Cruise news: The Cruise Director

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

Advertisement

This was published 6 years ago

Cruise news: The Cruise Director

By Sally Macmillan
Airlie Beach is one of Australia's cruise hot spots.

Airlie Beach is one of Australia's cruise hot spots.

Now that all the visiting ships have departed to sail other summer seas, what are the options for cruising in our own backyard over the next few months?

P&O Cruises' fleet of five, Carnival Spirit and Princess Cruises' Sun Princess are cruising around Australia and to the Pacific islands and Papua New Guinea from Australian home ports between now and October, while a variety of smaller ships are cruising the Kimberley until August-September.

Outside the school holidays in July, there are some great bargains to be had, although winter cruising isn't just about cheap fares. For a start, the climate in Queensland, the Pacific islands and PNG is mild to warm (rather than stiflingly hot and humid) during the winter. The ocean is warm enough for swimming and snorkelling and there's no need to pack anything heavier than a waterproof jacket, sweatshirt and jeans for cool evenings.

The places you visit aren't generally as crowded as in the height of summer and cruise lines have to work harder to fill their ships. So as well as offering last-minute deals and incentives such as on-board credits and free fares for children, retail outlets on the ships will have more sales. There are likely to be fewer passengers on board, too, which means more space to enjoy all the ship's facilities and less queueing for meals and shore excursions.

P&O has dozens of cruises ranging from three to 14 nights that sail out of Brisbane (on Pacific Aria and Pacific Dawn), Fremantle and Cairns (on Pacific Eden) and Sydney (on Pacific Explorer and Pacific Jewel). Australian cruise hot spots include Airlie Beach, Broome, Exmouth, Fraser Island, Hamilton Island, Moreton Island and Port Douglas.

For a different type of local cruise, check out Captain Cook Cruises' three-, four- and seven-night cruises on South Australia's Murray River. Its traditional 120-passenger paddlewheeler Murray Princess operates year round and if you're after an early Christmas fix, Christmas in July-themed cruises will operate between July 7 and July 27.

Overseas cruises with P&O, Carnival Spirit and Sun Princess are mostly to the Pacific islands – New Caledonia, Vanuatu and Fiji – and PNG. To take just one example, Pacific Eden heads off to Singapore in July on a 12-night one-way trip, calling at Komodo Island, Makassar, Lembar, Bali, Probolinggo and Jakarta, for a short series of cruises around south-east Asia. It returns to Cairns in September for three 10-night cruises to PNG and the Solomon Islands.

Back to the bargains – you'll find plenty coming up for a mid-winter break and many include flights if it's a one-way cruise.

MEET THE CREW

Advertisement

NAME Rui Salmonete Pereira, from Portugal.

POSITION Maitre d'hotel, Princess Cruises' Emerald Princess.

MY JOB I am in charge of all the restaurant operations, which includes three main dining rooms, room service, and specialty dining rooms such as Crown Grill and chef Curtis Stone's new restaurant SHARE.

A TYPICAL DAY I start by overseeing the daily operations for my team and produce a daily schedule so everyone knows where they need to be and when. Throughout the day I chat with our guests to ensure they're enjoying their food and dining services on board. It's important to me to see them having a great time! In addition, on every cruise I host two of my favourite events on board, the Chef's Table and the Maitre d'Hotel Wine Club.

FAVOURITE CRUISE MOMENT Diving the majestic Great Barrier Reef.

FAVOURITE CRUISE PORT Sydney of course! It is a great city with the beautiful Opera House and Taronga Zoo.

INSIDER TIPS Take advantage of our dining rooms and what they have to offer. There's something for everyone. We have some of the best wait staff on Princess' ships, and they'll do all that they can to enhance your cruising experience.

TIP

Dress up your regulation black suitcase with a colourful fabric cover for easy identification on the luggage carousel. See a selection at https://loveluggage.com.au

NEWS

Arctic adventures

Chimu Adventures is expanding its polar cruises to include a variety of off-the-beaten-track Arctic cruises this year. "We have seen huge growth in demand for our Antarctica cruises over the past 18 months with an increasing number of travellers returning from their trips hungry for their next polar adventure," says Chad Carey, co-founder of Chimu Adventures. "Even the most seasoned traveller will be blown away by the inspiring features that make up the Arctic – its mind-blowingly distinctive wildlife, picturesque sceneries, fascinating history and culture." Chimu's itineraries to the North Pole, Greenland, Spitsbergen and the Canadian and Russian Arctic range from eight to 27 days on expedition ships MS Expedition, 50 Years of Victory and Ocean Adventurer. For last-minute deals, see www.chimuadventures.com

Away from it all

Chartering a small ship to sail in Scotland's remote Hebrides is a popular holiday choice for many celebrities who want to escape the public gaze, according to the Majestic Line's Marie McGhee. "Our mini-cruise vessels, with only 12 guests on board, are also perfect for a private charter holiday for a group of family and friends," she said. The Majestic Line's three ships sail out of Oban on three-, six- and 10-night cruises around the west coast of Scotland. The Glen Massan and Glen Tarsan were converted from wooden fishing boats while Glen Etive was built from steel in a small boatyard in the Clyde. All have en-suite cabins and spacious guest areas, and on-board chefs create menus from top-quality local produce. Bookings need to be made well in advance – the 2018 cruise calendar is filling up fast. See www.themajesticline.co.uk

Tropics and exotics

Oceania Cruises' 2018-19 collection of cruises encompasses a record 75 voyages on its six upmarket boutique ships, Oceania Insignia, Marina, Nautica, Regatta, Riviera and Sirena. Among them are 10 new South Pacific, Australia and New Zealand itineraries, 23 new Caribbean cruises (including 17 that visit Cuba), 12 new Asia and Africa cruises and 24 extended cruises ranging from 17 to 59 days. Oceania Cruises is renowned for its on-board culinary offerings as well as its destination-focused itineraries and there are plenty of overnight and extended port stays planned. If you can't wait until 2018-19 to experience Oceania Cruises Down Under, Oceania Regatta is sailing three itineraries in Australian waters in December 2017 and January 2018. Ask your travel agent for the new brochure, or see www.oceaniacruises.com

DEAL OF THE WEEK

Cruise & Maritime Voyages (CMV) is bringing its 620-passenger ship Astor back to Australia for a fifth consecutive summer (2017-18) and is offering a two-for-one deal on its London to Australia voyage, when booked by June 30. Astor leaves London (Tilbury) on October 15 and will visit ports such as St Lucia, Acapulco, Tahiti and Auckland en route to Sydney, Adelaide and Fremantle. Fares for the 46-night sailing to Sydney start from $10,999 for the first passenger; phone 1300 307 934. See https://cmvaustralia.com

MORE DEALS

WENDY WU TOURS' Big Asia Sale offers significant savings on 70 of its most popular tours departing this year, when booked by June 9, 2017. Save between $200 and $500 a person on more than 250 tours to China, India, Sri Lanka, Indochina and Japan for travel between May and December. Phone 1300 815 740 . See www.wendywutours.com.au/big-asia-sale

UNIWORLD BOUTIQUE RIVER CRUISES Book selected 2017 cruises with Uniworld's You Deserve the Best Upgrade promotion by June 30 to receive a free stateroom upgrade and $1000 worth of savings. For example, the 10-day Bucharest to Budapest cruise tour on River Beatrice departing October 9 starts from $6199 and includes two nights' accommodation in Bucharest. Phone 1300 780 231, see www.uniworld.com/au

Sign up for the Traveller newsletter

The latest travel news, tips and inspiration delivered to your inbox. Sign up now.

Most viewed on Traveller

Loading