Dreaming about going on a cruise is the perfect way to cure midweek blues. Mainly because you can spend a whole day looking at all the different itineraries.

World class submarine on board Scenic Eclipse

Scenic Eclipse, the World’s First Discovery Yacht, is redefining the standard of ocean cruising, providing guests with their very own underwater experience on board the U Boat Worx Cruise Submarine 7, and unique access to some of nature’s most beautiful sites.

Capable of diving to a depth of 300 metres with seating for up to six guests, the submarine has been custom-built for optimal sightseeing of marine wonders, offering guests an unforgettable excursion into the wide blue depths.

The U-Boat Worx submarine is designed to meet international noise standards, and to provide unmatched comfort, space and style, with maximum legroom and headroom while keeping overall weight and size to a minimum. This combination delivers the ultimate diving experience. Internal climate control and a surround sound music system form part of the fine detailing, together with the optimum ergo dynamics to facilitate ease of boarding and disembarking.

The submarine design consists of a three-person pod on the front and at the back of the sub for a total of six guests plus the pilot, who is located behind the guests. The seats are mounted on a platform that can swivel 180 degrees, so the guests are able to see both sides of the submarine.

Norwegian Cruise Line to make Australian TV debut in new brand campaign

Norwegian Cruise Line will launch its first ever television advertising campaign in Australia this weekend, part of its largest campaign investment to date and further solidifying the cruise line’s commitment to the region.

Airing from Sunday 16 September – Sunday 28 October, the six-week campaign will feature on several free to air channels, including Seven, Nine and SBS. This will be further supplemented with a significant digital video campaign.

The 30 and 15-second commercials showcase Norwegian’s ‘Feel Free’ ethos featuring the largest racetrack at sea, award-winning entertainment, The Haven by Norwegian, global dining and beverage options. In addition, this television commercial showcases Norwegian’s strong product offering worldwide by highlighting Hawaii, Alaska, Europe, Australia and New Zealand as key destinations for the cruise line.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s television commercial is part of a broader campaign aimed at Australian and New Zealand travellers. Norwegian will be employing radio, outdoor, press and digital channels across September and October.

The Kimberley, explored by land, sea and air with PONANT

The PONANT Kimberley May – August 2020 series of 10 to 13 night voyages has been released. An exceptional opportunity to explore one of the remotest regions on earth, simply stunning in size, breathtaking in colour, home to saltwater crocodiles and extraordinary in its wealth of indigenous rock art.

Set sail on Le Lapérouse, the most modern and ecologically responsible ship in the region, an intimately sized, 92-cabin ship, for a voyage along one of the most spectacular coastal regions in the whole of Australia. There are compelling reasons to explore this huge land, larger than the State of Victoria, by land, sea and air, and so PONANT has combined these three options to give guests a range of experiences like no other.

With over 1,200 kilometres of coastline and more than 2,500 islands, the small luxury expedition cruise ship Le Laperouse is the perfect base camp from which to explore by sea. Regular Zodiac excursions will get guests close to King George Falls, the Horizontal Falls and Montgomery Reef providing spectacular encounters with nature at her best.

Silversea announces groundbreaking new Summer 2020/Winter 2021 itineraries and opens pre-sale exclusively to Venetian society members

Ice cruising, Svalbard, Arctic, ship cruising through the ice, 7715, Denis Elterman

Industry-leading Silversa Cruises opens pre-sale bookings to Venetian Society members for 191 stunning new voyages, which will set sail between summer 2020 and winter 2021. With unprecedented variety and incorporating the launch of Silver Moon, the new collection of itineraries will take guests to 572 destinations in 84 countries and promises to unlock an expansive range of deep travel experiences in all seven continents.

For the first time, Silversea is opening the exclusive two-week pre-sale for Silversea’s Venetian Society members to enable past guests to make reservations before all others, with bookings for the new itineraries open to the general public on October 1, 2018.

A highlight of the new itinerary collection is Silversea’s brand new ship, Silver Moon, which will set sail on her inaugural voyage on August 6, 2020, departing Trieste, Italy, for Civitavecchia on an 11-day cruise.

The sister ship of Silversea’s flagship, Silver Muse, Silver Moon will benefit from a number of on-board enhancements offering guests the ultimate in luxury at sea. One of an unprecedented five Silversea ships in Europe in the summer of 2020, Silver Moon will cruise in the Mediterranean for her maiden season, until November, when she will cross the Atlantic to Fort Lauderdale.

