CP57: Adventure Cruise Guide, Tauck Savor

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ADVENTURE CRUISE GUIDE

Native Going

A new wave of adventure and expedition cruise operators are serving up some of the most exciting innovations in travel anywhere.

Sepik River dancers

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ADVENTURE CRUISE GUIDE

BRAVE NEW WORLD

Words Roderick Eime

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xpedition cruising is about exploration, discovery, unrepeatable experiences and priceless enrichment.

Now some big new players with brand credentials are pushing up the number of adventure cruise travellers and creating thousands of new converts.

Silversea Cruises, for one, has developed Asia-Pacific into its second largest expedition market. The luxury line now has three adventurous Silvers sailing the world in the 50

form of Explorer, Discoverer and Galapagos, bringing its own special incarnation of “Champagne” expedition cruising to Australians and, indeed, the world.

Homegrown brand APT has charged headlong into this sector, too, thanks to a recent canny merger with top-rated British operation Noble Caledonia that introduced the 4.5-star rated Caledonian Sky to Australian adventurers.

The stalwart, double-barrelled Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic brand is now taking on this lofty sector with the

acquisition of the Orion, a magnificent and eminently capable ship many believe to be the best in its class. It’s been a marriage that many observers have watched closely as the pioneering family company (who can trace their expedition cruising heritage back to 1966) subsumes a ship quite different to the other five, more utilitarian, vessels in the National Geographic fleet.

The freshly “Linbladised” National Geographic Orion’s new suite of exploration tools includes a comprehensive scuba facility, greatly expanded photo and video work shops, a remote-controlled underwater submarine, new kayaks and a high-resolution camera for taking stunning underwater images. Would you like caviar with that?

American newcomer to the Australian market and frequent name-changer is

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ADVENTURE CRUISE GUIDE

Left: If you’re ready to conquer the North Pole, how about boarding the nuclear-powered icebreaker, 50 Years of Victory, next July for the Captain's Choice 18-day Quest to the North Pole?

Right: Ceremonial dance costumes on the Solomon Islands, courtesy of Lindlad Expeditions

'Silversea is bringing its own special incarnation of "Champagne" expedition cruising to Australians.''

Un-Cruise Adventures (formerly American Safari Cruises and InnerSea Discoveries).

The big little line offers six cruising regions on eight vessels, most unknown to Australian expedition cruisers.

The more traditionalist (some might say purist) One Ocean Expeditions is renewing the search for Sir John Franklin in the Canadian Arctic with the sturdy ex-Soviet Akademik Sergey Vavilov. Franklin, 126 men and two complete ships have been missing for 160-odd years. Good luck, chaps.

Meanwhile, on the rivers, the burgeoning

Pandaw fleet continues to expand, despite the mysterious disappearance of the Saigon Pandaw last Christmas. Pandaw has added new mid-size vessels, including Katha and Angkor (32 passengers), as well as boutiquesized boats such as Kaladan and Kha Byoo (20 passengers), bringing its fleet of gorgeous heritage vessels to 12.

And Pandaw is not alone on the rivers, because breathing down its neck are Aqua Expeditions, Travel Indochina and Heritage Line with their own newbuilds.

India, too, is set to reincarnate itself on the

holy Hooghly and Ganges rivers with new launches there from Assam Bengal Navigation.

There has also been a major makeover of the much-loved Blue Lagoon Cruises flagship, Fiji Princess. Aurora Expeditions will begin operating from the underutilised Chilean port of Puerto Williams for its Antarctic departures that include the ground-breaking polar snorkelling activity (yes, you read it correctly) and the mighty Russian nuclear icebreaker, 50 Years of Victory, will close a chapter in polar exploration when she retires as a passenger ship in 2015.

So keep your eye on all the action in expedition cruising because, one thing's for certain, there is always something exciting happening. www.cruisepassenger.com.au

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ADVENTURE CRUISE GUIDE: NEW DESTINATIONS

Wherever next...

2. A RAFT ON THE RIVER KWAI

Adventure cruise companies are going to the ends of the earth to bring us ever-more exciting itineraries.

Here are 10 you may not have heard about.

By Roderick Eime.

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dventure Associates has long been known for pushing the limits of expedition cruising and, with veteran polar explorer Greg Mortimer now at the helm, the company is positioning itself as the polar experts. It has just released a series of Experts' Choice expeditions to the Antarctic that include helicopter flights and visits to Scott’s and Shackleton’s huts.

