Arabella Cruises
Blackbeard Cruises/Cat Pplau Cruises
Discovery World Cruises
Fathom Cruises
Metropolitan Touring/Galapagos
Orion Cruises
Star Clippers
Sailing Yacht Arabella To Launch 2006
St. Barths Itineraries
The Arabella, a 160-foot, 40-passenger sailing
yacht, already popular for her Virgin Islands, Southern New
England and Chesapeake Bay itineraries, will begin St. Barths
cruises in January 2006. Ports of call will also include St.
Maarten and Anguilla.
Since launching in winter 2001, Arabella
has garnered the reputation as being an ideal small ship cruising
experience combining upscale accommodations and personalized
services with a casual and laid-back ambiance. With her intimate
size, Arabella is able to visit charming, small harbors that
larger cruise ships cannot enter. All 20 stylishly appointed
staterooms feature private baths, satellite TV and telephones,
and on-board amenities include a hot water spa, a fleet of two-man
sea kayaks and enough snorkeling gear to outfit all guests.
On all voyages daytime meals and hors d’oeuvres are served on
board and passengers head to shore in the evening for an array
of unique dining options and nighttime adventures.
A sampling of the St. Barths itinerary includes:
Day 1: Arrive in St. Maarten with overnight
accommodations at a charming French hotel in Marigot, which
has the air of a quaint Mediterranean village.
Day 2: Board Arabella in the morning and
enjoy a short sail to Anguilla, known for its breathtaking beaches.
Passengers will spend the day snorkeling, kayaking or exploring
the towns of Sandy Ground and The Village.
Day 3: Set sail in the morning for the
four-hour cruise to St. Barths. At lunchtime, Arabella will
anchor off Scrub Island and then continue on to Gustavia, the
principal town on St. Barths. Known as the Caribbean’s playground
for international superstars and billionaires, St. Barths offers
endless world-class shopping, dining and nightlife. Gustavia
is known for its high-end retail shops and galleries.
Day 4: A quick sail to Colombier Bay renowned
for its breathtaking beach. Passengers will enjoy a day of
watersports and relaxing in the sun. For those who prefer to
explore the island, tours can be arranged. Evening will take
Arabella back to Gustavia where dinner on shore will be followed
by a night out at some of St. Barths’ best night clubs.
Day 5: Arabella will head to Ile Fourche
where SCUBA diving, wind and kite surfing and sport fishing
can be arranged. It’s back to Gustavia in the late afternoon
for more wining, dining and merriment!
Day 6: Sail to St. Jean, the smaller town
on St. Barths where passengers will enjoy shopping in specialty
boutiques and gallery hopping.
Day 7: A quick morning sail back to St.
Maarten where guests disembark and bid Arabella adieu.
While in St. Jean, Arabella passengers will
have the opportunity to enjoy a world-class dining experience
at Eden Rock, one of St. Barths' finest hotels. A member of
the prestigious Relais & Chateaux, Eden Rock is situated
on its own rocky promontory surrounded by a coral reef and beautiful
turquoise blue sea (www.edenrockhotel.com ).
Rates for the Arabella St. Barths cruises
range from $1,295 to $2,195 per person based on cabin type and
include breakfast and lunch daily, evening hors d’oeuvres and
three dinners ashore. Alcoholic beverages are not included.
Arabella is part of the Newport-based
Atlantic Stars Hospitality Group. Additional Arabella cruises
include the six-night U.S., British and Spanish Virgin Islands
in the winter and early spring, a five-night Chesapeake Bay
in spring and fall, and a five-night Southern New England during
summer.
For additional information call (800) 395-1343
or visit www.cruisearabella.com.
or www.atlanticstars.com.
Blackbeard's Cruises Offering Discounted
Fall Cruises
Blackbeard Cruises is offering $100 off its
October, November, December 2005 cruises as well those in January,
February and March 4 departures in 2006.
Enjoy weeklong cruises in the western Bahamas
aboard 65' sloops designed for diving! All inclusive format
makes this trip a piece of cake! All meals, beverages/bar, diving
and lodging included in budget price.
-- Dive into Halloween! October 29-November
4, 2005. Wear your costume and go down for this spooky holiday!
Fun activities are planned- pumpkin carving and more!
-- Get Away for the Holidays- Spend Thanksgiving
or Christmas in the sunny Bahamas!
-- Ring in the New Year on Blackbeard's extended
Trip! December 28, 2005 to January 4, 2006. Get an extra day
of diving in and enjoy New Year's Eve partying with the best
of them! Fare: $999.00 plus 40.00 port tax. Website: www.blackbeard-cruises.com
NOTE: Effective in January, all US citizens
traveling to the Caribbean will be required to have a valid
US passport.
Blackbeard Cruises, based in Miami, offers
live-aboard scuba diving adventure travel vacations to the Out
Islands of the Bahamas. Reef, wreck, wall, drift, night and
shark dives are offered on each trip. Three sailboats; Sea Explorer,
Morning Star and Pirate’s Lady, offer Caribbean diving and snorkeling
cruises to the Out Islands of the Western Bahamas.
Cat Pplau Offers Research Trips In The
Exumas
A unit of Blackbeard Cruises, Cat Ppalu Cruises
is offering Diadema relocation cruises. The company is committed
to reintroducing the Diadema Antillarum (spiny sea urchin) to
the reefs of the Bahamas. The cruise is from September 17 to
23, 2005.
Passengers that sign on to Diadema relocation
trips will be rewarded with an experience that includes active
participation, education, and the camaraderie of other like
minded individuals. While aboard the Cat Ppalu, passengers
will participate in the research and collection process by joining
trained staff and volunteers on collection missions each day.
Passengers will also collect data, conduct counts and aid in
the movement of the urchins. Spiny Sea Urchins are voracious
eaters of algae—the same algae that is overtaking the coral
of many reefs in the Caribbean. They are night crawlers that
come out to forage and literally vacuum the reefs of unwanted
algae. For this reason, collection is done mainly on dusk and
night dives. Relocation is done either that same night or the
first dive of the next morning. Reefs with diadema are faring
much better than those with low to no population. The results
are astounding!
The Cat Ppalu sleeps up to 12 passengers
in six private cabins. Boarding is in Nassau at noon on Saturdays.
Our casual yet comfortable vessel makes the perfect classroom/lab!
Click here for a full report on the research. Check out the
dates below and make a date to make a difference!
Cat Pplau also offers a Fish Identification
Cruise September 10 to 16, 2005. The REEF foundation relies
heavily on divers' surveys to analyze the state of the reefs
around the world. As one of the few operators in the Exumas
Land and Sea Park, Cat Pplau supplies a great number of these
surveys. Learn FISH ID techniques and your Caribbean marine
life on this weeklong adventure aboard the Cat Ppalu. This trip
is $1,295.00 per person and is tax deductible as $200 of this
amount is donated to REEF.
Website: http://blackbeard-cruises.com/catppalu.html
Cat Pplau Cruises offers a leisurely live-aboard
adventure in the Bahamas. Weekly sailings from Nassau to the
Exuma Islands on the 65-foot sailing catamaran, Cat Ppalu.
Cruise West’s New 2006 Glacier Bay Itineraries
Make Alaska Easier To Explore
Cruise West is now offering two new innovative
Alaska itineraries for 2006. The American-owned line offers
a choice of either a three- or –four-night getaway sailing that
allows guests the opportunity to sample the soaring sanctuary
of Alaska’s stunning Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
on the Glacier Bay Highlights cruise; or eight- or 13-night
voyages offering the Best of Both Worlds with daytime yachting
exploration plus overnight cruising.
Sailing roundtrip from Juneau, May through
August 2006, the Glacier Bay Highlights cruise offers guests
an opportunity to escape the hassle of their busy world – without
the stress of being away too long. Beginning at $1,349 per
person, double-occupancy, guests will arrive in Juneau, Alaska’s
capital city, whose distinctive rainforest locale and Mendenhall
Glacier backdrop serves as a fitting location to start the cruise
down the Gastineau Channel. On the voyage, guests visit the
charming ports of Skagway and Haines and experience the picturesque
setting of the Glacier Bay.
Cruise West travels to this 3.3-million-acre
nature wonderland where a National Park Service Ranger boards
to offer information on the flora and fauna of the region.
More than 200 species of fish are found in the Park waters as
well as 220 species of bird and large populations of land mammals.
Cruise West provides a set of binoculars for each cabin to help
guests spot brown and black bears, coyote, moose, harbor seals
and more.
Cruise West also offers longer Glacier Bay
options of 8 or 12 nights and including, as applicable, land
tours of Denali National Park and Preserve, Prince William Sound
cruise and the Kantishna Roadhouse Wilderness Lodge land tour.
