With
Reuben
Goossens
Cruise’n’Travel Journalist / Cruise Reviewer
Maritime
Historian & Author
Please
Note: Cruise-Australia.com –
Cruise-Australia.net & ssMaritime.com are non-commercial and privately
owned cruise/maritime sites and are is NOT associated with any cruise/shipping
companies or travel agencies! Although the author has been in the passenger
shipping industry since 1960 and is currently semi-retired, but continues to
write cruise and ship reviews and articles in order to better to inform cruise
and ship enthusiasts and provide information for those intending a cruise in
the future. I do recommend dedicated cruise agents in order that
my readers will enjoy the best possible, BUT I neither have paid advertising,
nor do I receive commissions, as any booking made will be made direct and no
mention of my site needs to be made! Please read my statement at the bottom of the
page!
Ships
that offer a “Classic
Ocean Voyage” with
a fresh and modern touch
Classic International Cruises
News
Updates
Featuring News
regarding the Companies Superb Flagship the …
MV Athena
Now Available: The November 2012 to May 2013 – MV Athena Cruise Brochure
For departures from Europe, Fremantle WA
and Adelaide SA
For a brochure email: admin@classicintcruises.com.
Or
for personal service email Corie
Lisignoli: info@cruisespecialists.com.au –
Phone 1800-427-847 (freecall)
**********************************
MV Athena’s Special 2013 Easter Cruise
*Children under 18 sail for free
The
author sailed from Fremantle to Portsmouth UK in 2011 as a
paying passenger and loved the ship and everything about her so much
That I
have booked again for her voyage to the UK
in April 2012 when she returns to Europe. She
is simply sublime! Read my cruise Review down the page!
Considering there will be an early Easter in 2012, combined
with Classic International Cruises having an extended cruise seasons in
Australia each summer, MV Athena will operate the companies very first Easter
Cruise since Classic International Cruises commenced operations in Australia in
2004!
This superbly planned five-night Easter cruise will depart
Fremantle (Perth)
at 6pm Thursday, March 28, 2013. The voyage will visit the beautiful WA
towns of Esperance on Easter Saturday and Albany on Easter Sunday. The Athena will return to Fremantle early in the morning,
at 8am on Easter Tuesday. Thus for the working family, you will not have take
any time off from work! What a great Easter long Weekend this will be!
But, what is so extra special
about this Easter cruise? Passengers
aboard this cruise will be able to enjoy complimentary chocolate eggs whilst on
board. As well as the chocolate eggs for every passenger, there will also be
onboard non-denominational Church services for those who would like to attend,
and special holiday activities for children of all ages! Not to forget the
exciting shows in the show lounge by the ships troupe, the bands and gust
artists, there is dancing galore as well as the nightclub and disco! During the
day there is a spotless saltwater pool and a huge games deck and a gym for
those who like to keep fit, or for those who need that touch of extra care,
head topside to the Spa for one of the special treatments that are available.
You are on vacation so treat yourself on that something special! Food, glorious food! Athena knows how to look
after you when it comes to dinning, be it having a casual breakfast up in the Lotus Restaurant
Buffet and sit inside or out undercover out on deck, or by the pool, or head
down to the Dinning room, for a part self service, and a fresh hot cooked
breakfast fully served. Lunch is similar, except that the dinning room offers a
full multi course fully served meal. The evening meal is in the Dinning room,
and then late at night the delicious snacks come around the lounge and the aft
decks, no it never stops!
--
--
Enjoy
the superb dinning that is available on the Athena!
Photograph provided by Classic International Cruises
------Easter Eggs---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------and more Easter Eggs
Yum!
Places to visit: Besides
enjoying the vast facilities of your cruise ship, in both ports of call you
will discover superb talcum-powder beaches around Esperance have been described
as amongst the whitest and most beautiful stretches of sand in Australia, whilst Albany boasts a rugged rock lined coastline
and a popular whaling museum and besides that it is a beautiful historic town
to visit!
Thus with Easter, 2012, almost upon us, Australians should now
book for next year’s Easter holidays, for bookings on this cruise will
be exceptionally heavy! Thus book as soon as possible!
NOW FOR THE REALLY GOOD NEWS!
