American Cruise Lines Announces 2014 Schedule

American Cruise Lines officially announced today its 2014 cruise schedule, which includes over 35 unique itineraries. With advance bookings already ahead of the previous year, the line is preparing for an exciting year ahead, with new itineraries and plans to operate more cruises than it ever has before.

In the American Heartland, American Cruise Lines has added a new itinerary on the mighty Mississippi River. New for 2014, the line’s authentic paddlewheeler Queen of the Mississippi will be operating new St. Louis to New Orleans cruises.

This new itinerary allows guests to experience a greater portion of the Mississippi River, by sailing through six states, in only eight days. The new cruises are being offered exclusively by American Cruise Lines.

Furthermore, due to popularity and demand, American Cruise Lines has added eight more sailings to next year’s Puget Sound & San Juan Islands schedule. Newly introduced this year, the eight-day roundtrip cruise from Seattle, explores the hundreds of islands nestled between Canada’s Vancouver Island and the U.S. mainland.

Guests enjoy breathtaking views of a diverse natural wonderland and experience the region’s culture with guided tours to historical sites and museums. 2014 sailings are offered March through November.

“We are gearing up for a busy 2014,” said Timothy Beebe, Vice President of American Cruise Lines. “Spring cruises are already selling out and we look forward to working with new and existing valued travel partners to help us reach even more guests. We thank them for being a major factor in our growth and success.”

American Cruise Lines will also be announcing a robust 2014 theme cruise and entertainment schedule in the coming weeks.

Pandaw, Kipling and Orwell revive the Road to Mandalay

"On the road to Mandalay, Where the flyin'-fishes play,
An' the dawn comes up like thunder outer China 'crost the Bay!"
- Rudyard Kipling


It's an intoxicating cocktail of equal parts nostalgia and pomposity sitting here on the expansive teak deck of the RV Katha Pandaw. It's taken me almost ten years of trying to get here to Burma and aboard one of the classic Pandaw vessels that revived a century-old tradition on the fabled Irrawaddy River. And now I'm feeling every bit the privileged sahib, G&T at hand, watching the little stilt villages pass by as the locals toil in the fields or bathe in the murky waters.

Driven by a keen sense of history, the Irrawaddy Flotilla Company, upon which the modern Pandaw fleet is styled, has been reborn thanks to Scottish historian and entrepreneur, Paul Strachan. Now about to launch the new fleet's 13th vessel, Strachan struck upon the idea when he found one of the old fleet's hulls languishing on a riverbank.

He restored the vessel, which became Pandaw 47, and began a revival that continues to this day. Even now we see many other salvaged, Clyde-built hulls in use by local operators performing their original tasks of hauling a mix of freight and passengers to the many ports dotted along the length of both the Irrawaddy (which runs down from China to the NE) and the Chindwin (whose headwaters originate to India to the NW).



All along our journey from Mandalay to Katha and beyond, we reminisce of literary giants like George Orwell who wrote his début novel here, of military campaigns under the command of General Slim which slowly overcame the invading Japanese in WWII and of the grand ancient kings who once ruled this land and left a legacy of thousands upon thousands of gold-topped stupas everywhere one looks.

This particular itinerary is new to the Pandaw portfolio and explores north from the romantic hub of Mandalay as famously portrayed by Rudyard Kipling, past the remote outpost of Katha where Orwell set his Burmese Days, to the navigable extreme of Kyauk Pone near the town of Bhamo in Kachin state. Great jungle-clad cliffs reminiscent of the Yangtze Gorges tower above us, but instead of the Chinese concrete and steel, it's bamboo, teak, thatch and busy little canoes going about their daily routine.

But just as the Yangtze has been irretrievably transformed by massive dams and earthworks, so too are such terraforming projects planned for the upper Irrawaddy. While not yet set in stone, let us pray that these devastating constructions can be thwarted by the public pressure welling against them.

"Come you back to Mandalay, Where the old flotilla lay;
Can't you 'ear their paddles clunking from Rangoon to Mandalay?
On the road to Mandalay, Where the flyin'-fishes play,"


The writer wishes to thank John Boyd from Pandaw Cruises and Active Travel for making this journey possible.