Cruise West is the longest operating line
to sail Glacier Bay National Park and was recently awarded with
a permit from the National Park Service (NPS) allowing the most
entries into the Park for the next 10 years
On the Best of Both Worlds itinerary, beginning
at $3,349 per person, double occupancy, guests experience everything
the Glacier Bay Highlights itinerary offers, sailing on the
nimble small ship, Spirit of Alaska, with an extension
of daylight yachting aboard the Sheltered Seas. On the daylight
yacht, boarding in Juneau, guests explore Tracy Arm – a 25-mile-long,
cliff-walled fjord – sighting black bears, seals and mountain
goats. They proceed through the 45-mile-long Frederick Sound,
famous for its migratory populations of humpback whales. Guests
cruise LeConte Bay, Alaska’s southernmost tidewater glacier,
watching harbor seals and black bears, and journey through the
Wrangell Narrows to Wrangell to view a traditional Tlingit tribal
house surrounded by finely carved totem poles. Guests spend
nights on land at two hotels, Petersburg’s Tides Inn and Ketchikan’s
Westcoast Cape Fox Hotel, and have the option to travel the
itinerary in reverse, beginning in Ketchikan.
At Cruise West, taxes, port charges, fees
and onboard services are all included in itinerary prices.
To make reservations or request the 2006 Alaska Brochure, visit
www.cruisewest.com or call (800) 203-8306. Guests are neither
expected nor required to tip for onboard services.
Cruise West – a second-generation, family-owned
business – offers the opportunity to explore remote, worldwide
locales by providing distinctive, one-of-a-kind, personalized
itineraries not offered by the traditional larger cruise lines.
The casual style onboard encourages relaxation and congenial
interaction between guests and crew.
Discovery Announces 2-Passengers-For-1,Free
Air On Transatlantic Cruise
Discovery World Cruises is offering a two-passengers-for-the-price-of-one
cruise deal on an extraordinary 22-night itinerary from Lisbon
to Barbados called Classic Caribbean, departing November 26,
2005. Fares start at $5,395 for the first passenger, double
occupancy, with free air transportation for both guests from
Discovery's east coast gateway cities. The second passenger
cruises free, but will be responsible for port charges of $390.
Travelers must mention promotion code DIS241LISBG
to take advantage of this special offer. In addition, discounted
add-on air transportation is available for $195 per person for
Discovery's central gateways, and $295 per person for western
gateways.
Classic Caribbean begins with a two-night
stay in a centrally-located first class hotel among the cosmopolitan
delights of Lisbon. Passengers can familiarize themselves with
the Portuguese capital through a sightseeing tour; take in some
world-class shopping in the city's countless stores; and explore
the historic Alfama quarters established by the Moors.
Once aboard the line's flagship, MV Discovery
first calls at Gibraltar, one of the last colonial legacies
of the British Empire. Passengers can take a cable car to the
top of the Rock and survey the North African coast. Inside,
they can walk centuries-old tunnels used by solders in many
conflicts through the ages.
Discovery then calls at Madeira, a Portuguese
island-paradise off the coast of western Africa. Madeira still
retains the island's colonial charms with its colorful houses
and cobble streets, and boasts spectacular terraced gardens
and the world's second tallest cliff.
Discovery then leisurely crosses the Atlantic
on a southerly course to the Caribbean, meandering throughout
the British and French West Indies, British Virgin Islands and
Dutch Antilles.
Passengers can enjoy the laid-back French
ambiance of Martinique, birthplace of Napoleon's Josephine;
tour the country roads of Barbados, where elegant plantation
houses bear reminders of a bygone era; and delight in the kaleidoscope
of wooden houses and fishing boats of every color in St. Lucia.
Passengers have a choice of powder-white,
sugar-gold or volcano-black sand beaches on Guadeloupe; on St.
Bart's, the choice is whether to sample a charming bistro and
one of the many boutiques. Tortola, Dominica, and Antigua offer
a respite from all the island excitement with lush greenery,
fine sand beaches, and serene turquoise water. Golf enthusiasts
will appreciate Mullet Bay's spectacular championship courses
on St. Maarten.
Discovery World Cruises Unveils 2006 Program
Discovery World Cruises unveils its first
full-year program, spanning November 2005 – 2006, featuring
40 cruisetours to more than 130 ports. Specialists in exploring
faraway places in comfort and style, the line’s MV Discovery
will call at intriguing destinations, including Antarctica,
Iceland, New Zealand, South America, Europe and Scandinavia.
For the first time in 2006, Discovery will call at the Galapagos
Islands, Amazon River ports, Ireland, the Shetland Islands,
Corsica, and Sicily. “Passengers on MV Discovery can look forward
to visiting exotic shores, being enriched by onboard lecturers,
and choosing from a comprehensive collection of sightseeing
tours at every port of call for a fulfilling and well-rounded
travel experience,” said Mark Flager, vice president of sales,
marketing and passenger services for Discovery World Cruises.