Fares are from only *A$1095 per person, twin-share and children under 18 can cruise for *FREE when sharing a
4-berth cabin with 2 adults (only taxes $175 per child will have to be paid). For
the Solo traveller: a single supplement of just *30% is available in a
single room in selected cabins. *Conditions apply and subject to availability.
Your Ship:
Originally a Trans-Atlantic liner, the 580-passenger MV Athena features a wrap-around
teak lined promenade deck, traditional wooden deck chairs, a pool, fitness
centre and sauna, there are five bars and a range of lounges, a nightclub and
cinema, the showlounge, library, boutiques and two
restaurants. And each of the 277 spacious cabins offers a full-sized bath that
a luxury only found in deluxe suites on the latest luxury cruise ships.
MV Athena seen at Heimaey Island,
Iceland - being towed stern
first due to there not being enough space for her to turn around
Photograph by Ned-Rankin a
passenger on the ms Maasdam
Athena will offer 17 cruises from 2-40 nights to and
from Perth and Adelaide between November, 2012, and May,
2013.
Bookings are via Cruise Specialists. However for general
information, visit www.classicintcruises.com.
For interest, the author of this site sailed on MV Athena’s voyage
from Fremantle to England
in 2012, and it was simply wonderful, you can read my “MV Athena Cruise Review” via the link down the page.
And I shall be on board again as she sails this time via “The Cape from
Fremantle to England
in 2012, thus this must prove that she must have been really good as I am very
fussy, and yes I pay my fare!
Enter
the author’s 2011 - MV
Athena Cruise Review
All
CIC ships are part of our “Classic
Ocean Voyages” Campaign
For further information on MV Athena
Visit the …
Website
- Click the logo above
For MV Athena, Funchal, Princess Daphne/Danae & Arion schedules whilst in Europe visit: CIC Cruises - UK
--CRUISE
INFORMATION & RESERVATIONS--
Contact Australia’s longest
Registered Cruise Agency
The Cruise Specialists - Established in 1982
For Information and Reservations
Email Corie Lisignoli: info@cruisespecialists.com.au
Or
Phone Toll Free at:
(Please
NAME the SHIP you are enquiring about)
Brisbane &
International – Phone:
www.cruisespecialists.com.au
For
other recommended cruise specialists around Australia & New Zealand … or
for International readers
There
is a list of recommended relevant Cruise’n’Travel
Agents locally and around the globe!
ENTER
HERE
**********************************
When One Cruise is Never Enough
in 2012 & 2013!
Save up to $1200 per Couple on Combo
Cruises
New Australian Ports,
the First Easter & Rock & Roll Cruise
Highlight the brand new 2012 - 2013 Cruise
Season for MV Athena in Australia
MV Athena is awaiting you
in 2012!
The author will be sailing on her
on April 14 heading to Portsmouth UK once again
as he did in 2011 and loved it!
And yes, I do pay my own fare!
Photograph provided by Classic International Cruises
MV
Athena arrived in Fremantle for an extended cruise
season on December 18, 2011, and she will conclude a very successful and an
exciting cruise season and on April 14 she will depart on her Inaugural voyage
sailing via “the Cape” – South
Africa to the United Kingdom! I personally sailed
on her in March 2011 for the 40 nights to England via the Suez Canal and all I
can say is that she was just superb and now with this successful season almost
behind her, I belive that the 2012 – 2013
summer season will be even better as new and exciting plans are at hand!
Let me highlight just some of these features!
MV Athena operates a grand 36 night voyage from Marseilles France
to Fremantle departing November, 12, 2012, from just A$5,795
pp, inside twin.
She will be the first cruise ship to visit Portland, Victoria
and the second to visit Robe in South Australia as part of new cruise from
Adelaide
A very Special 5 Night Easter Cruise departing March 28, 2013, from
just A$1095 per person, twin-share and …
children under 18 can cruise for FREE when sharing a 4-berth cabin
with 2 adults (paying only taxes of $175 per
head)
Athena, will return to Portsmouth UK
for a superb 40 night voyage on April 8, 2013, from just A$6995 pp, inside twin.
