Holland America 2010 Grand Voyages

In an announcement sure to put the imaginations of those who long to spend life at sea in overdrive, Holland America has announced 4 new "Grand Voyages" (formerly known as World Cruises) for 2010. The offerings include a 114-day Grand World Voyage and three ranging from 51 to 70 days.

The flagship Amsterdam returns to world cruising in 2010 with the 114-day voyage departing Jan. 6 from Fort Lauderdale. The ship will sail an eastbound route, but first moves west through the Panama Canal and down the coast of South America before rounding Cape Horn and exploring Antarctica. Amsterdam will then cross the Atlantic to Africa, sail around the southern tip of the continent to the Indian Ocean and on to Asia and Canada en route to Los Angeles. Guests can disembark in Vancouver on April 25 or Seattle on April 26, making the voyage 109 or 110 days. Segments ranging from 17 to 47 days are available. The itinerary, which takes the ship to 40 ports on six continents, features 12 overnight calls -- the most ever included on a Holland America world cruise. With the overnights, guests will have two full days in Panama City, Panama; Callo (Lima), Peru; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cape Town, South Africa; the Seychelles; Mumbai, India; Singapore; Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing, China; and Kobe and Yokohama, Japan.

The Prinsendam will sail two back-to-back Grand Voyages in 2010. The 793-guest ship first departs Jan. 13 on a 70-day Grand South America and Antarctica cruise round-trip from Fort Lauderdale. During the voyage, Prinsendam will circumnavigate South America and spend seven days exploring the Amazon River. On the other end of the continent, the ship spends three days cruising in Antarctica.

This Grand Voyage aboard Prinsendam also features opportunities to visit Machu Picchu and Iguaçu Falls, passage through the Panama Canal, four equatorial crossings and nine ports in Brazil. Calls include Iquique and Isla Robinson Crusoe, as well as overnight stays in Manaus and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Buenos Aires; Callao (Lima), Peru; and Fuerte Amador, Panama. Then Prinsendam departs Fort Lauderdale on March 24 on a 54-day roundtrip to the Mediterranean and Black Sea. The ship crosses the Atlantic and calls at ports in Morocco, Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Russia, Georgia, Greece and Turkey. After sailing westward back across the Atlantic and calling at Bermuda, the cruise ends in either New York -- shortening the voyage to 51 days -- or Fort Lauderdale. The Grand South America and Grand Mediterranean and Black Sea voyages aboard Prinsendam can be combined to form a 124-day journey roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale on Jan. 13, 2010.

In the fall, Amsterdam departs Sept. 24 on a 69-day voyage from Seattle to Asia. After visiting Tokyo, Japan; Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, China; Saigon, Vietnam; Bangkok, Thailand; and Kampong Saom, Cambodia, Amsterdam continues on to Darwin, Australia, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. Following calls throughout Australia, the ship heads east through the South Pacific and visits Honolulu before ending at San Diego on Dec. 2, 2010. Overnight stays are scheduled in Sydney, Australia; Laem Chabang (Bangkok), Thailand, and Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong, China. Shorter segments are available on all of the Grand Voyages.

Reservations are open for the 2010 Grand Voyages, and early-booking bonus amenities for full-cruise guests include airfare, prepaid hotel service charges, shipboard credit, luggage delivery service and limousine transfers when booking select stateroom categories; amenities vary by cruise and booking date. Cruise fares start at $20,999 per person, double occupancy, for Amsterdam’s 113-day Grand World Voyage departing Jan. 6, 2010, and $19,999 for the 109-day Grand World Voyage, also departing Jan. 6, 2010. Fares begin at $13,899 for Prinsendam’s 70-day Grand South America and Antarctica Voyage departing Jan. 13, 2010 and $9,499 for the Grand Mediterranean and Black Sea Voyage departing March 24, 2010. The and for Amsterdam’s 69-day Grand Asia and Australia Voyage departing Sept. 24, 2010 is priced from $11,499. Fuel supplement charges are additional.

Paul Gauguin Remaining in French Polynesia!

