Cruise and Maritime Voyages

Supporting National Cruise Week

Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV) has announced new reductions during National Cruise Week on three winter departures. Announcing the new prices, Head of Marketing at CMV, Mike Hall said “Just in case anyone needed reminding spending time on traditional style cruise ship for a good period of time in the winter is good for you. Warmer weather, savings at home on heating, lighting, entertainment and food are reasons to escape the winter on a CMV cruise.”

The new price is £1399pp for a 30 night winter escape in November on the highly rated Marco Polo with no food or big utility bills to worry about, makes this a true bargain. The elegant and classic style ship departs Sunday 3 November from the London Cruise Terminal in Tilbury on a cruise off to the idyllic West Indies. Nine different Caribbean islands are included in the itinerary with visits to the beautiful Azores on the way and on the way back.

Marco Polo accommodates up to 800 mainly British guests offering a more traditional and intimate country house style cruise experience. The on board currency is sterling, English is spoken throughout the ship and the entertainment is live with top supporting guest speakers and craft classes. The fare is per person based on two people sharing inner accommodation on a full board basis plus afternoon tea and late night snacks. For an ocean view cabin add just £300pp. Also included in the fare are daytime activities programme, informative guest speakers, Stylish ‘big show’ evening entertainment, complimentary tea and coffee (6am - 10pm) and porterage of luggage from port to cabin. Gratuities are a modest £4pp per night debited to the on board account.

After Christmas on 5 January 2014 Marco Polo sails down the Thames from Tilbury again this time off to the Amazon on a 42 night cruise! Prices are now from £2299pp. This voyage is a legend in cruising terms and attracts many repeaters. The cruise takes you to Amsterdam, Lisbon and Madeira then on to the Cape Verde Islands before crossing the Atlantic. The adventure really starts with arrival at Santerém, Para Brazil. There are eight stops once the ship enters the Amazon River offering breathtaking scenery and opening up an unrivalled array of tropical plants and animals.  Among the excursions is an evening spent on motorized canoes to search out the local caiman, a close relative of the alligator and which can grow up to 15 foot. Another excursion takes you up the dark and mysterious waters of the Rio Negro, where at a point called the ‘Meeting of the Waters’ it flows side by side with the light brown Rio Solimões. Navigation through small tributaries and flood creeks takes you deeper into the Amazonian rain forest.  At any point on the excursions are chances of coming across pink dolphins, piranhas and all manner of brightly coloured birds. These and many more sights can also be taken in on a full day excursion.  

On the way out of the river a call is made at Santana in order to take an optional visit to Macapa in Brazil. Heading off north you will visit Isles du Salut (Devil’s Island) made famous in the film Papillon.  Next up are four attractive Caribbean islands followed by a leisurely return voyage calling into the beautiful Azores on the return to Tilbury.

CMV’s third option to escape is on their new fleet addition Astor sailing this coming November 5 2013 starting from Civitavecchia (Rome) down to Freemantle, Australia  via the Suez Canal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Singapore. This 36 nights voyage south will get you into Australia for Christmas and for the cricket. New Prices from only £1599pp, crew gratuities included on Astor.