‘2 for the price of 1’ in Greenland

MYPLANET is now offering a ‘two for the price of one’ deal on its Disko Bay Greenland cruises, departing until September 2009 and visiting the amazing fjords of West Greenland.

The nine-day voyage aboard the MS Fram is now priced from $7120 for two people, including all meals, return flights from Copenhagen to Greenland, two optional shore excursions and more.

Highlights of the trip include walking through Inuit towns and visiting UNESCO World Heritage-listed Illulissat. The deal is valid until sold out.

According to MyPlanet managing director Glenyce Johnson, “the cruise gives you a unique experience to see the largest, and one of the most pristine, islands in the world; a land of awe-inspiring fjords, lush green valleys, rugged mountains, massive glaciers and icebergs the size of cathedrals.“

Info at www.myplanetaustralia.com.au.

Cruise Weekly Comment: Don’t Cry Me a River

I’m ashamed of myself; I’ve been an adventure cruise snob thinking that an adventure or expedition voyage had to be at least coastal or even oceanic in nature to qualify. I was wrong and now I’m admitting it.

I had this idea that river cruising was some cushy lark for timid softies with delicate tummies and an inhibited sense of adventure. Well, several recent river cruises have helped me dispel those prejudices and I’m finding myself developing a liking for the inland variety.

First it was Cruise West on USA’s Columbia River, then Pandaw on the Rajang of Sarawak and now I’m signed up for the Brahmaputra in India with Active Travel. Yes, I had to look it up.

Oceanic Discoverer on the Sepik

I really should not have been so surprised because two years ago, I was with Coral Princess when they made one of their initial explorations of the Sepik. This river is one of the largest in PNG and twists and turns for over 1100 kilometres into the wild backcountry inland from the northern coast. It was here that I had one of my most other worldly expedition experiences when the women of Tambanum worked themselves into a black magic frenzy, yelping and flailing around like possessed banshees. The men knew their place, meekly banging their drums and chanting back-ups, careful not to get a beat out of place. These girls were way out there!

Although I’ve never been on the Amazon proper, I did venture up one of the lesser known tributaries, the Rio Negro, into eastern Ecuador, on the other side of the Andes. Our jungle hideout, Sacha Lodge, was secreted deep in the tidal floodplain and completely at the mercy of tiny marauding primates like marmosets and squirrel monkeys. Giant prehistoric birds called Hoatzins would lurk about while Toucans kept their distance and called loudly from the canopy. You could even fish for piranha off the veranda.

While aboard RV Orient Pandaw, I did get a run down from Australian rep, John Boyd, about future plans for the SE Asian river specialists. Well known for their signature voyages along the Mekong from Saigon to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, they’ve also been busy on the Chindwin and Irrawaddy in Burma since 1995 and are soon to embark on the Ganges and Hugli rivers in India starting this September. The other stuff is secret, but look out for exciting new itineraries from this go-ahead line.


Here in Australia, Captain Cook’s Murray River itineraries are a popular, evergreen product, while some of the more locally-focussed Kimberley operators like North Star or Pearl Sea Coastal Cruises spend time upriver on the Roe, Prince Regent or Hunter chasing Barramundi and ancient Gwion Gwion rock art. Then there’s the Volga in Russia, the Danube Delta in Romania, the Dnieper in the Ukraine and the Nile and Congo in Africa. Yes, they all have cruises.

So don’t think that expedition cruising has to mean icebergs, penguins or polar bears. Nor does it have to involve crossing seas in search of remote islands, some of the world’s great inland waterways hold great adventure possibilities.

Cruise Passenger Subscription

CRUISES.COM.AU Launch Special

To celebrate the launch of Cruises.com.au we are offering subscribers 50% OFF the normal subscription price. Take advantage of this offer and subscribe now for only $19.95.

Cruise Passenger is Australasia's Number One cruise publication, providing the latest cruise news and definitive ship reviews. With its exhaustive coverage of ships, ports and destinations, Cruise Passenger magazine provides you with everything you need to make an informed decision about your next ocean voyage, expedition cruise or river journey.