-- South America Discovery
For the first time, MV Discovery will venture
to the source of the Amazon, the widest river in the world,
on two itineraries. Amazon Adventure, departing December 18,
2005 is a ten-night Christmas voyage from Barbados to Manaus,
Brazil, home of the famous Opera House in the jungle. Travelers
can herald the New Year on Amazon & South America, departing
December 27th, a 19-night cruisetour that combines the mighty
river with Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo and Buenos Aires. Early
booking cruise fares begin at $1,995 per person, double occupancy.
Also new for 2006, Discovery World Cruises
features two unforgettable cruisetours to Ecuador’s exotic Galapagos
Islands. Polynesia, Peru & Galapagos – departing April 7,
2006 – is a 26-night voyage from the South Pacific to the remote
islands that were the inspiration for Charles Darwin’s theories.
Galapagos & Panama Canal, departing April 27th, combines
the natural wonderland of the Galapagos with the technological
manmade wonder on a 16-night itinerary that ends in The Bahamas.
Early booking cruise fares begin at $3,795 per person, double
occupancy.
-- Antarctica Discovery
For its third consecutive season, MV Discovery
sails to the breathtaking beauty of the White Continent on three
voyages that include landings via Zodiac expedition boats. Antarctica
& the Falklands, departing January 9, 2006, is a 17-night
itinerary that combines the highlights of Antarctica with visits
to the remote Falkland Islands. The line’s 13-night Antarctica,
departing January 21st, concentrates on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Rounding out the series is a 20-night Antarctica & Chilean
Fjords cruisetour, departing January 29th, which adds Chile’s
magnificent fjordlands. An expert team of naturalists, scientists
and field guides accompanies all Antarctic expeditions. Early
booking cruise fares begin at $3,595 per person, double occupancy.
-- South Pacific Discovery
Discovery unfolds the magic nestled in the
South Pacific on four journeys to some of the world’s most remote
islands. Passengers retrace the routes of the intrepid Captain
Cook and ill-fated Captain Bligh through Easter Island, Pitcairn
Island, and Tahiti on In the Wake of the Bounty, an 18-night
cruisetour departing February 12, 2006. South Pacific I, departing
March 1st, is a 17-night itinerary that calls at Fiji and other
South Seas island gems along the way to New Zealand. Discover
New Zealand – departing March 11th – is a 14-night cruise vacation
spotlighting the twin-island nation’s thriving vineyards, cinematic
scenery and colonial architecture. South Pacific II combines
all the wonders of Polynesia on a comprehensive 18-night voyage,
departing March 21st. Early booking cruise fares begin at $2,450
per person, double occupancy.
-- Baltic Discovery
Discovery World Cruises offers world travelers
four opportunities to experience the immense cultural treasures
of the Baltic. On the 14-night Baltic Treasures, departing the
US on July 26, 2006, passengers will see the grand palaces of
Copenhagen; Helsinki’s eclectic architecture; the treasures
of Tallinn, Estonia; and visit bustling Berlin, from the port
of Warnermünde. Discovery will also call at St. Petersburg for
two full days, allowing passengers to explore Peter the Great’s
Window to the West. Baltic Capitals, a 15-night cruisetour departing
the U.S. on May 31st, visits the same ports, but adds a call
at Stockholm, Sweden’s charming capital.
Baltic Discovery, departing the U.S. on June
22nd, and St. Petersburg & the Northern Capitals, departing
the U.S. on August 31st, are 17-night cruisetours that feature
three days in St. Petersburg. Passengers have ample time to
attend a performance at the world famous Mariinsky Theatre –
formerly known as the Kirov; explore the exhibits at the Hermitage;
or even take an optional air excursion to Moscow. These two
itineraries visit the same ports featured on Baltic Capitals,
plus Klaipeda, Lithuania; and Gdynia – gateway to Gdansk. Baltic
early booking cruise fares start at $3,095 per person, double
occupancy.
-- Scandinavian and North Atlantic
Discovery
The majestic Norwegian fjordlands are showcased
on Discovering the Fjords, departing the U.S. on August 24,
2006, a 10-night cruisetour calling at Flåm, Gudvangen, Ålesund,
Olden, and Bergen. An 11-night cruisetour - Norwegian Explorer
- departing the U.S. on July 18th, adds a maiden call in Kristiansand,
a Renaissance city known for its stunning summer flowers. Discovery
ventures to Norway’s spectacular North Cape on Land of the Midnight
Sun, a 13-night cruisetour departing the U.S. on June 12th.
