Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends.
Cruise news: If you're cruising from Durban, note that the drive time from King Shaka to the harbour is usually 45m to an hour.
2012/2013 Cruise Bookings
Yes, we are now taking bookings for the new cruise season from November 2012 to April 2013.
It has been confirmed that we can expect yet another opportunity to enjoy cruise holidaying on the MSC Melody and Sinfonia respectively with the announcement on the 18th of November 2011 of the 2012/2013 cruise season schedule.
There is every reason to be excited because it means:
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You can book now and only have to pay in full 6-months prior to the date of departure of your cruise making some of those exotic cruises to such destinations as Mauritius, the Reunion or Madagascar affordable;
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Booking early means you can also get to choose a specific cabin of your choice, be it on the starboard or port side; the front, middle or back of the ship; or the cabin that your beloved proposed in. Also those hard-to-book family cabins will also be still available – sleeping 6-people for the MSC Sinfonia;
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Currently there is a 30% early booking special across all cabin areas including suites on both ships.
Melody vs Sinfonia
Most people often wonder the difference between these 2-ships and also not sure which ship to cruise on.
The Melody mostly departs from Cape Town, but has a few cruises departing from Durban, whereas the Sinfonia services the Durban port entirely – save for where it arrives from its home base of Italy, and when it returns.
The Melody is the older of the two and is much smaller in size but features an intimate, old-world atmosphere. The more modern Sinfonia is bigger in size, thus offering more on board facilities such as more sports facilities and entertainment areas.
All cabins on both ships are above water, so you need not worry yourself about having a cabin in which you hear the fish talking and partying all night.
If you are planning a family cruise I would recommend the Melody with its 5-sleepr cabins. It's the most ideal panacea to most moms who often worry about having their children occupying their cabin without anyone to supervise them. If you are planning a group booking and you are working on a tight budget, by choosing the 5-sleeper cabins on the Melody you save on the number of cabins you have to book for and thus save your pocket a great deal.
Inside (no window) cabins
|
Melody |
Sinfonia |
Cabin Size |
11 – 13 sq. m. |
13 sq. m. |
Max. No. of People |
4 people |
4 people |
Bedding arrangement |
Either single beds or a wedding bed and single beds (on request) |
Single beds, with 2 of them convertible to double bed |
Bathroom setup |
Bathroom with shower |
Bathroom with shower |
Outside (window) cabins
|
Melody |
Sinfonia |
Cabin Size |
11 - 18 sq. m. |
13 sq. m. |
Max. No. of People |
5 people |
4 people |
Bedding arrangement |
Either single beds or a wedding bed and single beds (on request) |
Single beds, with 2 of them convertible to double bed |
Bathroom setup |
Bathroom with shower |
Bathroom with shower |
Suites
|
Melody |
Sinfonia |
Cabin Size |
43 sq. m. |
27 sq. m. |
Max. No. of People |
5 people for Mini Suites, & 4 people in the Full Suites |
3 people |
Bedding arrangement |
Either single beds or a wedding bed and single beds (on request) |
Single beds convertible to double bed and a sofa bed |
Bathroom setup |
Bathroom with bathtub or shower (on request) |
Bathroom with bathtub or shower (on request) |
Balcony |
No walk-on balcony |
Walk-on balcony |
Hotels
KLM is launching flights from Amsterdam to Lusaka (Zambia) from the 15th May 2012.
Air Namibia has announced that it is cancelling JNB - Walvis Bay flights from the 2nd December until the 24th March, due to operational reasons.
From 1 Jan 2012, Air Canada has appointed Development Promotions as its representative in SA (follows 14 year of representation from Wagner Promotions in Cape Town - Colleen Wagner has decided to retire at the end of 2011).
Well done Durban on being chosen to host the 2014 World Youth Chess Championship.
The Purple shall rule! "On the first day of our honeymoon (31 Oct 11) our flights were delayed by 6 hours. The Mango representative who dealt with us during this time was the rudest most unhelpful person I have ever met and she had no clue what she was doing. Neither did her team. What a joke. I pre paid for seats on the plane that we never got and we lost a entire day of our short stay in Cape Town. Mrs Durus had a total disregard for our feelings and was downright dismissive. On our return we got an email from Mango offering us a R250 discount voucher but we have to use it before the end of Jan'12 - REALLY!!!! We saved a really long time to be able to go on honeymoon and we are in no position to travel anywhere for at least 6 months but once again Mango just does not care. I have been trying to get answers from the staff now for 2 weeks and they are once again completely dismissive to my complaints and concerns. Ms Tacet only answers my emails after 2/3 days and she offers no help. I am a travel agent and I will NEVER recommend Mango to ANY client and I will tell every single person who asks for a Mango ticket about my terrible experience!" Nadia
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The Bottom Line: "Some men, it is said, have greatness thrust upon them. So it was for Basil D'Oliveira, an English cricketer widely cited as instrumental in the downfall of apartheid, who died on November 19th".