mirror.co.uk SATURDAY 17.08.2019 DAILY MIRROR^49
DM1STWin a holiday
in our survey
BY NIGEL THOMPSON
You could sail away on a free
cruise next
summer – and all
you need to do is
join in this year’s
UK holiday ‘Oscars’.
The consumer
vote for the
benchmark 2019 British Travel
Awards is on to September 30
with the categories ranging from
staycation attractions and
accommodation to cruise lines
and hotels. You can also choose
your favourite price comparison
websites, currency exchange,
airport parking and travel
insurance.
And it’s your choices that decide
who is on stage for the winners’
photos at the glittering gala night
in November.
All voters are entered in a draw
for an Aladdin’s Cave of holiday
travel prizes worth more than
£40,000. Among those is a superb
seven night full-board cruise for
two with MSC valued at £1,200.
MSC Preziosa will depart from
Southampton to Zeebrugge,
Rotterdam, Hamburg and Le
Havre as the winners enjoy it
all from the luxury of their
balcony cabin.
HOW TO JOIN IN
Visit britishtravelawards.com,
where you’ll need to register. While
there are 83 award categories you
don’t have to vote in them all. Only
want to vote for your top adventure
holiday firm? That’s fine.
There is also a no-obligation
invitation to take part in 2020
holiday research. Again, you can
do much or as little as you wish –
but if you do take part in the
survey you get an extra go in the
grand prize draw.
■ Full prize T&Cs at
britishtravelawards.com and on
Twitter look for @BritTravAwrds
@TravelEdNigel @MirrorTravel
and #VoteBTA1912 flights a day – the experience is
captured on five cameras as a souvenir of
the ride.
The sub can dive up to eight times a
day, with up to six passengers in clear
spheres on either side so they can swivel
their seats through 280 degrees for thebest view. But that’s not all.
The ship has a marina with
12 Zodiac boats and a fleet
of kayaks.
And all this adventure
comes with a standard of
luxury the old polar
explorers could only dream
of. Six restaurants, a cafe and poolside
grill offer a choice of menus including
Italian, Japanese, French, Asian fusion,
steak and seafood. There’s even a cookery
school.
As well as a spa with saunas, steamrooms and thermal lounges, there’s a
yoga and Pilates studio and gym.
All this indulgence is for just 200
passengers in polar regions, or 228 when
it heads to warmer climes of the
Caribbean and South America.
Of course such largesse doesn’t come
cheap. If James Bond does decide to
cruise on Scenic Eclipse, he’d better have
plenty of moneypennies.
An 11-day cruise from Lima, Peru to
Valparaiso, Chile, leaving on October 20,
2020, from £4,425pp.
scenic.co.uk, 0808 256 5929cakes and apple sauce, washed down
by glasses of the local Kölsch beer.
Shore excursions are included in the
fare on AmaMora, as are drinks with
meals, a ‘sip and sail’ cocktail hour and
unlimited wi-fi.
Food is almost always available, from
early risers’ pastries at 6.30am to break-
fast, lunch, dinner and late-night
snacks. Tapas are served all day, and tea
and coffee are on tap around the clock.
If there’s even the chance to feel peckish
between all those, the chef will some-
times lay on a treat, such as a German
brunch of sausages and filled rolls.
Aside from the main restaurant,
which is mostly arranged in tables of
four or six, there is the Chef ’s Table at
the back of the ship serving nightly
tasting menus.
In Rüdesheim, home to some great
Rieslings, we went wine tasting with a
very outgoing host who regaled us with
hilarious stories. Then it was on toLudwigshafen – and the chance to take
a 45-minute coach trip to the old castle
of Heidelberg which houses the world’s
biggest wine barrel.
Having already visited the Nether-
lands and Germany on the cruise, our
next stop was the
French city of Stras-
bourg, where we
walked the streets of
the area known as
Petite France,
admiring the medi-
eval houses.
Back on board,
having passed flat riverbanks with
beaches where children played and old
men walked their dogs, we visited the
charming town of Riquewihr the
following day before ending our
journey in the Swiss town of Basel.
River cruising is incredibly relaxing,
especially on AmaMora where most
cabins have two balconies – a Frenchone with sliding doors and a proper
veranda with two chairs, so you can sit
outside your own room just watching
the world go by, with only the sound of
water lapping against the hull.
To get a 360-degree view of the
scenery, you need
only go up a floor or
two to reach the sun
deck with its small
heated pool with
swim-up bar, along
with plenty of sun
loungers, chairs and
rattan sofas.
On the next deck down, a main
lounge hosts daily talks, demonstra-
tions and entertainment – mainly by
the resident musician Petar, but occa-
sionally visiting performers, such as a
classical duet or country music band.
Also on board is a hair salon and
massage room – two of the few services
you pay extra for, but at a very reason-able price. My hour of body-to-toe
pampering cost €60 (around £54), for
example.
And for those who still need more
exercise after the wellness classes, there
is a fitness centre in the depths, 25
bikes available to use, and a range of
guided hiking and cycling tours on
shore, some covering up to 21 miles.
AmaMora is the third AmaWater-
ways ship to be christened this year,
becoming the 23rd in the fleet, and
follows the launch of AmaMagna which
is double the width and even has its
own cinema.
Whether you like ocean cruising or
not, sailing along rivers is a completely
different, easygoing experience,
allowing you the chance to visit several
cities – and have many different
experiences – in just one week.
A trip on the latest AmaWaterways
ship is sure to leave you wanting to
come back for Mora.Get on board
edited byNIGEL THOMPSON Great getaway ideas and travel tips you can trust at^ mirror.co.uk/travel
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[email protected]
@MirrorTravelEd @MirrorTravel @marjorieyueSTEADY THE
SHIP The new
AmaMora
takes 156
passengersPOOL-ING POWER Dave takes in the sun on deck, while cruising
alongside places including Petite France and Heidelberg■ The Captivating Rhine cruise from Basel to
Amsterdam on AmaMora, departing on October
21, is reduced from £2,592 per person to £1,592
per person in the AmaWaterways Summer Sale –
including complimentary flights and overseas
transfers. Includes full-board, wine, beer and soft
drinks with meals, choice of excursions and
unlimited wi-fi. Book by August 31. amawaterways.
co.uk, 0800 320 2336.
■ Tourist info: myswitzerland.com, germany.
travel, ee.france.fr, holland.comCHOICE You’ll be well fed all day