This was published 8 years ago
Paul Gauguin Cruises is offering three French Polynesia cruises in 2016
Built specifically to navigate the islands of French Polynesia, The Gauguin features a small size that allows her to maneuver from open ocean to shallow lagoon as nimbly as a yacht.Credit: Tim McKenna
Europe extended
Lindblad Expeditions has six new 15-day itineraries in Europe that launch this May, each with complimentary multi-day pre- or post-cruise land extensions. A Monaco to Lisbon voyage takes in the western Mediterranean and includes a visit to Lisbon, while two French Atlantic coast itineraries from Bordeaux to Dublin or Copenhagen to Bordeaux have extensions that explore Bordeaux and the wine country surrounding Saint-Emilion. A fourth itinerary from Dublin to Bergen takes in the Scottish isles and Norwegian fjords. Two others sail the Baltic and have extensions in St Petersburg.
Phone 1300 361 012. See www.expeditions.com
Singing celebrity chef Nelson Müller combines cooking and music aboard a Europa 2 cruise.Credit: Lutz Jaekel
Northern exposure
Abercrombie & Kent has a new eight-day cruise to Norway on Ponant's luxury small ship Le Soléal that takes in the best of the coast's fjords, waterfalls, mountain scenery and World Heritage sites. The cruise is combined with a seven-day land tour of Iceland, during which guests visit Reykjavik and the volcanoes, geysers and waterfalls of the country's Golden Circle region. An organic farm visit, Jeep adventure and midnight sun cocktails are among the activities. Group size is limited to 24 and is accompanied by an A&K tour director; the tour departs on June 12, 2017.
Phone 1300 590 317. See www.abercrombiekent.com.au.
Island dreaming
Paul Gauguin Cruises is offering three "Marquesas, Tuamotus & Society Islands" cruises this year – one of which departs today. Jump to it for the other sailings on June 25 or November 19 this year. The 14-night cruise on the 332-passenger Paul Gauguin covers some of the highlights of French Polynesia, including the islands of Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora. It provides ample opportunity for soft adventures such as kayaking, paddleboarding and scuba-diving, plus the chance for whale spotting and bird watching on remote Fakarava island, which is noted for its pink-sand beaches.
Phone 1800 251 174. See www.pgcruises.com.
Europe in focus
Celebrity Cruises has a line-up of new shore-excursion experiences in Europe, including tours of Greece curated by Celebrity's own Greek officers; visits to local markets with an expert chef during which they choose the ingredients for a private on-board dinner; and bucket-list tours like racing along the French Riviera in a Lamborghini. Passengers can also find out how limoncello and mozzarella are made while on a cruise in Italy, and meet local artisans at food market in Rhodes in Greece before enjoying a meal of Greek specialties in a family-run tavern.
Phone 1800 754 500. See www.celebritycruises.com.au.
Soul sailing
A four-day themed cruise that brings together cooking and music is coming to Hapag-Lloyd's Europa 2 this northern summer, as the ship sails the Baltic Sea, with ports of call at Hamburg, Copenhagen, Aarhus and Kiel. The cruise features soul singer Stefan Gwildis and singing celebrity chef Nelson Müller among other performers, and guests can take cookery courses with the chef and mixing workshops with DJs. Guests can also enjoy a street-food market on Papiroen Island in Copenhagen, which will feature the latest food trends and live music. The cruise departs on June 29, 2016.
Phone 02 9977 7100. See www.hl-cruises.com.
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