New opportunities to explore Alaska’s Glacier Bay, the Columbia and Snake rivers, Mexico’s Sea of Cortés and the Pacific Northwest are highlighted in American Safari Cruises’ new 2010 brochure.

The brochure release coincides with the debut of the company’s retooled web site, www.amsafari.com, scheduled for mid-August.

In Alaska, American Safari will increase its eight-day, seven-night double-entry sailings into Glacier Bay National Park over 2009 by 100%.

On similar itineraries roundtrip from Juneau, the company will operate three luxury yachts -- the 36-passenger Safari Explorer, the 22-passenger Safari Quest, and the 12-passenger Safari Spirit.

Every departure of the April 30 to Sept. 10, 2010, season includes a rare two consecutive days in Glacier Bay where guests are permitted to explore by sea kayak and shore boat, and to go ashore to hike and walk on glaciers.

On its Rivers of the West itinerary, ASC has scheduled 13 eight-night, seven-day spring and fall departures on the Columbia and Snake rivers of Washington, Oregon and Idaho, including four sailings that will have a wine and food theme and visit prominent wineries in the area.

And, in response to past guests’ requests, the Safari Spirit is returning to the Sea of Cortés for 12 eight-day, seven-night sailings Nov. 21 through March 20, 2010, roundtrip from La Paz.

Laughter can be the best medicine and passengers onboard the MSC Poesia this January will get the cure during a seven-night Comedy Cruise.

Featured on the Jan. 30 sailing will be comedian Scott Record. The laughter continues later each evening in the onboard comedy club with performances by the ship’s featured comedians.

Guests can also participate in Bonk! an interactive, live game show showcasing general knowledge and physical mayhem.

The “Eastern Island Treasures and Ancient Temples” Caribbean itinerary for this comedy theme cruise sails roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale and calls at ports in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; Tortola, British Virgin Islands; and Nassau, Bahamas.

Cruise-only rates start at US$549 per person, double occupancy.

Check out www.MSCCruisesUSA.com for more.

Windstar Cruises has unveiled its 2010 Signature Collection Host Series, which offers guests the unique opportunity to cruise with distinguished experts in the culinary arts, wine, photography and writing.

Hosts in 2010 include: top chocolate artisan Fran Bigelow of Fran’s Chocolates; renowned winemakers Jay Schuppert of Cuvaison Estate Wines and Eric Dunham of Dunham Cellars; San Francisco area restaurateur, author, national radio and television personality, Narsai David; photographer Roger Paperno and author Joe Wolff of the popular travel books “Café Life”; acclaimed restaurateurs Chef Don Curtiss and Michelle Quisenberry of Seattle’s Volterra Restaurant; and Chef Keith Luce of celebrated Northwest restaurant The Herbfarm.

Visit www.windstarcruises.com for additional information.

Royal Caribbean International has introduced its 2010-11 Australia and Hawaii cruise and cruisetour season.

Travellers can choose among 17 sailings from September 2010 through March 2011aboard Rhapsody of the Seas, 14 of which depart from Sydney, Australia.

The new season will offer 12 distinct itineraries, more variety in cruise lengths and itineraries than ever before, with a total of 50 unique ports of call in eight countries.

Rhapsody of the Seas’ 2010-11 Australia and Hawaii season are now open for booking.

Guests can add to their vacation experience with an optional six- or seven-day escorted cruisetour.

The six-day Australia land package begins in Sydney, followed by a flight to Cairns and the beach resort destination of Port Douglas.

Here, guests will visit the Kuranda Rainforest and be treated to a full-day boating adventure exploring the outer Great Barrier Reef.

Other highlights include a visit to the famed Ayers Rock in the country’s remote Northern Territory, where they can witness the sun rising over the world famous sandstone formation before returning to Sydney.

Guests on the seven-day New Zealand package will visit a private sheep farm in Auckland; excursion to a winery, museum and wildlife reserve in Rotorua; and embark on a Milford South cruise to soak in the fjords before flying to Sydney and embarking on their Australia cruise.

Go to www.cruisingpower.com for complete information.

Holland America Line (HAL) is offering unique new World Cruise tours and Overland Adventure tours in some of the world’s most exotic locations, including South America, Africa and India.

Overland Adventures allow guests to extend their holiday or Grand World Voyage with an in-depth exploration of regions such as India, the Far East, Africa and South America.

The adventures range from two- and three-day tours to eight-day explorations. 2010 Grand World Voyage guests can take a unique eight-day train tour from Mumbai to Port Kelang, India. The Palace on Wheels Overland Adventure -- part of Holland America Line’s Medallion Collection of exclusive tours -- is described as one of the world’s great train rides, taking guests through the heart of India.

Stops include Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Sawai Madhopur, Chittaurgarh, Udaipur, Bharatpur and Delhi, then a flight to Kuala Lumpur.

The adventure also includes a sunset camel ride through the Great Indian Desert and a four-wheel drive in the Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary, known for its tigers and leopards.

In Africa, guests seeking a safari of a lifetime will enjoy the Ngala Overland Adventure from Port Elizabeth to Durban, South Africa.

On the three-day Medallion Collection tour, guests will fly to the Ngala Private Game Reserve.

The reserve borders Kruger National Park, South Africa’s largest wildlife sanctuary.

The African safari offers superb accommodations and several game-drives in an open, four-wheel drive vehicle, giving guests a chance to spot one of Africa’s “big five” -- lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant and Cape Buffalo.

Guests catch a return flight to Durban to board the ship. Other Overland Adventures trips in Africa and the Far East include: the Chobe National Park and Victoria Falls Overland Adventure, a five-day tour from Cape Town to Durban; the Cambodia and Angkor Wat Overland Adventure, a three-day tour from Singapore to Sihanoukville, Cambodia; the Terra Cotta Warriors, Great Wall and Beijing Overland Adventure, a four-day tour from Shanghai to Xingang, China; and the Kyoto and the Shinkansen Bullet Train Overnight Tour, a two-day adventure from Kobe to Yokohama, Japan.

On the other side of the world, guests sailing South America in 2010 also have enticing new adventures -- the Galapagos Islands Cruise Overland Adventure and Mendoza: Land of Wine.

Sail on over to www.hollandamerica.com for more.