Adventure Canada adds expedition cruises to Ireland in 2019

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.

Advertisement

This was published 5 years ago

Adventure Canada adds expedition cruises to Ireland in 2019

By Sally Macmillan
Adventure Canada expedition cruise to Greenland.

Adventure Canada expedition cruise to Greenland.

Adventure Canada's business development director Matthew (MJ) Swan has been travelling around the Canadian Arctic since he was two, so it's safe to say at age 31 he knows his vast backyard pretty well. MJ's father, Matthew Swan, founded the expedition company with his brother Bill and friend Dave Freeze more than 30 years ago; today it's still very much a family business. MJ's sister Cedar is chief executive, and her husband Jason Edmunds, sister Alana and her husband Brian Faber work for Adventure Canada, along with second-generation members of the Freeze family.

Adventure Canada specialises in expedition cruises to the Canadian Arctic, Greenland, Newfoundland and the Northwest Passage. Iceland and Scotland were added to the 2018 program and Ireland will feature in 2019. Expeditions are operated on the 198-passenger, ice-strengthened Ocean Endeavour between June and October and are designed around the three-week window in August and September when it's possible to navigate the Northwest Passage.

Northwest Passage expeditions today are like sailing in Antarctica in the 1980s and '90s, in terms of it being a very desirable destination that few people have experienced, says MJ. "I'm still surprised when I see one ship a week – but when I started working there at 15, we saw maybe one every 60 days."

Luxury eco-tours: Delfin II.

Luxury eco-tours: Delfin II.

In the rapidly expanding expedition-cruise market, what differentiates Adventure Canada? Apart from the family history and connections – one family member sails on board every expedition cruise – there are several standout factors.

"What I've learned and what my father was so good at is building relationships with the communities we visit," says MJ. "We rely heavily on those when we're building our programs – we can call our friends and ask where they've seen musk ox recently, or if they've noticed heavy ice building when they've been out on their boats. You can't buy that."

The relationships go both ways, of course; Adventure Canada contributes financially to community projects and runs training programs for young Inuit people. Responsibility for local community structures and delicate ecosystems are high priority; MJ's father recently received a lifetime tourism award from Destination Canada for the tours he has developed in the Canadian Arctic.

Another point of difference is the nationality of the 35 to 40 expedition staff who join the cruises – in Scotland the staff are Scottish, in the Canadian Arctic and Greenland they are Inuit, and so on. "When a marine biologist points out seals or whales then tells passengers that the bay we're seeing them is where he or she went fishing with their grandfather, it adds another layer of knowledge." See cruisetraveller.com.au.

SHORE THING

Advertisement

THE PORT Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

WHO GOES THERE Azamara, Celebrity, Costa, MSC, Oceania, Princess, Seabourn, Silversea.

WHY WE LOVE IT Abu Dhabi is the capital of the seven Emirates and the richest. It's not as busy as nearby Dubai but offers a fascinating mix of Emirati traditions, desert landscape, stunning coastline and ultra-modern attractions.

TAKE A TOUR OR GO IT ALONE? Ships dock at the state-of-the-art Port Zayed cruise terminal, five kilometres from the city centre. Big Bus hop-on hop-off tours start at the terminal and shuttle buses take you through the port, but an organised tour is the best way to go. A half-day tour typically visits the spectacular Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the recently opened Louvre – a relation but not a replica of its Paris sister – or heads out to the desert for 4WD dune drives. Longer tours go to Al Ain, a historic oasis town, or Ferrari World Theme Park, which boasts more than 20 thrilling rides and the world's fastest rollercoaster. Book in advance for the Abu Dhabi Pearl Journey, a 90-minute cruise along the channel between Abu Dhabi and the Hudairi Yat Islands on a traditional dhow – the boat only takes up to 15 passengers.

Several cruises spend a day at the Sir Bani Yas Island, which combines a beach resort with a vast wildlife sanctuary, where you can join guided game drives.

MUST SEE Yas Waterworld, a great family water park; the lavish Emirates Palace hotel; and the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, to see the royal birds close up and learn about falconry.

MUST EAT Emirati cuisine is based on fish, chicken, lamb, goat and sometimes camel, spiced with saffron, cardamom, cinnamon and turmeric; dates, chickpeas, rice and yoghurt are also traditional staples. In the city every type of international cuisine is available.

NEED TO KNOW Women should wear clothes covering their shoulders and legs when in public places, particularly when visiting mosques. Men won't be allowed into the Grand Mosque if they're wearing shorts or T-shirts; attendants supply abeyas (long, loose black garments) and headscarves to women who aren't dressed appropriately.

ESSENTIALS visitabudhabi.ae

CRUISEFACT

The Danube, which is Europe's second-longest river at 2888 kilometres, is the only major European waterway to flow from east to west.

NEWS

Super Ship No.5

Uniworld's SS Beatrice set sail this month as the first vessel in the river cruise line's fleet of floating boutique hotels to be upgraded to a Super Ship. Each Super Ship has its own individual character; now it's been redesigned, SS Beatrice is up there with SS Antoinette, Catherine, Joie de Vivre and Maria Theresa. Its renovated lobby features elegant mirrors, marble floors, a white Murano chandelier with blue shades, and a grand staircase made of nickel and black iron – a signature design element of all the Super Ships. Artworks on the ship include pieces by Pablo Picasso, Alexander Calder and Pino Signoretto and its four dining venues are named after famous Austrian composers. Guests can take cooking classes in the newly added Max's restaurant while they cruise the Danube; see uniworld.com/au.

Luxury Amazon adventures

Peruvian-owned Delfin Amazon Cruises operates three boutique ships on the Upper Peruvian Amazon – Delfin I accommodates just eight pampered guests, Delfin II has 14 suites and Delfin III has 21, including a massive owner's suite. Delfin first took guests into Peru's Pacaya Samiria National Reserve in 2006 and since then has built up an impressive reputation for luxurious eco-tours. So much so that it has been been officially named the only cruise operator in the world to be admitted into the renowned Relais & Chateaux collection. Aldo Macchiavello, Delfin's managing director, said "In between skirting the river banks in search of wildlife, trail walking through the lush rainforest or admiring pink river dolphins, guests will be endlessly delighted by the elegant comforts back on board." See delfinamazoncruises.com .

Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter

Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.

Most viewed on Traveller

Loading