SA cruisers want new adventures
WHILE the Mediterranean
is still a firm favourite with
South African cruisers, the
market is seeing an increase
in demand for new and
different places.
Travellers are seeking
out destinations that were
previously out of reach,
some only accessible now by
cruise ship, says Norwegian
Cruise Line vp and md for
UK, Ireland, Israel, Middle
East and Africa, Nick
Wilkinson.
NCL customers are
travelling further to embark
on their dream cruise,
with demand for bucketlist destinations such as
Alaska, US itineraries and
departures out of Singapore
and Hong Kong being
attractive because of their
affordability, says Nick.
South Africans want
destination-focused
itineraries as opposed to
trips that spend a number of
days at sea.
NCL’s popular cruises with
South Africans are those
departing from Venice;
cruising through Croatia;
or departing from Rome
and visiting the Western
Mediterranean.
“New for the 2020 season
is our 11-night Rome-Rome
itinerary. This time period
really resonates with our
South African market,” says
Nick.
The Mediterranean will
always be popular with South
African travellers, but Cruises
International is seeing a shift
toward Caribbean and Asian
cruises, says md, George
Argyropoulos.
New itineraries that appeal
to South African travellers
are the Northern Lights
and Norway winter sailings,
says Stewart Venn, director
of Triton Cape Sea Level.
“Travelling to the Arctic in
winter was certainly not on
too many bucket lists until
fairly recently,” Stewart says.
Some of Encore Cruises’
popular itineraries with
South Africans include
Japan, the Baltics and its
Mediterranean sailings,
especially those that
include calls at Istanbul and
Israel, says director, Janine
Pretorius.
Regent Seven Seas
Cruises has introduced its
2021/2022 season with
requested and sought-after
destinations, including
first sailings to the Black
Sea with calls at Romania,
Bulgaria and Ukraine, and
stops at Deception Island,
Paradise Bay and Half Moon
Island in Antarctica.
Norwegian heads to South African shores
NEXT year, Norwegian Cruise
Line will enter the South
African market for the first
time.
“South Africa is a fastgrowing market,” says NCL’s
Nick Wilkinson. “Over the
last five years we’ve seen
double-digit sales growth in
the country as more South
Africans are choosing to
cruise.”
The fully upgraded
2 000-passenger Norwegian
Spirit will visit South Africa
for the first time, cruising via
the Maldives, Seychelles,
Réunion and Mauritius to Port
Elizabeth, Mossel Bay and
Cape Town. At the end of the
2020 Mediterranean season,
Norwegian Dawn will
follow, and customers will be
able to cruise from
Cape Town to Venice on
the return leg in 2021.
“Both sailings are an exciting
opportunity to showcase our
product and to encourage
even more growth in markets
such as South Africa. Local
currency rand pricing is on the
horizon,” Nick says.
Calling agents!
Norwegian’s initiative, Partners
First, aims to put its travel
partners on the front line.
“We’re planning to engage
the trade and consumer
market in five ways – by
hosting agent and consumer
events; hosting consumer
events in South Africa,
Namibia and Botswana with
our travel partners; being
proactive on social media
and in the press; and hosting
masterclasses on how to sell
cruises effectively. We want
to give our travel partners
the tools they need to drive
sales,” Nick says.
Agents working as a direct
NCL partner will be entitled to
commission for all bookings.
Agents booking through a
wholesaler will also earn
commission, in agreement
with the tour operator.
The ships are floating
resorts, says Nick.
“We offer up to 22 dining
options and up to 16
entertainment areas, from
Broadway clubs to cocktail
lounges and double-storey
racetracks to water parks.
“The only difference between
us and land-based resorts is
that we guarantee different
scenery every day and this
resort-style offering resonates
with our Southern African
clients.
“With so many elements
included in the cruise fare,
most passengers return to us
within two years,” Nick says.
“That represents significant
potential for our retail
partners, and incentive travel
and events planners on the
continent.”
Book it !
The 20-day Exotic
Expedition cruise will
embark in Dubai on March
2, 2020, and visit Oman,
Seychelles, Madagascar,
Réunion, Richards Bay,
Port Elizabeth and Mossel
Bay and will disembark in
Cape Town. The cruise is
priced from US$7 099pps
(R108 900).
