NEWS YOU CAN USE CRUISE


Fred Holidays offers cruise-and-stay package in Thailand


Fred Holidays has created a 10-night package that gives travellers the opportunity to “discover Thailand’s cultural heritage and landscapes”. The itinerary combines a


six-night cruise on the River Kwai and a three-night stay in Bangkok. The round-trip cruise


from Bangkok, on board the 20-passenger River Kwai, will call at Ban Kao, Sai Yok and Ban Hin Dad. Departures will operate


between March and October. Prices start at £3,499 including flights from London, a tour and B&B accommodation in a four- star hotel in Bangkok, transfers, a full-board cruise and gratuities. A spokesperson said: “On


the cruise, guests will explore historical sites, serene villages and natural wonders, engage in cultural rituals and marvel at breathtaking landscapes.” fredholidays.co.uk


The bridge over the River Kwai at Kanchanaburi


PICTURES: Michel Verdure; Tommy Simonsen; Shutterstock/Marco Saracco


HAL opens Panama Canal and Hawaii bookings for 2025-26


Josie Klein


Holland America Line has opened bookings for its 2025-26 Panama Canal and Hawaii sailings. The cruises, which range from 15 to 22 days, depart


between October 2025 and April 2026. HAL is offering six Panama Canal cruises on board


Eurodam, Koningsdam and Zuiderdam. Itineraries will start or end in Vancouver, Seattle, San


Diego, Miami or Fort Lauderdale. Ports of call include destinations in Aruba, Canada,


Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands and the US. Select Panama Canal sailings will call at Acajutla in


El Salvador – a new port for HAL – where passengers will be able to take an excursion to Mayan ruins. Panama Canal cruises lead in at £2,999.


The line’s Hawaii season will operate on


Koningsdam, Zaandam and, for the first time in the region, Nieuw Amsterdam. The ships will sail round-trip from San Diego or


Vancouver, or between the two cities. A 17-day Circle Hawaii itinerary from Vancouver


to San Diego will call at Nawiliwili, Kahului, Hilo, Honolulu and Kona. Prices start at £2,619. For a limited time, when passengers book a 2025-26


Panama Canal or Hawaii cruise, they will receive the Have It All package, which includes a drinks package and premium Wi-Fi. Karen Farndell, director of sales and marketing, said:


“A Panama Canal transit is a once-in-a-lifetime experience many of our guests are seeking, and by adding Acajutla to select voyages, we’re making it more memorable.” hollandamerica.com


Hurtigruten suspends plan to launch West Africa itinerary


Hurtigruten Group is amending fleet deployment while suspending planned sailings to West Africa for safety reasons. Expansion of the HX


(Hurtigruten Expeditions) portfolio for 2024 to include the area has been put on hold. “Due to increasing levels of


instability in the region, HX has elected to pause its operations for


24 14 MARCH 2024


the upcoming season to ensure the safety of our guests and crew,” the company said. An itinerary had included


visits to Dakar in Senegal and Banjul in The Gambia, as well as the Bissagos Islands off the coast of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde. Meanwhile, Maud will make a


temporary return to Hurtigruten to run Norwegian coastal sailings


from November 1 as part of the operator’s state contract for the route, while HX will amend fleet deployment in the wake of its “most


successful Antarctic season ever”. Maud will run scheduled


sailings from mid-April as part of planned British Isles itineraries, before heading to the Arctic for the summer. hurtigruten.com


travelweekly.co.uk Maud Koningsdam


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