Tina's Cruise Tales

I've been Promoted!

2011-03-15T02:13:00.000-07:00

Dear all,

Just to to let you know that I have been promoted here at Cruise.co.uk and have now joined the Marketing team as a Product Manager. Exciting times and obviously I will still be around, but you may be thinking now....'who is going to look after me?’ No need to worry, there are people here as good as me who take just as much pride in looking after their customers. After 5 years, I have had the pleasure of organising lots of cruises and I have emailed all my customers and sent a letter to introduce colleagues who I have asked to look after you. The volume of bookings has meant that I have shared them out to ensure the best possible customer service.

Please refer to the Cruise Consultant assigned to you on your email/letter, but just in case....

Eve Clark - 0800 408 6080 email evec@cruise.co.uk blog http://www.allaboardwitheve.blogspot.com/
Emma Davis - 0800 408 6129 email emmad@cruise.co.uk blog http://www.emmaoncruise.blogspot.com/
Francis Jones - 0800 408 6081 email francisj@cruise.co.uk blog http://www.followfrancis.blogspot.com/
Mark Grimes - 0800 408 6125 email markg@cruise.co.uk blog http://www.marksmaritime.blogspot.com/
Simon Kirkby - 0800 408 6147 email simonk@cruise.co.uk blog http://www.simonsshiptalk.blogspot.com/

Finally, thank you for making it so enjoyable in booking cruises over the last 5 years, but as one door closes, another one opens.

Happy Cruising.

Thanks again.

Tina

New Zealand Earth Quake - Cruise Ship Update

2011-02-25T08:23:00.000-08:00

Only last year I was telling you all about the devastating earth quake that had hit Haiti. Just over a year on and yes another earth quake has struck leaving more devastation in its path. Not to the scale of Haiti but still big enough to have killed and injured many people in New Zealand.

It is such sad scenes to watch people that have been left with nothing, their homes completely destroyed. I always watch in awe of the rescue workers that come from all over the world at the drop of a hat to work for hours trying recover and save people from the rubble, it must be a devastating but rewarding experience.

Unfortunately many ships are on their world cruises right now, and New Zealand would be a port of call at about this time for many ships. Also if ships operate from Australia this is the peak time they will be there.

So I thought I would give you an update of any re scheduling from ships that would be due to dock in Christchurch over the next 10 days:

Queen Mary 2 - At sea en route from Sydney and due on Saturday, will now call at Wellington. “An announcement was made after all passengers were back on board in Sydney. Given the terrible situation in Christchurch, we will go to Wellington instead, then proceed on schedule to Auckland. These two ports are in the north island, not affected by the earthquake.”

Sun Princess - Due on Monday 28th February will now extend its stay in Wellington on February 27. On the morning of February 28, it will visit Marlborough Sound for three hours of scenic cruising.

Dawn Princess - Due on Friday 4th March, has not yet been rescheduled. A Princess Cruises spokesperson says the line is monitoring the situation.

P&O Aurora - Due on the 7th March at Lyttelton, it has been confirmed that the call has been cancelled, but no decision has been made about an alternative stop.

Still waiting to hear about any changes for Holland America Line's Volendam, she is expected on the 5th March.

I will keep this updated so if any ships change ports or cancel anything I will let you know!

Celebrity thrive with Soltice class ships.

2011-02-19T03:45:00.000-08:00

When people ask me for a recommendation I have absolutely no worries about telling them about the Celebrity Solstice class ships.

The first time I saw the Solstice was when she was still in the German dock having the finishing touches put on, I was very privileged to be invited for a sneaky peek at Celebrity's long awaited new class of ship. On boarding her I knew straight away they had managed to do what they had promised all along, produced a 5* ship that would have the WOW factor.

And to this day after also going on the Eclipse when she launched a year later they are the only new ships I have been on that I was actually bowled over by. The attention to detail in the public areas is the best I have seen, ( hand painted Muriel's on the ceilings and hand made furniture ) and the speciality restaurants ( all done with their own feel and differences )are worth every penny. The ships just ooze class and sophistication.

The very popular Eclipse out of Southampton is also now having an upgrade, nice to see that the new ships are still being looked at ways of improving. Here some of the changes:

• Coffee available with tea in staterooms

• Guest Entertainer Line-Up more in line with who Brits know
• Guest Speakers
• Local Newspapers via iPad or online
– Daily Mail
– Britain Today

Drinks charges will be shown inclusive of service charge.

More choices of Beer :- Fuller's London Pride - Guinness - Old Speckled Hen - Murphy’s Stout - Boddingtons - Newcastle Brown Ale

Champagne High Tea

Guests can relax and enjoy a one of a kind classic high tea experience.
• Classic World-Class High Tea Experience featuring:
• White glove service
• Loose teas from Tea Forte
• Custom made Wedgwood Bone China
• Elegant savories, pastries, scones and accompaniments.
• Served in Specialty Restaurant.
• Offered in the afternoon (between 2 and 4 PM) on Sea Days
• Includes Live Music from the string quartet on board.
• Guests can make reservations on board; or in advance of their cruise.
• Cover charge of: $25.00

So with the new ships thriving, bookings are going well and feed back is fantastic Celebrity are ' Solticising ' a few of the other ships in the fleet, which I think is a fantastic idea, the older ships always get forgotten so its good that the Constellation has had her refurbishment and now they have announced the Infinity will also be upgrade to Solstice class too! Meaning that once the new Silhouette has launched in July Celebrity will have 6 ships at of this class, and I would go as far to say they will then easily lead the market in 5* cruising. There own president said once people go Solstice they wont go anything else! Here Here I agree!

Who is your top cruise companion!

2011-02-12T06:10:00.000-08:00

We all know it is never going to happen but a little day dreaming never hurt anybody, and I am pretty sure I'm not alone when I sometimes think how lovely it would be to take my dream companion away on a cruise!

Well in a recent survey I am not alone as Leonardo Di Caprio was crowned top cruise companion among British Cruisers! Not a bad choice actually he would definitely rank in my top 5!

The survey was done to see how people would choose their top companion! Are we shallow enough to choose purely on looks, or would you choose on entertainment value, friendship or a good old conversationalist, well it looks like its a mix of all of them as the next 3 in line were Robbie Williams, Miranda Hart and Peter Kay! Imagine turning up to dinner with those four celebrities waiting for you, I actually think its a good group, a bit of eye candy, two comedians,and a singer you certainly wouldn't be short of conversation!

So who would your top choice be! While writing this I have been trying to rack my brain on who mine would be and I'm struggling to come up with just one, so hey its my day dream ill have David Beckham, all of Take That and Simon Cowell!

So next time you book your cruise and they ask for that 2nd passenger name, take a second to think your top companion!

Our Christmas Party! Better Late Then Never!

2011-02-05T06:17:00.000-08:00

Well we are all feeling a little delicate here at cruise.co.uk today as we were out last night on our Christmas party!

Yes you read that right, it was re scheduled as the first one was cancelled due to the heavy snow we had here in the Midlands just before Christmas!

It was all very festive with turkey dinner, crackers, bad cracker jokes, and even by the end of the night some Christmas party songs, a little odd to be dancing to all I want for Christmas but hey it was a party and I was merry enough to go along with it! It was also a Take That tribute night so the atmosphere was great with everybody up singing along to the classics!

It got me thinking about Christmas this year and what to do, as you need to book early to get a good deal. I am going to New York in December ( not for Christmas it self but for a 4 night break doing some Christmas shopping! ) and have now booked my flights nice and early and got a very good price so I am a happy girl now I have something sorted. If you think its to early to even start thinking about it don't! Christmas Cruises sells very quickly and waiting for a late deal is an impossible task, as even though most cruise lines will have availability the flights are what will pull your purse strings, remember the earlier you book flights the cheaper they are.

Some Cruises lines that still have Christmas availability are P&O, Cunard, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity.

Egypt Travel Advice!

2011-01-29T05:45:00.000-08:00

Well unfortunately its more bad news for potential travellers, Cruising or otherwise!

As I am sure you all watch the news, the trouble in Egypt is causing travel chaos for many people, the violent scenes are scary to watch, so understandably the foreign office are now advising of only essential travel to areas such as Cairo, Alexandria, Luxor and Suez.

For the full details please follow the link: http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/middle-east-north-africa/egypt

It is a very upsetting and frustrating time for travellers as information is scarce and travel firms have to try and deal with panicked and upset clients that are unsure as to what will happen with their holiday plans.

If I can give you all any advise it is to sit tight! If you are travelling in the next few days you will be priority for most travel firms, as they will need to sort your plans out first and also work to try and get people home that are already out there. If you are not due to travel for another few weeks I doubt you will get much of an answer as to what will happen with you, as the trouble could be over in the next few days meaning your plans will go ahead as normal, but until they know more looking ahead is very difficult. Your travel company who ever they are will contact you if they need to, or if anything has changed to your holiday plans, so as the going says no news is good news!

It is a very uncertain time, but if i get anymore information I will update you.

Singles Finally Get Noticed!

2011-01-26T04:28:00.000-08:00

Over the last few years cruise lines have all begun to realise that by not offering any single cabins to solo travellers they are driving away many keen cruisers!

We have seen P&O bring in single cabins on their new ship Azura, NCL launched single cabins on the new Epic and now Royal Caribbean are joining in by announcing that they will be adding single cabins on the Radiance of the Seas.

She will be going into dry dock at the end of May where she will emerge completely refurbished but also with the addition of 3 new single inside cabins! Not a lot really considering she can carry over 2000 passengers but its a start!

Its promising for single travellers that the cruise lines are starting to recognise they are a big part of the cruising industry. Many single travellers take a couple of cruises a year as they feel safe when on the ship and get the chance to meet many other people. At least now they will finally have more choice when it comes to choosing their next cruise, lets just hope the prices are affordable.

Anybody Fancy A Bit of Role Reversal?

2011-01-24T08:00:00.000-08:00

Ever wanted to see first hand how hard the crew work??

Well Costa have come up with an idea called ' Visa Versa ' that is going to give their loyal passengers who are members of the Costa Club the chance to experience being a crew member for real!

They will offer this unique experience on four company cruises where Costa Club members will be able to take the place of the crew and experience all the thrill of being a part of the on board staff and serving Guests. At the same time, the crew will be replaced by Costa Club members and they will become the ship’s Guests.

To fully play their new role, Costa Club members will be supervised and trained by the ship’s Cruise Director. In this way they will discover all the “behind the scene” secrets of their new job. They will literally step into the crew’s shoes, wearing real uniforms with the only difference being a special logo. Once prepared, they will work for one day as crew members in different positions: Guest service, tour escorts, cruise staff, musicians, singers, waiters and cooks.

The “ViceVersa” experience, presented for the first time in November 2010 on board the Costa Club cruise of the Costa Deliziosa, will be proposed again on four Costa cruises that recorded a large attendance by Costa Club members, with special activities reserved for them.

I think it is a great idea! Sometimes you here complaints about crew and I do feel some passengers do not fully understand just how hard and how patient you have to be to do this job throughout the year! So maybe once the passengers have done it themselves they will be go a little easier on the crew on their next cruise!

Its a pity other cruise companies don't do it, I would like to see P&O getting their passengers on a role reversal! I here and see ( mainly from the reviews on our website ) they can be very demanding sometimes so it would be interesting to see how they would cope doing the everyday work of a crew member.

Fuel Prices! How High Will They Go?

2011-01-18T04:04:00.000-08:00

Fuel!!!!! It has to be the worst word around at the moment! It is affecting us all whether your filling your car up or looking at booking your cruise!

I went to fill my car up this morning and was horrified to see that unleaded is £1.26 a litre! I remember a few years ago when petrol was going up and the whole country went into uproar that fuel was going to cost £1 a litre...

there were huge strikes by haulage companies that meant fuel shortages and long ques at the pumps as everybody panic bought all over the country! So I am amazed that nothing is being done now when the petrol and fuel prices are at a record high, where are the strikes? where are the British people saying this is not on?

It is affecting us all but especially those looking to book their cruise or flights, the fuel supplements are already high and with people looking for the lowest prices the average cruise price will now increase.
I have just spoken to a lady with regards to a possible Fred Olsen cruise and had to advise her that if she books tomorrow the same cruise will cost her another £330! This is because of their increase on all new bookings from tomorrow where the fuel charge will now be calculated as 5.5% of the cruise fare, this is a huge increase and I think it will discourage many people from booking now and instead risking a late getaway to try and get a lower price!

But how high will they go! Surely soon somebody will have to step in and do something about it, people are already struggling with the rise in VAT, the high fuel prices will limit peoples spending even further!

Oceania Follow The BIG Trend!

2011-01-12T02:21:00.000-08:00

Well I was quite disappointed this morning to read that Oceania Cruise's are selling the Insignia and she will leave their fleet in 2012!

So why are Oceania following the trend and going bigger? Is it really what the customer wants??

To me the reason people love Oceania are because of the small ship mentality, and with most cruise companies launching new monster vessels, feedback I get from my clients are they actually prefer the smaller ships! They dont want a 3 mile hike from one end of the ship to the other, or to have to go down 8 decks to get to the restaurant!

With the arrival of the new Marina due to sail next month, they have announced they will also be buliding another sister ship called Riviera in early 2012. Both ships will double the normal capacity and hold 1250 passengers, now I know it still doesnt sound a lot but to loyal passengers that prefer the 600-700 capacity ships I have a feeling they will be sticking to the Nautica and Regatta!

Rio Carnival! Get In The Party Mood!

2011-01-10T01:38:00.000-08:00

The Rio Carnival has to be one of those must see things in life, for 4 days the city is a mass of colour and celebrations!

One of the greatest elements of the Rio Carnival is that it not only provides entertainment for many people around the world but it also gives a chance to learn about the true culture of Brazil.

It is a euphoric event where people dance, sing, party and have tons of fun. There are many parties that take place before, during and after Carnival all night and all day. It allows someones true heart to come out and have as much fun as possible.

So to be a part of this great event join the Azamara Journey for a 10 night spectacular! She departs on the 15th February 2012 and does this amazing itinerary:

Buenos Aires, Punta Del Esta ( Uruguay ), 2 days at sea, Rio De Janeiro for 3 full days in port ( carnival time! ), Buzios ( Brazil ), Parati ( Brazil ), Ilhabela ( Brazil ) and back to Rio DE Janeiro.

No need to worry about finding a hotel, you can go back to the comfort of this luxurious ship! I have been on board there ships and they are truly marvellous, 5* luxury but with a relaxed informal feel on board, no set dining and no formal nights! The service is the best I have had on any ship and better still they include wine at lunch and dinner, all water and soft drinks ( even in you stateroom mini bar ) and speciality tea's and coffees throughout the day!

While you are their you can also add on nights before the cruise and see more of beautiful Buenos Aires, making it a real trip of a lifetime!

Lower Prices Or Extra's - You Decide!

2011-01-03T02:30:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to everybody! Like most people I have had the last 2 weeks off so it is nice to be back to work and getting back to a bit of normality!

As January is now upon us its a busy time as people start to think about their summer cruise, and as always the cruise lines bring out their big campaigns to encourage people to start booking!

But what is going to make people book?

