Savings on this year's Asia tours
There are savings of up to $6000 per couple on some of this year's tours in Asia.
Two big sales were launched yesterday (May 20) bringing down the coast of travel to our near neighbours.
+ APT's Best of Asia Sale has big savings, of up to $6000 per couple on select 2025 Asia tours. It includes tours to Vietnam and Cambodia, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and India. Our pick is the 13-day Vietnam & Cambodia Highlights, which has a sale offer to fly free plus save up to $3400 per couple. 1300 278 278 and aptouring.com.au
+ Travelmarvel's Epic Asia Sale can save up to $3000 per couple on some tours this year to Vietnam and Cambodia, Japan, South Korea and Sri Lanka. Our pick of the itineraries is the 13-day Magical Japan, with savings of up to $2000 per couple (with the 12-day Splendours of Sri Lanka a close second, with savings of up to $1000 per person). Three itineraries which combine Vietnam and Cambodia for tours have 'fly free' offers combined with sale savings. 1300 208 712 and travelmarvel.com
+ Both sales are available now but end on June 4, 2025.
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The Age
24-05-2025
- The Age
The 15 big cruising trends you'll want to get behind
Land and sea connections Last year we reported on the rise of land tours before and after a cruise, which range from port-city hotel breaks to short, guided getaways to inland destinations. But far more ambitious land-sea journeys are becoming more common, too. Cruise lines want a slice of the lucrative land market, and customers in an uncertain world are increasingly keen on single, seamless holiday packages. Some travel companies with both land and cruise arms are perfectly placed to deliver. Scenic is unrolling a collection of worldwide Grand Journeys in 2026 that range from 41 and 86 days and match land journeys with ocean and river cruises. Examples include a Portugal to Switzerland and Machu Picchu to Caribbean journey. See Nile River cruising In the last 15 years Egyptian tourism has been battered by the Arab Spring and COVID, and it looked as if the Gaza conflict might put tourists off again. Yet this ancient country, as it has done numerous times over the last two centuries, is becoming a hot destination all over again. Bookings on the Nile surged this year, the season has been steadily lengthening, companies such as Scenic and Travelmarvel are making a return in 2025 and 2026 respectively, and new ships are launching. A total solar eclipse over Egypt in 2027 is creating further demand for special eclipse cruises. Viking Cruises recently launched two new ships and is taking its Nile fleet to 10 by 2026. Its popular cruise-tour will be bolstered by 221 new departures by 2027. See Expedition cruising Nothing new about this style of small-ship adventure, but this once niche segment is booming. Ten years ago, fewer than 100,000 passengers took an expedition cruise. This year, four times as many set sail on some 100 expedition ships belonging to 20 cruise lines. Australians shine on the expedition front, with Aussie-owned companies such as Aurora Expeditions, Chimu Adventures, Coral Expeditions and Scenic sending ships to the far corners of the Earth. APT also offers expedition cruises on chartered ships. Expedition ships average 160 passengers with cruises lasting an average 11 days. As for the next big things within expeditions, expect more millennial, Gen Z and solo travellers, and increasing itineraries in 'water-water' destinations such as the Indian Ocean and West Africa. See Ships with sails OK, you're allowed to raise your eyebrows at the thought of sails on ships being the way of the future rather than a relic of the past. Only a few companies such as Star Clipper and Windstar offer cruises under canvas. But if research and development go the right way, a more futuristic 'sailing' ship might become more common as companies seek alternative propulsion systems to fossil fuels. They won't only be very small ships, either. Orient Express Silenseas, due to sail in mid-2026, will have French-developed SolidSail technology, with three huge sails made from glass panels reinforced with carbon fibre. Ponant and Hurtigruten are looking at adding sails to their new ships, too, while Carnival Corporation is studying vertical rotors that will be powered by wind. See Persian Gulf cruising Why this region didn't emerge as a cruise destination long ago is a mystery: it has good tourism infrastructure and airline connections, a predictable climate, distinctive culture and conveniently close ports. You'll have plenty of opportunity to cruise the Persian Gulf in future, with Dubai's cruise terminal positioned as a major hub, and other new terminals gracing harbourfronts from Bahrain to Muscat, Kuwait, Doha and Abu Dhabi. MSC Cruises is a regional regular and homeports MSC Euribia in Dubai over the winter cruise season. Small-ship company Celestyal Cruises has extended its Persian Gulf options and will have two ships in the Gulf this coming season. Explora Journeys meanwhile is launching into the 2026-27 season, and many other cruise lines make occasional visits. Expect more to come. See Cruise-free ports It isn't all good news in cruising. A growing swell of public pressure against overcrowding and pollution is seeing more ports ban or limit cruise ship arrivals. From July