Silver Discoverer Azamara CP59

SHIP REVIEW: SILVER DISCOVERER

Adventure’s silver lining Seasoned expedition cruiser Roderick Eime likes his beans cold and his coffee from a chipped mug. So how did he fare in the refined environment of a luxury adventure cruise ship?

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SHIP REVIEW: SILVER DISCOVERER

I

know as soon as we exchange stares that I have made a mistake. A big mistake.

The giant male New Zealand sea lion has also made a mistake. I am not seeking to dislodge him from his harem of doting cows, I am just passing through. But he is having none of that.

In one swift movement, he launches his massive blubbery body at me, galloping (if that is the right word for a sea lion) and using his fore flippers for extra propulsion. “I mustn’t run, I must hold my ground,” I keep reminding myself, because to flee will only further encourage this cranky bull. But just as I am wondering what’s going to happen next, Louis nudges me out of the way and, a bit like a clean-shaven Gandalf with a funny accent, forcefully thrusts a large stick into the ground in front of the charging animal, bringing his onslaught to a quick finale. The confused beast just looks at us as if the stick is suddenly a brick wall. “Go, now, please,”

Main photo: King penguins frolic in the sun on Macquarie Island. Right: A young elephant seal warns us to mind our step

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SHIP REVIEW: SILVER DISCOVERER Opposite page: Crested penguins forage for food close to Silver Discoverer off Campbell Island. This page: Elephant seals on Macquarie Island; Zodiac cruising off the Antipodes Islands; the super-rare Snares Island snipe; and a Bullers Albatross

says Louis plainly. The rare New Zealand sea lions are now returning to Enderby Island after earlier brutal hunting and complete eradication of feral species like goats, rabbits, cattle and rats.

Enderby is the tiny northern neighbour of the much larger, UNESCO World Heritage-listed Auckland Island and a popular stopover for the few expedition ships that head south to Macquarie Island and beyond.

Previously the domain of tough and stout naval and oceanographic vessels, New Zealand’s Department of Conservation is now working with cruise lines to bring tourists to the island to enjoy the abundant wildlife.

Silversea Expeditions is one such cruise line and the 2014-relaunched Silver Discoverer is the vessel deployed in this region.

It is billed as a voyage for the “hardy expeditioner” – deep into the Southern Ocean, beyond the “roaring forties” and well into the “furious fifties”.

The New Zealand sub-Antarctic itineraries are not for the fainthearted. Once upon a time, you would have spent your first days strapped in a bunk aboard a repurposed former Soviet icebreaker or Arctic ferry, on a ride not unlike those at the Gold Coast.

So this was to be an interesting test of the ethos of white-gloved comfort espoused by today’s expedition cruise fleet – the shiny new Ponants, the luxe HapagLloyds and, in this case, Silversea.

Silversea has long been an Australian favourite. Silversea Cruises was formed in 1993 by a happy confluence of the Lefebvre family of Rome and V-ships of Monaco, a pairing that had previously steered the cruise line, Sitmar.

FACT FILE CRUISE LINE: Silversea Expeditions VESSEL: Silver Discoverer MAX PASSENGER CAPACITY: 120 TOTAL CREW: 96 PASSENGER DECKS: 5 ENTERED SERVICE: 1989, refurbished 2014 FACILITIES: Single-sitting restaurant, outdoor Grill, lounge/lecture room, medical centre, beauty salon, massage, sun deck, pool, (chargeable) Wi-Fi, allinclusive beverages, butler service, Zodiac fleet.

BOOKINGS: 16-day sub-Antarctic cruise aboard Silver Discoverer departing Dunedin January 3, 2016 is priced from $15,250 per person, twin-share. See silversea.com or phone 1300 306 872.

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The plan was – and still is – to operate luxurious smaller cruise ships at an all-inclusive price.

Silver Discoverer started life in 1989 and previously operated as the much-loved Clipper Odyssey. The 103-metre vessel accommodates a maximum of 120 guests, served by 96 officers, staff and crew.