Join Hurtigruten in the Hunt for Northern Lights on a Classic Voyage of the Norwegian Coastline

Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis

On November 1, Hurtigruten officially kicks off its winter season … and the hunt for Northern Lights begins. A signature element of Hurtigruten’s winter voyages, the display of Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora Borealis, is a natural phenomenon that fills the night sky with yellow, green or red-violent belts of color, arising with little advance notice. As a goal that appears on many a travelers’ bucket list, Hurtigruten guests have a greater possibility of seeing the Northern Lights during the company’s northbound, southbound and round-trip Classic Winter Voyages as the ships sail above the Arctic Circle. Although the Northern Lights are often viewable from September to April, the peak viewing season is during Hurtigruten’s winter voyages, as this is when nights are at their longest in Northern Norway. Sailing between November 1 and March 3, fares for departures through December 31 start as low as $1,078 per person, double through Hurtigruten’s “Winter Cabin Guarantee Offer.” For trips in 2014, prices range from $1,311 to $16,425.

The term “Hunting the Light” was coined by one of Hurtigruten’s captains as he described what happens when guests gathered on deck, eager to see this natural light show for themselves. Guests can learn more about the science behind the Aurora Borealis through onboard lectures, and they’ll also get photographic tips about how best to capture the light show. They can even sign up to be awoken during the night should the crew spot the Lights.

The coastal voyages run between the UNESCO-listed harbor city of Bergen and the Norway/Russia border town of Kirkenes. The fleet of 11 ships, which visit 34 ports of call during the seven-day northbound and six-day southbound sailings, and twice each during the 12-day roundtrip (Hurtigruten’s most popular itinerary), provides guests with an opportunity to experience Norway in a truly unique and meaningful way. A single journey on Hurtigruten shows each aspect of the diversity of Norway’s natural resources and culture while allowing guests to interact with locals, as Hurtigruten offers an everyday means of transport for inhabitants of the coastal region.

During these winter voyages, Hurtigruten’s onboard activities, menus and excursions are inspired by the season. Guests can take a ‘dip’ in the frigid Barents Sea, participate in a fish filleting demonstration on deck, and enjoy such seasonal menu items as freshly made fish cakes. A wide selection of exciting winter excursions are also available to passengers, including a snowmobile trip in the polar night for a star-studded sky and even stronger Northern Light displays - far away from the city lights, dog sledding, and the opportunity to spend a night in the Kirkenes Snow Hotel. As part of a special winter package, guests can book four excursions and receive a NOK 650 ($111 US)* onboard spending credit. Those experiences include a Lofotr Viking Feast at the Lofotr Viking Museum; a Polar History Walk in Tromsø; a visit to the North Cape, which is the northernmost point on the continent; and a Husky Sledge Adventure, during which guests can meet huskies and speed over frozen landscapes. There are a total of 21 optional excursions available, varied by cruise direction.

Hurtigruten, which is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year, sails to the most remote of destinations – including Antarctica, Greenland and the Arctic’s Spitsbergen – as well as year round along Norway's coast and Europe in the spring and fall. The company’s fleet of intimate ships, which each carry 100 to 646 guests, allows travelers to enjoy the scenery and culture of the destination in a relaxed atmosphere.

Additional information, brochures and reservations can be obtained from travel agents or Hurtigruten's visitor-friendly website, www.hurtigruten.us; by phone at 877-301-3117; or fax at 888-524-2145. To order brochures 24 hours a day, call 800-582-0835.

No sailing with the crowds makes for a dream start to 2014

GIVE yourself a pampered start to 2014 with 7-nights post the Christmas-New Year holiday period aboard world-renowned mega motor-cruiser SeaDream II from Singapore through the Indonesian Islands to Bali, a voyage that's a particular dream for those who don't like to "sail with the crowds" as SeaDream II has just 56 staterooms for a maximum 112 guests served by 95 crew.

Making SeaDream Yacht Club's first-ever visit to Asia, SeaDream II departs Singapore on January 11 for Pulau Seribu in the famed 1000 Islands, Semarang in Central Java, Lembar for a visit to Lombok, Komodo Island (home to the famed Komodo Dragon,) and Bali. There are also two full days at sea for indulging SeaDream's "Good Life," that includes an onboard spa that is the only at-sea member of the Thai Spa Association.

Prices begin from an enticing US$3954pp twin-share including all 5-star dining, selected wines, spirits and beers, use of a 30-course golf simulator, fitness centre, power and sail water-sports (where permitted,) crew gratuities and port and government charges.

