It's not too late to take the family for a cruise off our local shores this season. In today's newsletter, Victor Bunjira, a top cruise consultant, highlights cruises still available; and also writes about his first cruise on the MSC Melody.

Family cruises on the Sinfonia

Below are quotes for the cheapest cabins for 2 adults & 2 children, on several cruises on the MSC Sinfonia.

NOTE: Prices include mandatory travel insurance, port charges as well as service fees and the best specials available (subject to change without notice)

Make you booking now on the MSC Sinfonia

Victor's first cruise

December the 8th was no ordinary day, given the feeling of nostalgia that had been building-up within me for ‘my first cruise’. Boarding formalities went by in a breeze, not as chaotic as had been anticipated, all the while with the majesty of the MSC Melody in the background. Her all white body imposing itself on the harbour.

Once on board, it was all about exploring the width, breadth, corners and angles of the Melody, almost forgetting that I had a cabin to go to. The better part of the next few days day were spent soaking up the sun on the pool terraces. My favourite was the Calypso Evening, where we certainly learnt a few new dance steps a little bit of salsa and some tango (the smiling-person’s dance, so said the dance instructor) as well as some Brazilian Samba (don’t try this one if your hips are no longer the well-oiled machine they used to be – it does not work in slow motion!). Then it was time to put our dance moves to test on the dance floor as we made a conga line dance over to the Junkanoo Club. I was really a spent force by the time I retired for the evening. This was only matched by our last evening, when we really wanted to go out with a bang and partied till the wee hours of the morning.

Getting-off is really the hardest bit I must say after having had such a nice time I was really hoping it shouldn’t end too soon.

Victor Bunjira

JNB-Athens R4401*

JNB-Bangkok R5785*

JNB-Barcelona R5901*

JNB-Delhi R4880*

JNB-Dubai R4951*

JNB-Frankfurt R6156*

JNB-Harare R3143*

JNB-Hong Kong R6368*

JNB-Houston R10266*

JNB-Manchester R6539*

JNB-Windhoek R2540*

JNB-Zanzibar R4306*

* lowest return flight prices, limited availability, prices may have changed

CPT-Dublin R5922*

CPT-Manchester R6539*

Iberia pilots have announced five 24-hour-stoppages on 13, 17, 20, 24 & 29 February 2012.

Emirates flights a new service from Lusaka & Harare to Dubai.

RwandAir is introducing night flights on Johannesburg - Kigali flights.

Visa updates:

Here's the new website for the Embassy of Benin in South Africa.

The Netherlands Consulate in Cape Town will be closed on 10 Feb 2012.

Office hours for the Embassy of Saudi Arabia have been changed to 9am - 11am, Monday to Friday (no submissions on Fridays).

South African Temporary passports are not valid for travel to Canada.

The cost of visas to Yemen are now R400 for a single entry (valid for 3 months) & R750 for a multiple entry (valid for 6 months).

Trinidad & Tobago have updated their visa requirements.

From the 2nd to the 4th March 2012 the Seychelles & La Réunion are hosting the Indian Ocean Vanilla Islands Carnival. Emirates is the partner airline for the event.