Special cruise deals available in October at Cruise Month 2018

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Special cruise deals available in October at Cruise Month 2018

By Sally Macmillan
The Majestic Princess in Sydney Harbour.

The Majestic Princess in Sydney Harbour.

Choose Cruise Month kicks off tomorrow across Australia, so you can expect to see and hear plenty of information about cruising from travel agents and industry experts. The yearly initiative is organised by CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) offices around the world; CLIA represents global ocean and river cruise lines and travel agent members who undergo specialised cruise training.

Choose Cruise Month will feature weekly themes of ocean, river, luxury and expedition cruising, so look out for special deals all through October – here's a few to get you started.

Norwegian Cruise Line's Free at Sea program encompasses a variety of offers – free Wi-Fi, drinks and specialty dining packages, US$50 on-board credit and third and fourth guests travelling free – depending on what category of accommodation you book, on NCL's cruises worldwide. The newly refurbished Norwegian Jewel arrives in Australia for its second season in November. See ncl.com

Similarly, Oceania Cruises' Olife Choice and Olife Ultimate programs allow you to mix and match extras such as drinks packages, free unlimited internet access, free shore excursions and shipboard credits on cruises across its six ships; Oceania Regatta will be cruising between Australia and New Zealand from January to March. See oceaniacruises.com

Princess Cruises' new flagship, Majestic Princess, will be based in Sydney for the next six months and joins Sun, Sea and Golden Princess for cruises around Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific islands. Fares for a 12-night Majestic Princess cruise to New Zealand round trip from Sydney departing January 25, 2019 start from $2079. See princess.com

P&O Cruises is offering reduced deposits of $100 per adult and $50 per child, plus on-board spending money of $100 per room for cruises of nine nights or longer; this can be combined with a premium-drinks package deal for cruises of seven nights and longer (valid October 3-27). See pocruises.com.au

Carnival Legend returns to Sydney on October 13, fresh from its Fun Ship 2.0 upgrade, and will sail from Melbourne and Sydney to the Pacific Islands, New Zealand and Tasmania. Carnival's Choose Fun Sale runs from October 2 to November 2 – cruisers can save up to $500 per cabin. If you book by October 18, Carnival will throw in up to $500 on-board credit per cabin too. See carnival.com.au

Holland America Line's Explore4 program offers up to US$300 on-board spending money and a choice of HAL's Signature Beverage Package, dinner at the Pinnacle Grill and more, when you book Ocean View staterooms and above from October 1-31. See hollandamerica.com

To find a CLIA accredited agent near you, see cruising.org.au

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SHORE THING

THE PORT Boston, USA

WHO GOES THERE Celebrity, Crystal, Cunard, HAL, Hurtigruten, NCL, Oceania, Princess, P&O UK, Royal Caribbean, RSSC, Seabourn, Silversea, Viking, Windstar.

WHY WE LOVE IT The capital of Massachusetts was founded in 1630 by British colonists and played a major part in the American Revolution – triggered by the famous Boston Tea Party in 1773. Today it's a modern city that's packed with historic sites, a lively theatre district, museums, sports venues, shopping areas and restaurants in a collection of widely different neighbourhoods. As it's the home of famous educational institutions such as Harvard and MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) there's a big student population that gives the city a hip and happening vibe.

TAKE A TOUR OR GO IT ALONE? Flynn Cruiseport Boston is situated in the South Boston Waterfront district, a 10 to 15-minute walk or a short bus ride from Boston's main attractions. It's a wonderful city to explore on foot, either on your own with a map or on a guided tour; by bike (check out Urban Adventure Tours, urbanadventours.com ; on the two-hour narrated Old Town Trolley (bus) Tour; boat trips; or on an amphibious Super Duck tour.

MUST SEE The four-kilometre Freedom Trail, whether alone or on a tour; it takes in 16 sites including the Boston Massacre ground, Paul Revere's house, the Old North Church, Old South Meeting House and Faneuil Hall; the interactive Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum; Charles River and Esplanade area, by bike or river cruise.

MUST EAT Local specialties include clam chowder, Boston Baked Beans, Fenway Franks (hot-dogs at the famous Red Sox sports stadium), lobster any way you like – in salads, brown bread sandwiches, pizza and pasta – and Boston Cream Pie, which is actually a cake.

NEED TO KNOW The best time to visit Boston is from mid-May to October, when temperatures average in the low to upper 20s; the colourful "fall foliage" season usually starts in October.

ESSENTIALS bostonusa.com

CRUISEFACT

30,000 jokes have been delivered by more than 600 comedians to entertain over 170,000 guests on P&O's comedy cruises since 2009.

NEWS

Coral Adventurer expands PNG program

Coral Expeditions, Australia's pioneering expedition cruise line, is expanding its coverage of the largely unexplored territories of Papua New Guinea and West Papua with five expedition adventures in 2019 aboard its new tropical expedition ship, the Coral Adventurer. Departures begin and end in Australia, with optional charter flights providing convenient connections. Included in the program are several once-in-a-lifetime small group experiences; a private Bandanese dinner on the ramparts of 17th century Fort Belgica in Banda Neira; swimming with whale sharks in Cenderawasih Bay, West Papua; and a private art exhibition with opportunities to meet local craftsmen in Madang, PNG. The 120-passenger Coral Adventurer is the fourth ship in the fleet and is equipped with the company's trademark Xplorer tenders. Its sold-out maiden voyage sets sail in April 2019. See coralexpeditions.com

Crystal partners with Qantas Frequent Flyer

Qantas Frequent Flyers can now earn points when booking Crystal's ultra-luxury ocean, river and expedition cruises, up to three Qantas Points per US$1. Crystal's recent period of rapid growth has seen the company expand its two-ocean-ship cruise line to one that now operates five river ships in Europe, the 62-passenger expedition yacht Crystal Esprit, the upcoming expedition ship Crystal Endeavor (which embarks on its inaugural season in August 2020) and the first in the new Diamond class of ocean-going ships that is due in 2022. Karen Christensen, Crystal's senior vice president and MD for Australasia, says the new partnership is a great way to reward Crystal Society members as well as an opportunity for Qantas customers to discover "the hallmarks of the acclaimed Crystal Experience". See crystalcruises.com

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