Pandaw Cruises: Rajang River Rapids

This was the hairy bit. River level was down, rocks poking out everywhere, but the local skipper just kept the boot in and a huge 1000hp twin turbo MTU marine diesel just screamed. The boats are easily 30m long, so they're not dinghies. The guy hanging on for all crap in front of me is a retired Rear Admiral!

This is a typical vessel, built on an old Soviet design and common on the Mekong too.

Cruise Weekly: An empire experience along Borneo's Rajang River

A neatly arranged set of wicker chairs under a sprawling awning on the top deck is peopled by a selection of the Empire's finest citizens. Urbane conversation on the arts, literature and geography can be heard above the clink of ice in glasses of gin and tonic.

A timeless vessel
This scene could be either one of the original 1920s Irrawaddy Flotilla Company vessels making its leisurely way up the Mekong through Burma or indeed our own vessel, the brand new RV Orient Pandaw, here on a ground-breaking 10-night itinerary on Borneo's Rajang River, the longest in Malaysia.

Such is the authenticity of this vessel, she was built according to original blueprints obtained by fastidious fleet owner and patriotic Scotsman, Paul Strachan. After restoring an original Clyde-built vessel, the Pandaw, Strachan went on to build a further six faithful replicas, all finished in copious teak and brass and dripping in colonial history.

The Rajang River
Today the Rajang is a busy commercial waterway around the Chinese-founded port city of Sibu. Shipbuilding, timber and various marine commerce dominate the lower reaches, while upstream is wild Dayak territory, populated by an assortment of indigenous ethnic groups, the largest being the fabled Iban headhunters. The tradition of the longhouse is maintained, but the signature buildings are now mainly ironroofed structures resembling vast barracks.

The itinerary
This itinerary is best described as a work-in-progress, but the excitement of seeking out new destinations is irresistible and hordes of curious, waving locals line the riverbank as we motor serenely past. Children cautiously cling to their mothers before managing a delicate wave in response to our own greetings.

Onboard living
Onboard living is an unrepentant throwback to the glory days of Empire, when England was the world. Doting Burmese staff tend to your every whim with such reverence, it's almost comical, but their sincerity is genuine and heartfelt.

Meals are served in a bright, airy dining room, ventilated by enormous picture windows that open out across the expanse of river. Gentle breezes waft through the room making air-conditioning both intrusive and redundant.

Lemongrass-scented baked fish fillet, ginger roast duck or Cambodian dried beef with black pepper emerge from the kitchen along with chicken, steak or ostrich fillet to be crowned with local sweets such a onde-onde, a rice flour, palm sugar and coconut delicacy.

Coffee, tea, soft drinks, beer and local spirits are included. Wines are typically US$25 per bottle and US$8 per glass.

There is also a library and video theatre with wi-fi connection on the top deck.

Passengers and excursions
Passengers are certainly of a more refined ilk and few cite experiences aboard traditional large cruise ships. Repeat expeditioners and Pandaw frequent cruisers are in the main with retired, but active couples filling most places. Our contingent is Australians, British, a few Americans and a Swiss couple.

Shore excursions are mainly village visits and naturalist treks, but those wanting more intimate wildlife encounters can book optional pre- and post-tours from the website. The vessel is currently without its own tenders, which places undue reliance on local operators to ferry passengers on excursions, but two ten-passenger tenders are planned.

---

Read more at Yahoo!'s Adventure Cruising section.

For further information on this Pandaw river cruise, visit:
www.pandaw.com

Fly to Borneo with Malaysian Airlines:
www.malaysiaairlines.com

For further information about visiting Sarawak:
www.sarawaktourism.com

Hurtigruten sees Antarctic sales soar thanks to TV programme

source: www.travelweekly.co.uk

Hurtigruten is urging agents to capitalise on increased interest in its Antarctic tours which has been driven by the popularity of a TV programme.

