River cruise ship sinking avoided

The MS Britannia, a 110m river cruise ship operated by Nicko Tours, has narrowly avoided disaster after taking on water through a large hole in the stern during a cruise on the  IJssel River in Holland.

Almost 200 passengers and crew, mostly German and Austrian seniors, were safely evacuated.

Azamara Monaco Grand Prix Cruise 2015

 JOIN in the buzz and excitement that comes with the festivities of the 2015 Monaco Formula One Grand Prix through a special fly/cruise/tour package that includes a cruise on board the Azamara Journey now available through ecruising.travel

The 10-night tour leaves Australia on May 16, 2015, and begins with a two night stopover in Dubai staying at the luxurious Raffles Hotel. On arrival in Nice you will be transferred by a private helicopter to Monaco, Monte Carlo to spend three nights over the Grand Prix weekend at the Fairmont Hotel. The visit will be at one of the most exciting times of the year in Monaco and promises to be a trip of a lifetime in this exotic part of the world.

Relax on a five-night round-trip cruise from Nice with port visits to some of Europe's most exotic ports including the beautiful Florence/Pisa in Italy, legendary St Tropez, Monte Carlo and Cannes.

This exclusive package is priced from $6319 per person twin share which includes return economy airfares with Emirates from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, five night cruise accommodation on Azamara Journey including main meals with complimentary wine at lunch and dinner, helicopter transfer from Nice to Monte Carlo, daily breakfast at the Raffles hotel and the Fairmont Hotel, transfers, port charges and government taxes


For more information on the ship and itinerary contact ecruising.travel on 1300 369 848 or visit www.ecruising.travel

 

Biggest and smallest cruise ships meet

 

IN his continuing search for the more weird, wacky and wondrous in the world of travel, David Ellis says European cruise ship company MSC Cruises has ordered not one, but two 5,700 passenger cruise liners that will each need 1,500 crew to look after all those passengers – and its put in an option for a further two more of similar gargantuan size it thinks it will need to keep up with continually-growing cruise-holiday demand.

 

Yet big as they'll be, these two will not be the world's largest passenger ships: that honour stays with Royal Caribbean International whose Allure of the Seas and Oasis of the Seas can each carry 5,412 passengers in double cabins, and a total 6,300 each with some cabins having additional bedding. And each needs 2,400 crew to look after all those passengers.

 

MSC's two newies, that are yet to be allocated names, will be built in France and will launch in 2017 and 2018.

 

And at the other end of the scale, two of the world's smallest but most highly-rated boutique passenger vessels, SeaDream I and SeaDream II of SeaDream Yacht Club, each weigh-in at a mere 4,300 tonnes, and carry a maximum of  just 112 guests served by 95 crew.

 

Our picture shows the difference between those biggest and smallest, with SeaDream I dwarfed at St Thomas in the Caribbean by Oasis of the Seas.

 

Golden Princess to operate from Melbourne

Princess Cruises to base five ships in Australia next year

Princess Cruises has just released details of its 2015-16 Australian program, which will see the first time deployment of the 2600-passenger Golden Princess from Melbourne.

The program will also feature Princess Cruises' first summer season of voyages from Fremantle, doubling the cruise line's WA offering to give the state its first ever year-round cruise program.

Brisbane cruisers will also enjoy a full nine months of Princess sailings in 2015-16.

The record five-ship program will see the Golden Princess and Diamond Princess sailing in Australian waters over the 2015-16 summer, while the Sun Princess will remain in Australia during the winter, joining Dawn Princess and Sea Princess in offering year-round voyages.

Princess Cruises vice president Australia/NZ, Stuart Allison, said the record fleet would increase this year's capacity by 35%, further consolidating Princess Cruises' position as "Australia's biggest cruise line," with Aussies spending more nights on board Princess ships than any other line.

With five of its 18-strong fleet cruising down under, Princess Cruises ranks Australia as its biggest market outside the US - and for the first time all of the vessels will offer A$ pricing as they deliver more than 80 cruises from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Fremantle and Auckland.

More information at www.cruiseweekly.com.au.

This Cruise Weekly breaking news brought to you by Cruise Weekly.

Seven Princess Cruises Ships Sail Alaska in 2015

Seven Princess Cruises' ships will sail Alaska's spectacular waters in 2015 as part of a diverse program offering Australians the opportunity to explore the best of the 49th state by land and sea.

