HURTIGRUTEN BRINGS THE NORTHERN LIGHTS EVEN CLOSER TO THE UK

For many, seeing the Northern Lights is a ‘must do’ on their wish list, and thanks to Norwegian cruise specialist, Hurtigruten, it just got even easier for the people of Yorkshire, Scotland and Greater Manchester to fulfill this once-in-a-lifetime dream. Direct flights from Leeds Bradford and Edinburgh are now featured for the first time, plus an additional Manchester date due to the sell out success of the original date on 5 March. The flights to Bergen tie in with a 12-day cruise along the Norwegian Fjords, where the Northern Lights are regularly spotted during the winter months. This is the first time Hurtigruten as offered cruises with flights direct from Leeds Bradford or Edinburgh.

The cruise is a 12-day voyage from Bergen in the South to Kirkenes in the far north of Norway, just a few miles from the Russian boarder. The ship will call at 34 ports along the way, most of which are never visited by the larger cruise liners. There is no better way to experience the Northern Lights than by sailing through the sheltered coastal waters of Norway, on board a Hurtigruten as the Northern Lights are set against a dark sky, free from artificial light. It is also widely reported that this winter is expected to be one of the best years for solar activity and therefore spotting the Northern Lights.

In addition, throughout the 12 days, a wide range of winter activities can be enjoyed with everything from snowmobiling and husky dog sledging to a trip to North Cape or a Lofotor Viking feast.

CLASIC ROUND VOYAGE – LEEDS BRADFORD – 25 January from £1199 per person including direct return flights from Leeds Bradford Airport to Bergen, 11 night’s full board on the ship, transfers and taxes. Based on two sharing.

CLASIC ROUND VOYAGE – EDINBURGH – 5 February from £1369 per person including direct return flights from Edinburgh Airport to Bergen, 11 night’s full board on the ship, transfers and taxes. Based on two sharing.

CLASIC ROUND VOYAGE – MANCHESTER – 16 February from £1369 per person including direct return flights from Manchester Airport to Bergen, 11 night’s full board on the ship, transfers and taxes. Based on two sharing.

For more information visit www.hurtigruten.co.uk

One Ocean Expeditions - Stunning Once in a lifetime Opportunity

Leading Polar cruise operator, One Ocean Expeditions is proud to sponsor an extraordinary expedition in which the last wish of world-renowned polar adventurer, Frank Wild, to be buried alongside his ‘boss’ and loyal friend, notorious fellow explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton, will be carried out at the whalers’ graveyard in Grytviken, South Georgia, a British overseas territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean.

The special 18-night commemorative voyage to transport Wild's ashes to South Georgia, takes place exactly 90 years after his last voyage with Shackleton in 1921*, and is only possible following a seven-year-long research journey by South African author and polar expert, Angie Butler, who discovered Wild's ashes in Johannesburg. Wild’s wish to be buried bedside Shackleton never materialised due to the outbreak of WWII a week after his death.

Among the confirmed guests on the Frank Wild Expedition to South Georgia, is the Honorable Alexandra Shackleton, Sir Ernest's grand-daughter, and six members of Wild's family.

Angie Butler, whose recently released book, The Quest For Frank Wild, features exclusive publication of his original memoirs covering four expeditions including those on the Nimrod and Endurance, will also be joining the cruise as a guest speaker.

Passengers on the once-in-a-lifetime voyage will depart Ushuaia, the world’s southern-most city in Argentina on 20 November 2011 on board One Ocean Expeditions’ impressive ice-strengthened ship, Akademik Ioffe.

Designed for Polar Research and combining modern comforts and superb amenities with first-class safety features, the ship will chart a course through the Beagle Channel towards the Falkland Islands, where the first planned shore excursion aims to reveal a profusion of seabirds and migratory birds, including the black-browed albatross.

