Departures India Spring 2020

DEPARTURES TRAVEL THE

DEPARTURES TRAVEL THE NEXT WAVE 18 Going the Distance Sometimes it’s about the journey, sometimes the destination. But with these new itineraries to far-flung islands, it’s decidedly both. On Regent’s 22-night “Adventure in Africa” cruise aboard the Seven Seas Voyager from Abu Dhabi to Cape Town, departing in October 2021, experience the turquoise waters of the Seychelles and enjoy close encounters with the famed ring-tailed lemurs of Madagascar (rssc.com). The cruise line also breaks away from the standard Nordic cruise with a 14-night “Kingdoms of the North” cruise aboard Seven Seas Navigator from Reykjavik to Dublin, setting sail in June 2020. A stop in the rugged Faroe Islands promises stirring views of soaring, mosscovered cliffs that plummet into the ocean below, including the 754m-high Cape Enniberg. On the other side of the planet, Crystal will introduce travellers to the astonishing beauty of the Russian Far East during the maiden voyage of its 100-suite Crystal Endeavor, departing in August 2020 (crystalcruises.com). The trip leaves from Tokyo and returns 17 days later after stops on the remote islands of Srednego and Tyuleniy, which teem with fascinating wildlife, including otters, seals and whales. Few cruise lines offer the opportunity to explore the serene islands of the vast Pacific Ocean. Ponant steers Le Soléal from Easter Island to French Polynesia’s capital city, Papeete, during a 14-day cruise departing in April 2021 (ponant.com). In May 2021, the ship will also complete a new ten-day itinerary that sails round-trip from Papeete, with stops in the Austral Islands. Rurutu, part of this distant archipelago, is a diver’s dream and is home to about 30 marine caves filled with stalagmites. Windstar’s Wind Spirit also heads to the South Pacific with 14 new itineraries, making first-time calls in Fiji, New Caledonia, Tonga and the Cook Islands (windstarcruises.com). Hit them all with “Star Collector: Grand South Pacific”, a 59-day extravaganza that begins in Singapore in May 2020 and ends in Papeete. Windstar’s Wind Spirit sails among Tahitian islands A rendering of the Viking Osiris, to launch at the end of the year Scholar Ships With the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum, cruise lines are rediscovering the jewels of the Nile. IN 1922, AFTER YEARS of digging in the Valley of the Kings, British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered what he had long been searching for: the tomb of the pharoah Tutankhamun. He alerted his patron George Herbert, 5th Earl of Carnarvon, who, despite being barely able to walk, made the journey from England to Egypt, down the Nile to Luxor. “Can you see anything?” Carnarvon asked Carter when they stood at the doorway of the tomb. Holding a candle in his hand, and gazing for the first time on the golden treasures, Carter answered, “Yes, wonderful things!” Almost a century later, nearly every treasure of Tut’s tomb – from sarcophagus to loincloth – will finally go on permanent display this year in Cairo’s Grand Egyptian Museum. In time for the museum’s opening, three cruise operators are launching Egyptian cruises on gorgeous new ships. FROM TOP: © VIKING CRUISES, © WINDSTAR

The Countess of Carnarvon at Highclere Castle, in England The largest is Le Jacques Cartier from Ponant. Boasting 92 staterooms – each with a private balcony or terrace – an underwater lounge and infinity pool, its passengers spend two days in Egypt as part of a new nine-day “The Levant, Egypt & the Red Sea” cruise from Antalya, Turkey to Aqaba, Jordan, calling at Beirut, Ain Sukhna in Egypt, as well as a transit of the Suez Canal (ponant.com). With about half as many staterooms (all of them suites), the Sphinx from Uniworld’s Boutique River Cruise Collection has been built specifically for a 12-day Nile itinerary that gives passengers an in-depth experience of Egypt (uni​ world​.com). The vessel was designed with locally sourced elements, including Egyptian fabrics, artworks and handmade furnishings. Also built specifically for the Nile, the sleek, elegant Viking Osiris from Viking River Cruises will debut at the end of 2020 (viking​river​cruises​.com). With room for 82 guests, it joins two other vessels making the popular 12-day “Pharaohs & Pyramids” trip. And starting in the autumn, Viking will offer a pre-cruise extension that begins with five days of privileged access to the Egyptian treasures of the British Museum, the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and other cultural institutions (with guided tours by an expert Egyptologist), as well as a chance to visit Highclere Castle – the real Downton Abbey. Lord Carnarvon’s ancestral home, Highclere still holds some of the artefacts that he assembled with Carter’s help. This is where Carnarvon set out from when he travelled to meet Carter at Tutankhamun’s tomb – the best possible starting point for your own Egyptian adventure. Pole to Pole The golden age of Arctic and Antarctic cruising has finally arrived, as old icebreakers are replaced with state-of-the-art ships ready to weather the most challenging of conditions. FROM TOP: © VIKING CRUISES, © AURORA EXPEDITIONS Cruise lines are competing to make voyages that head to the edges of the beaten map as smooth as possible. Last October, Aurora Expeditions introduced the 120-passenger Greg Mortimer (auroraexpeditions.com). It was built to withstand the strongest winds, including those of the notorious Drake Passage. Instead of riding the waves, the ship uses the latest in nautical technology to cut through them, resulting in a faster journey with less “motion of the ocean”. Launching in October next year will be a sister ship named Dr Sylvia Earle after the famed marine biologist and oceanographer. Alternatively, skip right over the 800 kilometres between Cape Horn and the Antarctic Peninsula with a flight from Chile to the South Shetland Islands and board the Magellan Explorer. Antarctica 21 will run trips beginning in December (antarctica21.com). Not to be outmanoeuvred, Silversea’s “Antarctica Bridge” will provide passengers with direct flights from Punta Arenas starting next December (silversea.com). Guests will travel 670 nautical miles over the Drake Passage on a dedicated plane that has been specially adapted to land on King George Island. The collection of 12 fly-cruise voyages aboard Silver Explorer will enhance the company’s wealth of all-inclusive cruises to the White Continent. Aurora’s new Greg Mortimer