New Destinations Add A Touch Of Adventure

Sun Herald

Sunday February 8, 2004

By JAMES SHRIMPTON

WITH four ships plying the Pacific next summer, P&O Cruises is out to lure even the most fervent landlubbers. Joining the ``eternal triangle" route between Sydney, Noumea and Port Vila will be new destinations in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific islands.

Pacific Sky will switch bases to Brisbane, replaced in Sydney by her new big sister Pacific Sun for 2004-2005 programs listing 71 cruises to the islands and ports in Queensland, with fares from $1533.

The elegant Pacific Princess has 18 new destinations taking in Tasmania, Queensland and New Zealand. Prices start at $1995.

Then there's the new 115,000-tonne Sapphire Princess, due on December 23 for a two-month season in Australia and New Zealand, following in the wake of the 109,000-tonne Star Princess's cruises this summer.

It's a profusion of riches for cruise lovers. Which to choose? Let's look at some of the ``new" ports.

* NEW CALEDONIA: Pacific Sky (1500 passengers) and Pacific Sun (1900) will visit Poum , 340 kilometres north-west of Noumea.

Poum is an ``outback" community of 1300 about as far from sophisticated Noumea as you can get in New Caledonia. It is noted for pink-hued mountains, white sand beaches and great diving.

Pacific Princess will call at Hienghene on the north-east coast, described as ``the emotional heart of the Kanak independence movement". South of town are immense limestone cliffs riddled with caves and coves that provide homes for swallows and flying foxes.

* VANUATU: Pentecost Island , on the Sky/Sun schedule, is home to the famous traditional land-divers who at yam harvest time hurl themselves bungy-style from treetops, saved by vines attached to their ankles.

Wala Island is off the north-east coast of Malekula , Vanuatu's second largest island, where once the people were cannibals.

* FIJI: Dravuni Island , a new port for Pacific Princess, has a small village and a beach framed by palm trees.

* AUSTRALIA: On four 10-night cruises through tropical North Queensland, Pacific Princess will call at Townsville, the Whitsundays, Cairns, Port Douglas and Cooktown.

To the south, a new eight-night cruise to Tasmania will take in the scenic Freycinet Peninsula, Hobart, Port Arthur and Devonport, then Melbourne.

* NEW ZEALAND: Pacific Princess's 13-night maiden New Zealand cruise visits ports from Milford Sound on the South Island to the Bay of Islands in the North, as well as Dunedin, Christchurch and Auckland.

For full details of fares and savings on early-bird bookings, call P&O Cruises on 132 469 , visit travel agents or see www.pocruises.com.au.

Taking in Ecuador

A four-day cruise of the Galapagos Islands completes a new 10-day Best of Ecuador tour from Tempo Holidays. The tour is priced from $3074 with the itinerary starting and finishing in Quito and including flights from Quito to the Galapagos Islands and back.

In Ecuador, travellers visit the Indian market of Otavalo and make a spectacular rail journey through the Avenue of Volcanoes to Riobamba.

The Galapagos cruise is aboard the 47-cabin Santa Cru. Among the crew are six naturalists who lead island and reef excursions.

See travel agents, phone (03) 9646-0277 or see www.tempoholidays.com .

Luxury yachting

Refurbishment of the Windstar Cruises's 308-passenger luxury yacht Wind Surf has been completed. The company's trio of five-masted vessels cruise to nearly 50 nations, calling at more than 100 ports throughout Europe and the Caribbean and around French Polynesia.

Australian agent Travel the World is offering savings of $500 per person for a nine-night fly/cruise package with seven nights sailing around French Polynesia on the flagship Wind Star.

Priced from $4049, the package includes air travel, cruise, transfers and two nights in a Papeete hotel. Phone 8296 7077 .

ASIAN ADVENTURES

Save up to $3200 a couple on Holland America Line's five-star Prinsendam when it departs Sydney on February 20.

The ship has berths available for fly/cruise packages to Bali, Sabah, Hong Kong and Singapore.

Voyages vary from 11 to 31 days, costing from $4839 for 11 nights to Bali to $12,669 for 31 nights to Singapore.

Phone 8296 7077 .

© 2004 Sun Herald

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