The ship will sail the traditional routes of ancient Viking
mariners on Fjords, Faroes, Fire & Ice, departing the U.S.
on July 6th, a 15-night cruise that calls at Bergen, Flåm, and
Gudvangen; Lerwick in the Shetland Islands (a maiden port);
Akureyri, Isafjordhur (another maiden port), Reykjavik in Iceland;
and the Faroe Islands. A 21-night Iceland, Greenland and Ireland
itinerary, departing the US on August 6, will visit Nuuk, Ilulissat
and Narsarsuaq and Sisimiut (Greenland) and Cobh (Ireland) for
the first time. Early booking cruise fares begin at $1,895 per
person, double occupancy.
-- Mediterranean, Red and Black Sea
Discovery
MV Discovery rounds out its 2006 summer season
with cruisetours calling at classic ports throughout the ancient
routes of Western Civilization. On the 12-night Mediterranean
Odyssey, departing the U.S. on September 23, 2006, passengers
cruise from Livorno to Venice, calling at Civitavecchia (for
Rome); Naples (for Pompeii); Sicily; Cephalonia, Greece; and
Kotor Bay, Dubrovnik, and Split, Croatia. On Adriatic &
Aegean Treasures, departing the U.S. on October 4th, passengers
retrace the routes of Greek and Roman mythology on a 14-night
cruise from Venice to Istanbul.
Black Sea Discovery, departing the US on
October 17, takes passengers around the Black Sea and Turkey
to Cyprus, on an eclectic 16-night tour where cultures of the
East and West have met for ages. From Istanbul, passengers call
at Trabzon and Kusadasi, Turkey; Batumi, Georgia; Sochi, Russia;
Yalta and Sevastopol, Ukraine; Constanza, Romania; Nesebur,
Bulgaria; and Limassol, Cyprus. Holy Lands & Pharaohs, departing
October 28th, is a 12-night adventure through Biblical lands,
crusaders’ quests and Egyptian legacies from Cyprus to Aqaba,
Jordan, via Israel, Egypt and the Suez Canal. Red Sea Explorer,
departing November 5, is an 11-night itinerary with a focus
on Egypt. Discovery will call overnight at Aqaba, and Safaga,
and for a full day in Sharm el Sheikh; returning through the
Suez Canal to conclude in Alexandria.
North African Treasures – a 16-night cruisetour
departing the US on November 12— includes calls at three ports
in Libya, a country where its borders, culture, and treasures
were closed to outsiders until recently. Passengers can visit
the ancient Greek city of Cyrene at Benghazi; marvel at the
stunning Roman city of Leptis Magna at Al Khums; and treasure-hunt
in the many traditional markets and bazaars found on the friendly
streets of Tripoli. Discovery then calls at La Goulette, Tunisia,
with Carthage nearby; Palermo with its spectacular chapels;
Civitavecchia, gateway to the unmistakable cathedrals and ruins
of Rome; and Ajaccio, Corsica, Napoleon’s birthplace. Travelers
with more time can combine Red Sea Explorer and North African
Treasures into an epic 23-night cruisetour called Wonders of
Antiquity. Early booking fares for Mediterranean, Red and Black
Sea voyages start at $2,575 per person, double occupancy.
Discovery specializes in offering “cruisetour”
vacations that include hotel stays and city sightseeing before
and/or after the sailing for a complete vacation package. Furthermore,
most cruisetours in 2006 are non-repeating itineraries so that
world travelers can combine voyages into extended cruise vacations.
Low air “add-on” fares are available from 36 North American
gateway cities.
To make a reservation or request the new
2006 year-round cruise brochure, please consult with a travel
professional or contact Discovery toll-free at (866) 623-2689.
Website: www.discoveryworldcruises.com
Discovery World Cruises, headquartered
in Fort Lauderdale, is owned and operated by the United Kingdom-based
All Leisure Group. All Leisure specializes in destination-oriented
land tours and cruises throughout the world. The cruise line
is marketed under the banner Voyages of Discovery in the U.K.
and Europe.
Rare 13-Night Cruise To Antarctic Peninsula
Where Shackleton Once Explored
The spirit of Shackleton will be rekindled
February 7 to 20, 2006 when specialty Polar cruise operator
Fathom Expeditions Inc. brings 94 passengers on a rare 13-night
journey exploring the regions of the Antarctic Peninsula, the
Weddell Sea, the Antarctic Sound and Elephant Island.