There seems to be a very mixed answer to this, and the cruise lines all have very different approaches to their campaigns, for example Royal Caribbean/Celebrity Cruises are stripping away all the extras so there will be no board credit, free parking and early booking discounts from now on instead they say their prices will be reduced as they feel the customer just wants the best price! Well I agree even on speaking to some customers yesterday they agreed that they were not so bothered about on board credit and other extras and would just rather have a cheaper cruise.

On the other hand though, there are still people that prefer to have the extras especially free parking, with parking fees going up the average cost for 2 weeks parking at Southampton is around £140 which is a large amount to have to pay out on top of the cruise. Also I booked a lady on the Queen Victoria yesterday and her deal had $420 per person on board credit which is a substantial amount and she was thrilled that she was getting this money to spend while on the ship, meaning they will not have to take so much themselves!

So the first few months of the year will be very interesting! Will people see the adverts for cheaper prices and opt for them, or will they stay with the companies that continue to give away the extras?

Tell me what you would prefer to have!

I Have The Christmas Blues!

2010-12-28T04:42:00.000-08:00

Well firstly I hope everybody had a fantastic Christmas! I had a lovely day I was spoilt with lots of lovely presents but the best was watching my 18 month year old niece tear through her presents like a little whirlwind, for her then to spend the rest of the day sat in the bag we bought her presents over in, banging on her new drum! ( thanks nanny! )

For me the excitement of Christmas starts in November, this is when I start to think about who is going to get what, whether we have a real or fake tree and just loving the run up to the big day! I love this time of year and it was made even better by all the snow, I know its a pain for most people but I love looking out of my window seeing everything white, Christmas doesn't get much better!

But what now, as I am writing this I have the Christmas blues, I am sat at home and my tree is looking bare without all of the prezzies that have been surrounding it, the chocolates have taken a real bashing and I'm left with ones i don't like, and worst of all the snow is thawing and turning to that horrible slush! This week in between Christmas and New Year is a little depressing, the big day has gone and all there is to look forward to is a new year where I will be another year older! and its a big one boo!

I really wish I could do a Dorothy from wizard of oz, click my heels and be back to last week doing it all over again, I really do wish it was Christmas everyday!

Oh well here's to New Years Eve! My final excuse to drink and eat plenty! And then its back to reality when ill be back to work on the 2nd January to another busy start to the year!

What's Hot for 2011 - Part1 - River Cruising

2010-12-15T04:41:00.000-08:00

When people think of cruising they automatically think of the big cruise lines doing the normal Mediterranean, Norwegian and Caribbean itineraries, but was else is out there?

Well there are lots of products available for people that are looking to do something a bit different, but a lot of people find it difficult to find the information. For example River Cruising has got to be one of the fastest growing sectors of the cruising industry but you hear very little about them, but with our expertise you soon will!

So what kind of client would be attracted to river cruising? Well after speaking to some past passengers that have done one, its for people that enjoy a less formal style of cruising and who can survive without the lavish style of entertainment and prefer a more cultural style of holiday.

Some of the benefits of River Cruising are:

You will see a different place every day and dock in the very heart of the city or town.
The atmosphere is very relaxed and friendly.
The ride is silky smooth, sea sickness is not an issue.
Almost all cabins are ocean view.
Sailing is in the day so you can take full advantage of the scenery and all at eye level.

We have also been advised that Ama Waterways are also due to launch 3 new vessels bringing with it these new itineraries:

Tulip Time Cruise. A nine-day itinerary that includes seven nights on a ship sailing through Holland and Belgium. Starting and ending in Amsterdam, it includes stops in Volendam, Edam, Arnhem, Antwerp, Brussels, Brugges and Utrecht.

The Romantic Danube. A 12-day itinerary that includes three nights in a hotel in Prague and seven nights on a ship sailing down the Danube. The river portion of the trip, between Vilshofen and Budapest, includes stops in Passau, Linz, Melk, Vienna and Bratislava.

The Enchanting Rhine. A 13-day itinerary that includes a seven-night cruises between Amsterdam and Basel, as well as two nights in Lucerne and two nights in Zurich. The cruise portion of the trip includes stops in Cologne, Koblenz, Rudesheim, Worms, Heidelburg, Strasbourg and Breisach.

Keep reading as I will bring you more new hot options for 2011!

Hello Hello Hello! What Have We Here??

2010-12-07T09:18:00.000-08:00

The topic of security presence on cruise ships has hit the headlines! Resulting in the question: Should federal police be stationed on all vessels?

Some people think that it’s a little over the top! Others say that it would make them feel safer. Either way the question is currently getting some very serious attention after a recent inquest in Australia that was dealing with a death on a cruise ship. It brought up the recommendation that federal police officers should be placed on every vessel.

Unfortunately it does seem we are hearing more and more of passengers being extracted of ships for fighting other passengers and even between themselves! Only yesterday my colleague showed me a you tube video of a mass brawl that broke out on one of the Carnival ships, it was not good viewing and even P&O seem to lack a good security team, last year on their Christmas voyages I heard many a horror story of passengers running riot on the Ventura tearing the ship apart and frightening many of the other passengers with their violent behavior. This is not what anybody wants to witness on their cruise!

So after seeing and hearing that even I thought that even though the ships have their own security people in place, can they do enough to keep everybody safe especially on the new super liners that have over 3000 people! Surely they cannot patrol the whole ship, so maybe it might just work! We have community officers here in the UK to help patrol the streets, so maybe something like that is needed on the ships to ensure every passenger is safe!

But like most I also feel it is very sad thing that ( if it goes ahead ) such extreme measures as to have actual police patrolling the ships will have to be put in place! In a world where police and security is at an all time high in general life, people use their Cruise's as an escape from real life but not for much longer if this bad behaviour carries on!

Thank You!

2010-12-01T05:51:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everybody that voted for me and that also left all the wonderful rate my service comments!

I am very pleased to say that I was voted favourite cruise consultant and came 2nd on the best blog, so your votes were very much appreciated!

The announcement was made whilst we were on board the Aurora for our Christmas party! We had a fantastic 2 day cruise and as it was my first time on the Aurora I was keen to see if its true when people say she is their favourite P&O ship.

I couldn't agree more she is elegant and friendly, the cabin was spacious and the public areas are relaxed and comfortable. The only down side for me was the food in the Medina restaurant of an evening, service was very slow especially when it came to the wine and the food on the first night was luke warm, but I always think that the mini Cruise's are a completely different experience to a longer voyage! I have done many 2 night cruises and feel that the staff are less experienced and not as keen to give good service, but on the whole I thoroughly enjoyed the ship and would have no problem recommending it to my customers!

Here I am all dressed up with Lisa and Grace we don't scrub up to badly!

Christmas Is Coming Early!

2010-11-23T10:49:00.000-08:00

Everybody here at cruise.co.uk is getting into the festive spirit nice and early!

Not because we are giving huge discounts off lots of Cruise's but because we are off on our Christmas party! This year we have been lucky enough to be on the P&O Aurora 2 night mini cruise over to Bruge, which is an extra treat for me as I have never been on board the Aurora.

I am just hoping the weather doesn't repeat itself ( even though the forecast doesn't look good! ) like last year when we walked 6 miles to the ship because the snow had bought most of the motorway and Dover itself to a stand still. So as much as I love the wintry weather I am hoping it passes over quietly, but my survival kit will be packed first this year!

I am also out of the office for a week, so any questions or queries do not hesitate to contact one of my colleagues who will be happy to help!

See you in a week, when I will give you a full update on the Christmas party and the Aurora!

Where are the Family Only Ships?

2010-11-17T01:46:00.000-08:00

With the recent announcement from P&O that from November 2011 the Oriana is going to become an adult only ship, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the cruise lines are trying to separate the family's from everybody else!

I can understand their thinking, when you sit here everyday you do see an increase in people asking to avoid the newer larger family orientated ships. It isn't because these passengers hate children a lot of the time it is teachers that work with them on a daily basis and older couples who have had there own children but now want to enjoy a little piece and quiet on their holiday! Which is a fare enough point everybody works very hard for their much needed holiday.

So on the other hand why doesn't a cruise line introduce a family only ship! I think its only fare that they got an option of saying they don't want to be on a ship with people that are just going to huff and puff at their children when they are enjoying themselves, whether it be in the pool or just generally around the ship they do also deserve to have a good time on their holiday! Especially with ships like the Ventura which is P&O flagship family ship, why not make it family only, then cutting out all the complaints of people that go on and return complaining about how many families on board!

It is a touchy subject as you are never going to please everybody, but with P&O now having 3 adult only ships, I think its time they stood up for the families and gave them there own ship too!

Cruise and Stay Part 3 - Caribbean

2010-11-11T09:17:00.000-08:00

The Caribbean is still a very popular winter destination with UK passengers, but its is such a long way to go for a week! Long flights to Barbados, Dominican Republic and San Juan can take its toll on you! Take it from me when I did Ocean Village for a week from Barbados I was shattered for the first 2 days of the cruise and by the time my body clock had adjusted I was packing to come home! So many people are opting to add on nights to their cruise and why not the islands are so beautiful you really should make the most of it!

You are more limited to which cruise lines actually sail from the Caribbean islands themselves, many ships sale from the US ports of Miami and Fort Lauderdale but with increased security and Esta Visa that now have a charge more and more people are trying to do all they can to avoid the states!

Here are some options for Cruise and stay options from some Caribbean Islands.

Thomson - They offer a 7 night cruise with a 7 night stay at either end of the cruise! This cannot be moved about like other companies as the flights are chartered so they go strictly on a weekly basis rather than daily. The Thomson Destiny sails from La Romana in the Dominican Republic and you can choose from around 9 hotels that are a mixture of 4 and 5 star All Inclusive. They are beach front hotels so if lazing around after a busy week on the cruise is for you then Thomson are the people to do it with.

Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Princess Cruises:
All 3 of these lines now have ships sailing from San Juan in Puerto Rico, a great place to sale from as days at sea are very few and you get to see more of the actual islands. Getting around the island is simple the airport to beach front hotels takes around half hour and from there to the port is about the same duration so getting a taxi is easy and cheap! Hotel prices are also very reasonable a 3 night stay at a 4* hotel starts from around £299 per person, its only downside is getting there, there are no direct flights to San Juan so you normally have to go through a US gateway, therefore meaning you will still need the Esta and go through the strict security measures.

Carnival - The Carnival Victory is the only ship that sails from Barbados for 1 week where you can add on a stay! P&O, Fred Olsen and Princess Cruises all operate from Barbados but they all charter flights so adding on a stay is not an option, even if you opt for cruise only you do not get a reduction in the price. The biggest advantage for choosing this is the Island is probably the most well known with British passengers so people are more comfortable in making their own arrangements, hotels are a plenty with smaller bed and breakfast options or bigger All Inclusive resorts.

So if you do want a winter break but 7 nights is to short and 14 to long, remember these options, you can do what ever you want and make the holiday one to remember!

Let The Battle Commence!!!

2010-11-04T06:27:00.000-07:00

Allure vs Oasis which one is the biggest in the world?

The 2 sisters are already at war before Allure is even launched. Even I actually thought the ships were going to be identical meaning they would both sail of with the much wanted title!

Apparently not as it is now being reported that the Allure of the Seas is a few millimetres ( approx 50 millimetres ) longer than the Oasis sparking lots of discussions and debate ( even within staff and crew on both ships ) on how to settle the argument.

The captain's of both vessels are fighting their own corner trying to convince the worlds press that their ship is the larger! But how can you tell? Well the tradition is to rank cruise ships by their gross register tonnage, a measurement not of weight or length but of the volume of passenger areas.

When Royal Caribbean first announced plans to build Oasis and Allure, it said the ships would be 220,000 gross register tons a piece. But upon final measurements last year, Oasis came in even larger at 225,282 tons. The final tonnage of the Allure has yet to be announced so it will be interesting to see if the newer sister will also take the Biggest ship in the world title!

To me even if one is bigger ( even slightly ) than the other, they will still both be nearly 50% larger than the next largest ship at sea so taking the 1st and 2nd place in the rankings is pretty good!

If you have an older sister like I have you know this will not be the last argument between them!

I Have Just Been On Azamara Quest!

2010-11-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

I had the greatest pleasure to be invited onto the Azamara Quest for a 4 day cruise around the South of France.

On arrival in Barcelona it was nice to see a smaller more elegant looking ship waiting for us! Check in was smooth and within 10 minutes I was on board being greeted by friendly crew and a glass of champagne! A great start to the voyage which only got better.

I was even more surprised by the wonderful balcony cabin I had, it was very spacious plenty of storage space and within minutes of arrival I had the cabin attendant knocking at the door waiting to introduce himself. He was extremely pleasant and took the time to show me where everything was, he then went on to explain that the soft drinks in the mini bar are free of charge, as were the bottles of water and fruit that were placed on the dressing table, and were replaced daily, this for me was a fantastic surprise just being able to get a drink in your cabin without having to venture out or call room service is much more convenient.

The ship it self is small and very elegant, the public areas are extremely comfortable and when you wonder around you get the feeling you are in a nice boutique style hotel. It has everything a big ship has but in a much more intimate environment, a great spa, a lovely pool deck, a casino, and different themed bar areas providing plenty of entertainment from show productions, a comedian/pianist and a late night bar for those wanting to dance the night away. For me getting around the ship was great, everything was only a few decks apart so meeting up with group didn't mean a half mile trek over to the other side of the ship.

The food on board was out of this world! Every meal I had was of the highest standards, the buffet for lunch was varied, fresh and always hot, as was the pool side barbecue serving meats off the grill cooked to your liking with a lovely salad bar to accompany it. We had the the great pleasure of eating in both the speciality restaurants Aqaulini and Prime C, both offering a very different experience.
The Aqualina being the Al a Cart of the 2 and more fish based was lovely the atmosphere was relaxed and the waiters I felt were very experienced and very attentive always making sure your wine glass was full.
Prime C was more like a steakhouse and my personal favourite of all the restaurants on board, the $15 per person cover charge is more than worth paying as the food and wine really were exceptional, the menu is varied and we were not rushed even though people were trying to get into the restaurant.

As you can see I was very impressed with the Azamara brand, the biggest highlights for me were:

All soft drinks, speciality tea/coffee's and wine at lunch and dinner are included in the price you pay. ( including the soft drinks in your stateroom. )
Casual dress code for an evening
Open dining, no set times go as you please.
Gratuities included in their prices
The best staff/crew I have come across for genuine friendliness and.

An added bonus was the president and CEO of Azamara cruise Larry Pimentel being on board, he was very approachable and we had a private talk with him which was very interesting, as he has such a huge background in the travel industry.

So if i could sum up Azamara I would say they are an upmarket, boutique style, more inclusive brand that will attract a wide range of clientele.

Im Now Away On Azamara Quest.

2010-10-22T09:38:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let everybody know, I am now out of the office until Thursday 28th October 2010.

If you have any urgent enquiries please contact the main sales line on 0800 091 7798.

I will let you know how I find the Azamara Quest on my return.

Royal Caribbean Build A School in Haiti.

2010-10-22T03:15:00.000-07:00

In January this year the small island of Haiti was struck by a huge earthquake which devastated the lives of all the people living their. We all watched the TV pictures of buildings left in a heap of rubble making majority of the island homeless. It seems so long ago now and even though the headlines have stopped, the work out there to try and rebuild peoples lives hasn't.