As many of you know, one of my favorite ships is the Paul Gauguin, currently operated by Regent Seven Seas Cruises in French Polynesia. I think it's the perfect marriage of ship and surroundings, not to mention the fact that Tahiti and all of French Polynesia is one of the most beautiful places on earth.

It was announced a couple weeks ago that the owners of the Paul Gauguin, Grand Circle Travel, were terminating their operations agreement with Regent (Regent to No Longer Operate Paul Gauguin). At the time, it was uncertain the future cruising territory for the Paul Gauguin. No longer!

Gauguin Shipping Ltd., a subsidiary of Grand Circle Corp., will continue to operate the Paul Gauguin in French Polynesia and the region “well into 2010 and beyond,” said Executive Vice President Roy Grimsland. Grand Circle now is setting up a separate company to operate and market the 330-passenger Paul Gauguin, which has operated in Tahiti since 1998. Paul Gauguin Shipping Ltd. recently hired Grimsland, a top sales veteran of several cruise lines, including RSSC.

Grimsland announced the Paul Gauguin’s 2010 South Pacific and French Polynesia itineraries for charter and incentive sales. Rates will be held at 2009 prices for bookings made by Dec. 31, 2008. In 2010, Paul Gauguin will offer its signature seven-night cruises to the Society Islands plus a range of longer cruises throughout the South Pacific. The seven-night cruises operate year-round and depart from Papeete to Raiatea, Tahaa, Bora Bora and Moorea. Itineraries include a day exploring Paul Gauguin’s private island retreat of Motu Mahana and overnight stays at the islands of Moorea and Bora Bora, where Paul Gauguin offers a private beach. In addition to the Society Island itineraries, Paul Gauguin offers several nine- to 17-night cruises visiting Fiji, Tonga, New Caledonia, Australia, Cook Islands, Marquesas, Tuamotus, Australs and the Society Islands.

It does appear that the new operating group may be seeking more charter cruises, and de-emphasizing the traditional individual passenger, but if this iconic ship and itinerary is on your "must do" list, we can still work together to make your dream a reality.

I, for one, am one happy Paul Gauguin lover!

Disney Magic to Europe/Africa in 2010

Following up on its extremely successful European season in 2007, Disney has announced that they will be returning the Magic to Europe for the summer and fall of 2010 in a series of itineraries that take it from Russia to Northern Africa between April and September.

The Magic's schedule includes eight 10- and 11-night tours through the Mediterranean. Ports of call on the Mediterranean cruises include Rome, Florence and Nice, as well as new stops at Malta, Corsica and the Tunisian capital city Tunis.

The schedule also includes the company's first sailings to Northern Europe, with four 12-night voyages from Dover to St. Petersburg with stops in six other countries. The four sailings will be in June and July, and will also include stops in Oslo, Copenhagen, the gateway port to Berlin and either Helsinki or Tallinn, Estonia.
Disney will also offer a pair of 14-night, one-way repositioning cruises from Port Canaveral to Barcelona and back.

While the Disney Magic is overseas, the Disney Wonder will sail slightly longer voyages out of Port Canaveral. Instead of three- and four-night Caribbean sailings, the Wonder will offer four- and five-night cruises with new stops in Key West, as well as an extra stop in Castaway Cay, Disney's private island in the Bahamas.

As those of you who love Disney know, these itineraries sell out quickly for the most popular categories. If it is time for your family to experience Europe the Disney way, with all the Disney touches (including specially-designed family-friendly excursions and expanded in-port kids' club hours), then you'll want to make your bookings early!

Wondering what Disney will be doing with their new ships? I'll give you a clue - expect to see one of them summering in Alaska starting in 2011, and sailing to Glacier Bay. They've already made application to the National Park Service for Glacier Bay permits. The main question remaining is not necessarily whether or not they will get some, but whether they'll be sailing one-way sailings with cruisetour packages or round-trips out of Vancouver or Seattle. More details to follow when they're announced.

