Have you missed any recent cruise travel updates? Expert cruise contributor Sally Macmillan helps bring you up to speed with the latest intel in this weekly wrap of what’s making waves in cruising right now.
Welcome to Australia, Scenic Eclipse II
The super-sleek Scenic Eclipse II arrives in Sydney on April 20, 2024 ahead of her maiden season in the Kimberley where she will sail 11-day voyages between Broome and Darwin from May 10 to August 28.
Kicking off the season in true Scenic style, renowned international chefs Tom Götter (Scenic’s VP Oceans Hotel Operations) and Top Chef Canada winner Dale MacKay will host a lavish culinary-themed itinerary, departing Broome on May 20, 2024.
Highlights of the Taste of Discovery voyage include a very special cocktail party, meet and greet sessions with the chefs, a pop-up restaurant and lots more.
Be quick for this one – the eagerly anticipated Scenic Eclipse II accommodates just 228 adventure-loving guests.
For more information, visit scenic.com.au
Coral Expeditions’ Kimberley cruise guide
The Kimberley is certainly flavour of the month, if not the decade – more luxury-expedition and boutique ships than ever before will be sailing the spectacular wilderness region this year.
Coral Expeditions’ 2024-2025 Kimberley cruise guide describes the experience of sailing along the rugged Kimberley coastline, provides details on the fleet, highlights of the voyages, maps with itinerary locations and celebrates exploring the region with an Australian-owned operator.
This guide is an excellent resource for new to expedition cruisers and anyone who’s keen to discover more about the incredible culture, geology and wildlife of the Kimberley.
For your free digital or print guide, visit coralexpeditions.com
Calling all TAs: sail free with A&K
Travel advisors who book three staterooms on any 2024-25 Abercrombie & Kent Luxury Expedition Cruise from now until March 31, 2024 will score a free cruise for themselves and a guest on any eligible voyage.
A&K’s 17 exclusively chartered, all-inclusive expedition cruises sail to all seven continents and include sought-after voyages such as the North Pole Expedition Cruise: The Ultimate Frontier, onboard Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot.
Chartered ships accommodate a maximum of 199 guests, every stateroom or suite has a private balcony and the crew-to-guest ratio is a top-ranking 1 to 1.3.
For more information, visit abercrombiekent.com.au; or view A&K’s Travel Advisor Guide.
Windstar’s ‘genius’ winter Med program
Forget contending with heaving summer crowds in Europe’s most desirable destinations – Windstar has joined a handful of lines offering winter cruises in the Mediterranean.
Positive feedback and an influx of bookings following its first winter cruises led to Windstar’s new itineraries and longer voyages for winter 2024-2025.
“On our inaugural sailing in December, every single travel advisor and guest on board told me, ‘This is genius,’ as we enjoyed the sunny weather of Europe’s most walkable cities when few cruise lines sail Europe’s oceans,” said Windstar Chief Commercial Officer Janet Bava. The 312-guest Star Legend – fully refurbished in 2021 – will operate seven- to 24-day cruises between November 2024 and March 2025.
For more information, visit traveltheworld.com
Go wild with Aurora Expeditions
This is the year to do everything adventurous you’ve ever wanted to do (in travel), says Aurora Expeditions – and if you need further inspiration to get out there, look no further than Aurora’s Best Small-Ship Experiences bucket list and e-book.
The renowned Australian-founded expedition cruise line offers life-changing experiences such as camping on ice in Antarctica, trekking in the wilds of Patagonia and Costa Rica, and getting up close (but not too close) to polar bears in the Arctic, from its state-of-the-art ships Greg Mortimer and Sylvia Earle.
Book by March 31, 2024 for air credits plus 20 per cent off select voyages.
For more information, visit auroraexpeditions.com.au