One of the biggest contributors to giving aid and help has been Royal Caribbean, I blogged previously about there ships taking much needed aid to the island when the quake first hit, and with it being one of their ports of call on many of the Caribbean itinerary's they continued to go knowing the country was desperate to keep the tourist money coming in

Well their help has continued and 9 months later they have announced the opening of a brand new school, one of the first new buildings to be completed since the quake. The school complex is in northern Haiti near nine towns and villages. It consists of six buildings, with 12 classrooms, a computer lab and bathrooms. The school will provide children from the area with an education, including classes in English and environmental stewardship. In the evenings adults will attend vocational training.

Royal Caribbean have been has been one of Haiti's largest foreign investors for the last 30 years and the chief executive commented

The school is on land which the cruise line leases from the Haitian government, and all construction materials were transported from Miami on board Royal Caribbean cruise ships.

The new school has been built to sustain hurricane winds and any future earthquakes.

Royal Caribbean have helped the island of Haiti so much and I am sure they will continue to do so over the coming years as rebuilding a whole island will take time, but with help from such large companies such as Royal Caribbean it will get back to the place it once was.

"We hope that these children will develop into leaders who will guide Haiti's recovery in the future."

Queen Elizabeth - In with the new but remembering the old!

2010-10-16T05:45:00.000-07:00

The long awaited launch of the new Queen Elizabeth arrived, and with the old QE2 still very much the peoples favourite, I knew there was going to be many comparisons and it was going to be a tall order to impress the most loyal Cunarders!

Unfortunately I didn't ever get the chance to go on the grand old QE2, but I know from all my past passengers what a very lovely and unique ship she was, but as in life it has to be out with old and in with the new!

From what I saw the new QE is going to be a great success she is charming, elegant and what was really nice to see was all of the memorabilia. As we went about the ship we couldn't help catching a glimpse of the old QE2 and original Queen Mary in all their glory, by using pictures, models and posters Cunard have done a great job of keeping the old ships alive, I have no doubt there will be many stories reminisced about when passengers stop to look at these pictures! It makes you feel like you really are on something special, and one day people will be looking at this ship as the old!

For me the cabins, restaurants, and all other areas of the ship were as I expected fantastic and identical to the Queen Victoria, but this ship recognises the history that surrounds it, the yacht club being a shrine to old Cunard ships, a great place to sit have a drink and remember the good old times!

I Am Going on Azamara Quest!

2010-10-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

With regards to the luxury cruise lines, I have only ever been invited to have lunch on board some of the ships, so for me it will be especially nice to actually spend some real time on board and see the ship when it is in full swing!

I will be picking the ship up in Barcelona and spending 4 lovely nights on board, taking in St Tropez, Monte Carlo and Cannes before leaving ( reluctantly ) in Livorno.

If anybody has been on the ship and can give me an idea of what to expect then I would be thrilled to hear from you!

I will be giving a full review on my return, that's if I haven't found a way of staying on board!

Nothing To See In Venice!

2010-10-05T04:34:00.000-07:00

For anybody thinking of booking a cruise to Venice with a stay to see the city they may want to re think their plans as at the moment there isnt much to see!

With so many buildings needing structural work, many have been boarded up but not just with plain boards but with big advertising bill boards! Thats right so when you are on a gondala going down the Grand Canal, the only thing you will see is advertisements for Coca Cola, Bulgari and Rolex! Not the kind of scenery you expect of the very beautiful city!

The Mayor of Venice, Giorgio Orsoni has defended his actions by allowing the bill boards by saying:

Giorgio Orsoni, speaking in a telephone interview with AFP, advised disgruntled tourists to go home and look at photographs of famous sights such as the Bridge of Sighs or St. Mark's Square from the comfort of their own sofa.

"If people want to see the building they should go home and look at a picture of it in a book," Orsoni said.

Among the sights covered up are the Doge's Palace in St. Mark's Square, the Santa Maria della Salute Basilica and the Bridge of Sighs, but with the economy still at an all time low, letting them advertise is bringing in much needed money to help with the restoration of many of the buildings, but even that is not a good enough reason for some with many people fearing it will turn the tourists off until the work is complete!

Is Dubai the new Med?

2010-10-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

Well for so long now the Mediterranean has always been the place to be, but with more and more ships being introduced its a busy old place and I am finding clients are struggling to find an itinerary they havent done already!

So the cuise lines are racking their brains to come up with an exciting new destination that appeals to the whole market, and their winner is Dubai!

Only a 6 hour flight from the UK and with Emirates flying direct from London, Manchester and Birmingham its already getting the thumbs up! Another big plus for Dubai is its an all year round destination and getting away in our winter time is big business, with temperatures still high into the 70's, and being a good alternative to the Caribbean, no American visa regulations and no long fights its no wonder the cruise lines are flocking over to the port of Dubai!

It as been announced that MSC are joining Costa Cruises and Royal Caribbean and will have a permanent residence in Dubai from Winter next year, doing 7 night cruise's around the gulf. So how much longer until another cruise line jumps on the Dubai band wagon, I dont think we will be waiting to long!

Crash Landing on Holland America.

2010-09-25T04:25:00.000-07:00

I do like my stories of cruise lines saving the day, or being in the right place at the right time! So when I saw this recent story I was compelled to share another great happy ending!

Cruisers on board the Holland America Prinsendam witnessed an extraordinary crash landing on a recent trip to Portimao in Portugal, and ended up with an extra passenger.

The guy in question was a 25 year old Brazilian who was flying a motorized para glider, and after getting into difficulty with his equipment had to do an emergency landing on the ship! He was taken to hospital with a broken leg, very luck really when you think of what could of happened if the ship had not broken his fall! His equipment was then found on the top deck of the ship!

Another great escape!

Cruise and Stay Part 2 - USA

2010-09-21T05:41:00.000-07:00

If you want to travel that little bit further than the Mediterranean, then going to America is a great option to do a cruise and stay! They have got some of the most fantastic cities in the world that can be combined with some great cruise itineraries.

Ill start with my personal favourite city! Ask anybody here I am seriously in love with New York City! And the possibilities to combine the 2 are a plenty.

You can fly out to New York take in the sights and do some shopping and then cruise home in style on the beautiful Queen Mary 2! If you do it this way around you haven't got the worry of luggage allowance as sailing home means you can take back as much luggage as you can store in your cabin! Also after busy days of getting around the city you will have 6/7 nights to completely relax letting the staff on board cater to your every whim!
How long you stay in New York can be really flexible as the flights go every day, so you can have a 2 night stay if its a quick trip or stay for 7 nights if you really want to make the most of your holiday! Hotels as you can imagine are widely available, just remember most hotels 2 to 4 star ( i have stayed in all! ) rooms are small and can be basic, but your not there to stay in your room, location is more important so going for something in Midtown Manhattan will guarantee that getting around and seeing everything is much easier!

Other than transatlantic from New York you can sail down to the Bahamas, or you can do a fabulous New England sailing and going in September/October to see it in the fall is a real treat.
The other cruise lines that sail from New York are Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruise's and Holland America Line.

If warmer climates are more your thing then a few more hours on the flight will take you to the West coast, where sailings from Los Angeles can either take you to the Hawaiian Islands, through the Panama Canal or to the Mexican Riviera, it is such a long way to travel that having a stop over before the cruise is perfect and highly recommended!
You can have a few nights in LA, soak up the taste of Hollywood and if you really want to make it a trip to remember a short internal flight can take you to Las Vegas or San Francisco! We can put lots of different trips together to suite your plans so if you are planning a big trip then let me know as I have been to West Coast and New York so can recommend and help with planning your trip!

Not to forget Miami/Fort Lauderdale, probably the most popular cruise and stay option for people wanting to do the Caribbean. Many of the cruise lines only offer 7 night itineraries, so adding on a hotel stay is something a lot of people do. If its just lazy days on the beach then staying on Miami Beach is the place to be, as getting from the port to the hotel is very easy and economical.
Other options are sailing from Tampa/Port Canaveral and doing Orlando so you can do all the theme parks before the cruise and then spend the next week on the cruise recovering, this is getting more and more popular with families wanting the best of both worlds!

For more information on doing a cruise and stay from any of the American ports do not hesitate to ask!

Next comes the Caribbean...

New Seabourn Quest Is Raring To Go!

2010-09-16T10:29:00.000-07:00

When new ships launch we always get the much anticipated date of when it will be delivered, and more times than not its a big rush in the final few weeks to make sure the ship is ready to be delivered when promised!

But Seabourn are the exception as they today announced that their new ship Seabourn Quest is going to be ready ahead of schedule! Not only by a few days, but weeks ahead giving them the opportunity to offer 2 new pre inaugural sailings before her maiden voyage on the 20th June.

The first will be a 3-day voyage sailing round trip from Monte Carlo, Monaco on 9th June 2011. It will call at Livorno, the port for Florence, Pisa, Lucca and other towns in Tuscany in Italy, and at the picturesque port of Bonifacio on the French island of Corsica.

The 2nd is then on 12th June 2011 on an 8-day cruise from Monte Carlo to Barcelona, visiting Portofino, three ports on the French Riviera, Mallorca and Valencia, Spain and ending in Barcelona on 20th June.

The fares are going to be affordable for everybody with fares starting as low as £849 per person! So if you have ever wanted to see how the other half live but felt it was just out of you reach then now is a perfect time to take the plunge.

The new sailings go on sale Friday 17th September.

If you would like any more information do not hesitate to email me at tinaw@cruise.co.uk.

Let us Tailor Make A Cruise For You!

2010-09-10T03:15:00.000-07:00

As a member of the Luxury team here at cruise.co.uk, I am very excited to say we have produced some fantastic new Tailor Made Cruise's!

The demand to do something different is massive, people that have done the Mediterranean to death are looking to branch out and see more of the world and who can blame them when you have places such as Sydney Harbour Bridge, Machu Picchu and the Great Wall of China on offer!

Well now you can do it and we will take care of all the travel arrangements for you, with airlines collapsing and ash cloud causing new problems people are very nervous about booking and packaging things up themselves, which is why when you book one of our tailor made cruises we take care of everything and you are covered by our Abta and Atol License.

So whats on offer, well take a look at some of the voyages we are doing, and see if anything takes your fancy!

Journey to Machu Picchu.
26 night Voyage on Fred Olsen's Balmoral - 05 January 2011.
Included is a 5 day tour to Machu Picchu and the Sacred Valley.

Charms of China and the Far East.
24 night voyage on the Diamond Princess - 04 April 2011.
Included is 3 nights in Beijing, 2 nights in Xian and 2 nights in Singapore, plus tours of the Great wall of China, Summer Palace and a Terracotta Warriors tour in Xian.

Total Hawaii.
19 night voyage on the Queen Victoria - 26 January 2011.
Included is a 4 night stay in LA with 2 free tours

South America Sojourn
21 night voyage on the Star Princess - 26 January 2011
Included is a 2 night stay in Santiago and 3 nights in Rio De Janeiro, a half day tour of sugar loaf mountain and a jeep tour of Tijuca Rain forest.

This is just a taste of what we have, there is another 6 voyages on offer. To view our full range click on the link below:

http://www.cruise.co.uk/cruise-guides/tailor-made-cruise-holidays/

They really are trips of a lifetime, without any of the hassle, do not hesitate to contact me if you would like any further information on any of these Tailor Made Cruise's.

Royal Caribbean Take a Break!

2010-09-08T05:36:00.000-07:00

Over the last few years Royal Caribbean have had a busy old ship yard! They have lead the industry in building and launching brand new super big ships. In the last 5 years they have had the Independence of the Seas, which for a while held the title for the biggest ship in the world, but that was short lived when only a few years later they built the almighty Oasis of the Seas.
With a capacity of over 5000 she is sure to keep her title for the foreseeable future, her sister the Allure of the Seas is also nearly complete and will enter service by the end of this year!

But once she has entered service that is that!

They do not have any plans to build anymore, with 22 ships now in the fleet the builders can take a well earned break, sit back and take in their marvellous work!

But how long do you think they will last?

I think Royal Caribbean will get bored and there will soon be an announcement that new bigger ships have been commissioned! But will they go any bigger than the Oasis and the Allure?

I personally think 5000 capacity is more than big enough, surely with all the competition out there filling these 2 huge ships is going to be hard enough, I feel they should maybe build a new smaller ship as the day to day demand for smaller is bigger than the large ships!

The Launch Party Fit For A Queen!

2010-09-06T06:33:00.000-07:00

Its made headline news everywhere that yes our very own Queen Elizabeth has finally been confirmed to name Cunard's newest ship the Queen Elizabeth.

It has got to be the worst kept secret around as speculation has been rife with rumours that she will be the one to name her! Well done Cunard for pulling it off could you imagine anybody else doing the job!

It will be a night to remember, I am very envious of anybody that will get invited to it as it really will be a fantastic event! I may even go down to Southampton myself just to see if I can catch a glimpse of the 2 ladies in question!

Cruise And Stay Part 1 - Europe and the Mediterranean

2010-08-31T06:58:00.000-07:00

There are many different options to extend your holiday when your thinking of doing a cruise around the Mediterranean. Whether you do it packaged up with the cruise line or independently its a great way of seeing more of the places you love! Here are details of the most popular destinations.

Barcelona - This is probably the easiest and the most popular place to add on a stay to your cruise, you can get a local taxi from the airport to the city centre for about 25 Euros taking about 20 minutes, it is even less then when you go from the hotel to meet the ship at the port. Hotels are widely available for all budgets with many people choosing to stay around the Las Ramblas area so they are in easy access to the rest of the main sights. When I was there we took a city hop on hop off tour bus for about 20 Euros which was great value for money and a fantastic way to see everything.

Rome - This can be a more difficult and more expensive option as the airport is about an hour away from the city, and then over an hour from the city to the port of Civitavecchia which is where all the ships dock. Taxis locally are just as expensive as pre booking a transfer it is well over 120 euro for a taxi from the city centre in Rome to the port and around £150 to pre book, so getting around can sometimes cost more than the hotels themselves! There are ways to travel cheaper but it will mean using the public transport, I have had many clients that have got the train to the port and it has only cost them around 10 euro each, there train systems are one of the best in Europe but it depends if you are confident enough to take the plunge!

Venice - Another popular Italian city, getting around in Venice is better than Rome as you get the choice to either stay on Venice Lido which is on the main land or on Venice Island. Hotels on the Lido are cheaper and you will need to get a water bus taxi then onto Venice Island to see all the sights, this doesn't take long and if you share with other people are very reasonably priced. If you would rather stay on Venice Island and have the likes of St Marks Square and the Rialto Bridge on your door step then doing this is nice and easy there are hotels a plenty ranging from smaller 2/3 star to deluxe 4/5. Just remember especially on Venice Island the hotels do not look much from the outside and rooms will be small and basic, but they will be clean with fantastic views of the city, and it is only your base somewhere to sleep and change, getting to see everything is more important.

Malaga - The newest of ports and is proving very popular, if you are a new cruiser and the thought of spending 2 weeks on the ship is a frightening one then Malaga is the port to do, you can get many low cost airlines flying directly to Malaga from all over the UK and it is a much shorter flight than going to Italy and Greece. If you are a family this can be a major plus a short flight equals happy children. With Malaga you could stay for 7 nights before or after the cruise on the beach resorts of Torremolinos, Fuengirola, Nerja or Marbella hotel prices are amazingly low with all options available self catering, half board and all inclusive so it really will cater for everybody needs. So it means your summer holiday doesn't have to be only 7 nights, adding on a stay here you will get the best of both worlds, bucket and spade and then luxury cruise!

