australasia cruise News

There is no greater time than winter to seek sun-drenched, enticing locations, and there is no more desirable way to go and reach them than while immersed in contemporary luxury. That is precisely what Celebrity Cruises is promising with its 2013-14 winter season line-up of itineraries, which will include a wide range of options to take full advantage of guests’ treasured holiday time on its spectacular, award-winning cruise ships.

P&O Cruises’ Oriana recently took part in a rather nostalgic even in the port of Sydney. The ship hosted a group of 175 “Ten Pound Poms” and their loved ones who were commemorating their life-altering journey to Australia after WW2.

Seabourn Cruises has announced a couple of changes to its itineraries for New Zealand and Australia in 2013 aboard its award-winning Seabourn Odyssey, with its passenger capacity of 450.

Cunard’s flagships the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Elizabeth are setting sail for Melbourne in 2012. These two cruise ships are some of the largest in the world. They are more like floating hotels with sweeping staircases, amazing chandeliers, and even a Harrods outlet. The steel ships carry more than 5,000 passengers who enjoy black tie dinners, cigar lounges and masquerade balls.

It can under no circumstances be fun to be imprisoned against your will, but if one had any say in the matter being imprisoned on board a cruise ship might be most people’s first choice.

In the wake of winning both Conde Nast Traveller and Travel and Leisure magazine’s top Reader’s Choice awards for the 18th and 16th year in a row respectively, ultra-luxurious Crystal Cruises has added a couple of new “World’s Best” locations to its itineraries – to make 100% sure it sails to virtually all the readers’ top destinations around the world.

During the winter of next year and the spring of 2013, Holland America will send two cruise ships – ms Volendam and ms Oosterdam – to the Southern Hemisphere for a number of cruises visiting New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific.

Royal Caribbean Cruises announced its 2012 Asia itineraries on Tuesday. The company will deploy Voyager of the Seas in the region – the biggest cruise ship and also the one with the best amenities to ever sail in Asia.

The amazing fjords, national parks and coastlines of New Zealand will open up to more cruise lovers than ever before when Holland America introduces its biggest ever cruise programme in the region at the end of 2011.

If you are dreaming of going on a cruise, but you are getting tired of the same old ships and the same old itineraries, here is a brief look at what is available from some of the top cruise lines at the moment. From culinary cruises to brand new ships with brand new itineraries – there is a lot of choice in the market right now.

Carnival Cruises has decided to move their cruise liner Carnival Spirit down under. From October 2012 it will be based in Sydney and specifically target New Zealand families.

Those who would love to explore New Zealand in comfort and style will have the opportunity to do just that in 2013: Cunard Line has announced that their Queen Mary 2 will sail from Sydney on a grand New Zealand Royal Circumnavigation cruise holiday in March 2013. On its way the ship will dock at Christchurch, bring a visit to Milford Sound and visit Wellington and the Bay of Islands as well as Auckland.

Three P&O cruise liners will visit Sydney as part of their world cruises during the same week in February 2013. One of them will be the cruise line’s largest ship, the Azura.

Once a year P&O Cruises joins forces with Make-A-Wish Australia to present a really unique dining experience on board one of the most luxurious ships in the P&O line-up, the Pacific Dawn.

The latest addition to Cunard line’s fleet of cruise ships, the Queen Elizabeth, sailed into the harbour of Fremantle for the very first time on 1 March 2011. It was joined by another cruise ship, the Pacific Princess.

Two stately queens have met in the harbour of Sydney. Cunard’s new cruise liner, Queen Elizabeth, sailed into the harbour early the morning of 22 February 2011. Her sister ship, the somewhat larger Queen Mary 2, was already waiting for her. This is the first time that the Queen Elizabeth brings a visit to Sydney.

Australia is a very large country and most visitors only get the opportunity to see a small part of it on a specific visit or cruise. Luxury cruise line Celebrity Cruises is now, however, giving cruisers the opportunity to sail right around Australia in 36 days.

The biggest cruise ship ever to visit Australia, the mighty Cunard Queen Mary 2, docked at the Australian harbour of Fremantle on Thursday 17 February 2011. The visit will boost the local economy with an estimated $500 000. The ship will embark again on Friday the 18th and continue to Adelaide and Sydney.

A royal visitor will bring a brief visit to Wellington’s harbour tomorrow when the cruise ship Cunard Queen Elizabeth docks there for a couple of hours.

According to an announcement by P&O Cruises, their two ships Aurora and Arcadia will be the first UK cruise ships that will visit Brisbane after the recent flood devastation suffered by this city.