The hottest Europe and Pacific travel deals this week

Witness the Alotau Festival and Sing Sing, a display of canoes, warriors, powerful music and dance. Photo / P&O Cruises

Experience the remote New Guinea Island region during a 10-night Pacific Encounter cruise – a return trip from Brisbane in autumn next year. Priced from $1099 each, twin share, you’ll cruise into Alotau, Kiriwina Island, Rabaul and the Conflict Islands – considered one of the most peaceful locations in the world. Witness the Alotau Festival and Sing Sing, a display of canoes, warriors, powerful music and dance – all put on especially for visiting P&O Cruises cruise ships. On Kiriwina Island, try your batting skills at Trobriand cricket, for which the unconventional rules include an unlimited number of players, plus some dancing and whistleblowing. Flights from New Zealand are additional. Travel between April 23 and May 3, 2024.

Contact: P&O Cruises Australia, freephone 0800 78 0716 or check out www.pocruises.co.nz

Stay five nights at InterContinental Hayman Island Resort in Australia, with full breakfasts each morning and boat transfers. Photo / InterContinental Hayman Island Resort

Five nights at InterContinental Hayman Island Resort in Australia, with full breakfasts and boat transfers to and from Airlie Beach or Hamilton Island, are priced from $1899 each. You’ll receive a bottle of red wine when you arrive, and a room upgrade from the Classic King to a Premium Lagoon View room, or if you’ve booked a Lagoon Suite, you’ll be upgraded to a one-bedroom Suite Pool View room. Travel periods are January 11 to March 27, April 28 to June 9, or June 14 to July 31. Book by December 31.

Contact: Helloworld Travel, freephone 0800 758 787 or check out www.helloworld.co.nz

Cruise into Australia’s harbours of Brisbane, Airlie Beach, Cairns, Port Douglas, and Townsville. Photo / Getty Images

Cruise in the paradise that is Downunder – a 14-night roundtrip departing from Auckland and cruising into Australia’s harbours of Brisbane, Airlie Beach, Cairns, Port Douglas, and Townsville. Priced from $1899 each, you’ll stay in a Stateroom which comes with an AU$350 ($377.28) onboard credit. Choose to upgrade to a Balcony Stateroom for a nightly extra payment of $79 each, and your room comes with an AU$500 onboard credit. Book by this Christmas Eve with a heavily discounted deposit of $49 each. There’s plenty of time to save up your fares, as the cruise is set to sail on June 13 in 2025. Domestic airfares to Auckland are additional.

Contact: Flight Centre, freephone 0800 427 555 or check out www.flightcentre.co.nz

See the mesmerising beauty of Italy’s most revered cities, including Florence and Venice. Photo / Insight Vacations

Book an Italian Escapade Tour for next year, between April and October, and your 13-day adventure will start at $9225 each. Averaging about 30 guests, the tour departs from Rome and transports you to the mesmerising beauty of Italy’s most revered cities, including Florence and Venice. Guides will lead you through the rich history and local culture, as you visit ancient ruins, art galleries and charming cobblestone streets. Delectable cuisine paired with fine Italian wines, enjoyed in local trattorias, will be your scrumptious diet for almost a fortnight.

Contact: Insight Vacations, freephone 0800 568 769 or check out www.insightvacations.com

QT Melbourne Bar is filled with all kinds of shops, cafes, a boutique chocolatier and pâtissier. Photo / Getty Images

In the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, QT Melbourne is a luxurious, chic hotel that gives ready access to the city’s myriad historic laneways and contemporary arcades, filled with all kinds of shops, cafes a boutique chocolatier and pâtissier. A three-night double-share stay at QT Melbourne next autumn, with daily breakfast included, is priced from $895 each. And this package comes with a Melbourne Lanes & Arcades Chocolate & Dessert Walking Tour.

Book by January 8, 2024. Stay between May 1 and June 30. Airfares from New Zealand are additional.

Contact: Travel Associates, freephone 0800 951 655 or check out www.travel-associates.co.nz