Travel Explorer Magazine (AUTUMN/WINTER 2016 EDITION)

CRUISE NEWS
Regent Explorer launched this summer,
tipped to be the most luxurious ship
to sail the open seas. Foodies may be
interested to learn about the ships
chef-led market tours and excursions
to hand-picked Michelin-starred
restaurants and vineyards. On the
subject of food, Oceania Cruises
recently won the Travel Weekly award
for Best Cruise line for Cuisine,
as voted by members of the travel
industry. They claim to spend the
most on their onboard gastronomy
offerings. Avalon Waterways have
teamed up with Austrian brothers Leo
and Karl Wrench to offer a selection
of local and international dishes that
source ingredients local to the cruise.
They are also offering a culinary
cruise departing in April 2017 to
include cookery talks and tastings.
Wine lovers will be excited to hear
Seadream Yacht Club are offering
seven wine-themed Mediterranean
cruises next year. Expert wine makers
will join the sailings including Clovis
Tattinger. A special degustation menu
has been created by each wine maker
to complement the wine served.
In addition to the forthcoming
launch of Silver Muse, Silversea
have announced a $170 million
refurbishment of their fleet
commencing this year.
For single travellers,
Saga have arranged
their third river cruise
exclusively for solo
passengers in March
2017. The itinerary
starts in Arnheim,
Holland and ends in Bonn,
Germany.
In the world of expedition cruises,
Silver Discovery will make history in
February when it becomes the first
cruise ship to visit Bangladesh, Asia.
In South America, Silver Galapagos
will have two new 7-night itineraries
around the islands starting in March
2017.
Adventure cruises can be an incredibly
enriching experience for families.
Hurtigruten are offering a ‘Young
Explorers’ programme for little ones
aged 7 up to 13 on their Antarctica
sailing at no extra charge. Focussing
on fun education around science,
polar history, nautical activities and
photography.
Hebridean Island Cruises leaves
Scotland behind in summer 2017
as it heads for a selection of special
sailings along the coast of Norway in
July and August.
By Summer 2017, Viking,
better known for their
river cruises will
have launched four
ocean liners. their
latest, Viking Sun will
set sail in July 2017
and will offer cruises
in the Caribbean and
South America including
the Amazon River, Cuba and
Belize.
Mobility at sea has become a hot
topic lately and a number of ships
have been highlighted as particularly
responsible. These include Crystal
Serenity, Holland America’s
Konningdam and Fred Olsen’s
Balmoral.
AUTUMN / WINTER 2016 | TRAVEL EXPLORER | 15