DOGS AT SEA? Oscar leads the way!

Aqua Expeditions hosted Oscar the Top Dog on a 3-day expedition aboard the M/V Aqua last month during the first-ever "World Woof" global community service tour.

A non-profit global initiative, the World Woof Tour featured Oscar the Top Dog making stops in 35 countries in an effort to inspire dog adoption across the globe.

More information about Oscar (and some very handsome photos of him) can be found at his web site at http://www.worldwooftour.com

The 2009 World Woof Tour included Oscar and his crew visiting rural areas in Africa, Thailand, Russia, Nepal and China, and finishing aboard the M/V Aqua with stops in communities along the Amazon River.

For more information about Aqua Expeditions, exploring the more remote and pristine areas of the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve in the upper Amazon River and its tributaries, visit www.aquaexpeditions.com.

THREE NEW CRUISE LINE PROFILES TO WET YOUR APPETITE

Most cruise magazines bring you endless news of fun on cruises with Carnival Cruises, Princess Cruises, Royal Caribbean and all the other major cruise lines. No doubt there is fun to be had on board all these major cruise ships, but there are quite a number of other cruise lines, small and large that offer some unique experiences. At Prow's Edge Cruise Magazine we aim to give you the whole picture.

To that end, three new cruise line profiles have been added to the Prow's Edge web site at http://www.prowsedge.com/cruise-lines.html and they are, Aqua Expeditions, Avalon Waterways and Oceanwide Expeditions.

Aqua Expeditions, the brainchild of Francesco Galli-Zugaro, is entirely unique to the Peruvian Amazon, offering trips for discriminating, adventurous travelers exploring the more remote and pristine areas in the upper Amazon River and its tributaries.

The award-winning small ship cruise company Avalon Waterways is part of the Globus family of brands and is making waves in river and small ship cruising by offering travelers the newest, most luxurious ships in Europe, China, Egypt and the Galápagos.

And last, but not least, Oceanwide Expeditions is a pioneer and one of the market leaders in the Polar Regions and has – since 1996 - been offering expedition-style cruises to the Arctic and Antarctic regions with chartered ice-strengthened Russian vessels, very suitable to offer exploratory voyages with passengers.

Prow's Edge offers profiles of more than 60 cruise lines, and reviews of more than 40 of those cruise lines in the Cruise Review section at http://www.prowsedge.com/cruises-reviews.html

Aqua Expeditions among 26 travel and tourism companies recognized as "World Savers."

In honoring those companies that are "turning travel's enormous potential to improve the planet into reality", Condé Nast Traveler has listed Aqua Expeditions among 26 travel and tourism companies that it recognizes as "World Savers."

Nominations were made for excellence in the areas of education, poverty, wildlife, preservation, and health. Aqua Expeditions, however, was honored to find itself on the "doing it all" list, reflecting its efforts in every one of the above categories.

"The day we decided to operate the M/V Aqua in a fragile nature reserve, we knew that the social component of our programs would be just as important as the wildlife component," notes Francesco Galli-Zugaro, Founder and CEO of Aqua Expeditions.

"From day one, our journeys into Amazonia -- including the remote Pacaya Samiria Reserve -- have involved active participation with some 14 native river communities," Galli-Zugaro adds, noting that these visits are unstructured, and place a strong focus on relationship building.

"Given that we have only been operating for 18 months, we are thrilled to have been nominated for this "World Saver" award," Galli-Zugaro says. "Even though our sustainability efforts are only in their initial stages, we see this as an indication that we are on the right track."

Aqua Expeditions is dedicated to delivering a world-class Amazon experience, in an environment of comfort and safety. Its team onboard the M/V Aqua equals that of the finest small ship operators, anywhere in the world. Management has a total commitment to excellence.

For more information about Aqua Expeditions visit: www.aquaexpeditions.com