Monday 11 November 2024

Expedition Kit: This little Bluetooth speaker could get you into trouble.

#expeditioncruising .


Review: Ultimate Ears MINIROLL Bluetooth Speaker



Once upon a time, those little add-on speakers for your Walkman, Apple iPod or MP3 player were tinny, rattly little things that had all the HiFi quality of fingernails down a blackboard.

Wednesday 6 November 2024

Seabourn announces 2026-2027 Expeditions



Seabourn, a leader in ultra-luxury cruising and expedition travel, has unveiled its new 2026-2027 expedition itineraries to the world's most remote and exotic destinations. The line's two new ultra-luxury expedition ships Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit, are scheduled to visit up to 161 destinations in 31 countries on 24 unique sailings of 46 departures:

Monday 4 November 2024

BREAKING: Paspaley Pearl cancels 2025 bookings

#expeditioncruising .


Updated: 6 Nov 24

The much-anticipated luxury Kimberley expedition vessel, Paspaley Pearl, will not sail its inaugural 2025 season as planned and has cancelled future bookings.

The website (since taken offline) carried the simple message:

Industry insiders are speculating about the future of the 56m, 32-passenger boutique vessel, which was to be managed by Ponant and championed by industry identity Sarina Bratton. Bratton was contacted for comment, but declined.

According to reports received by Expedition Cruising, Ponant sales reps contacted trade partners to advise that Ponant would no longer be marketing the vessel. Competing operators have also emailed their respective databases offering places to passengers displaced by the cancellations.

In a statement sent to ExpeditionCruising, Ponant Asia-Pacific CEO Deb Corbett said:

"PONANT regrets to inform its valued customers and travel partners that the proposed cruise program to operate on PASPALEY PEARL is not proceeding with Ponant as the cruise operator. However, PONANT remains dedicated to exploring the Kimberley, Australia’s Far North, Papua New Guinea and East Indonesia, with over 40 explorations on PONANT’s Le Soleal and Le Jacques Cartier over the next 2 years. Guests holding reservations have been advised that they will receive a full refund or alternatively, guests can receive a travel credit with an additional 15% saving to choose a cruise on PONANT’s fleet across the globe, which is combinable with the PONANT Bonus Savings and PONANT Yacht Club benefits for members of the club. Guests have until 31 December 2025 to book an alternative cruise for travel at any time. Trade partners have been advised that their commission will be fully protected. PONANT continues to innovate and develop new experiences and looks forward to sharing this pioneering spirit with future travellers”.

Launched by now-defunct operator, Island Escape Cruises, the vessel was arrested in 2022 and later sold at auction. The Pearling dynasty, Paspaley, purchased the vessel for a reported A$5.5 million.

Have you been affected by these cancellations? Let us know


Saturday 2 November 2024

From On Board: Meet photographer, Harry Rogers

#expeditioncruising .

Guests aboard modern expedition cruise ships now enjoy many benefits that were never available when I first sailed aboard the sturdy old ex-Soviet vessels in the late 1990s.

The cavalcade of enrichment that has always been part of the expedition experience is now further enhanced with dedicated photographers and videographers whose task it is to record the voyages for guests. Once upon a time, a camera was just thrown into the hands of an available crew member, but now we are seeing credentialled documentary artists produce broadcast and magazine-quality material as a permanent reminder for guests to keep as lasting mementoes of their life-changing vacations.

Friday 1 November 2024

From On Board: How to enjoy a day at sea #expeditioncruising

#expeditioncruising . 


A day at sea has the potential to be one of the duller sections of a long expedition voyage. The side gates are stowed, the zodiacs strapped down and the coffee tends to flow. Lectures are attended and much fabulous knowledge imparted but in between our minds can wander. For those keeping a weather eye on the horizon there may be a thing or two to make them stand and raise a pair of binoculars to their eyes. Perhaps a migratory sea bird soars on locked wings, riding the air pockets above the waves. Perhaps a lonely boat is tossed on a choppy sea. Perhaps an intrepid whale takes their necessary breaths of air on their long trek through the deep oceans. 

Thursday 31 October 2024

HX partners with Heriot-Watt University - WAVE project for sustainable protection of whales in the Arctic

 


HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions), one of the world's leading providers of expedition cruises, and Heriot-Watt University, one of the world's leading research-oriented universities, have signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). 

Wednesday 30 October 2024

Wildlife Television Presenter Nigel Marven to Film 'The Last Penguin' Documentary on Heritage Expeditions' Ross Sea Antarctica Voyage

#expeditioncruising .


Pioneering small-ship expedition cruise company Heritage Expeditions is excited to announce its partnership with legendary wildlife television presenter, producer, author, zoologist and naturalist Nigel Marven on his new wildlife documentary, The Last Penguin.

Swan Hellenic's New Destinations for 2025-2026

Swan Hellenic spotlights 34 extraordinary destinations worldwide in its 2025-2026 itineraries that are visited by few if any other expedition cruise lines – nine of them exclusives



Cultural expedition cruise pioneers' expertly curated itineraries take its purpose-designed boutique ships on maiden calls to see what others don't.

Friday 25 October 2024

From On Board Swan Hellenic Diana in the Indian Ocean: Zanzibar

#expeditioncruising .

(c) Gennadiy Skorokhod/Swan Hellenic

Location: Stone Town, Zanzibar
Vessel: SH Diana IMO 9921740
Itinerary: Paradise Isles of the Indian Ocean

The very mention of Zanzibar is enough to conjure images of exotic scenarios replete with vibrant costumes, vivid spices and produce as well as age-old architecture and customs.

Wednesday 23 October 2024

From On Board Swan Hellenic Diana in the Indian Ocean: Assumption Island

#expeditioncruising .

(c) Gennadiy Skorokhod/Swan Hellenic

Location: Assumption Island, Seychelles
Vessel: SH Diana IMO 9921740
Itinerary: Paradise Isles of the Indian Ocean

Our last landing in Seychelles is at the curiously christened Assumption Island, named not after some unverified discovery but rather the Catholic Feast. In 1756, the French East India Company Captain Corneille Nicolas Morphey claimed the island for France along with all the Seychelles.

Monday 21 October 2024

From On Board Swan Hellenic Diana in the Indian Ocean: Tortoise Time

#expeditioncruising .


Location: Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles
Vessel: SH Diana IMO 9921740
Itinerary: Paradise Isles of the Indian Ocean

We can count ourselves fortunate to be among the maybe 1,000 visitors annually who visit this remote outpost. An outer island of the Seychelles, it was UNESCO World Heritage-listed in 1982 and is the world's second-largest coral atoll (after Kiribati). 

Sunday 20 October 2024

From On Board Swan Hellenic Diana in the Indian Ocean: Sea Day

#expeditioncruising .


A sea day is always a perfect opportunity to explore any ship, so we strolled some of the public spaces of the glamorous SH Diana as we sailed between the islands of the Seychelles.