Travel Agent - June 9, 2008 - (Page 56)

CRUISES Tahitian Princess will make a 32-day Africa, India and Southeast Asia cruise before being renamed Ocean Princess CONTINUED FROM PAGE 54 In addition, clients who don' t relish packing and unpacking every few days as they move between various lodges on land may view a cruise with safari day trips as the perfect ticket to a happy vacation. A Taste of Safari There are plenty of cruising options to suit every taste. On January 19, your clients might depart on Holland America Line' s (www. hollandamerica.com) 131-day Grand World Cruise from Los Angeles to New York on the Rotterdam. Port calls include Mombasa, Kenya; Mamoudzou, French Comoros; Nosy Be and Maputo, Mozambique; Richards Bay, Durban and Cape Town, South Africa; and Luderitz and Walvis Bay, Namibia. Prices on the full World Cruise begin at $21,499 per person, double. Holland America says most of its African port calls are lengthy, averaging 16 hours a day. Plus, the voyage boasts a two-and-a-half-day port call in Cape Town, offering several safari tour options. The most popular shore excursions on previous voyages were ª Lion Sands Game Reserve, Sabi Sand & Mpumalanga Overland Adventureº ; ª Aquila Game Reserveº ; and ª Victoria Falls Overland Adventure.º Holland America was still fine-tuning shore trip pricing at press time. When the ship calls at Mombasa, Holland America also offers a ª Taita Hills Game Sanctuary Overnight Tourº and the ª Masai Mara Game Reserve Overland Adventure.º On a Walvis Bay, Namibia, port call, the truly adventurous can take a 4x4 adventure through the Namib Desert Reserve. Clients may also book a 22- to 25-day ª Africa to the Americasº segment of that same Holland America World Cruise; this segment departs from Cape Town and ends in New York. The voyage is priced from $4,459 per person, double. Clients may arrive early for an optional pre-cruise safari package. Your clients can also get a taste of Africa on Regent Seven Seas' (www.regentexperience. com) 20-night voyage from Mumbai, India, to Cape Town, South Africa, departing November 1 on Seven Seas Navigator. Rates begin at $9,450 per person, double. Regent' s shore options on this voyage include ª Motion and Safari,º an optional Circles of Interest safari program that' s priced at $395 per person. Award-winning photographer and guide Ken Haas will provide Circles of Interest guests with personalized instruction on safari photography. He' ll also accompany Circles of Interest guests on a trip from Mombasa to Kenya' s Tsavo East National Park. Famed for its large population of elephants, Tsavo is also home to lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, elands, klipspringers, gerenuks and myriad birds. With Haas' help, your clients won' t just view the animals, they' ll capture memories of the wildlife in stunning photography to last a lifetime. If your clients prefer a combination western and southern Africa option, consider Silver Wind' s 18-day Las Palmas-to-Cape Town cruise. Departing December 2, this Silversea Cruises (www.silversea.com) voyage features calls at the Cape Verde Islands; Dakar, Senegal; Banjul, The Gambia; and Bom Bom Island in Sao Tome and Principe with an overnight stay in Walvis Bay, Namibia. Early booking incentive fares start at $8,046 per person, double occupancy. One of the highlights of this itinerary is a 3.5hour complimentary Silversea Experience in the Namib Desert on a call at Walvis Bay. Arriving at the desert locale on 4x4 shuttles, guests will enjoy stunning landscapes, African music, a welcome drink and a buffet dinner in the desert. Silversea also offers two post-cruise safari options from Cape Town. A four-night ª Wildlife of Londoloziº trip includes a stay at South Africa' s Who Might Enjoy Cruising to a Safari ª I HAVE FOUND THAT there are four types of guests who enjoy longer voyages, such as exotic cruises that visit Africa,º says Dave Stockert, director of sales promotion for Holland America Line. He says agents might check to see whether any existing clients fit these profiles: Home Away From HomeÐ Look at the ª snowbirdsº for potential; these are people from Canada and the northern tier of the U.S. who travel south to escape the cold in winter. There are many who have booked a condo getaway for months at a time. Suggest a few months aboard a magnificent ship and a sailing to faraway lands. Status SeekerÐ You likely have clients who like to show other people that ª they have arrived.º An African cruise or other, longer exotic cruise offers status and something for them to really talk about. Port CollectorsÐ Many cruise clients may want to add ports they have never been to to their collection of places visited. Ask them what they have done and suggest the out-of-the-ordinary ports often found on only longer cruise voyages. Adventure SeekerÐ Ask those clients who tend to stick to the basics of cruises, but who also have an adventurous spirit to try a once-in-a-lifetime experience on an exotic sailing. 56 | TravelAgent June 9, 2008 http://www.silversea.com http://www.hollandamerica.com http://www.hollandamerica.com http://www.regentexperience.com http://www.regentexperience.com

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Travel Agent - June 9, 2008 Online Now Contents Contributors From the Editor From the Publisher Pacific/Asia: Hong Kong’s Kowloon District Honors Chinese Traditions while Brandishing Cutting-Edge Style Hawaii: Nature Lovers with an Urge to Get Out and Move Flock to Kauai - Hawaii's Garden Isle Pacific Northwest: Washington State has Become the Hot New Destination for Wine Lovers New Zealand: Two New Hotels Make Queenstown Even More Enticing Las Vegas: The Coolest Places to Beat the Heat are the Exclusive Pools at Las Vegas Hotels Central & South America: A Restored Railway Line Offers a New Way to Enjoy Quito Caribbean & Bahamas: Nikki Beach Hotels' Aggressive Expansion Continues Europe: Reporting Back from the German Travel Mart in Munich Cruises: Princess Cruises Introduces a Group Amenity Feature Cover Story: Costa Cruises Delta/Northwest: The Airline Merger that Could Change the Industry Hotels: Historic Hotels are Going Green Spas: Indulging Guests, with an Environmental Focus Agent Profile: Montrose Travel Shares its Secrets Passport Online: The New Website Supports Agents, Supplies and Consortia Agenda: From Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar China Continues to Welcome Visitors Alternative Fuel for Cruise Ships News from the Caribbean ARC Launches Accreditation Program In the Spotlight Agent Access Classified Marketplace Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - June 9, 2008

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