Un-Cruise Adventures' newly refitted Safari Voyager sails between Colon and Panama City until November this year.
THAT'S THE SPIRIT
It might seem like a long way off, but cabins are already being snapped up on Viking Cruises' new Alaskan itinerary, starting in May 2019 aboard the yet-to-be-launched, 930-passenger Viking Spirit, which sets sail next year as the fifth Viking ship. The 11-day Alaska and the Inside Passage itinerary runs from Vancouver and Seward (or the reverse), with eight ports of call including Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau and Skagway. The ship also sails the narrow island-flanked channel known as the Inside Passage, and visits some of Alaska's glacier-lined bays.
Phone 1800 131 744. See vikingcruises.com.au
EL CONDOR PASA
A remote and highly spectacular glacier at South America's southern tip has been added to a new cruise itinerary from Patagonian specialist Australis from January 2018. The 210-passenger Ventus Australis will stop by the rarely visited Condor Glacier in Agostini Sound as a highlight of its new, four-night Patagonian Explorer itinerary between Ushuaia in Argentina and Punta Arenas in Chile via Cape Horn. Passengers will be able to have a close encounter with the glacier on Zodiacs excursions, as well as spot the Andean condors – the world's largest flying birds – that give the glacier its name.
See australis.com
WORLDWIDE WANDERINGS
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises' Europa 2 has unveiled its itineraries for the 2018-19 season, which start in South Africa before moving on to a new summer cruise in Spitsbergen in the Arctic and August in the Baltic Sea. By the time Christmas arrives, the ship is in Thailand and then cruising through Asia. It will visit 17 new ports, including some interesting choices such as Alghero in Sardinia and Sao Vicente in the Cape Verde Islands. In an increasing trend on the high seas, some cruises will be themed on art, fashion, sport, fitness or music.
Phone 02 9977 7100. See hl-cruises.com
NIP AND TUCK
Cunard is embarking on a $54-million refurbishment of Queen Victoria this month, with the ship entering dry dock in Palermo in Italy yesterday for a month's worth of bow-to-stern makeovers. Among the changes is the addition of 43 new Britannia Club staterooms with their own dedicated restaurant; a redesign and new colour scheme in Grand Suites; five new Penthouse Suites; and a new Chart Room bar. The Chart Room will feature Illy coffee, Godiva chocolate treats and light snacks during the day, and cocktails in the evenings.
Phone 13 24 41. See cunard.com
CANAL THERAPY
UnCruise Adventures has just begun new Pure Panama adventure cruises, offering exploration that takes travellers beyond the Panama Canal into rainforest and to tropical islands. The newly refitted, 62-guest Safari Voyager sails between Colon and Panama City (or the reverse) until November this year. The new eight-night cruise features a full transit of the Panama Canal, bird watching along the Chagres River and a visit to World Heritage site Fort San Lorenzo, paired with encounters with Guna and Embera native groups. The ship carries kayaks, paddleboards and other water-sports equipment for use in the Las Perlas and Guna Yala islands. See un-cruise.com
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