An expedition team of accomplished and passionate
polar explorers – whose combined experience includes over 250
previous Antarctic trips - will lead the cruise which re-enacts
and retraces some of the heroic adventures of Sir Ernest Shackleton
in the comfort and style of the famous ice-rated cruise ship
MV Explorer. This expedition team is singularly qualified
to evoke the “Spirit of Shackleton,” as they are the same team
that led the filmmakers for the IMAX “Shackleton’s Antarctic
Adventure,” and the feature film “The Endurance, Shackleton’s
Legendary Antarctic Expedition.”
Fathom Expeditions’ Spirit of Shackleton
Antarctic cruise is priced at US $4,995 double occupancy (lower
prices for triple occupancy) for 13 nights—the cost of a regular
ten-night cruise—giving passengers three free nights on the
Seventh Continent at the bottom of the world.
These three free additional nights distinguish
Fathom Expeditions’ Spirit of Shackleton from the standard ten-night
Antarctic cruises, allowing for tow to three daily landings
by small boats throughout the entire Antarctic Peninsula Region
from the three-mile-long tabular icebergs near Joinville Island
to whale-filled Crystal Sound, and a visit to Elephant Island
of Shackleton fame. To enjoy the varied wonders of Antarctica
on this relaxed, unhurried cruise aboard a superb ship accompanied
by just a small group of travelers represents a true triumph
in expedition cruising. Onboard chefs round out the experience
with superb food and wines.
The trip is purposely scheduled for the peak
of the Antarctic summer when temperatures approach 50 degrees
(10ºC), the Midnight Sun brings longer days, and the wildlife
is at its most abundant.
In early February, when the Spirit of Shackleton
sets sail, the region’s pack ice has broken up, allowing the
Explorer to gain access to rarely-visited bays and fjords.
Fin, killer and humpback whales will have arrived in protected
waters to feed, and the seals and penguin chicks will be out
in their maximum numbers.
Passengers can expect to visit valleys bulging
with penguins, to discover remote beaches blanketed with whale
bones, to take motor-boat cruises alongside 40-foot whales and
to learn from scientists and lecturers onshore and onboard.
Fathom Expeditions’ daily programs also feature Antarctic walks
along historic beaches, guided hikes on volcanoes, photography
seminars, Zodiac cruising through icebergs and a chance for
modern-day exploration firsts on land and by sea. The Banff
Mountain Film Festival will also be shown onboard successfully
completing its World Tour with Fathom Expeditions by landing
on the Last Continent.
The trip is open to all ages and abilities
and features a strong educational component and a varied presentation
series. Leader of the Shackleton IMAX film teams, Dave German,
will lead the voyage, making his 53rd Antarctic journey. He
will be joined by guest lecturer Antarctic and Everest explorer
Dave Hahn and wildlife expert Dr. Robert Williams, whose presentations
and discussions will add yet another critical dimension to the
spirit of discovery on this voyage. Other lecture team members
cover history, birding and Antarctic sciences.
All meals, accommodations, shore excursions,
guiding, lectures and transportation are included once guests
join the ship. Fathom Expeditions travel partners can assist
with air and pre-cruise programs. For information about Spirit
of Shackleton Antarctica or Fathom Expeditions’ custom Arctic
programs, e-mail info@fathomexpeditions.com or visit
www.fathomexpeditions.com.
The Canadian-based Fathom Expeditions
is dedicated to making Antarctic dreams come true by operating
custom programs guided by acclaimed expedition teams. They have
been leading trips to Antarctica since 1995.
Imaginative Journeys To The Galapagos
Metropolitan Touring is a leading travel
organization based in Quito, Ecuador. With 50 years of experience,
it operates innovative and imaginative journeys that maintain
the highest standards of comfort, safety and value. Metropolitan
Touring pioneered ecotourism to the Galapagos Islands and has
its own fleet of deluxe vessels in the Archipelago. Our staff
is highly qualified. Each program features multilingual guides
who share their expert knowledge of the land with genuine Ecuadorian
hospitality. Our offices, ships and buses are equipped with
sophisticated communications systems that interconnect all operations
throughout the country, day and night.
Some of their interesting tours are to the
Galapagos on board their vessels the M/V Santa Cruz and the
yacht Isabella II.
