Ultimate Cruising Destinations

Add These to Your Dream Cruise

 

Round-the-World Cruise from Australia

You earn huge bragging rights in the world of cruising and a lifetime of memories once you’ve circumnavigated the planet by sea. You’ll sail in the wake of Ferdinand Magellan –  the first person to circle the globe by ship, a journey which took three years (1519-1522) in a sailing boat 700 times smaller than the luxurious Princess Cruises superliners which now take around three months to offer the same epic journey every year from Australia.

 

Circumnavigate Australia

Sailing on a deluxe cruise liner right around our own continent certainly beats dragging a caravan around the country. Unpack once, relax and watch the scenery change as you sip a drink by the pool – by far, the most relaxing way to see Australia!

 

Trans-Atlantic

Joining a classic voyage between Southampton and New York offers the opportunity to experience an iconic experience. This famous (infamous in the case of the Titanic) route was once the only way to sail from the old world (England) to the new (US) but now you can relive the adventure on a week-long, no-ports cruise with lots of time to relax.  Enjoy the luxury of great ocean liners like the Queen Mary 2 which regularly offers trans-Atlantic crossings, and our tip is to sail westward from Southampton to New York instead of the other way as you will gain an extra hour (and enjoy more sleep) on most days due to the time difference.

 

Antarctica

The only way travellers can reach the hardest place in the world to get to is by ship. Antarctica is the world’s last unspoiled wilderness, taking the breath away of all cruise passengers who spot the great icy continent for the first time. Cruises typically sail from South America from where you can join more affordable cruises on large, luxury liners that offer spectacular scenic cruising along the Antarctic coast without the opportunity to explore ashore. Or you can join expedition-style voyages on smaller vessels which are equipped with smaller Zodiac boats that do take you onto the ice for a closer view of the scenery and the amazing wildlife. Both options provide experiences you will never forget.

 

Panama Canal

Although just 77km long, this engineering marvel – one of the biggest and most complex construction projects ever undertaken – offers an unforgettable experience as you sail in your cruise ship along impossibly narrow and dramatic canals and locks between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.  Completed in 1914, the Panama Canal was recently upgraded at a cost of just over AU$6 billion to cope with increasing traffic and bigger ships.

 

Alaska

Alaska is one of the most popular overseas cruise destinations for Australians. The typical seven-day cruise from Vancouver or Seattle offers a perfect combination of spectacular scenery – including tumbling glaciers and the famed Inside Passage –  colourful culture, exciting wildlife, and relaxing days at sea. Because so many cruise lines operate here, competition is fierce and fares are usually very affordable – with many week-long cruises available from under $1,000. The Northern Summer cruise season runs from May to September and if you select a sailing around the summer solstice in late June, you can experience the unusual phenomenon of 24-hour daylight.

 

The Mediterranean

There is so much to see and do in Europe and it can be exhausting to see it all by road, plane or rail with constant packing and unpacking and a different hotel every night. That’s why a cruise is the best, most relaxing and affordable way to explore countries like France, Italy, Greece and Turkey which front the Mediterranean. Wake up to a different destination every day on the many luxury liners, big and small, which ply the Mediterranean Sea. Cruise on your own or join hosted cruise tours like the group trips regularly offered by Cruise Express.

 

European River Cruise

Record numbers of Australians are flocking to the rivers of Europe and cruise lines are struggling to keep up, building more deluxe river vessels every year to cope with the demand. The appeal is clear – sailing through the heart of Europe, docking in the centre of historic cities and experiencing a myriad of countries in one journey from the comfort of your moving boutique hotel.  The most popular cruise is along the Rhine, Danube and rivers between Amsterdam and Budapest but you can also enjoy a river cruise through France, Portugal and Italy.

River Cruise

 

Tahiti

Captains Bligh and Cook and their crews fell in love with this exotic, tropical destination in the South Pacific and so will you when your cruise ship drops anchor off the azure lagoon of breathtaking Bora Bora –billed as the most beautiful island in the world – and the sheer peaks of Moorea. A cruise here offers you the opportunity to experience the magic of many of the islands which make up French Polynesia. French charm, friendly locals, idyllic islands and a warm and relaxed ambiance make Tahiti a dream cruise destination. Cruises are available from Australia or Papeete or several lines offer voyages between Australia and Hawaii/USA via Tahiti.

 

A-Line Voyage

Experience the nostalgia of a voyage from England to Australia, a journey once made by migrants in the 1950s eager to start a new life in a new land Down Under. Cruise lines, including Cunard, P&O Cruises in the UK and Cruise and Maritime Voyages, regularly offer the chance to sail this historic route, either via South Africa or a shortcut through the Suez Canal.

 

With years of helping clients reach their dream destinations, Cruise Express is your number one travel partner, first time, every time.

With so many trips to all of these destinations, please call us on 1300 766 537 for a consultation or email: info@cruiseexpress.com.au.

