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REVIEWS: Princess • Norwegian • Viking • AwaWaterways • Uniworld

JOIE DE VIVRE Why we still love Europe THE EURO EDITION

AUSTRALIA/NZ AU$14.95

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AUSTRALIA

Our ships for 2026/27

LAUNCH

Brand new Aussie line 24/8/2026 5:49 pm

2027 Europe River Cruising With Scenic, it’s more than an all-inclusive river cruise, it’s a seamless journey from start to finish that places you at the heart of everything we do. Discover remarkable regions, where rich history, local culture and enduring traditions await. Experience the historic castles and quaint villages of Central Europe, the terraced vineyards of the Douro and the seasonal aromas, flavours and sparkling lights of Europe’s Christmas markets. Enjoy France’s celebrated culinary traditions, such as dining crafted by Michelin-starred chefs, truffle hunting and sipping French Champagne. Whichever journey you choose, Scenic invites you to discover Europe in your own way.

Jewels of Europe

Romantic Rhine & Moselle

15 Days | Amsterdam < > Budapest

15 Days | Basel < > Amsterdam

15 Days | Amsterdam < > Budapest

All-Inclusive River Cruise from $9,295pp*

All-Inclusive River Cruise from $9,795pp*

All-Inclusive River Cruise from $10,895pp*

Netherlands

Amsterdam Utrecht Veere Arnhem Düsseldorf Antwerp Koblenz Cochem Rüdesheim Belgium Mannheim Bernkastel Germany France 14 Strasbourg

Amsterdam

Cologne Germany

Bonn

Rüdesheim Bamberg 14 Nuremberg Würzburg Dürnstein Slovakia Regensburg Passau Vienna Hungary Austria

Breisach

Budapest

AMBA

STC

Exclusive Scenic Enrich concerts at Palais Liechtenstein and La Redoute Recital Hall

Basel Zurich Switzerland

Exclusive Scenic Enrich concerts at Cleydael Castle and Liebfrauenkirche

All Excursions 37 Scenic Freechoice

Fly Your Way

All Excursions 34 Scenic Freechoice

Christmas Markets

Netherlands

Amsterdam Cologne

Germany

Wertheim Czech Bamberg Republic Rüdesheim Miltenberg Nuremberg Würzburg Český Krumlov Rothenburg Dürnstein Krems Regensburg Bratislava Passau 14 Vienna Austria Salzburg

CHMA

Budapest Hungary

Exclusive Visit Bavaria’s Christmas Markets, one of the oldest and most famous in the world. All Excursions 22 Scenic Freechoice

We understand the choice of airline matters. That’s why Scenic’s 2027 Super Earlybird offers give you the freedom to fly your way, on the airline and in the class you prefer.

*Europe River Cruising 2027 Terms & Conditions: Super Earlybird Offers are based on per person, twin share in AUD, not combinable with any other offer. Valid for new bookings only until sold out and subject to availability. Full payment is due 10 months prior to the departure date, or payable within 30 days if the booking is within 10 months of the departure date. A non-refundable deposit of $1,000pp is due within 7 working days of booking. Once sold out or if the full payment is not received within the 30 days, the standard offer will apply. Economy class flight credit up to the value of $2,900pp is available on selected Europe River cruises of 10 days or longer and cannot be exchanged for cash. Flights must be booked by Scenic travelling from Australia to Europe in economy class and cannot be redeemed on internal flights within Europe. Up to $4,500pp Business class flight credit is only applicable to Sapphire and Diamond decks on selected cruises of 11 days or longer on selected dates in Feb,

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Beautiful Bordeaux

Spectacular South of France

11 Days | Bordeaux < > Bordeaux

11 Days | Lyon < > Lyon

All-Inclusive River Cruise from $8,795pp*

Saintes Cognac

Pauillac

Blaye

Fort Médoc

Bourg

Bordeaux

France

BOD

Sauternes

Bourg en Bresse

Vonnas

Lyon

Saint-Émilion

Chavaney

Libourne Ardèche National Park

Château de Vayres

Arcachon

Mâcon

Cormatin Castle Beaujolais

Pont du Gard

Cadillac

Roquetaillade Castle

FRAC

Avignon Arles

Pérouges Vienne

Tournon Viviers Châteauneuf du Pape

TRAVEL LOUNGE You’re invited to a complimentary travel information event to gain deep insights into Europe and Asia river cruising. Also, learn about our handcrafted land journeys in Canada and ocean discovery on board Scenic Discovery Yachts.

Les Baux

Exclusive Scenic Enrich concert at

Exclusive Scenic Enrich concerts at Pope’s

Château d’Agassac and after hours access to Bassins de Lumières

Palace and Trinity Chapel All Excursions 33 Scenic Freechoice

Visit our website for more details on session times and locations.