The M/V Santa Cruz was built exclusively
for Galápagos Islands cruising and offers on its cruises a highly
experienced crew and on-board naturalists. Eight-day cruises
leaving from Quito start at $2,356 person. The itinerary includes
visits to Santa Cruz Island, Bartolme Island, Puerto Egas, Darwin
Bay, North Seymour Island and Punta Espinoza (Fernandina Island).
Shorter cruises are also available. For more
information, visit www.galapagosvoyage.com.
Orion Offers Seven-Night World Heritage
Reef Expeditions Oct-Dec 2005
During October/December 2005, Orion Expedition
Cruises has a range of just six seven-night cruises alternating
between Cairns and Brisbane. All cruises conveniently depart
and arrive on Saturdays. Destinations include Lizard Island,
Willis Islet, Creal Reef, Percy Isles, Lady Elliot Island and
Fraser Island. One additional cruise sails from Cairns to Sydney
for seven nights departing December 17..
Fares begin from $4,550 per person for an
ocean view category D stateroom
Suites begin from $6,300 per person for a
Junior Suite (category JS)
Orion’s spacious Owners’ Suites with French
Balcony are $9,800 per person
SPECIAL OFFER*: As an added inducement, Orion
is has a special, limited offer. Join Orion on a World Heritage
Reef Expedition between October and December 2005 and the second
person sharing a stateroom or suite sails for just half fare.
*Offer limited to the first ten staterooms
or suites sold on each cruise.
Further information on Orion Expedition Cruises
can be obtained by visiting the website www.orioncruises.com.au.
For reservations or to obtain a brochure call Orion Expedition
Cruises: 61-2 9033 8777 (Sydney callers) 1300 361 012 (regional
and interstate) or your travel agent. Email: info@orioncruises.com.au
Orion Adds 2006 Cruises To The Land Of
Headhunters And Hammerhead Sharks
For 2006, Orion Expedition Cruises has expanded
its range of out-of-the-way destinations to provide further
choice for passengers seeking the excitement of true expedition
cruising. Papua New Guinea, New Britain and some outlying Solomon
islands join the Kimberley, East Timor, Antarctica, Tasmania,
Torres Strait and the World Heritage Reef as part of Orion’s
repertoire.
In March and October 2006, Orion will spend
time cruising the tropical waters of New Guinea, New Britain
and the Solomons, offering a series of six 10 and 11-night expedition
cruises that will provide guests with the rare opportunity to
visit remote and exciting places including Milne Bay, the Louisades,
Trobriands and D’Entrecasteaux island groups, the Sepik River,
Madang and Rabaul.
Announcing the new itineraries, Sarina Bratton,
Managing Director of Orion Expedition Cruises, said “This is
very exciting for Orion. On one hand, with our seven-night World
Heritage Reef voyages our guests can experience the very best
of the Great Barrier Reef, including Percy Isle and Creal Reef.
At the other extreme there is the vast remoteness of Antarctica.
In between we have the rugged coastlines of the Kimberley and
Tasmania and the historic and culturally rich tropical north
of Australia, East Timor and the Torres Strait. Now we add New
Guinea, with all the diversity, drama, culture and history that
makes it such a fascinating destination”.
Also new in 2006 is a 12 night Arnhem Land
and Cape York itinerary allowing guests plenty of time to immerse
themselves in a vast variety of aboriginal art and cultural
experiences, retrace European history that stretches back to
the days of the early navigators and visit remote parts of Torres
Strait and World Heritage Great Barrier Reef.
All Orion fares for the 2006 series of voyages
are held at the same level as for 2005:
seven nights: Fares begin from $4,550 per
person for an ocean view category D stateroom
Ten nights: Fares begin from $6,500 per person
for an ocean view category D stateroom
Eleven nights: Fares begin from $7,150 per
person for an ocean view category D stateroom
Orion offers eight categories of accommodation
across 53 staterooms and suites. All feature ocean views, the
option of queen size or twin beds, fully-equipped marble bathrooms
and modern amenities like flat screen TV, DVD/CD player, internet
connectivity and mini-refrigerator.
Cruise fares include all meals in an unhurried
single sitting in either the dining room or outdoor café, the
service of 70 experienced crew members, guest speakers and/or
expedition leaders and selected landings & activities ashore.
