward-facing observation deck leads to the bow of the ship, which is accessible to guests to offer proximity to marine wildlife. The ship has a fleet of 10 Zodiac boats that are well suited for disembarking and wildlife watching

Length: 90.7 m - 298 ft.

Passenger Capacity: 100 (only 69 passengers for Air-Cruise operations)

More information about the Magellan Explorer

Aqua Expeditions New Fleet Additions: Aqua Blu and Aqua Nera [video]

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Aqua Blu to sail three key coastal destinations in East Indonesia

Aqua Nera to redefine Amazon luxury river cruise with nature-inspired design

Class-leading boutique luxury cruise line Aqua Expeditions officially announces two new fleet additions: Aqua Blu and Aqua Nera.

SeaDream Yacht Club New Luxury Yacht, SeaDream Innovation

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The 2021 inaugural season is now accepting bookings from past SeaDream guests. Reservations for new guests will open April 17.SeaDream Yacht Club is pleased to announce a new era in luxury yachting. For the first time since its founding in 2001, SeaDream is expanding its fleet with SeaDream Innovation, a new, revolutionary yacht, which will introduce the concept of “Global Yachting.” Commencing sailing in September 2021, the ultra-luxury yacht will sail to all seven continents in its first year, visiting over 200 ports in 49 countries. Guests will explore the world’s most remote and unique destinations, including Svalbard, the Northwest Passage, Antarctica, the fjords of Norway, Japan, New Zealand, the Fiji Islands and the Great Barrier Reef.