The 24-day Indian Ocean
Explorer will embark in
Cape Town on March 22,
2020, and visit Mossel
Bay, Port Elizabeth,
Richards Bay, Réunion,
Seychelles, Maldives,
Thailand and Malaysia
and will disembark in
Singapore. The cruise is
priced at US$6 949pps
(R106 600)
From sea to shore
INCENTIVES at
Sea and Beyond
(IASAB) has
added landbased itineraries
to its portfolio.
The company,
which was
established
in 2017 by
cruise incentive
specialist,
Dalene Oroni,
offers winethemed sailings
through Italy,
Croatia,
France, Greece, Spain and
the Caribbean; motor sport
packages with optional VIP
access to the world-famous
Formula One Paddock Club;
Wimbledon packages for avid
tennis fans; classical music
cruises down the Rhine and
Danube; Christmas sailings;
and Amalfi coastline tours in a
rented Ferrari.
IASAB sells Amadeus River
Cruises, AmaWaterways,
Azamara Club Cruises, Costa,
Hurtigruten, MSC Cruises,
Oceania Cruises, Royal
Caribbean, Princess Cruises
and Virgin Voyages.
“Our comprehensive portfolio
of products and destinations
is ever growing,” says md,
Stefano Oroni. “The IASAB
team is very
excited about
the addition
of certain
exclusive shore
excursions.”
IASAB was
established
exclusively to
service the
MICE industry,
working with
incentive houses
and corporate
clients in South
Africa.
“Having worked
in the industry for numerous
years, Dalene is no stranger to
incentive travel. She realised
that what was lacking in
South Africa was a dedicated
cruise broker; a single point of
contact that could offer almost
all mainstream brands and
answer almost any need as far
as incentive travel on board
ships is concerned,” Stefano
says.
“Our vision for the company
is to marry the correct product
to a group and to do so
without bias or prejudice.
“IASAB offers nett rates
to agents as we believe this
empowers our clients to
decide on their rates without
bias or prejudice from IASAB,”
concludes Stefano.
Princess debuts tech-tastic service
CARIBBEAN Princess is the
first Princess ship to debut
MedallionClass vacations,
offering guests a portfolio
of experiences to enhance
their cruise holiday.
The OceanMedallion
wearable device enhances
interactions with guests:
Fast boarding: guests
who arrive at the terminal
with travel documents
uploaded to their profile
have an expedited checkin process.
On-demand beverages:
guests can order drinks
using the device and have
them delivered directly to
their location throughout
the ship, including their
stateroom.
MedallionNet provides
land-like Internet speeds
that enable guests
to share vacation
experiences with friends
and family, stream TV
shows, movies and sports
events and make video
and voice calls.
Friend and family locator:
OceanCompass, available
on guests’ smart devices
and portals throughout the
ship, provides directional
information and enables
guests to locate and chat
with friends and family
on-board.
Hey, big spenders!
SOUTH African travellers are
upmarket cruisers, choosing
to upgrade from entry-level
products and itineraries.
Outside balcony cabins
are most popular with South
Africans who skip over
inside cabin options when
making their cruise booking,
says George Argyropoulos
of Cruises International.
“South Africans like value
for money and are prepared
to spend a bit more if they
feel the offer provides this,”
he says.
Balcony cabins are
Norwegian Cruise Line’s
fastest selling grades, and
they are also particularly
popular with the South
African market, agrees NCL’s
Nick Wilkinson.
“Our passengers want to
be able to see the ports
as they approach and
have a sundowner on their
balconies at night.
“My opinion is that when
South Africans cruise, they
often need to travel great
distances to get to the
embarkation points, so
while they’re on the cruise,
they want to maximise what
they see.
Book It!
Cruise & Maritime Voyages, represented by Triton Cape Sea
Travel, offers an Iceland & Land of the Northern Lights cruise,
starting and ending in Hull, UK. Priced from US$1 079pps
(R16 500), the cruise includes stops at the Faroe Islands,
Reykjavík and Akureyri in Iceland and Kirkwall in the UK.
Regent Seven Seas Cruises offers a seven-night roundtrip from
Athens in November 2021, starting at US$8 499pps
(R130 000) featuring stops in Istanbul and Ephesus, as well
as Rhodes and Santorini.