Full details from travel agents or www.seadream.com

"We can actually own this market" says Silversea's Bettridge

By Tom Stieghorst

It has been five years since Silversea Cruises launched its first expedition ship, the Silversea Explorer. But in the last year it has stepped up the pace, launching the Silver Galapagos this month and announcing plans for a third ship, the Silver Discoverer, in 2014. In one fell swoop, that ship will add more than 150 destinations to the line's catalog. Ellen Bettridge, who arrived 18 months ago as Silversea's president of the Americas, talked about Silversea's expedition fleet with cruise editor Tom Stieghorst.

Q: Why has Silversea expanded into expedition cruising?

A: We've had our Silver Explorer for five years now, and we've had great success with her. She truly is an expedition ship, which has been what encouraged us to purchase the Silver Galapagos. Expedition cruising is just really hot right now, and especially when we can actually own this market, because we have that luxury twist. So we believe this is a great way to bring customers something that they're really asking for.

Read the full story: www.travelweekly.com/In-the-Hot-Seat/Silversea-Cruises-Ellen-Bettridge

Windstar Introduces Air-Cruise Package to Tahiti

Windstar Wind Spirit

Windstar Cruises offering a new air-cruise package for its recently introduced Tahiti program. The package includes roundtrip airfare between Los Angeles (LAX) and Papeete, Tahiti, via nonstop Air Tahiti Nui service; one complimentary pre-cruise night at Le Meredien Papeete; and complimentary transfers to and from the yacht for $1,999 per person. Windstar also offers two-for-one cruise fares for its Tahiti voyages from $2,999 per person.

The 148-passenger Wind Sprit will operate the seven-day “Dreams of Tahiti” voyages from Papeete beginning May 2 through Nov. 7, 2014. The cruises will stop at the Society Islands of Moorea, Tahaa, Raiatea, Bora Bora and Huahine.

For bookings please contact Travel the World on 1300 950 622 or www.traveltheworld.com.au

Island Escape Cruises Enhanced Product Relaunch in December

Following an extensive refit and makeover, Island Escape Cruises is poised to introduce its luxury small ship “Island Passage” on its inaugural series of Fiordland Cruises in early December.

Internally and externally, the vessel will have never looked better after its most extensive makeover since entering service. Externally the vessel’s hull is being completely sandblasted before gleaming coats of rich flag blue are applied.

Onboard, suites and staterooms will be refurbished with new carpet, textiles, furniture and luxury bed linens. The vessel’s traditional wood-panelled elegance will be complemented by a contemporary palette of understated tonings with tasteful splashes of colour in furnishings, bed throws and cushions.

With guidance from a leading Auckland Creative Designer, the vessel will emerge with a fresher, lighter, crisper and more contemporary look. Upgraded bathrooms will feature French soaps and toiletries by L’Occitane en Provence.

In other changes, a Cruise Director will join the established shipboard team for the first time. As on board liaison officer between the ship and its 24 guests, this role has been introduced to ensure guests’ expectations are impeccably met and even exceeded.

As the only small ship operating to luxury standards in Fiordland, “Island Passage” offers a unique insight into one of the world’s most remote and spectacular destinations.

Limited space is still available on selected sailings. With seasonal cruises in both the renowned Bay of Islands and enchanting islands of Vanuatu, the vessel is successfully attracting more and more repeat passengers.

(www.islandescapecruises.com)

Superyacht burns: 16 passengers and crew escape blaze

Flames pour from the Seafaris after it caught fire

Sixteen people were forced to abandon ship when a luxury yacht caught fire and sank off the far north Queensland coast this morning.

Eight passengers and eight crew were on board the Seafaris when the blaze broke out on the 41-metre vessel in Cow Bay in the Daintree region about 6am (AEST).

They abandoned ship and were rescued about 90 minutes later by a bulk carrier which heard the yacht's mayday call.

The group has arrived in Cairns and paramedics have checked two elderly passengers.

The Seafaris is owned by property developers the McCloy Group, whose chairman is Newcastle Lord Mayor Jeff McCloy.

Mr McCloy is on his way to Cairns to find out what happened.

He says he is devastated the multi-million-dollar vessel, which attracted visitors from around the world, has been destroyed but is thankful those onboard are safe.

"(The boat was) a marvellous thing for Australia and it was doing great charter work, but the charterers on board are safe and that's the main thing I'm concerned about at the moment."

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the blaze.

The Newcastle-built Seafaris undertakes charter trips and tours of the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef out of Cairns.

The seven-year-old vessel boasts accommodation for up to 10 guests and 10 crew, as well as a gymnasium, cinema, library, spa and cocktail bar.