Sales and marketing director Kathryn Beadle said the cruise operator's 30% increase in call volumes for its Antarctic cruises programmes had been fuelled by BBC 2's On Thin Ice, which sees former Olympic rower James Cracknell and TV presenter Ben Fogle train and compete in the Amundsen Omega 3 South Pole Race.

Beadle said: "In our experience, programmes like this always spark an increase in interest to the destination.

"Obviously, passengers on our voyages will not be subjected to the expedition conditions these celebrities undertook, but it still helps to showcase the destination and plants seeds in the minds of potential customers who may have a desire to head to the end of the world.

"We want agents to ride on the back of this show and we've put a new offer in place to assist."

She added the cruise operator is offering agents discounts on trips booked before August 31.

The cruise operator is also aiming to take advantage of the 100th anniversary of the return of explorer Ernest Shackleton's Nimrod Expedition to the South Pole, which lasted from 1907 to 1909. Shackleton's team reached within 100 miles of the South Pole, the furthest south humans had ever ventured.

The two offers include savings of £670 on the nine-day Antarctic Discovery cruise, which now leads in at £2,681 per person, while a saving of £822 means Shackleton's Antarctica tour also leads in at £3,529 although both packages exclude international flights.

Picture courtesy of the BBC

Aurora Expeditions Appoints New CEO

Adventure Travel Company, Aurora Expeditions, has announced the appointment of Lisa Bolton as the company’s Chief Executive Officer.

The appointment follows the retirement of founder, Greg Mortimer, who sold the business at the end of last year.

Mortimer, the first Australian to climb Mount Everest and a veteran of more than 100 voyages to Antarctica, will continue to lead expeditions for the company.

“I look forward to continuing the legacy that Greg Mortimer created, pushing the boundaries of adventure and expeditionary travel and making it possible for travellers to experience the wildest and remotest corners of the planet,” said Bolton.

“It is a great privilege to follow in the footsteps of one of the pioneers of expedition travel, and I am pleased to be involved in the next development stage of one of Australia’s most successful adventure companies,” she said.

Bolton previously held roles with Carnival Australia (P&O Cruises) and Qantas Airways.

Aurora Expeditions is an Australian adventure company specialising in small group expedition-style travel to Polar Regions and other wild and remote places such as The Russian Far East, Papua New Guinea and The Kimberley Coast. A world leader in polar cruising, Aurora offers their travellers the chance to have an intimate experience in these regions with their flexible, innovative itineraries. On some voyages, mountain climbing, sea kayaking, photography and scuba diving options are available and Aurora’s expert naturalists, historians, staff and crew help to unlock the wonders of these special places. Deeply committed to education and preservation of the environment, Aurora's founders, Greg Mortimer and Margaret Werner are veterans of almost three decades of Antarctic research, private Antarctic mountaineering expeditions and polar travel. For more information about Aurora visit http://www.auroraexpeditions.com.au/

Orion OPERA UNDER THE STARS® Kimberley voyage 2009

Opera With The Stars Under The Stars

A grand night of operatic proportions awaits guests from the five star expedition cruise ship Orion at the conclusion of its Kimberley Expedition voyage in late August 2009.

Having absorbed the visual drama of the spectacular Kimberley coast with its vast tidal changes, emerging reefs, swirling waters, dramatic waterfalls and prolific marine life, Orion’s guests will be invited to enjoy Broome’s iconic OPERA UNDER THE STARS®, a highlight of Broome's cultural events calendar.

Overlooking Cable Beach, famed for its fiery sunsets, this ‘one night only’ evening provides a delightful contrast of informality countered by uplifting voices of opera singers who have received critical acclaim for performances both at home and overseas.

The musical programme includes the sublime aria “Casta Diva” from Bellini’s Norma, excerpts from Carmen by Bizet as well as duets by Verdi and Delibes.

Be it an impromptu glass of champagne on some remote sand bar, a seafood beach barbeque or an invitation to the opera, these are typical unexpected experiences Orion strives to provide guests on all Orion voyages.

