Star Clippers' Royal Clipper, the world's largest square-rigger sailing ship, will sail the Greek islands and Turkey for the first time over seven nights in September 2016. The "Delightful Dervishes" itinerary begins in Piraeus (Athens), then visits the islands of Mykonos and Patmos before stops at Camlimani near Kusadasi, on the Turkish coast, with its hilltop fortress, Roman remains and turquoise bay. A final port of call at Dikili allows passengers to visit Crater Lake and its hot thermal springs before the cruise ends in Istanbul.
Phone 1300 295 161. See starclippers.com.
Captain Cook Cruises has released 2016 and early 2017 departure dates for its seven- and 11-night cruises in Fiji. Among them, its "Four Cultures Discovery" cruise is the first to circumnavigate Vanua Levu, Fiji's second largest island, and gives passengers the chance to experience four distinctive Fijian cultures: Ellice Islanders (Polynesian), Banabans (Micronesian), Fijian (Melanesian) and Indian. Passengers visit villages, schools and local homes and enjoy song and dance shows and trips to a local market. Snorkelling, diving, glass-bottom boating and swimming are also on the itinerary.
Phone 1300 863 454. See captaincookcruisesfiji.com.
Wine buffs can broaden their knowledge of wine while sailing on SeaDream and SeaDream II in the Mediterranean with eight special wine cruises in 2016 that allow passengers to meet eminent winemakers on board, enjoy tastings, participate in wine-and-food dinners, and take part in optional visits to some of Europe's most prestigious, smaller and historic wineries. Also included is a winemaker's dinner that matches the wines of the winemaker or winery owner on board at the time with a menu created by the ship's head chef.
Phone 02 9958 4444. See seadream.com.
Aurora Expeditions still has berths on its two exclusive photography voyages at the end of this year aboard its 54-passenger expedition ship Polar Pioneer. An 18-day South Georgia and Antarctica expedition features renowned Australian photographer Peter Eastway, and departs on November 21, while a 12-day "Spirit of Antarctica" expedition with professional polar photographer Joshua Holko departs on December 8. Aspiring photographers can develop their skills with lectures and workshops, and the photographers will also accompany shore excursions to answer questions and help with the challenges of Antarctic and wildlife photography.
Phone 1800 637 688. See auroraexpeditions.com.au.
Voyages of Discovery ship Voyager will abandon the Mediterranean in late 2016 to sail 13 new cruises in south-east Asian waters, on five very different itineraries. Voyager will then continue across the Indian Ocean for a discovery of the Maldives, Madagascar, Mauritius, the Seychelles and South Africa, before visiting Namibia and islands off the West African coast. It will return to Europe in early 2017. Voyager carries 540 passengers and is known for offering soft adventure while retaining all the comforts expected of a cruise ship.
Phone 1800 623 267. See discovertheworld.com.au.