P&O Cruises’ Pacific Explorer features on Australia Post Stamp celebrating cruise destination Norfolk Island

P&O Cruises’ Pacific Explorer is featuring on a new Australia Post Norfolk Island commemorative stamp that celebrates one of the region’s most beautiful cruise destinations with deep historic connections to Australia’s home-grown cruise line.

In addition to being home to descendants of the HMS Bounty mutiny, Norfolk Island was the signature port of call on P&O’s first cruise in December 1932 when the mail steamer Strathaird began Australia’s love affair with cruising.

The stamp issue happens to coincide with the cruise line’s 85th anniversary celebrations while depicting the contemporary face of cruising with Pacific Explorer, which is shown anchored off Norfolk Island, still a sought-after tourist destination.

It is the first time a P&O Cruises ship has graced an Australia Post postage stamp, to be used on hundreds of thousands of letters and packages set to ‘travel’ to ‘destinations’ in Australia and around the world.

The choice is yours with Uniworld

Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection, the world’s most luxurious and all-inclusive river cruise line, has launched an exciting new offer for guests, allowing them to explore further with Uniworld, or one of their luxury sister brands from the Travel Corporation.

Guests will receive a A$1,000 gift certificate with The Red Carnation Hotel Collection, Luxury Gold or Insight Vacations, all luxury sister brands of Uniworld from within The Travel Corporation, when booking a Uniworld 2019 European River cruise.

Alternatively, they can receive a $1000 gift certificate towards their next Uniworld river cruise. Excitingly, each gift certificate under this promotion is valid for a minimum of 24 months from the date of issue allowing guests to start planning their travel adventures for 2020 if they prefer.

With the recent launch of the Insight Vacations and Luxury Gold European Collection for 2019, a range of new and diverse itineraries are on offer for guests to choose from, with a range of convenient start dates to compliment the guest’s chosen river cruise, either before or after.

Second Edge Class ship, Celebrity Apex, to launch in the UK

One of the world’s most hotly anticipated cruise ships, Celebrity Apex from Celebrity Cruises famed Edge Class series, will launch and be named in the UK ahead of calling Southampton home for its first ever cruises in April 2020.

The news provides a boom to the UK cruise industry in 2020 and will be the first time Celebrity Cruises will operate two ships from the UK’s favourite port with Celebrity Silhouette returning to Southampton for her third consecutive year. This exciting development is in response to the incredible demand and support from the UK and Ireland travel agent community for selling Celebrity Cruises.

Celebrity Apex is the second Edge-class ship from Celebrity Cruises – an innovative new class of ship that is set to revolutionise the industry and set a new benchmark for modern luxury travel. Working with designers including Kelly Hoppen MBE, Patricia Urquiola, Jouin Manku, Celebrity Apex will feature all the signature spaces including the Magic Carpet and the Edge Stateroom with Infinite Balcony.

American Queen Steamboat Company Inks Shipyard Agreement to build American Countess

American Queen Steamboat Company and Gulf Island announced an agreement to build a new 245-guest riverboat, the fourth vessel in the U.S. flagged fleet. The new paddlewheeler will be built using the existing hull of the Kanesville Queen, a former gaming vessel built in 1995.

The boat will soon travel under its own power from the Marine Builders shipyard in Jeffersonville, Indiana to Houma, Louisiana. Construction will commence in the fourth quarter of 2018 in Houma, La. employing nearly 150 skilled labors for the community.

American Queen Steamboat Company re-creates the same sense of wonder, excitement and inspiration of the nation’s early exploration with all the convenience and comfort of modern luxury aboard three of the largest and most elegant riverboats in the world.

The American Queen and American Duchess visit America’s most iconic river port cities including Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans, Cincinnati, Louisville, St. Louis and Minneapolis. The American Empress sails the Pacific Northwest on the Columbia and Snake Rivers between Vancouver, Wash. (Portland) and Clarkston, Wash.

AGM votes in new ACA Management Committee

A new Management Committee was voted in last Friday, September 14 at the AGM held at the Australian Cruise Association (ACA) in Broome.

Two positions were replaced, with Julie O’Brien stepping down at the end her term to focus on an increasingly important and growing role in the cruise sector at Tourism Events Queensland. Scott Lovett takes over the position on the committee vacated by Tony Clementson.

In her opening speech at the Conference, Jill Abel commented on Tony’s recent passing as being a very sad time for the Association. She acknowledged his time as a Board Member since 2016 and told attendees he had represented Tourism NT’s membership with great enthusiasm and wisdom saying his contribution to the meetings was always considered and productive.

The 22nd annual ACA Conference and AGM was held in Broome, WA from September 12 – 14 and attracted 120 attendees.