Relaxing in the Persian Garden wellness area of a Celebrity ship 2.
PLAN A CRUISE
We're now into October and Plan a Cruise Month, an annual initiative of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), in which it works with travel agencies and its member cruise lines to showcase cruise holidays no matter the style or budget. The event is global, but ties in particularly well with the start of the peak cruise season in Australia, which is also a time many Australians turn their attention to booking cruise holidays in the northern hemisphere for the subsequent year. Head down to your local travel agent throughout this month for out-of-the-ordinary offers, cruise holiday ideas and special pricing on all things cruise-related. To find a specialist travel agent near you, see cruising.org.au
SLEEP TIGHT
Paul Gauguin in Bora BoraCredit: Tim McKenna
Celebrity Cruises has just finished rolling out a new, fleet-wide Mindful Dreams wellness program in conjunction with Canyon Ranch Spa Club, which already operates its on-board spas. The program invites Celebrity passengers to experience new treatments, products and sleeping aids, and provides nutrition advice on the best food choices to aid in sleep. There are also lectures and classes that promote a holistic approach to mindful sleep. The ships' spas will offer sleep-aiding treatments such as an organic lavender and seaweed sugar glow, detox seaweed bath and restorative facials.
Phone 1800 754 500. See celebritycruises.com.au
UNDER THE SEA
Salvador de Bahia in Brazil with Ponant.Credit: Lorraine Turci
Paul Gauguin Cruises is offering optional diving and snorkelling excursions on all its Pacific cruises in the Society, Cook or Marquesas islands, with Paul Gauguin the only luxury small ship in the region to offer internationally recognised diver certification on board. The shipboard dive teams offer Discover SCUBA diving classes and refresher courses, as well as credit towards PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certification. Dive experiences include spotting manta rays in the Tuamotu Islands, which are also hotspots for turtles and barracuda; and swimming with moray eels, grey sharks and giant trevally in the Marquesas.
Phone 1800 251 174. See pgcruises.com
LATIN FLAIR
Ponant has released its voyages in Latin America and the Caribbean between October 2018 and April 2019, featuring 21 cruises covering a total of 26 countries. Cruise experiences include sailing the Amazon and Orinoco rivers, visiting a remote Warao Indian village, visiting the infamous French penal settlement on Devil's Island, and enjoying mojitos and jazz in Havana. Passengers can also round Cape Horn, cruise the Beagle Channel, transit the Panama Canal and sail the Chilean fjords. The longest cruise is a 59-night journey from Vancouver to Ushuaia down the west coast of the Americas.
Phone 1300 737 178. See ponant.com
ITALIAN ITINERARY
Tauck Small Ship Cruising has a new Sicily, the Amalfi Coast & Rome cruise aboard the 60-passenger, three-masted yacht Le Ponant, with departures on June 13 and 19, August 15 and 21, and September 12 and 28, 2018. The 11-day trip begins with two nights in Rome before a seven-night Mediterranean and southern Italy cruise that includes the Aeolian Isles, a visit to Herculaneum and a spectacular night sail past Stromboli. Guests also visit the Amalfi Coast and spend four days visiting Sicilian ports before heading for an overnight stay in Malta.
Phone 1300 732 300. See tauck.com.au
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