26 September 2023

Catching a tall ship for the festive season

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By John Rozentals.

The Golden Horizon: spend the 2021 festive season sailing along the Great Barrier Reef.

Australians can spend the 2021 festive season sailing along the Great Barrier Reef and through the Whitsunday Islands aboard the world’s largest and newest sailing ship, Golden Horizon, as part of a new 16-night stay and sail package offered by Australian small ship cruise specialist, Cruise Traveller.

The exclusive holiday package from Cairns to Sydney will allow guests to laze and snorkel off beaches in the sunny Whitsundays Islands on Christmas Day, watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks from the tall ship off the Gold Coast and relax at sea under the ship’s billowing sails on the first day of 2022.

Cruise Traveller is experiencing its busiest booking period this year following the opening of sales on November 2 of 2021/22 Australian summer voyages aboard the deluxe, five-masted tall ship, Golden Horizon, due to be launched next April. Cruise Traveller is the exclusive launch partner for new UK-based cruise line, Tradewind Voyages, which will debut Golden Horizon in 2021 and bring her to Australia in December 2021.

The Golden Horizon: laze and snorkel off beaches in the sunny Whitsundays Islands on Christmas Day.

The 2021 ‘Great Barrier Reef and Festive Season’ package starts on December 21, 2021, with a one-night hotel stay in Cairns where guests swill board the 272-passenger Golden Horizon the next day for a 15-night voyage south to Sydney via Townsville, the Whitsunday Islands for Christmas, Brisbane, Noosa, a sail past the Gold Coast on New Year’s Eve for the fireworks and also visits to Trial Bay and Newcastle in NSW. The cruise ends in Sydney on January 6, 2022, when scores of spectators are expected to flock to the harbour to witness the inaugural arrival in the harbour of the huge 162m-long sailing ship.

The 16-night package is available until March 31 2021, from A$9530 per person, twin-share, including a night in Cairns, beer and wine with lunch and dinner aboard the ship, onboard gratuities and use of the ship’s extensive water sports equipment including water skis, pico sailboats, kayaks, windsurfers, stand up paddle boards, snorkelling gear and a floating island and trampoline for fun in the water off the ship’s marina platform.

The Golden Horizon: watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks from the tall ship off the Gold Coast.

Call Cruise Traveller on 1800 507 777 or visit www.cruisetraveller.com.au/tradewind-festive or contact a travel agent.

Golden Horizon is a modern, luxurious and spacious sailing ship but also graceful and traditional in style, with Tradewind Voyages planning to have the eco-friendly vessel, which boasts 6300 square metres of billowing sails, under the sole power of wind for 70 per cent of the time. The majestic Golden Horizon will offer modern-day seafarers a fine cuisine dining room, three pools, gym, library, spa sanctuary, four bars and a marina platform. All 140 cabins will offer ocean vistas.

Cruise Traveller is Australia’s leader in the small ship market, representing 55 boutique, luxury, river and expedition cruising operators around the world including Tradewind Voyages.

NOTE: Potential travellers should check the status of individual events and establishments with regard to the coronavirus outbreak.

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