By
Rebecca Gibson |
Windstar Cruises is to launch its first series of cruisetours in Asia and Arabia.
Designed to offer travellers the chance to combine a cruise with land excursions, the price of cruisetours includes the cost of the cruise, flights to the cruisetour city, accommodation in a luxury hotel, excursions with an expert guide in each new city, select meals and transfers.
Guests who book by 29 August 2014 will receive up to a US$1,000 airfare credit per person, free hotel and transfers on arrival, a complimentary exclusive Private Event on the voyage and savings of up to 50% of the cruise fare.
“We’ve applied our philosophy of exploring hidden harbours and secluded coves to our land experiences, handpicking the best excursions to taste the local culture,” said Hans Birkholz, Windstar Cruises’ CEO. “Our Cruisetours take care of all the logistics, so our guests can truly relax and enjoy the destination at hand in exclusive Windstar style, both on land and at sea.”
Windstar’s four-day ‘Singapore, the Malay Peninsula, and Myanmar Cruisetour’ is available as part of the line’s ten-day ‘Singapore & the Malay Peninsula’ roundtrip. Guests will stay at both the five-star Sule Shangri-La and five-star Bagan Lodge and visit Yangon and Bangan to explore the Bagan Archaeological Zone, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. They will also take a trip to Phwar Saw Village to enjoy food prepared by locals.
Part of the line’s ten-day ‘Southeast Asia Unveiled’ voyage from Hong Kong to Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, the three-day ‘Southeast Asia Unveiled & Angkor Wat Cruisetour’ takes guests to Siem Ream in Cambodia. Highlights include visits to the ancient temples of Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, Tonle Sap Lake and Les Artisans d’Angkor. The cruisetour also offers guests the chance to enjoy a traditional Cambodian feast with a cultural dance performance and a guided tour of the floating homes and fish farms onboard a small vessel. Guests will stay in the Le Meridien Angkor hotel in Siem Reap and Caravelle Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. The tour can be booked pre- or post-cruise.
Guests sailing on Windstar’s six-day ‘Wonders of Arabia’ cruise from Athens, Greece, to Safaga, Egypt, can participate in a five-day ‘Wonders of Civilization Cruisetour’. Departing the ship in Egyptian city of Luxor, guests will travel to Cairo to tour the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx. Local highlights include a tour of the Solar Boat, a ritual vessel believed to provide transport for the Pharaoh’s soul to the afterlife, as well as a camel ride through the desert. The guests will stay at the Hilton Luxor, and five-star Mena House Hotel in Giza, and will be joined by Hans Birkholz during the voyage.