This was published 6 years ago
The Shipping News: Azamara Club Cruises, polar expeditions and more
Crystal Serenity will sail on a six-day Far East Vistas Getaway between Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore in March next year.
SOUTH AMERICAN PURSUIT
Azamara Club Cruises has unveiled its sailings to South America between November 2018 and March 2019 on forthcoming ship Azamara Pursuit. The cruises take in classic destinations such as Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, the Chilean fiords and Ushuaia in Argentina, the southernmost deep-water port. Guests can also visit Rio for New Year's Eve 2018 and the Carnival in 2019. Among shore-excursion experiences is stargazing in the Atacama Desert, yoga in the Paracas Desert and a food-market tour and culinary experience in Barranco in Peru.
Phone 1800 754 500. See azamaraclubcruises.com
POLAR EXPEDITIONS
World Expeditions has launched its 2018-19 polar cruises, with a range of new voyages including two Canadian Arctic cruises in August 2018, and a September 2018 Jewel of the Arctic voyage during which passengers can rock climb in Greenland, as well as kayak and experience tundra and glacier walks. There are also two new naturalist-accompanied North Spitsbergen cruises around the Svalbard Islands in March, April and June 2018 on the 19-passenger schooner Noorderlicht. The Norwegian islands are renowned for wildlife such as reindeer, seals, polar bears and huge colonies of seabirds.
Phone 1300 720 000. See worldexpeditions.com
QUICK GETAWAYS
Crystal Cruises has rolled out an expanded choice of Crystal Getaways, which are shorter voyages derived from its longer 2018 itineraries. Among them are three shorter sections of its world cruise that explore south-east Asia and the South Pacific, including a six-day Far East Vistas Getaway between Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore on Crystal Serenity that departs on March 22, 2018. The itinerary takes guests from Vietnamese marketplaces to Singaporean shopping malls in an east-meets-west shopping fusion that ranges from international flagship stores to ethnic enclaves.
Phone 02 8074 6500. See crystalcruises.com
EXPLORING THE KIMBERLEY
Ponant has announced that its new luxury ship Le Laperouse, launching in mid-2018, is scheduled to sail Australian, Melanesian and New Zealand waters as part of its inaugural season of voyages in 2019. This will include expedition cruises to the Kimberley, with a series of 10-night voyages between May and August 2019 covering some of the coastline's must-see highlights as well as some lesser-known destinations. The expedition team will be headed by photographer and adventurer Mick Fogg, a veteran of over 120 Kimberley expeditions, and accompanied by marine biologists, naturalists and conservationists.
Phone 1300 737 178. See ponant.com
INSPIRED BY THE MUSE
Silversea's latest ship, the 596-passenger Silver Muse, is sailing an inaugural season in Australia with four departures in January and February 2019. Following three sailings between Sydney and Auckland, Silver Muse will depart Auckland on a 19-day voyage to Bali, taking in the sights of Sydney, Adelaide and Western Australia along the way. Among the highlights are cruising Doubtful and Milford Sounds; a visit to wildlife-rich Kangaroo Island in South Australia and Stewart Island in New Zealand; and Napier, the art deco town in the wine-producing region of Hawke's Bay.
Phone 1300 306 872. See silversea.com
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