Northstar

8 | www.travelweekly-asia.com EXPEDITION CRUISE AU S T R A L I A N O F F S H O R E & T H E G R E AT B A R R I E R R E E F 14-NIGHT AUSTRALIAN OFFSHORE & THE GREAT BARRIER REEF (CAIRNS – SYDNEY) DAY DESTINATION DEPART 1 Cairns, Australia Embark / pm 2 Lizard Island, Australia Ribbon Reef, Australia 3-4 Coral Sea Islands Expedition Stops, Australia 4 Flinders Reefs, Australia 5 Hinchinbrook/Brook/Dunk Islands, Australia 6 Magnetic Island, Australia 7-8 Whitsunday Islands Expedition Stops, Australia 9 Percy Islands, Australia 10 Herald Reef and Swain Reef National Park, Australia 11 Lady Musgrave and Lady Elliot Islands, Australia 12 Fraser Island, Australia 13 Cruising the Coast of Australia 14 Sydney, Australia Sydney, Australia Disembark / am Visit crystalcruises.com for more information or call +65 6832 9687 for booking enquiries. NORTH SOUTH GREAT BARRIER REEF AUSTRALIA CAIRNS Lizard Island Coral Sea Islands Hinchinbrook/Brook/Dunk Magnetic Island Whitsunday Islands Percy Islands Herald Reef & Swain Reef National Park Lady Musgrave & Lady Elliot Islands Fraser Island SYDNEY Ribbon Reef Overnight CRYSTAL ENDEAVOR Crystal Endeavor set to trailblaze new breed of ultra-luxurious ships built for remote adventures and refined pampering. B almy days and nights spent exploring the calm Coral Sea waters and tropical islands. Welcome to Australia's Great Barrier Reef, undoubtedly one of the world's great cruising destinations. From Ribbon Reef in the north to Fraser Island in the south, the UNESCO World Heritage site is a showreel of stunning locations. At the Reef's southern tip, Fraser Coast has captured the imagination of nature-lovers and travellers alike as the whale-watching capital of the world, with thousands of humpbacks migrating past each year. And with new, more nimble expedition ships such as ultra-luxurious Crystal Endeavor making their way onto the world's seas, adventure travellers are being taken beyond the ordinary in search of the unexpected in far-flung regions from the tropics to the Poles. As early as 2017, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) singled out the growing trend of expedition cruising, a trend spurred by the record growth of adventure travel. Once regarded as the preserve of rugged, wildlife-loving explorers, expedition cruising is beginning to enjoy mainstream appeal. This is the dawn of luxury expedition cruising, where The US$195 million expedition yacht Crystal Endeavor is built to explore regions from the tropics to the Poles. By Naomi Neoh travellers test their sense of rugged adventure during the day then return to a world of fine dining, top-notch service and pampering. "Compared to 10 years ago, it's no longer the case that clients have to sacrifice the finer luxuries on an expedition cruise," said Poppy Whitbread, marketing manager at Lightfoot Travel, which has been selling expedition cruises since it first began operations in 2009. Travel agents are also seeing opportunities to service clients who are approaching expedition cruises as part of a longer itinerary and less of a standalone product. "We are helping our clients from Asia to incorporate expedition cruises into longer itineraries, typically adding five to seven days to their holiday," said Ms Whitbread. New ships, new adventures There has never been a better time for agents to dive into the expedition segment. This year alone will see at least 10 new expedition ships take to the seas, with many in the medium-sized category that carry between 100 to 200-odd passengers. Among the most highly-anticipated is Crystal Endeavor, an expedition yacht built at an eyewatering price tag of US$195 million, which will begin its globetrotting mission this August from Tokyo. The exclusive all-suite and all-verandah ship will be home to just 200 guests as they explore the world's remote regions on board one of the most spacious expedition vessels. Travellers will call the ship's 100 suites their elegant new home as they venture on voyages for two weeks and longer. Rivalling the size of luxury hotel rooms on land, its suites start from the generous 28sqm Deluxe Where adventure meets luxury Fraser Island is the whale- watching capital of the world. CREDIT: NIKLAS FLINDT/GETTYIMAGES

• Cover