Other highlights of the West Falkland Archipelago may also include bustling rookeries of rare rockhopper penguins, nesting Magellanic penguins, oystercatchers and the flightless steamer duck, followed by a stop in the islands’ charming capital, Stanley, with its brightly painted houses and fascinating history.

During the journey southeast towards South Georgia, passengers will be able to fill their time by scanning the horizon in search of whales and other marine mammals, as well as seabirds. There will also be the opportunity to hear more about the heroic expeditions of the earliest daredevil explorers and to learn about polar conservation, a subject close to the hearts of One Ocean Expeditions.

Majestic glacier-covered mountains herald the Ioffe’s arrival at the rugged island of South Georgia, where visitors are greeted by the staggering sight of hundreds of thousands of king penguins covering every inch of the shoreline.

It is here that the two friends, adventurers and polar explorers, Wild and Shackleton, will finally be reunited during a ceremony at the whalers’ graveyard in Grytviken.

Crossing the Scotia Sea towards Antarctica, ice and weather conditions permitting, passengers will visit the South Orkney Islands, often shrouded in mist and protected by large icebergs and sea ice, and later Elephant Island, which was a place of refuge in 1916 for Shackleton, Wild and crew after their ship was destroyed by pack ice.

Finally, the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic mainland reward visitors with a plethora of wildlife and awe-inspiring scenery from Adélie, chinstrap and gentoo penguins torpedoing through the water, predatory leopard seals and gentle humpback whales, to thousands of colossal icebergs and seemingly endless ice sheets.

The 18-night Frank Wild Commemorative Expedition includes all meals and accommodation plus Zodiac excursions and landings. The One Ocean Expeditions team includes hospitality staff, guides, historians, naturalists, kayak expedition leaders and experts in the Antarctic, all of who bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and fun to the voyage. Prices start from US $12990 per person based on twin share, from $10290pp for triple share and from $16200pp in a One Ocean Suite. For further information, visit www.oneoceanexpeditions.com. or The Cruise Line

SeaDream Yacht Club Receives Top Award from Cruise Critic

In the first annual Cruise Critic Cruisers' Choice Awards, SeaDream I has been placed as No 1 for Service in the Small Ship category. “Cruise Critic members who have reviewed the ship are clearly very happy with their cruise experience,” said Carolyn Spencer Brown, Editor in Chief of Cruise Critic. “SeaDream I gets excellent ratings for service, which is attentive and formal, without being fussy or intrusive.”

Cruise Critic-issued awards are based entirely on reviews/ratings submitted by cruisers when they posted a cruise review. Cruise Critic, the online guide to cruises, is one of the most influential travel sites on the web. With a world-renowned editorial staff, it provides objective cruise reviews, features, ports-of-call profiles and destination information.

Acknowledging the award, Bob Lepisto, President of SeaDream, said “The crew aboard SeaDream I & SeaDream II are to be thanked for their tireless efforts to ensure each guest is well taken care of. Independent reviews like this reaffirm our claim of providing unbeatable service.”

Just last month SeaDream I was showcased in London, at Tower Bridge, to over 400 UK travel industry professionals and the media, with a series of exclusive invitational events. Following her first time ever visit to London, SeaDream I sailed to Hamburg for a 20-day drydock and now, for the first time, is positioned for her northern-summer season in the Baltic, Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

Together with sister vessel SeaDream II, SeaDream I is rated the ‘World’s Best Small Ship Cruise Line’ (source: the Berlitz Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships 2003-2011). The expression “yachting” is not only a statement about size; it describes a lifestyle aboard the intimate vessels. Chic and stylish, SeaDream’s 56-stateroom twin yachts are favoured for their elegant informality, personal service provided by a crew of 95, state-of-the-art facilities, inclusive open bar and gratuities, ocean-view accommodations, luxury spa and world class cuisine. Itineraries include the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and the Amazon. “It’s yachting, not cruising” Enjoy the difference.

 

For more information visit www.seadream.com or The Cruise Line