Priced from $919*, Princess Cruises' 2015 Alaskan offerings include 125 departures calling at more than 14 ports on 10 itineraries ranging from seven-night Voyage of the Glacier cruises through to 10-night roundtrip Inside Passage voyages from San Francisco.

The 2015 program sees the 113,000-tonne Ruby Princess make her Alaska debut, joining sister ship Crown Princess to offer cruises from Seattle. Meanwhile the boutique 670-passenger Pacific Princess will sail on the line's signature Voyage of the Glaciers itineraries for the first time, offering an intimate cruise experience to complement the area's dramatic scenery. The ship joins Grand Princess, Star Princess and Coral Princess on this popular itinerary, which includes two glacier experiences. Rounding out the program, Golden Princess will take over Inside Passage sailings from San Francisco.

Seven-night Voyage of the Glaciers cruises all include a visit to the spectacular Glacier Bay and start from $919* per person twin share.

SeaDream your way into Monte Carlo's jetset

IF Monte Carlo conjures up images of multi-million dollar yachts and the rich and famous who indulge such playthings – and dabble at the legendary local Casino on the side –put yourself amongst it all aboard the mega motor-cruiser SeaDream II that sails from here for 7-nights to Rome's port of Civitavecchia on September 27 this year.

After boarding SeaDream early afternoon to a complimentary Champagne Welcome and checking into your stateroom – one of just 56 guest rooms aboard SeaDream II that carries a maximum 112 guests served by 95 crew – take-in your movie-setting surrounds from SeaDream's Top of the Yacht Bar or one of the many other onboard vantage points, before sailing that evening to a string of the dreamiest Mediterranean destinations.

You'll have whole days to explore ports and not leave until late evening from legendary St Tropez on the French Riviera, Calvi on Corsica which boasts some of the Mediterranean's finest beaches (and where Britain's Admiral Nelson lost his eye in battle,) and Portovenere in the heart of the fabled Cinque Terre… the "Five Lands" of Italy where spectacular villages cling perilously to the rugged coast on this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

There are also days at Portoferraio on idyllic Elba, picturesque Bastia on Corsica and colourful little Porto Santo Stefano in Italy.

This dream-like holiday is priced from US$5026pp twin-share – including all SeaDream II's celebrated 5-star dining, wines with lunch and dinner, drinks from the open bars, sail and power water-sports in ports where permitted, gratuities and port charges and taxes… so you'll have virtually little-need for wallet or purse for the whole week.

For full details see travel agents or visit www.seadream.com

Sail the Mediterranean aboard legendary Sea Cloud windjammer

Sea Cloud Cruises is offering savings of EUR 1,800 per person on a 14 night Mediterranean voyage aboard its 64-guest windjammer - Sea Cloud - departing 26 April 2014 from Palma de Mallorca, Spain to Kusadasi (Izmir), Turkey.

Highlights include the pristine Balearic island of Menorca and the Tunisian ports of La Goulette (Tunis), where guests can visit the medina, souks and the ancient site of Carthage, and Sousse – gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kairouan. From there, Sea Cloud will journey to La Valletta, Malta and then the Greek islands of Kefalonia, Syros and Patmos - a pilgrimage site for Greek Orthodox Christians, where guests can visit the Cave of the Apocalypse and the Monastery of St John.

Cruise-only fares for a guaranteed double cabin start from EUR 4,495* per person. This includes all meals, from early breakfast to the exquisite four-course dinner menu and five course gala dinners, and drinks including carefully selected wines and beers during lunch and dinner, and a welcoming bottle of Champagne in each cabin.

Sea Cloud made her debut in 1931 and was widely regarded as the most magnificent sailing yacht in the world. Many features of the legendary windjammer are preserved in the luxurious style of the 1930's, creating a unique and impressive backdrop for any voyage.

*Excursions are not included in the cruise-only fare, but can be booked in advance as a package.

For more information on Sea Cloud Cruises and the various sailing adventures on offer please contact Sales Activation Marketing (Sea Cloud Cruises representative for Australia/New Zealand) on toll free 1300 583 5721300 583 5721300 583 5721300 583 572 (Australia) or info@seacloud.com or visit http://www.seacloud.com/en/

 

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