Oceania Cruises features Africa and Middle East in free land cruise offer
Oceania Cruises has rolled out a free Land Cruise Program for select sailings in Africa, Asia, Australia, the Middle East and more for guests who book before January 8th, 2023. The offer, representing a saving of up to US $4,600 per person, is available on 15 featured sailings, including departures from Cape Town in South Africa and Dubai in the UAE.
Guests will be able to choose a pre- or post-cruise add-on to a range of places from the Cape Winelands of South Africa, the Taj Mahal in India, or Angkor Wat in Cambodia, to the Blue Mountains of Australia, and Nazca Lines of Peru.“Each of our land programs delve deep into the rich history, culture, nature and architecture of these destinations,” said Howard Sherman, President & CEO of Oceania Cruises. “There are some places in the world we just can’t reach by ship, but are must-sees when cruising the region.”
“Our immersive land programs are the best opportunity for guests to visit these remarkable places and do it for free,” he added.
Four of the 15 selected sailings feature cruises to or from South Africa. The Cape Town Pre- or Post-Cruiseprogram is a 3-day wine tasting tour through the famed Cape Winelands.
Dutch-influenced towns and country estates dot the fertile region, ensuring an experience that is as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate. Also included is a trip to Aquila, a private game reserve where guests canspot the Big Five (lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos, and Cape buffalo).
The ‘Winelands & Wildlife’ program is available as part of Oceania’s Free Land Tour Program as a pre-cruise or post-cruise offering aboard Insignia’s 21-night April 5th, 2023, cruise from Cape Town to Dubai, and its 32-night Rio De Janeiro to Cape Town cruise departing March 4th, 2023.
Oceania Cruises says the offer is also valid on Insignia’s 12-day roundtrip voyage from Cape Town departing January 6th, and her January 18th, 2023, 18 day voyage from Cape Town to Mumbai.
Two Oceania Cruises voyages to Dubai are also included in the offer, featuring Sharjah and Abu Dhabi. The 3-day Glimpse of Arabia Post-Cruise Program is available on Insignia’s April 5th, 2023, 21-day voyage from Cape Town to Dubai.
On this tour, guests will see the United Arab Emirates through landmarks that best express its richly layered history and audacious vision for the future. Sites include the waterfront Museum of Islamic Civilization in Sharjah, the Grand Mosque and Louvre museum in Abu Dhabi, and a Bedouin-style dinner amid the sand dunes.
Also being offered in the UAE is the Emirates: Past, Present & Future pre-cruise program, available aboard Insignia’s April 26th, 2023, 22-day voyage from Dubai to Singapore.
The program offers a three-city tour of the UAE, featuring the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, the arresting Swiss Cheese Building and spire-shaped Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building in Dubai, and esteemed Museum of Islamic Civilization and Souk Al Arsa, the country’s oldest such marketplace in Sharjah.
Other Free Land Tour Programs on Offer:
ANCIENT INCAS & PRISTINE PARACAS1 Night | Overland in Lima (Callao), Peru View ancient Peruvian wonders by flying over the enormous drawings that the pre-Columbian Nazca people created in the desert and by meandering through the 15th-century ruins of the coastal community Tambo Colorado. The latter is notable for being the only example of an Incan settlement constructed entirely of adobe and compacted soil known as rammed earth. Wildlife is the draw of both the Ballestas Islands and Paracas National Reserve, a desert landscape along the sea. Humboldt penguins, sea lions and bright-pink flamingos are commonly seen there.
The ‘Ancient Incas & Pristine Paracas’ program is available as part of Oceania’s Free Land Tour Program as an overland excursion aboard the Insignia’s Pacific Panorama Cruise departing January 15, 2023, 24 day voyage from San Francisco to Santiago De Chile.
CHILEAN WONDERS & WINE3 Nights | Post-Cruise Santiago de Chile, Chile Savor characteristic Chilean wines and drink in the country’s wondrous natural beauty. The foothills on the outskirts of Santiago contribute to an inland terroir that produces enviable wines, as a tasting at Viña Santa Rita confirms. With the towering Andes as a backdrop, the sky-high ski resort Portillo offers spectacular views. The watershed Battle of Chacabuco was fought nearby, leading to Chile’s independence. Colonial architecture clings to the steep hills of Valparaiso, a lovely seaport that earned a UNESCO World Heritage designation for its 19th-century urban landscape.
The ‘Chilean Wonders & Wine’ program is available as part of Oceania’s Free Land Tour Program as a post-cruise offering aboard Insignia’s Pacific Panorama Cruise departing January 15, 2023, 24 day voyage from San Francisco to Santiago De Chile.