RSVP at scenic.cruises/events

All Excursions 37 Scenic Freechoice

Business Class

Economy

Flight Credit up to $2,900pp

Flight Credit up to $4,500pp* with Balcony Suites

Mar, July, Aug, Oct & Nov 2027, or up to $3,500pp on selected dates in April, May, June, Sept & Dec 2027 and can only be used for Business Class flights from Australia to Europe during the specified periods. Flights must be booked by Scenic via the standard journey routing. Price correct as of 05/06/26 based on BOD291027.1 & FRAC270327.1. †2027 Bonus Hotel Night Offer: Limited to new France river cruising bookings made from 1 Jul - 31 Aug 26 subject to availability, or until sold out. Hotel night will be accommodated at a hotel of Scenic’s choice and is only valid on set dates. Blackout dates apply. Offer is combinable with Earlybird, Super Earlybird, one Scenic Voucher pp. ^All beverages on board are included except for a very small number of rare, fine and vintage wines, Champagnes and spirits. ~Conditions Apply. Some images are artist’s impressions or were created with assistance from AI tools. For full terms and conditions visit scenic.cruises/terms-conditions. ABN 85 002 715 602.

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The Ultimate in All-Inclusive Ultra-Luxury River Cruising

Rhine, Main, Moselle & Danube, Rhône & Saône, Seine, Bordeaux & Douro Rivers

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Every Detail, Always Included, That’s Distinctly Scenic.

Exclusive Scenic Enrich events offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences exclusive to Scenic guests. Scenic Freechoice excursions, allow you to select from a broad range of carefully curated, immersive experiences to suit your interests and pace. All-inclusive dining and beverages at up to five dedicated on-board experiences. From relaxed cafe fare to fine dining, regionally inspired menus and local ingredients paired with premium international beverages all day long.

Luxury with a Sense of Wonder Custom-designed Scenic ships combine intuitive service with exceptional dining, premium beverages, personalised butler service and luxurious suites. Plus, airport transfers, tipping and Wi-Fi are all included. Onshore, included Scenic Freechoice and exclusive Scenic Enrich experiences are designed for you to follow your interests, uncovering each destination at the pace that feels personal, meaningful and memorable. Scenic is the ultimate all-inclusive experience, inviting you to discover Europe in every dimension. From the warm welcome on board to the richness of each destination, every inclusion has been thoughtfully designed to make your journey more rewarding.

It is this unrivalled depth of inclusions, on board and onshore, that creates a richer, more immersive and an effortless way to explore Europe. With no unexpected extras, you are free to focus on the experiences that matter most and the moments that inspire a lasting sense of wonder.

Luxury suites with butler service Scenic Slumber beds, bathroom with luxury ESPA amenities and personalised mini-bar refreshed daily. Rejuvenate with wellness experiences, including complimentary e-bikes and a unique Salt Therapy Lounge. All the essentials - Tipping on board and on shore, airport transfers and complimentary Wi-Fi.

Scenic is the only cruise line that offers this depth of experience, so you can enjoy the journey of a lifetime.

Book now at scenic.cruises, call us on 138 128 or visit your local Travel Advisor

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Voyage

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Voyage

CRUISE THE RIVERS IN ULTIMATE LUXURY Aboard our floating boutique hotels, taken care of by the finest crew in the industry and surrounded with an exceptional degree of high-quality included amenities, you never have to settle for less than extraordinary.

WINE ROADS OF FRANCE & PORTUGAL 18 Days | Bordeaux to Lisbon | S.S. Bon Voyage & S.S. São Gabriel Guide price from $15,499*pp 2026 & 2027 DEPARTURES AVAILABLE

cruıse passenger

READERS’ CHOICE 2025 WINNER BEST LUXURY RIVER LINE

Scan here to view our current offers VISIT UNIWORLD.COM/AU CALL 1300 370 792 SEE YOUR TRAVEL ADVISOR

