Australian small ship specialist, Cruise Traveller, is offering savings of up to A$11,210 for couples and A$13,990 for solo travellers on a new luxury rail, sail and stay adventure through the Kimberley, Central Australia and Australia’s Top End in 2023.
The savings are available until 30 June 2022, on Cruise Traveller’s exclusive, slow-travel ‘Icons of Australia by Ship and Train’ package which pairs a bucket-list Ponant voyage through the Kimberley with a must-do journey through the heart of the continent aboard the famous Ghan train.
* Two 2023 departure dates are available on the new 14-night package – 20 May, or 8 August.
The adventure begins with a night in Adelaide before guests head inland aboard The Ghan train for an iconic, two-night journey to Darwin from Adelaide. Once onboard, enjoy all-inclusive dining, fine wines and beverages as well as immersive Off Train Experiences in the outback destinations of Marla, Alice Springs and also Katherine where a cruise through spectacular Nitmiluk Gorge is included.
Reliving the golden era and romance of rail travel, guests will travel in a Gold Service cabin with a private ensuite, panoramic window and in-cabin music. In the lounge and restaurant cars, guests can enjoy all-inclusive fine wines and beverages, hearty breakfasts, two-course lunches and three-course dinners prepared by onboard chefs. The fine, locally-inspired cuisine is sourced using regional ingredients in partnership with local suppliers and providores.
After a night at a hotel in Darwin, the adventure takes to sea with an immersive, 10-night small-ship expedition voyage to Broome aboard Ponant’s luxurious and intimate, 184-guest ship, Le Laperouse. Boasting a refined and intimate, French-styled elegance, Le Laperouse offers a fine dining restaurant, panoramic lounge, theatre, pool, spa and fitness centre, pesonalised service and an expert expedition team.
The exploration voyage will showcase the rugged grandeur of the pristine Kimberley wilderness with its spectacular waterfalls, indigenous rock art, abundant wildlife and majestic coastal cliffs that glow flame red at sunset. The cruise from Darwin to Broome will feature towering King George Falls, wildlife-rich Montgomery Reef, crocodile habitats and the world-renowned natural wonder of Horizontal Falls where the ocean surges at high tide through a narrow break in the cliffs. Included are guided excursions on Zodiacs and an open-bar aboard the elegant ship.
The voyage also includes a wilderness adventure from Wyndham, with guests able to choose from a scenic flight over the famous Bungle Bungle ranges, a trip to the famous El Questro nature retreat or an Ord River wildlife cruise.
Ending in Broome and including a night in both Adelaide and Darwin and the Ghan rail trip, the 14-night ‘Icons of Australia by Ship and Train’ package is available from A$16,335 per person, twin-share, in a Prestige Balcony stateroom – a saving of A$3575 per person. In a Deluxe Suite, fares are from A$21,815 per person, twin-share – a saving of A$5605 per person, or A$11,210 for a couple. And solo travellers can save A$16,065, with reduced fares in a Prestige Balcony stateroom now from A$19,775, subject to availability. Fares are based on the 8 August 8 2023 departure. The savings are valid for bookings made by 30 June 2022, and conditions apply.
* To book, visit www.CruiseTraveller.com.au/iconic-ponant or call Cruise Traveller on 1800 507 777.
SOURCE: Cruise Traveller