Orion’s 2006 – 2007 Calendar of Sailings
and overview of itineraries is available by visiting www.orioncruises.com.au
or by contacting Orion Expedition Cruises: Tel 61-2 9033 8777
(Sydney callers) 1300 361 012 (regional and interstate) or your
travel agent. Email: info@orioncruises.com.au
Free Land Tours Highlight Star Flyer's
Far East Sailings
Beginning in November, passengers who book
a seven-night voyage on Star Flyer's Far East itineraries can
choose free or discounted six-night land tours to enhance their
cruise vacation. Star Clippers is offering the free tours of
Bangkok, Singapore and Thailand on round-trip Phuket, Thailand,
sailings and sailings between Phuket and Singapore. Passengers
on cruises departing Phuket also can opt to experience the new
six-night Vietnam and Thailand tour for 50 percent off of the
tour rate. The offers are valid on cruises through March 2006.
"Adding one of our land tours takes a Star Clippers cruise
to a higher level for our guests," said Jack Chatham, vice
president of sales and marketing for Star Clippers. "The
Far East tours are outstanding, and we're excited to add the
Vietnam tour to our menu of exceptional land experiences."
For passengers sailing on itineraries between
Phuket and Singapore, the Bangkok and Singapore Tour includes
four nights pre- or post-cruise in Bangkok, the exciting metropolis
of more than 10 million inhabitants, and two nights pre- or
post-cruise in Singapore, a city rich in history and culture.
The four-night Vibrant City Tour in Bangkok
includes a stay at the five-star Montien Riverside Hotel, breakfast
daily, a half-day city tour with a visit to the Grand Palace,
the short flight between Phuket and Bangkok, transfers and a
cultural dinner show. Guests will taste exotic delicacies and
explore the amazing pagodas and temples that line the city's
waterways.
During the two-night visit to Singapore,
guests stay at the Orchard Hotel Singapore, located in the island's
premier shopping and business districts near the well-known
Orchard Road. The tour also includes a half-day city tour, breakfast
daily and transfers.
Guests who sail round-trip Phuket have the
option of adding the free Bangkok and Phuket Tour, including
the four-night pre- or post-cruise Vibrant City Tour in Bangkok
and a two-night tour in Phuket, Thailand's largest island.
The unforgettable pre- or post-cruise Phuket
tour features the best of Asian culture, including an evening
performance of "Phuket Fantasea," a spectacular show
complete with traditional Thai shadow puppets and daring acrobats,
and dinner before the show. The tour also includes a seafront
hotel stay at the Patong Merlin Phuket, breakfast daily and
transfers.
Guests can save 50 percent on the new Vietnam
and Thailand Tour. On this five-night pre-cruise and one-night
post cruise extension, guests will discover the wonders of Vietnam
and Bangkok. New to Star Clippers' collection of land tours,
the tour provides guests the opportunity to spend time in Hanoi
and Saigon, Vietnam, where they can visit the Ho Chi Minh Museum,
One Pillar Pagoda and the famed labyrinth tunnels of Cu Chi
constructed by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War.
In Hanoi, guests stay two nights in the Sofitel
Metropole, with a full-day city tour and dinner with a traditional
water puppet show. Traveling south, passengers then spend two
nights at the Caravelle Hotel, including a morning countryside
and Cu Chi tunnel tour and afternoon Saigon city tour. Prior
to boarding the ship, one night in Bangkok is spent at the Montien
Riverside Hotel with a Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha tour.
After the cruise, guests return to Bangkok for another night
and a cultural show at Piman Restaurant. Breakfast, flights
and transfers between Hanoi, Saigon, Bangkok and Phuket are
included. Discounted Vietnam and Thailand land tour rates begin
at $697 per person, double occupancy.
Star Flyer's Far East itineraries explore
the mysteries and wonders of Asia on island-hops to little ports
dotting the Andaman Sea on two round-trip Phuket itineraries
and two itineraries between Phuket and Singapore—all seven nights
long. Calls include Ko Lipe, Ko Khai Nok, Surin and Similan
Islands, and Ko Adang, Thailand, and Malacca and Langkawi, Malaysia.
Cruise fares begin at $1,595 per person, double occupancy.
Star Flyer combines the pampered luxury of
mega-yacht cruising with the exhilarating thrill of sailing
aboard an authentic clipper ship. Guests rediscover what sailing
was like during the glorious age of the tall ships while visiting
intimate ports of call untouched by larger cruise ships. The
four-masted clipper ship features a relaxed yet elegant atmosphere.
Passengers dress in resort-casual attire and dine in one unhurried,
open seating. Whether unwinding in the bowsprit net while gazing
at the sea below or climbing the mast for a panoramic view of
the horizon, a unique sailing adventure awaits.
For more information or to make a reservation,
contact a travel professional, call Star Clippers at 1-800-442-0551
or visit www.starclippers.com. To request a brochure,
call 1-800-442-0556.