Agent report: Sail like a Celebrity
THE Celebrity Edge is
currently the flagship of
the Edge-class ships of
Celebrity Cruises. It has
been designed to “erase
the boundary between
indoors and out”, with
a unique outward-facing
design including Infinite
Verandas and venue
spaces that offer greater
views of destinations and
the ocean.
“I sell a lot of luxury
cruises and I have the
opportunity to sail on many
luxury cruise ships.
I certainly feel that Celebrity
Edge is in the luxury class,”
says Chrissa.
The ship boasts the
widest range of staterooms
in the Celebrity fleet and
features 29 food and
beverage experiences
crafted by a Michelinstarred chef.
Celebrity Edge offers
four main restaurants,
each featuring the same
menu, which changes
nightly. Passengers are
automatically assigned
to one of the main dining
restaurants, with the option
of dining in the other three
on request.
“I loved the speciality
restaurants,” Chrissa says.
“I particularly loved Raw
on 5, which features
seafood paired with
speciality cocktails.
“I had one of my best
meals at sea!”
She says the Eden venue,
1 096sqm of open space,
is her favourite feature
of the ship. “It has three
levels of glass windows
that look out on to the
ocean, with two areas of
alfresco seating on both
sides of the venue. We had
breakfast in the venue the
one morning, and at night
we saw an interactive show.
“It doubles up as the
Tender deck area for
disembarkation and you
can see the most superb
sunsets from there.”
Celebrity Edge also
features the Magic
Carpet, a venue that
“changes mood, function
and location”. It’s a
cantilevered, floating
platform that reaches
heights of 13 storeys above
sea level.
The ship carries 2 918
passengers. Chrissa
says the luxurious and
contemporary ship is aimed
more at trendy couples and
families who don’t want the
mega ships of 4 000 to
5 000 pax. She says
it’s also great for multigenerational family trips.
“Celebrity Edge has
renewed my passion
for cruising and selling
cruises. In order to be a
cruise specialist, one has
to visit as many ships as
possible. Not for lunch or
a visit, but spending the
night on the ship so that
you can get a feeling of the
ambience and experience
all amenities on board,”
she says.
Book it!
The 10-night Italy & Best of Greek Islands cruise departs
from Rome on August 7, 2020, starting from US$2 599pps
(R39 700), with ports of call at Naples, Messina, Santorini,
Athens, Mykonos, Rhodes and Chania (Souda).
The 11-night Italy, Croatia & Montenegro cruise departs
from Rome on May 4, 2020, starting from US$2 789pps
(R42 600), with ports of call in Naples, Valletta, Corfu,
Dubrovnik, Kotor, Split and Trieste.
Everyone loves a theme…
THEMED river cruises
are becoming more
commonplace as
passengers look for unique
experiences, and cruise
lines are ‘getting on board’
with specialised cruises for
enthusiasts and hobbyists
Go golfing
Amadeus River Cruises
offers golf cruises that
are ideal for couples
where the one partner is
a keen golfer, while the
other is not.
Inge Dobihal, owner
and manager of Austria
Connection, GSA for
Amadeus River Cruises,
says while it has generated
a lot of interest in the
South African market,
most agents are not aware
that the golf cruises allow
for the golfer to book the
golf themed-cruise, and
the partner a standard
cruise. Golf cruises
operate on the Rhine,
Danube and Rhône and
Saône in France.
For a group of 20 golfers,
a cruise can be organised
on any date of any of the
cruises on the Danube,
Rhine or in France.
Amadeus River Cruises’
Golf Cruise on the Seine
itinerary, an eight-day trip
beginning and ending in
Paris, and including stops
at Le Golf National, GolfHôtel de Saint Saëns,
Barrière De Deauville Golf
Club and Golf d'Étretat
courses, starts at
US$4 412pps (R65 800).
Amadeus’s golf cruise
on the Rhine itinerary, an
eight-day trip beginning
in Basel and ending in
Amsterdam, and including
stops at Le Kempferhof
Golf Club in Strasbourg,
the St Leon-Rot Golf Club
in Speyer and the Golf
Club Gut Lärchenhof in
Cologne, starts at
$4 389pps (R65 400).
