This was published 7 years ago
Bargain end of season cruise deals with Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Holland America and more
Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas in Singapore.
As the end of the 2016-17 wave season approaches – the last overseas ship to leave Sydney will be Royal Caribbean's Explorer of the Seas, on April 22 – there are bargains to be had on several repositioning cruises. If you have time to take a cruise of 14 or more days at pretty short notice, enjoy lots of sea days and can get a good price on the return flight to Australia, this could be a wonderful pre-winter break. Or, wait for the ships to return next spring and check out earlybird deals for their return trips.
Royal Caribbean's four remaining summer visitors are all departing from Sydney in April (Ovation of the Seas left in February): Legend of the Seas on April 1 for a 19-night cruise to Honolulu; Radiance on April 18 for an 18-night cruise to Honolulu; Voyager on April 19 for a 14-night cruise to Singapore; and Explorer is heading for Seattle on a 24-nighter on April 22.
Fares for the shortest cruise (Voyager of the Seas) start from $1916 and for the longest (Explorer) from $1743. The last one works out at $72.60 per person per day, which is amazing value – if it works in with your availability, of course.
Adrian Broadhead is head chef/food and beverage manager on Aqua Expeditions' Aqua Mekong.
Next season, Ovation returns to Sydney on a 14-night sailing from Singapore, departing November 23. Explorer will make an epic 22-night repositioning cruise from Seattle to Sydney, departing October 6; Voyager will sail a 10-night repositioning cruise from Singapore to Fremantle, departing October 18; and Radiance will depart on its 18-night transpacific cruise from Honolulu to Sydney on September 19.
Carnival Legend is heading to Honolulu on April 1 on a 19-night trans-Pacific voyage, calling at Mare, Suva, Papeete, Moorea, Bora Bora and Maui. Fares start from $2849.50; the fare is the same for the return trip from Honolulu, departing on September 22.
Celebrity Solstice leaves Sydney on April 20, after its fifth season Down Under. There is still some availability on its 17-night Tahitian Treasures cruise to Honolulu; fares start from $2510 for an ocean-view stateroom.
The Aqua Mekong.Credit: Richard Mark Dobson
Holland America Line's MS Noordam leaves Sydney on April 8, sailing to Vancouver over 23 nights. A shorter leg of 16 nights to Honolulu is also on offer. Fares for both cruises start from $2499.
Ecruising.travel offers fares for these and most other repositioning cruises, with flights back to Australia included in the price; when booked by April 1, the MS Noordam Sydney-Vancouver cruise/stay/fly package starts from $3739 and includes two nights' accommodation in Vancouver.
MEET THE CREW
NAME Adrian Broadhead, from Australia.
POSITION Head chef/food and beverage manager, Aqua Expeditions' Aqua Mekong
MY JOB… is to guide our amazing food and beverage team to create memorable dining experiences and develop Khmer hospitality professionals.
A TYPICAL DAY When I'm on board, it's all about breakfast, lunch and dinner service as well as chatting to guests. I'll catch one of our four skiffs and go ashore with guests and take them on a colourful tour of the local market, followed by buying seasonal ingredients for the cooking class later in the afternoon.
FAVOURITE CRUISE MOMENT Hard to choose! Cruising at dusk and hearing the children's laughter travel on the still water from the riverbank. Seeing our guests' reaction when they try a local ingredient they've never tried before. Experiencing the market tour interaction and witnessing the pride vendors take in their produce; plus, the cheeky market banter. Cycling through rural villages and watching the locals run out and wave with joy on their faces – life-affirming stuff!
FAVOURITE CRUISE PORT Pulling into Phnom Penh at night with the backdrop of the Royal Palace lit up in all its splendour.
INSIDER TIPS Try to learn five basic words or phrases before arriving and every conversation will start with a smile. Research and respect the cultural norms, this is always appreciated. Exercise patience, things take time.
TIP
Consumer group Choice gave Samsonite's and Korjo's digital luggage scales top marks; find them at www.luggagestore.com.au
NEWS
Oprah sets sail
Holland America Line and O, The Oprah Magazine have announced an exclusive partnership that will unite "the soul-stirring power of travel with O's commitment to connection and personal growth". Oprah Winfrey and the magazine's editor at large, Gayle King, will join the inaugural O, The Oprah Magazine Share the Adventure Cruise in Alaska from July 15 to 22. "I'm so excited to continue 2017 as my Year of Adventure with another bold, new place I've never been before: Alaska!" Winfrey says. A further four cruises featuring O, The Oprah Magazine-inspired activities – influential speakers, meditation, tai chi, healthy cooking demonstrations, an onboard book club and more – will be scheduled aboard select North America ships in 2017 and 2018. See hollandamerica.com/OprahMag
Transatlantic Fashion Week
Jet-setting fashion identity Iris Apfel, who at age 95 stars in ad campaigns for such high-profile brands as Macy's, MAC and Swarovski, is joining Cunard's annual Transatlantic Fashion Week from August 31 to September 7. During the crossing on Queen Mary 2, Apfel will present a Q&A session and introduce a presentation of Iris, a documentary featuring fashion, creativity and her characteristic free spirit. "I've lived quite a life of fashion and can't wait to experience style at sea," Apfel says. "I look forward to being inspired by the elegance and glamour of the occasion and life onboard, especially the formal nights on my voyage across the Atlantic." Passengers will be treated to seven days of runway shows, dinners and exclusive unveilings before sailing into New York for Fashion Week. See cunard.com
Canada 150
Canadian cruise company One Ocean Expeditions is marking the country's 150 years of confederation by offering a special Canada 150 program of expedition cruises in 2017. One Ocean Expeditions operates small-ship cruises in the Canadian Arctic, Nunavut and Quebec, as well as in Canada's Atlantic provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Onboard experts include Inuit guides, world-renowned photographers and filmmakers, historians and some of Canada's best chefs. New itineraries include the 10-night Labrador and Torngat Explorer voyage, which departs from Louisbourg, Nova Scotia, on July 15 and ends in Iqaluit, Nunavut. If you're looking for new territories to explore, Canada 150 is the go. See oneoceanexpeditions.com
DEAL OF THE WEEK
Cruise the Mississippi on a four-night round trip from New Orleans with Cruise Traveller's 11-night fly/stay/cruise package, departing Australia on June 3, 2018. The package includes four nights' accommodation in Anaheim, flight to New Orleans and a night there before boarding Queen of the Mississippi. Flights return from San Francisco after a two-night stay. From $8695 when booked by June 30 or until sold out. Phone 1800 507 777, see cruisetraveller.com.au
MORE DEALS
VIKING RIVER CRUISES' 15-day Grand European Tour in 2018 is on sale for a limited time for $5995, including return airfares to Europe. The cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest or vice versa includes guided tours, complimentary drinks package, concerts onboard and on shore, lectures and a Viennese waltz lesson.
Phone 1300 845 464, see vikingcruises.com.au
MSC CRUISES' Grand Mediterranean 17-night fly/stay/cruise packages depart Australia every Thursday from April 27 to October 26, 2017, with fares starting from $4449. The package includes back-to-back seven-night cruises onboard MSC Poesia and MSC Splendida, round-trip from Venice then round-trip from Genoa with a coach transfer from Venice to Genoa. Phone 1300 028 502, see msccruises.com.au
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