Details:
One of Australia’s most loved classic cruise
ships, the MV
Athena will be the first-ever cruise ship to visit
the Victorian town of Portland, being Australia’s
newest cruise destination. This is all part of Classic
International Cruises’ just released 2012/13 summer cruise
program. The new season will also feature a return series of five cruises from Adelaide as well as Athena’s first ever “Easter
Cruise” in Australian waters and an exciting new Rock’n’Roll
cruise.
Athena’s inaugural
visit to Portland in western Victoria will be on February 5, 2013, which is
part of a new five-night cruise from Adelaide that also includes visits to
Melbourne as well as the South Australian town of Robe where the 550-pasenger
MV Athena will be only the second cruise ship to anchor off the Limestone Coast
town, following a call by the smaller 106-passenger Orion in November, 2010.
This is the oldest European settlement in Victoria and once home to Australia’s
first saint, Sister Mary
Mackillop.
Portland is close to the historic fishing village of Port Fairy and of course it is famous “Twelve
Apostles” along the “Great Ocean Road.” And Robe is
close to the World Heritage-listed “Naracoorte Caves.”
Athena then returns to Adelaide. She will offer
a vast variety of short and long cruises as outlined below.
A new brochure for
Athena’s 2012/13 Australian summer season has been released, with Classic International Cruises offering some 17
cruises lasting from two to 40 nights to and from Fremantle/Perth and from
Adelaide, extending more than six months
commencing from November, 2012, through to May, 2013. The 2012/13 program will
be Classic International Cruises’
ninth successive season cruising in Australia.
Fares start from just $470
per person for two nights with children under 18 cruising for free on nine
selected cruises, with only nominal taxes to pay. And supplements for solo
travellers in selected cabins are as low as 25 per cent, instead of double.
Whist she is in her Australian service, that is from the moment she leaves Europe to her arrival back there at the end of her
Australian season, currency onboard the Athena
is in Australian dollars making life a whole lot easier!
Athena’s 2012/13 itineraries will also feature the following cruises:
·
A return season from Adelaide,
with Athena offering five cruises to
and from the South Australian capital, including round-trip itineraries to
destinations such as Tasmania, Victoria, Kangaroo Island, Port Lincoln and Robe. The 12/13 season will
be Athena’s fourth series of cruises from Adelaide after the success of
Athena’s previous three seasons there in 2008/09, 09/10 and the coming
11/12 program in Adelaide.
·
CIC’s first Easter Cruise from Australia – a five-night holiday from
Fremantle to the spectacular beaches of Esperance and Albany, sailing Easter Thursday, March 28,
2013. Fares from $1095 per person.
·
A special four-night Rock’n’Roll
Music Cruise,
sailing from Fremantle on April 2, 2013, to Albany and Bunbury – fares from $795
per person
·
Maiden visits by Athena
to Kagoshima in Japan,
Keelung in Taiwan,
Busan in South Korea
and Manila in The Philippines as part of a
38-night Far East voyage from Fremantle on
February 18, 2013. The cruise, which includes 12 Asian ports as well as Christmas Island, is available from $5995 pp.
·
Maiden calls by Athena to Dubai, Livorno (Florence)
in Italy, Kotor in Montenegro, Durres in Albania and Muscat in Oman as part of
two traditional line-voyages between Athena’s s home in Europe for the
northern summer and her Australian summer base in Australia.
·
Christmas and January holiday cruises to Bali, Lombok and Broome
“Athena’s
2012/13 from Australia
underscores our ongoing commitment to the growing Australian cruise market,
particularly in Western Australia and South Australia,” said Classic International Cruises Managing Director for Australia, Grant Hunter. “This coming summer and in 2012/13 we will
again offer our successful formula of traditional cruising on a ship that was a
famed ex ocean liner, affordable fares, attractive itineraries, fine cuisine,
friendly and personal service and a warm and relaxed atmosphere that you only
get on a smaller vessel,” Mr Hunter said.
The classic-styled,
16,000-ton Athena features traditional
wooden deck chairs, pool, fitness centre, five bars and lounges, casino,
library, cinema and two restaurants. Athena has 276 spacious cabins and each boasts a
bath, a luxury only found in finest penthouse on the latest super cruise ships.
