New cruises for the Cook Islands Thu 27 Jun Cruise liners will be seeing more of the Cook Islands in coming years, after cuts to European destinations. Princess, Royal Caribbean and Regent were among some of the major cruise lines that recently announced cuts to European destinations, citing dampening demand due to Europe’s weak economy and the high price of airline tickets from the United States. As a result, several cruise lines have responded by introducing more voyages to the South Pacific and French Polynesia. Paul Gauguin Cruises, which has dominated French Polynesia in past years, is offering a new line of destinations through the Cook Islands, as well as Tahiti and the Society Islands, the Tuamotus, and the Marquesas for the 2014 season. The line even offers trips as far as Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia. Windstar Cruiseswith its fleet of intimate motor-sail-yachts and mega yachtsreturns to Tahiti for the first time in 12 years, offering seven-night round-trip voyages out of Papeete, Tahiti, aboard the 148-passenger Wind Spirit starting in May, 2014. Windstar CEO, Hans Birkholz, told FoxNews the return of Windstar was due to customer demand. “Windstar’s return to Tahiti has always been the number one request from our guests, even a decade later,” said Birkholz. “The expansion of our fleet, with the addition of our three new power yachts (formerly Seabourn Legend, Pride, and Spirit), made this the perfect time to return one of our sailing yachts to Tahiti.” Bill Goodwin, author of Frommer’s Tahiti & French Polynesia and Frommer’s South Pacific guidebooks, told FoxNews that exploring the region on a boat is one of the best ways to see it. The Paul Gauguin made history last Wednesday by being the first cruise liner to use the alternative jetty in Arorangi – the ship visits Rarotonga and Aitutaki up to six times a year. Release/CINews cinews.co.ck
Posted on: Thu, 04 Jul 2013 05:10:28 +0000
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