The Shipping News: Uniworld launches SS Maria Theresa river cruise ship

PETITE PLEASURE

Avalon Waterways has unveiled its new ship Siem Reap, joining an ever-increasing flotilla heading along the Mekong River through Cambodia and Vietnam. It's the first of the company's "Suite Ships" in Asia, though smaller than those in Europe, carrying just 38 passengers. Its 18 air-conditioned suites are fitted with Avalon's signature open-air balcony with panoramic windows that have retractable screen systems and sliding doors. But its big advantage is that, at only 60 metres long, it's able to sail both into Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City, avoiding the road transfers of other cruise itineraries.

Phone 1300 230 234. See avalonwaterways.com.au.

SEVENTH HEAVEN

Regent Seven Seas Cruises has revealed the all-new Seven Seas Explorer's maiden voyage: a cruise from Monte Carlo to Venice departing on July 20, 2016. The 750-guest ship, which the company says will be the world's most luxurious cruise ship, will spend its inaugural season in the Mediterranean, calling in at ports such as Ibiza, Barcelona, St Tropez, Alexandria and Istanbul, as well as lesser-known port destinations such as Kotor in Montenegro, Koper in Slovenia and Zadar in Croatia. Reservations are already being taken on the ship, which is under construction in Italy.

Phone 02 9265 7100. See rssc.com.au.

PICK OF THE CROP

Australian explorer Ben Cropp will be joining Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic's "Global Perspectives Speakers" program in October for a Pacific expedition cruise between Palau and the Solomon Islands. Cropp has produced some 150 marine and wildlife adventure documentaries and discovered more than 100 shipwrecks, including the prominent Australian wreck of HMS Pandora. Guests will be able to listen to Cropp's presentations and take daily expeditions in his company. The voyage combines ocean passage and island exploration, journeying through some of the most remote places in the Pacific.