See adventureassociates.com

1. CHOPPER TO HISTORY

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mmortalised by the semi-factual 1957 war movie, the legendary river is also home to a group of the displaced Mon people from Burma who began one of the first experiments in modern ecotourism in 1976. A raft lodge, or “floatel”, is moored on the river just in front of their village where visitors can help out at the little school, enjoy dance performances and take classes in handicrafts and elephant handling.

See riverkwaijunglerafts.com

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any years before 1984 and Animal Farm, George Orwell was posted to the remote Irrawaddy River port of Katha. Now hundreds of his fans make the pilgrimage every year to the tiny Burmese backwater to see for themselves this speck of civilisation that was once part of the mighty British Empire.

The British Club, jail and fire station are remarkably intact in a town where modernity is only now just arriving.

See pandaw.com, activetravel.com.au

3. LITERARY ADVENTURE ON THE IRRAWADDY

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he 1,100-kilometre-long, mystical Sepik River in PNG is a hotbed of sorcery and magic. Most expedition cruise ships only explore the river mouth and lively village of Watam, while the more adventurous proceed way upstream to visit the villages of Angoram and Bien and see the bewitching art and tribal culture first hand.

See northstarcruises.com.au, coralprincess.com.au, papuanewguinea.travel, pngtours.com

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4. SORCERY ON THE SEPIK

fter the success of whale swim ventures in Tonga and Niue, Australia is set to join the international sensation with carefully managed in-water encounters on Queensland’s Fraser Coast at Hervey Bay. Meet 30-tonne humpbacks and calves in their environment at one the world’s most famous whale sanctuaries. The season is from late July to early November. Still in development with marine park authorities. Stay tuned.

See bluedolphintours.com.au, visitfrasercoast.com, whalesherveybay.com.au

5. WHALE OF A TIME

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SHIP TO SHORE: SHIP REVIEW

TAUCK TOWN OF THE

We will soon be seeing, and likely enjoying, much more from this stalwart American brand, particularly on the rivers of Europe.

Words Roderick Eime

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o sooner have the last words of praise and dedication been uttered than the German band strikes up a rousing number in anticipation of the Champagne ceremony. And with a muffled thud, the contents of a vintage cru are emptied into the river at Bingen-am-Rhein.

The brand new MS Savor is christened!

Our three-day itinerary is purely a demonstration run of this state-of-the-art vessel and all it has to offer. Instead of Savor’s forthcoming Danube dawdlings, we explore the riverside charms of Wurzburg and Rothenburg while watching the delightful scenery roll past in slow motion.

Our welcome dinner showcases the capabilities of the kitchen and five courses are offered. We kick off with an amuse-bouche of salmon caviar on crisp potato cakes (I prefer the funny German name of “kartoffelpuffer”) followed by asparagus vanilla cappuccino and delicately seared medallion of rock lobster.

The main course of Chateaubriand and baby

vegetables is flawless and the alternative of pan-sautéed sea bass fillet looks pretty good, too. For a fitting finale, it’s delice aux chocolat with truffle cake, hazelnut and forest berries.

Out on the sun deck we are torn between a soothing soak in the jacuzzi or the cutand-thrust of putt-putt golf on the miniature course. After such an exertion, the rooftop bar is hard to pass up and the weather is most conducive to a crisp German lager.

When a low bridge is encountered, it’s like a scene from Thunderbirds as all the furniture is quickly whisked away Right: The World into designated slots, tables folded Heritage-listed old flat and awnings neatly collapsed. town of Cesky Krumlov in the Czech Republic The whole bridge, suspended is one of the highlights on hydraulic pillars, simply squats of MS Savor’s sevendown to allow our ship to pass night Danube cruises through. Very Swiss.

Savor is the second Inspirationclass vessel built by Swiss company Scylla AG for Tauck, which traces its roots back to 1925 when Arthur Tauck snr first began guided tours to New England and Massachusetts in a borrowed Studebaker.

The MS Savor 94

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SHIP TO SHORE: SHIP REVIEW

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SHIP TO SHORE: SHIP REVIEW

‘Developing points of difference in an increasingly crowded market is difficult, but Tauck has come up with some clever features to set the vessels apart.’

Today the Tauck dynasty presides over a company that runs more than 100 itineraries in 70-something countries and regularly reels in awards, including World’s Best River Cruise Line from respected arbiters such as Travel + Leisure. While almost all passengers are from the US, the company has its eyes firmly on the growing number of enthusiastic Australian river cruisers, thanks to a 25-year alliance with Sydney-based Travel the World.

