Sitting here in Singapore at the lovely Marina Mandarin Hotel, I have a view of the bizarre Marina Sands Hotel (looks like a futuristic skyscraper topped by a boat) in one direction, and the Merlion in the other. It's steamy, overcast and may rain any minute, and my thoughts can't help but drift back to our cruise in Azamara Quest, which ended on Saturday in Hong Kong.
South America is huge and offers a variety of hugely different ports, from the hot beaches of Rio in summer to the southern most parts of the continent.
The Eastern Mediterranean is a long way from home for our local cruising population. So once you've decided to book your cruise in the Occident what ports should you look out for on ship itineraries?
To date the trip has been amazing on many levels, and while I do want to talk about the destinations we've visited, there are a few things from the last blog about the ship which I want to share with you.
It's been a long time since I took a cruise during such a high-anticipation time as the Christmas holidays, and I guess you could argue it was risky to embark attempt it on a ship and a new line.
Italy’s largest port is also the hub of its shipbuilding industry, and at first glance seems to have little to recommend it. However, just a kilometre east is Porto Antico, the old port, with charming cobblestone streets, ancient churches, grand palaces and fascinating museums.
APT has just launched the most revolutionary ships on Europe's rivers, with a restaurant and bar that rises to the upper deck on hydraulics, interiors and food designed by Aussie experts.