Palma - The original and probably the best cruise and stay option, like Malaga flying into Palma is quick, easy and very cheap, if you do this on your own you have an array of resorts that are not far from the port to choose from or could even stay in Palma city and have a city break if the beach is not your thing. If you would rather have it all done for you then Thomson holidays do the best and only cruise and stay option, they charter their flights so you can go direct from pretty much any airport in the UK, they will provide all your transfers and have a huge range of hotels catering for families, Gold for adults only and Platinum for anybody feeling like splashing out, a great option as its all done packaged up with a bow on top all you have to do is turn up

Egypt - A great winter destination, getting a cruise in the winter months is getting more popular but even the good old Mediterranean cannot guarantee good weather! So if you are in search of some sunshine you can have a week on the beaches of Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada where the sun shines all year around and then join the ship going to all the big sights such as Port Said in Cairo, Aquaba Jordan, Alexandria, Safaga and even Eilat for Israel. Thomson are again the best people to use when it comes to this as like the Med programme there hotels are very good and they provide all your transport.

If you have any tips for people thinking of doing a cruise and stay then pop them on, first hand experience is always a great help to people doing something for the first time. Look out for the next installment of cruise and stay options in the Caribbean/USA.

Fred Olsen Have Seen The Light!

2010-08-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon and if you have been lucky enough to catch a glimpse I am sure you will agree they really are mesmerising.

The best time to witness them is in our winter time with February being the most favourable month. Only a few cruise companies operate this voyage, as majority of ships go in the opposite direction towards the sun and heat of the Caribbean! So finding a good reputable cruise line that offers this voyage can be very difficult.

The reason for this blog is I had this enquiry a few days ago and while doing some research came across a new Fred Olsen sailing that I think is fantastic and will fill a big void in the market for this popular and very much in demand destination.

The Boudicca will be sailing from Southampton in February 2012 for a 13 night sailing.

It is the first time Fred Olsen have stepped into the winter sailings going up to Norway but I have no doubt this new itinerary will be an instant hit.

23 February 2012:
Southampton, At Sea, Bergen, At Sea, Trondheim, At Sea, Tromso ( 2 full days in port ), Alta, At Sea, Alesund, Stavanger, At Sea and return to Southampton.

Inside cabins are already full but the ocean view start from as little as £1799 per person, so a fantastic price for a truly fantastic voyage.

if you would like any more information about this or any sailing to the Northern Lights do not hesitate to ask by emailing me at tinaw@cruise.co.uk

Cruise Excursions Go Green!

2010-08-18T06:35:00.000-07:00

How do you fancy planting a tree on your next shore excursion?

To become more environmentally friendly Crystal Cruise's are introducing new Go Green shore excursions!

They are going to introduce them for 2011, with a hope they will become very popular with their passengers. The first one will be on the Crystal Serenity sailing to the Holy Land in October, where passengers can get of the ship in Malta and pay $95 per person to "Go Green" this will involve planting trees in the island's only national park, donating food at a local charity and learning Eco-conscious planting and harvesting practices at a local organic farm.

The 8 hour excursion begins with a visit to Ta' Qali National Park, where people will plant trees and learn about the park's conservation efforts. Then its off for a guided tour and lunch at Eco-conscious Ta' Zeppi Organic Farm, passengers will visit a local orphan refuge, where they will donate time and food for the young residents.

Would you pay for this kind of excursion? Or should they stick to low energy light bulbs if they want to help the planet!

Cruise and Stay - The Possibilities Are Endless!

2010-08-15T04:51:00.000-07:00

With a lot more cruise lines now offering 7 night cruise's around the Mediterranean or the Caribbean, people are tring to make the most of their holiday time by adding on a stay at either the beginning or end of their cruise.

Its a great opportunity to spend time in that city you've always loved or to have a few extra days lazing on the beach, over the next few blogs ill be giving you a guide to all the different ways you can combine the two.

Ill start by telling you which cities/places a stay can be done, some of the favourites are:

Barcelona, Rome, Venice, Malaga, New York, Miami, Barbados, Dubai, Sydney and Hawaii.

These are just some of the most popular places you can do a stay, they all offer something very different, culture, beach and even a bit of romance!

So for the best tips on what to do while your there, and to find out how you can do it on a budget or in the lap of luxury, keep your eyes peeled coming soon will be the first in the series on the Mediterranean options.

Disney Save The Day!

2010-08-09T08:31:00.000-07:00

I do like to hear a good story with a happy ending! So thought I would share this one with you.

Disney Cruise's have been praised for helping in the search for 18 Algerians who were lost at sea, it is reported that they had been stranded in open water for nearly 5 days!

The Disney Magic helped in the search between Gibraltar and Barcelona,when the crew heard members from two other vessels talking on the radio about sighting the boat and then losing a visual of it, so the Disney Magic then joined the search and quickly spotted the small boat, which had lost power!

All 18 people were taken on board the Magic and were provided with food and cabins to rest in, after what must have been 5 very scary days for them!

Its not only the smaller boats that can lose power when at sea, I have heard of several big cruise lines that have been left floating with no power! My best friend worked on the Island Star for a few years and she called me in the middle of the night panicking as the ship had lost all power and the ship was in complete darkness! Passengers were very frightened and even as crew she was most upset over the whole experience.

Have you ever been on a ship when its lost power?

Over 55's get Oap Deals with MSC!

2010-08-05T06:40:00.000-07:00

Get your specs on as I have an offer for the over 55's!

MSC have got some special reduced prices for senior citizens! Now what age do you class senior citizens?
Well apparently anybody over the grand old age of 55 to MSC! ( I know I know 55 isn't old and certainly not senior but hey take the reduced prices and don't look back! ).

The deal is on the MSC Opera that operates out of Southampton. She has various sailings including Baltic, Norwegian Fjords and Iberia and will run from May 2011 until September 2011.

prices start from £599 per person for an 8 night sailing! and balcony's are only £999 per person.

They are also giving you free transport to the port in the form of Parking or Coach travel. ( It finishes at the end of August 2010 ).

Let me know if you want any further information by emailing tinaw@cruise.co.uk

All Aboard The Choir Cruise!

2010-08-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

Here at cruise.co.uk we are always trying to offer customers something different, so we work closely with operators such as Fred Olsen to arrange special themed Cruise's such as garden and dance cruises which prove to be very popular with many old and new clients.

For this reason I thought I would tell you about the choir groups I have had the pleasure in arranging over the last few years.

It all started when the Pendyrus Welsh Male Choir called the office asking for a quote for the whole choir to take a cruise! It ended up with them all travelling with Fred Olsen on the Balmoral up to the Baltic Capitals in August 2009, they performed a few concerts on the ship but also on shore in some of the beautiful cities such as Estonia and Helsinki.

They had a fantastic time but also passengers that had booked onto the cruise not knowing they were going to be on board could not praise them enough. Look at just a few of the reviews from people that were on board the same sailing!

http://www.cruise.co.uk/cruise-reviews/fred.-olsen-cruises/balmoral/read_review_16506/

http://www.cruise.co.uk/cruise-reviews/fred.-olsen-cruises/balmoral/read_review_16496/

I even had the pleasure in going down to Wales to hear them sing and trust me when I say they really know how to raise the roof, the sound of a live choir really is breathtaking.

This was such a successful trip that we booked them again for 2010 they are off in a few weeks again on the Balmoral.

With the success of that choir the word spread and we have now secured a second Welsh male choir who wanted to take to the Sea's, they are now all booked onto Fred Olsen Balmoral for August 2011. If you would like to travel on the same sailing and hear them sing ( they will be performing on board the ship ) then have a look at the link below to see some of the prices and availability.

http://www.cruise.co.uk/cruise/fred-olsen-cruises/balmoral/18-aug-11/39699fc/?offerid=39699&flycruise=1&noint=1

We hope to continue offering clients the chance to travel on Cruise's were these wonderful performances can be shared by all, and Fred Olsen have 2 Cruise's for 2011 which are Choir themed this is apart of their Arts Club where their experienced on-board choirmasters will guide you through the notes and train you to be a real asset - not only to our resident choir, but also to your local songsters. Come and put your vocal skills to the test.

What to do If.....

2010-08-03T02:03:00.000-07:00

On a daily basis I have to re assure passengers and give tips on what would happen if something was to go wrong on their cruise, so I have put together my top 5 practical tips!

You miss the ship - Panic! No depending on how you booked the cruise will depend on how you will have to deal with it. If you have booked a flight package using the cruise lines flights and it is delayed or cancelled it is their responsibility to get you to the next port of call, if you have arranged your own flights then you will need to find out what the next port is and book a new flight to get you there, also calling the cruise line to make them aware you will be arriving the next day is a good idea so they are prepared for your late arrival.
You have been put on the wrong dining - On arrival if you find yourself on the wrong dining time, don't wait get straight onto the maitre'd ( hunt him down if you have to ) as he is the only one that can help! but be quick as many people will try to swap and change their dining, and he will not be able to do it for everybody.
Your cabin is noisy - If when you get on board the luxury cabin you booked is actually like trying to sleep in the middle of a marching band, in a really bad thunderstorm don't fret, tell your cabin steward straight away they are there to help you. If they can't help then go for the hotel manager, with big dark circles under each eye he will take pity on you and try and get you a new cabin! If the ship is at full capacity then good ear plugs are all I can suggest!
You fall ill on board - Well its simple! go see the doctor, yes all cruise lines have full medical facilities on board to cater for any unlikely event big or small! But make sure you have good travel insurance with good medical cover, because as dishy and nice as the doctor may have been you will be cursing him when you see your medical bill!
You have extra charges on your bill - Go and join the long que at the pursers desk, with other passengers disputing their bills! While waiting I suggest going over the itemized bill carefully, this will then bring back memories of buying the whole bar a drink after one cocktail to many!

Tropical Storm Bonnie!

2010-07-26T04:48:00.000-07:00

The hurricane season is here and each year seems to bring bigger and more powerful storms! There is a tropical storm looming over Florida and the Bahamas right now! She has been named Bonnie and I'm sure we will all be watching over the next 24 hours to see if or when she is upgraded to a hurricane!
We have all watched them over the years as they destroy homes, resorts and whole islands! Leaving so much devastation in their paths!

They also cause massive disruption for the cruise lines as they have to re route ships and sometimes ride the storm!

Well this tropical storm is no different as Carnival and Royal Caribbean have both had to make changes to their itineraries to avoid the storm! And this is only the begging with some US weather stations predicting a fierce hurricane season!

Ill be on hurricane watch form now on and will update you with any other major storms!

The Strangest Smoking Ban Ever!

2010-07-24T06:28:00.000-07:00

What is the biggest debate when it comes to cruising?

Smoking! Yes that's right the divide in smokers and none smokers is always going to get a good debate, just check out our forum for some of the heated exchanges!

Well Carnival Cruise's have re opened the debate, and got themselves a lot of publicity by trying out a new smoking policy on 3 of their ships. They are banning smoking in a lot more areas, including ( and here is the funny part ) in the Cigar bars!

John Heald Carnival Cruise director broke the news on his personal blog while he was talking to a Carnival fan who like to smoke cigars while at sea.As you can imagine once the information filtered through the cruising industries, the story was top news on pretty much every site! Here is what Carnival had to say:

Carnival spokesman Tim Gallagher tells AOL Travel News this week the recent smoking ban in the cigar bars and other lounges of the three ships are an experiment, that the cruise line are seeking passenger input, and that officials will look at the results.

Gallagher says the test period for the smoking ban in the cigar bars and lounges on the three ships will end after their current voyage.

AOL Travel News notes an issue on some of Carnival's 22 ships is that cigar bars are located in a position that requires passengers to walk through them in order to reach the Internet cafe.

"I personally understand why we are looking at this," the cigar-smoking Heald wrote on his blog. "I know it is not much fun for non-smokers to pass through the cigar lounges to get to the Internet cafe."

Now I must agree ( as a non smoker ) that if the Cigar room is positioned where non smokers have to walk through then that can be pretty awful, I was on the NCL Epic a few weeks ago and their Casino is slap bang in the middle of the ship, so to get to many of the bars, nightclub, or restaurants you had to walk through the casino which was also the smoking area! It was packed with people blocking the way, and walking through the cloud of smoke did defeat the object off having the smoking ban on the ship! I'm not against smoking but do feel that it should be restricted to out on deck or in certain rooms like the cigar rooms, as then it is confined and I can choose not to go into that particular bar!
This will always be a huge talking point, and I know this will not be my last blog on the subject!

Something Seabourn For The Weekend!

2010-07-22T07:32:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone, as one of the luxury cruise specialists here I just wanted to quickly let you know that we have some great Seabourn offers going in this weeks Sunday Telegraph!

And remember I have been on the new Seabourn Sojourn, check out my recent blog for a full review, or give me a call on 0800 408 6098 if you have any questions about the ship. I will be in the office on Sunday from 10am until 6pm.

Ive got the holiday blues!!

2010-07-20T14:21:00.000-07:00

I have just returned from 2 fabulous weeks on the beautiful island of Zante, we stayed in a small beach resort called Tsilivi, the people were friendly and there are lots of great tavernas waiting to give you the real Greek dining experience! It really is a great place perfect for couple and families! The beach beats some of the Caribbean beaches I have seen, it is golden sand and the sea was the most shallow clear water I have ever seen!

Now while I am well known to be a bit of a sun worshipper, in the 2 weeks I did manage to peel myself from my beloved sun lounger and see some of the island. We went into Zante town which is where many cruise ships stop and is well worth a visit, with a lovely harbour front with many seafood restaurants and small cafes to just grab an ice cream or the small narrow streets that lead into a busy and bustling square where you really do get a feel for the local way of life!

You can also visit Kefalonia for the day from Zante, there is a ferry that runs every day, or an organised tour we did includes the ferry crossing, sightseeing and lunch, it cost us around 50 Euros each and it was a lovely day interesting to see how much the 2 islands differed.

But Zante is most famous for its Turtle inhabitants, boat trips run every day for a chance to spot them, and if you go at the right time of year you can see them on shore when they have their babies, this is usually around September time.

And the party animal in me also made an appearance when we went into Laganas for 1 night only Zante's party capital! Laganas was my first holiday when I was 18 so I had to go back, and re live the good old days! It hadn't changed a bit!

So for anybody wanting a cruise around the Eastern Med, I would more than recommend it, I have done many of the islands including, Rhodes, Crete, Corfu, Kos and Halkidiki which was on the main land and they are all beautiful in very different ways, most are unspoilt and are miles away from the busy, high tech modern world we live in.

Tina away on holiday in Zante (back Fri 16th July)

2010-07-02T02:17:00.000-07:00

Hi folks,

I am away on well deserved 2 week break on the Greek island of Zante.

Any questions whilst I am away, please email contactus@cruise.co.uk or call 0800 408 6200.

I will let you know how it went when I get back. Thanks Tina.

