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Portuscale launches ‘Southern Hemisphere Collection’

Portuscale launches ‘Southern Hemisphere Collection’
Discover the World, gsa in Australia and New Zealand for Portuscale Cruises, received the new ‘Southern Hemisphere Collection January-May 2015’ brochure from the printer today.

Gm marketing and operations Olga Korobko said the brochure, with fares in Australian dollars, will be distributed to all major cruise sellers around the nation by the end of the week.

As previously reported, the 465-passenger Funchal will sail from Barcelona on January 4 on a 44-night repositioning voyage to Australia for Portuscale Cruises’ inaugural season Down Under.

The former Portuguese presidential yacht, which underwent a massive makeover last year at a cost of more than $22m, will arrive in Newcastle, 170kms north of Sydney, on February 17.

That afternoon she will make a ‘Three-Night Taster’ cruise to Geelong, 75kms south-west of Melbourne via Eden on the south coast of New South Wales.

She will then operate a five-night ‘Island Escape’ round voyage from Geelong to Penneshaw on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.

This will be followed by a three-night ‘Beautiful Bass Strait’ round cruise from Geelong to Burnie and Portland in Tasmania.

On February 28 she will make a seven-night ‘Tassie Explorer’ round cruise from Geelong to Burnie, Hobart and historic Port Arthur and on March 7 she will make a three-night ‘Northern Nostalgia’ cruise from Geelong to Newcastle.

On March 10 Funchal sails from Newcastle on a 56-night ‘Battlefields and Gallipoli’ repositioning voyage, arriving in Portsmouth on May 5. She will be off Anzac Cove on April 25 when passengers will be able to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli by watching the dawn service live on a big screen on deck.

The ‘Three Night Taster’ costs from A$636 and all onboard gratuities, port charges and government taxes are included. There are ‘advantage’ fares offering savings of 15% for all reservations confirmed before the end of this month.

Korobko said she is hopeful Funchal will return for a second season in Australia for Portuscale Cruises.

‘Nothing is definite yet,’ she said, ‘but that is the plan.’