The Capitol Limited

Media Release – October 22, 2018

Unique new heritage rail and sail tour from Melbourne to Sydney and back

featuring the famous Spirit of Progress

Travellers who value the journey as much as the destination can join a new cruise and heritage rail tour from Melbourne to Sydney and back featuring Australia’s famous, former express train, the Spirit of Progress, and also the 621/721 rail motor.

Ideal for rail and cruise lovers, this unique, six-day ‘Capitol Limited’ tour in April 2019, will see guests travel aboard the two restored trains from Melbourne to Sydney and return by cruise ship.

Hosted by Cruise Express, the short break begins in Melbourne on 5 April 2019, with a relaxing, three-night cruise to Sydney aboard Princess Cruises’ 17-deck Golden Princess. The 2,600-passenger ship boasts nine restaurants and cafes, four pools, nine jacuzzis, a 750-seat theatre and a lounge and nightclub suspended spectacularly above the stern of the ship. Golden Princess also offers Broadway-style stage shows, poolside movies, a huge spa sanctuary and wrap-around Promenade Deck that allows passengers to walk to the tip of the bow.

In Sydney, guests will spend a night at Sydney’s historic, art deco-styled Grace Hotel that dates back to 1930 when it was the headquarters for the department store chain, Grace Brothers.

It’s then all aboard the heritage rail motor, 621/721, for a leisurely and nostalgic journey from Sydney to Albury, with lunch and dinner stops along the way. The rail motor, built in 1962, features windows that open, allowing you to take in the everchanging scenery. During the trip, guests can visit the driver’s cab to see how the train operates.

After a night in the new-look and uber-modern Atura Hotel in Albury, passengers will ride the iconic Spirit of Progress train for the final leg back to Melbourne. The former express train served the Melbourne-Sydney route from 1937 to 1986. Heritage locomotives will haul the original carriages including the compartment, kiosk and parlor cars, with morning tea served onboard.

Exclusive to Cruise Express, the five-night Capitol Limited tour from Melbourne is available from $2,190 per person, twin-share.

Call Cruise Express on 1300 766 537 or visit www.cruiseexpress.com.au

Direct link to package: www.cruiseexpress.com.au/cruise-list/capitol-limited

Early bird savings of up to $7340 per couple
 on luxury Kimberley expeditions

Media Release – October 10, 2018

Early bird savings of up to $7340 per couple on luxury Kimberley expeditions
plus bonus flight over the spectacular Bungle Bungles

See the natural wonder of Australia’s Kimberley region with Cruise Express on one of six luxury Kimberley cruises in 2020, with a free, scenic flight over the spectacular Bungle Bungle Ranges available on three of the voyages.

Cruise Express is offering earlybird savings of up to $7340 per couple if booked by November 30, 2018. The six 10-night sailings are aboard Ponant’s five-star, French mega-yacht, Le Laperouse, one-way from Darwin to Broome or vice versa from May to August, 2020.

Twice the size of Victoria, the vast and pristine Kimberley wilderness boasts magnificent waterfalls, remote coves, indigenous rock art, abundant wildlife and majestic coastal cliffs that glow red at sunset. Expeditions offer the best way to experience the inaccessible areas of the Kimberley, with the 184-guest Le Laperouse taking guests to the majestic King George Falls, Mitchell Falls and Montgomery Reef. The itinerary also features the world-famous Horizontal Falls where seawater thunders horizontally at high tide through a narrow break in the cliffs, forming huge rapids – a phenomenon described by David Attenborough as one of the greatest wonders of the natural world.

Each cruise includes shore excursions and Zodiac expeditions ashore. Onboard drinks and a complimentary minibar are also included. A specialist expedition team, led by award-winning photographer and adventurer Mick Fogg, will be aboard Le Laperouse offering lectures on history, botany, marine biology and photography. The experts will also help guide shore trips during the cruise.

Additionally, Cruise Express is offering guests the choice of one bonus excursion on the three sailings from Darwin to Broome. Guests will be able to choose one of the following complimentary tours:

* A scenic flight over the East Kimberley including the striking, beehive-shaped Bungle Bungle Ranges
* A remarkable wildlife cruise along Ord River on the lookout for freshwater crocodiles
* A day exploring El Questro station including Emma Gorge and Zebedee Springs.

The luxurious Le Laperouse features two restaurants, two lounges, a theatre, pool, spa sanctuary, gourmet cuisine, personalised service and intimate ambience.

Each of the six 10-night sailings between Darwin and Broome from May to August, 2020, are available from $9990 per person, twin-share in a Deluxe Suite – a saving of $1260 per person. A Prestige Suite is available from $10,990 per person, twin-share – a saving of $3670 per person. The savings are for bookings made by November 30, 2018. The bonus excursion is only available on the Darwin to Broome expeditions.

The discounted fares are available until sold out and conditions apply. Connecting flights are additional.

Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race 2019

Media Release – October 4, 2019

Save up to $1,500 on a unique, luxury cruise tracing the
75th Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race – December 2019

Special, all-inclusive journey with Ponant

In stark contrast to the tough conditions aboard the boats racing in the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, passengers aboard a special, luxury cruise will be able to accompany the 75th anniversary race in 2019 while enjoying champagne and fine, French cuisine.

Cruise Express has a special allocation of cabins on the seven-night Ponant cruise from Sydney to Hobart in December 2019, with savings of up to $1,500 per couple or solo passenger available for bookings made by November 30, 2018.