INDIA’S CROWN JEWEL3 Nights | Pre- or Post-Cruise Mumbai, India Although watching a radiant sunrise and sunset at the Taj Mahal may well be the highlight of this exploration, it is by no means the only attraction that will leave an indelible impression. The time between these two spectacles can be spent at the UNESCO World Heritage site Agra Fort or at the tomb of Itmad-ud-Daulah, a marble mausoleum known as the “Baby Taj” as it is considered to be the model for the Taj Mahal. Delhi also delights through architecture such as the triumphant arch India Gate.
The ‘India’s Crown Jewel’ program is available as part of Oceania’s Free Land Tour Program as an pre-cruise or post-cruise offering aboard Nautica’s Indian Ocean Escapade Cruise departing January 18, 2023, 18 day voyage from Capetown to Mumbai and Far East Interlude Cruise departing February 5, 2023, 14 day voyage from Mumbai to Bangkok.
ANGKOR WAT3 Nights | Pre- or Post-Cruise Bangkok, Thailand Meandering through the ruins of the Angkor Archaeological Park is mesmerizing as it transports you back to the heyday of the Khmer empire. Not to be outdone by the dozens of Hindu-Buddhist temples at renowned Angkor Wat, the 12th-century temple complex at Angkor Thom stuns in its own way. Its Terrace of the Elephants and huge stone faces only touch upon the curiosities. A look at contemporary life in a craft school for underprivileged children and in a thriving marketplace add cultural context to the experience.
The ‘Angkor Wat’ program is available as part of Oceania’s Free Land Tour Program as an pre-cruise or post-cruise offering aboard Nautica’s Far East Interlude Cruise departing February 5, 2023, 14 day voyage from Mumbai to Bangkok, and Fortunes Of The East Cruise departing February 19, 2023, 10 day voyage from Bangkok to Singapore.
EXPLORE SINGAPORE3 Nights | Pre- or Post-CruiseSingapore, Singapore Prepare to be captivated by the wonders of Singapore, a city state that rapidly transitioned from a British trading post into an ultra-modern destination. Its multicultural past comes to life in the traditional temples and synagogues on Waterloo Street and in Chinatown’s bewitching maze of narrow roads. Cruising the Singapore River presents yet another perspective of the metropolis while sustainably powered Gardens by the Bay celebrates the bullish future. What better wrap-up than toasting the experience with a Singapore Sling in the legendary Raffles Hotel.
The ‘Explore Singapore’ program is available as part of Oceania’s Free Land Tour Program as a pre-cruise or post-cruise offering aboard Nautica’s Fortunes Of The East Cruise departing February 19, 2023, 10 day voyage from Bangkok to Singapore, East Asia Enclaves Cruise departing March 1, 2023, 10 day voyage Singapore to Hong Kong, Highlights Of The East Cruise departing April 22, 2023, 18 day voyage Tokyo to Singapore. It is also offered as part of the Free Land Program on Insignia’s Far East Legends departing April 26, 2023, 22 day voyage Dubai to Singapore and Southeast Asia Array Cruise departing May 18, 2023, 15 day voyage Singapore to Hong Kong.
THE JEWELS OF HONG KONG3 Nights | Pre- or Post-Cruise Hong Kong, China Hong Kong dazzles, especially when you see it from the most captivating vantage points. Ride the funicular to soaring Victoria Peak, a sampan boat past Chinese junks in Aberdeen Harbour and a cable car up to Ngong Ping village, home to the once-remote Buddhist monastery Po Lin. Every cherry-picked highlight reveals another fascinating facet of Hong Kong, a metropolis equally proud of its soaring skyscrapers and traditional neighborhoods. Exploring vibrant Stanley Market and watching craftsmen turn gemstones into finished jewelry add cultural nuance.
The ‘Jewels of Hong Kong’ program is available as part of Oceania’s Free Land Tour Program as a pre-cruise or post-cruise offering aboard Nautica’s East Asia Enclaves Cruise departing March 1, 2023, 10 day voyage Hong Kong to Tokyo and Eastern Endeavor Cruise departing March 11, 2023, 12 day voyage Hong Kong to Tokyo. It is also offered as part of the Free Land Program on Insignia’s Southeast Asia Array Cruise departing May 18, 2023, 15 day voyage Singapore to Hong Kong, and Spiritual Shrines Cruise departing June 2, 2023, 18 day voyage Hong Kong to Tokyo.
