River cruise: Uniworld launches ultra-luxe SS Joie de Vivre in Paris

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River cruise: Uniworld launches ultra-luxe SS Joie de Vivre in Paris

By Sally Macmillan
Stateroom on Uniworld's SS Joie de Vivre.

Stateroom on Uniworld's SS Joie de Vivre.

Uniworld's newest river ship, the ultra-luxe SS Joie de Vivre, will be christened in Paris next month by none other than the redoubtable Dame Joan Collins. Dame Joan is best known for her role as the arch-bitch Alexis Carrington in the soapie Dynasty and was given the title dame for her services to charity.

So why was she chosen to do the honours as SS Joie de Vivre's godmother? "Dame Joan epitomises the 'joy of living' philosophy that is reflected in every bold detail and gentle touch of super ship," says Ellen Bettridge, president and chief executive of Uniworld.

The glamorous 83-year-old is a celebrated bon vivant with close ties to France. She owns a house in St Tropez, attends Paris Fashion Week every year and, with the release of her 2017 movie, The Time of Their Lives, continues to have a high profile as a successful actor.

St Hilda cruises the west coast of Scotland and its islands.

St Hilda cruises the west coast of Scotland and its islands.

"I hold France and its City of Light close to my heart, and now, thanks to Uniworld, my ties to the beautiful country are even closer," Dame Joan says. "I am honoured to be the godmother of the SS Joie de Vivre and welcome guests from all over the world to fall in love with Paris just as I have."

The christening promises to be a fabulous affair and I'm thrilled to be attending the event – watch this space. People often ask why ships have godmothers: is it just a marketing ploy, getting a famous face to launch (a thousand) ships, to garner headlines and encourage sales? Well, yes and no.

Ships have been launched with varying degrees of pomp and ceremony for centuries, to bring good luck to the ship and "all who sail on her". The ancient Greeks drank wine to honour the gods and poured water on the new vessel to bless it. The Babylonians sacrificed an ox, the Turks sacrificed a sheep, and the Vikings offered human blood to the fearsome Norse sea gods.

Dame Joan Collins will do the honours as SS Joie de Vivre's godmother.

Dame Joan Collins will do the honours as SS Joie de Vivre's godmother.

Today, most ships are christened by women – until about 200 years ago it was always a man's job. The practice of smashing a bottle of wine on the ship's bow apparently began in England in the 18th century. Attaching the bottle to a rope became de rigueur after a princess threw the bottle and missed the ship, hitting a spectator.

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Dame Joan will be in good company. High-profile 21st-century ships' godmothers include members of the British and Dutch royal families, actors Sophia Loren and Dame Helen Mirren, and the cast of The Love Boat.

MEET THE CREW

NAME Antonio Miguel Mendes, from Portugal

POSITION Food & beverage director, P&O Cruises' Pacific Dawn

MY JOB In collaboration with the provisions team and other departmental heads, I oversee the planning of the vessel's supplies – not only food and beverages, but also many other hotel-related items. In addition to overseeing the operational requirements of the bars, restaurants, room service, events and galleys, I also assist the hotel director as needed with any other matters related to guest experience.

A TYPICAL DAY I'm usually on duty about 6am, depending on arrival times to ports of call, and usually go off duty late in the evening, with an afternoon rest in between.

FAVOURITE CRUISE MOMENT Walking around any of my venues and seeing the look of satisfaction on our guests' faces. If it's food or beverage related, that makes it even more special.

FAVOURITE CRUISE PORT Havana, Cuba for its natural beauty and Sydney Harbour for its impressive Harbour Bridge. When schedules allow, the South Pacific islands are the perfect spot to relax in my off time, with Fiji ranking high on my list.

INSIDER TIPS Don't miss out on any of our great gastronomic experiences and concepts, in particular Salt Grill by Luke Mangan.

TIP

Pack a personal first-aid kid "just in case" – large plasters, Panadol, seasickness tablets, diarrhoea and constipation remedies, insect repellent, insect bite cream and sunscreen are the basics.

NEWS

Small tall-ship cruising in Scotland

St Hilda Sea Adventures is celebrating 10 years of charter sailing around the west coast of Scotland in its ex-tall ship St Hilda. Built as a training vessel for 20 crew, St Hilda now accommodates six guests, the skipper and the chef on voyages of five to 11 nights. You can also charter the ship for customised cruises. The west coast of Scotland and its islands are renowned for their spectacular scenery, sea birds and marine life; the ocean and sea lochs are home to otters, seals, porpoises, basking sharks and minke whales. This year a new itinerary sets sail from the picturesque port of Tobermory, on the island of Mull, visiting Iona, Staffa, Canna, Skye, Barra and St Kilda. See sthildaseaadventures.co.uk

New cruises to Cuba

Royal Caribbean International has expanded its Caribbean cruises departing from Tampa, Florida, to include new four and five-night cruises with day and overnight visits to Havana, along with stops in Key West, Florida and Cozumel, Mexico. The new itineraries are available until November 2017. Shore tours include taking a trip to the 1950s in a classic American car to tour Havana, with stops at the historic Hotel Nacional de Cuba and the Plaza de Revolucion, as well as a scenic drive along the island's famous Malecon waterfront. After dark, passengers can experience Cuba's diverse nightlife; one ship's tour visits the famous Tropicana Club to see a performance by the Buena Vista Social Club. See royalcaribbean.com.au

Linger longer…

Azamara Club Cruises coined the phrase "Azamazing Evenings" to describe the special shore events it hosts on every cruise and now the line is expanding its policy of destination immersion with country intensive voyages, world events and themed voyages. World events cruises will take in the Monaco Grand Prix, the World Cup, British Open and Venice's Redentore Festival and themed cruises will focus on wine and yoga, with more to be announced. Cruise global, connect local is a series of land programs that are designed to deliver personalised experiences by day and night. These might include guided visits to a theatre, pub or a cultural performance, and meeting people at their homes, farms or villas. Azamara Journey leaves Sydney on an 18-night cruise to Singapore on March 22. See azamaraclubcruises.com

DEAL OF THE WEEK

Ecruising.travel has released an exclusive 27-night fly-stay-cruise package that combines India's highlights (Delhi, Jaipur, Agra with a 15-night cruise from Dubai to Singapore onboard Azamara Journey. Departing Australia on November 14, the package includes a seven-night Tigers and Golden Triangle land tour with two days on safari at the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve. The ship will call at Mumbai, Goa and Cochin in India, Colombo in Sri Lanka and Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur and the tour finishes with two nights at the Mandarin Oriental in Singapore. Fares start from $8839; offer valid until March 31. Phone 1300 106 466. See ecruising.travel

MORE DEALS

SANCTUARY RETREATS Book and pay three months before any 2017 Yangtze river cruise onboard the new-look, 124-passenger Yangzi Explorer and you'll receive a 25 per cent discount and free cabin upgrade for shoulder (June 1 to September 7) and high (April 2 to 27, November 2 to 16) seasons and a 10 per cent discount for peak season (April 30 to May 28, September 10 to October 29) departures. See sanctuaryretreats.com

SCENIC has launched its 2018 pre-release Europe river cruising brochure with several limited-time special offers. For example, fly free to Europe all year when booking a standard suite on a cruise of 11 days or more; fly to Europe for $995 when booking a balcony suite on a cruise of 11 days or more, travelling between April to September; and solo travellers can save 50 per cent off the single supplement on selected departures of 11 days or more. Phone 138 128. See scenic.com.au

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