Cruising News Magazine Cruising News February 2019 | Page 29

Celebrity Cruises Launches New Award-Winning “Discovery Collection” Excursions
Celebrity Cruises has released a range
of brand new Australia and New
Zealand “Discovery Collection” shore
excursions, designed for small groups
of cruise guests to enjoy curated
experiences through the eyes of a
local. Crafted with the advice of local
experts, each Discovery Collection
excursion must fit three criteria in
order to be selected for the program;
they must be iconic, exclusive and
locally-inspired. The experiences
range from tours of must-see locales
for travellers new to a destination, to
off-the-beaten-path adventures for
seasoned wanderers, who may be
revisiting a port for a second or third
time. With a maximum of 24 guests in
each tour, guests have more time at
each location, individual interaction
with their hosts, and a more up close
and personal travel experience.
Launched in February 2018 with a
range of Mediterranean excursions
like an Italian Pasta Experience and
Barcelona’s Secret Basilica – Concert
at the Bell Tower, the program has
been a worldwide success, taking out
a Gold for Expedition Shore Excursions
at the esteemed 2018 US Travel Weekly
Magellan Awards.
Susan Bonner, Vice President and
Managing Director, Celebrity Cruises
Australia and New Zealand says, “The
Discovery Collection has been a real
passion project for us; we began
with select destination and culinary-
focused experiences in the Western
Mediterranean at the beginning of
2018, and have now successfully
rolled out over fifty of these award-
winning excursions on Celebrity cruises
all over the world. Since moving
to Australia and cruising to New
Zealand on Celebrity Solstice, I have
personally been very passionate about
enhancing the Discovery Collection
down under. We think the range of
tours the team has come up with are
incredible, and capture the essence
of each destination. We can’t wait for
our guests to experience them on our
Celebrity Solstice Australia and New
Zealand cruises this summer.”
New Australia and New Zealand
Discovery Collection shore excursions
include: Bay of Islands: Cloak of Mother
Earth – Join Bay of Islands’ "earth
mother" Stella for a tour like no-other
in a majestic Kauri rainforest, before
a series of tasty visits with some of the
area's finest food producers, including
Olivado, an olive and avocado farm
in Kerikeri; The Honey Shop, New
Zealand's largest hive boasting exotic
honey varieties, like Pohutukawa and
Manuka; and an iconic local vineyard,
where you can sniff and sip some of
NZ’s best varietals; Picton: Cloudy Bay
and Brancott – Savour a day in the
company of winemakers and the liquid
gold they produce on an exclusive
tour of two of Marlborough's iconic
wineries, Cloudy Bay and Brancott
Estates Winery. At Brancott, you'll
be treated to a three-course meal
paired with a choice of their premium
wines; Dunedin: Oamaru and Moeraki
Boulders – Experience Mother Nature,
Victorian architecture, and fanciful
futuristic art all during an in-depth
adventure of Oamaru. Visit the Blue
Penguin Colony, the Steampunk Train –
a one-of-a-kind experience that could
have been plucked from a H. G. Wells
or Jules Verne novel – enjoy lunch at
an iconic local venue, then head off
to get up close to the Moeraki Boulders
and Melbourne: Exclusive Yarra Valley
Highlights – Get the taste buds flowing
at internationally renowned Domaine
Chandon, where your hosts ‘bring
on the bubbles' with award-winning
vintages, then journey to Yering Estate
for craft wines in a stunning setting,
linger over a two-course lunch at
Rochford Wines and round off the
experience with a sweet visit to the
Yarra Valley Chocolaterie and Ice
Creamery for complimentary tastings.
Excursions are available on Australia
and New Zealand Celebrity Solstice
sailings in 2019 and 2020.
Azamara Club Cruises Launches Summer 2021 Itineraries
Azamara Club Cruises has officially launched their summer 2021 itineraries. The boutique cruise line has confirmed its return
to Japan with new country-intensive voyages – where guests can explore numerous ports within one country and stay late or
overnight in most cities – in addition to debuting its newest ship – Azamara Pursuit – in Australia and New Zealand.
Continuing its dedication to Destination Immersion experiences around the world, Azamara will set sail across four continents
between January and March 2021. This includes 50 late nights and 37 overnight stays in some of the most sought-after
destinations across the globe.
Back by popular demand, the Japan country-intensive sailings will give guests the opportunity to delve deeper than ever into
the destination. These 15 and 16-night itineraries will visit up to 13 ports across the country – including Tokyo, Aomori, Hakodate
and Kobe – whilst offering a range of immersive excursions to showcase the local culture of each region.
Azamara Pursuit, which set sail in August 2018 after a top-to-toe refit, will also make its debut in Australia and New Zealand.
Visiting 18 ports in total, highlights will include Sydney and Melbourne in Australia and Auckland, Napier and Akaroa in New
Zealand. Over half the itineraries are also country-intensive voyages.
www.worldwidecruisecentres.com.au
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