Shipboard accommodation delivers the kind of luxury that’s increasingly in demand in modern expedition cruising.

Suites range in size from 17 to 40sqm and offer butler service; champagne on request; fridge stocked with guests’ choice of beverages; European bath amenities; premium Pratesi bedlinen with down duvets; iPod docking stations; plush bathrobe and slippers; (reasonably priced) Wi-Fi, flat-screen television with on-demand movies, music and satellite news.

But the luxury doesn’t stop there. Silversea has lofty culinary standards. In The Restaurant, which is led by executive chef Rainer Wohrle, the menu features

SHIP REVIEW: SILVER DISCOVERER

‘This was to be an interesting test of the ethos of white-gloved comfort espoused by today’s expedition cruise fleet.’

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SHIP REVIEW: SILVER DISCOVERER

regional dishes inspired by Relais & Châteaux grand chef, Jacques Thorel. And Silver Discoverer’s elegant lounges and open bar are popular gathering points where travellers swap tales and relive the day’s adventures.

Guests can relax outside in the fresh air on the sunny pool deck, a location that also serves as a perfect platform for birdwatchers and photographers. For the energetic, there’s a fitness centre plus a beauty and massage salon for easing tired muscles – particularly appealing after an adventurous day ashore.

Most Antarctic journeys, as we all know, centre around the peninsula, that spiny tendril lunging out from the Antarctic continent towards the tail of South America. But in recent years more journeys began heading out of Hobart and New Zealand towards the historic region around Commonwealth Bay and Cape Adare, where Mawson’s famous huts are located.

But since 2012, a massive iceberg, dubbed B9B, has prevented any vessels getting anywhere near Mawson’s Huts, so voyages were either rerouted or just cancelled. One of the alternative routes included Australia’s vast sub-Antarctic

the VERDICT

Highs: Genuine expedition conducted by expert crew and guides on a well-planned itinerary that delivers abundant wildlife opportunities often under trying conditions.

Lows: Be prepared for rough weather in the Southern Ocean. Drinking water had persistent chlorine taste.

Best suited to: Worldly and well-travelled mature-aged couples and solos still keen for a dash of adventure, although not all itineraries involve such arduous sea legs.

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Above: Pilot whales off the Antipodes Islands. Below right and opposite: A Silversea expedition is also an adventure in fine dining

territory, Macquarie Island, usually coupled with stops at New Zealand’s satellite outposts, Campbell Island, The Auckland Islands, Enderby and The Snares. This shorter itinerary avoids the invariably turbulent seas that toss ships around like corks in the roaring forties and furious fifties, through the screaming sixties and beyond. Plus there are more frequent landings and wildlife viewing opportunities for guests at these little isolated havens. Seals, penguins and seabirds of myriad species abound on these otherwise forlorn outcrops, sending bird lovers into a spin.

Our first stop after our departure point of Dunedin is The Snares, a no-impact reserve where landings are not permitted. Instead we enjoy leisurely Zodiac cruises around the rocky alcoves and caves, checking out the endemic Snares Penguin and elusive snipe.

Then it’s on to Enderby Island, now depleted of invasive species like cattle and feral rabbits and home to its own native species of sea lion and cormorant. The feisty sea lions love to chase us, even though we take a wide berth around their harems. The young males, in particular, bound up to us barking and bellowing until a stick is raised over their heads, a tactic that stops their playful assault dead in its tracks.

The jewel in the crown of this expedition is Macquarie Island. Lying way down at 54-degrees south, we are made to earn our passage. With 100-knot winds and 10-metre swells, it’s a wild old ride. More than once I find myself on the floor of the cabin during the night.

Restaurant staff, butlers and crew maintain their stations at all times and even though worrying noises are heard occasionally from the galley, chef Rainer and his team don’t miss a single sitting. Fragrant lamb, tasty venison, rib-eye steaks and baked fish embellished with garden vegetables and salad continue to emerge from the galley uninterrupted.

Our stewards glide around the dining room as if on skates, elegantly dodging guests who ride their chairs across the polished wooden floors during the “big ones”.

