Australians have until December 31, 2014, to book a special 50-day ‘Voyage to Lone Pine’ cruise tour from Australia to Turkey next April which will see passengers visit Gallipoli a month after the historic centenary of the Anzac landings.
To be hosted by Hardy Schneider and Meg Hill – two directors of Australian cruise agency, Cruise Express – the cruise tour starts in Sydney on April 17, 2015, aboard the deluxe cruise ship, Rhapsody of the Seas, with the 45-night voyage to Istanbul marking the last-ever cruise from Australia for the popular Royal Caribbean International ship.
The voyage features visits to 20 ports in Australia, Asia, Arabia and the Mediterranean, with a special Anzac Day ceremony held aboard the ship on April 25 on approach to Darwin.
Other destinations during the voyage include the Great Barrier Reef, Komodo Island in Indonesia – famous for its large dragon-like reptiles, Bali, Singapore, Phuket and the spice-filled Indian cities of Cochin, New Mangalore, Goa and Mumbai. Passengers will also sail to Dubai and the white, marbled domes of Oman before transiting the Suez Canal to visit Athens and the famous and spectacular Greek island of Santorini.
A tour of the mosques and bazaars of Istanbul is included in the package as well as an overnight trip to Gallipoli for a private and crowd-free commemoration at Anzac Cove on June 1, 2015, little more than a month after the official centenary of the legendary landings. A visit to the ancient ruins of Troy and a three-night stay in Istanbul are also included in the tour before passengers fly home to Australia.
Including a welcome-aboard function hosted by Cruise Express and a flight from Istanbul back to Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne or Perth (connections available to other cities) with Singapore Airlines, the 50-day ‘Voyage to Lone Pine’ package is available from $10,990 per person, twin-share, in an ocean-view cabin.
Bookings are available from Cruise Express on 1300 764 509 or visit www.cruiseexpress.com.au.
SOURCE Cruise Express