It’s World Cruise Announcement Season

Just as most of us begin to seriously consider our 2009 winter vacations, the lines which offer world cruises begin to roll out their 2010 world cruises to entice us. Like many of you, I dream of being able to take a world cruise. If I could figure out the internet connection issue to be able to work full time from sea, I'd be on a ship for the first 2-3 months of the year. I expect as connectivity options improve, and speeds onboard increase, and other options allow, someday I will treat myself with a world cruise (or two!), but in the meantime, I dream, and help my clients plan their own dream sailings. Booking world cruises is among the most fun, as the excitement from my clients is infectious, and my knowledge of the world is challenged and expanded every year, as the ports offered continue to grow and change as cruisers become ever more sophisticated.

Cunard, the classic line most associated with world cruises, has just announced their two offerings aboard the Queen Victoria and Queen Mary 2 for 2010.

Queen Mary 2’s Royal Route of Exploration will chart a completely new, Eastbound-Westbound route on a unique itinerary of 101 days featuring 19 maiden calls, three overnight stays (in Hong Kong, Sydney and Cape Town) and her inaugural visit to South Africa. Queen Victoria’s 99-day Voyage of Discovery circumnavigation includes 11 maiden ports of call, three overnights (in Sydney, Hong Kong and Dubai) and three convenient U.S. embarkation gateways: New York, Ft. Lauderdale and San Francisco. Guests who book by Feb. 28, 2009 receive an additional 10% off Early Booking Fares.

“On this pair of epic voyages, Cunard continues a storied tradition that began nearly 90 years ago,” said Carol Marlow, president of Cunard Line. “In 2010, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria will visit a combined 31 countries, 57 ports and 30 maiden calls, continuing our legacy of impeccable White Star Service™, fine dining and unrivaled accommodations.”

In addition to full World Cruises, the ships offer a wide range of Liner and Segment voyages, which are now open for booking. These shorter voyages are ideal for travelers who wish to explore a specific part of the world or those whose busy schedules preclude an around-the-world journey.

Queen Mary 2

The world’s grandest liner will sail a completely new itinerary departing New York on January 4 on a voyage spanning 101 days. This fascinating itinerary takes Queen Mary 2 east through the Mediterranean to India, the Far East and Australia and New Zealand before returning to New York westbound via South Africa, South America and North America. Queen Mary 2 will visit 35 ports, more than ever before on a single voyage, including Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo (Yokohama), Auckland, Sydney and Perth (Fremantle). In addition, she will make 19 maiden calls, including her inaugural visit to South Africa (calling at Durban and Cape Town), and first-ever calls at Phuket (Thailand), Vung Tau (Vietnam), Guam, Rabaul, the Whitsundays Islands and Mauritius. The ship will make three overnights in the celebrated ports of Hong Kong, Sydney and Cape Town. Fares start at $21,666 per person for the 101-day full World Cruise.

In addition, Queen Mary 2 will offer 12 Liner Voyages, ranging in length from 35 to 80 days, including the 63-day New York to Sydney voyage, priced from $13,716 and the 57-day Dubai to Cape Town voyage, priced from $12,379. Five shorter Segment Voyages of 17 to 23 days include the 23-day New York to Dubai voyage (which includes three maiden calls: Port Said, Safaga and Muscat), priced from $5,276 and 17-day Dubai to Hong Kong voyage (including four maiden calls: Mumbai, Phuket, Penang and Ho Chi Minh City), priced from $4,000 per person.

Queen Victoria

Cunard’s newest Queen, the regal Queen Victoria, will begin her third full year in service with a traditional 99-day westbound circumnavigation of the globe from New York to Southampton featuring three convenient U.S. embarkation points. The ship sails from New York on January 12, embarking guests in Ft. Lauderdale on January 15 and San Francisco on January 27. Highlights of Queen Victoria’s third World Cruise include three overnight calls in Sydney, Hong Kong and Dubai, as well as 11 maiden calls. The ship will traverse the Panama and Suez Canals, visiting 41ports including Acapulco, Melbourne, Shanghai, San Francisco, Cartagena, Phuket and Sharm El Sheikh. Guests have the option of adding a seven-day Transatlantic extension from Southampton to New York aboard Queen Mary 2, for a full 106-day circumnavigation. Fares start at $21,276 per person for the 99-day full World Cruise.