NCL Epic - The Good the Bad and the Ugly

2010-06-28T04:11:00.000-07:00

When I first got the list of new ships that were going to launch this year, straight away I wanted to do the NCL Epic, we had been told it was going to be a big rival for the Royal Caribbean Freedom class ships and I was curious to see if they would deliver! They had promised a new style of entertainment with things no other ship had got.

So the day of embarkation came, we got off to a bad start when we heard the ship had been delayed in Rotterdam due to engine trouble our embarkation was pushed back until much later that day, a little disappointing as we all wanted to get on as early as we could to make sure we saw everything! On arrival in Southampton she towered over most of the buildings and at first glance she is not the easiest ship on the eye, the large suite area that has been plonked on the top of the ship makes her look rather ugly!

That's the end of the Ugly lets start with all the good bits:

Once on board I was excited to see what they had done with the ship, we went straight up to the pool deck and I must say it is very impressive the water slides were a mass of colour and looked a lot of fun. The actual pool area also looked spacious and very appealing as we were basking in the hottest weather of the year ( so far ).

That evening we dined in Cagney's Steakhouse, it is a large restaurant well designed and could hold quite a few people so getting a reservation shouldn't be to bad. The service was fantastic the waiters were helpful and gave tips on which wine would compliment each course. The food was out of this world, I had crab cakes to start, followed by Steak Mignon it was hot tasty and the steak was one of the best I have ever had for about 15 minutes our whole table was quiet as we all absorbed the wonderful food! Desert was even better. I was pleasantly surprised to hear the cover charge was only $25 per person, I think that is fantastic value for money for what you get.

The Ice bar! This was something we were all keen to try, we were given huge parka coats and gloves so I was rearing to go, it is excellent! OK you have to pay $20 to enter but its worth it just to say you have been in a bar made of ice! Now not many people can say that! Inside, the barman was serving shots of vodka and cocktails you need one to warm you up a little, even with the parkas and gloves, my barley there flip flops made my feet very venerable to the cold so I left after about 15 minutes as looking down my toes were slowly turning an unsightly shade of blue!

Spice H2O - With the weather her so unpredictable I didn't think we would get to see its full potential, but as the sun had been shining all day the evening was warm so I fully enjoyed being out in the open air enjoying the music and a few drinks! This area when she is sailing around the Med will be a fantastic place to dance the night away in a cool environment as the other night club on board is very small and gets very hot!

The Blue Man Group - Now I must admit that when I was told we had been booked in to see these I had absolutely no idea who they were or what I was about to watch! The first ten minutes I truly thought that it was the weirdest thing I had ever seen and couldn't help wonder how long it was going to go on for! There were 3 men stood on stage crunching cereal really loudly at different times and I had no idea why I was supposed to find it funny, but as the show progressed you realised how talented they were, anybody that could make the whole audience laugh by using toilet roll is a rare talent in my eyes! It is a very unusual show but a definite must I came out converted and would definitely go and watch them again.

Now for the bad!

Well for me there was only 1 big bad point which was the cabin! It was smallest balcony cabin I have ever experienced, the worst thing for me was the bathroom, or the lack of one. The shower cubicle was on the left as you walked in and the toilet was on the right, the sink was then on the corner just below the TV, so you could sit on the end of your bed brush your teeth and watch TV at the same time! There was a curtain to pull across but privacy is very limited, the towels were hidden away so when you do take a shower my only advice is to make sure you find it before you go in and hook it up by the cubicle otherwise you will be soaking the entrance to the cabin and exposing yourself to anybody else that is in the cabin or even worse anybody that walks in at that point!
Other bad points were the plug sockets it took us ages to find them! Panic was starting to set in when I thought of not being able to straighten my hair, luckily my cabin mate eased my panic attack by finally opening one of the many cupboards to find 2 sockets hidden away! The came the task of getting 2 people ready for dinner getting around the cabin with 2 people in it is a near impossible task I was literally having to climb over the bed and my friend to get to the sink. I was then amazed to hear these cabins could take 4! I thought I was in the comedy club as there is no way you would get 2 adults and 2 children in those cabins it would be very uncomfortable and certainly cramped!.

For me the Epic lives up to all the hype with regards to the new wave of entertainment, the jazz club looked superb, the Spiegal tent is a great touch and the water slides finish it off nicely, not touching on all the other great bar areas that are on offer! She does feel a little cramped in places and a bit claustrophobic as the ceilings feel low around most of the ship, but would I recommend her? Definitely she is a new era for NCL and would be a good alternative to any of the big Royal Caribbean ships.

Around the world in 80 days!

2010-06-25T12:00:00.000-07:00

I always ask myself the same question when it comes to world cruises! How can you stay on a ship for that amount of time?

With the average world cruise being between 90 to over 100 nights, why on earth would people want 3 months out of our winter, to be pampered, to see the world and above all to eat all that fantastic food!! When its put like that you can see why more and more people are choosing these great voyages, I certainly will be keeping everything crossed that my numbers come up on the Euro Millions tonight, especially after hearing about the new itineraries due to be released soon for 2012.

P&O Cruises have announced 5 ships, taking in 177 ports in 55 countries, with 95 separate holidays to choose from. The new 2011/2012 world cruise programme from P&O Cruises is its most expansive ever. Their planned programme is:

•Arcadia - 72 night Grand Alaska Adventure departs Tuesday April 12 2011

•Adonia - 87 night South America Grand Adventure departs Friday January 13 2012

•Arcadia - 109 night Grand Odyssey departs Monday January 9 2012

•Aurora - 98 night west about full world circumnavigation departs Wednesday January 4 2012

•Oriana - 97 night east about full world circumnavigation departs Thursday January 5 2012

Not forgetting Cunard who are also due to release their programme, with exciting news that the Queen Mary 2 will be doing her first circumnavigation around Australia. The eagerly awaited Queen Elizabeth will also be doing a 107 night world voyage!

So as you can see the choice is yours, the world is your oyster! There has never been so much choice, with both cruise lines offering sector opportunities it gives everybody the chance to experience either the whole thing or just a little taster!

They go on sale very soon, so if you would like anymore information on any of these voyages, give me a call!

Where are all the disabled cabins?

2010-06-18T07:16:00.000-07:00

I am going to have a bit of a rant! Over the last few days I have taken many calls from passengers wanting a specially adapted wheel chair cabin. Some for travel in the next few months some for 2011 and let me tell you it is impossible! The cruise lines all boast about being wheel chair friendly so how come there are so little cabins available!!

For 1 lady I could not find a single cruise going in the next few weeks that could accommodate her in a disabled cabin, I checked all of her options and even looked into others but in the end we both had to give up, leaving us both frustrated! So it made me look into the actual numbers on some of the ships to see who actually had what, and was surprised by the results:

P&O
Azura - On a ship that takes 3100 passengers they only have 28 disabled cabins
Aurora - On a ship that takes 1870 passengers they only have 22 disabled cabins

Royal Caribbean
Independence of the Seas - The ship takes 3500+ passengers and only has 28 disabled cabins.
Splendour of the Seas - The ship takes 2500+ passengers but only has 15 disabled cabins.

Fred Olsen
Breamar - only has 4 disabled cabins
Balmoral - only has 9 disabled cabins
Boudicca and Black Watch - only has 6 disabled cabins.

These figures are terrible when you think of the new super liners that are being built these days you would think they would have a fairer ratio of cabins, as the demand for them is there! I understand that from a health and safety aspect there has to be a limit but when you know that the ship allows people to take there own wheel chairs on even though their not having a disabled cabin, would it not hurt them to adapt a few more cabins making it easier to get people a cruise!

For anybody out there that needs a disabled cabin my only advice to you is to book Early! Early! Early!

Seabourn Sojourn - My Take On 6* Luxury

2010-06-09T02:48:00.000-07:00

I was Extremely pleased to be invited down to see the new Seabourn Sojourn. I have never experienced a 6* cruise line so was looking forward to seeing how the other half live!

The sun was shining as we got into Canary Wharf in London where we were warmly greeted by Seabourn staff ready to check us in at the Four Seasons Hotel. It was quick and painless and before I knew it I was on the tender and the yacht was in sight.

Once on board we waited at the lift area for our tour guide, for me it was a chance to take in my first impressions of the ship, which were a little disappointing it was all very plain and normal at that point I could have been on any normal ship! I expected 6* Cruise's to be pure luxury in every sense of the word, I wanted to see butlers lining the corridors as we came on with champagne flowing, a big grand lobby that oozes luxury and wealth like when you walk into some 5* hotels!

As the tour got under way we got to see all area's of the yacht:

Staterooms/Suites - Very spacious, bathrooms were excellent a good size and products were Molton Brown so a nice touch. Every room had a walk in wardrobe so storage space is no problem, balconies were of a good size with nice loungers or chairs.

Restaurants - All 3 restaurants were fantastic, the buffet style restaurant was very stylish and chic with a fantastic outside terrace, the 2nd which is aptly named Restaurant 2 was dark in its decor blacks and reds, but looked amazing a nice contrast to the big light airy restaurant that you would use most. Restaurant 2 also had electronic menu's which bought a more modern day feel to the ship.

Public Areas - all the bars, pool areas and spa facilities were exceptional, the theatre was of good size with nice big comfy chairs there would be no problem getting everybody in there. Also the reception area was unusual but nice it was designed to be a square so the reception is one side but then there is a library, large seating area and a coffee shop! This area also had a plack on the wall with all the names of the passengers that would be taking the Maiden Voyage!

Once the tour was complete we went for lunch, and all I can say was the food was out of this world, every course that came was immaculate for presentation to the point where you didn't want to spoil it! I can honestly say the Asparagus soup and the Steak I had was the best I have ever tasted, made even better by the choice if wine, the white we had was wonderful. The waiters were friendly and efficient and being escorted into dinner really made you feel that bit special! I even tried Caviar but it was not for me, it is definitely an acquired taste!

So was I still disappointed when I left, yes but only because I had to leave, she is without a doubt 6* luxury it offers everything it should with service and food, the ship itself while not glamorous or glitzy it is understated elegance, she has little things that are not in your face wow but make you think wow yes this is definitely how the other half live!

I would recommend this ship to anybody wanting a 6* experience, and cannot wait to here all about it from passengers I have booked on this fantastic yacht.

Family Fun with Shrek and Royal Caribbean!

2010-06-04T08:49:00.000-07:00

Over the last few months I have written about the great family facilities people can expect to find on board the new and old ships of today!

NCL have teamed up with Nickelodeon, P&O have Noddy and Disney well have Disney. So I am not surprised to hear that Royal Caribbean have jumped on the band wagon and have signed a mega deal with animated movie giant Dream Works Animation SKG to bring Dream Works characters and entertainment to its ships.

So will this attract you to book with Royal Caribbean over the others? Or is it going to mean the kids get to take over and rule which cruise you go on next, as they will want to follow their favourite characters!

At the moment it will only be on 4 of their 21 ship fleet starting of course with the new Allure of the Seas.

The entertainment will have some of the studio's most popular films including Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon and include exclusive special events, parades, character breakfasts and photo opportunities. Characters also will appear in an AquaTheater show on Allure of the Seas, and in an ice skating show on the ship.

Characters passengers will see on the ships include Shrek, Fiona and Puss In Boots from Shrek; Alex, Marty and the Penguins of Madagascar; Po of Kung Fu Panda and Hiccup of How to Train Your Dragon

For me it seems to be that all cruise lines are focusing on families and making sure they are catered for, but how about they start coming up with some ideas to keep the older and younger couples happy, rather than the normal theatre shows and comedians how about some exciting new entertainment for the rest of us!!
Any ideas on how they could improve the general entertainment? let me know!

Baby Born On Carnival Ship!

2010-06-01T05:01:00.000-07:00

I have heard lots of stories with regards to strange, weird and wonderful things happening on cruise ships! But nothing beats the recent story of a lady who re routed a whole ship because she went into labour and gave birth on the ship!

Yes you did read that right, the Carnival Paradise was returning from a cruise to Mexico when the 30 year old women went into labour, the ship was re routed to San Diego where the new mother and baby girl were then taken to a local hospital, both doing fine!

The ship then continued on with its scheduled four-night itinerary and arrived at the Port of Long Beach on Friday morning.

As we are all aware this is very rare as all cruise lines are very strict about excepting pregnant passengers with the limit being no more than 24 weeks! They also then require pregnant women to show a physician's letter stating that mother and baby are in good health, fit to travel and the pregnancy is not high-risk before they can board a ship. The letter also must include an estimated due date for the baby.

It has not been reported yet how many weeks the lady in question was!

MSC Opera In Drug Smuggling Shocker!

2010-05-25T07:54:00.000-07:00

Well before you start thinking they are involved it was actually some passengers on board that have been busted!

The MSC Opera was on her voyage from Brazil to Amsterdam and stopped in Dover as part of the sailing, that's when British authorities boarded the ship and seized nearly 1.4 million pounds worth of Cocaine! 8 Latvian and Lithuanians were arrested and have appeared in court on drug smuggling charges. The drugs were found Inside the ship's cabins border officials uncovered around 35 kilos of cocaine.

On hearing this story I was shocked to see how common it is here are some other drug related stories!

P&O:
The smugglers, all passengers aboard Arcadia, were caught by UK Border Agency,detection officers in the Customs' channels at Southampton Mayflower Cruise Terminal on 19 October 2008. The product in question was strapped to their bodies. Arcadia was returning to Southampton after a 23-night cruise to the Caribbean

Fred Olsen:
2 Spanish passengers were arrested on board the Fred Olsen Black Watch early this year after they tried to conceal more than $10 million worth of cocaine in the lining of their pants.

MSC/Various
2 elderly ladies in their 60's were drug mules to help get drugs between South America and Spain on different cruise lines, they were picked as the smugglers thought there would be less chance of them being checked.

Royal Caribbean:
Authorities uncovered and intercepted a major drug smuggling operation on May 17 2007, in which Mariner of the Seas was allegedly used to import marijuana into St. Maarten from Aruba and to transport large quantities of cocaine to Miami, Florida.

So remember these drug mules/smugglers are not/who you might expect them to be! That little old lady you sat opposite at dinner might be the brains behind the next big drug deal!

Is Your Body A Temple??

2010-05-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

With Summer upon us ( well for this week anyway! ) and everybody getting into the holiday mood we all start the mad dash to lose a few pounds, ready for when the time comes to squeeze into that bikini!

And yes I am one of them, with my own holiday just around the corner the sweat band has been dug out and I have gone all out this year and bought a new pair of trainers! ( which for me was as much fun as going to the dentist!). But I must admit they are not any normal trainers I have succumbed to the advert which promises me a very pert rear for the small price of investing in the new Reetone trainers! I have worn them religiously during my exercise sessions and they really do make you feel the burn! In the last month I have pulled/toned muscles I didn't know I had!

But why do the exercise before you go?

There are so many Cruise lines these days that offer fantastic sport and fitness facilities when you are on board! They are all coming up with ideas to be that little bit different so instead of Celebrity chefs they are now attracting celebrity fitness instructors, who promise to whip you into shape while your on you're cruise!

For example NCL have attracted a big US name from the show biggest loser, she will be on board certain sailings that will be named ' Wellness Cruise's ' which will be four days of healthy cuisine, heart-pounding exercise, and live entertainment. She will also lead group workouts, team sports and workouts for all the family! Wow is that a holiday or a fat camp???

