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The latest news for your next cruise

Meet Star Trek’s Mr Sulu

GEORGE TakEi, best known as helmsman Hikaru Sulu of Star Trek’s USS Enterprise, will be the headline speaker on Queen Mary 2’s 12-night ‘Caribbean Celebration’ Christmas voyage on December 22, from £2,599pp. His talks will include stories of his wartime childhood in a Japanese american internment camp (cunard.co.uk, 0344 3388 650).

Free suite for kids

BOOk a suite for two adults on river cruise ship Mekong Navigator and get a free adjoining suite for two children up to 17 years old. Four and seven-night sailings in July and august 2020 depart Siem Reap, Cambodia, to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, or vice versa. From £1,251pp (lotuscruises.com, 0084 28 5410 7882).

Encore for Kelly

NORWEGiaN Cruise Line’s 17th ship, Encore, called into Southampton today before sailing to her home port of Miami to be named by singer kelly Clarkson. The 4,000passenger ship features the world’s longest go-kart race track at sea. Seven-day Eastern Caribbean fly-cruise departs November 24 from £1,788pp (ncl.com, 0333 2412319).

Best time for birders

GRaB your binoculars to spot migratory birds on Lake kariba. Fly to Johannesburg with CroisiEurope for a three-night stay in a lodge near Chobe National Park, in Botswana, then join air-conditioned 16-passenger MS african Dream for three nights on Lake kariba. Fly-cruise prices from £4,604pp on February 9 and March 4, 2020, departures

(croisieurope.co.uk, 020 8328 1281).

Make a donation

HERiTaGE Expeditions is donating 5 per cent of cabin prices from its ‘Beyond Fiordland’ voyage to fund work to protect New Zealand’s Subantarctic islands. The 11-day sailing departs on December 13 on 50-passenger Spirit of Enderby priced from £4,657pp

(heritage-expeditions.com, +64 3365 3500).

Immersive Greece

CRySTaL Cruises’ ‘intensive Greek isles’ holiday visits seaside villages in Mykonos and Santorini, the Unesco-site of Delos, Hydra, mainland Peloponnese and Lefkada. Prices from £6,556pp on July 10, 2022, departure

(crystalcruises.co.uk, 020 7399 7601).