Set sail for some Christmas magic

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This was published 6 years ago

Set sail for some Christmas magic

By Sally Macmillan
The Christmas market in Nuremberg.

The Christmas market in Nuremberg.

Christmas in Europe always sounds very romantic when temperatures in Australia start rising and endless ads remind us that we should be rushing around crowded shopping malls buying up a storm for the big day. So it's not surprising to see that winter cruises in Germany, Austria, France, Hungary and Switzerland, which take in traditional Christmas markets in beautiful riverside medieval towns and villages, are becoming more popular every year.

As Uniworld's chief executive Fiona Dalton says: "The spirit of Christmas in the towns and villages along the rivers, accompanied by the cooler weather, is such a special experience that passengers are having to book early to secure space." Booking early now means at least a year in advance, although if you're free to take off in the next few weeks there are still a few limited spots available. Dalton says that while Uniworld's Danube cruises are sold out, there are a couple of suites left on SS Joie de Vivre's eight-day Parisian Royal Holiday in December. See uniworld.com/au

It's a similar story at APT; if you call right now you might be lucky to find a last-minute cancellation on one of its Christmas holiday itineraries; see aptouring.com.au. Scenic's and Viking's 2017 winter cruises are fully booked and if you're looking at next year, bear in mind that the Rhine and Danube itineraries are the first to sell out – and bookings for all lines' 2018 itineraries are already going strong. See scenic.com.au, vikingrivercruises.com.au

Tauck says there are a few spots available on its eight-day Rhine cruise from Koln to Basel on MS Grace, departing on December 10, 2017. As with the other companies, bookings are already open for Tauck's 2018 Christmas Market cruises and the best advice is that it's best to get in sooner rather than later to make sure you can secure your preferred dates, itineraries and cabins. See tauck.com.au

Meanwhile UK company Riviera Cruises, a relative newcomer to the Australian scene, says it has experienced so much demand for its first Christmas Markets cruises that it has added new itineraries for 2017. Riviera's five-day round-trip cruises from Cologne, Germany are operated on three ships, Emily Bronte, Oscar Wilde and Thomas Hardy. There are now cabins available for departures on December 1, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14 and 16 at very reasonable prices – but of course last-minute airfares won't be such a bargain at this time of year. See rivieratravel.com.au

SHORE THING

THE PORT Adelaide, South Australia

WHO GOES THERE Azamara, Celebrity, Cunard, Hapag-Lloyd, Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania, P&O, Ponant, Princess, Regent Seven Seas, Royal Caribbean, Silversea, True North.

WHY WE LOVE IT Long tagged as the city of churches, Adelaide is now renowned for its arts festivals, food and wine culture and beautifully restored 19th-century architecture.

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TAKE A TOUR OR GO IT ALONE? Ships dock at the Port Adelaide Cruise Terminal, 13 kilometres northwest of the city centre. Meet and greet volunteers are on hand at the terminal to advise on things to do in the city if you're exploring independently and you can catch a train to North Terrace from the train station, which is about 200 metres from the terminal, or take a taxi. Adelaide is compact and easy to navigate on foot or by bike; Bicycle SA offers free bikes from a variety of locations. You can tick off the city's most important attractions in one elegant boulevard, North Terrace – State Parliament, the Art Gallery of South Australia, South Australian Museum and the Botanic Gardens. Shoppers will find plenty of interesting goodies to buy on Rundle Street and cricket fans must make the pilgrimage to the recently refurbished Adelaide Oval for a behind-the-scenes tour and a visit to the Bradman Collection. If you're planning to head to the wineries in the Adelaide Hills or Barossa Valley, a guided tour is the best option.

MUST SEE Any event at the Adelaide Fringe Festival, from February 16 to March 18, 2018.

MUST EAT For award-winning, Indigenous-inspired fine dining, book well ahead for Orana or its cafe-bar companion eaterie Street-ADL. Fans of South African cuisine should head to Africola, More modest options include wine bars such as Apothecary, Mother Vine and The Tasting Room, which serve up imaginative food with top wines.

NEED TO KNOW Adelaide's summers are warm and dry, with an average maximum temperature of 29C. Don't forget to pack hats and sunscreen.

ESSENTIALS southaustralia.com

CRUISE FACT

Ovation of the Seas' 11,000-piece art collection is worth more than $US4.5 million; the massive mother and baby panda sculpture weighs in at about 6.5 tonnes.

NEWS

SCENIC ECLIPSE

In less than a year's time – August 31, 2018 – Scenic's first ocean-going ship, the super-luxury "discovery yacht" Scenic Eclipse, will make its maiden voyage from Athens to Venice. In September, it will make its first trans-Atlantic crossing, sailing to Cuba, the Caribbean and Central America before heading to Antarctica for a series of voyages between November and March. Scenic recently released details of shore excursions for the ship's inaugural season – among them spending Christmas Day, 2018, exploring South Georgia Island, during the 21-day Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica cruise that leaves Buenos Aires on December 17. Over the following year Scenic Eclipse will return to the Mediterranean and head north to the Arctic on cruises that range from nine to 24 days. See scenic.com.au

ROYAL MAKEOVER

Sea Princess arrived in Fremantle yesterday, fresh from its refurbishment in Singapore and ready for the summer cruise season. Updates to the 1950-passenger ship include a new Movies Under the Stars screen, a new entertainment line-up, "reimagined" Discovery at Sea programs for children and teens and new beds in every cabin. The Wheelhouse Bar's decor and menu have been refreshed, as has the menu in Cafe Corniche, which will now focus on classic Italian dishes. A first for Sea Princess is its interactive show The Voice of the Ocean – as in the TV version, it will feature live performances, professional mentors, blind auditions, charismatic judges and those famous swivelling chairs. Sea Princess will sail a range of itineraries from Brisbane and Sydney before embarking on its world voyage in June 2018. See princess.com

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