NEWS YOU CAN USE CRUISE
Valiant Lady will host a ‘True Crime Voyage’
Swan Hellenic incentivises agents with £100 bonus for 2026 bookings
Virgin Voyages plots crime-themed sailing in the Caribbean
Virgin Voyages has partnered with audio company iHeartMedia to launch a ‘True Crime Voyage’ in the Caribbean. The five-night sailing on
Valiant Lady will depart from Miami on October 10 and include live recordings, behind-the-scenes workshops and exclusive meet-and-greet opportunities with podcast hosts from shows including Betrayal, Buried Bones and Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know, as well as other themed entertainment, cocktails, food and giveaways linked to famous cases. The voyage will also include
beach stops in Puerto Plata and a call at the adult-only line’s private island in Bimini. Prices start at £1,257 for a Sea View cabin. Virgin Voyages chief marketing
officer and head of sales Nathan Rosenberg said: “This exclusive, one-time-only itinerary is the kind of product that drives new conversations. It’s exciting, bookable and profitable.”
virginvoyages.com/truecrime
AE Expeditions axes solo supplements
AE Expeditions has waived solo supplements across all Antarctica voyages for the 2025-26 season. The promotion also applies to all Arctic and Global Discovery departures until September 2026. The ‘No Solo Supplement’ offer is valid for new bookings made until September 30.
aexpeditions.co.uk
20 31 JULY 2025
Swan Hellenic is offering agents £100 bonus commission – and perks for customers – in a new promotion to boost bookings for 2026. Clients will be treated to balcony cabin and Wi-Fi upgrades, as well as $250 onboard credit when booking any of 36 expedition cruises departing between March and October next year. The sailings range in duration from seven to 20 nights.
swanhellenic.com
Sæbø, Norway
Hapag-Lloyd offers early-booking discounts for late-2027 sailings
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises has released part of its 2027-28 schedule. The Tui Group-owned expedition line has put 28 cruises on sale, with early-booking discounts available until January 31, 2027, depending on the cruise duration. The programme covers the five-ship operator’s itineraries in the fourth quarter of 2027.
hl-cruises.com
Hurtigruten unveils excursions to Norwegian fishing villages
Ella Sagar
Hurtigruten has launched an ‘open village’ concept which aims to offer passengers community-led experiences in remote Norwegian coastal villages that other cruise ships can’t or don’t visit. The Norwegian line has collaborated with local
partners to “immerse guests in everyday life” in three remote fishing villages: Træna, Bessaker and Sæbø. The experiences are featured on Hurtigruten’s
Signature Line itineraries between May and September and come at no extra cost for passengers. Hurtigruten’s smaller ships are the only cruise
vessels which visit these villages over summer. During the 2025 summer season, Finnmarken
will visit all three villages, while Trollfjord will visit Træna and Sæbø. In 2026, Finnmarken, Trollfjord and Midnatsol will all call at all three destinations. In Traena, one of Norway’s oldest fishing communities,
passengers can visit the Traena Local Museum, Petter Das Chapel and village church on a self-guided tour. In Sæbø, passengers can attend a live church concert
with local musicians and explore its Avalanche Centre. In Bessaker, there will be a festive village parade,
access to historic buildings, live music, woodcarving and homemade dishes on offer such as sodd, a traditional meat soup. Hurtigruten will contribute 250 Norwegian krone –
about £18 – per passenger to each community per visit. Hurtigruten said the villages offer a “quieter,
more meaningful” alternative to popular European destinations, reducing the likelihood of overtourism. Head of product development Odd Tore Skildheim
said: “As some of Europe’s best-known destinations struggle with the pressures of overtourism, our approach is deliberately different: slower, more meaningful travel rooted in genuine connection.”
hurtigruten.com/en-gb
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURE: Hurtigruten Open Village Concept
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