The unique opportunity to shadow the fleet begins with an early embarkation on Boxing Day, 2019, aboard Ponant’s new, five-star expedition ship, Le Laperouse. Launched in June 2018, this boutique, the 180-guest ship offers fine cuisine, complimentary beverages and Zodiac excursions, an infinity pool and a world-first, multi-sensory, underwater lounge with special windows offering views of life below the waves.

After watching the start of the 75th Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race from Sydney Harbour on December 26, 2019, passengers can relax as Le Laperouse takes them along the NSW South Coast to the beautiful and rarely visited destination of Flinders Island in the Bass Strait. Wineglass Bay in Tasmania is next on the itinerary where complimentary adventures ashore will be offered. Expert commentary aboard the ship will keep passengers updated on the race.

The chic, French-styled ship will dock for a three-night stay in Hobart on December 30 in time to see yachts crossing the finish line on the Derwent River. Passengers can also join in the festivities surrounding the race presentations on the waterfront and New Year’s Eve celebrations. Guests will disembark on 2 January 2020.

Including onboard beverages and Zodiac excursions, the cruise is priced from $5,490 per person, twin-share, which is a saving of $750 per person if booked by November 30, 2018, or until sold out. Fares for solo passengers start at $9,990, which represents a $1,500 saving if booked by the same date.  Connecting flights are extra.

Click here to find out more: https://cruiseexpress.com.au/cruise-list/sydney-hobart-yacht-race-2019/

Drink in the splendours of New Zealand on a new and exclusive wine-themed cruise

Media Release – September 19, 2018

Includes exclusive shore tours and private wine events aboard Celebrity Solstice

Special offer – free onboard beverages in Balcony stateroom or above

Wine buffs or just lovers of a good drop can join an exclusive new wine-themed cruise to Tasmania and New Zealand in 2019.

Cruise Express has released the special ‘Voyage to the Vineyards’ packages offering complimentary, onboard drinks for bookings made in Balcony staterooms or above. The offer is available until sold out.

The 12-night cruise aboard Celebrity Solstice will be accompanied by wine experts from New Zealand and Australia who will host special gourmet food and wine events for Cruise Express passengers onboard the ship. Experts from Torbreck in the Barossa Valley and Escarpment Winery in Martinborough will conduct wine seminars and tastings during the cruise and guide Cruise Express guests through two, private, wine-pairing luncheons onboard.

The package includes four shore excursions that include a winery near Hobart, an albatross colony near Dunedin, the famous Marlborough wine region near Picton and the geysers, thermal pools and Maori culture of Rotorua. A cocktail reception hosted by Cruise Express and a behind-the-scenes tour of Celebrity Solstice’s 1800-bottle wine glass tower form part of the package.

Sailing from Sydney on October 27, 2019, the cruise will visit Hobart, Fjordland, Dunedin, Akaroa, Picton, Tauranga and the Bay of Islands before the cruise ends in Auckland.

A four-night land extension is available including a day trip to boutique wineries on Waiheke Island near Auckland, a night in Auckland and a two-day trip to Wellington on the historic, privately chartered RM31 railcar, ‘Tokomaru’, named after a Maori canoe. The add-on trip also includes a night with dinner at the grand, 90-year-old Chateau Tongariro hotel on the slopes of Mt Ruapehu, two nights in Wellington with a local tour and a visit with lunch to the wineries of the famous Martinborough wine region.

Including a flight home to Australia, the 12-night Voyage to the Vineyards cruise is available from $3990 per person, twin-share, in an Inside Cabin. In Balcony Cabins and above (from $4690 per person twin-share), passengers will receive a bonus Classic Beverage Package for drinks onboard Celebrity Solstice. The offer is available until sold out. The four-night extension tour to Wellington is available from $1990 per person, twin-share.

The wine cruise and overland tour will be hosted by a Cruise Express Tour Manager.

Click here for more information: https://cruiseexpress.com.au/cruise-list/voyage-to-the-vineyards-2019/

Business Class Flight, Luxe Bali Villa and Ultra Luxury Cruise

Media Release – September 11,  2018

Indulgent Christmas and New Year holiday package December 2018

FREE Business Class flights,  pool villa accommodation and private transfers PLUS low solo supplement

If you haven’t booked a Christmas escape yet and are keen to live it up on an ultra-luxurious holiday from start to finish, Cruise Express has released a new cruise and stay package that includes free Business Class flights to Bali and a free stay in a deluxe pool villa before an indulgent Silversea voyage home to Australia.

Available until sold out, the festive season package begins on December 19, 2018, with a Business Class flight to Bali from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth and a two-night stay in a deluxe pool villa at the five-star Belmond Jimbaran Puri Bali including a private pool, all-day butler service, daily breakfast and afternoon tea served in the villa.

The pampering then continues at sea when guests board the ultra-luxe, 596-passenger Silver Muse in Bali for her maiden journey to Australia. All cabins are suites that come with butlers, premium bed linen, marble bathrooms with full-sized tubs, Bvlgari amenities, unlimited free Wi-Fi and complimentary in-suite beverages. All but six staterooms boast a balcony. Beverages across the ship, including champagne and fine spirits, are complimentary throughout the cruise.

The 16-night cruise from Bali to Sydney will see Silver Muse, launched in 2017, sail to Komodo Island – famous for its giant lizards – as well as Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Airlie Beach and Brisbane, with Christmas and New Year’s Eve spent at sea. The cruise ends in Sydney on January 6, 2019.

The 18-night fly, stay and cruise package from Cruise Express is available from $13,490 per person, twin-fare, or from $14,890 for solo travellers. The package includes free Business Class flights to Bali, a free two-night, luxury stay in Bali with free, private transfers as well as onboard gratuities. The package is available until sold out.

Call 1300 766 537 to find out more.