Hapag-Lloyd (East Meadow, NY; 877/445-7447, www.hl-cruises.com) is offering free airfare from New York City on one of the line’s 15-day golf-and-cruise packages on the 408-passenger MS Europa.
The Nov. 25-Dec. 9, 2008, sailing from the Indian Ocean’s Mauritius to South Africa includes play on courses such as Richards Bay Country Club on the shores of Mzingazi Lake and Humewood Golf Course near Cape Town. Prices range from $11,735 to $21,510 per person, double.
Value World Tours (Fountain Valley, CA; 800/795-1633, www.valuecruises.net) is building the colonial-style ship RV Indochine to sail between Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam, and Siem Reap, Cambodia. “Mekong Delta Cruise” voyages start Oct. 10, 2008.
For the cruise only, per-person prices range from $1,999 (category C) to $2,398 (category A). For a 15-day/13-night land/cruise package, per-person prices are $2,499 (C cabin) to $2,898 (A cabin); with air from the West Coast, add $1,000. Add $120 in port charges and $130 for visas.
In September, Silversea Cruises (Ft. Lauderdale, FL; 800/722-9955, www.silversea.com) purchased the 6,072-ton expedition ship World Discoverer from Sembawang Shipyard in Singapore.
EasyCruise One, the ship that was the first to sail for the low-cost company easyCruise (www.easycruise.com), owned by Setlios Haji-Ioannou, is up for sale. A line spokesman stated they wanted to buy a larger ship similar to the 12,000-gross-ton easyCruise Life, which they will launch in Greece April 19, 2008. Further plans to build seven new ships have been put on hold.
EasyCruise is eliminating age restrictions on its ships, allowing children under 14, and is offering a family rate on its Greece sailings.
Taipei has dropped its ban on Chinese tourists arriving by ship. Taiwan has banned direct sea, air and trade links with China since 1949.
On Feb. 18 and 19, 2008, when the Rhapsody of the Seas docked at Keelung Habour, nearly 700 Chinese nationals were allowed to visit the mainland for day tours — the largest group of Chinese tourists to visit at one time. Taiwan currently restricts the number of Chinese tourists to 1,000 at one time.
The new Jewel River Cruise Line (401 East Las Olas Blvd., Ste. 2270, Ft Lauderdale, FL 33301; 866/342-7607, www.jewelrivercruises.com) will launch its first ship on May 15, 2008, offering 7- and 10-day cruises along the Seine between Paris and Rouen until Nov. 20. The 80-passenger, 45-suite Jewel Imperial Blue will have undergone a $3.5-million redesign. Prices start at $5,129 per person.
Butterfield & Robinson (Toronto, Ont.; 800/678-1147, www. butterfield.com) is offering a 9-day/8-night cruise of the Turquoise Coast aboard a 100-foot gulet.
After a hotel night in Istanbul, sail to the Greek island of Kos followed by visits to Nisyros, Knidos, Datca and more, ending in Goçek, Turkey. See Roman and Greek tombs, settlements and ruins.
Prices run $10,495-$11,495 per person, double ($5,245 single suppl.), with departures May 16 and Oct. 17, 2008.
The no-smoking ban aboard the MS Deutschland as well as the other nine European river ships of Peter Deilmann Cruises (Alexandria, VA; 800/348-8287, www.deilmann-cruises.com) has been extended to all indoor areas. Smoking on board now is confined to the outside decks only.
Eight-day/7-night “women only” cruises to the Galápagos Islands will sail April 13-20 and Aug. 24-31, 2008.
Rates of $2,676-$3,250 per person, double, include nonalcoholic beverages, shore excursions, airport/dock transfers in the islands, and use of wetsuits, snorkeling equipment and sea kayaks. Excluded are airfare, entrance fees, taxes and gratuities.
Ecoventura/Galapagos Network (58805 Blue Lagoon Dr., Ste. 160, Miami, FL 33126; 800/633-7972 or 305/262-6264, www.ecoventura.com).
The 6-night cruise “Grand Cru Special” on the 12-passenger barge Napoléon will focus on the 33 wines that come from plots of land certified as Grand Cru (great growth), the highest classification for vineyard land in Burgundy, France.
Guests will take the Eurostar to the TGV express from London to Macon to embark July 20, 2008, cruise the canals and arrive in Dijon July 26, returning to London by train. There will be wine classes, tastings and receptions plus meals from the ship’s Cordon Bleu chef.