Cruising Magazine Issue 97 | Page 30

Princess Cruises to the Land of the Midnight Sun Holidaymakers will be able to escape winter and head to the Land of the Midnight Sun in 2017, when Princess Cruises’ Sea Princess embarks on the first ever cruise from Australia to visit the Arctic Circle. In keeping with Princess Cruises’ focus on new destinations and experiences for its guests, the historymaking itinerary will take guests to four ports in the Nordic region and Arctic Circle as part of a 104-night global circumnavigation. Sea Princess will visit 39 ports in 26 countries after setting sail from Sydney on 20 May 2017. Cruising via the Middle East to Europe and the United Kingdom, Sea Princess will make memorable calls to the Lofoten Islands (Gravdal), Tromso, Honningsvag and Akureyri in the Arctic Circle before visiting North and South America and the islands of the Pacific on her return to Australia. The cruise line has also launched the itinerary for its second 2017 world cruise, a 75-night Circle Pacific itinerary which for the first time will be offered on a Grand-class Princess ship, the magnificent Golden Princess. Sailing from Sydney on 19 May 2017, the itinerary will take holidaymakers to China and Japan before heading north to the waters of Alaska. Guests will enjoy an overnight stay in Vancouver on Canada Day to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the confederation before heading to San Francisco for spectacular Fourth of July fireworks over the Golden Gate Bridge. Golden Princess then sails to Los Angeles and San Diego before returning to local waters via Hawaii and Tahiti. to the previously announced 84-night roundtrip South America cruise from Australia on Sea Princess departing January 2017. The new 2017 itineraries are in addition Other highlights of the 2017 winter program include: a 35-night voyage to Hawaii and Tahiti on Golden Princess roundtrip from Sydney, Brisbane or Auckland, departing 2 August 2017, a 10-night voyage to the South Pacific from Brisbane on Sun Princess and two voyages from Fremantle, direct to South East Asia with a 15-night Indonesia and 12-night Treasures of Asia voyage. unlike any other and we pride ourselves on the ability to intimately transport our guests to some of the world’s most exclusive destinations,” shares Bob Lepisto, president of SeaDream Yacht Club. SeaDream Yacht Club’s 2016 Mediterranean sailing highlights: Barcelona to Nice from 14-22 May 2016. Ports include Barcelona and Roses, Spain; Sete, Cassis, St. Tropez, Cannes, Antibes and Nice, France; and Monte Carlo, Monaco. Istanbul to Athens (Piraeus) from 25 June to 2 July, 2016. Ports include Istanbul, Kepez (Troy & Gallipoli) and Kusadasi (Ephesus), Turkey; Patmos, Parikia, Sifnos Island, Hydra and Athens (Piraeus), Greece. Venice to Dubrovnik from 20 to 27 August 2016. Ports include Venice, Italy; Mali Losinj, Rab, Split, Hvar, Korcula and Dubrovnik, Croatia; and Kotor, Montenegro and Cannes roundtrip from 8 to 15 October 2016. Ports include Cannes, Saint Florent, Calvi and St. Tropez, France; Portofino and Portovenere (Cinque Terre), Italy; and Monte Carlo, Monaco. 2016 Mediterranean Season SeaDream Yacht Club’s 2016 season will sail to the Mediterranean’s most secluded destinations, visiting ports so small that only the 112-guest twin luxury mega-yachts, SeaDream I and SeaDream II can enter. Ideal for travellers who wish to explore beyond popular ports of call such as St. Tropez, France, these itineraries transport guests to the beautiful and intimate ports of Patmos, Kotor, and Cassis among many others. SeaDream’s luxury mega-yachts will arrive in the Mediterranean in May and the season features 40+ itineraries. “Yachting with SeaDream Yacht Club in the Mediterranean is an experience Regent Seven Seas Cruises Announces World Cruise After a six-year hiatus, Regent Seven Seas Cruises is once again offering guests an exciting 128-night World Cruise aboard Seven Seas Navigator. This around-the-world voyage departs 5 January 2017 from Miami. The 2017 World Cruise begins with a one-night, pre-cruise hotel stay and gala dinner at the historic Biltmore Hotel in Miami. After departing Miami, Seven Seas Navigator will cruise the Caribbean with a stop in historic George Town in the Cayman Islands and a call in Cartagena, Colombia before making its way to the Pacific Ocean through the Panama Canal. After departing the canal, guests will enjoy scenic calls at several Central American coastal cities and sail along the Baja coast before calling on San Diego and Los Angeles. From there, the ship will venture to the islands of Hawaii, French Polynesia, American Samoa, Fiji and New Zealand, and 30 November 2015 explore the east and north coasts of Australia. After sailing the South Pacific, Seven Seas Navigator will then traverse the Timor Sea in route to Indonesia before sailing across the Java Sea and Indian Ocean to Singapore. From there, guests will pass through the Strait of Malacca heading to Thailand before cruising the Andaman Sea to Myanmar, followed by four ports of call in India. A north-western passage across the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman through the Strait of Hormuz will bring the ship to the United Arab Emirates before it cruises southwardly along the coast to Oman, through the Gulf of Aden and into the Red Sea to call on Jordan, Israel and Egypt. Seven Seas Navigator continues its global adventure by sailing through the Suez Canal en route to Cyprus, Greece and Turkey, and then cruise the scenic Dardanelles and return to Greece before taking the Messina Strait to Italy, Monaco, France and Spain. After cruising the Mediterranean, passengers will visit Gibraltar before sailing to additional ports in Spain, Portugal and the Portuguese island of Madeira. After departing Europe, Seven Seas Navigator will make the trans-Atlantic voyage back to Miami. In total, Seven Seas Navigator will visit six continents, 31 countries, and more than 60 ports of call featuring 29 UNESCO World Heritage Sites on its World Cruise, and guests will be able to select from a vast collection of free unlimited shore excursions in order to fu