Website: www.cruiseweekly.com.au | Phone: 1300 799 220 | Fax: 1300 799 221 | Email: info@cruiseweekly.com.

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Tuesday 2 April 2013
First steps for European Rivalution
Australias Evergreen Tours is
preparing for the launch of
two ships with features never
seen on Europes rivers.
Less than a year before the official launch,
the progress of Evergreen Tours innovative
new river vessels is on schedule.
Glen Moroney, the companys managing
director and owner, recently laid the keel of
Riva Royale at the De Hoop Shipyard Lobith in
Northern Holland.
Respecting shipbuilding traditions, Moroney
placed a coin under the block at the keel-laying
ceremony, marking the first milestone in the
ships construction: the assembly of the hull on
the slipway.
Riva Royale is set to launch in March 2014, as
the first of two new ships for Evergreen Tours,
a sister company of Australian-owned and
operated Scenic Tours.
The second ship, Riva Princess, is due to
enter service in April 2014.
Our deluxe, next-generation Riva ships
feature the latest technology and innovations
never before seen on Europes rivers, said
Angus Crichton, Evergreen Tours gm.
The 24 square-metre all-weather pool,
which converts by night into a cinema, will
delight our guests, while the Royal Concerto
one-bedroom suites with separate bedroom
and lounge will be enormously popular for
Evergreen guests who are looking for
something
special.
Crichton said
the 2014 pre-
release
brochure had
broken all
records and
there is more
exciting news
to come.
For details, see www.evergreentours.com.
ABOVE: Evergreen Tours owner & managing
director Glen Moroney (right) laying the ships
keel alongside De Hoop Shipyard director of
operations, Johan Fasel.
Book an Oceanview
stateroom &
choose your offer:
1 Free Classic Beverage
Package
2 Free Gratuities or
3 Up to US$300 per
stateroom
Available on cruises worldwide
~
celebritycruises.com.au
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KIMBERLEY
CRUISES
INCLUDING TOUR & RAIL EXPEDITIONS
2013-2014 BROCHURE
OUT NOW!
To download your copy Clink HERE
or visit www.broomekimberley.com.au
Cruise Weeklys cruise calendar details
upcoming port calls of passenger cruise
ships at various destinations in Australia.
Cruise
Calendar
BRISBANE
Dawn Princess Tue 02 Apr
Celebrity Solstice Fri 05 Apr
Pacific Dawn Sat 06 Apr
SYDNEY
Carnival Spirit Tue 02 Apr
Rhapsody of the Seas Wed 03 Apr
Pacific Pearl Sat 06 Apr
Celebrity Solstice Mon 08 Apr
DARWIN
Coral Princess Thu 04 Apr
Ocean Princess Sat 06 Apr
Sun Princess Sun 07 Apr
TODAYS ISSUE OF CW
Cruise Weekly today features three pages
packed full of all the latest cruise news.
Grand Turk is a turkey
PASSENGERS on Bahamas cruises will miss
out on the capital of Turks & Caicos after more
ships cancelled visits this week.
Carnival, Holland America and Princess
Cruises have ditched port calls to the Grand
Turk port following a recent gastrointestinal
outbreak on the island.
Cruise ships stopped sailing to Grand Turk
two weeks ago, with the ban now appearing
set to continue indefinitely.
The three lines have replaced it with Nassau
and Freeport or extra sea days, and passengers
will receive refunds for taxes paid on the
Grand Turk visit.
Website: www.cruiseweekly.com.au | Phone: 1300 799 220 | Fax: 1300 799 221 | Email: info@cruiseweekly.com.au Page 2
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ZZZFUXLVHZHHNO\FRPDX Tuesday 2 April 2013
3 2 5 7 + 2 / (
Athena renamed and moved to Russia
Classic International Cruises
seized ships have been sold,
while its founders sons have
held on to Princess Daphne.
After withdrawing at the last minute from its
Australian season, the Athena has emerged on
the other side of the world as the Astoria.
The CIC ship, which has been laid up since its
arrest in September 2012 in France, will soon
be moved to Lisbon, Portugal, where it has
been bought by local entrepreneur Rui Alegre.
