Princess Cruises host its third annual Travelling Film Festival

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This was published 6 years ago

Princess Cruises host its third annual Travelling Film Festival

By Sally Macmillan
Film festival at sea with the Sun Princess.

Film festival at sea with the Sun Princess.

Insider advice: when to book a cruise

Cruises for the next two local summer seasons are already on sale – so is it best to book well in advance or wait until the last minute to grab a bargain? Adam Armstrong, Royal Caribbean's managing director Australia and New Zealand, says the company is on a mission to educate Aussies about the advantages of booking early, to make sure they get the best accommodation and itinerary available.

"With more than 1.2 million Australians cruising every season, year after year we are seeing our summer cruises filling up earlier, particularly over the peak holiday periods," Armstrong says. The summer school holidays run from mid-December to the end of January and in 2018, the autumn break is the last two weeks of April.

The fully rigged tall ship, The Royal Clipper.

The fully rigged tall ship, The Royal Clipper.

"Families who want a stateroom near the Adventure Ocean kids club or require interconnecting staterooms would be well placed to start planning their cruise now, so they can lock in their preferred location."

Just as they say in real estate, it's all about location. "Some guests prefer being near the stairs and lifts, so they have easy access to the ship's amenities, and others like being aft or forward, so that they can enjoy a less-travelled part of the ship," Armstrong says. Being on a lower deck on Explorer or Voyager of the Seas means being closer to the specialty dining and Promenade, while a higher deck puts you closer to the pool and outdoor amenities.

"It really all comes down to personal preference, so we always recommend booking as early as possible to ensure you get the stateroom and position on the ship you really want."

Even though these ships are big, accommodating up to 4900 passengers in the case of Ovation of the Seas, demand is strong for particular cabin types. As well as interconnecting and family staterooms, the luxurious royal suites are snapped up first, closely followed by loft suites on Ovation of the Seas; accessible staterooms should also be booked early as there are limited numbers.

Keeping an eye out for early-bird specials pays off both in terms of booking your preferred accommodation and saving money; Royal Caribbean's current "Buy one, get one half-price" and free upgrade from oceanview to balcony stateroom promotions are open for another five days, for both the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. An oceanview (upgraded to balcony) on Explorer of the Seas' nine-night Pacific Islands cruise, departing Sydney on November 26, 2017, costs $1379 for the first passenger and $699 for the second – pretty good value at $115 a passenger a night. See royalcaribbean.com.au

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MEET THE CREW

NAME Sergey Utitsyn, from Tallinn, Estonia

POSITION Captain, Star Clippers' Royal Clipper

MY JOB I'm responsible for up to 227 passengers and about 110 crew. The ship has 5000 square metres of sail and we can cruise up to 20 knots, but we have to balance the excitement of sailing speeds with comfort and balance.

A TYPICAL DAY … is about 25 hours long! I'm up at 6am, do admin, emails and have meetings and then I'm on duty for most of the day. We are at anchor or moored in the mornings, and hoist the sails most afternoons; I'm also involved with passenger activities during the afternoon.

FAVOURITE CRUISE MOMENT Even though I've worked on tall ships since 1985, I still get a thrill when we're cruising under sail.

FAVOURITE CRUISE PORTS Tallinn – it's home and beautiful; Portoferraio in Elba, for its history and lovely waterfront; and sailing into Kotor, Montenegro, is really special because the church bells ring to salute us.

INSIDER TIP The winds are most consistent in the Caribbean; Europe is amazing for its history and our itinerary of small ports; and now Star Clippers is back in Asia, which is ideal for Australian travellers.

TIP

Keep all your chargers and cables in one neat place with a Lapoche travel pack. Measuring 12 centimetres by 20 centimetres by 10 centimetres, they are available in several colours and cost about $26. See gogogear.com.au

NEWS

Floating film festival

Princess Cruises is hosting its third Travelling Film Festival at Sea onboard Sun Princess in November. Sydney Film Festival director Nashen Moodley has selected screenings that will be hosted by acclaimed critic Richard Kuipers during the ship's six-night round-trip cruise from Sydney to Tasmania. Titles include Cannes-winning films Captain Fantastic and Mustang, the off-beat romantic comedy Maggie's Plan starring Ethan Hawke and Julianne Moore, and Elvis and Nixon starring Kevin Spacey and Michael Shannon. The cruise will also feature activities highlighting the best of the recent Sydney Film Festival, including Q&As with guest speakers and cocktail parties with fellow cinephiles. "It's a fantastic program on a fantastic Princess Cruises' ship and I can't wait to welcome all film buffs onboard," Richard Kuipers says. Seeprincess.com

Royal refit

Cunard's Queen Victoria has returned to duty following a £34 million facelift at the Fincantieri shipyard in Palermo, Sicily. New spaces on the 2014-passenger ship include the Yacht Club, a daytime social hub that turns into a before and after dinner entertainment venue with jazz music, followed by a DJ and band for late-night dancing. The aft lido sun deck has been redesigned and extended, offering alfresco dining and a full beverage service throughout the day and into the evening and the classic Winter Garden lounge has also been updated. Queen Victoria is sailing in the Mediterranean until November this year, followed by a series of cruises from Southampton to Spain and the Netherlands before it sets off for a 79-night cruise to South America in January 2018. See cunardline.com.au

Elvis and all that jazz

Cruise Express' new 18-night, hosted fly-tour-cruise package – "Elvis and all that jazz" – celebrates America's south as the birthplace of rock'n'roll, jazz and country music. The journey begins with two nights in Memphis and includes visits to landmarks such as Sun Studio, where Elvis, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis recorded, and Elvis' beloved Graceland. Two nights in country music capital Nashville follow and after a night in Miami there is an 11-night round-trip Caribbean cruise onboard Celebrity Equinox. The itinerary includes a two-night stay in New Orleans for the annual, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. The tour departs Australia on April 18, 2018; if you book an oceanview cabin by July 5 you'll receive an upgrade to a balcony cabin plus a Classic drinks package. See cruiseexpress.com.au

DEAL OF THE WEEK

Set sail on December 6, 2017, from Auckland to Sydney on Oceania Cruises' elegant Regatta with MyCruises' new 16-night fly-stay-cruise package. Regatta calls at Rotorua, Napier, Wellington, Akaroa, Dunedin and Milford Sound in New Zealand, then Burnie, Geelong, Melbourne and Eden in Australia. Fares start from $5990 and include two nights in Auckland; a choice of eight free shore excursions or a beverage package or a $US800 shipboard credit a stateroom; plus pre-paid gratuities and unlimited internet. Book by July 21. Phone 1300 69 2784. See MyCruises.com.au

MORE DEALS

Scenic is offering free return flights on its 2018 16-day Danube Delta Discovery river cruise, for only a limited time. New for 2018, guests will visit Viminacium in Serbia to explore the ruins of Roman amphitheatres, hippodromes and mausoleums. From $8165, plus a $600 discount a couple when booked and paid in full by October 31, 2017. Phone 138 128. See scenic.com.au

CRUISEAWAY Fly to Singapore on October 18, 2018, stay overnight then board Royal Caribbean's megaship Ovation of the Seas for a 14-night cruise to Sydney with this new 15-night fly-stay-cruise package. Ovation will call at Perth, Adelaide and Hobart, so there are plenty of sea days to enjoy all the ship's activities. From $2699. Phone 1300 887 560. See www.cruiseaway.com.au

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