Swan Hellenic is kicking off the winter 2011-2012 season going on sale with a new brochure featuring cruises throughout northern Europe, the Mediterranean, Black Sea, North Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Following particularly successful sales for Far East cruises this year, the cruise line will return to the region in late 2011 with ports of call throughout India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, China, Indonesia and the Philippines featured, including a return to Yangon in Myanmar.

New ports, all accessible only by smaller cruise ships, featured in the new winter 2011-2012 brochure across Europe, Asia and Middle East include the wildlife conservation reserve of Sir Bani Yas island in the United Arab Emirates, the Vietnamese coastal city of Qui Nhon, and the French fishing town of Port Vendres close to the Spanish border. The 320-guest Minerva is also small enough to transit the Corinth Canal in Greece, the Kiel Canal in Germany, the Yangon River in Myanmar and the Saigon River in Vietnam.

Colin Stone, managing director, Swan Hellenic explained:

“Bookings for the new winter 2011-2012 Swan Hellenic season have started encouragingly with passengers responding to the rich variety of experiences on offer including traditional tea in a Bedouin camp in Saudi Arabia, visiting the remote Toraja highlands on the island of Sulawesi to discover stilt houses, or in Java climbing to the summit of the Borobudur Buddhist temple complex.

“Interest in Minerva’s cruises and grand voyages remains extremely strong with fewer than 100 cabins available on cruises departing before April 2011. We’re confident that our summer 2011 season, and our new collection of tailor-made discovery cruises for winter 2011-2012 which includes a return to Yangon in Myanmar, will appeal to our passengers’ love of informed discovery travel.”

As part of the discovery nature of the cruises on offer, all sailings are escorted by expert guest speakers relevant to the destinations, cultures and experiences on offer. Guest speakers in the winter 2011-2012 season include TV experts from programmes such as the BBC’s Coast, former directors of world-class museums such as the V&A, the British Museum and the Tate Britain, and botanists from Kew Gardens, as well as familiar faces such as politician Lord Patten and broadcaster Peter Snow.

Podcasts detailing the highlights of each cruise itinerary read by highly-regarded Swan Hellenic cruise director Paul Carter are available to aid cruise sales at www.swanhellenic.com/podcasts.

All prices include return flights from the UK, transfers, shore excursions worth up to a value of £500, meals and the guest speaker programme onboard ship. There are no additional gratuities and entrance fees to all attractions featured on the shore excursion programme are included.

Swan Hellenic’s country house style cruises are hosted by cruise planners who research and plot the itineraries of the ship, and ensure the most informative excursions are on offer. The pioneers in discovery cruising, Swan Hellenic enjoys a 50-year heritage as the leaders in ocean-going voyages to the most interesting destinations in the world for like-minded travellers.