Food and culture
Uniworld also offers various
themed cruises, including
the Connoisseur Collection
cruises, which cater for French
food and wine enthusiasts.
They are available on the
Burgundy and Provence and
Brilliant Bordeaux itineraries.
Jewish Heritage tours, where
guests can explore Jewish
history on trips including
the Remarkable Rhine and
Historic Holland and Authentic
Danube and Prague trips and
Oktoberfest packages, are
priced at €199pps (R3 380)
and are bookable on board.
During the year, Uniworld
trialled U in Drag in July
and will host Tattoo on U in
August, both on board The A.
These itineraries featured
(and will feature) on the
company’s Germany’s
Finest itinerary with stops
in Frankfurt, Miltenberg,
Wurzburg, Bamber and
Nuremberg.
“Both cruises performed
well on a global basis as they
fit the ethos of our U River
Cruise brand,” says Teresa
Richardson, md of The Travel
Corporation, parent company
of Uniworld Boutique River
Cruise Collection and U River
Cruises.
“We are eager to host the
Drag cruise in 2020 and
will be partnering with an
LGBTQ+ association. We’d
also love to align the cruise
with a pride event in one of
the major cities, for example,
Amsterdam,” Teresa says.
Uniworld offers Floating
Art Workshops featuring
renowned artist Larry Aarons
on selected sailings, where
guests can learn to paint
and draw. For 2019, this
workshop will be available
on the Parisian Royal Holiday
itinerary.
Trafalgar offers cruises
as part of its Cruises, Rail
and Combination trips. The
Athens and Aegean trip
features a three-day cruise
from Athens to Mykonos,
with complimentary shore
excursions at Kusadasi and
Santorini.
The Wonders of Ancient
Egypt trip features a Nile
cruise that sails through
Kom Ombo, Aswan and Abu
Simbel and finishes in Luxor.
The Nordic Adventures trip
features an overnight ferry
from Copenhagen to Oslo in
Norway.
Bronwyn Strydom,
marketing manager of The
Travel Corporation, says that
while many people are not
aware that transport is not
always on Trafalgar’s luxury
coaches but also by other
means, it is often much better
to see many destinations or
sights by boat and is the best
way to experience landscapes.
The Wonders of Ancient
Egypt trip is priced from
R44 900pps, while the Athens
and Aegean trip is priced from
R29 550pps.
Book it!
Encore Cruises is offering
a 94-night Grand Arctic
Adventure cruise on Regent
Seven Seas in May 2021,
from US$45 999pps
(R703 000). It departs from
New York and includes stops
in Russia, Iceland, Greenland,
Finland, Portugal and
Bermuda. Included in the price
are offshore excursions and
on-board activities, such as
access to the library, spa and
the casino.
Focal is local
MSC Cruises currently has
15 themed cruises planned
for the upcoming 2019/
2020 season, says Ross
Volk, md of MSC Cruises
South Africa.
Themed cruises cater for
particular niche markets,
such as jazz lovers, rugby
fans, theatre enthusiasts,
members of stokvels,
women looking for a
girls’ weekend, or matrics
celebrating the end of their
school year.
“The focus is on providing
a whole experience for our
guests, where they get to
share an environment with
like-minded people for a few
days and make wonderful
memories,” Ross says.
Itineraries always include
a weekend and can last
from between three and five
nights. They include Durban
to Portuguese Island,
Durban to Pomene, Cape
Town to Walvis Bay, Cape
Town to Port Elizabeth and
Durban and Cape Town to
Walvis Bay and Lüderitz.
Ross adds that while
MSC’s annual themed
cruises are very popular
with guests and are in high
demand, MSC focuses
primarily on offering allinclusive and affordable
holiday options.
Striking the right note
For classical music lovers,
Amadeus River Cruises has
Music Cruises on the Rhine
and Danube. The eight-day
2020 Beethoven Cruise
on the Rhine will sail from
Amsterdam to Basel in
celebration of the 250th
anniversary of Beethoven’s
birth and will include a visit
to Beethoven House, a
private piano concert in
the Chamber Music Hall
and more concerts on
land and on board.
Prices start at $2 552pps
(R38 000).
Inge Dobihal of Austria
Connection, says that
while there is only one
departure date for this
cruise in the year, the
demand is faring well.