Now I'm all for keeping fit and healthy, but to be honest that would not appeal to me on my own holiday, being able to overindulge on the bad stuff in life is the one of the biggest reasons we shape up in the first place! So for me it's back to the new trainers and getting fit before I go, leaving the exercise to the experts and concentrating on undoing all my good work by relaxing and eating and drinking far too much!

If you know of any other cruise lines that have celebrity Instructors let me know!

Mr Motivator I hope you are reading this, the British cruise lines will want your CV!

Allure of the Seas! Similar but not exactly the same!

2010-05-17T08:21:00.000-07:00

With her big sister only 6 months into her maiden season, Allure of the Seas is hot on her trail, she is taking shape nicely and the 5,400 passenger ship will soon debut!

But surprisingly she is going to be slightly different to the Oasis, rather than do an exact replica ( like celebrity have done with Solstice class ships ) Royal Caribbean are going to give her a feel of her own! The layout is going to be pretty much the same but she is going to have the following features:

A Mexican restaurant called Rita's Cantina, it is said to be a mix of the best of classic Mexican beach bars and Southern California taquerias, the eatery will take the place of the Seafood Shack currently found in the Boardwalk area of Oasis. Rita's will be open for lunch, snacks and dinner and come with a $4.95 per person cover charge

A new hot dog specialty counter, also at the Boardwalk. Dubbed The Boardwalk Dog House, it will serve up traditional hot dogs and wieners. The new eatery, located where the donut ship is on Oasis (which, in turn, will move to a new location on the Boardwalk), will come at no extra charge.

The first GUESS store at sea. Located in the Promenade neighbourhood in place of the Focus Photo Shop on Oasis, it'll be a full-blown shop stocking handbags, wallets, watches, shoes, jewellery, eyewear and perfumes

In-cabin I pod docking stations. Bauer says the concept also will roll out eventually on Oasis of the Seas.

Kiosks in the Royal Promenade where passengers can view and print a copy of their on-board account statements; check on and print out a list of their on-board restaurant reservations; and view their airline reservations and print boarding passes. There will be no extra charge to use the kiosks.

They have also recently announced that the show on board the ship will be the ever popular Chicago! It has caused some controversy due to the Oasis having Hairspray which is seen as a good all round family show, where as Chicago is much more raunchy giving some clients cause for concern as they do not feel it is appropriate for younger family members! I think a ship of that size has to have some degree of choice, surely if people do not want their children to see the show there is more entertainment to choose from!

Here's looking forward to the new Allure of the Seas, like her big sister I am sure she will come in with a bang! it's just a shame she doesn't stop en route in the UK, as this is a ship I really would love to experience.

Thumbs Up For Princess Cruises! Doing Their Bit For Charity!

2010-05-15T07:33:00.000-07:00

In an world/industry where all we seem to be getting at the moment is bad news, ie. The Tories are back in government, Flight Strikes, Fuel Increases, Oil Spills, I came accross a wonderful story that bought a smile to my face and shows there is still some good news out there!

It has been reported that Princess Cruises are donating thousands of old Television's. After completely refurbishing some of their cruise ships, the old TV's are being distributed to the local community, Which is good news for the environment and good for people that need a little extra help in life!

A member of one of the non-profit organisations that will be receiving the grand gesture said:

They're blown away by the donation of thousands of television sets from a local cruise line. Four thousand televisions will be taken off three cruise ships belonging to Princess Cruise Lines, and will head to shelters, recovery houses, and social housing buildings in the Downtown Eastside, adding her society hadn't received a donation of this size before.

The cruise ships are refitting their cabins and replacing the 26" Panasonic televisions with new flat screen TVs.

The first shipment of the TVs was unloaded today at Tymac's dock near Ballantyne Pier and put into trucks by volunteers from VisionQuest Recovery Society.

Leftover televisions will be sold to raise money for charity, and be outfitted with decals that prohibit the televisions from being re-sold to pawn shops.

It's nice to hear the cruise lines are giving back, if you think of every time they refurbish a ship what must get thrown away, it makes you realise that it could be given to people that really need it. Well done Princess, lets here more of the good stories like this! If you have any or know of any other charitable things done by a cruise line? Comment below.

The Big Decision!!

2010-05-11T05:43:00.000-07:00

Today is the day! 1 big question we are all waiting with anticipation to hear the answer too!

Who on earth is Fabio Capello going to name in his world cup squad??

Forget the politics of who is going to run the country as in my eyes whoever it is, ( and they must be mad to want the job ) is only going to be the bearer of bad news, that yes they lied in their run up to the election and actually everything the promised they actually cannot deliver.

So back to the important stuff, a summer of football is nearly upon us and for most women out there they are probably dreading June, but for me the excitement of the world cup is bubbling away! I have very good feelings this is going to be our year! Well you have to positive!

But does it mean your summer cruise has to be put on hold? With just a good old British summer to look forward to? NO!

Thankfully most of the cruise lines have announced plans to play live coverage of all the world cup games! But is it a health and safety issue? As believe me when England reach the semi finals again and lose again probably on penalties, will it not encourage footy fans like myself to jump overboard at the thought of another heartbreaking exit!! More life jackets are needed I think.

For those having to plan around the big game here are the cruise lines you need to be looking at:

MSC
Azamara
Celebrity
Royal Caribbean
Thomson
NCL.

The games will be screened on all ships in each of the above cruise lines fleet, if you know of any others let me know!

An Update on Fuel Supplements!

2010-05-05T02:57:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I reported that Fred Olsen were going to start charging a fuel supplement again on all cruises, starting from bookings made today.

Now I hate being right, but I did say it wouldn't be long until other cruise line's followed and hey presto Cunard, P&O and Princess have today introduced their own charges:

Following global increases in the price of fuel, P&O Cruises and Cunard Line will be introducing a fuel supplement for all new bookings made from 10 May 2010. The supplement will apply to all departures from 1 November 2010 across both of these brands.

The supplement will be £2.50 per person per day, up to a maximum of £100 per person.

The supplement will apply to every paying passenger travelling, including 3rd and 4th person fares and paid children's places. No supplement will be applied to free child places.

Do you think that companies panic in making these charges, as the last time this happened a few months later the oil prices reduced and the cruise lines had the headache of refunding everybody or offering it as on board credit?

Fred Olsen And The Bug That Wont Go Away!

2010-05-03T06:01:00.000-07:00

I was compelled to write a blog about the 2 dreaded words that all cruise lines must fear the most!

NORO VIRUS!

And it's really to try and stick up for Fred Olsen!

Day after day I sit and listen and read reviews from clients, with regards to this matter and I feel that Fred Olsen take a lot of bad and sometimes unfair publicity when it comes to this virus!

As the Boudicca has returned from another voyage it was highly publicised that she was again infected with the bug, so I began the weekly task of calling my clients to welcome them home and came across many people very quick to tell me how bad things were on the ship, but then also very quick to tell me how much compensation they received for their next cruise! Now surely if things were that bad would you ever consider going back? Why not just move on to another cruise line. ( there are plenty out there! ) I do fully understand and empathise with people that are ill, I myself caught food poisoning on board another cruise company and it really wasn’t a pleasant few weeks! But I do also feel that these cruise lines have a massive job in trying to contain any outbreak, it is a ship after all the virus has nowhere else to go unless people adhere to the rules set by the company.

A lady I spoke to that was on the last Boudicca sailing was what prompted me to write this, as she herself caught the bug and was ill for 2 days, but she had nothing but praise for the ship saying how all the staff were very vigilant in enforcing the sanitizer and saying how even the bar staff were bleaching the bar every time somebody came up, this was from day 1! What she did say was how she saw passengers that she new had the bug walking freely around the ship when they had been told to stay in the cabin, people not washing their hands in the toilet and worst of all people refusing to sanitize their hands! How on earth is anybody able to contain a virus when people are so hell bent in spreading it around, and then blaming everybody else but themselves!

I myself have been on 3 Fred Olsen sailings, 1 being the Christmas mini cruise on the Balmoral last year that apparently was rife with the virus, that’s not what I saw the ship was clean, the staff did their job of sanitizing everything and everybody when needed they honestly could not have done anymore than that!

I know that pretty much every ship has experienced this virus at some point, P&O, Thomson, Princess and yes even Cunard, some more than others but their cases are not publicised half as much they must just have a better PR department that deals with it quickly so there is no time for it to get to the press!

My point to all this is to re assure anybody thinking of a Fred Olsen cruise or that already has one booked that this is a common problem but with ALL cruise lines, Fred Olsen ships are top notch and should be commended for the great service, food, entertainment and above all a very friendly atmosphere they provide and have provided for a very long time.

Will the Oil Spill Affect Cruise Itineraries?

2010-04-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

Over the last few months I think the travel industry has had every natural and un natural disaster thrown at them!

We had the British Airways strikes causing travel chaos in March!

The Icelandic Volcano exploding and causing more chaos in April!

And now as we enter into May a new disaster is upon us!

Yes the Oil spill off the gulf of Mexico as you have probably seen on the news has spread further than they had anticipated. It's being dubbed as the worst oil spill in recent history with up to 5,000 barrels of oil a day spilling into the water, threatening US coastal areas.

But it has now been reported that it will affect some cruise itineraries, with some ships being advised to reroute their approaches to New Orleans, as the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico begins to creep towards the Louisiana coastline.

The only ships to be affected are the Carnival Triumph, which does a weekly sailing out of New Orleans and the NCL Star, but luckily her last trip was the final one for this season as she is now repositioned to Alaska for the summer.

Another day another disaster is how it feels at the moment, turning on the news every morning is done with one eye open and one shut as you cannot judge what we will be waking up to! At least its giving us something else to think about other than what stupid thing Gordon Brown has said or done that day!

Simply Thank You!

2010-04-29T06:31:00.000-07:00

Well I have had a busy old week with the launch of the new Cunard, P&O and Princess cruise's for 2011!

I had lots of bookings to make for clients over the week, so it was a military operation every morning this week ( 7.30am starts ) to make sure I got them all booked, and im pleased to say I managed to get everybody their 1st choice of cabin numbers!

So this is to say a massive THANK YOU to all my clients old and new that booked with me!

Ultimate Family Experience with NCL and Nickelodeon: The Dates!

2010-04-27T09:40:00.000-07:00

Back in January ( which feels like a life time ago! ) I bought you details of the new Nickelodeon themed cruises which will be in corporation with the new NCL Epic!

Well today they have released which sailings this will be available on!

The first of 2 planned Nickelodeon character-infused voyages will kick off on February 20th 2011 in New York on the Norwegian Jewel.

The second of the "Nickelodeon All Access Cruises," as they're being called, will take place starting July 24th 2011 in Barcelona on the Norwegian Epic.

So main school holidays, a great reason to get booked up early to ensure you and the children don't miss out on what I think will be one of the best family orientated cruises!

Norwegian says the two cruises will be an all-Nickelodeon, all-the-time extravaganza that will include access to exclusive meet-and-greets with Nickelodeon stars, screenings of never-before-seen episodes of hit Nick shows, interactive game shows, a Nick-themed Sailaway, Club Nick parties and the opportunity for every family to get slimed (a Nickelodeon tradition).

They go on sale the 1st May! Dont miss out give me a call or email if you would like any prices or any more information on these sailings.

Fred Olsen: Book Now To Avoid Fuel Cost Supplement

2010-04-23T01:23:00.000-07:00

For any passengers that are looking to book a Fred Olsen cruise for anytime this year or 2011, get it booked before the 5th May!

After that date they will be introducing a new fuel supplement. They will charge £3 per person per night to a maximum of £60 per person and £1.50 per person per night for third and subsequent occupants of a cabin, to a maximum of £30 per person.

They have advised that In the event that the price of Brent crude oil falls back to £45 per barrel or below averaged across the month prior to the date of departure, the fuel cost supplement will be refunded back to the passenger in the form of an onboard spending credit.

We all know how much fuel has gone up, petrol where I live is now as high as £1.20 a litre! It affects us all wether its in your car or on your holiday, you will probably see more cruise companies implementing this in the forth coming months if it has gone up by that much!

Watch this space............ Ill keep you updated if any other cruise lines implement this charge!

A Cruise by Plane, Train and Automobile!

2010-04-20T01:58:00.000-07:00

Over the last few days I have spoken to numerous passengers who were stuck around Europe due to the Volcanic eruptions! All who would do anything to get home. While watching the news last night I heard something that rang very true! The ITN reporter said " We forget we live on an Island and when things go wrong getting back onto it proves very costly "

Which is more than true as I have heard stories of a client paying nearly 1000 Euros to a local Italian man to drive him to Calais, as he could not get car hire!

Also a family of 2 adults and 2 children who disembarked the Splendour of the Seas in Venice on Saturday morning were given no information or help from Royal Caribbean, called me to see if I could help in trying to get them home, the first thing I did was book them a hotel at the Marco Polo airport before prices started going up and rooms selling out, at least then they had a base overnight to give them and us a chance to sort out a way home.

I managed to get them car hire for the Sunday morning as they decided they would drive up to Paris, as flights were still cancelled and they wanted to get moving. Off they went expecting to arrive in Paris Tuesday evening, I had a call yesterday from them to advise they were only an hour from Paris they had made great time, so I got on the case of trying to get them back to the UK from Paris. I firstly tried the ferries but no joy, then to Euro Star who managed to book them on a train Tuesday evening getting them into London that night! After a few attempts at booking the tickets for them ( the website crashed me out saying no availability ) even I was getting anxious that I wasnt going to get them anything, the relief came on the 4th time of trying an email popped up with the glorious words, thank you for booking with Euro Star you reservation is confirmed!

Their journey to Paris had not been in vain and they had confirmed reservations that would get them back to the UK, which is all they wanted to here!

What a horrendous few days for all passengers trying to get home, lets hope things start to get better, but it will definitely be a story to tell the grand kids!

Tell me your stories of how you got home? Or if you did anything out of the ordinary in order to get home?

Volcanic Ash Disruption Continues.....

2010-04-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

I am sure you are all fully aware of the havoc being caused by the volcanic ash! But I have to say even writing this feels very bizzare, and I have to say on hearing the news on Thursday morning I was convinced it was some kind of late April fools joke! 1 day later and it is still causing chaos around the UK and now expanding to Europe.

We are taking countless amounts of calls from worried passengers, trying to give them the most up to date information. The main focus for us is to make sure everybody has the information as we get it and to look ahead and try to get those that have missed flights or are due to travel in the next few days on alternative flights or any other mode of transport!

It is always a very stressful and worrying time for everybody as information is scarce and people that have had cruises/holidays booked are understandably disappointed.

Be assured we will do all we can to help and we are being updated all the time about the different airlines position. Keep checking my blog and use the facebook page as information will be loaded there as soon as we have it!

http://www.facebook.com/pages/CRUISEScouk/318739592843

Some other useful websites with up to date information, that we have been using are:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/weather/ianfergusson/2010/04/volcanic-ash-cloud-an-update.shtml

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/europe/volcano/iceland.html

My Review of P&O Azura!

2010-04-12T11:22:00.000-07:00

For me seeing the Azura was a double whammy! I got to see another new ship but also because it was a chance to see my best friend SJ who will be working on board, before she sailed off once more until the end of the year!

Well with all these great reviews what can I say about the ship you havent heard already! Not alot im afraid as she really is fabulous!