TRIBUTE TO TOKYO3 Nights | Pre- or Post-Cruise Tokyo, Japan Only icons can truly encapsulate a metropolis as big and bold as Tokyo, especially ones that represent the capital’s extraordinary diversity. For a historical perspective, the 7th-century Sensoji Temple and the Edo Tokyo Museum speak volumes. The Imperial Palace bridges the past and present, as samurai warriors lived in the castle that once stood where Japan’s imperial family now resides. The ultimate view of the city and Mt. Fuji in the distance is from atop Tokyo Tower, a symbol of Japan’s rebirth as an economic powerhouse.
The ‘Jewels of Hong Kong’ program is available as part of Oceania’s Free Land Tour Program as a pre-cruise or post-cruise offering aboard Nautica’s Eastern Endeavor Cruise departing March 11, 2023, 12 day voyage Hong Kong to Tokyo and Highlights Of The East Cruise departing April 22, 2023, 18 day voyage Tokyo to Singapore. It is also offered as part of the Free Land Program on Insignia’s Aleutian Bridgeway Cruise departing June 20, 2023, 24 day voyage Tokyo to San Francisco, and Spiritual Shrines Cruise departing June 2, 2023, 18 day voyage Hong Kong to Tokyo.
CULTURAL SYDNEY3 Nights | Pre- or Post-Cruise Sydney, Australia Become immersed in Sydney’s extraordinary Aboriginal culture for a glimpse into an ancient lifestyle that still flourishes today. Take the ferry to Goat Island and discover its significance to the Aboriginal people, who own it once again. Wander about the Royal Botanic Garden and the national park Ku-Ring-Gai Chase for an understanding of herbal medicines and how the indigenous people nurtured the land. Deepen your insight even further by browsing Aboriginal artwork and listening to Elders tell spiritual Dreamtime stories.
The ‘Cultural Sydney’ program is available as part of Oceania’s Free Land Tour Program as a pre- or post-cruise offering aboard Regatta’s Fjords & Tasman Tales Cruise departing February 13, 2023, 15 day voyage Sydney to Sydney.
SCENIC BLUE MOUNTAINS3 Nights | Post-Cruise Sydney, Australia Nature dominates this adventure into the Blue Mountains, a massive UNESCO World Heritage site blanketed with eucalypt forest and pristine bushland. Explore Jenolan Caves, a labyrinth of limestone chasms that underground rivers carved over eons. Behold roaring Wentworth Falls and hear Aboriginal legends about the weathered Three Sisters peaks. Options in Scenic World alone include riding the world’s steepest incline railway, traveling between clifftops in a glass-bottom tram and descending into the ancient Jamison Valley by cableway. Stroll Australia’s most elevated botanical gardens for good measure.
The ‘Scenic Blue Mountains’ program is available as part of Oceania’s Free Land Tour Program as a post-cruise offering aboard Regatta’s Fjords & Tasman Tales Cruise departing February 13, 2023, 15 day voyage Sydney to Sydney.
A PASSION FOR RIO3 Nights | Pre-Cruise Rio de Janeiro, Brazil It’s hard not to fall in love with Rio, especially when this irrepressible city is presented so beautifully. What better introduction than seeing the highlights from every conceivable angle, including from atop Sugarloaf Mountain, which you reach via cable car. Rio is synonymous with the uber-exuberant festival Carnival, and a behind-the-scenes look divulges exactly how the outlandish floats and lavish costumes are made. Even a taste of Rio leaves you wanting more, so an entire day is devoted to independent exploration.
The ‘A Passion For Rio’ program is available as part of Oceania’s Free Land Tour Program as a pre-cruise offering aboard Insignia’s Atlantic Expedition Cruise departing March 4, 2023, 32 day voyage Rio De Janeiro to Capetown.
SAN FRANCISCO & SAUSALITO2 Nights | Post-Cruise San Francisco, California The San Francisco Bay Area flaunts its finest as you take in the most alluring attractions in the heart of downtown and in the artsy suburb of Sausalito. The destinations are so iconic that you can’t help but come away with a true picture of San Francisco. The world’s largest Chinatown outside of Asia. The hairpin turns of Lombard Street. Bustling Fisherman’s Wharf. The attractions simply don’t get more emblematic and they are nonstop. The laidback vibe of Sausalito adds the perfect counterpoint.
The ‘San Francisco & Sausalito’ program is available as part of Oceania’s Free Land Tour Program as a post-cruise offering aboard Insignia’s Aleutian Bridgeway Cruise departing June 20, 2023, 24 day voyage from Tokyo to San Francisco.