From July, the rebranded ship is expected to
be chartered to Russias Royal Caravella Cruise
Lines and based for four months in Crimea,
Ukraine, for cruises to the Black Sea,
Mediterranean and Adriatic coast.
Cruise Weekly found the cruises in Slavic
style advertised on the lines website, which is
promoting complete Russian language service
on board.
Astoria is not to be confused with Astor, the
very similar ship that is to be based in
Fremantle next season, filling the gap left
behind by the ex-Athena.
According to the Ships and the Sea blog,
Athena is among four ex-CIC vessels that have
been sold by creditors to Mr Alegre.
Arion was relocated to Lisbon earlier this
month after it was released from foreclosure
proceedings, with Princess Danae soon to
follow, while Funchal is undergoing a major
refit after two years out of service.
The fifth ship, Princess Daphne, has been
bought back by Emilios and Alexander
Potamianos, who took over CIC after their
father, the now-defunct companys founder
George Potamianos, died last year.
According to the Portuguese blog, the
brothers are now debt-free and plan to
relaunch the old-style vessel.
A new cruise management company,
Portuscale Cruises, has also been formed, with
an office in downtown Lisbon employing four
former CIC employees, while four owning
companies have been set up in Madeira to
take ownership of one ship each.
The majority of CICs staff and the ships
crew are still unemployed and owed wages.
In November 2012, the five vessels were
seized due to unpaid bills by the European
division of CIC, leading to the voluntary
administration of CIC Australia a few days
before Athena was set to sail to Fremantle for
the 2012-13 summer season.
More than 5,000 Australians booked on 20
Athena cruises are seeking refunds for paid
deposits of 40%.
THOSE who say getting there is half the fun
werent travelling on this voyage.
Passengers aboard a 48 per person ferry
journey between Tyneside in the UK to
Amsterdam were delayed by bad weather
and rough seas to the point where they were
only able to spend six minutes in Amsterdam
before having to start the trip home.
What should have been an overnight trip
turned into a 30-hour ordeal as the ship
arrived 13 hours late at its Dutch destination.
After their six-minute holiday, passengers
were then bused to the Hook of Holland for
the return trip via Harwich in Essex, which
arrived back in the UK on Monday morning.
We spent about six minutes in the ferry
terminal car park in Amsterdam before they
took us onto coaches, one passenger said.
Citing safety as its number one concern, the
cruise company offered everyone the chance
to take the trip again at a time convenient to
them, hopefully with a longer layover.
Advertise with us
For details call us today:
1300 799 220
t$PTU&FDUJWFt5BSHFUFEt&BTZ
4 and 5 star accommodation
International airfares and taxes
Boutique Lifestyle Upgrade
on all Yangtze River cruises
Lunch with a Chinese family
Cruise on Victoria Katarina
And much more ...
Guaranteed Inclusions
Conditions: Prices are per person twin
share ex. SYD, MEL, BNE, ADL, PER &
includes taxes and fuel surcharges, valid for
departures from valid Nov12 to Jun13 and
seasonal surcharge apply. Please check
with Helen Wongs Tours for exact departure
dates. Prices & taxes are current at time of
brochure printing 15 Sep 11. and are subject
to availability and change without notice at
time of booking. All other conditions as per
Helen Wongs Tours current brochure range.
3251 Lic.No.2TA4103
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Call 1300 788 328
see your Travel Agent or
helenwongstours.com
Arrive in Fremantle with Astor
CRUISE Abroad has released a special 39-day
fly/cruise package offering passengers to be
aboard the Astor as it arrives into Fremantle
for the first time, departing on 03 November.
Priced from $4,999pp departing Perth, the
deal includes flights to Rome and a 36-night
sailing back to Fremantle, with one night in the
Italian capital prior to the cruise departing.
Packages departing other Australian cities are
also available - phone 1300 669 369 for details.
Costa rescues Albanian sailors
TWO Albanian fisherman have the 927-
passenger Costa Cruises to thank for their
rescue, as they were picked up 15-miles off the
coast of Albania after their ship lost power.
The Costa Voyager was en route to its maiden
call in the Albanian port of Durazzo when it
spotted the men, who had been missing for two
days, according to the local coastguard, with
the rescued sailors disembarking on arrival.