Special offer – save 15% on these prices

10 nights Kimberley Expedition OPERA UNDER THE STARS® voyage

21 August 2009 Darwin/Broome departure only.

Fares begin from $8,790 per person for an ocean view Category B Stateroom.

Suites begin from $12,125 per person for a Junior Suite and Owners Suites with French Balcony are $18,410 per person

Expedition fares are per person twin occupancy include accommodation, all meals, landings and selected activities ashore plus invitation to OPERA UNDER THE STARS® in Broome on Saturday 29th August.

Limited availability.

Further information on Orion Expedition Cruises can be obtained by visiting the website www.orionexpeditions.com

For reservations or to obtain a brochure call Orion Expedition Cruises: 61-2 9033 8777 (Sydney callers) 1300 361 012 (regional and interstate) or your travel agent.
Email: info@orioncruises.com.au

Arctic Cruising

Been South? Then, the Arctic is a perfect complement to any southerly expedition and can be as simple as a cruise to Iceland or Greenland or as heroic as a nuclear icebreaker to the North Pole itself.

Generally speaking, there is more of the Arctic accessible to cruising than the Antarctic and, for better or worse, much less regulation.

Any student of geography will know the northern polar icecap is not the huge, deep frozen landmass of its southerly equivalent. The entire Arctic Ocean is the world’s largest slushy, varying in size depending on the season.

The rim of this ocean is the entire northern coast of Russia, the melee of islands and waterways of northern Canada, and the uppermost reaches of Scandinavia. All of this, yes all, hosts ocean cruises of one sort or another.

50 Years of Victory en route to the North Pole

Without doubt, the Holy Grail for polar adventurers are the Poles themselves. If money were no object, you could do both and still have change from US$50k. The North Pole can also be accessed by aircraft, but the signature product of Quark Expeditions is the mighty 50 Years of Victory, a 25,000 tonne, 75,000 horsepower nuclear icebreaker. The journey takes place each July and is 16 days Murmansk to Murmansk.

The other iconic journey, and a regular sellout, is the Northwest Passage from Alaska to Resolute, a regular journey that was impossible until late last century.

Recent scientific reports about retreating glaciers and the thinning ice pack have created some urgency for visitors to this region as they attempt to see the great polar bear in its diminishing natural environment.

Most specialised polar bear cruises take place around the islands of Svalbard, the largest of which is Spitsbergen, just 600 miles from the North Pole itself. Much history also surrounds these islands, being the launching point for many polar expeditions such as the famous airship flights of the 1920s.

Cruise ships in these waters vary enormously. From the 85,000 tonne, 2000 passenger Costa Atlantica to the minnow of the fleet, the M/S Stockholm (pictured) which carries just 12, passengers with all expectations are catered for.

Just like Antarctica, access is only during the brief summer window and most cruises take place between June and September, with July and August the preferred time.

Cruise Lines to Sue Alaska over Tax

Source: Travel Pulse

More than two years after Alaskan voters narrowly approved a measure that would levy a variety of taxes on the cruise industry, including a $50-per-passenger head tax, the cruise industry has adopted a much tougher stance to counter the move. A number of lines have dropped cruises and pulled out ships from the Alaskan market over the past few months. During a press conference yesterday onboard the new Seabourn Odyssey in Venice, Carnival Corp. Chairman Micky Arison (pictured) said his company and the rest of the cruise industry intended to pursue a legal remedy to reverse the head tax. He said Carnival and other lines had actively lobbied against the head tax but had not succeeded in getting Alaskan legislators to eliminate it, so he would soon turn to the courts.

Calling the head tax illegal and unconstitutional, Arison said it was not in the interests of Alaska or its neighbors, citing the harm done to such ports as Vancouver and Seattle. He also said that cruise lines had gotten nowhere with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. “Sarah Palin should stop running for president and focus on Alaskan issues,” Arison said. The head tax proposal was originally championed by activists who felt the cruise industry did not pay enough in taxes to Alaska for environmental protection, emergency services and waterfront infrastructure.

