81 nights... with Africa!

I think this is a very clever itinerary.

Imagine sailing for 81 nights - if you are inclined to stay on that long - from Rome to Yokohama, via Africa. Or, pick 1 or more of the 4 segments to customize your trip to your liking.

2 of the segments are positioned well for land travel in Africa. You can either sail from Dubai to Cape Town, or Cape Town to Singapore.

February 10, 2020

21 Night Middle East cruise on the Norwegian Spirit

Sailing from Rome to Dubai
(ends March 2)

Itinerary: Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy - At Sea - Piraeus, Greece - Kusadasi, Turkey - Rhodes, Greece - Limassol, Cyprus - Haifa, Israel - Haifa, Israel - Haifa, Israel - Suez Canal, Egypt - Safaga, Egypt - Safaga, Egypt - Al 'Aqabah, Jordan - At Sea - At Sea - At Sea - At Sea - At Sea - Muscat, Oman - Khasab, Oman - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
More details...

March 2, 2020
20 Night Africa cruise on the Norwegian Spirit
Sailing from Dubai to Cape Town
(ends March 22)

Itinerary: Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - Fujairah, United Arab Emirates - Muscat, Oman - At Sea - At Sea - At Sea - Victoria, Seychelles - Victoria, Seychelles - At Sea - Nosy Be, Madagascar - At Sea - Port Louis, Mauritius - Port de Pointe des Galets, Réunion - At Sea - At Sea - Richards Bay, South Africa - At Sea - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - Mossel Bay, South Africa - Cape Town, South Africa
More details...

March 22, 2020
24 Night Africa cruise on the Norwegian Spirit
Sailing from Cape Town to Singapore
(ends April 15)

Itinerary: Cape Town, South Africa - Mossel Bay, South Africa - Port Elizabeth, South Africa - At Sea - Richards Bay, South Africa - At Sea - At Sea - At Sea - Port de Pointe des Galets, Réunion - Port Louis, Mauritius - At Sea - At Sea - Victoria, Seychelles - Victoria, Seychelles - At Sea - At Sea - Male, Maldives - At Sea - At Sea - At Sea - Phuket, Thailand - Langkawi, Malaysia - Penang (Georgetown), Malaysia - Port Kelang, Malaysia - Singapore, Singapore
More details...

April 15, 2020
16 Night Asia cruise on the Norwegian Spirit
Sailing from Singapore to Yokohama
(ends May 1)

Itinerary: Singapore, Singapore - At Sea - Phu My, Vietnam - At Sea - At Sea - Hong Kong, Hong Kong - Hong Kong, Hong Kong - At Sea - Shanghai, China - Shanghai, China - At Sea - Hiroshima, Japan - Kochi, Japan - Kobe, Japan - Kobe, Japan - Shimizu, Japan - Yokohama, Japan
More details...




If sailing more than one segment appeals, I recommend booking as early as possible, so that you can get the same cabin for the duration of your voyage.

If you are considering doing one of the Cape Town sailings, to spend time ashore, there are a number of African safari options available to you (G Adventures is very popular, ask me why!). 

If you would like more information on these Norwegian Spirit sailings, or are making other travel plans, please contact me. I am happy to help!


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Norwegian Sky to the rescue

The Norwegian Sky in calmer waters

Norwegian Cruise Line announced this morning that they are deploying Norwegian Sky from her current position off the coast of Cancun to St. Thomas, in the US Virgin Islands, to retrieve approximately 2,000 travelers who were unable to evacuate the island prior to the storm.

This rescue mission is being coordinated with the Governor of St. Thomas and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association. Current plans are for the ship to arrive in Miami on September 14th.

In the statement on NCL's website (click on the Weather Alert tab on the home page), the company premises this announcement this way, "Acting as a responsible corporate citizen and supporting the destinations that our ships operate in is a core value of Norwegian Cruise Line. In the wake of this devastating storm, we will be deploying Norwegian Sky..."

My 2 cents: From where I sit, Norwegian Cruise Line is doing an outstanding job of responding to this emergency. I have seen a story in the news about a passenger claiming to be left to their own devices in Florida. Not true. Every passenger aboard Norwegian's sailings that were cut short by 2 days prior to the hurricane were given a refund for the remaining days of their cruise, an offer of 50% off a future cruise, and an invitation to sail away from the storm on the Norwegian Escape. Today, the Escape is tied up outside of Cozumel, giving those who have secured flights today or tomorrow morning to disembark, if they wish. Or, they can stay aboard.

There are two sides to every story, and I don't know more than this, but I confess to my back getting up when I hear disparaging remarks about an organization that is doing so much to help their passengers and the general public alike in rescue missions like this.

Believing in the good of people, and am thankful for visionaries in positions of power who can move mountains (or cruise ships) to serve the greater good.

Related stories:
How NCL helped 4000 guests escape IRMA

How NCL helped 4000 guests escape Irma

The Norwegian Escape's distinctive hull

Norwegian Cruise Line's brilliant strategy: after cancelling cruises on 2 ships, the Norwegian Escape has sailed from the now-closed Port of Miami with 4,000 passengers aboard from both ships who weren't able to easily get home.

Destination: unknown.

Return: unknown.

Situation onboard: a whole lot of people relieved to be sailing away from the storm.

The irony, of course, is that they have escaped Hurricane Irma on the Escape!