It’s smooth sailing today with our Wednesday Cruise Wrap. Just kidding, our website crashed and we forgot how to type.

U By Uniworld announces new itinerary and excursions for 2019

U by Uniworld, the first river cruise dedicated to a new generation of adult travellers, is introducing a brand new itinerary in Northern France on The B, along with new excursions and onboard amenities across the fleet in 2019.

On the 21st of April, 2019, the new 8-day, Northern France at a Glance itinerary aboard The B will undertake its inaugural sail along the Seine River with stops in Paris, Vernon, Les Andelys, Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, Rouen and Caudebec-en-Caux. The itinerary will begin and end on Sundays, allowing travellers to spend Friday and Saturday nights in Paris. Also in time for the 75th anniversary of D-Day, guests can travel with U to Normandy’s beaches to celebrate the historic event. Rates start at $2,799 per person including accommodation, daily farm-to-ship meals, select offshore excursions, two dedicated U hosts, onboard activities, rooftop fitness classes and more.

Other new immersive excursions offered on this sailing include following U’s chef to Rouen’s fresh local market to choose ingredients for dinner; climbing to the top of the Étretat’s legendary cliffs for breathtaking views of France; and tea time at Château du Champ de Bataille.

The A, which was recently named “One of the World’s Greatest Places” by TIME magazine, will offer guests new ‘U Time’ excursions along the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers in 2019. For example, guests can paddle board, canoe or swim in the Ilz River near the Danube bridge; hike through Regensburg or to Germania Monument; visit World War II sites in Linz; take a walking tour through Budapest and taste Hungarian street food from a local market; and much more. Rates for The A’s sailings start at $2,499 per person.

In celebration of the 2019 release, U by Uniworld is offering travellers a 10% Early Booking Discount, if booked and paid in-full by 31 October, 2018.

WIN: Azamara Club Cruises partners with Shakespeare’s Pop-up Globe

Azamara Club Cruises (Azamara) has today launched an extraordinary competition offering a chance for someone to be a part of history.

AzAmazing Experience will see one fortunate winner take to the stage for a once-in-a-lifetime walk-on role in Shakespeare’s most controversial comedy, The Merchant of Venice.

Working with international theatre experts and creatives, the winner alongside Pop-up Globe’s resident Buckingham’s Company of talented actors and musicians, will transport spectators four-hundred years into the past.

Azamara has partnered with Pop-up Globe for their Sydney season this spring to showcase Azamara’s immersive experiences that connect guests to the heart of local culture. On each Azamara cruise guests are treated to private and bespoke AzAmazing Evenings, which deliver authentic moments that bring guests closer to a destination, its culture and its people.

For their shining moment the winner of AzAmazing Experience will be dressed in bespoke period costume specially constructed by Pop-up Globe’s in-house wardrobe department. In addition to their speaking role, the winner and two guests will enjoy incredible seating, drinks and canapés, a private backstage tour and photograph on stage with the cast.

AzAmazing Experience runs from 27 September until 5 October. To enter visit AzAmazing.com.

Princess Cruises announce record-breaking number of calls to Japan

Princess Cruises is set to break one of the first records in Japan over the Olympic year, with the launch of the line’s 2020 Winter Program featuring more calls to the region than ever before.

The program will see both Sun Princess and Sea Princess sail on 36 itineraries to 90 destinations across 38 countries with roundtrip options from Sydney, Brisbane, Auckland, Perth (Fremantle) and Yokohama.

Highlights include the return of Princess Cruises’ 77-night Circle Pacific itinerary, back by popular demand following a three-year hiatus, a 106-night World Cruise that touches every continent on the globe with the exception of Antarctica, and a variety of destination rich itineraries ranging from 2-35 nights.

Sun Princess’ record-long 77-night Circle Pacific cruise featuring more calls to Japan than ever before with sailings to Osaka (for Kyoto), Toba, Tokyo (Yokohama) and maiden calls to Hakodate and Kushiro.

The itinerary also offers access to seven UNESCO World Heritage sites including Mt. Fuji, and the iconic temples and shrines of Kyoto and Nara. Fares for the 77-night Circle Pacific voyage departing Sydney on Wednesday, 15 April, 2020 start from $16,999 per person twin share.

Sea Princess will embark on a 106-night World Cruise with roundtrip departures available from Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland. Calling into the Arctic Circle, guests will literally sail from the bottom of the globe right to the very top, touching on all continents except Antarctica. Fares for the full 106-night world cruise departing Sydney on Tuesday, 12 May, 2020 start from $23,999* per person twin share.

Guests can also choose from two Asia voyages onboard Sun Princess between Australia and Japan in July and August 2020. Priced from $2,599* per person for a 20-night Asia and Australia voyage from Tokyo to Brisbane, the cruises take guests to a range of destinations across Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong, China and Korea.

For those wanting to discover Australia’s coastline, the winter program also features Princess Cruises’ much-loved Northern Explorer cruises between Sydney/Brisbane and Fremantle, priced from $2,699* per person twin share, as well as an eight-night Coral Coast roundtrip cruise from Fremantle priced from $1,549* per person twin share.

The new winter 2020 program will be on sale to Elite guests on Tuesday, 9 October at 9am – Wednesday, 10 October at 9am, before going on public sale on Thursday, 11 October at 9am. For more information visit a travel agent, see www.princess.com or call 132488.