Pearl of a deal for Kimberley cruises

Pearl Sea Coastal Cruises is offering a $500 gift voucher per person at pearl specialist Linneys in Broome as well as a 15 percent discount on 2009 and 2010 Kimberley coast cruises.

This discount price on the seven-day cruises between Broome and Mitchell Plateau is from A$7093 a person (normally $8,345), from $10,280 (normally from $12,095) for the 13-day Broome-Wyndham cruises and from $4250 (normally from $5000) for the five-day Broome-Broome cruises.

Prices include a light aircraft and helicopter flight between Broome and the Mitchell Plateau (on 7-day cruises), private cabin with ensuite bathroom, full use of the vessel, guided land and water excursions and all chef-prepared meals served on the shady stern deck or in the air-conditioned lounge.

Rates for 2010 are the same as 2009.

Cruises operate during March to October.

Cruising is on board the 25-metre Kimberley Quest II, equipped with a spa on the deck and helipad for scenic flights.

The Kimberley Quest II has only nine double cabins, with a choice of four styles.

Cruise highlights are the Horizontal Waterfalls, the spectacular islands of the Buccaneer Archipelago, King Cascades, Montgomery Reef and the King George Falls, guided scenic tender rides gorges, a myriad of inlets, estuaries and unnamed creek systems, ancient art sites and colonial settlement ruins.

Email cruise@kimberleyquest.com.au or see www.kimberleyquest.com.au

Top 5 reasons why you both should experience magical Greenland cruise this season

MyPlanet has introduced a '2 passengers for the price of 1' offer on their Disco Bay Greenland Cruise. The tour takes you into the very heart of the magnificent wilderness cruising through the enormous fjord systems of West Greenland visiting the small communities that call this natural wonderland home. MyPlanet's Managing Director Glenyce Johnson gives Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Consider Travelling to Greenland this season.

1. "The special "2 passengers for the price of 1" is now valid until sold out and you also receive two optional shore excursions free."

2."The Cruise gives you a unique experience to see the largest, and one of the most pristine, islands in the world; a land of awe inspiring fjords, lush green valleys, rugged mountains, massive glaciers and icebergs the size of cathedrals. "

3. "Greenland is loaded with wildlife – polar bears, seals, walrus, reindeer, musk oxen; a destination where nature has gone wild to create a land of incredible beauty."

4." You will walk through Inuit towns and flower covered hills, look to the skies filled with migrating birds - this is western Greenland at its best. Pause on a hike in Greenland and enjoy the sound of silence."

5. "You will visit the town of Ilulissat (literally meaning iceberg in Greenlandic). Icebergs are on its doorstep, running aground at the entrance of the fjord. This ice fjord, home to the Inuit people for over 3000 years, was UNESCO World Heritage listed in 2004."

MyPlanet's nine day Disko Bay Cruise on board MS Fram is priced from $7,120 for two people, twin share in an I2 cabin grade. The package includes all meals and return flights from Copenhagen to Greenland. Cruise departures between June and September 2009.

For bookings and more information please call MyPlanet 1800 221 712 or email: enquiry@myplanetaustralia.com or visit www.myplanetaustralia.com.au

MyPlanet Australia, the leading travel company for Scandinavia, Russia and the Baltic's have an extensive cruise and tour program for 2009-2010 seasons. The program is a smorgasbord of independent and escorted tours and cruises, activity tours and sightseeing for the region all year round. Tour programs also feature Finland, Iceland, Ukraine and as a new destination, Poland. MyPlanet Australia Pty Ltd operates as a retail arm for MyBentours; a wholesaler and cruise specialist for the Australian and New Zealand travel industry. MyPlanet Australia Pty Ltd (trading as MyBentours and MyPlanet) is the Preferred Sales Agent (PSA) for Hurtigruten Group, and General Sales Agent (GSA) for Icelandair and Gota Canal in Australia and New Zealand. MyPlanet is part of TUI Travel PLC.