Luxury travel operator Captain's Choice has eight new journeys in 2017 that include cruises on Silversea vessels, many with accompanying land tours. Among them is the 25-day West Africa Explorer that starts with three nights in Cape Town and continues with a cruise along the west coast of Africa as far as Accra in Ghana; and a 22-day Northern Sea Route itinerary that explores Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Scotland and England. Also new is a 21-day Mediterranean Horizons cruise from Monte Carlo to Lisbon that includes three-night stays in Aix-en-Provence and Madeira.

Phone 1300 176 681. See captainschoice.com.au

Danube delight

Crystal River Cruises' first vessel Crystal Mozart sets sail from Vienna next week on its round-trip maiden voyage along the Danube River. The luxury 158-passenger vessel has a pop-up bar on its Vista deck complete with retractable movie screen for outdoor evening shows; a rooftop garden with teak benches; two custom tender boats; and several choices of dining venue. Suites have king-size beds, Nespresso machines, marble bathrooms and butler service. It will be the largest river-cruise vessel on European rivers at 22.9 metres wide, double the industry average.

Phone 1800 251 174. See crystalcruises.com

French flavours

Evergreen Tours has launched its range of 2017 European river cruises, which include new cruises in France and Portugal designed to be combined on a 15-day Three Rivers Discover itinerary. Evergreen's 138-passenger Emerald Liberte will cruise the Rhone and Saone, while the 112-guest Emerald Radiance sails the Douro. Also new for 2017 is an epicurean dinner in a traditional winery in Portugal, and an on-board Provencal dinner in France hosted by a notable local chef. Other new itineraries include a 15-day Amsterdam to Nice cruise and a 15-day Tastes of Tuscany Tour combined with a Rhine River cruise.

Phone 1300 383 747. See evergreentours.com.au

Myanmar magic

Travelmarvel's maiden season in Myanmar was a sell-out, and the company's newly released cruises for the second season now feature 16 Irrawaddy cruise departures on the 36-cabin RV Princess Panhwar between September 2017 and April 2018. The core itinerary is the 15-day Majestic Myanmar cruise from Yangon to Mandalay, with the possibility of a three-day extension to Lake Inle. Cruises take in highlights such as Shwedagon Pagoda, the Leaning Tower of Inwa, notable monasteries, and an exploration of Bagan, one of the world's most spectacular archaeological sites.

Phone 1300 196 420. See travelmarvel.com.au

Get active

Avalon Waterways is setting a new pace on European rivers next year with the introduction of Active Discovery cruises offering an itinerary that gives travellers the options to bike, hike and canoe along the Danube. The nine-day cruises run between Budapest and Linz in Austria and also incorporate archery lessons, ice-cave exploration, a guided mountain climb, a trek along a  World War II smuggler route, and a descent into a salt mine. Eight departures will operate between July and October 2017, with three-day optional land extensions to Prague, or to Salzburg and Munich.

Phone 1300 230 234. See avalonwaterways.com.au