Heritage Expeditions head to Bouganville next week, as Lloyd Jone's 'Mr Pip' is released today

Colourful Bougainville

Andrew Adamson's film adaptation of Lloyd Jones' award winning book Mr Pip is released throughout cinemas in New Zealand and worldwide this week. The film is set in Bougainville during the civil war and follows 14 year old Matilda, her mother and Matilda's teacher Mr Watts throughout this violent time.

After years of isolation, Bougainville is slowly reopening and Heritage Expeditions is due to be the first expedition company to visit Arawa, the settlement at the centre of the conflict, on the upcoming Melanesia Discoverer voyage departing next week.

Bougainville is a pristine island paradise – home to some of the greatest biodiversity in the region both above and below the waters. We also look forward to visiting the local communities based on the island, and spending time with them to learn more of their history and plans for the future.

The 14 day expedition, Melanesia Discoverer, departs Madang, Papua New Guinea on the 11th October.

Melanesia Discoverer 2014 – departs Madang, Papua New Guinea on the 8th October 2014.

http://www.heritage-expeditions.com

For Worldwide Small Ship Cruising contact our in-house specialists –
Wild Earth Travel: www.wildearth-travel.com / info@wildearth-travel.com

Aranui Adds Bora Bora For First Time in 2014

Credit: Lionel Gouverneur

Tahiti’s freighter cruise line, Aranui, will make its first scheduled calls to Bora Bora next year including a special Christmas visit.

Aranui is best known for its 14-day cruise adventures to French Polynesia’s mysterious Marquesas and the pristine Tuamotus but will also add two visits to Bora Bora’s famed blue lagoon during April and December 2014, with fares from $8799* per person twin share.

Aranui’s Regional Representative Australia New Zealand Laurent Wong said Bora Bora would be a highlight for passengers booking the special cruises.

“We visited Bora Bora for the first time during Aranui 3’s 10th birthday celebrations earlier this year and after seeing how much our passengers enjoyed it, we realised we needed to call more regularly,” Mr Wong said.

“We pride ourselves on showing off some of the most beautiful parts of French Polynesia and by including Bora Bora, our passengers get the opportunity to see three very different archipelagoes (Marquesas, Tuamotus and Society Islands).

“We chose December 25 for one of the visits because we couldn’t think of anything more exciting than waking up on Bora Bora’s picture perfect blue lagoon on Christmas Day – it’s the ultimate Christmas treat!”

The special Bora Bora visits on April 17 and December 25 will include a picnic lunch on a secluded beach with optional activities ranging from an island tour to a lagoon excursion, manta ray experience and a helicopter ride.

Ultimate Cruising has all-inclusive packages priced from $8799* per person twin share for a standard cabin on Aranui’s April 5 and December 13, 2014 departures. Each cruise will feature a call to Bora Bora, included shore excursions at 16 ports, all main meals, complimentary wine with lunch and dinner, return economy airfares from Sydney, Brisbane or Melbourne with Air Tahiti Nui, four nights pre and post accommodation at Manava Suite Tahiti with breakfast, taxes and all transfers in Tahiti plus to and from home within 35km of the airport.

Aranui 3 accommodates around 200 passengers in air-conditioned cabins including suites with private balconies and deluxe and standard twin rooms.

The freighter line dispenses a lifeline of food, fuel and other staples to the remote ports in the Marquesas and Tuamotus while passengers disembark and explore lush Garden of Eden landscapes on a range of complimentary excursions including hikes and 4WD tours.

Throughout the journey, guests enjoy the comforts of a cruise ship from a spacious sundeck to a freshwater swimming pool, a gym and a library.

To book contact Ultimate Cruising on 1300 485 846 or visit www.ultimatecruising.com.au

For more information on Aranui visit www.aranuicruises.com.au

*Subject to availability, conditions apply. Prices are per person based on twin-share. Single occupancy attracts a 50 per cent single supplement surcharge.

National Geographic Orion to revisit Melanesia in 2014

The unprecedented sales success of National Geographic Orion’s season of Melanesian voyages early in 2014 has prompted revisions to a later itinerary which now incorporates popular Melanesian highlights in Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, enroute to Fiji.

Departing Cairns for Lautoka (Fiji), 5 November 2014, National Geographic Orion’s 13 night voyage will provide one additional opportunity to explore Melanesia onboard National Geographic Orion in 2014.

Be one of just a trickle of tourists to experience remote Melanesia, far from the sushi train of mainstream cruise ships. In idyllic Louisiade Archipelago, buy pottery or exquisite wooden and stone carvings from the artisan who made the artwork; no sign here of plastic tourist trinkets being peddled.