Macquarie Island lives up to its reputation as a difficult location for landings, but our expert expedition team get us ashore every time with a synchronised and choreographed

‘The jewel in the crown of this expedition is Macquarie Island.’

SHIP REVIEW: SILVER DISCOVERER manoeuvre on the pebbly beach that sees each passenger plucked from the Zodiac and deposited on shore with their cameras and modesty intact.

We spend two days exploring the island, escorted by head ranger Chris Howard, who gives us insights into daily life for rangers and scientists and staff on “Macca”. Parks staff are particularly buoyed by the recent announcement that, after almost 200 years of human interference and a concerted eradication program, Macquarie Island has been declared pest free. Seabirds and penguins can finally nest unmolested and return to pre-contact population levels.

The balance of the itinerary sees Silver Discoverer head north-east towards the Bounty and Antipodes islands, another place where we’re not permitted to land. Instead, we explore wildlife activity on the shoreline from our Zodiac. Seals, penguins and more seabirds are in constant motion, feeding, breeding and checking us out in return.

Majestic albatrosses wheel overhead, swooping low to pluck food from the water.

Before heading to shore for more conventional shore excursions at Napier, we stop by seldom-visited Chatham and Pitt islands where an ambitious local nature rehabilitation program is the pride on the former.

In all, it’s an exciting and truly adventurous journey in the true spirit of expedition cruising. We are thrown at the mercy of the elements, as it should be, and taken to parts of our planet only ever visited by committed scientists and shipwrecked sailors.

As for Silversea, it has shaken off doubts cast by the more established operators and confidently joined the ranks of the true expeditioners.

ASIA SPECIAL REPORT CRUISING

Hong Kong

Cruising in Asia is not the next big thing, it’s already a big thing, reports Roderick Eime. And slow is the way to go, as he discovers aboard Azamara Journey.

Azamara SLOWLY DOES IT

S

hips of all shapes and sizes are cruising to the traditional Asian ports of Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh City. But the best way to receive an authentic cruise experience in Asia is aboard a smaller ship.

To prove the point, I’m travelling on Azamara Journey, which completed significant upgrades in January 2013.

Our departure was from the well-known Singapore Cruise Centre (SCC), built in 1991 and progressively modernised to accommodate the growth in the world’s passenger fleets, both in numbers and physical size. Anyone who has travelled through Changi Airport will know how meticulous, forward-looking and organised the Singaporeans are.

As such, the centre now copes easily with 1 million cruise passengers a year on top of its considerable local ferry passenger load. Unlike other Asian ports, where you are disgorged onto a flat concrete wharf in between containers and cranes, SCC is like a shopping mall with covered gangways.

Both of Azamara Club Cruises’ 700-passenger ships – Journey and Quest – underwent drydock refurbishments at the same time, emerging with a distinctive new blue livery.

But that wasn’t all. Ship-wide renovations included new carpets, upholstery, and a fresh colour palette in public spaces; and new mattresses and upgraded verandah furniture 68

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for suites and staterooms. The Casino Bar has been expanded and enhanced with new furniture, while the spa and fitness centre has a new steam room, showers and state-of-theart Life Fitness cardio equipment.

Azamara’s ships are perfectly suited to the Asian market. It’s where the line’s policy of longer stays in port so guests can enjoy a better experience really comes into its own.

In the words of the line: “We take our time.”

Azamara’s brochure explains: “When you’re in the midst of some of the most dazzling cities, renowned UNESCO World Heritage sites, and “I can’t believe we’re here!” places on Earth, the last thing you want to do is rush back to the ship for a 4pm departure (or 5pm if you’re lucky).”

“Azamara Club Cruises’ guests have an

unquenchable desire to immerse themselves in the history, culture and nightlife of the destinations we visit – which is why we offer them longer stays, more overnights and night touring,” Azamara’s deployment and destinations specialist Claudius Docekal says.

