This September, an imaginative fly-cruise-and-stay holiday with a difference explores some very distinct parts of the world in the space of 22 days. It takes in Copenhagen; the great American cities of Boston and New York; three iconic cities in the British Isles – Glasgow, Belfast and Cork – and rounds it all off with two relaxing nights in Hawaii.
The holiday, exclusively from Worldwide Cruise Centres (worldwidecruisecentres.com.au) and called ‘Mountains, Manhattan and Grass Skirts’, is designed around a 14-night transatlantic cruise aboard Regal Princess from Copenhagen to New York City.
‘Mountains, Manhattan and Grass Skirts’ includes a night’s accommodation in a Copenhagen hotel and two nights each in hotels in New York City and Honolulu. The hotels are all four-star properties and hotel stays include daily breakfast in Copenhagen and Hawaii.
‘Mountains, Manhattan and Grass Skirts’ costs from A$5999 twin share per person – a big bargain for a three-week holiday that covers so much of the world. It’s open for booking at that rate till the end of June 2016 unless sold out beforehand.
The price includes all flights: from Sydney or Brisbane to Copenhagen before the cruise; from New York to Honolulu and finally from Honolulu back to Sydney or Brisbane. Aboard Regal Princess, a bonus applies, giving you US$60 onboard credit per twin cabin.
‘Mountains, Manhattan and Grass Skirts’ gets underway with a flight to Copenhagen on 8 September 2016. A night in Copenhagen gives time to stroll the old harbour of Nyhavn, lined with cafés, restaurants and 500-year-old gabled houses. Browse the famed Stroget shopping precinct or savour local delicacies in Tivoli Gardens, one of Europe’s most celebrated pleasure parks.
Then, board Regal Princess for a 14-night cruise to New York City. Launched in 2014, Regal Princess boasts Princess Cruises’ largest top-deck pool, with a water and light show, an enhanced Movies Under the Stars screen and the new top-deck glass-bottom over-the-water SeaWalk, with views 39-metres straight down! All shipboard main meals (excluding specialty restaurants) are included. So is most entertainment aboard.
First port of call is Norway’s scenic Kristiansund, then on to Bergen, founded by Olav the Good in 1070 and still radiating a heady blend of natural beauty, Viking history and culture. Next, a day in the great metropolis of Glasgow, Scotland’s biggest city. The following day is spent in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a graceful city of Victorian and Edwardian buildings that has experienced a cultural renaissance since the Good Friday Agreement of 1998 promised an end to the decades-old ‘Troubles’ between Catholics and Protestants.
In Cork, Ireland, you can wander country lanes, see the Lakes of Killarney or scale the narrow passages of Blarney Castle to kiss the Blarney Stone.
Five uninterrupted days at sea now, so take it easy aboard Regal Princess as you cross the Atlantic to Boston, Massachusetts. On arrival, see the site of the Boston Tea Party, trace the route of Paul Revere’s famous ride, and stand on the bridge where Minutemen fired “the shot heard round the world”.
Another day at sea before disembarking in a city that needs little introduction. New York City exerts a powerful influence over worldwide commerce, finance, culture, fashion and entertainment. Nearly 170 languages are spoken here and over 35% of the population was born outside the United States. During a two-night stay in a four-star hotel, take a bite of the Big Apple by exploring Times Square, TriBeCa, SoHo, Broadway and the Met.
Jetting out of New York for Hawaii now, get ready for the final two nights of your holiday. From your base in a four-star Honolulu hotel, don’t miss Waikiki Beach. Catch the waves, browse the International Marketplace. The Honolulu Zoo, Diamond Head, and the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor are all nearby.
Maybe toast Hawaii with a classic mai tai cocktail before flying back home to Australia.
To find your local Worldwide Cruise Centres agent go to: www.worldwidecruisecentres.com.au
SOURCE: Worldwide Cruise Centres