Cruise

The tragic death of popular cruiser, explorer and businessman Stephen Glyn Thomas in a hiking accident in Antarctica has fueled debate about the future of cruising and tourism in that region.

My husband, Ken, and I visited Russia for the first time, Aug. 19-Sept. 3, ’05, taking the river cruise between St. Petersburg and Moscow. After doing much research on the Internet and reading appreciatively the readers’ comments in the March, April and June ’04 issues of ITN, we chose to go with Peter the Great Cruises (2610 East 16th St., Brooklyn, NY 11235; phone 800/828-7970).

My wife, Eileen, and I enjoyed a holiday on the remote island of St. Helena, one of the last outposts of the British Empire, in the South Atlantic Ocean. We traveled July 13-Aug. 11, ’05, on the part-cargo and part-passenger vessel Royal Mail Ship St. Helena, the island’s only contact with the outside world. Everything on the island has arrived on this ship or its predecessors.

My wife, Carol, and I booked a 54-night cruise on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ Black Watch, leaving Jan. 5, 2005, from Southampton, England, and arriving Feb. 28 in Sydney, Australia.

My husband, John, and I have been on over 30 cruises, usually arranging our own transport to and from the ship rather than buying the cruise line package.

I’m writing in response to the reader’s letter “Call for Airport-Ship/Hotel Transport,” regarding the exorbitant charges made by cruise lines for transit to and from airports (Nov. ’05, pg. 16).

A very surprising highlight for us on our trip to New Zealand was Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter & Underwater World in Auckland. It features an excellent aquarium walk-through, a polar theme ride and a museum, all situated underground beneath a highway! — NORM LOEFFLER, Wichita Falls, TX

by Betty and Dick Wood, Seattle, WA

We spent a very enjoyable day cruising the canals around London in May ’05 aboard the narrowboat Helix through London Canal Cruises (63 Salisbury Rd., High Barnet, Hertfordshire EN5 4JL, U.K.; tel. +44 [0] 20 8440 8962 or visit www.londoncanalcruises.com).

We departed at 10 a.m. after being welcomed aboard by our hosts, Alex and Jenny, and served a glass of champagne.

From the departure point, we traveled through the Islington Tunnel and made a brief stop at the London Canal Museum, where Alex (a former chairman of the museum trust) gave us a guided tour.