In addition, the ship will offer 11 Liner Voyages, ranging in length from 32 to 82 days, including the 52-day San Francisco to Bangkok voyage, priced from $11,026 and the 67-day New York to Bangkok voyage, priced from $14,250. Five shorter Segment Voyages of 15 to 29 days include the 23-day San Francisco to Sydney voyage, priced from $5,192. Segment Voyage fares start as low as $3,451 per person.

As is usual for Cunard, there are early booking discounts and World Cruise benefits offered. Cunard’s Early Booking Fares for the full World Cruise, Liner and Segment voyages represent a per-person savings of up to 10% when booked by Feb. 28, 2009. In addition, on-board credits of up to $2,000 per stateroom are available when booked by this date. Full World Cruise guests who book by Feb. 28 enjoy a wide range of special benefits including complimentary hotel and dining charges, special commemorative gifts, welcome aboard reception, senior officer dinner and three World Cruise cocktail parties. All guests who book the Full World Cruise will enjoy a gala World Cruise dinner. Grill accommodation guests also enjoy up to five exclusive, complimentary events ashore. Both ships feature three enchanting Overland Tours, which allow guests to leave the ship in one port for a multi-day tour (including all transfers and accommodations) and rejoin the voyage later. Aboard Queen Mary 2, Overland Tours explore Egypt, India and Africa, while Queen Victoria’s Overland Tours highlight Indochina, China and Australia.

Holland America Returns to Bermuda in 2010!

For those cruisers who love Bermuda, and who have been disappointed in the options to cruise there the past few years, it is time to celebrate. Holland America has announced they will return to the pink sands of Bermuda in 2010!

Sailing between New York and Bermuda on 7-night itineraries, the Veendam will visit both St. George's and Hamilton. The itinerary will inaugurate in August, 2010, with 10 sailings that year, then returning in 2011 for a full season of sailings starting in May, with 20 or more sailings anticipated.

In a notable twist for ship lovers and historians, the Veendam II was the first Holland America vessel to visit Bermuda more than 70 years ago in 1926. Of course, the current Veendam is a bit larger and more updated, but especially with the new Signature of Excellence enhancements just announced (see below), she will continue her legacy of premium cruising to Bermuda.

Cunard to Open 2010 World Cruise Bookings September 4

First to announce their 2010 World Cruise itineraries is Cunard, which will open bookings on September 4. Both the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Victoria will be operating world cruises.

For the Queen Mary 2, she will be featuring a new East-West route featuring a tour of the Middle East and South Asia, stops in Australia and New Zealand and her maiden visit to Africa! Highlights include:

• 19 maiden ports of call, including Mumbai, India; Shanghai, China; Nagasaki, Japan; Cape Town, South Africa, as well as inaugural visits to Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City), Guam and Papua, New Guinea
• Overnight stays in the sophisticated cities of Hong Kong, Sydney and Cape Town
• Four Full World Cruise options from either New York or Southampton from 91–101 days
• 12 Liner Voyages ranging in length from 35 to 80 days with departures from New York, Dubai, Hong Kong and Sydney
• Five Segment Voyages from 17 to 23 days with departures from Dubai, Hong Kong, New York, Sydney and introducing Cape Town, South Africa

The Queen Victoria will be sailing an exotic global tour including the tranquil South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia before an extensive Asia adventure and a journey through the Middle East and Mediterranean:

• 12 maiden ports of call, including Halong Bay, Vietnam; Muscat, Oman and Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, as well as four new stops in Australia, and inaugural visits to the Cayman Islands and Colombia
• Overnight stays in the thriving metropolises of Sydney, Hong Kong and Dubai
• Six Full World Cruise options with a flexible range of dates from 84 to 106 days and new convenient departures from San Francisco, in addition to New York and Fort Lauderdale.
• 11 Liner Voyages ranging in length from 32 to 82 days with departures from New York, Ft. Lauderdale, San Francisco, Sydney and Bangkok.
• Five Segment Voyages from 15 to 29 days with departures from New York, San Francisco, Sydney, Bangkok and Dubai.

If this is your year for a world cruise, and you'd like the classic elegance and historic qualities of a Cunard cruise, then give me a call or email me at amber@cruiseresource.com for more information on pricing and specific itineraries!