Interview with our Director

Cruise Express Director, Hardy Schneider’s passion is travel and has been fortunate enough to have been doing this for over 40 years.  He has a few pearls of wisdom to share…

First, Business or Economy (and why)?

Because I spend up to six months overseas every year hosting and managing our tour groups, I generally travel in Business Class so I can be fresh on arrival and hit the ground running.

Most frequented destination?

Europe, where we host most of our cruise tours, is my main destination with three visits there this year but this year I am also managing tours in the UK, Africa, India, South America and even Antarctica so, yes, I do get around this planet a fair bit!

If I ran my own airline I would…(tell us what you would do differently or better than the way airlines are currently run)

So many airlines are paring back their onboard offerings to cut costs but I think it’s the little touches like a sparkling wine before take-off that passengers really appreciate and miss when it’s taken away which seems to have happened on many airlines recently. Personally, I love carriers that provide passengers with pyjamas so you don’t have to sleep in the clothes you wear on arrival. Little pleasures can make a real difference and I think there is a market segment willing to pay a little more for premium service.

Where’s the worst place you’ve been lost?

I don’t usually get lost but I was once hosting one of our cruise tour groups in Egypt and after I told all our guests, who were heading off for some shopping time in the bustling Grand Bazaar in Cairo, to meet the bus at a designated spot outside the bazaar, I quickly got lost in the bazaar myself. I was hassled by so many hawkers that I lost all sense of direction in the maze of alleyways. I had no idea where I was. It was like a scene from the ‘Life of Brian’, with goats being slaughtered and blacksmiths working on fires all around me. I am very meticulous with time and duty so I was determined to meet our passengers back at the bus on time. Luckily, a local pointed me back to the spot and I arrived just in time but in a lather of sweat although I doubt any of the guests would have known of my preceding panic!

Most memorable overseas dining?

I will never forget the moment a waiter on the five-star Silver Spirit grabbed a huge sword off the wall and swiftly and very spectacularly sliced off the head of our bottle of champagne for an anniversary our party was celebrating. Don’t try that at home! A breakfast on a boat in the Amazon jungle was pretty surreal but another memorable meal was a lunch at Le Train Bleu – the extravagant restaurant inside Gare de Lyon railway station in Paris where English royalty used to dine between trains. It’s the same restaurant featured in the film, ‘Mr Bean’s Holiday’, but my experience there was much more refined and relaxed! But my all-time favourite culinary experience can be found at Paul Bocuse’s fine dining restaurant in Lyon, France.

What’s in the suitcase?

There’s always far too much in my suitcase. You would think that after directing so many tours for 15 years I would learn but I often give Imelda Marcos a run for her money with all the shoes I bring. I pack lots of overseas adaptors – to give to our clients who have forgotten theirs – and also our little Cruise Express mascot, ‘Duck’, who travels with us everywhere and insists on being photographed at famous places around the world.

How do you make the most of a spare afternoon in a strange city?

I love to walk so whenever I have a few spare hours I grab a map and advice from the hotel concierge and explore a city on foot. Paris and Vienna are two of my favourite places to wander around.

Any travel tips?

Never leave home without travel insurance and never stop exploring as much of the world as you can. It’s a wonderful planet we live on so travel with open eyes and a positive attitude because life is too short to look for negatives.

What technology do you use?

I bring my iPhone and laptop with me and use free wi-fi to keep in touch with our head office in Sydney.

Best overseas purchase?

If I brought souvenirs from all my trips, my home would be overflowing so I look for special pieces like a rug I bought in Turkey once. It’s in my bedroom so every time I wake up I am reminded of my time there.

Best travelling tale?

We are very passionate about service at Cruise Express but sometimes not everything goes to plan on tour like when a suitcase containing evening formal wear for one of our client couples went missing just before we boarded Queen Mary 2 in Cape Town. I was determined for the bag to turn up so the couple could enjoy the ship’s famous black tie events so I hit the phones, went to the airport cargo area and spent hours tracking the bag from Johannesburg to Cape Town. I was told there was no way the bag could make the ship before we sailed but I spoke to a cargo worker in charge who promised he would have a driver on standby to rush the suitcase to the ship. The ship’s crew were starting to remove the gangways but just as the life boat drill finished I saw the courier car arrive at the wharf. I dashed off the ship and picked up the suitcase. While I was last to board, I had the suitcase finally in my hand. What a relief!

Best thing about travelling?

Visiting new and exciting places and immersing yourself in diverse cultures is a great learning experience but for me the greatest gift of my travels are the amazing friendships you make abroad with locals and also our tour guests. They start as customers and end a tour as family and friends.

Top travel gripe?

Visas are a real hassle to deal with and I don’t like being called an ‘alien’ in airport immigration queues!

If you would like to book a trip with Hardy and his wealth of knowledge, please contact Cruise Express on 1300 766 537.