Wildlife Watching Bonanza On Adventure Cruise Through The Northwest Passage

Specialist small ship cruise company, One Ocean Expeditions, invites wildlife lovers, keen photographers and those with a taste for adventure to follow in the wake of the great Arctic explorers on its Northwest Passage expedition on board the impressive, ice-strengthened vessel, the Akademik Ioffe. Pods of orca, beluga and the occasional bowhead whale, rafts of ringed, harp and bearded seals, herds of walrus, plus Arctic foxes and hares, musk ox and polar bears all inhabit this Canadian High Arctic region.   Plus, thousands of fulmars, kittiwakes and thick-billed murres, as well as other birdlife such as black guillemots, ivory gulls, king eiders, gyrfalcons, snowy owls and snow bunting await amateur ornithologists. Travelling between Kangerlussuaq in Greenland and Cambridge Bay in Canada, the 11-night voyage departing on 14 August along one of the world’s most legendary shipping routes, is set to reveal one magnificent wildlife spectacle after another. Linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Northwest Passage voyage also boasts majestic, steep-sided fjords and massive tabular icebergs crying out to be photographed, as well as fascinating remote Inuit communities and traditional Greenlandic kayakers. Passengers on board the Akademik Ioffe will have the opportunity to get close to both wildlife and communities by participating in hiking, kayaking, photographic and birding expeditions in the company of expert guides. Zodiac inflatable boats with the quietest of motors travel upwind of wildlife, making it possible to get safely within metres of magnificent polar bears as they stroll along the shoreline, or close to chicks in various stages of fledging. While the journey follows in the footsteps of courageous polar explorers such as Sir John Franklin and Roald Amundsen, the first to successfully traverse the Northwest Passage, the comfort factor has been greatly improved since their journeys.  Facilities on board the ship include a bar and lounge, a library and media room, plus a theatre-style presentation room, gift-shop and wellness centre with massage, sauna and hot tub, as well as a dining room serving sumptuous meals throughout the voyage. Prices start from US $6990 per person based on triple share and from US $9,590 for a private twin cabin.  Suites and superior cabins are also available and range from US $11,290 to US $12,090. Return transfers between Kangerlussuaq and Cambridge Bay airports and the ship, all meals and accommodation and zodiac excursions are included. A special deal means that one pre-cruise hotel night in Ottawa, airport transfers and the charter flight from Ottawa to Kangerlussuaq for embarkation – worth approximately US$1200pp, is also included in this package. The charter flight from Cambridge Bay to Edmonton on disembarkation costs US$925pp. Kayaking excursions are available at a cost of US $695 per person. For further information visit www.oneoceanexpeditions.com

Spring cruising to the Black Sea with Swan Hellenic

Join Swan Hellenic (www.swanhellenic.com / 0844 822 0679) for a Spring cruise to the Black Sea – Greece and the Crimea – from £2,270 per person (Saver Fare, based on two people sharing an inside cabin).

Discover iconic archaeological sites as mv Minerva follows the path of the ancient Greeks along the Aegean coast to the Black Sea.

Passengers will be joined by special Guest Speakers including Professor Ian Beckett - specialist in military history - and classics expert, Dr Steve Kershaw.

The 15-day Black Sea - Greece and the Crimea cruise departs from Piraeus (Greece)-overnight, and calls at Syros (Greece), Volos (Greece), Thessaloniki (Greece), Mudanya (Turkey), Yalta (Ukraine), Sevastopol (Ukraine), Odessa (Ukraine)-overnight, and Istanbul (Turkey)-overnight. Price is based on a 10 April 2013 UK departure.

Saver Fare cabins will not be allocated at time of booking and Saver Fares cannot be combined with any other promotional offer. Applies to new bookings made before 31 March 2013 on selected 2013 cruises only.

Prices include return flights from the UK, overseas transfers and porterage of luggage to your cabin on Minerva, a tailor-made programme of inclusive shore excursions worth up to £650 per person, an integrated programme of talks by eminent Guest Speakers, all meals and entertainment on board, and all gratuities on board and ashore.

For more information and to book visit www.swanhellenic.com or call 0844 822 0679. Follow Swan Hellenic on twitter - @Swanhellenic and like us on Facebook

Save up to £320 with Voyages of Discovery’s new Saver Fares

Voyages of Discovery (www.voyagesofdiscovery.com, 0843 221 8499), has launched new ‘Saver Fares’ on a selection of 2013 itineraries, offering savings of up to £320 per person.

New ‘Saver Fares’ include:

• Save up to £320 off the 12-day British Isles and Chelsea Flower Show, cruise, now available from just £999 per person (based on two people sharing the lowest inside cabin category available). Highlights of the cruise include a visit to the famous Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show, Canterbury Cathedral and Ireland’s capital, Dublin. Price is based on 14 May 2013 UK departure.
• Save up to £210 off the 15-day Land of the Midnight Sun cruise, now available from just £1,499 (based on two people sharing the lowest inside cabin category available). Highlights of the cruise include a cable car ride in Tromsø, an excursion to the UNESCO listed Vega Archipelago and the nature reserve of Gjesvaerstappan – one of Norway’s finest nature spotting locations. Price is based on 11 June 2013 UK departure.

Offers are also available on the following itineraries Celtic Treasures, Heritage of the British Isles, Mediterranean Medley, Adriatic, Aegean and Corinth Canal and In the Footsteps of St Paul.

Voyages of Discovery’s Saver Fares provide fantastic value for money without the inclusive extras such as on board gratuities, car parking or coach transfers to the port. Customers can choose to book an outside or inside Saver Fare and their cabin number will be allocated close to the departure date. Saver Fares are payable in full at time of booking.

Price includes return flights from the UK on fly cruises, all relevant overseas transfers, meals and entertainment and the Guest Speaker programme on board the ship.

For more information and to book call 0843 221 8499, visit www.voyagesofdiscovery.com, Facebook or follow Voyages of Discovery on Twitter-@Voyagediscovery and view online at www.discoverycruise.tv