Launching in April 2020,
the Amadeus Imperial
offers 72 deluxe cabins
(17,5 sqm) and 12 suites
(26,4sqm). Cabins on
the Mozart and Strauss
decks also feature
lowerable top-to-floor
panoramic windows along
the width of the cabin.
The suites also have
an outdoor balcony with
seating area .
Joy of Jazz
Princess Cruises will
add jazz lounges on its
two newest ships, the
Sky Princess and
Enchanted Princess.
Called Take 5, they will
open on Sky Princess
when it launches in October
and Enchanted Princess in
June 2020.
The venues will host live
performances, after-hours
parties and dance lessons.
There will be a programme
of themed music, including
A Night in Harlem: Sounds
of the 1920s, The Birth of
Big Band and BeBop and
A Sophisticated Evening of
Cool, featuring music from
the 1950s
Princess unveils new family zone
MSC Cruises currently has
15 themed cruises planned
for the upcoming 2019/
2020 season, says Ross
Volk, md of MSC Cruises
South Africa.
Themed cruises cater for
particular niche markets,
such as jazz lovers, rugby
fans, theatre enthusiasts,
members of stokvels,
women looking for a
girls’ weekend, or matrics
celebrating the end of their
school year.
“The focus is on providing
a whole experience for our
guests, where they get to
share an environment with
like-minded people for a few
days and make wonderful
memories,” Ross says.
Itineraries always include
a weekend and can last
from between three and five
nights. They include Durban
to Portuguese Island,
Durban to Pomene, Cape
Town to Walvis Bay, Cape
Town to Port Elizabeth and
Durban and Cape Town to
Walvis Bay and Lüderitz.
Ross adds that while
MSC’s annual themed
cruises are very popular
with guests and are in high
demand, MSC focuses
primarily on offering allinclusive and affordable
holiday options.
Book it!
Norwegian Cruise Line offers a 15-day Thailand, Cambodia,
Phuket and Penang cruise departing from Singapore. It
includes stops in Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Kuala
Lumpur. It is priced from US$1 149pps (R17 560).
The amazing Amazon
CRUISES along the River
Amazon allow adventure
travel junkies the chance
to venture through unique
landscapes, either in
luxury or, like the locals, in
riverboats.
There are plenty of options
for the adventurous cruiser,
says George Argyropoulos
of Cruises International.
The unique selling points
of Amazon River cruises
are the wildlife exploration
aspects, culture and unique
destinations included in the
cruises, he says.
Oceania Cruises has eight
itineraries offering port of
calls in the River Amazon,
including the 21-night
‘Edens and the Amazon
Voyage’, which stops in
Antigua and Barbados, and
Parintins, Manaus, Boca Da
Valeria and Alter Do Chão,
along the river. The cruise
starts from US$4 599pps
(R70 235). Oceania also
offers the 24-night Amazon
and Beyond Voyage cruise,
the 33-night Fauna to Fair
Winds Voyage, starting at
$6 499pps (R99 250), and
the 31-night Lively Latin
Rhythms Voyage cruise,
which starts at $8 749pps
(R133 605).
These types of trips
are niche and for the
adventurous, well-travelled
explorer, says Roland
Müller, marketing manager
of Development Promotions.
He says that as well as the
opportunity to spot rare
wildlife, these cruises tick
the more unique bucket-list
experiences on a traveller’s
list.
G Adventures offers
four River Amazon cruise
adventures. All the cruises
start in Peru and feature
stops in Lima, Nauta,
Iquitos, Machu Picchu and
Cusco.
Book it!
For the world cruise enthusiast, Oceania offers a 53-night
Flowers to Fjords Voyage, which, as well as cruising along
the Amazon, also features stops in Peru, Argentina, Brazil,
Uruguay and Chile. The next sailing is on January 2020 and
it is priced from $10 249pps (R156 618).
G Adventures offers an 11-day Explore Machu Picchu & The
Amazon River cruise, which includes expeditions in Lima and
Cusco, and wildlife excursions along the Amazon. The trip is
priced at R46 459pps, valid on the January 5, 2020 trip.
News flash
At the time of going to print, thousands of fires are ravaging
parts of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, the smoke of which
is travelling as far as the Atlantic Ocean. Aircraft have been
drafted to dump water to extinguish the fires.
