with
David Ellis
TOUR TASSIE IN 2012-13 AT 2011-12 PRICES
TOUR Tasmania by escorted coach during the 2012-13 season, and with APT you'll still pay only 2011-12 season prices.
As well there are also early booking deals, with savings ranging from $225 per person/$450 per couple to $470/$940.
As an example a comprehensive 12-day Royal Tasman tour is priced from $4695 per person twin share, including touring, cruises, 21 meals, accommodation and entrance fees. With the pre-July 31 early booking deal, the price starts from $4470.
The tour includes overnight stays in Hobart, Port Arthur, Freycinet National Park, Launceston, Smithton, Cradle Mountain and Strahan.
Also included in the itinerary are Eaglehawk Neck, Coles Bay, Swansea, Bicheno, St Helen's Lavender Farm, Woolmers Estate, Ross, Beauty Point, Devonport, Great Lake, Sheffield, Woolnorth, The Nut and Stanley, Gordon River cruise, Lake St Clair, Mt Field National Park and Russell Falls.
APT is offering a choice of up to 21 departures across the September 2012 to May 2013 season on six tours (ranging from four to 12 days), luxury airconditioned coaches with reclining seats and onboard restroom, arrival and departure transfers, flexibility with Freedom of Choice local tours, Dine Around Dinner options at no extra cost as well as free time, "must-see" attractions, premium quality accommodation and dedicated tour director and driver.
Freedom of Choice Touring is included in Hobart, Cradle Mountain and Launceston, Dine Around Dinners are in Hobart and Strahan.*
Guests stay at Freycinet Lodge, Cradle Mountain Lodge, guaranteed Harbour View rooms in Strahan and Harbour View rooms at the Hotel Grand Chancellor in Hobart
*Freedom of Choice Touring offers a tour from a choice of several optional at each centre, at no additional cost; similarly Dine Around Dinners allow a choice at no extra cost from a range of dining options.
Details 1300 229 804, www.aptouring.com.au, or see travel agents.
RUSSIA YOUR WAY
BEYOND Travel have introduced new tailor-made tours around Russia which provide flexibility in the cities you visit, pre-booked three, four or five star hotels, day excursions and transfers maximising free time to explore at your own pace.
An example of the Russian specialists' program is the eight-day Grand Russia itinerary which begins in St Petersburg for four nights and has a day trip to Novgorod and two nights in Moscow. It is priced from $2340 per person twin share for three star hotels.
The tour of the Kremlin, a visit to the Hermitage Museum and a cruise along the canals of St Petersburg and an overnight sleeper train journey from Novgorod to Moscow can all be part of the itinerary.
The price includes all accommodation with daily breakfast, coach and rail transport, extensive sight-seeing with private English-speaking guides throughout and return airport transfers in a private car.
There are also a range of great deals available on hotels throughout Russia including a stay four pay three nights deal at the first class centrally located Hotel Angleterre in St Petersburg, which is available all year round. Or receive free room upgrades at the deluxe Grand Hotel Europe in St Petersburg when you book by March 31.
For more details contact Beyond Travel on 1300-363-554 or email info@beyondtravel.com.au
TREAT YOURSELF REGALLY ON ROYAL PRINCESS'S INAUGURAL SAIL
LET Cruiseco put you amongst the very first to sail aboard Princess Cruises' spectacular new Royal Princess when she sails her first-ever Mediterranean cruise in June of next year, straight after her maiden voyage from Southampton.
This inaugural Mediterranean sailing will take the 3,600 passenger Royal Princess 12-nights from Barcelona to Venice on June 23 2013 by way of Livorno (for Florence and Pisa,) Civitavecchia (Rome,) Naples for Capri and Pompeii, Mykonos, Istanbul, Kusadasi for Ephesus, Athens, and Venice (includes an overnight stay on board ship) When booked with Cruiseco, this fly, cruise and stay package starts from $6,190pp twin share.
And Cruiseco has a 12-night sailing from Venice back to Barcelona on July 5 2013 via the same ports, and with the inclusion of Toulon for Provence in France, package prices start from just $6,145pp twin-share*.
