Viking Ra sailing on the Nile River A rendering of the Viking Ra on the Nile River near the Temple of Sobek and Haroeris in Kom Ombo, Egypt. Credit: Alamy
NILE SMILE
Viking has announced 10 new sailings for its 12-day 'Pharaohs & Pyramids' river cruise in Egypt for 2019 on the Viking-operated MS Antares, a classic ship specifically built to navigate the Nile. Guests will spend three nights at the Ritz-Carlton exploring Cairo before boarding the ship to cruise the river. Highlights of the journey include a camel ride at the pyramids, tour of Karnak Temple, visit to the spice markets in Aswan, and a sail in a felucca. Tours also visit the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, mosques and Khan el-Khalili bazaar in Cairo.
Phone 138 747. See vikingcruises.com.au
NEW TWINS
Seabourn has announced that it intends to construct two new ultra-luxury expedition ships that will combine the many successful features of current Seabourn ships with some innovative new design elements. The 170-metre vessels, which will meet PC6 Polar Class standards, will add new capacity for Seabourn in Antarctica and the Arctic, as well as other world destinations. Each will feature 132 ocean-front verandah suites, carry 264 passengers, and offer two submarines, kayaks and Zodiacs for off-ship exploration. The first ship is expected for delivery in June 2021 and the second is anticipated in May 2022.
Phone 13 24 02. See seabourn.com
TURKISH DELIGHTS
Regent Seven Seas Cruises is returning to Turkey with 11 itineraries departing in 2019, all aboard the recently refurbished Seven Seas Voyager. The cruises will call at ports including Istanbul, Kusadasi (for a visit to the nearby ancient ruins of Ephesus) and the tiny island of Bozcaada. Unlimited complimentary shore excursions include hosted walking tours in Istanbul's bazaars and an exploration of vineyards and taverns on Bozcaada. Among itineraries that visit Turkey is an eight-day cruise from Rome departing on October 8, 2019, and a 31-day cruise between Athens and Dubai departing on October 16, 2019.
Phone 1300 455 200. See rssc.com.au
HIGH FIVE
AdventureSmith Explorations has added five new purpose-built expedition ships to its fleet for the next three Antarctica cruise seasons. The new ships are designed for active polar exploration, allowing guests to access Zodiac, kayak and on-land adventures. Among them is the 176-passenger World Explorer, which sails an 'Antarctic Explorer' itinerary on December 16, 2018; the 174-passenger Hondius, which sails the Antarctic, Falkland Islands and South Georgia on November 3, 2019; and the 69-passenger Magellan Explorer, which sails an 'Antarctica Air Cruise' itinerary on November 28, 2019, with an air flight over the notoriously rough Drake Passage.
See adventuresmithexplorations.com
BRISBANE BOOMS
Brisbane has long been vying with Sydney – which is at capacity – to attract cruise ships, and now the Port of Brisbane has reached an agreement with Carnival Australia for a new cruise terminal in the Queensland capital. Construction should begin immediately, and the new cruise facility should be completed and operational by mid-2020. It will be able to dock ships too large to use current port facilities. Carnival Australia is the only cruise operator to base ships in Australia full-time through its brands of P&O Cruises Australia, Princess Cruises and Carnival Cruise Line.
Phone 1300 385 625, see carnival.com.au
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