Silversea's Silver Wind in London.
WORLD WONDER
Silversea is already taking reservations for its World Cruise in 2019, which doesn't quite circumnavigate the globe but takes passengers on a splendid 132-day voyage between San Francisco and London on Silver Whisper. It visits five continents, 31 countries and 52 ports, quite a number with overnight or late-evening stays in places such as Tokyo, Cape Town and Bordeaux. Nine notable writers such as Pico Iyer and Paul Theroux will also be on board to create a short story on their cruise section that will be compiled into an anthology of the voyage for guests.
Phone 1300 306 872. See silversea.com
North Star Cruises' ship True North in PNG for Abercrombie & Kent.
WHALE OF A TIME
Abercrombie & Kent has teamed up with adventure cruise ship True North to offer active cruises in Papua New Guinea whose activities include snorkelling and diving, walking, cultural events and helicopter flights. The 36 passengers are accompanied by an Australian crew of 22. Among the cruises is an Adventures in Paradise itinerary departing November 30, 2017, which explores the Tufi fjords, Rabaul and the seldom-visited Louisiade Archipelago; and a Whale Sharks of Cenderawasih Bay itinerary departing October 21 and 28, 2017, with visits to marine parks for snorkelling and diving encounters with whale sharks.
Phone 1300 851 800. See abercrombiekent.com.au
Whale shark at Cenderawasih Bay, PNG.
ASIAN RETURN
Celebrity Cruises' Celebrity Millennium returns to Asia again this year with its popular 14-night Southeast Asia Immersion cruise between Singapore and Hong Kong, which includes overnight stays not just in those two cities but Bangkok and Hanoi as well. The cruise, which departs on December 10, 2017, also visits Ho Chi Minh City and Hue/Danang in Vietnam. It has in the past proved popular with Australians, with more than 15 per cent of passengers from Australia last year. Celebrity Millennium carries 2100 passengers and had a multi-million-dollar makeover in 2016.
Phone 1800 754 500. See celebritycruises.com.au
Sailing yacht Le Ponant.
ENTENTE CORDIALE
Tauck, which celebrates its 25th year in 2018, has announced it is doubling its small-ship cruising capacity within the next four years through a strategic partnering with French cruise line Ponant, which is itself launching four new luxury expedition yachts in 2018 and 2019. The first Tauck sailing on Le Laperouse departs on July 3, 2018 with a seven-night Iceland: Land of Fire and Ice round-trip from Reykjavik. Tauck is also offering a new 10-day Cuba journey on the schooner Le Ponant, and will be using all nine Ponant ships by 2020.
Phone 1300 732 300. See tauck.com.au
WALK LIKE AN EGYPTIAN
Viking River Cruises has a new 12-day itinerary in Egypt return from Cairo that incorporates a four-night Nile River cruise, three-night Lake Nasser cruise and overnights in the Egyptian capital. Among the 17 tours led by Egyptologists are visits to the Great Pyramids, Luxor, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and temples of Abu Simbel. The Pathways of the Pharaohs itinerary also includes a hot-air balloon ride, visit to the world's oldest step pyramid at Sakkara, and tours of Cairo and the Aswan High Dam. The trip can be extended with four nights in Jordan.
Phone 138 747. See vikingcruises.com.au
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