Ocean Cruising 36

crowning

glory palm beach motor yachts’ new 65 flybridge reigns supreme

Reviews

Sunreef 102 Double Deck Palm Beach 65 Flybridge X-Yachts X55 Twizzle

Twizzle

grace & pace aboard royal huisman’s super-ketch

After the Deluge

Queensland’s boat industry counts the cost

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issue 36

Wild Beauty

From swag to spa in Australia’s Northwest

Plus Ocean legal

Is your boat insurance cyclone-proof?

Regional Review USA yacht builders back from the brink

Industry Profile 37 South’s Allan Jouning

172

Ocean cr u i s i n g

Voodoo souvenir Yes, travellers aboard Silversea’s Prince Albert II can purchase their own magic talisman from the fetish market during a stopover in Cotonou, Benin, this March.

It is seldom that expedition cruises make such a thorough exploration of west Africa, but Silversea’s 22-day voyage from Cape Town to Dakar is a truly exceptional trip into destinations unthinkable until just recently. Add Namibia, Angola, Sierra Leone and Sao Tome and you have a voyage that is true adventure. Relaunched at a glittering ceremony in Monte Carlo in June 2008, the newly refitted 150-passenger Prince Albert II is Ice Rated 1A and Berlitz-rated 4.5. Book early as another sell-out is expected. www.silversea.com

Antarctic perils In late January yet another vessel, Polar Star, struck uncharted rocks on the Peninsula and damaged its hull, while the Clelia II (soon-to-be Orion II) made hard work of Drake Passage after a freak wave smashed the starboard bridge window, dousing communication equipment and injuring a crew member.

Where the wild things are Orion II gets off to a flying start with a semi-circumnavigation of the Pacific rim. Such has been the anticipation for this event that most places are full, but Sarina Bratton, Founder and Managing Director of Orion Expedition Cruises, recently returned from a scouting expedition to Borneo. Accompanied by Expedition Leader Mick Fogg, Sarina spent days trekking, researching and exploring parts of Borneo to finalise custom shore activities for Orion’s guests to experience this August and September.

Visiting the key destinations in Malaysian Borneo; the famous Bako National Park and remote islands of Palau Tiga, plus the Semengoh Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre for Orang Utans, Orion has five departures and four separate itineraries.

2011 Borneo Expedition 10-night fares begin from $8,150 per person for an Ocean View Suite/Category B. Junior Suites from $11,300 per person and Penthouse Suites with balcony are $16,400 per person. Expedition fares per person twin occupancy include accommodation, all meals, landings, port charges, gratuities and selected activities ashore. Savings are available if you book early. www.orionexpeditions.com

oceanmedia.com.au

French Evolution

Shelter from the storm

French-flagged cruise line Ponant has begun itineraries with their latest vessel, the 10,000 ton, 250-passenger Le Boreal. Already 5-star rated by Berlitz, it had a wobbly start with one charter for A&K being cancelled because of ‘signs of wear’ that necessitated remedial work. All going well Le Boreal’s sister vessel, L’Austral, will join the expanding fleet in April for cruises in the Mediterranean. Both vessels will head south to the Peninsula for the Antarctic season, beginning in November. www.traveltheworld.com.au

Cairns-based Coral Princess Cruises are breathing a sigh of relief after their vessels escaped the wrath of tropical cyclone Yasi. “We moved our vessels way up past Cape Melville,” said CPC founder Tony Briggs, “so we are back to normal operations with minimum impact. It could have been a lot worse.”

Stellar Launch Chilean adventure cruise specialist, Cruceros Australis, has unveiled a new ship, the 210-passenger, 89-metre Stella Australis. The Stella has 100 177-square-foot cabins and three lounges, and is equipped with audio-visual equipment for educational presentations throughout the voyage. Cabin highlights include picture windows, independent climate controls, bathrooms and satellite phones. Cruceros also operates the Cruceros Australis and the Mare Australis between Ushuaia (Argentina) and Punta Arenas (Chile) including the Strait of Magellan, and the Beagle Channel in the extreme south of the continent. www.australis.com

New islands to discover

Gold standard

Blue Lagoon Cruises are all excited about their ground-breaking adventure cruise to the seldom visited Northern Lau Group, now incorporated into the annual ‘Historical and Cultural Cruise’ beginning in August. Outside of their regular Yasawa Island itineraries, BLC sets off across to the northeast tip of the Fiji Islands to experience Melanesian, Micronesian and Polynesian cultures and exploring remote island locations, some never visited by commercial vessels before. The inclusion of the Northern Lau group is a breakthrough for Fiji Tourism. Highlights of the Lau visit include Qilaqila Island, the jewel in the crown of the Lau group’s ‘Bay of Islands’.

Windstar Cruises has been recognised by Condé Nast Traveler magazine as one of the ‘Best Cruise Lines’ in its prestigious annual Gold List. The line, whose fleet includes the largest sailing ship in the world, the 162-metre Wind Surf, was also rated by Travel + Leisure and Porthole Magazines among the best small ship operators in the world.

www.bluelagooncruises.com

Roderick Eime covers the small ship and adventure cruise scene for numerous magazines and newspapers and is the editor of www.adventurecruiseguide.com