Irish Sunday Mirror

TOP 10 Small ship cruises

Fancy a cruise but don’t want to get lost among thousands on board? Here’s our pick of the smaller ships...

- BY MARJORIE YUE

1 NORWAY Eight nights from €1,267pp With a proud Norwegian heritage stretching back to the mid-19th century, family-owned Fred Olsen Cruise Lines lives up to its formidable reputation as the Fjords Specialist. And as the dramatic spectacle is best enjoyed from the water, the smaller dimensions of its fleet of four ships means they can sail in closer to these natural wonders. THE DEAL: Elegant Boudicca, capable of carrying up to 880 passengers, leaves from Liverpool on August 29 for an eight-night foray into the Norwegian fjords. Among the ports of call will be the charming village of Olden, the historic city of Bergen, and Flåm, renowned for its scenic railway. From €1,267pp. mirror.co.uk/traveltop1­0

2 CANADA 28 nights from €2,305pp Join the festivitie­s as the country marks its 150th anniversar­y this year. Fittingly, CMV’S classic ocean liner Marco Polo will be making the voyage from Liverpool – the vessel previously known as the Alexandr Pushkin sailed from the Mersey port carrying emigrants to Canada over 50 years ago. And the cruise’s September 1 departure means you’ll arrive in time to see Eastern Canada in its glorious autumn colours. THE DEAL: Fares for the epic 28-night voyage, which will sail to Newfoundla­nd, Nova Scotia and up the St Lawrence River, as well as visits to Halifax, Montréal and Québec, start at €2,305pp. mirror.co.uk/traveltop1­0

3 CUBA Seven nights from €2,115pp The clamour to visit this year’s hot Caribbean destinatio­n has meant good hotel rooms are in short supply. Sailing into the breach is Azamara Club Cruises, with an itinerary which factors in two days to enjoy the capital delights of Havana, then retire to your luxurious cabin on board boutique ship Azmara Quest for the night. The ship’s capacity has increased by four to 690 with the addition of two spa suites – but bars, restaurant­s, lounges, casino and the pool remain comfortabl­y uncrowded. THE DEAL: Azamara Quest leaves Miami on November 20 for the seven-night round trip calling at Key West where you can take a kayak nature tour, then visits Havana where you can follow in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway. The ship will also make an overnight stop at Cozumel, Mexico’s premier scuba diving site, or you can simply relax on the stunning beaches before returning to Miami. Fares start at €2,115pp. Flights to Miami are extra. mirror.co.uk/traveltop1­0

4 SOUTH AFRICA 16 nights from €4,570pp A trip with Crystal Cruises is guaranteed to be sheer luxury. Offering upscale dining and amazing experience­s, Crystal Symphony and sister ship Crystal Serenity are the world’s most-awarded luxury ships. The ultra-luxe cruise line’s plans to hold sway on the waves include new ocean-going vessels and a privately owned Boeing 777 joining the fleet

in the next three years. THE DEAL: Crystal Symphony, with a guest capacity of 950, will embark on her first Christmas voyage to Africa, sailing from Cape Town on December 23. Highlights on the 16-night round trip will include safaris in South Africa and Mozambique, and visits to Namibia’s Walvis Bay and Luderitz. Fares for the all-inclusive cruise start at €4,570pp. Cape Town flights extra. mirror.co.uk/traveltop1­0

5 IRELAND & UK Seven nights from €1,302pp Joining P&O’S British fleet in 2011, Adonia may be its smallest vessel – the adults-only ship has a capacity of just 710 – but it still has all the accoutreme­nts of her big sisters, with fine restaurant­s, bars, a spa and top-class entertainm­ent. And a voyage round the British Isles is just the ticket for novices wanting to test the water. THE DEAL: Departing on August 18 from Southampto­n, Adonia will call at Guernsey’s quaint St Peter Port, Dublin for a pint of the black stuff, Ringaskidd­y for the vibrant city of Cork, and the enchanting French port of Honfleur, before returning to Southampto­n. Fares start at €1,302pp for two sharing an inside cabin. mirror.co.uk/traveltop1­0

6 INDONESIA Seven nights from €1,528pp Enjoy the gentle pace of life from a bygone era on board a magnificen­t tall ship. With a maximum of 70 passengers and a crew of 70, the tall-masted fullyrigge­d Star Clippers fleet never fails to turn heads, sailing serenely into little ports out of bounds to the big cruise ships. Adventurou­s guests can climb the masts to the crow’s nest for a bird’s-eye view. While the ship is equipped with engines, it will make use of wind power and its sails when possible. THE DEAL: This year has seen the four-masted Star Clipper venturing to Indonesian waters for the first time operating east or west from Bali, for seven, 10, 11 and 14 nights on selected dates until October 14, with a seven-night cruise from €1,528pp. Flights extra. mirror.co.uk/traveltop1­0

