Continental Drift

The Age

Monday November 5, 2007

By Mike Heard

Forget the overland tour, Europe by water is a must. By Mike Heard.

It seems a lot of Australian travellers have been getting it wrong with their European holiday. According to Melbourne travel agent Anne Rogers, they've been using a "back-door'' approach and missing out on some of the best views.

Take the much-photographed Italian fishing village of Portofino, for example.

"As you drive over the hill, you take in that fabulous Mediterranean scene,'' she says. "But the view is even better when you see Portofino from the ocean. Cities and towns around the Med developed from seafronts. Coming into them by road is like coming in the back door.''

Some Aussies might be getting it wrong, but tens of thousands of others will be doing much of their European sightseeing from the decks of cruise ships next year. Here are some of the hot spots:

HUB MED

Despite the hype about river cruising, the Mediterranean remains easily the biggest European cruising drawcard for Australians, from Spain and North Africa in the west, to the Greek Islands, Turkey and Israel in the east.

Mediterranean cruises are typically seven to 10 nights, departing from places such as Genoa, Venice, Barcelona and Southampton, divided separately along east and west lines. Italian cruise line MSC has a back-to-back option offering two week-long cruises, one from Venice to the Greek Islands and the other from Genoa to the western Mediterranean. The deal includes an overland transfer between the two ports, and at about $2500 a person twin share is considered good value.

For the many Australians who weren't able to get cabins on the inaugural world voyage of Queen Victoria early next year, there'll be the chance to spend up to 12 nights on the latest Cunard superliner during a program of nine sailings it will operate in the Mediterranean between April and November.

Fares start from $3339 a person, twin share, for 12 nights.

DECKSIDE DEAL

Among the cheapest Europe sailings next year will be seven-night journeys along the coast of Croatia on motorised sailboats known as "oldtimers". The vessels, carrying 30 passengers in twin cabins, cruise among the islands of the Adriatic, giving passengers plenty of time for snorkelling, swimming and diving. Evenings are spent ashore at bars and restaurants. Fares start at $552 per person, including breakfasts and lunches. The cruises are sold through Sydney agency Russia & Beyond.

TRY ME A RIVER

River cruising has become a big seller in Australia in recent years and that won't change next year.

The competitive key players generally offer similar itineraries along the Rhine and Danube rivers between Amsterdam and Budapest, at prices ranging from $4000 to $6000 a person, twin share, for a two-week sailing. They promise all-inclusive luxury and loads of enticing extras, such as free wine with meals, more cabin space, bigger balconies and free or discounted air travel to Europe.

To encourage more people to take up river cruising, Croisi Europe, a French company, is offering "sampler" sailings of two or three nights on the Seine river from Paris at a cost of about $400 a person. Or try Trafalgar Uniworld for trips on the lesser-known Douro river in Portugal.

EASTERN FEAST

Russia's Volga river has been attracting increasing numbers of Australians in recent years, and interest has spread to neighbouring Ukraine, with sailings along the Dnieper river from the capital, Kiev, to the Black Sea resort of Odessa.

Most river-cruise companies have trips of 10 or 11 nights between Moscow and St Petersburg, with a few days in each city added on.

Euroscape Travel in Melbourne is selling a 12-day journey on the Dnieper from $1452 a person twin share, including all meals and shore excursions. The same agency has 12-day Volga sailings from about $1700.

BARGE PASS

Barge-cruising along the canals and smaller rivers of Europe, particularly in France, is in its own luxurious world. Paying up to $1000 a day, luxury-seeking passengers will board small hotel barges (6-12 passengers), for an all-inclusive package of gourmet dining, an open-bar liquor arrangement and upmarket shore excursions like hot-air ballooning.

One of the main operators, Abercrombie & Kent, also promotes barge cruises in Britain, including trips between Inverness and Fort William in the north of Scotland aboard an eight-passenger vessel.

CANAL FEVER

Sweden's Gota Canal offers perhaps the most unusual canal experience in Europe. The waterway links Stockholm with Gothenberg via one river, three canals, eight lakes and 66 locks.

Cruises are operated by three steamers built between 1874 and 1931. Each has been renovated from time to time, but given that their owners have tried to maintain original designs and settings, accommodation is fairly basic. Each ship has about 30 cabins.

Fares for a one-way sailing lasting four nights start at $3691 a person, twin share. Tourists can take just part of the voyage, starting with one night aboard for $874.

BALTIC CHARM

Cruise industry sources suggest that the Baltic ranks second behind the Mediterranean as the most popular European cruising destination for Australians.

Scandinavia is expensive and the all-inclusive nature of cruising is seen as a way of keeping touring costs down, while also visiting the Russian city of St Petersburg.

Sydney cruise specialist Cruise Express offers two days in St Petersburg as part of a 12-night Scandinavia and Baltic sailing from England in June. It's part of an

18-day escorted fly-cruise holiday from Australia priced from $6790 a person, twin share.

BUY POLAR

Norwegian shipping giant Hurtigruten expanded its cruising operations earlier this year with the launch of cruises to Greenland aboard a 310-passenger purpose-built vessel.

Myplanet prices start from $6113 per person, twin share, for eight days in the northern summer, including connecting air travel to the cruise from Copenhagen and back.

SET SAIL

Australians who want to do their Europe cruising under sail next year have a number of options.

Windstar Cruises will have three fully-rigged motor-sail vessels in the Mediterranean during summer, cruising between places such as Barcelona, Rome, Istanbul and Athens.

Prices start at about $4500 per person, twin share, for a seven-day Greek Islands sailing next May.

Sea Cloud Cruises offers a similar luxury product using two huge yachts. A seven-night Mediterranean sailing next year will cost about $5500 per person, twin share.

© 2007 The Age

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