Why I hear you ask.............. Well these are my reasons!

For wine buffs the Glass House is a great place to go and sample the mass of different wines in a sophisticated and relaxed enviroment. Most imporantly you can buy by the glass, so trying different ones is inexpensive!

For Spa fanatics the retreat is a real treat! For a small fee you can enjoy an adult only area that really does oooze style and above all a chilled out day! There are plenty of extra comfy sun beds laid out so you feel you are a world away from the hussle and bussle of the main pool areas! I personally sampled these sun loungers in the beautiful April sunshine, shutting my eyes for 5 quick minutes I could have been anywhere in the world.

For single passengers, you'll be glad to know the single cabins are not broom cupboards, but large spacious and very comfy! A great offering from P&O they have done very well here, the need for these types of cabins is massive and they have not failed to deliver!

For the ladies, the cabins come well equipped with a great hair dryer that actually has some oomph! 3 plug sockets.... ( british ) so yes you can put your straighteners on whilst your drying your hair! Lots of mirrors so when 2 are getting ready your not climbing all over each other to make youself beautiful, and finally plenty of storage space which some cruise lines lack! So taking that extra pair of shoes is no problem!

The food really was fantastic, in each restaurant I tried which due to the lack of time was only the Meridien and the Verona but still, hot food and a great selection what more do you need? I do also have it on very good authority from my friend that for all spicy food lovers the Sindhu Restaurant is magnificent and worth every penny!

There were for a me a few surprises, one was to find out how similar the layout was to the Ventura, I expected it to be much different but as soon as I was on board I could get around quite easily as I remembered things from the other ship! Also the overlooking on the balconies, I was on D deck in a superior balcony and when I went outside and looked up, people on every deck above had got a very clear view of my balcony so privacy is pretty much none existant!

P&O have done good! the Azura is back to what they do best tradtional cruising but with a hint of the modern world!

Thinking of Popping the Question? A Guide to Weddings at Sea - Part 3

2010-04-07T03:12:00.000-07:00

Over the course of the last few months I have hopefully given you a good insight into who offers what when it comes to getting married on your cruise. For the final installment I am going to offer something a little bit different, that really is a very magical experience!

Disney Cruises!

They have 2 ships that offer the wedding packages - The Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder or you can choose to have the ceremony performed on their private island.

As you can imagine Disney offer a fantastic package that is over the top but also guaranteed to give you a day to remember. Here are some of the things provided in their package when the ceremony is on board the ship.

On-site Coordinator to assist with the Ceremony and the Cake & Champagne
Celebration Disney Cruise Line Senior Officer to perform the ceremony
Solo musician (pianist) for the ceremony
Choice of fresh flower bouquet for the bride and fresh flower boutonniere for the groom
Cake & Champagne Celebration including an elegant 2-tier wedding cake with keepsake cake topper, one bottle of champagne and one bottle of sparkling cider (non-alcoholic) for the toast, served by host or hostess
Steaming for bridal gown and groom's attire
Dinner for the bride and groom at Palo on night of ceremony
Disney Cruise Line Ceremony Certificate
$100.00 onboard stateroom credit for bride and groom only, good towards merchandise, spa treatments, shore excursions and other onboard activities. (Any unused portions are nonrefundable and non-transferable.)

If you prefer to have the ceremony performed on the private island Castaway Cay you can and get all of the above, optional extra's such as a photography package and flowers can also be pre booked.

Because Disney Cruise Line Senior Officers cannot perform legal ceremonies, the legalities of the wedding license must be taken care of before your Disney ship leaves Port Canaveral

They also offer Vowel Renewal and Gay wedding ceremonies, for any more information do not hesitate to ask.

Cunard Last Minute Deals!

2010-03-31T08:36:00.000-07:00

For all you late deal lovers, Cunard are starting the Easter celebrations early by offering some amazing deals:

Queen Victoria - 29th April 2010 - 4 Nights - Bank Holiday Weekend Getaway!

Southampton, Paris, Amsterdam, Bruges or Brussels, Southampton
Prices from only £399 per person

Queen Victoria 26th May 2010 - 5 Nights

Southampton, Amsterdam - Afternoon & Overnight, Bruges or Brussels, Southampton

Prices from only £449 per person

Queen Mary 2 - 14th June 2010 - 11 Nights

Southampton, Stavanger, Geiranger, Honningsvaag, Tromso, Olden, Bergen, Southampton

Prices from £999 per person.

There are many more of these offers, including some free upgrade to balcony cabins on selected sailings so do not hesitate to email me at tinaw@cruise.co.uk for more information.

MSC and 6* Cruising! A Recipe for Success or Disaster?

2010-03-28T07:37:00.000-07:00

MSC are like marmite! People either love them or hate them!

Earlier this year they launched a service called the Yacht Club, this is on board the Fantasia and the Splendida

It is a 6* service at much lower prices than the likes of Silversea and Regent, In March this year I went to sample it for myself, I did my homework before going and read up on exactly what I should expect ie.Butler Service, Suites, All Inclusive Drinks, Private areas on the ship! So Did it disappoint?

No Way! The whole experience was marvellous and well worth the 6* label they have given it. It was pure luxury from day 1, our Butler Danny was professional and very hard working, many a time it crossed my mind to try and pop him in my case to bring home! The suite was what I expected and the food was 1st class ( Presentation was amazing and most of all Hot! ) The private area's like the spa and lounge area and pool area were both of the highest standard.

If I had to grumble about anything, you do have to watch the All Inclusive as this is not applicable to everywhere on the ship, for example when you are in the night club and want a drink it is not included in the all inclusive package, the only place you can have the free drinks is in the Yacht Club Lounge, but they have no entertainment in there so after about 10pm you do feel like moving on but then it also means spending your own money and it can be expensive.

Is Italian Cruising For You?

Expedition Cruises - Part 2 - Australia

2010-03-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

Australia for most of us will be a once in a life time holiday! And one of the best ways to see it is to cruise.

Expedition Cruise's are offering a fabulous trip that I think has one of the best itineraries I have seen:

SAVOUR SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA’S CULINARY DELIGHTS WITH ORION EXPEDITION CRUISES

Join Orion I on her inaugural voyage of food, wine and exploration of South Australia. Departing from and returning to Melbourne, this seven-night voyage will provide guests with exclusive opportunities to visit some of South Australian finest wineries, taste local artisan cheeses and sample the famous oysters and crayfish that abound in these pristine waters fed from the Antarctic.

There will be plenty of opportunity to balance any excess of gourmet delights by joining Orion’s specialist expedition team ashore to explore. Combining amazing geological features, stunning natural environments and prolific bird and marine life this truly is a voyage to tune the senses, where organic honeys and fine wines, the freshest of oysters and soft ripe cheeses mix it with yellow tailed black cockatoos, tammar wallabies and fur seals.

Kangaroo Island’s beautiful scenery, secluded beaches and abundant wildlife, much still as it was when British navigator Matthew Flinders named this untamed wilderness in 1802.

Fleurieu Peninsula is home to some of the best produce and vineyards in the country, along with stunning coastal walks, beaches and quaint towns, while the Eyre Peninsula offers a range of tours and exceptional food and wine.

The Limestone Coast, responsible for 20% of Australia's premium wine production, is alluring with wild coastlines, unique wetlands and welcoming locals. Cellar doors throughout the region will test one’s willpower.

Your ashore experience will be complimented by your time onboard your Luxurious Expedition ship Orion I. Serge Dansereau, from Sydney’s Bathers’ Pavilion, is responsible for the dinner menus onboard, selecting fresh produce that reflects local specialties and suits the changing seasons. The formal dining room (with open seating so you can sit with whom you please, when you please) is complimented by relaxed al fresco meals on the aft deck. The 70 or so wines onboard represent brands from familiar Australian and New Zealand wineries as well as lesser known drops as well. The champagnes are French, supplemented by a fine range of local sparkling wines.

Cruise details:
16th November 2010 – Melbourne Roundtrip – from £2,780pp cruise only

Visiting Limestone Coast, Kangaroo Island, Port Lincoln, Eyre Peninsula and Flerieu Peninsula

Fares are based on twin share and including seven nights onboard accommodation, all meals, entertainment and educational programmes, use of thenship’s sporting equipment and facilities, Zodiac excursions, port and handling charges, tender transfers and government fees and taxes.

For any more information do not hesitate to ask. My direct number is 0800 408 6098 or email tinaw@cruise.co.uk .

How Many People Can You Get Through A Cruise Terminal In 1 Day??

2010-03-24T09:02:00.000-07:00

Port Everglades broke its own world record, again, when more than 52,000 ( yes you are reading that correctly!! ) cruise guests sailed in and out of Port Everglades on March 20th 2010, at the start of the spring holiday season. The last world record was set on January 3rd 2009, when 49,234 passengers sailed in and out of the South Florida cruise port in a single day. Since the arrival of Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas in November, they have come close to breaking it already but on March 20th they far exceeded those numbers with nine ships sailing on the same day and at least 52,000 cruise guests either anticipating or returning from a sunny spring holiday.
The 9 cruise ships that sailed from Port Everglades on March 20, included Carnival Miracle, Costa Atlantica, Discovery Cruise Line's Discovery Sun, Holland America Line's Eurodam, MSC Poesia, Crown Princess and Ruby Princess, and Royal Caribbean International's Independence of the Seas and the world's largest cruise ship, Oasis of the Seas.

If lined up bow to stern, the nine cruise ships docked at Port Everglades on March 20th would stretch 8,233 feet or the equivalent of nearly 27 football fields. That is enough cruise passengers to fill between 107 and 130 747-jumbo jets or all the seats at the BankAtlantic Center about three times for a concert or a Florida Panthers hockey game.

Round 2 Battle of the Big Boys - Navigator Vs Gem

2010-03-17T02:15:00.000-07:00

Ding Ding.............. Round 2

The battle is well and truly on and things are hotting up in the race to who will dominate the Mediterranean for summer 2011!

With my recent post advising the Epic and Liberty will be side by side in Barcelona, I have heard today that the Navigator of the Seas will be a surprise change to their summer 2011 programme, as she is moved to Venice where she will then run side by side with NCL Gem!

So thats 2 more huge ships, between them carrying over 6000 passengers fighting each other for you business! The good news is we should expect to see some great deals flying around in the coming months as they will try to out do each other with great prices!

Who thinks there will be a round 3? And which ship do you think should replace the Navigator in Rome?

Do we need a British Ship in the Med?

2010-03-13T05:26:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took a call from a client wanting to go the the Mediterranean for Summer 2011! Easy I thought ( as I must do at least 4 or 5 of these enquiries every day! ) that was until I got down to his requirments he had 2 simple requests, to go for 1 week and he only wanted a British Ship!

Hmm! That made things a bit more difficult as all the ships that operate from the Mediterranean are either American owned or Italian owned! For Example, Royal Caribbean, NCL and Princess are all American, Costa and MSC both Italian!

So I asked myself who was waving the flag for British Ships! With Ocean Village going to be a distant memory later this year I realised we don't really have anything else to offer! There is Thomson but he had been with P&O before and preferred their more formal traditional cruise!

He then asked about P&O and when I advised they only sail from Southampton, he asked the question:

Dont you think we need a British Ship in the Med??

This is a touchy subject as with all the competition in the Med now, the cruise lines would have to be very sure they would fill the ships! Plus with all the air strikes upon us many people are opting to sail from Southampton to avoid the airports and dreaded luggage allowance! P&O have a big decision on their hands to go? or stay?

I think P&O will always sail from Southampton, they have a huge following of passengers that fill their ships year on year, so why would they rock the boat and venture into the unknown with fly cruising.

Should P&O move a ship into the Med and offer fly cruise's for people that want the more traditional British cruise?

Liberty Vs Epic - The Big Boys in Barcelona!

2010-03-09T04:40:00.000-08:00

With the launch of summer 2011 quickly approaching I was looking into some of the new ships and itineraries coming your way, and boy are you in for a treat!

Barcelona is proving to be one of the best ports in the Mediterranean for people to travel to, with low cost airlines operating direct flights from alot of airports in the UK, it makes the cruise even more affordable and less stressful for people wanting to make their own arrangments!
Even flying into Gerona or Reus is possible as Barcelona is only a few hours away, this gives you the chance to extend your holiday and include a beach stay in one of the Costa resorts or even at the Port Aventura theme park/resort!

For this reason she has attracted 2 of the newest and in my eyes 2 of the best ships on the market! But who will be victorious on getting those all important guests onto ships? As between them they will carry over 7000 people!
So the battle is on....... which one will you choose?

Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas will replace the Voyager. The freedom class ship is exactly the same as the very popular Independance of the Seas, bringing with it the very popular flo rider, rock climbing wall, ice skating rink and the beautiful royal promenade, surely making it the best option to book........

That was until NCl announced their brand new ship the Epic will also be sailing out of Barcelona for the summer of 2011! This new ship is a fantastic alternative to the Liberty, NCL have exceeded themselves. Some of the highlights will be Nickelodeon characters, the Blue Man group, a water park, a circus spiegel tent and a bungee trampoline!

It is going to be a very close battle as both ships are absolutely fantastic! I do think the Epic will have the edge mainly because of the freestyle and informal dining they offer which I think will attract alot of families, and new cruisers. Which one would you choose?

Pre Registration for both ships will be available soon, for any brochures or information on how to do this contact me at tinaw@cruise.co.uk or call me on 0800 408 6098.

Thinking Of Popping The Question? A guide to Weddings at Sea - Part 2

2010-03-07T05:50:00.000-08:00

Princess Cruise's offer one of the best Wedding programme's there is, they have a huge variety of packages giving people the chance to pick and choose their dream day.

They are involved from Day 1 so once you have chosen your wedding venue and cruise, they are on hand to make sure every aspect is booked to your requirments and that nothing is forgotten they even contact you on your return to provide you with your wedding certificate.

Princess Cruise's offer something completely different when it comes to choosing when and where you get married, they give you 3 options within their Tie the Knot programme.

Getting married on board the ship - The captain conducts and officiates the ceremony, Princess are the only cruise line that can do a legal ceremony at sea.
Getting married Harbourside - For any guests that cannot accompany you on the cruise you can get married in the harbour so more people can see your special day.
Getting married Ashore - My favourite option, you can get married on a secluded beach, a garden location, or even cliff side in some locations.

All 3 options will include a designated wedding co ordinator to take care of all the legal stuff, leaving you to worry about who has got the rings! And to practice those all important nuptuals!

Their destinations are also out of this world, here are just some of the fantastic places you can get married:

Caribbean Islands, Fort Lauderdale, Mexico, San Diego, Hawaii, Alaska, New York, Tahiti, San Francisco, Vancouver or Victoria and Seattle.

So as you can see they are certainly a fantastic option and in my opinion the best for organising weddings.

The final installement will feature Royal Caribbean/Celebrity.

NCL! 3 Times Unlucky!

2010-03-04T03:24:00.000-08:00

Bad luck runs in 3's! Well thats the famous saying and hopefully it comes true for NCL, who since the start of the 21st century have had 3 of their ships hit by rogue waves! They have had the Norwegian Dawn in 2005 and then the Norwegian Spirit in 2006.

