This was published 6 years ago
The Shipping News: Celebrity Solstice's shopaholic cruise
Celebrity Solstice will set sail on two cruises aimed purely at shopaholics later this year.
SHOP NEW ZEALAND
Celebrity Cruises has created a cruise for shopaholics aboard Celebrity Solstice: a New Zealand shopping cruise that allows 90 kilograms of luggage and features top shopping hotspots. Guests join the cruise in Auckland and can shop 'til they drop in Auckland and Wellington before returning home by sea. There's more to spend your cash on while on board too, with duty-free shops on board including Tiffany & Co, Michael Kors, Mikimoto and Bulgari. The cruise departs on November 11 or December 9 2017 and visits various New Zealand ports and Melbourne before finishing in Sydney.
Phone 1800 754 500. See celebritycruises.com.au
The Mergui Archipelago with Pandaw.
PICTURE THIS
Aqua Expeditions is offering a special four-night photography cruise along the Mekong River in December in the company of Singapore-based fine art and architectural photographer and videographer Francisco Marin. The photographer will share his tips and techniques, lead hands-on outdoor photography workshops, and help guests capture photos of Buddhist temples, floating Khmer villages and riverside markets. On board, there will be interactive evening Q&A sessions about composition, lighting and other photographic challenges. The cruise runs December 8-12 2017 on Aqua Mekong, which has 20 suites.
Phone 1300 124 204. See aquaexpeditions.com
La Scala opera house on Silversea's enriched voyages collection.
BURMESE DAYS
Asian river-cruise company Pandaw has a new journey this year taking passengers into Myanmar's Mergui Archipelago on Pandaw Andaman Explorer, a classic 1960s motor yacht. The cruise will sail round-trip from Yangon as far as Kawthaung, circumnavigating the archipelago of virtually unknown and uninhabited islands off the Myanmar coast, usually only visited by the odd yacht out of Thailand. It features mangrove forests, rainforest, coral reefs and a marine national park. Activities include kayaking, swimming, snorkelling and visits to limestone caves and fishing communities. Explorer's first seven-night voyage sets out on October 15.
See pandaw.com
Wine tasting on a Silversea shore excursion in Spain.
GET RICH
Silversea has extended its enrichment program this year and is already in the middle of offering voyages for food and wine buffs, bridge payers, opera fans and wellness aficionados. Among the enrichment cruises to look out for are ballet cruises in conjunction with Russian and French ballet companies, and Mediterranean cruises with guest chefs and winemakers that feature culinary demonstrations, market visits, gala dinners and culinary-focused shore excursions. A 23 October wine cruise on Silver Spirit puts the spotlight on Italian wine with guest sommeliers on hand to inform guests in the art of wine making and tasting.
Phone 1300 306 872. See silversea.com
DREAM ON
Luxury Asian cruise line Dream Cruises has started sailing five-night voyages out of Hong Kong to Japan's sub-tropical Okinawa islands, the first time Genting Dream has visited the destination. Guests can explore underwater with the ship's two state-of-the-art submersibles, designed to carry a pilot and four guests. The ship visits Naha, notable for its UNESCO-listed castle, and Miyakojima, often regarded as the most beautiful island in Japan, edged with stunning white-sand beaches and cobalt-blue seas. Genting Dream has also started sailing two-night "taster" weekend cruises out of Hong Kong.
Phone 1300 658 666. See dreamcruiseline.com
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