this year ships carrying more than 2500 passengers will be turned away from Nice and adjacent Villefranche-sur-Mer, long staples of the Mediterranean cruise circuit. Some are calling for ships to be banned entirely from the French Riviera. Nice joins a list of other cruise-sceptic ports from Juneau in Alaska to Palma, Majorca in Spain that have put varying limits on cruise ships. Cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bordeaux and Venice have moved ships out of city centres. In Europe, you might expect more noisy anti-cruise demonstrators holding signs and placards, or chanting and banging saucepans, as you disembark your ship. Alaska cruises Alaska has long been a cruise staple, but the next few years will see more ships than ever before sail its glacier-nibbled coastline and fabled Inside Passage that runs between the coast and islands of Alaska and British Columbia. By 2026, Royal Caribbean will have four ships homeported for Alaska cruises, Princess will offer itineraries on a record eight ships, and MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages will send ships for the first time. Azamara returns after a seven-year absence. The boom has been fuelled by Americans looking for post-pandemic domestic destinations, increased ship capacity and the development of new ports and more varied itineraries. More ships are now visiting smaller ports such as Valdez, Kodiak Island and Homer. See The vast majority of river cruising is undertaken in Europe and a great chunk of that on the Rhine and Danube rivers. But we'll see more river cruises developed elsewhere in years to come as demand for river-cruising grows and European rivers get more familiar – and congested. Two choice examples are up and running this year, with AmaWaterways offering cruises on Colombia's Magdalena River and Australia Star launching on our own Murray River. Cruising isn't new to the Murray but the new ship, a partnership between Murray River Paddlesteamers and APT, ups luxury levels. The Mekong, Peruvian Amazon, Ganges, Mississippi, Chobe River in Botswana and Intracoastal Waterway (partly on rivers and canals along America's east coast) are also tipped for growth. See Great Lakes cruising The outsized lakes that straddle the border of Canada and America have hovered under the radar for a long time, with only local companies St Lawrence Cruise Lines and Pearl Seas Cruises sailing there. Then Viking Cruises began operating its expedition ships on the lakes in 2022 and found so much international demand that it doubled capacity the year after. It is adding two new itineraries in 2026. Now things are hotting up even more, with American small-ship company Victory Cruise Lines returning to the region this year with itineraries that visit all five lakes, and French expedition company Ponant also sending two ships to the Great Lakes. Numbers are still modest, with only 22,000 passengers projected in 2025. An uncrowded cruise destination awaits – for now. See Winter cruising in Europe As summer crowds and heat continue to surge, we'll be seeing more off-season cruising in Europe – although soon it will hardly be off-season at all, and the steep discounts once offered on fares will steadily shrink. The attraction? Fewer tourists in monuments and museums, seasonal atmosphere and an alternative experience, though unpredictable weather and short daylight hours are downsides. A flotilla of cruise ships is now sailing the Mediterranean into November and resuming as early as February, and even in the Baltic Sea some are lingering right through winter. Copenhagen expects more than 50 cruise ships to arrive this 2025-26 winter season. Cruises to see the Northern Lights in Norway and Christmas-market river cruises on the Rhine and Danube are also growing in popularity. See Ocean lines take to rivers Time will tell if this is the next big thing, but two ocean cruise companies have already announced a move into the river-cruise market and, given its potential for more expansion, we might assume others are considering it. This year French expedition company Ponant acquired a stake in Aqua Expeditions, a boutique operator on the Amazon and Mekong rivers. The hefty bank balance of Ponant's parent company Artemis Group suggests expansion of Aqua Expeditions might be on the cards. Meanwhile, Celebrity Cruises has announced an order for 10 river ships, open for booking this year but the first not sailing until 2027. The company remains tight-lipped on details but will sail first in Europe before expanding to other world rivers. See Short-break cruising Loading Sometimes it pays to look to Americans, who form the world's largest cruise market, to see what might be happening elsewhere soon. And considering the trend towards three-and four-day cruises among Americans, you can bet they might soon be booming in Australia, too. Short-break cruising is increasingly popular because it provides a quick getaway at a budget price. Many younger first timers want to see if they enjoy the cruise experience. Cruise lines like it because onboard revenue is higher per day than on longer cruises. Carnival, Celebrity, Princess and Royal Caribbean all offer short-break cruising from Australia, which range from between two and five nights. Short cruises also make for interesting add-ons while visiting destinations such as Singapore, Europe or the Caribbean. See