New Century vessel into China
CENTURY Cruises has launched its newest
vessel - the 398-passenger Century Paragon,
on the Yangtze River in China.
The new ship will operate three-night cruises
from Chongqing to Yichang on Tuesdays, with
four-night reverse journeys departing Fridays.
A sister ship, the Century Legend, will be
launched in May, taking the lines fleet to seven.
Coral Princess 30-year savings
CELEBRATING its 30th anniversary this year,
Coral Princess Cruises has released a special
Birthday Celebration Sale, offering 30%
discounts on its 3, 4 and 7-night Great Barrier
Reef cruises, departing from Cairns.
The savings are open for Australian and New
Zealand residents, and cabin prices start from
$1,082 per person twin share for the three-
night voyage, with fares inclusive of all meals
and activities including onshore excursions.
To be eligible for the saving, bookings must
be made before 31 May, for departures up to
and including 31 December 2013.
See www.coralprincess.com.au to book.
Website: www.cruiseweekly.com.au | Phone: 1300 799 220 | Fax: 1300 799 221 | Email: info@cruiseweekly.com.au Page 3
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In production since 2007, Cruise Weekly is published each Tuesday,
with a further travel industry update each Thursday.
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Sign up for a free subscription at www.cruiseweekly.com.au.
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Phone: 1300 799 220 Fax: 1300 799 221
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Cruise Weekly no liability can be accepted for errors or omissions. Information is published in good faith to stimulate independent investigation of the matters canvassed. Responsibility for editorial comment is taken by Bruce Piper.
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Contributors: Roderick Eime and Chantel
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4RAVEL$AILY
First with the news
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ZZZFUXLVHZHHNO\FRPDX Tuesday 2 April 2013
Ocean versus River Cruising
by: Louise Goldsbury
More facilities at sea Better views by river Fun activities on board
THE managers of Australias most popular cruise companies
explain the benefits of the two main types of cruising.
OCEAN
The big plus with ocean cruising is its exceptional value for money.
Whether you choose the Mediterranean, Caribbean or even the
waters of South America, you have plenty of options on a cruise ship,
from dining, the entertainment and activities, to the overall facilities.
There is so much to do. Little wonder ocean cruising is rapidly
growing in popularity around the world.
- Lynne Clark, managing director Australia/New Zealand, MSC
Cruises.
Ocean cruising can take you to all seven continents, from the polar
circles to classic capitals. New destinations are always on offer and
are timed to suit the season, from Japan in cherry blossom bloom to
New England in autumn. Smaller ships make a feature of
sophisticated dining and butler service, while days at sea offer
seasoned travellers sought-after relaxation.
- Karen Christensen, general manager Australasia, Silversea.
The magic of ocean cruising is that the ship is very much a part of
the destination as well as the transportation. Having more
passengers on larger vessels creates a more diverse product, from
the food and beverage to the accommodation inside, outside,
balcony, deluxe. That diversity allows it to be more relevant to more
households because youve got the spread of price.
- Gavin Smith, managing director Australia, Royal Caribbean
Cruises.
RIVER
Try travelling for two weeks in Europe, going to all the
destinations that you would see on a river cruise and paying for all
your hotel nights and your food and sightseeing and drinks and tips
in those destinations. River cruisings value is unbeatable, without
having to rough it with a backpack on your back. The big difference
from ocean liners is that we are not making any money out of you
when youre onboard.
- Teresia Fors, managing director Australia, Viking River Cruises.
River cruising combines the benefits of a relaxed pace of journey
while still being able to properly discover the destination. A river
cruise is like a floating five-star hotel with the need to only unpack
once. Meanwhile, you are able visit to all the small towns that ocean
cruising cannot access, and enjoy the cultural sightseeing of the
destination.
- Glen Moroney, managing director, Scenic Tours.
River cruising passengers are, on average, one of 130 passengers
on board, as opposed to one of thousands, so the level of service is
unparalleled, staff know you by name and bartenders and waiters
know your preferences and dislikes after the first day. Passengers
enjoy the lack of hassle and high level of hospitality and luxury that
comes with such a high staff to passenger ratio. You can step off
board and find yourself in the centre of some of the greatest capital
cities of Europe.
- John Molinaro, general manager, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise
Collection.
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