Bookings and copies of the
2012/13 MV Athena brochure are
available via your Cruise Specialists. For further information visit your
Cruise Specialists, or email Corie at: info@cruisespecialists.com.au.
A superb
Australian Summer Cruise Season aboard the Companies Flagship MV Athena for 2012 & 2013
17 cruises on offer 12 from
Fremantle and 5 from Adelaide:
Cruises to
and from Fremantle:
This is the ninth
consecutive summer season from Western
Australia for Classic
International Cruises.
·
36-night line voyage from Marseilles
France,
to Fremantle, sailing November 12, 2012, from $5795 per person
·
12-night Christmas cruise to Bali and Broome and
passing the Abrolhos
Islands, departing Fremantle December
18, 2012, from $2350 pp
·
3-night New Year’s ocean cruise to
‘nowhere’, from December 30, 2012, from $795 pp
·
11-night cruise to Bali, Lombok
and Geraldton, dep January 2, 2013, from $2050 pp
·
5-night cruise to Esperance and Albany from January 13, 2013, from $1095 pp
·
3-night weekend cruise from Fremantle to
‘nowhere’ on January 18, 2013, from $675 pp
·
2-night weekend cruise from Fremantle to
‘nowhere’ on February 16, 2013,
from $470 pp
·
38-night line return Far East voyage from Fremantle
on February 18, 2013, for 12 ports in Japan, The Philippines, Vietnam, China,
Singapore, South Korea, Indonesia plus Christmas Island from $5995 pp.
·
5-night Easter cruised to Esperance and Albany from March 28,
2013, from $1095 pp
·
4-night Rock’ n’ Roll cruise from
Fremantle to Albany
and Bunbury on April 2, 2013, from $795 pp
·
2-night weekend cruise from Fremantle to
‘nowhere’ on April 6, 2013,
from $470 pp
·
40-night line voyage from Fremantle on April 8,
2013, to Portsmouth in the UK via Sri Lanka,
Oman, United Arab Emirates, Jordan,
Malta, Italy, Morocco
and Portugal
from $6995 pp.
Cruises to and from Adelaide:
This is the fourth
summer season from Adelaide
South Australia for Classic International Cruises.
·
6-night cruise to Adelaide via Esperance and Port Lincoln from
January 21, 2013, from $1195 pp
·
7-night round-trip cruise from Adelaide
to Burnie, Port Arthur and Hobart in Tasmania
from January 27, 2013, from $1425 pp
·
5-night return cruise to Robe in SA and Portland and Melbourne
in Victoria,
dep February 3, 2013, from $995 pp
·
3-night round-trip cruise from Adelaide on February 8. 2013, to Kangaroo Island
and Port Lincoln,
from $675 pp
·
5-night Valentines cruise from Adelaide to Fremantle via Esperance from
February 11, 2013, from $995 pp
MV Athena’s 2012 Grand
voyage from Marseille, France to Fremantle: For the convenience of those
who do not have the time Classic International Cruises has made available shorter sectors for their half world cruise via the
Suez canal sailing from Marseilles (France) to Fremantle voyage departing on
Nov 12, 2012 a total of 36 nights, arriving in Australia on 18 December 18.
There are three sectors on offer and you will have the choice of boarding in
romantic France,
or the grandeur of Italy.
Sector 1 is from Marseilles
to Singapore departing on Nov 12 and arriving Dec 11 (29 nights). Sector
2 is from Rome to Singapore departing on Nov 14 and arriving Dec 11
(27 nights). Sector 3 is from Rome to Fremantle departing on Nov
14 and arriving Dec 18 (34 nights). Full details and fares are available in the
202/13 brochure or email Corie at: info@cruisespecialists.com.au
All
fares are per person, twin-share. Further information visit “The
Cruise Specialists.”
