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New "Longitudinal" World Cruise
Sets A First For The Cruise Industry
Artist
Rendering of MS Fram
Photo
Courtesy of Norwegian Coastal Voyages
66
Days, 44 Ports, 17 Countries & Four Continents
In
announcing what is believed to be a true first for the cruise industry,
Norwegian Coastal Voyage has unveiled a new 66-day Expedition, "World Cruise
- From Artic to Antarctica," filling passenger's passports with visits to 44
ports in 17 countries on four continents, taking a longitudinal route from
pole-to-pole. Upon stepping aboard the new 160-stateroom MS Fram,
the world's newest and most deluxe expedition ship, on September 18, 2007,
guests will take up residency and embark on an odyssey of experiences that
begins in Reykjavik, Iceland and proceeds through the Arctic, Atlantic,
Caribbean, Pacific and South Pole waters to Scotland, Ireland, Canada, the
Eastern US, Western Caribbean, a transit through the Panama Canal, the west
coast of South America, the Chilean fjords and Antarctica, ending in Ushuaia,
Argentina on November 22. Whether taken in totality or in segments, the
itinerary offers stunning scenery, varied seasons and fascinating ports of call.
"Norwegian Coastal Voyage is uniquely positioned to offer this exclusive voyage
of discovery -- combining our company's extensive experience in expedition
cruising, a purpose-built luxury expedition cruise ship, an experienced crew
very familiar with the unique ports you'll visit on this journey, and experts
and lecture sessions on the more remote destinations such as Antarctica" says
Hans Rood, president of Norwegian Coastal Voyage.
Whether it is the stunning colors of the fall foliage, the warm waters and
sun-drenched western Caribbean or the once-in-a-lifetime settings of the Chilean
Fjords and Antarctica, guests will be hard-pressed to find a greater variety of
seasons and scenery or uniqueness of ports of call, many that larger cruise
ships cannot visit, on any other single itinerary. Most port calls are
nine to 12 hours in length, plenty of time for independent exploration or taking
tours. The size of the ship makes it easy to dock in the center of many of
these towns and cities with easy on/off capability. And for those unusual
ports of call where docking is not offered, the MS Fram offers
landings with comfortable PolarCirkel tenders specifically designed to visit
off-the-beaten-track destinations.
Leaving Iceland at the end of the Greenland season, the MS Fram
sails the British Isles, stopping in Stornoway and Oban, Scotland; Londonderry,
Cobh and Galway in Ireland; and the UK's Isle of Man, crossing over to Northern
Canada's St. John's, St-Pierre, Sydney and Halifax and then follows the beauty
of the fall foliage along the American coast from Bar Harbor, Maine to
Gloucester and Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts to Newport, Rhode Island and
then New York City. Heading south to the warmer sections of the eastern
seaboard, the next stop is Charleston, SC, followed by Savannah, GA, and Port
Canaveral and Key West in Florida. Belize City is the first Caribbean
port; then Guatemala's Santo Tomas de Castilla; Roatan, Honduras; San Andres
Island, Colombia; and Puerto Limon, Costa Rica.
The MS Fram visits Bocas del Toro and the San Blas Islands, Panama
before entering the Panama Canal at Cristobal, where guests get an eye-level
view of the "mules" and canal operation, coming out at Balboa on the Pacific
side. Then it's across the equator to Quito, Ecuador; and three stops in
Peru -- Salaverry, Lima and General San Martin. Ports in the 3,000-mile
long country of Chile are Arica, Iquique, Coquimbo, Valparaiso, Puerto Montt,
Puerto Chacabucco, Puerto Natales and Punta Arenas. Several days are spent
cruising the scenic Chilean Fjords before heading to Antarctica for three days
with several PolarCirkel landings and onto Ushuaia for the end of the adventure.
The 12,700-ton, 318-berth, eight-deck ship, the first cruise ship built
exclusively for sailing in the challenging maritime environment of Greenland
from May through September, makes significant use of the country's culture as
inspiration for design while incorporating a striking Scandinavian feel with the
extensive use of wool, leather and oak. The ship is named after the
polar ship built and used by Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen on a three-year
expedition around Greenland in the late 1800s. Cabins are stylish and
comfortable; a variety of suites and junior suites offer queen-size beds and
TVs. The ship also boasts excellent conference and meeting facilities, an
Internet café, a large glass-enclosed observation salon offering panoramic views
of the outside scenery, restaurant with ocean views, wellness center with
saunas, work-out room and two glass-screened heated outdoor whirlpools.
Rates for the 66-day voyage are $9,999 to $37,799 per person, double occupancy
and include selected cabin category, all meals on board, expert and naturalist
guides and port charges.
For additional information on Norwegian Coastal Voyage Inc., please visit their
website at
NorwegianCoastalVoyage.us
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