Departures Australia Spring 2017

BLACKBOOK Clockwise from

BLACKBOOK Clockwise from top left: Hapag Lloyd’s Hanseatic Nature charts an icy coast; exploring Antarctica with Aurora; the 210-passenger Ventus Australis; a rendering of upcoming polar explorer Crystal Endeavor Patagonia offers a beguiling explosion of islands, glaciers, icebergs and mountains. From January 2018, the 210-passenger Ventus Australis (australis.com) will follow in the footsteps of the great explorers on a spellbinding journey through narrow fjords and channels, but will also offer considerably more comfort than Magellan and Drake endured centuries ago. Hapag Lloyd Cruises (hl-cruises.com) will approach adventure cruising from a different quadrant when Hanseatic Nature and Hanseatic Inspiration launch in April and October 2019. Accommodating up to 230 guests, these highest-rated ice-class ships will explore deep into Polar waters, and ecofriendly Zodiacs will land in remote expedition areas. The South Seas and Amazon are also part of the cruising roster for dedicated trailblazers. Australian-owned Aurora Expeditions (auroraexpeditions.com) is introducing skitouring and Antarctic snowshoeing expeditions for the 2017/18 season. The Pioneering Spirit An armada of new polar expedition-style vessels are sure to pique the interest of those with adventure in their blood intrepid company has ordered its first cutting-edge, ice-class exploration vessel, which will be delivered for the 2019/2020 Antarctic season. As the first cruise vessel with an Ulstein X-bow, this outré ship will leave others in its wake. Billed as the world’s first discovery yacht, Scenic Eclipse (scenic.com.au) resembles an oligarch’s playground, but beneath the snazzy exterior there’s GPS dynamic positioning and stabiliser fins and the Ice Class 1A rating enables the safest navigation through Polar waters. Arriving in August 2018, Scenic Eclipse accommodates 228 guests in commodious suites, while nine culinary venues range from Lumière for fine dining to the Azure Bar & Café. Indoor and outdoor swimming pools, the Spa Sanctuary and plunge pools are among the myriad creature comforts. In response to the increasingly prevalent desire to be a traveller rather than a tourist, Crystal Yacht Expeditions (crystalcruises. com) is about to embark on a sybaritic foray into the remotest corners of the globe. Crystal Endeavor is the first of three expedition mega-yachts slated to arrive in mid 2019. They will be able to navigate in polar regions during the summer and autumn in medium “first-year ice”. Think James Bond meets Mr Freeze: these sleek vessels will have helicopters, submarines, electric Zodiacs, scuba equipment, a recompression chamber, Seabobs and an ATV. The incomparable trio of expedition ships will cruise the Arctic, then follow the route of migrating whales to Antarctica. ♦ HIGH TASTES Across the fleet, Seabourn’s complimentary offering in 2016 included 1,631 kilograms of caviar, not to mention 90,492 bottles of Nicolas Feuillatte champagne. If this is all too plebeian, then Hennessy Richard XO is available at US8 per glass. seabourn.com CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: © HAPAG-LLOYD CRUISES, DOUG BAKKER/AURORA EXPEDITIONS, © AUSTRALIS, © CRYSTAL CRUISES 38 DEPARTURES-INTERNATIONAL.COM

BY LAND AND BY SEA Introducing a new echelon of experiential luxe, Seabourn’s Unesco World Heritage tours (seabourn. com) are supercharged excursions to some of the globe’s most beautiful spots, while Ventures by Seabourn are immersive shore programmes offering in-depth explorations of remote areas by Zodiac to witness innate ecology, wildlife, history and culture. A new tangent in edification comes from Holland America Line (hollandamerica.com) with its Explorations Central programme, offering guests immersive history, culture and culinary experiences. In March 2018 Pandaw River Cruises (pandaw.com) will explore the complex labyrinth of waterways and landmasses that comprise the Great Irrawaddy Delta in Myanmar on board the colonial-style 32-passenger Katha Pandaw (left). Uniworld’s Wellness on the Water (uniworld.com) biking excursions on the Danube, Rhône and Rhine will commence in 2018 in partnership with Butterfield & Robinson. In a similar vein, Emerald Waterways (emeraldwaterways.com) will add 17 new active excursions to its agenda, such as canoeing in Picinho during cruises on Portugal’s Douro River. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: © PANDAW RIVER CRUISES, © CRYSTAL RIVER CRUISES, © AMERICAN QUEEN STEAMBOAT COMPANY, MELINDA EGYED/500PX GOLDEN PROPORTIONS The highest passenger-to-crew ratio in cruising is held by SeaDream Yacht Club, whose duo of boutique ships accommodate a maximum of 112 guests looked after by a crew of 95. seadream.com From left: an alfresco lounge on a Europe-based U By Uniworld cruiser; the American Duchess makes its way down the mighty Mississippi; a majestically modern Crystal River penthouse River Renaissance New ships and concepts around the globe are infusing river cruising with a bolt of energy The placid world of river cruising is about to get an adrenaline rush. Launching in April 2018, U By Uniworld (ubyuniworld.com) is a radical concept aimed at 21- to 45-year-olds to experience the pulse of Europe aboard two 120-passenger ships on the Rhine, Main, Danube and Seine. The ships will sport an avant-garde black-and-white palette; there will be buffet dining at communal tables, live entertainment and international DJs. Next April, Viking River Cruises’ (vikingrivercruises.com) eye-catching design will arrive on the ribbon of liquid history that is the Nile. Viking Ra will feature three suite stateroom categories for 48 guests. The Pharaohs and Pyramids cruisetour begins with three nights in Cairo before flying to Luxor for Karnak. On the eight-day roundtrip cruise to Aswan, privileged access visits include the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens. While the United States can’t stake a claim as an antiquity A-lister, the Mississippi is a river of legends. The American Queen Steamboat Company (americanqueensteamboatcompany.com) has just launched the 166-passenger American Duchess, the first all-suite paddle-wheeler on Ol’ Man River. As well as spacious suites, there are also four duplex-style Loft Suites. The venerable decor and furnishings are inspired by the great steamboats of the 19th century. » DEPARTURES-INTERNATIONAL.COM 39