Five new ships in Europe for Celebrity Cruises

Celebrating Europe

Celebrity Cruises will have five ships operating in Europe for its 2017-2018 season, offering new shore excursions and the widest range of European experiences to date, including on-trend overnight stays in 24 different ports. Among the highlights is a new 11-night 'Best of the Western Mediterranean' cruise on the company's latest ship Celebrity Reflection, which visits  the French, Italian and Spanish coastlines and overnights in Barcelona. Celebrity Constellation is also sailing a variety of new Mediterranean cruises, while Celebrity Eclipse will have a sailing timed for the French Open in Paris.

Phone 1800 754 500. See celebritycruises.com.au.

Viking invasion

Viking Ocean Cruises, which so far has only operated in Europe, has announced it will be heading to North America and the Caribbean from September 2016 with the launch of new itineraries on Viking Star, including a trans-Atlantic crossing from Bergen to Montreal via the Shetland and Faroe islands, Iceland and Greenland; and a meander along Canada's St Lawrence Seaway and New England coast from Montreal to New York. The ship will then operate Caribbean itineraries out of San Juan in Puerto Rico before returning to Europe in February 2017 on a crossing to Barcelona.

Phone 1800 131 744. See vikingcruises.com.au.

Small pleasures

Small-ship company AdventureSmith Explorations has announced a series of new journeys, including an eight-day 'Tahitian Affair' round trip from Bora Bora, journeys in New Zealand and Costa Rica, and an eight-day 'Dalmatian Coast' cruise in Croatia between Split and Dubrovnik. An 'Amazon Discovery' river cruise debuted in December and will sail the Amazon River from Iquitos in Peru, while a new Galapagos cruise has also made its debut on the refurbished Santa Cruz II. The company now also sails to new cruise hotspot Cuba on two 49-passenger vessels operating a 'Cuba People to People' itinerary.

See adventuresmithexplorations.com.

Scenic high seas

Scenic has just announced it is venturing into ocean cruising. The river-cruise and tour operator is currently building Scenic Eclipse, which it says will be a six-star mega-yacht for 228 guests, with all-verandah suites, six all-inclusive dining options, a theatre and full-service spa. The ship is equipped with a mini-submarine and two helicopters; stabiliser fins and the highest passenger-ship ice rating cater to polar travel. Scenic Eclipse will make her maiden voyage from Istanbul to Venice in August 2018 and will sail in Europe, the Americas, Arctic and Antarctic on 18 itineraries.

Phone 13 81 28. See scenic.com.au.

Rather civilised

Cruise Express is hosting a 25-day 'Cradles of Civilisation' tour next year which departs Australia on October 11 and starts with an eight-night land tour in Turkey, including visits to Cappadocia, Konya, Gallipoli and Istanbul. Guests then board Celebrity Constellation for a 12-night cruise of the eastern Mediterranean finishing in Cittavecchia (Rome). Inclusive shore excursions visit Rhodes in Greece, the Dead Sea and archaeological sites in Israel from the ports of Haifa and Ashod, and the old fortified city of Mdina in Malta. The tour ends with two nights in Rome. 

Phone 1300 764 509. See cruiseexpress.com.au.