Cruiseco also has similar 12-night sailings on Royal Princess from Venice to Barcelona on August 22 and Barcelona back to Venice on September 3 2013. Both fly, cruise and stay packages start from a low $5,695pp twin share.
All package prices include return airfare from Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane 2 night hotel stay at the Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona and 1 night hotel stay at the Hilton Molino Stucky Venice, port charges, government fees and air taxes.
The innovative new Royal Princess will feature a first-of-its-kind cantilevered bar with glass walls and a glass floor extending over the ship's side from her top deck, an adults-only pool with plush private cabanas, and in another Princess Cruises' "first," dazzling evening water and light shows.
For full detail, prices from other gateways and the name of your nearest Cruiseco cruise specialist travel agent, go to www.cruising.com.au
Royal Princess's twelve dining options will range from a traditional Dining Room, to two "Anytime" Dining Rooms, optional-cost Italian and Steak-and-Seafood Restaurants, and a top-deck Buffet, Pastry Shop, Pizzeria, Seafood Bar, Gelateria, International Café, and a Wine, Sushi and Tapas Bar.
EXPERIENCE SAPA WITH WENDY WU TOURS
WENDY WU Tours has somewhat of an unusual offer: a 5-day extension for virtually free to the old French hill station of Sapa for travellers joining their 18-day Vietnam Highlights tour that departs on July 14 this year.
The Sapa extension normally costs $560 per person twin share, but on this occasion the only cost is $10 for the tipping component of the visit, which includes return train journey, accommodation, meals and sightseeing in Sapa.
The Vietnam Highlights tour begins with several days in Saigon including an overnight homestay in the Mekong Delta before travelling to Nha Trang, Hoi An, Hue, Hanoi and beautiful Halong Bay.
The entire itinerary costs from $3,890 from Sydney and Melbourne, $4,090 from Adelaide and Brisbane, and $4,212 from Perth. Prices are per person, twin share and include return economy airfares, all meals and accommodation, transport, sightseeing and entry fees, transfers, taxes and visa for Australian passport holders.
For more details contact Wendy Wu Tours on 1300-727-998, visit www.wendywutours.com.au or contact AFTA travel agents.
LUXURY CRUISING LOCAL WATERS NEXT SUMMER AUSTRALIANS will have an unprecedented opportunity to experience ultra-luxury cruising in local waters next summer, with two of Seabourn's newest ships visiting the South Pacific region.
The latest addition to the Seabourn fleet, Seabourn Quest will make its maiden visit to Australia in February 2013, calling at Sydney, Brisbane, Hamilton Island, Townsville, Cairns and Thursday Island as part of a 116-day world cruise.
Meanwhile, the award-winning Seabourn Odyssey, launched in 2009, will sail in local waters for almost three months as she explores the islands and coastlines of Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia, offering Australian holidaymakers an array of ultra-luxury cruise itineraries.
Seabourn Director of Sales in Australia, Tony Archbold said the visits by two of the world's most stylish ships reflected Australians' growing love affair with luxury cruising.
"Next summer will give Australians an unparalleled opportunity to experience the intimacy, elegance, superb service and all-inclusive value for which Seabourn is renowned, close to home," Mr Archbold said.
Options include a 16-night cruise on Seabourn Odyssey from Benoa in Bali to Sydney, departing December 21, 2012 with fares starting from US $8,118* per person twin share; 16-nights from Auckland to Sydney on Seabourn Odyssey , departing January 22, 2013 with fares from US $7,832* per person twin share; and 40-nights from Fort Lauderdale to Sydney on Seabourn Quest's world cruise departing January 6, 2013, visiting a range of ports in the Caribbean, Tahiti, Tonga, Fiji and New Caledonia and with fares for this staring from $18,176* per person twin share.
Fares include ocean-view accommodation, onboard entertainment, award-winning dining, open bars throughout the cruise, and gratuities.
Each ships carries just 450 guests. For more information see travel agents, call 13 24 02 or visit www.seabourn.com. *Subject to availability, conditions apply.
