Cruise ship news: SeaDream's Mediterranean adventures, Travelmarvel river cruises and more

MEDITERRANEAN DREAMING

SeaDream Yacht Club has announced its new Mediterranean cruise program for 2020, which combines major ports and smaller, less-crowded destinations on the French, Italian and Spanish coastlines, in the Greek islands, and across the Adriatic. Sailings range from five to 11 nights, with the ability to combine two sailings into longer back-to-back voyages without revisiting the same ports. Both SeaDream I and SeaDream II will cruise the Mediterranean, with maiden ports including Ikaria in Greece, Vis in Croatia and Koper in Slovenia. Valletta in Malta will be a new embarkation and disembarkation port. Phone 02 9958 4444. See seadream.com

VILLAGE PEOPLE

Travelmarvel has released its new season of 2019 river cruises in Vietnam and Cambodia. A seven-night Mekong River cruise on La Marguerite carries you from Siem Reap to Ho Chi Minh City, stopping at river towns for excursions to silk-weaving villages, floating markets and royal palaces, and is part of a wider 12-day Essential Vietnam & Cambodia tour. Along the way, meet brightly-dressed hill tribes people, receive a traditional Buddhist blessing and meet the locals while on a village ox-cart ride. The cruises also visit Ho Chi Minh City and the temples of Angkor Wat. Phone 1300 196 420. See travelmarvel.com.au

CAPE CRUSADER

World Expeditions has launched a new adventure cruise through South America's fiords and glaciers via the Strait of Magellan, Beagle Channel and Cape Horn. Guests have a choice of a four-night cruise that operates between Punta Arenas and Ushuaia (or the reverse), or an eight-night return trip from either city, with departures between September and March. The cruises, aboard either Stella Australis or Ventus Australis, offer opportunities to see vast colonies of penguins, other seabirds and southern elephant seals, and are an ideal extension for travellers visiting Torres del Paine National Park. Phone 1300 720 000. See worldexpeditions.com

CALL OF WILD

Latitude 33 is offering a 25-night Call of the Far North journey that includes a cruise on Hapag-Lloyd's luxurious new Hanseatic Inspiration. It starts with stays in Dubai, Munich and Dusseldorf before a chartered flight to Kangerlussuaq in western Greenland and a 17-night cruise between Greenland and northern Canada. Highlights include visits to Greenland villages Uummannaq and Qaanaaq, the country's northernmost settlement at Siorapalukand and the former missionary station and trading post of Sisimiut, as well as to several islands and ports in Canada. The tour departs on August 14, 2020. Phone 1300 636 848. See latitude33.travel

CELEBRITY SPOTTING

Cruises on Celebrity Apex have just gone on sale. The new Celebrity Cruises' ship will launch in Britain in April 2020, after which it will call Southampton home for its first cruise journeys. Celebrity Apex is the company's second Edge-class ship (the first was Celebrity Edge) and will feature the same signature spaces, such as the Magic Carpet and Edge Stateroom with Infinity Balcony. The ship will have 29 dining venues (including four main dining rooms), more suites than any other Celebrity ship, and twin-level Edge Villa accommodation with outdoor plunge pools. Phone 1800 754 500. See celebritycruises.com.au