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UW 126

ENCHANTING DANUBE

SLOVENIA, VENICE & THE JEWELS OF VENETO

INDIA’S GOLDEN TRIANGLE & THE SACRED GANGES

8 Days | Budapest to Passau or v.v. | S.S. Maria Theresa & S.S. Marlene

11 Days | Ljubliana to Venice | S.S. La Venezia

Guide price from $4,899*pp

Guide price from $5,749*pp

Guide price from $11,299*pp

2026, 2027 & 2028 DEPARTURES AVAILABLE

13 Days | New Delhi to Kolkata | S.S. Ganges Voyager II

ONE-OF-A-KIND AWARD-WINNING SHIPS | THE MOST ALL-INCLUSIVE AMENITIES EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY | HIGHEST SERVICE STANDARDS | OUTSTANDING CUISINE * All fares are guide prices per guest in Australian dollars based on double occupancy unless otherwise noted and are available on a limited number of staterooms. Prices are a guide only, correct at the time of print and subject to change at any time. Guide prices shown are inclusive of applicable savings. Visit uniworld.com/au/current-offers for complete offer details. Fares are capacity controlled and are subject to change at any time without notice. Fares listed are inclusive of all taxes and port charges. Availability of all stateroom categories cannot be guaranteed. Single Supplement applies for single accommodation. Itineraries, hotels, and vessels may change, and substitute visits to other sites may occur during your trip due to water level fluctuations and other uncontrollable factors. The order of sightseeing and docking ports are subject to change according to port authority assignments. Uniworld reserves the right to make corrections as required. Other restrictions may apply. Visit uniworld.com/terms-and-conditions for complete terms and conditions. Date of issue: 4 August 2026.

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Contents

Cruise

Travel

September 2026 Editor-in-chief and publisher Peter Lynch peter.lynch@bigsplashmedia.com.au Editor Bernadette Chua bernadette@bigsplashmedia.com.au Executive editor Teresa Ooi teresa@bigsplashmedia.com.au Head of revenue Belinda Harris Sub-editor Joanna Tovia

CONTENTS UPFRONT

All the latest news from the world of travel, including hotel openings, new cruise itineraries, ship launches, the latest travel trends, and all the ships heading to Australia for the 2026/27 season.

Art director Catherine Martin Advertising sales manager Vida Folden vida@bigsplashmedia.com.au Contributors and writers Jane Archer, Tallis Boerne Marcus, Sue Bryant, Bernadette Chua, Mark Dapin, Rose Kelly, Teresa Ooi, Chris Singh and Tiana Templeman Subscriptions Phone 02 8227 6486 – Australia Phone +612 8227 6400 – International cruisepassenger.com.au Printed by IVE.

cruisepassenger.com.au

SPECIAL SECTION EUROPE

There’s never been a better time to explore Europe’s unsung destinations, crowdfree ports and exciting new river cruises. This is your guide to the latest itineraries, excursions and experiences to help you do Europe differently.

MULTI MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS Cruise & Travel magazine is published by Big Splash Media Pty Ltd, Suite G01, 46a Macleay Street Potts Point, Sydney 2011 bigsplashmedia.com.au Phone: +61 2 9356 8888

Managing director Peter Lynch

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited. Copyright Big Splash Media Pty Ltd. Opinions expressed are those of the individual contributors and are not necessarily those of the publisher. All reasonable efforts have been made to contact copyright holders. Information provided believed to be correct at time of publication, however details can change at any time and all information, including prices, in this magazine should be considered general in nature only. No travel decisions should be made solely on the information provided. Always consult your travel agent.

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OCEANS

Six extravagant ways you can buy back space, access and time on the rivers and railways of Europe.

The Sun Princess has evolved in all the right places since its debut, and added new Mediterranean itineraries.

Best of the best

Here comes the sun

Journey into Northern Europe

Step aboard the Norwegian Sun with us for a legendary voyage into the Baltics.

The Med minus the usual crowds

A refreshing quiet-season Mediterranean cruise on board Viking Vesta.

RIVER CRUISING

102

Secret rivers

The river cruise lines venturing to new waterways.

108

When more is more

No detail has been overlooked on Uniworld’s opulent new Super Ship, S.S. Emilie.

114

Subscribe & Save Get the convenience of home delivery and never miss another issue of Cruise & Travel magazine. We will send it straight to your address. It costs $85 for four issues of Cruise & Travel magazine including postage. Plus, receive our weekly newsletter Subscribe today! Cruise cruisepassenger.com.au

Travel

REVIEWS: Ponant in Japan • Crystal in the South Pacific • A new Celebrity Solstice

PACIFIC PARADISE

26 pages of close-to-home island holidays

Castles in the air

This AmaWaterways cruise is eye-opening and jaw-dropping, even when things don’t go quite to plan.

120

Last word

Business and first-class flyers are getting extra perks while economy cabins shrink. Cruise &Travel

