New 11-day land and Stella Australis cruise tour to Chilean Patagonia

PATAGONIAN PLEASURES

Active Travel is offering a new 11-day land and cruise tour to Chilean Patagonia this summer. The Patagonia, Chilean Fjords and Tierra Del Fuego tour has various departure dates between September 22 and April 2. It will begin with a four-night stay at a luxury lodge near Punta Arenas and Torres del Paine National Park. Travellers then board the 200-passenger expedition ship, Stella Australis, to cruise for four nights through Chilean fjord country, from Punta Arenas to Ushuaia in Argentina, with shore excursions to Cape Horn and penguin colonies.

Phone 1300 783 188. See www.activetravel.com.au.

DINING OUT

Upmarket boutique cruise line Azamara Club Cruises has a new Cruise Global, Eat Local dining program that offers guests meals at a curated selection of local restaurants in various ports. It starts now, in the European summer, and includes 35 restaurant recommendations across 27 European ports, including La Gomera in the Canary Islands, Split in Croatia, Santorini in Greece, and Sorrento in Italy. There are three ways to enjoy the program: pair lunch with a tour, take a private car (organised by Azamara) to the restaurant, or go independently.

Phone 1800 754 500. See www.azamaraclubcruises.com.

SOUNDS GOOD

In 2016, Scenic guests travelling on the Danube can enjoy one of the company's newest offerings, the 'Best of The Sound of Music and Salzburg Show', performed in the rolling hills where some of The Sound of Music was shot. Guests get a guided tour of the Austrian city, followed by a traditional lunch and musical performance that includes Sound of Music classics such as Edelweiss and Do Re Mi, Mozart music and typical folk music of the region. The performance features seven actors, a children's choir and 16-strong orchestra.

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

ALL THAT JAZZ

Multiple Grammy Award-winning vocalist Natalie Cole will headline Cunard's first Blue Note jazz-themed cruise on the luxe line's flagship Queen Mary 2 this October. She will join a roster of other notable jazz musicians on the special trans-Atlantic crossing, including pianist and record producer Robert Glasper, acclaimed trumpet player Keyon Harrold, tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland, guitarist Lionel Loueke, bassist Derrick Hodge and drummer Kendrick Scott. There will also be a Q&A session with Grammy Award-winning producer Don Was. The seven-night cruise departs New York on October 29.

Phone 13 24 41. See www.cunard.com.

AMERICAN ADVENTURES

Un-Cruise Adventures has expanded its offerings across North America next year, with nine small ships – which carry between 22 and 88 guests – now offering adventure and river cruises in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, Columbia and Snake Rivers, Mexico and Hawaii. They range from wildlife-spotting meanders along the Alaskan coast, to an exploration of the islands and temperate rainforests of the Washington and Canadian coastlines. In Hawaii, 23 departures explore four of the islands by yacht, and included snorkelling with rays and sea turtles and whale-watching, as well as various cultural activities.

See www.un-cruise.com.