Azamara Journey’s perfect suitability is demonstrated in Ho Chi Minh City, when we are able to sail right up the river and dock almost in front of the central shopping district. From there, the cruise line provided a quick, comfortable and regular shuttle into the centre of town, making it easy for us to stroll at leisure and soak up the city at our own pace. Larger ships would need to use the container port at Phu My, an inconvenient and uncomfortable two-hour road journey from the city.

CRUISING ASIA SPECIAL REPORT

From our drop-off point in Ho Chi Minh central, we are easily able to walk to the famous post office, take a tour of the Independence Palace and the chilling War Remnants Museum, all with plenty of time to shop and pick up some trademark Ho Chi Minh souvenirs like cheap sports shoes and artificially rusted Zippo lighters.

It’s a similar story in Bangkok.

When Azamara Journey arrives in the Thai capital, the ship uses the existing, albeit grubby, Klong Toey facility much closer to the city than the alternative (large ship) port of Laem Chabang, which would involve a long transfer.

For our visit to Vietnam’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed Halong Bay, all ships are able to use the deepwater port of Cai Lan, where we are transferred to the busy junk terminal. It can get a bit hectic as thousands of tourists are herded aboard a fleet of traditional boats for a cruise among the famous limestone formations. The fully loaded fleet then sails, line astern, out to the fabled location where so many movies and tales are set.

Again, thanks to Azamara’s extended port time, we are able to wander around the town and down into the local markets for a true sense of this bustling former North Vietnamese city. I’m pleased to report that we felt completely safe at all times with

Hong Kong

‘Azamara’s ships are perfectly suited to the Asian market.’

Clockwise from top: View of Hong Kong’s skyline from Azamara Journey’s pool deck; Bangkok tuk tuk; the ship at Hong Kong’s Ocean Terminal

Bangkok www.cruisepassenger.com.au

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ASIA SPECIAL REPORT CRUISING the locals happily going about their business without paying us much attention at all.

Sailing into Hong Kong, perhaps the most famous of all Asian ports, is a sight that is never forgotten. The dramatic peaks encircle and embrace the harbour with the metropolis perched precariously along the waterfront and up the cliffs.

While we did not use the new cruise terminal, which was still under construction when we arrived, I’m reliably informed that the massive, state-of-the-art Kai Tak facility is now in full swing but reserved mainly for the largest of the world’s new wave of mega liners.

Azamara Club Cruises continues to use the original Ocean Terminal right next to the Star Ferry terminal.

Opened in 1966, the Ocean Terminal is limited to ships of around 100,000 tons and 10-metre draft, while the new Kai Tak terminal will permit two 360-metre vessels of up to 220,000 tons to disembark and clear 5,400 passengers and 1,200 crew at a rate of 3,000 per hour.

In a test of the terminal’s capability, Royal Caribbean’s 311-metre, 138,279-ton Mariner of the Seas was the first mega luxury cruise liner to dock at the two-berth terminal in June 2013. While the event was hailed as a success, recent comments about a lack of taxis indicates some fine tuning is required.

At the end of the last century, Hong Kong (Cantonese for “fragrant harbour”) was back in the news with the historic handover of the British colony to the People’s Republic of China. Although many were nervous about the returning Communists, the transition was much less troublesome than many imagined and Hong Kong residents still enjoy special economic and political concessions. Despite recent, highprofile protests, Hong Kong residents still enjoy a more liberal lifestyle than their mainland compatriots.

The vast majority of Hong Kong’s 7 million residents are Cantonese-speaking Chinese. Many come from the mainland in search of work in the Special Administrative Region. The city is also home to a large ex-pat population from the US, UK, Canada and Australia, many of whom work in the financial sector.

Getting around this fascinating city is much easier than it must have been in the days when P&O and Qantas published their famous and evocative posters, but Hong Kong still possesses a giddy and frantic persona that will always define this exceptional city.

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Singapore

Clockwise from top: Supertree Grove in Singapore; a poster in Ho Chi Minh City; sculptures in Singapore’s Orchard Road

Singapore

Ho Chi Minh City

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