Pandaw River Expeditions, which specialises in cruises in colonial-style riverships along the great waterways of south-east Asia, now operates cruises around the coast of Southern Burma on board the Andaman Explorer, a 1960s ocean-going motor yacht. Pandaw's first river cruise, 21 years ago, was in Burma, on the Irrawaddy river – the coastal cruise sails to the country's isolated Mergui Archipelago.

Now Azamara Club Cruises, which has two boutique-style, 686-passenger ocean-going ships, is reminding us that it can offer the best of both cruising worlds; because of their size, Azamara Journey and Azamara Quest can sail up some of the world's most famous rivers and dock right in the heart of the action. And as the line has made a name for its "destination immersion" style of cruising, the ships offer itineraries that include longer stays and overnights in some fascinating river ports.

Azamara Journey and Quest cruise the River Thames right up to London's Tower Bridge in London, visit New Orleans via the mighty Mississippi River, sail the Garonne River to Bordeaux in the heart of one of France's prime wine-making regions, and to the dynamic Canadian city of Montreal, via the St Lawrence River.

The River Liffey flows right through Dublin, and the ships can navigate a part of this waterway to enter the Irish capital. One of Dublin's top attractions, the Temple Bar district, lies along the south bank of the Liffey, within easy reach of the ships' docking point; this neighbourhood is considered the city's cultural heart, with restaurants, lively pubs and outdoor markets lining the cobblestone lanes.

Other river destinations on Azamara's itineraries include Russia's Neva River, en route to the grand palaces of St Petersburg, and the Iberian Peninsula's Guadalquivir River for the Spanish city of Seville, home to the world's largest gothic cathedral.

Azamara is offering a special deal on its 10-night Thailand and Vietnam hybrid ocean and river cruise, which departs from Singapore on November 30, 2016. The ship sails Thailand's Chao Phraya River to Bangkok, where the ship docks overnight. The voyage calls at Thailand's Ko Samui for some of the world's best beaches and there's an overnight stop in Ho Chi Minh City. For details, see www.azamaraclubcruises.com.

Meet the crew

NAME: Ryan McQuarrie, from the USA

POSITION: Entertainment director, Carnival Cruise Line's Carnival Legend

MY JOB: My position is the department head for entertainment. This involves a variety of responsibilities from quality control, safety and administration to programming, including scheduling and guest experience.

A TYPICAL DAY: Trying to keep up with our cruise directors and our team of entertainment staff, Playlist Production cast members, musicians and technicians keeps my days full of exciting things to do. I also spend a bit of time on emails and general administration of the department.

FAVOURITE CRUISE MOMENT: Those times you realise you helped make a real, lasting memory. It's the fuel that keeps me going!

FAVOURITE CRUISE PORTS: They are (in order) Sydney, Venice, Barcelona, Key West, and St Thomas – anywhere you can shop, eat, and find new experiences and cultures!

INSIDER TIP: Be very specific when you are making plans to meet someone on the ship or in port. I've met hundreds of lost people over the years who were supposed to meet their families "on Deck 3". Deck 3 is a pretty big place!

TIP

Save time when you're ashore scouring the streets for cafes and bars offering free Wi-Fi and use an app such as Free Wi-Fi Finder to locate the nearest source. Free Wi-Fi Finder claims to find free hotspots in more than 50 countries.

Cruise news

Win a trip for two to the Galápagos

Small ship cruising specialist Aurora Expeditions has launched an online competition offering the chance to win a cruising adventure for two to the Galápagos Islands. The prize is Aurora Expeditions' inaugural nine-day voyage to experience the best of the remote Galápagos Islands, onboard the 38-passenger Isabela II. The Galápagos Odyssey, valued at US$13,200 ($17,570), includes snorkelling with sea lions, hiking on powerful ancient lava flows, observing spectacular seabirds, meeting a giant tortoise and more. To enter, visit www.auroraexpeditions.com.au/galapagoscompetition and select the Galápagos experience you'd most enjoy and explain your choice in 30 words or less.

The competition is open to anyone aged 18 years or older and closes July 31, 2016.

Jewish heritage journey

Uniworld's new 10-day Rhine-Main Discovery & Munich itinerary features a range of on-shore excursions that focus on Europe's fascinating Jewish heritage. This all-inclusive cruise is part of Uniworld's Europe 2017 program and is designed to highlight different aspects of Jewish culture and history in Europe on each excursion. These include visits to Dachau Concentration Camp, Nuremburg's Documentation Centre and Courtroom 600 where the famed Nuremburg trials took place, and in Frankfurt the former palace of the Rothschild family, now home to the city's Jewish Museum. Onboard lectures will complement the shore tours. On a lighter note, there will also be Go Active bike rides along the Main River and Tauber Valley, and a visit to Marksburg Castle. See uniworld.com .

Newcastle port expansion

The busy port of Newcastle, "gateway to the Hunter Valley", is planning an upgrade to the cruise terminal in Carrington that will enable bigger ships to berth there. Earlier this year the 2068-passenger Queen Elizabeth called at Newcastle; the biggest ship the port has hosted to date is the 2850-passenger Celebrity Solstice. Once the terminal is upgraded, it will be able to take Royal Caribbean's Voyager-class size ships, which carry 3000-plus passengers. The federal government is providing $400,000 in funding, which will be matched by the NSW government. The funding partnership has been designed to improve the quality of regional tourism infrastructure to support growth in visitor numbers. Meanwhile, another proposal is currently under review to build a second Newcastle terminal for cruise ships at Dyke Point.

Deal of the week

ecruising.travel has just released a top value 38-night fly/stay/cruise package that takes in South America, North America and Alaska from only $7499. The 34-night cruise on Norwegian Sun departs Santiago on April 25, 2017 for stops along the Chilean coast before visiting Peru, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Guatemala. It then makes three port calls in Mexico and calls on San Diego and San Francisco on the way to Canada, finishing with a round-trip cruise Alaska cruise from Vancouver. Available until sold out; phone 1300 106 466, see www.ecruising.travel.

More deals

CRUISECO'S 30-night fly/stay/cruise package includes a 28-night cruise from Beijing to Melbourne onboard Princess Cruises' Golden Princess. Departing on October 17, 2016, the ship will visit Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Indonesia, Darwin, Brisbane and Sydney. From $4195 (or $140 per day), plus US$300 ($399) onboard credit, until sold out; phone 02 9492 8520, see www.cruising.com.au.

APT has launched a new range of China and Japan holidays for 2017, including luxury land, rail and cruise journeys. Book early for a special SuperDeal – for example, a free return flight to China with the 13-day Best of China land/cruise package that includes a four-night river cruise aboard Santuary Yangzi Explorer. From $6345; phone 1300 196 420, see aptouring.com.au.