Sydney Morning Herald
24-05-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
The 15 big cruising trends you'll want to get behind
Land and sea connections Last year we reported on the rise of land tours before and after a cruise, which range from port-city hotel breaks to short, guided getaways to inland destinations. But far more ambitious land-sea journeys are becoming more common, too. Cruise lines want a slice of the lucrative land market, and customers in an uncertain world are increasingly keen on single, seamless holiday packages. Some travel companies with both land and cruise arms are perfectly placed to deliver. Scenic is unrolling a collection of worldwide Grand Journeys in 2026 that range from 41 and 86 days and match land journeys with ocean and river cruises. Examples include a Portugal to Switzerland and Machu Picchu to Caribbean journey. See Nile River cruising In the last 15 years Egyptian tourism has been battered by the Arab Spring and COVID, and it looked as if the Gaza conflict might put tourists off again. Yet this ancient country, as it has done numerous times over the last two centuries, is becoming a hot destination all over again. Bookings on the Nile surged this year, the season has been steadily lengthening, companies such as Scenic and Travelmarvel are making a return in 2025 and 2026 respectively, and new ships are launching. A total solar eclipse over Egypt in 2027 is creating further demand for special eclipse cruises. Viking Cruises recently launched two new ships and is taking its Nile fleet to 10 by 2026. Its popular cruise-tour will be bolstered by 221 new departures by 2027. See Expedition cruising Nothing new about this style of small-ship adventure, but this once niche segment is booming. Ten years ago, fewer than 100,000 passengers took an expedition cruise. This year, four times as many set sail on some 100 expedition ships belonging to 20 cruise lines. Australians shine on the expedition front, with Aussie-owned companies such as Aurora Expeditions, Chimu Adventures, Coral Expeditions and Scenic sending ships to the far corners of the Earth. APT also offers expedition cruises on chartered ships. Expedition ships average 160 passengers with cruises lasting an average 11 days. As for the next big things within expeditions, expect more millennial, Gen Z and solo travellers, and increasing itineraries in 'water-water' destinations such as the Indian Ocean and West Africa. See Ships with sails OK, you're allowed to raise your eyebrows at the thought of sails on ships being the way of the future rather than a relic of the past. Only a few companies such as Star Clipper and Windstar offer cruises under canvas. But if research and development go the right way, a more futuristic 'sailing' ship might become more common as companies seek alternative propulsion systems to fossil fuels. They won't only be very small ships, either. Orient Express Silenseas, due to sail in mid-2026, will have French-developed SolidSail technology, with three huge sails made from glass panels reinforced with carbon fibre. Ponant and Hurtigruten are looking at adding sails to their new ships, too, while Carnival Corporation is studying vertical rotors that will be powered by wind. See Persian Gulf cruising Why this region didn't emerge as a cruise destination long ago is a mystery: it has good tourism infrastructure and airline connections, a predictable climate, distinctive culture and conveniently close ports. You'll have plenty of opportunity to cruise the Persian Gulf in future, with Dubai's cruise terminal positioned as a major hub, and other new terminals gracing harbourfronts from Bahrain to Muscat, Kuwait, Doha and Abu Dhabi. MSC Cruises is a regional regular and homeports MSC Euribia in Dubai over the winter cruise season. Small-ship company Celestyal Cruises has extended its Persian Gulf options and will have two ships in the Gulf this coming season. Explora Journeys meanwhile is launching into the 2026-27 season, and many other cruise lines make occasional visits. Expect more to come. See Cruise-free ports It isn't all good news in cruising. A growing swell of public pressure against overcrowding and pollution is seeing more ports ban or limit cruise ship arrivals. From July this year ships carrying more than 2500 passengers will be turned away from Nice and adjacent Villefranche-sur-Mer, long staples of the Mediterranean cruise circuit. Some are calling for ships to be banned entirely from the French Riviera. Nice joins a list of other cruise-sceptic ports from Juneau in Alaska to Palma, Majorca in Spain that have put varying limits on cruise ships. Cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bordeaux and Venice have moved ships out of city centres. In Europe, you might expect more noisy anti-cruise demonstrators holding signs and placards, or chanting and banging saucepans, as you disembark your ship. Alaska cruises Alaska has long been a cruise staple, but the next few years will see more ships than ever before sail its glacier-nibbled coastline and fabled Inside Passage that runs between the coast and islands of Alaska and British Columbia. By 2026, Royal Caribbean will have four ships homeported for Alaska cruises, Princess will offer itineraries on a record eight ships, and MSC Cruises and Virgin Voyages will send ships for the first time. Azamara returns