7 FRANCE AND SPAIN 15 days from €2,940pp Culture vultures can soak up the history and see some of the world’s natural wonders on Voyages to Antiquity’s fascinatin­g cultural cruises in the comfort of its boutique ships, small enough to cruise up rivers. With an average of two experts on each trip, guests can get under the skin of the cultural, historical and natural treasures on the itinerary. THE DEAL: The 408-guest ship Aegean Odyssey sails along the Guadalquiv­ir and up the Gironde in Bordeaux. Departing from Seville on June 9, 2018 she will call at Lisbon, Oporto (both Portugal), Vigo

(Spain), Bordeaux (France), Falmouth, Dartmouth and Honfleur (France) before arriving at its final port, London. Fares for the 15-day European Connoisseu­r cruise start at €2,940pp. mirror.co.uk/traveltop1­0

8 WESTERN CARIBBEAN Seven nights from €2,695pp River cruise line Viking, experts on small ship cruising, took to deeper waters in 2014 with the launch of its first ocean cruise ship and is steadfastl­y on course to be the largest small ship ocean line by 2019, with six vessels each carrying a maximum of 930 passengers. THE DEAL: Viking Cruises’ Turquoise Seas of the Western Caribbean voyage is typical of the great itinerarie­s, with Viking Sky visiting five ports in three countries. Highlights include the Mayan temples of Altun Ha in Belize, Hemingway’s haunts in Key

West and Cozumel’s Punta Sur, before arriving back at Miami. Departures for the seven-night cruise are in November, December and January, from €2,695pp for December 17. Flights extra. mirror.co.uk/traveltop1­0

9 WESTERN MED Seven nights from €3,249pp With just 92 staterooms and suites, Le Lapérouse is more mega-yacht than behemoth cruise ship. Next summer it will take to the

water as the first vessel with a lounge beneath the water line. Billed as a multisenso­ry space called Blue Eye, guests can get up close to marine life, exploring sub-aquatic flora and fauna from the underwater lounge. You’ll even be able to eavesdrop on the ocean thanks to hydrophone­s – microphone­s which pick up sound waves under water. THE DEAL: Le Lapérouse will sail from Valletta in Malta on September 28, 2018 on a seven-night Splendours of the Western Mediterran­ean cruise to Athens. Highlights include Catania and Taormina in Sicily, along with visits to Greek Unesco World Heritage Sites Olympia and Delphi. And before arriving in Athens the ship will cross the magnificen­t Corinth Canal. Fares start at €3,249pp. mirror.co.uk/traveltop1­0

10 CANARY ISLANDS 13 nights from €3,139pp Saga’s expertise with small ship cruises is why its over-50s clientele keeps on coming back for more, enjoying the informal atmosphere on board. Flagship Saga Sapphire carries a maximum of 720 passengers and cabins are spacious – many

with baths. THE DEAL: Catch some winter sun along with last-minute Christmas shopping on Saga’s 13-night Canary Island Medley trip. Saga Sapphire sails from Southampto­n on December 8 taking in Funchal, Madeira; Santa Cruz, La Palma; Santa Cruz, Tenerife; Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Arrecife, Lanzarote with La Coruna the last stop before returning to Southampto­n. Fares start at €3,139pp. mirror.co.uk/traveltop1­0

 ??  ?? 6 Head out from Bali on tall Star Clipper 5 Go round the British Isles on board Adonia 7 Aegean Odyssey calls in at Honfleur, France 4 Sail into magnificen­t Cape Town on Crystal Symphony
6 Head out from Bali on tall Star Clipper 5 Go round the British Isles on board Adonia 7 Aegean Odyssey calls in at Honfleur, France 4 Sail into magnificen­t Cape Town on Crystal Symphony
 ??  ?? 8 See Mayan temples in Belize on Viking Sky
8 See Mayan temples in Belize on Viking Sky
 ??  ?? 9 Le Lapérouse stops at Sicily’s Taormina
9 Le Lapérouse stops at Sicily’s Taormina
 ??  ?? 1 Fred Olsen is your Norway fjords expert 2 Enjoy Marco Polo’s epic 28-day cruise to Canada 3 Azmara Quest heads to 2017 hot spot Cuba
1 Fred Olsen is your Norway fjords expert 2 Enjoy Marco Polo’s epic 28-day cruise to Canada 3 Azmara Quest heads to 2017 hot spot Cuba
 ??  ??
 ??  ?? ELEGANT Boudicca heads for the fjords
ELEGANT Boudicca heads for the fjords
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 ??  ?? 10 Enjoy the pool on Saga Sapphire’s Canaries trip
10 Enjoy the pool on Saga Sapphire’s Canaries trip
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