Like so many leading river cruise brands, Tauck is in something of a build, launch and christen frenzy. While it may be a while before it rivals the massive Viking fleet, Tauck is satisfied to play an upscale, boutique role in an otherwise mass market.

“We don’t want to be the biggest,” 83-year-old Arthur jnr tells me as he puffs on a fat cigar, a martini a short arm’s reach away, “just the best at what we do.”

The fleet now comprises two 135-metre Inspiration-class vessels, Inspire and Savor, as well as four 110-metre Jewel-class river ships, catering to 118 guests. Forward plans include another Jewel-class ship, Esprit, for 2015 and two more Inspiration-class river ships in 2016.

Developing points of difference in an increasingly crowded market is difficult, but Tauck, in consultation with its Swiss shipbuilder, has come up with some clever features to set the Inspiration vessels apart.

Besides emphasising a higher staff-topassenger ratio and lower passenger numbers for comparable-sized vessels, Tauck likes to remind us that the rear (Diamond) deck on Level 3 is a second, casual dining venue called Arthur’s, named after the patriarch and his son. The main dining venue, The Compass 96

Savor’s reception lobby. Left (clockwise from top left): the main dining room; one of the ship’s eight loft suites; Arthur Tauck jnr

Rose, is open-seating fine dining and can accommodate all guests in a single sitting.

Another innovative feature is the incorporation of eight 21 sq m loft suites on the lowest (Emerald) level. These suites borrow space from the (Ruby) level above and feature an elevated sitting area with a full-width retractable window.

“Our river cruises sell out very fast,” said Tauck CEO, Dan Mahar, who is aboard for the inaugural cruise, “We’re typically 75 to 80 per cent sold by December for the following year.”

The Inspiration-class vessels each have 67 guest cabins and suites across seven categories and range in size from 14 sq m to 28 sq m. Catering to a maximum 130 guests

Fact file CRUISE LINE: Tauck VESSEL: MS Savor MAX PASSENGER CAPACITY: 130 TOTAL CREW: 43 PASSENGER DECKS: 3 LENGTH: 135 metres ENTERED SERVICE: 2014 FACILITIES: 2 restaurants, sun deck, fitness centre, bikes, hair salon, complimentary wi-fi, Jacuzzi, elevator, lounge/bar, putting green.

BOOKINGS: 8-day Danube Reflections cruise from US$4,070 per person, twin-share. For more details, see tauck.com.au/river-cruises.

served by 43 staff and crew, 55 cabins have French balconies with six 14 sq m cabins set aside for solo travellers.

Other features include a full-length, rooftop sun deck with alfresco dining; complimentary beverages (including alcohol); live entertainment; beauty salon; in-room movies; minibar; bicycles; fitness centre and free internet.

As part and parcel of every sailing, Tauck includes a cruise director and three tour directors – a guide-to-guest ratio it claims is the highest in the industry.

Shore excursions are delivered by a small fleet of luxury coaches that shadow the vessel as she ambles along the river.

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SHIP TO SHORE: SHIP REVIEW

These excursions can, and often do, include “uncommon access” events at marquee attractions in ports of call. For example, at the imposing Wurzburg Residence in Bavaria, the location of many scenes from the Orlando Bloom movie The Three Musketeers, we are led underground to a massive cellar for wine tasting and a surprise banquet.

Along the Danube, Tauck plans to offer an “Imperial Evening” in a private Viennese palace, including dinner, classical music, opera and dance. In Prague, a similar reception is planned for the Lobkowicz Palace; likewise in Bucharest’s Palace of Parliament.

With sister ship Inspire already plying the Rhine, Savor will be allocated exclusively to the Danube, where she will offer customised seven-night itineraries incorporating major cities such as Munich, Nürnberg, Vienna, Passau, Bratislava and Cesky Krumlov, combined with Tauck land sectors. For example, the eight-day Munich to Vienna itinerary can be extended to 12 days to allow time to explore Vienna and Prague in a more leisurely fashion with a combination of guided and “at leisure” touring. Tauck believes this option will appeal to Australians who have to travel further than most to enjoy the delights of Europe and the Danube.

THE VERDICT Highs: Superior service, food and amenities with emphasis on all-inclusive pricing. Formal and casual dining choices with free seating and complimentary drinks. Superbly appointed with highquality fittings throughout.

Lows: Internet patchy. Some guests may prefer a full balcony.

Best suited to: Mature, fussy, active and financially secure couples, families or small groups. www.cruisepassenger.com.au

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