Receive up to $800 onboard credit with MSC Cruises

Choose Cruise Month

MSC Cruises will be offering up to $800 onboard credit per cabin, during October for Choose Cruise Month. With over 45 itineraries to choose from in the Mediterranean, Norwegian Fjords, Baltics, Arabian Peninsula & India, Caribbean & Cuba and great repositioning cruises, it will be hard to say no to this great offer.

Nobody knows the Mediterranean like MSC and during Choose Cruise Month they are offering an 10-night Mediterranean cruise from $1,239 per person with a bonus $500 onboard credit per cabin (twin share). Mix with celebrities in Portofino, re-trace the steps of history in Rome and Malta and discover the vibrancy of Barcelona and Marseille in France on board MSC Sinfonia.

In Northern Europe, over 7 nights MSC will take you to spectacular fjords, ancient cities and picturesque hamlets aboard state of the art MSC Meraviglia from $1,099 per person with a bonus $400 onboard credit per cabin (twin share).

Fancy a longer cruise? Journey from Rio de Janeiro to Genoa, Italy over 18 nights. Book a balcony cabin from $3,059 per person and receive a bonus $800 onboard credit per cabin (based on twin share).

Just a sample of the itineraries available with MSC Cruises’ onboard credit promotion, valid during Choose Cruise Month until October 31. To BOOK call 1300 028 502, www.msccruises.com.au or call your local travel agent.

Silversea opens bookings on new summer 2020 itineraries with flights and transfers included as standard 

Highlights of the new itineraries include complimentary flights & transfers on most voyages, the debut of Silver Moon, and greater variation in remarkable destinations around the world.

Silversea Cruises opens bookings to the general public for 191 remarkable new voyages, which will unlock 572 destinations in 84 countries from summer 2020 into winter 2021.

Complimentary air and transfers will be included on virtually all of the newly announced itineraries, while a number of other highlights will enable Silversea’s guests to travel deeper like never before.

Included for most voyages in the new collection, complimentary round-trip economy-class flights and transfers will simplify the travel experience for guests.

The new addition will enable guests to travel the world with complete peace of mind: a smooth end-to-end service will make for a seamless connection; full protection covers guests against unforeseen mishaps; and reservations can be made with ease via my.silversea.com or by calling the reservation team. Also available are business-class air upgrades from as low as AU$699 each way.

For guests not utilising the air offer, a generous air credit is available. Exceptions and market-specific conditions may apply.

The new collection of itineraries will enable guests to get closer to the authentic beauty of the world with unprecedented variety, increasing the cruise line’s ultra-luxury offering in a number of remarkable destinations.

Browse Silversea’s new collection of voyages for summer 2020/winter 2021.

Discovery of historic QLD state library photo reveals P&O liner that gave birth to modern cruising in Brisbane

With a new international cruise terminal in progress, an historic photograph of the first cruise ship to visit Brisbane has been revealed connecting P&O Cruises and the city to a proud heritage of more than 85 years of cruising.

Held in the archives of the State Library of Queensland, the old black and white photograph shows the 22,300-tonne mail steamer Strathaird drawing away from the wharf that is still used by the line’s gleaming ships.

A new bow-on photograph of the 70,000-tonne superliner, Pacific Dawn, departing from the same wharf has recreated the 1930s departure moment.

In December 1932, Strathaird sailed from Sydney to Brisbane and then to Norfolk Island marking the birth of Australian cruising with Brisbane remaining a key cruising hub for Australia’s home-grown cruise line.

Pacific Dawn has been homeported in Brisbane since December 2009 and has helped lead Queensland’s emergence as a major cruise source market in its own right with more cruise destinations than any other Australian state.

In 2017-18, P&O Cruises purchased more than one million kilograms of Queensland produce to replenish its fleet across Australia. Brisbane-based ships took on 124,000 litres of fresh milk and 2.1 million eggs.

More than one million Queenslanders – enough to fill Suncorp Stadium 19 times over — have cruised with P&O Cruises since 2012 showing that one in five Queenslanders have cruised with the line.

Nearly three-quarters of the one million guests have sailed from Brisbane on Pacific Dawn and more than half of this number travelled on South Pacific itineraries.

The historic Strathaird photo emerged as three P&O ships — Pacific Dawn, Pacific Aria and Pacific Jewel — recently did turnarounds in Brisbane on three consecutive days.

Carnival Cruise Line has announced its Choose Fun sale offering great savings towards cruise holidays onboard Carnival Spirit and Carnival Legend.

Aussies can take advantage of this amazing deal and choose to cruise to a number of beautiful destinations on a selection of sailings departing Sydney and Melbourne. The Choose Fun sale offers savings of up to $500AUD^ per cabin and discounted deposits of $49 per person†. PLUS, if booked by 18 October 2018, cruisers can score themselves up to $500 onboard credit per cabin†† to treat themselves and have even more FUN onboard!

This promotion is only available to book from today until 2 November 2018 on select Carnival Spirit and Carnival Legend sailings between 14 October 2018 and 30 December 2019.

Book now to experience all that Carnival has to offer, with 45+ daily activities, from the thrilling Green Thunder waterslide, themed nights, live Broadway-style entertainment and the whimsical world of Dr. Seuss with Seuss at Sea™.

An overview of these great deals can be seen below:

AUD

NZD

Offer not available on the following departures:

• Carnival Splendor: 2019: 25 Nov, 11 Dec, 19 Dec, 28 Dec

Find more information on the Choose Fun sale here: https://www.carnival.com.au/sale/choose-fun