This was published 7 years ago
Celebrity Solstice to return for 2017-18 cruise season sailing Australian, New Zealand and Pacific
Celebrity Solstice will return for the 2017-18 cruise season.
Pole position
Luxury French cruise company Ponant, best known for its polar cruises, has signalled a significant expansion of its fleet by ordering four new expedition ships, the first expected in 2018. The ice-class ships will feature small-ship manoeuvrability and 92 staterooms and be similar to Ponant's other ships such as L'Austral and Le Boreal, with interiors by the same French designer, Jean-Philippe Nuel. Ponant is looking to move beyond its "white" polar expeditions to "blue" expeditions in the Pacific and "green" expeditions in eco-destinations such as the Amazon, Costa Rica and Papua New Guinea.
Phone 1300 737 178. See www.ponant.com
The Sanctuary Sun Boat IV on the Nile River.
Rhythm and blues
Cruiseco is offering a river cruise through American's Deep South that departs New Orleans on October 26, 2016. The 14-night "Rhythms of the Deep South" itinerary on the Louisiane takes passengers along the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland and Red rivers and finishes in Nashville. It will delve into the French-colonial roots of America's heartland as well as the jazz, blues, rock'n'roll and country-and-western music scenes of this part of America, with visits to fabled concert venue Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame and Elvis Presley's Graceland home.
Phone 02 9492 8520. See www.cruising.com.au
A cabin on Cruisco's charter ship Louisiane.
Nile smile
A limited number of river-cruise companies are sailing the Nile these days, despite this being one of the world's great rivers whose highlights include the Valley of the Kings, Luxor, Aswan and splendid temples such as those at Edfu and Kom Ombo. Sanctuary Retreats, however, is operating two "Sun Boats" on three-night cruises, with Sanctuary Sun Boat III modelled on a 1930s style that might recall the novels of Agatha Christie. Sanctuary Retreats is best known for its safari lodges, but also operates luxury river-cruise ships in Myanmar and China.
Phone 03 9536 1831. See www.sanctuaryretreats.com
Ice passage
Crystal Cruises is one of very few cruise lines to have sailed the Northwest Passage. Now it has announced a return to the Canadian Arctic route in August 2017. Crystal Serenity will sail a 32-day expedition-style voyage traversing the Arctic Ocean from Anchorage in Alaska to New York via the Northwest Passage, which lies 800 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. The waterway is lined by fiords, islands, glaciers and remote, largely undisturbed landscapes. The cruise will also visit established ports such as Nuuk in Greenland, Boston, Newport and Rhode Island.
Phone 1800 251 174. See www.crystalcruises.com
Celebrity in Australia
Celebrity Cruises has announced a return to our region for the 2017-18 cruise season, with Celebrity Solstice back in Australian, New Zealand and Pacific waters for its sixth year. The ship will call at 34 ports across 17 cruise itineraries, which range from between two and 18 nights and depart from Sydney, Auckland and Honolulu. The 2017-2018 season might seem like a long way off, but the ship generally books out early, and there are savings of up to $1000 a person on bookings made before July 31, 2016.
Phone 1800 754 500. See www.celebritycruises.com.au
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