Enter the
author’s 2011 - MV
Athena Cruise Review
All
CIC ships are part of our “Classic
Ocean Voyages” Campaign
For further information on Athena, Princess Daphne or Funchal
Visit the …
Website
- Click the logo above
For MV Athena, Funchal, Princess Daphne/Danae & Arion schedules whilst in Europe visit: CIC Cruises - UK
Also
view the MV Athena E-Brochure
Click
the image below
Includes
the 33 night voyage from Rome
to Fremantle
on November 15 2011
--CRUISE
INFORMATION & RESERVATIONS--
Contact Australia’s longest
Registered Cruise Agency
The Cruise Specialists - Established in 1982
For Information and Reservations
Email Corie Lisignoli: info@cruisespecialists.com.au
Or
Phone Toll Free at:
(Please
NAME the SHIP you are enquiring about)
Brisbane &
International – Phone:
www.cruisespecialists.com.au
For
other recommended cruise specialists around Australia & New Zealand … or
for International readers
There
is a list of recommended relevant Cruise’n’Travel
Agents locally and around the globe!
ENTER
HERE
**********************************
MV Athena 2011 Cruise Review
Sailing from
Fremantle to Portsmouth England
By Reuben Goossens
M/V
Athena seen berthed at Phuket Thailand
on March 15, 2011
Photo by & © 2011 Reuben Goossens
PLEASE
NOTE: The author enjoyed his cruise vacation on MV Athena his year, and during the voyage I wrote a 3 page
comprehensive cruise review with many photographs taken on board. I completed
page 4 upon my return home. Please Note: As I was a fare paying passenger, be
assured it has been written without any bias or influence, as my countless
regular readers will know, for integrity is my motto! But I can say here that
this ship and this company does certainly offer one of the best value cruise
vacations that I have experienced in many a year!
For interest, I enjoyed my cruise
so much that I have rebooked another cruise on her to England
departing on April 2012 and I am looking forward to it so much, as she is the
kind of ship you never tire of! The environment and her crew is a delight, as
is the entertainment and food on board. Thus if you are thinking of heading to
the UK around that time, why fly when you can have an adventure sailing via
South Africa and join me and around 500 others for a delightful African
adventure and a safari!
Enter
my 2011 - MV
Athena Cruise Review
Return
to the - Cruise-Australia.com
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Who
is the Author of Cruise-Australia & ssMaritime?
Commenced in the Passenger Shipping
Industry in May 1960
Contact the
Author …
When
sending an email please name the ship you are requesting information or
speaking about – but NOT for bookings please, those are done through
cruise agents!
Please
Note: Cruise-Australia is a
non-commercial and privately owned cruise site and is not connected with any
cruise company or agency. The author has been in the passenger shipping
industry since 1960 and is currently semi-retired, but continues to write
cruise and ship reviews and articles in order to better to inform cruise and
ship enthusiasts and provide information for those intending a cruise in the
future.
However, if you are interested in a cruise, I am happy to refer you to a
dedicated cruise agent in Australia,
New Zealand
or further afield on my recommended “cruise agents” page, for these
are agents that specialise in cruising and they will be able offer excellent
service you and the best fares available! Be assured, I do NOT receive any
commissions or favours from these agents, and in the vast majority of cases
these agents will not even be aware of my, or my site’s involvement, as I
provide the enquirer with the requested information of the agents (in their
region) including their contact details. Reuben Goossens.
Cruise-Australia.com
& Cruise-Australia.net
Classic
Liner enthusiasts visit
ssMaritime.com & ssMaritime.net
Where
the ships of the past make history the 1914 built MV
Doulos Story
Visit
the NEW “Classic
Ocean Voyages” Feature
Photographs on cruise-australia are: 1. By the author. 2. From the author’s
private collection. 3. As provided by Shipping Companies and private
photographers or collectors. Credit is given to all contributors. However,
there are photographs provided to me without details provided regarding the
photographer concerned. I hereby invite if owners of these images would be so
kind to make them-selves known to me, that due credit may be given. I know what
it is like, I have seen a multitude of my own photographs on other sites, yet
they either refuse to give me credit and even refuse
to remove them, knowing full well that there is no legal comeback when it comes
to the net. However, let us show the charlatans up and do the right thing at
all times and give credit where credit is due! Note: I do not credit those who
send me photos as they are not the owners of the photographs concerned, unless
the image is part of their private collection.
This
notice covers all pages, although, I have done my best to ensure that all
photographs are duly credited and that this notice is displaced on each page,
that is, when a page is updated!
Cruise-Australia
is owned / operated and © Copyright by Reuben Goossens
- All Rights Reserved