Charter Chatter

- The new Le Boat 1500 Series (pictured), a fleet of luxury, ecofriendly self-drive cruisers, will cruise European waterways in 2011. Le Boat is part of TUI Marine, the marine division of the Specialist & Activity Sector of TUI Travel Plc. The Le Boat 1500 Series, built by Groupe Bénéteau, allows the customer to cruise via a conventional diesel engine or under electric power with zero noise, zero pollution and zero fuel consumption.

- Coral Princess Cruises offers an Early Bird Special of 15 per cent off selected departures of its just-released 2011 Kimberley cruise programme.
The ten night exploratory cruise along the wild and beautiful Kimberley coast of Western Australia - much of it only accessible by sea - is Coral Princess Cruises' most popular voyage.

- A tiny island, a white sandy beach, or picturesque coral reef - find your own special place in Fiji with Captain Cook Cruises 'Find My Fiji' sale on all three, four and seven night cruises, offering up to 47 per cent off brochure prices. The sale is valid until 30 November 2010 and valid for travel until 31 March 2011 around the Yasawa Islands aboard the small ship, MV Reef Endeavour.

- Cunard Line announces that Her Majesty The Queen will name the company’s new Queen Elizabeth, the third Cunard ship to bear the name, at a ceremony to take place in Southampton, England, on Monday 11 October 2010. Her Majesty also launched Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1967 and named their current flagship, Queen Mary 2, in 2004. She was also present at the age of
12 at the launch of the first Queen Elizabeth in 1938.

- Orion Expedition Cruises has announced that they will waive the single supplement surcharge applied on all Orion sailings from 16 September to 21 December 2010 inclusive. Five cabins will be reserved for sole occupancy on each voyage in order that single travellers will be able to pay the per person fare with no added supplement. This offer applies to a range of destinations including the Kimberley, Papua New Guinea, Great Barrier Reef, Australian East Coast and Tasmania.

- Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising & Cruise Ships, written by Douglas Ward, is, according to The London Times, "the most feared critic in the business". The special 2010 25th anniversary edition reviews more than 270 cruise ships and includes a Then and Now section comparing today’s cruises and facilities with those of 25 years ago.

- Sydney Harbour Island Hopping cruises will run each Saturday and Sunday from 9 - 24 October giving people access to the harbour islands via a one looped tour, with tailored entertainment and experiences on each. This year the program will include food experiences on all of the islands and a visit to the newly reopened Goat Island. www.harbourislandhopping.com

- Hervey Bay whale watch operators and their guests are enjoying fantastic whale watching conditions, which this year have included a large pod of false killer whales. With the whale watching season finishing at the end of October, families are being urged to make their bookings soon so as not to miss out.

- The Caribbean islands are blessed with Atlantic breezes almost all year round, so it’s no surprise that sailors flock to enjoy the perfect blend of turquoise seas, swaying palms, white sand beaches, lilting rhythms, blue skies, exotic fish and glorious sunsets – not to mention the rum cocktails. Andrea and Ian Treleaven’s book Letters from the Caribbean is now available.

They spent two seasons cruising the Greater and Lesser Antilles, sampling the cuisine, night life and scenic attractions and this journal of their voyages will entice you to cruise or charter in their wake.

Photograph: Le Boat