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Unique Cruise Solutions The news you need to know |
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Cruise News for the Corporate Travel Professional |
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Le Diamant to Sail to Iceland, Greenland, Northern Europe |
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Compagnie du Ponant’s expedition ship Le
Diamant will offer 14 seven- to 13-night itineraries in the Mediterranean,
British Isles, the Baltic, and Iceland and Greenland from May to mid October.
The ICE class 1D vessel will sail along the coast of Lapland, through the fjords
of Norway, around Spitsbergen Island in the Svalbard archipelago and as far as
Arctic Canada. Accommodating 226 guests, Le Diamant features 113 ocean-view
staterooms and suites and several with private verandas. The ship formerly was
named Song of Flower. The classic liner has three restaurants, two lounges, four
bars, a theater, a library, a boutique and a beauty and fitness area with
massage room. A swimming pool and full-circle promenade deck provide other
exercise options. The ship’s Zodiacs allow guests to explore fjords and get
up-close and personal with icebergs and marine life. The ship’s staff-to-guest
ratio is 1:2. Le Diamant kicks off its Europe season with two themed cruises. On the Marseille-to-Nice voyage departing May 2, Michelin-starred French chefs will feature the cuisines of the ports of call: Barcelona, Corsica, Civitavecchia (Rome) and Tuscany. Designed for history buffs, the May 9 sailing from Nice to Lisbon will visit Valencia, Ibiza, Cadiz, Casablanca, Safia and Portmao along the coasts of Spain, Morocco and Portugal. A descendant of one of France’s oldest families, historian Jean Des Cars will discuss the rise and fall of the Habsburgs, Almoravids and the House of Braganza. Two voyages have a music theme. On June 17, the seven-night “Chopin’s Bicentennial” cruise from Stockholm to Copenhagen will feature award-winning pianists. Highlights are a visit to Warsaw and the small village where the composer was born. The eight-night “Et Vogue L’Opéra,” departs Marseilles on Oct. 10, calling at Livorno in Tuscany, Rome, Naples, Itea (gateway to Olympia) and Athens and will feature concerts of the Bel Canto masters (Puccini, Verdi and Rossini) by opera singers. In mid-season, Le Diamant will venture to Scandinavia, Greenland, Iceland and Arctic Canada. The 13-night “Call of the Great North: the Amazing Spitsberg” sails on July 2 from Bodo to Reykjavik. The voyage calls at Norway’s Lofoten Islands and Tromsö, and then on to the ice floes of Spitsbergen Island, the last terra firma before the North Pole. Two itineraries feature Greenland and Iceland exclusively. “Magic of the Ice in Greenland,” from Reykjavik to Kangerlussuaq, departing July 15, highlights the Eqi Glacier and the fjord at the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Disko Bay. From its icebergs to brightly painted houses, Ilulissat is one of the high points of the 12-night journey. A similar itinerary -- especially designed for families -- sails on Aug. 8. On “Magic of the Ice in Greenland: A Family Cruise,” children 4 to 17 sharing an adult’s cabin sail free of charge. Special activities designed for kids and their families are featured. The “Meeting the Inuits of the Baffin Sea” departing July 27 sails roundtrip from Kangerlussuaq in Greenland on a 12-night itinerary up the western coast of Greenland, then crossing the Baffin Sea to Nunavut. Land of the Inuit, whom Diamant guests will meet, Arctic Canada is also home to humpback whales and polar bears. “On the Borders of Lapland” and “Enchanting Scandinavia: on the Footsteps of the Trolls” call at rarely visited ports. The 10-night sailing on June 7 highlights the lakes of Sweden’s Lapland and the Sami, an indigenous nomadic people who herd reindeer. The eight-night voyage departing June 24 explores the coastal towns and scenery of Norway, including the UNESCO World Heritage Geiranger fjord and the Briksdal glacier. Three cruises -- “Celtic and Scandinavian Shores,” “Kingdom of the Celts” and “Celtic Odyssey” -- explore the Celtic Isles (Isle of Skye and the Orkney, Shetland and Hebrides islands) and Ireland, Wales and Scotland on seven- to 12-night itineraries departing May 26, Aug. 20 and Aug. 31. Le Diamant departs Oct. 18 on the nine-night “At the Crossroads of the Civilizations.” The Athens-to-Aqaba voyage calls in Turkey, Syria, Egypt and Sinai. For the 2010-11 winter season, Le Diamant will cruise around India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Cambodia and China. |
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Worldwide Travel & Cruise Assoc., Inc. 150 S. University Dr. Ste E, Plantation, FL 33324 - USA Tel: +1 954 452 8800 Fax: +1 954 252 3945 EMail: sales@cruiseco.com |
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