On Santa Ana, for example, children, eyes alight with glee will guide you past thatched huts and sit with you while villagers with mud covered face masks perform a stunning spear dance.

Time to swim, snorkel and kayak as you explore these chains of coral atolls and scatterings of islands including Luganville. Your specialist expedition team, headed by Tim Soper, and including Chris Rainier, National Geographic Photographer considered one of the leading documentary photographers working today, will be with you to reveal remnants of fierce WWII battles - aircraft, tanks and vehicles both on land and the seabed. In this vast aquarium without glass, with all the Lindblad Expeditions tools of exploration at hand, snorkel over coral reefs the size of suburbs and dive on the famed World War II wreck, Calvin Coolidge. Kayak among the mangroves, explore along coastal trails and witness the incredible phenomenon of Fijian fire walking.

All this and yet time to recharge mind and body during sea days. The joy of an afternoon siesta, comfortably relaxed on the teak steamer chairs on the spa deck, gin and tonic within lazy reach. Attend interesting and informative briefings and lectures pertinent to the region; get tips onboard and in the field from the Lindblad-National Geographic certified photo instructor about your photography techniques and equipment; view dramatic images of the undersea from the ROV (remotely operated vehicle) transmitted from 300 metres depth; be stimulated by discussions with like-minded fellow travellers, your environment and the day’s cultural and physical activities.

An expedition not to be missed.

Exploring the Coral Sea: Papua New Guinea to Fiji. Departing Cairns, on 5th November 2014, this 13 night voyage concludes in Lautoka, Fiji.

Voyage includes CAIRNS, Kwato Island, Louisiade Archipelago, Milne Bay, Honiara, Santa Ana, Luganville, Port Vila, Lelepa, Beqa, LAUTOKA.

Fares Guide

Category 1 – B stateroom from A$12,550 per person twin share

Category 3 – Junior Suites begin from A$17,305 per person twin share

Category 6 - Owners’ Suites with French Balcony are A$26,270 per person twin share

Solo Fares also available in Categories 1 and 3

2014 brochure of expeditions available

Request your 2014 brochure detailing National Geographic Orion’s range of voyages stretching from Borneo to the Kimberley, Micronesia and Melanesia, Great Barrier Reef to Easter Island and Antarctica by visiting the websitewww.orionexpeditions.com

Further information can be obtained by contacting Orion Expedition Cruises: Australia 61-2 9033 8777 (Sydney callers) 1300 361 012 (regional and interstate), New Zealand 0800 44 44 62 or your travel agent. Email:info@orionexpeditions.com

Silver Galapagos Sets Sail

Silver Galapagos

Silversea has launched its second expedition ship. Fresh from a major refurbishment, the 100-guest ship (formerly named Galapagos Explorer II) embarked September 28 on her first-ever voyage as Silver Galapagos.

Prior to setting sail, a christening ceremony was held on board, attended by local dignitaries and company executives. Highlighting the occasion were speeches by Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio, Silversea's chairman; Santiago Dunn, vice president of Silversea, Ecuador; and Conrad Combrink, Silversea's director of expedition cruises. Following the traditional blessing by a priest, the chairman's daughter, Costanza Lefebvre d'Ovidio, the ship's godmother, officially welcomed Silver Galapagos into the Silversea fleet by cutting a ceremonial ribbon.

The all-suite Silver Galapagos has just completed a major stem-to-stern refurbishment. All public spaces and guest suites have been refreshed with new upholstery, carpeting, curtains, and wall treatments. Each suite is highlighted by a totally renovated bathroom, enhanced with rich marble detailing. Besides a new walk-in rainforest shower, each bathroom features a new vanity, shelving, mirrors, lighting fixtures, and wood flooring. Plus, all guest suites have been outfitted with new flat screen TVs, new mattresses (custom-made exclusively for Silversea), and luxurious Pratesi bed linens.

Other ship enhancements include the installation of Wi-Fi access throughout the ship (including all suites) and a new complimentary service providing streaming movies and live television news broadcasts for guests to enjoy on their portable devices.

And rounding out the renovations are a new fitness center, massage room, beauty salon, outdoor Jacuzzi, outdoor furniture, and Silversea's signature outdoor dining venue, The Grill.

In his remarks at the christening ceremony, Lefebvre d'Ovidio stated, "It is our aim that this ship will not only offer our guests the highest level of comfort and service, but also enlighten them to the rarity and beauty of the Galápagos Islands."