The precarious financial status of Windjammer Barefoot Cruises (www.windjammer.com) forced it to cancel certain sailings in November and December 2007, and more sailings may be canceled.
Rumors and conflicting statements abound as to whether the company will formally enter bankruptcy or struggle on with a ship or two. Passengers holding tickets for future cruises should contact their travel agents.
The M/S Explorer, the famous Little Red Ship, struck ice in the waters off Antarctica, near the South Shetland Islands, on Nov. 23, 2007, and subsequently sank. The 154 passengers and crew were safely evacuated to lifeboats and picked up within five hours by the cruise ship MS Nordnorge. GAP Adventures was running the cruise and arranged for passengers’ flights home.
15-day/14-night cruise-tour of VIETNAM and CAMBODIA. Highlights: Hanoi/two-night Ha Long Bay junk cruise/Angkor Wat, Banteay Srei/at Tonle Sap Lake, embark on seven-night river cruise/sail to Phnom Penh/Cai Be floating market/Ho Chi Minh City. Land-cruise, from $3,048. Single supp., from $1,549. Amawaterways (Chatsworth, CA; 800/626-0126, www.amawaterways.com).
11 days/10 nights includes 7-night cruise. Highlights: On ECUADOR mainland, Quito tour/fly to Bartolomé to board ship/on Santiago, fur seals, iguanas/sea lions on Isla Lobos/flamingos on Floreana/Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz. Land and cruise, from $4,595 (MC Letty) or $5,795 (Nina). Single supp., from 1.15 times double rate. Natural Habitat Adventures (Boulder, CO; 800/543-8917, www.nathab.com).
13-day/12-night tour of AUSTRALIA and NEW ZEALAND. Highlights: Catamaran from Cairns to Great Barrier Reef/Melbourne/sunset dinner cruise in Sydney/in Christchurch, New Zealand, see little blue penguins/Southern Alps/Fiordland National Park, fiord day cruise/Queenstown. Land and cruise, from $3,139. Single supp., $687. Globus (Littleton, CO; 866/755-8581, www.globusjourneys.com).
The cruise ship m/v Aqua experienced two robberies by bandits while cruising up the Ucayali River in the Peruvian Amazon. On July 26 and on Aug. 4, robbers boarded, overwhelmed two guards and bound and robbed the 20 guests. One of the officers was treated for head injuries, but no tourist was harmed.
Officers raided the bandits’ base camp, seized weapons and equipment, made some arrests and retrieved some stolen possessions.
12 days/11 nights includes eight nights on M/S Fram. Highlights: From Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA, fly to Ushuaia to embark Fram/Drake Passage/penguins on Half Moon Island/elephant seals in Neko Harbour/whales in Wilhelmina Bay. With air from Buenos Aires to Ushuaia, $5,919 (outside cabin). Adventures for Singles (Atlanta, GA; 877/813-9421, www.adventuresforsingles.com).
12 days/11 nights via small aircraft, March 3 & Nov. 17, 2010. Highlights: Wine tasting on Waiheke Island/day cruise Bay of Islands/Maori hangi in Rotorua/“Art trail” in Nelson/jetboat on Dart River. Land and air in NZ, AU$11,151 (near $9,286). Single supp. from AU$1,633 ($1,359). Asia Transpacific Journeys (Boulder, CO; 800/642-2742, www.asiatranspacific.com).
10-day/12-night cruise-tour. Departures May 17-Sept. 6, 2010. Highlights: In SWITZERLAND, Geneva, Zürich/in GERMANY, sites in life of Martin Luther, including Wittenberg, Worms/day cruise past Rhine castles/Oberammergau Passion Play. Land/cruise only, $2,869. Single supp., $354. Globus Religious Travel (Littleton, CO; 866/313-2855, www.globusfaith.com).
Peter Deilmann Cruises (Alexandria, VA) announced that after October 2009, due to insolvency in its river cruise division, it would no longer be operating river cruises in Europe and will sell its eight river vessels. However, it plans to continue operating ocean cruises on its 513-passenger Deutschland.