after a seven-year absence. The boom has been fuelled by Americans looking for post-pandemic domestic destinations, increased ship capacity and the development of new ports and more varied itineraries. More ships are now visiting smaller ports such as Valdez, Kodiak Island and Homer. See The vast majority of river cruising is undertaken in Europe and a great chunk of that on the Rhine and Danube rivers. But we'll see more river cruises developed elsewhere in years to come as demand for river-cruising grows and European rivers get more familiar – and congested. Two choice examples are up and running this year, with AmaWaterways offering cruises on Colombia's Magdalena River and Australia Star launching on our own Murray River. Cruising isn't new to the Murray but the new ship, a partnership between Murray River Paddlesteamers and APT, ups luxury levels. The Mekong, Peruvian Amazon, Ganges, Mississippi, Chobe River in Botswana and Intracoastal Waterway (partly on rivers and canals along America's east coast) are also tipped for growth. See Great Lakes cruising The outsized lakes that straddle the border of Canada and America have hovered under the radar for a long time, with only local companies St Lawrence Cruise Lines and Pearl Seas Cruises sailing there. Then Viking Cruises began operating its expedition ships on the lakes in 2022 and found so much international demand that it doubled capacity the year after. It is adding two new itineraries in 2026. Now things are hotting up even more, with American small-ship company Victory Cruise Lines returning to the region this year with itineraries that visit all five lakes, and French expedition company Ponant also sending two ships to the Great Lakes. Numbers are still modest, with only 22,000 passengers projected in 2025. An uncrowded cruise destination awaits – for now. See Winter cruising in Europe As summer crowds and heat continue to surge, we'll be seeing more off-season cruising in Europe – although soon it will hardly be off-season at all, and the steep discounts once offered on fares will steadily shrink. The attraction? Fewer tourists in monuments and museums, seasonal atmosphere and an alternative experience, though unpredictable weather and short daylight hours are downsides. A flotilla of cruise ships is now sailing the Mediterranean into November and resuming as early as February, and even in the Baltic Sea some are lingering right through winter. Copenhagen expects more than 50 cruise ships to arrive this 2025-26 winter season. Cruises to see the Northern Lights in Norway and Christmas-market river cruises on the Rhine and Danube are also growing in popularity. See Ocean lines take to rivers Time will tell if this is the next big thing, but two ocean cruise companies have already announced a move into the river-cruise market and, given its potential for more expansion, we might assume others are considering it. This year French expedition company Ponant acquired a stake in Aqua Expeditions, a boutique operator on the Amazon and Mekong rivers. The hefty bank balance of Ponant's parent company Artemis Group suggests expansion of Aqua Expeditions might be on the cards. Meanwhile, Celebrity Cruises has announced an order for 10 river ships, open for booking this year but the first not sailing until 2027. The company remains tight-lipped on details but will sail first in Europe before expanding to other world rivers. See Short-break cruising Loading Sometimes it pays to look to Americans, who form the world's largest cruise market, to see what might be happening elsewhere soon. And considering the trend towards three-and four-day cruises among Americans, you can bet they might soon be booming in Australia, too. Short-break cruising is increasingly popular because it provides a quick getaway at a budget price. Many younger first timers want to see if they enjoy the cruise experience. Cruise lines like it because onboard revenue is higher per day than on longer cruises. Carnival, Celebrity, Princess and Royal Caribbean all offer short-break cruising from Australia, which range from between two and five nights. Short cruises also make for interesting add-ons while visiting destinations such as Singapore, Europe or the Caribbean. See
West Australian
21-05-2025
- West Australian
Savings on this year's Asia tours
There are savings of up to $6000 per couple on some of this year's tours in Asia. Two big sales were launched yesterday (May 20) bringing down the coast of travel to our near neighbours. + APT's Best of Asia Sale has big savings, of up to $6000 per couple on select 2025 Asia tours. It includes tours to Vietnam and Cambodia, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka and India. Our pick is the 13-day Vietnam & Cambodia Highlights, which has a sale offer to fly free plus save up to $3400 per couple. 1300 278 278 and + Travelmarvel's Epic Asia Sale can save up to $3000 per couple on some tours this year to Vietnam and Cambodia, Japan, South Korea and Sri Lanka. Our pick of the itineraries is the 13-day Magical Japan, with savings of up to $2000 per couple (with the 12-day Splendours of Sri Lanka a close second, with savings of up to $1000 per person). Three itineraries which combine Vietnam and Cambodia for tours have 'fly free' offers combined with sale savings. 1300 208 712 and + Both sales are available now but end on June 4, 2025.
