Cruise West Offers Epic Year-Long Global Adventure

Cruise West is planning a 335-day circumnavigation of the globe, departing March 6 from Singapore and following the paths of the world’s great explorers. The 120-guest, all-suite Spirit of Oceanus will sail westward, following the sun, and return to Singapore on Feb. 3, 2011.

The Voyages of the Great Explorers will follow routes inspired by the likes of Marco Polo, Odysseus, Leif Eriksson, Christopher Columbus, James Cook, Ferdinand Magellan and St. Augustine. It will encompass six chapters of 24 individual segments ranging from nine to 18 nights.

No other cruise line big or small offers a journey as long or as varied as Voyages of the Great Explorers,” said Richard West, managing director and chairman of Cruise West.

The voyage will visit 242 ports of call in 59 countries and 85 UNESCO World Heritage sites while crossing 14 seas and oceans and transiting three canals –Suez, Corinth and Panama.

One voyage will visit the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Scotland’s military musical spectacular. Further exploration will available by Zodiac rafts and included Ultimate Explorer experiences. The cruises will feature guest lecturers, local experts and onboard Exploration Leaders.

The first chapter, Marco Polo-Ancient Trade Routes of the Mystic East, operates March 6 to May 5 during four segments along the ancient trade routes from Southeast Asia to the Mediterranean Sea. The itineraries include visits to Thailand, Burma, the Indian sub-continent, Sri Lanka, Iran, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Jordan before concluding in Alexandria, Egypt.

The second chapter is Odysseus and the Phoenicians-Mediterranean Odyssey, which operates May 5 through July 20, 2010. The voyages begin in Alexandria and sail on to Greece, Turkey, Tunis, Algeria, Italy, Sicily, Malta, Spain and Portugal before arriving in Honfleur, France.

The third chapter is Leif Eriksson-The Viking Sagas, from July 20 to Sept. 8, 2010. These itineraries explore Ireland, the Orkney Islands, Scandinavia, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, London, Edinburgh, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands before ending in St. John’s, Halifax.

Next up is the Christopher Columbus-The New World chapter from Sept. 8 to Oct. 25, 2010. Five segments will depart Halifax and cruise along the Atlantic coastline, island hop in the Caribbean and transit the Panama Canal. The cruise will explore Panama and Costa Rica before disembarking in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Extensions are available to the Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu.