GO NORTH OR SOUTH

Set sail for the North Pole or the South Pacific with Abercrombie & Kent’s new expedition cruises for 2024-25. With vessels chartered from luxury line Ponant, the company will offer 17 different expedition itineraries across all seven continents, including the first-ever sailing of its North Pole Expedition Cruise: The Ultimate Frontier, where guests will venture to the northernmost point on the planet on board icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot Also new to the range are voyages around the historic regions of Greece, Turkey and Saudi Arabia – including a trip down the Suez Canal – and a South Pacific sailing visiting Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, where dramatic scenery, crystal-clear waters and vibrant Indigenous cultures await. abercrombiekent.co.uk

Above And Beyond New Concierge Cruise Agency

A luxury-focused cruise agency has opened its (virtual) doors in the UK, focusing on tailor-made cruise-and-stay holidays. Above and Beyond

Luxury Cruises offers a concierge-style service, so you can get a home visit or speak via a phone call, video chat, WhatsApp, email or text, to get advice on booking your next holiday. As well as cruise-and-stay breaks, they can add discounted airport parking, lounge passes or shore excursions, and can even sort out looking after your pet while you’re away or shopping for essential items on your return.

Elaine Ross, head of luxury and expedition, said: “Our research shows there is a gap in the market for an ultra-luxury travel agency, offering a full concierge service. If customers are booking high-end cruises, they expect the same service from their agency, and we will go above and beyond to fulfil this.” aboveandbeyondluxury.cruise

Mosey Along The Moselle

A leisurely sailing along the Moselle River (left) is the latest addition to Amadeus River Cruises’ new 2024 programme, which features 19 river-based holidays that will visit 13 countries. Guests who like to plan ahead can even make the most of a 15% early booking discount, available until November 30, 2023.

The eight-day Saar & Moselle Fairytales cruise sets off from Cologne along the Rhine and onto the smaller tributaries of the Moselle and the Saar – both set among the stepped vineyards of the Mosel wine-making

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region, where crisp Rieslings are joined by less-common white grapes such as elbling, kerner and auxerrois across its more than 500 vineyards. Departures in May, August and September start from £1,350.

Other highlights of the programme include the Rhine in Flames festival, with firework displays that light up the river and the small towns along its banks, and an epic sevencountry sailing along the Danube, including through the Iron Gates gorge, ending with a stay in Romanian capital Bucharest. amadeus-rivercruises.co.uk