May route roundup: Where cruise lines are adding sailings

Cruise lines are constantly tweaking their schedules. Sometimes it's just the addition of a single port to a long-established itinerary. Other times it's the rollout of an all-new route.
Here, some of the more notable new itinerary announcements from the past few weeks.

Azamara to debut in Alaska ...

Azamara Club Cruises in 2019 will offer voyages to Alaska — a first for the line.

The upscale, two-ship cruise company will position the 694-passenger Azamara Quest in the state from May through September for a series of 11 sailings ranging from eight to 10 days.

Itineraries will include 10-night, one-way trips between Seward, Alaska and Vancouver, B.C. that feature stops at Icy Strait Point, Sitka, Juneau, Skagway, Haines and Ketchikan in Alaska as well as Victoria, B.C. The trips also will offer a day of cruising at Alaska's Hubbard Glacier.

Azamara’s Alaska itineraries will boast more time in ports than is common for many of the lines sailing to the destination, including several late-night stays. During the 10-night voyages, Quest will stay in Juneau and Skagway until 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., respectively. Azamara also will sell pre- and post-sailing land tours of two to six nights.

Ten-year-old Azamara traditionally has sent both of its vessels to Europe during summers.

... as UnCruise expands in the state

UnCruise Adventures is adding a seventh ship to its Alaska fleet for 2018.  The small-ship travel company’s 88-passenger S.S. Legacy will spend the summer of 2018 cruising Alaska's Southeast region instead of sailing in the Pacific Northwest as it does now.

UnCruise says the replica coastal steamer will be newly outfitted with kayaks and skiffs for Alaska exploring. UnCruise specializes in trips focused on wilderness, wildlife and culture that include lots of outdoorsy adventure.

UnCruise also is changing up its itineraries in Alaska a bit for 2018. The company will offer more visits to Glacier Bay National Park, and it's adding the adventure outpost of Haines to half of its routes. A full day of activities in Haines will include a float trip down the Chilkat River (on most itineraries), a guided hike, biking in town and a shipboard presentation by local Chilkat Tlingit members.

UnCruise voyages are heavy in adventure activities such as hiking, kayaking, paddle boarding, skiff excursions and whale watching. Trips typically feature few port calls and have flexible itineraries. On-board expedition guides provide interpretation along the way.

Fares for UnCruise sailings in Alaska start at $2,995 per person, based on double occupancy, including meals; all beverages including alcohol; adventure activities and transfers to the ship.

Avalon doubling footprint on Mekong

Avalon Waterways is expanding again in Southeast Asia with a second ship on the Mekong River.

The 36-passenger vessel, to be called Avalon Saigon, will debut in September 2018 and sail week-long voyages through Vietnam and Cambodia. Passengers will be able to extend the trips with a wide variety of multi-day land tours.

The new ship will join the 36-passenger Avalon Siem Reap, which debuted on the Mekong in early 2015. Colorado-based Avalon also has operated a 36-passenger vessel on the Irrawaddy River in nearby Myanmar since late 2015.

Like the other ships, Avalon Saigon will feature Avalon's signature Panorama Suite cabin design with floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows that slide open to create a balcony-like effect.

Avalon has differentiated itself in Southeast Asia by operating smaller vessels than many of its competitors. Viking River Cruises' ship on the Mekong carries 60 passengers. AmaWaterways' ship sails with 124. The smaller size of Avalon vessels in the region lets the company offer itineraries that include stops in places bigger ships can't go. It also results in a more intimate experience.

Fares for Avalon’s seven-night Mekong cruises start at $3,079 per person, based on double occupancy. Twelve-night trips that include the cruise and stays in Ho Chi Minh City and Siem Reap start at $4,349.

… and adding more Christmas cruises

Avalon also is adding more Christmastime departures in Europe for 2018, citing strong demand.

The line will offer 19 voyages over the 2018 holiday period on the Rhine, Main and Danube Rivers. That's three times the number of just a few years ago.

In addition to traditional touring, Christmastime cruises offer passengers a chance to experience the festive Christmas markets that pop up in Central European towns over the holidays.

Avalon's Christmas trips for 2018 range in length from five to 16 days.

Avalon operates 16 ships on European rivers such as the Rhine, Danube, Seine and Rhone.

Oceania ship to circle Australia

Oceania Cruises in late 2018 will offer a complete circumnavigation of Australia — a rarity at the line.

The 34-day voyage on the 684-passenger Regatta will kick off Dec. 13, 2018 in Sydney and follow a counter-clockwise route around the world's sixth largest country.
Port stops in Australia will include Brisbane, Hamilton Island, Cairns, Broome, Exmouth, Perth, Esperance, Adelaide, Portland, Melbourne and Eden.

Regatta also will visit Australia's Kangaroo Island and Tasmania. In addition, the trip will include stops in Papua New Guinea and the Indonesia islands of Bali and Komodo. The sailing concludes back in Sydney on Jan. 16, 2019. Fares start at $8,599 per person, based on double occupancy.

Oceania only has offered two other circumnavigations of Australia in its 15-year history. Its first circling of the country took place last winter on the 684-passenger Sirena. A second trip around Australia will take place this coming winter on Regatta.

For more recently announced cruise itineraries, see our April route roundup.