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the review: cruise 59<br />
Cruise Update<br />
Croisi boosts Douro fleet<br />
CRUISE NEWS IN BRIEF<br />
ANDY HARMER,<br />
CLIA UK &<br />
Ireland Director<br />
LAST month, CLIA hosted its<br />
first-ever Expedition Cruise<br />
Forum, created to help travel<br />
agents capitalise on the<br />
growth of this sector.<br />
Over recent years, we have<br />
seen the more discerning<br />
of travellers setting their<br />
sights on destinations that<br />
were previously out of reach<br />
- such as the Galapagos<br />
Islands, Antarctica and the<br />
Polar regions – but are now<br />
accessible by cruise ship.<br />
From January to September<br />
2018, 20,000 expedition<br />
cruises were taken by<br />
Brits, up 4,000 from the<br />
year before. This growth in<br />
popularity is mirrored by the<br />
number of new exploration<br />
ships entering the market:<br />
in 20<strong>19</strong> 10 new exploration<br />
ships will launch, followed by<br />
a further five in 2020.<br />
Expedition cruises are<br />
not only popular amongst<br />
regular cruisers looking<br />
for a completely different<br />
adventure, they also attract<br />
first-timers, as expedition<br />
breaks the mould of the<br />
perception of cruising in<br />
their minds.<br />
When selling expedition<br />
cruises, travel agents should<br />
not only focus on the<br />
incredible out-of-this-world<br />
experiences, but also the<br />
state-of-the-art technology<br />
and luxurious offerings<br />
onboard.<br />
cruiseexpertss.org<br />
BY LINSEY MCNEIL<br />
EUROPE’S largest river cruise<br />
operator, CroisiEurope, has<br />
debuted its newest passenger<br />
ship – the MS Amalia Rodrigues –<br />
which will sail Portugal’s Douro<br />
River from <strong>April</strong> until September.<br />
The ship will cruise six- and<br />
eight-day itineraries through the<br />
UNESCO-listed Douro Valley, one<br />
of the oldest demarcated wine<br />
regions in the world.<br />
She will sail from the coastal city<br />
of Porto to Regua, Pinhao, Teron<br />
Vega, Barca d’Alva, Salamanca<br />
and Ferradosa.<br />
The three-deck ship<br />
accommodates up to 132<br />
passengers and has four guest<br />
suites, two with private terraces.<br />
There’s also a cabin for guests<br />
with reduced mobility.<br />
The 58 cabins on the middle<br />
and upper decks have French<br />
balconies with large windows.<br />
Guests will find a spacious<br />
lounge and restaurant with<br />
panoramic views, a shop, and a<br />
large sun deck with sun loungers<br />
and a swimming pool.<br />
Built at the Meuse and<br />
Sambre shipyard in the Belgian<br />
city of Namur, the MS Amalia<br />
Rodrigues is the sixth ship to join<br />
CroisiEurope’s fleet on the Douro,<br />
and its third premium-rated ship<br />
on the Golden River.<br />
All-inclusive prices start from<br />
£791pp for a six-day roundtrip<br />
cruise from Porto, including all<br />
meals and drinks, as well as<br />
entertainment and a gala evening.<br />
croisieurope.co.uk<br />
New ship on the Mekong will take guests off the beaten track<br />
WENDY Wu Tours has a new<br />
duluxe river cruise ship, the<br />
Victoria Mekong.<br />
It will sail four group tours<br />
and two private tours through<br />
Vietnam and Cambodia operating<br />
from the smaller, quieter port of<br />
Can Tho Pier to Phnom Penh and<br />
back again.<br />
This will allow guest to explore<br />
off-the-beaten-track areas<br />
and experience unique shore<br />
excursions on the Mekong Delta,<br />
HOLLAND America Line’s<br />
new Pack These Values<br />
promotion offers reduced<br />
fares for children or a third<br />
and fourth adult sharing the<br />
stateroom, plus pre-paid<br />
gratuities and 5% deposits<br />
for eligible bookings made<br />
before May 15.<br />
The promotion is valid on<br />
cruises up to <strong>April</strong> 2020 to<br />
many destinations.<br />
A seven-night Saga Viking<br />
cruise on August 18 costs<br />
£1,599pp for the first two<br />
guests, whilst the third and<br />
fourth guests sharing the<br />
same stateroom pay £249pp.<br />
hollandamerica.co.uk<br />
CLIA will host a series<br />
of Luxury and Expedition<br />
Cruise Showcase events in<br />
October, visiting three UK<br />
cities in three days. They will<br />
be in Belfast (8), Manchester<br />
(9) and Norwich (10) and<br />
will offer CLIA travel agent<br />
members the chance to<br />
meet with cruise lines and<br />
hear from industry experts.<br />
cruiseexperts.org<br />
PRINCESS Cruises’<br />
high-speed onboard wifi,<br />
MedallionNet, which is<br />
available on four ships now,<br />
will be rolled out to a further<br />
six by the end of the year.<br />
princess.com<br />
says Wendy Wu.<br />
Agents booking Victoria Mekong<br />
tours before the end of <strong>April</strong> will<br />
receive double incentives.<br />
The ship has 33 deluxe cabins,<br />
all with private balconies, and two<br />
VIP suites, and boasts a signature<br />
cocktail pool and pool bar.<br />
A 14-day Mekong Experience<br />
costs from £3,<strong>19</strong>0pp, including<br />
a sunset cruise on the moat of<br />
Angkor Thom.<br />
wendywutours.co.uk/agents<br />
sellingtravel.co.uk
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