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AUSTRALIA/NZ AU$14.95

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RIVER CRUISING

Welcome to the hottest cruise trend today

EUROPE

The best of 2027 and beyond 5/6/2026 4:11 pm

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Welcome FROM THE PUBLISHER

Why Europe still has our hearts

elcome to our latest edition of Cruise&Travel magazine. Travel agents are beginning to sound a little like doctors. Once, you walked into a surgery and said: “My knee hurts.” Now you arrive carrying 14 pages downloaded from the internet explaining that you have a rare Peruvian cartilage disorder. Travel planning is heading the same way. Customers arrive carrying an AI-generated itinerary containing 16 hotels, three flights, two train journeys, three Michelin-starred restaurants, a private boat in Capri and one question: “Can you book this?” That’s the difficult bit. Travel tech has invaded every facet of planning and enjoying a holiday. Remember walking up to a desk occupied by an actual human being in uniform when you arrived at the airport? They inspected your passport, tagged your suitcase and sent it somewhere beneath the building. Now you check yourself in. You print your own luggage tag. You attach it with the dexterity normally required for minor surgery. Then you wrestle your Samsonite onto a robotic conveyor belt and hope the machine has read Barcelona rather than Dar es Salaam. This is only the beginning. Digital identity and biometric verification have already been demonstrated on international journeys as alternatives to passports and boarding passes. At this rate, the only person left working at the airport will be the chap charging $11 for a bottle of water. Which brings us to Europe. In this magazine, we carry a special report by our team of experts on cruising and travelling on this great continent. This year has been the most challenging since COVID. Climate change has delivered a heatwave, forest fires and low water levels. The Middle East conflict has made flying to Europe more expensive and more complex. Yet, despite it all, the cradle of Western civilisation continues to be one of Australia’s all-time favourite destinations. Today, travelling well in Europe means being clever. That’s where our experts can help. From new destinations to avoiding the crowds, it’s all in this magazine. Among their tips: Travel in May, June, September and October. Look north. Look towards the Atlantic and Baltic. Europe remains an astonishing concentration of architecture, food, wine, landscape and history. And the travel industry is adapting. Tours are now available year-round instead of just in peak seasons (and in the early morning to avoid the midday sun); smaller luxury ships like Scenic and Emerald’s yachts take passengers to smaller ports; river lines like AmaWaterways are building vessels with smaller drafts – or even paddle wheels. But in today’s world, no European city can promise never to be hot or overcrowded. There are no guarantees. There are just ways to get better odds of avoiding the pitfalls. Enjoy our special report. And it will soon be on our website, cruisepassenger.com.au, so you can share it with all your best travelling companions. CT Peter Lynch, Editor-in-chief and publisher

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Pick of the bunch Gdańsk, Poland charms visitors in every season.

MY FAVOURITE FIVE

There are some 50 countries in Europe. Here’s my pick of the places where you can enjoy everything European yet avoid the pitfalls. Remember comedian Bob Hope’s wry comment: “I’ve been to almost as many places as my luggage.”

1.LJUBLJANA, Slovenia

Ljubljana feels as though somebody took the best bits of a European capital and removed several kilometres of inconvenience. A river runs through the middle. Cafés occupy its banks. A castle sits above it. Much of the centre belongs to pedestrians. It is compact and handsome and the wine is excellent enough to make you wonder why Slovenia has been keeping it to itself. Lake Bled is close. So are the mountains. Go in May, early June or September, and Ljubljana becomes a far more persuasive proposition.

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2. GDAŃSK, Poland

If Kraków is Poland’s celebrity, Gdańsk is the sibling who doesn’t have an Instagram account. Its waterfront is lined with gloriously restored merchant houses. There are museums, Baltic seafood, pierogi, handsome old streets and Sopot’s beaches nearby. Gdańsk is cooler than southern Europe, but it is not deserted. The high season is between May and September. And during the St Dominic’s Fair in late July and August, the centre becomes very lively indeed. So plan your Polish travels for June or September.

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3.CORK, Ireland

Dublin is where everybody goes. Cork is where Irish people ask why you went to Dublin. The English Market sits at the heart of a city unusually interested in lunch. There’s seafood, farmhouse cheese and excellent pubs. Kinsale is close, Blarney Castle is closer and beyond lies West Cork: harbours, villages, headlands and Atlantic roads. Spend the morning grazing through the English Market, climb Shandon’s bell tower for a view across the city, then discover Cork’s considerably darker side in the cells of Cork City Gaol.

4.BERGEN, Norway

You arrive beside a harbour surrounded by mountains, look towards the old wooden buildings of Bryggen and immediately understand why Norwegians spend so much time talking about Norway. They have a point. Bergen is a proper city with restaurants, museums and a centuries-old relationship with seafood. But get on a boat, and the landscape becomes truly beautiful: mountains, waterfalls and fjords. I cannot claim this as an undiscovered destination; Bergen is a major cruise port, but lovely nonetheless.

5.HELSINKI, Finland

In Helsinki, water is everywhere, islands lie just offshore, and there’s handsome architecture, saunas, serious coffee, excellent seafood and enough design shops to make your luggage allowance a matter of national concern. It also works beautifully by sea. Scenic Eclipse II, Princess, Oceania, Celebrity and others are among the ships calling during the 2026 Baltic season. And for Australians, it is about to become particularly interesting. From October 25, 2026, Finnair is launching a daily Melbourne-Helsinki service.

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