Editors' Travel Deal Review

Southern Hemisphere spring cruises for $889 and up

Sail below the equator with Celebrity and Princess

By ShermansTravel Staff

September 08, 2008 05:22 pm EDT

Book By: October 10, 2008

Travel By: December 2008

As autumn rustles across the Northern Hemisphere and winter creeps slowly behind, countries below the equator are anticipating the first days of spring. With that in mind, we rounded up a trio of Southern Hemisphere cruises embarking between October and December for Tahiti, Australia and Chile. These 10- 12- and 14-day sailings provide a respite from soon-to-be-leafless landscapes and annual body-clock adjustments to the end of Daylight Savings Time. Longer days and verdant ports of call await! Only one of the options offers multiple voyages. The others are one-chance-only offers. To claim the lowest stateroom rates, don’t hesitate. Prices on interior cabins start at $889.

Auckland to Sydney from $889
Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Millennium sails from New Zealand to Australia this November. The 12-night South Seas expedition starts in Auckland, New Zealand’s capital, followed by two more North Island ports of call – Tauranga and Wellington. The ships continues down the South Island coast stopping in Christchurch and Dunedin, before spending a day cruising the stunning fjords of Dusky, Doubtful and Milford Sounds. Two days at sea precede the Millennium’s arrival in Melbourne, Australia’s first port of call. Rounding out the holiday are two days in Sydney. Interior staterooms on the November 2 cruise start at $889. Ocean-view units and cabins with balconies are priced only incrementally higher - from $989 and $1099, respectively.

French Polynesian tour, $1289 and up
Princess Cruises has a 10-night French Polynesian voyage with interior cabins priced from $1289. Rooms with a view start at just $100 more on the November 29 cruise. You’ll spend the first night aboard the Tahitian Princess in Papeete, Tahiti, before the ships sets sail for another Society Island destination - Huahine. Rangiroa, part of the Tuamotu Archipelago, is the next port of call before the ship anchors in Raiatea for a two-day stay. After a morning departure you’ll be on your way to the paradisiacal playground of Bora Bora, followed by magical Moorea. You’ll have another night and day in Papeete before the cruise comes to an end. If you prefer to travel at any other time between October and December, be prepared for rate spikes of as much as $416

South America-bound odyssey from $899
Would you rather strike out for the equator from the United States? Celebrity has a South America-bound cruise departing December 7 from Fort Lauderdale. Seven ports of call in four countries and seven days at sea make up the 14-night adventure. The Celebrity Infinity will cut through the Caribbean on its way to Cartagena Colombia. Manta, Ecuador, is the next stop after a day cruising the Panama Canal. From there, the ship travels down the Pacific coast of the continent visiting Callao (Lima), Peru, and the Chilean cities of Arica and Coquimbo (La Serena). Valparaiso, Chile – about an hour from Santiago – is the final destination of this one-way trip. Interior cabins start at $899.

All quotes are per person based on double occupancy. Prices include accommodations, meals, some beverages and entertainment on the ship, in addition to port charges. Government fees and taxes, tips, alcohol, shore excursions and personal expenses are not covered.

Stiff long-haul airfares.

For the Celebrity Millennium journey, go to www.cruisesonly.com or call 1-800-CRUISES.

For the Tahitian Princess cruise, visit www.orbitz.com or call 1-888-656-8184.

For the Celebrity Infinity expedition, see www.vacationoutlet.com or call 1-800-TAKEOFF