The most recent was on the Louis Majesty ship ( this was formally the Norwegian Majesty ).
I have heard reports that a huge wave of the coast of France has killed 2 passengers that were on board the Louis Majesty

A quote from a spokes person for Louis Cruise Lines states:

The windows in a public area on deck 5 on the forward part of the vessel smashed resulting (in) the fatal injury of two passengers of German and Italian nationality while 14 more passengers suffered light injuries,"

This is another tragedy to rock cruising following the terrbile events in Sharm El Sheikh on the Costa Europa last week when she crashed into the dock side by gale force winds also killing members of the crew.

Where you on any of these sailings? Or have you ever been aboard in very bad weather? Share your stories with us.

Unfair Pricing for Singles!

2010-03-02T08:57:00.000-08:00

In the last few days I have taken many calls from single passengers wanting to travel this year, but are unable to due to the huge single supplements.

P&O and Cunard being the worst offenders with supplements of 70/80%, this is unrealisic and very unfair to people that have worked very hard to have a holiday, like everybody else!

The single market is booming, more and more single people are choosing to cruise as they feel it is a safer option, they have the chance to meet other single passengers ( I have many past passengers that travel alone who have made a friend or companion that now travel together) and some cruise lines like Fred Olsen, Cunard and Holland America have dance hosts so sitting on the sidelines just watching the fun is a thing of the past.

Some of the better cruise lines I find for lower supplements are Royal Caribbean, Fred Olsen, Costa and Ocean Village.

Norwegian Cruise Line are also starting to do more, their new ship the Epic will offer an innovative new category of accommodation designed and priced for single occupancy – Studio staterooms. With a contemporary, urban chic vibe, the private key–card access complex has 128 staterooms, all with exclusive access to the Studio Lounge, where guests can meet fellow cruisers over coffee or drinks.

The lead–in price of just £599 for single occupancy for a 7 night Caribbean cruise makes Norwegian Epic's Studios a really attractive and affordable option for your solo travellers.

So with some cruise lines now doing more to make single travel more affordable, it begs the question when will the others follow?

Are you a single passenger who is tired of paying over the odds? Tell us your stories.

Speciality Restaurants - Part 3 - P&O Celebrity Chefs

2010-03-01T09:42:00.000-08:00

Over the last few weeks I have given you an insight into the different speciality restaurants that are available in the wonderful world of Cruising!

Today I will focus on P&O. They have the cream of the crop when it comes to celebrity chefs!

Marco Pierre White on Ventura, Gary Rhodes on Arcadia, and Atul Kochhar on the new Azura.

But who does all the work? and are the big names a bit of a cliche?

I did a tour of the Ventura and when we came to the White Room ( Marco Pierre White ) we were all interested to learn that the teams on board all ships were so acclaimed in their field and all of the Executive Chefs are inducted into the very prestigious Chaines Des Rotisseurs which is a global society celebrating the best chefs from accross 86 countries! So the celebrity chefs may not be on hand all the time, but be assured you are still being served the best of the best!

Don't be disheartened though if you do really want to meet the Celebrity Chefs, they do go on board so you need to pick certain sailings:

Marco Pierre White will do : Aurora 19th April 2010, Oceana 15th May / 20th October 2010 and Ventura 5th June, 3rd July and 22nd October 2010.

Gary Rhodes will do: Arcadia 19th June and 2nd November and Oriana 11th July and 27 August 2010.

Atul Kochhar will do : Azura 12th April, 23rd July, 8th August, and 21st Sept 2010 and 04 February 2011.

The fee for any of their restaurants is very affordable starting from £15 per person, but bearing in mind you are in the best hands it is definitely worth a treat!

If you have ever dined in any of these restaurants and would like to comment on them, or give advice then feel free to do so.

Fred Olsen 2011 - On Sale Now

2010-02-25T04:04:00.000-08:00

Well every year the date of when the new brochures go an sale get earlier and earlier, and this year is no different.

Fred Olsen's new preview brochure for 2011 has gone on sale today! They have beat everybody else and become the first to launch and its not even March!

So what are they offering?

Preview pricing saves on prices that will appear in the main 2011/2012 brochure.
Best pick of cabins on the ship and itinerary of your choice.
Small, friendly ships with a very British atmosphere
Book a suite on any ship on any cruise and you automatically receive the Suite Dreams package – including in-cabin binoculars, and a world atlas for reference.
As always for the loyal past passengers they get the 5% Oceans Members discount.

A BRAND NEW ITINERARY - BLACK WATCH - 04 OCTOBER 2011 - 28 NIGHTS.

RED SEA - ALREADY SELLING QUICKLY!

Be the first and get your cabin booked! You know which one you want!

MAY MADNESS - P&O EXCLUSIVE DEALS

2010-02-23T10:04:00.000-08:00

I have had some hot of the press exclusive deals from P&O that are not to be missed!

Azura - 10 May 2010 - 16 night sailing to Central Mediterranean.
Inside cabins starting at £1049 per person, higher inside categories only £1149 per person

All Balcony grades are £1599 per person, Superior balcony grades for £1699 per person.

Also the Azura 26 May 2010 and Oriana 17 May 2010 sailings both have on board credit and double the discounts on selected cabin grades!

These offers will not be around for long, contact me now on 0800 408 6098 or tinaw@cruise.co.uk for any other information!

Get In First For 2011!!

2010-02-23T01:47:00.000-08:00

The majority of calls I take at the moment are clients trying to get away in the school holidays, and unfortunately most leave the call disappointed due to the fact that family cabins are pretty much none existance, and even when we can get them the prices are very high! Making it an impossible task.

If I was to give all families out there one piece of advice it is forget this year and concentrate on getting your cruise booked for summer 2011.

We will start getting more information on when next year will go on sale which I here is pretty soon March/April! So keep checking my blog as I will update it with all the latest news!

You have to book early to get what you want! Leaving it until the last minute hoping to get a deal is only going to cause great disappointment. The cruise lines bring out all their best deals/discounts now. Free parking, on board credit and above all and most importantly availability, finding a cabin will be a doddle! You can take your pick instead of taking whats left!

You do need to pre register with us to ensure you receive all the new brochures, and details of the offers, we will then do the rest for you!

So either send me and email to tinaw@cruise.co.uk or call 0800 408 6098.

Ocean Village Final Voyage!

2010-02-17T10:45:00.000-08:00

I remember when Ocean Village launched it was a brand new product offering a whole new aspect to cruising! It also bought a lot of debate with customers and us agents, as we were all very sceptical if it would work! I went on her maiden voyage when she sailed from Lisbon to Palma, and from then on was definitley ' Team Ocean Village '! It was a fabulous experience and I knew straight away it would fill the gaping whole in the market for a more informal and yes ( dare I say ) younger generation of cruiser's! It did exactly what it said on the tin!

Even now when speaking to clients the reaction is very mixed, but I feel that as long as you knew what you were getting with Ocean Village you could not complain, many times I have heard ' well its hardly P&O ' or ' there was far to many children ' and I have had to say that when carnival launched Ocean Village it was always going to be a family orientated informal style of cruising!

Even though she caused quite a stir she had many loyal past passengers who with myself are very sad to see her go! They are going to get the chance to say goodbye in style with her farewell voyage that has been announced today. Details of the sailing are:

Fond Farewell - 21st October 2010 - 23 Nights

Heraklion, Port Said, Suez Canal, Safaga, Muscat, Dubai (Overnight), Cochin, Langkawi, Port Kelang, Singapore

Or

The Big Goodbye - 14th October 2010 - 30 Nights

(Incorporates the final 7 night voyage)

Heraklion, Dubrovnik, Venice, Korcula, Corfu, Katakolon, Heraklion - then as above.

So that is it for Ocean Village................ lets hope the gap she will leave is filled quickly!

Thinking of popping the question? A guide to weddings at sea!

2010-02-16T07:37:00.000-08:00

I have 4 weddings to attend this year, all of which are family and friends. The stress of organising the big day is already tipping some very close to the edge! And not to mention the massive expensive that comes with it and adds to the stress!

So it got me thinking, if I were to ever get married ( and yes I know I need to be asked first! ) how would I do it??? Do I want a big white wedding or something different?

Well something different is definitely more me, and after helping a client that was looking to get married on board a Princess ship, it got me thinking what a wonderful way to do it! I had a quick look into who offers weddings and was surprised to see 9 cruise companies all over a wedding service, so over the next few weeks I will write about a different ship hopefully giving a better in sight into who offers what and the difference between them.

Today I will start with P&O:

You can get married by the captain on: Arcadia, Aurora, Oceana, Oriana and Artemis.

Your P&O Cruises Weddings at Sea experience begins with champagne and flowers in your stateroom. It continues with the dedicated services of a personal wedding coordinator. It includes a private ceremony conducted by the Captain. It encompasses love, laughter and adventure, in some of the world's most stunning destinations. And it ends with countless happy memories all for just £1000 ( including the legal paperwork ).

The wedding package includes the following:

Full wedding planning service and on board wedding coordinator

Invitations delivered to your home address prior to cruise departure
Pressing of bridal outfits prior to ceremony (service dependent on nature of garment)
Attractive wedding ceremony venue on board
A wedding ceremony at sea conducted by the Captain
Two fresh floral arrangements for the ceremony
Classical wedding music (or your choice of music)
Commemorative wedding certificate
Bottle of champagne
Thank You notes for those guests attending your wedding at sea
An additional 5kg luggage allowance for both bride and groom if travelling to the ship on a P&O Cruises charter flight
5% discount for parties of 10 or more

You can also enhance your wedding day with a wide range of extra touches. Bouquets and buttonholes for the wedding party. A handmade wedding cake. Delicious canapés, informal buffets or sumptuous wedding breakfasts. Gifts for your family. Personalised photography and video packages

Renewal of Vows are also available with P&O.

The next installment will be on Princess Cruise's..................

New York New York! Tips And Tales

2010-02-15T04:04:00.000-08:00

As the saying goes she is the city that doesnt sleep, and boy do you need some energy to ensure you make the most of everything this fabulous city has to offer.

I have been 4 times ( nearly 3 when i lost my passport the night before i was due to go in December 2007! but that is a whole other story!! )

I have put togther my top 5 tips on getting around and making the most of your time their:

1. Ride The Open Top Bus

Come rain, sun, sleet and snow ( and yes i have sat on top wearing the poncho! ) this is the most economic and quickest way to see the best sights. You can hop on and off as much as you like and If you buy it when you are their it can be cheaper at aprox $40 per person for a 3 day pass,going up town down town and also a tour at night ( which is highly recommended ).

2 - Airport Transfer - Take a Cab!

On arrival at either JFK or Newark airports, getting a taxi into Manhatten is the best way to do it. They have an official taxi rank outside the arrivals terminal, so you have the comfort of knowing the taxi is licensed and safe to travel in. It is a set charge of $60 one way this includes the toll charges.

3 - Want a Bargain! Go to Century 21.

For all shoppers out there, this has to be a stop whilst in New York, it is a discount designer outlet shop that has everything under 1 roof. Jeans, trainers/shoes, handbags, perfume and cosmetics. It gets very busy so my advice is to get there early and avoid weekends as the real New Yorkers know this is the place to be!

4 - Pre book your Empire State Building Ticket.

Your hours in New York are precious, so do not waste them queing! Pre book yout ticket before you travel and even though you still have to que for the lifts, walking past the 3 mile que at 9am in the morning will leave you feeling a little smug! The view is worth the wait in gold.

5 - Hotel - Location, Location, Location.

For 1st time visitors to New York choosing a hotel can be quite a challenge. The difference between a 3 and 4 star hotel is very minor the rooms are small wether it is a big chain hotel or one you have never heard of! The location of your hotel is more important stick to mid town as this will give you access to the whole city nothing is to far away, i have stayed at the Hotel Metro, The Wellington, and the Herald Square all of which are comfortable, affordable hotels but with the whole city on your doorstep.

Speciality Restaurants - Part 2 - My Personal Favourite

2010-02-09T08:35:00.000-08:00

I have had the great pleasure in trying out lots of the different speciality restaurants on offer, so here is my favourite......

The French restaurant L'Etoile on board the MSC Fantasia. I am not particularly adventurous when it comes to dining! I do very much stick to the things I like and know, but a colleague I was travelling with talked me into trying it out.

Booking was easy, on the day we wanted a table we went to the reception and the reservation was made quickly.

On entry you are met by the maitre d who was highly professional but friendly, taking us straight to our table. The restaurant itself oozes sophistication and is the perfect setting for romantic meals, you really can shut your eyes for a few seconds and imagine you are in Paris.

The food itself was out of this world. I tried frogs legs and snails to start ( which for me was quite an experience ) they were delicious, and had a beef fillet for my main. The food was hot and cooked exactly to my requirements accompanied by a fantastic wine menu.

The L'Etoile exceeded my expectations, initially thinking it would be posh and stuffy with very small fancy portions! It was worth every penny to sample the very fine food with very fine surroundings!

The reason I have chosen this restaurant as my personal favourite is because its al a carte dining at its best, yes there is a small fee ( which in my opinion could be doubled and they would still fill the restaurant ) but you are paying for the fantastic food and service. Unlike other ships who promote a celebrity chef that is hardly ever there and is really just a gimmick to get people to book! This was about the experience this restaurant gives you.

Well done MSC - As the french say it was C'est Magnifique!!!

Is there any such thing as a late deal?

2010-02-07T06:14:00.000-08:00

In the last few days I have taken numerous calls from passengers wanting a ' Late Deal '. At this time of year with the half term and Easter holiday creeping up on us everybody starts to think about getting away!

But are people being realistic when it comes to pricing??

I spoke to a lady yesterday that wanted any Caribbean cruise, any time in March or April for any duration and with any Cruise line. I began to ask her questions in an attempt to try and narrow the search down, when I came to budget, her reply was ' it doesnt matter as long as its a good deal ' on hearing this I again pressed her for more information asking her if I came back with something for £1200 per person is this realistic? her responce was alarming when she said is that total for both of us!! Finally she advised her ideal price was something around £500 per person, which is not unrealistic for the cruise but to expect to get flights, transfers within this price is rather optimistic!

I do feel rather baffled that with all the tools out there at the touch of a button, how people can be so naive when it comes to getting something late and cheap!

Gone are the days when you can call up the day before you want to travel and jet of to the sun for under £100 and especially in the cruise market, it is very different to the bucket and spade holidays, bargains are hard to find booking early can sometimes be more the key to a better ' Deal '

So my advice to anyone looking for a late deal is.....................................

Do your research! Have a look at our website it takes a few minutes to punch in what you want, and it will give you a great idea if your budget is realistic, or if you need to go raid the piggy bank a bit more!

Want something different? Expedition Cruises are it!

2010-02-05T04:06:00.000-08:00

If you have ever thought of doing something different when it comes to cruising, then I have found a perfect product!

Founded in early 2004, Orion Expedition Cruises has developed voyages to encourage guests to become a part of the region they are discovering.

Orion is a purpose built vessel designed to access the inaccessible, all in 5-star luxury. The ship combines the best and the latest in design with maritime and environmental technology, comfort and casual elegance. From the ice-strengthened hull to the chilled champagne and superb cuisine, this is expedition cruising at its finest.

Described as the latest in the quest to build the perfect expedition vessel *, all Orion’s staterooms feature ocean views and offer internet access, flat-screen TV, DVD/CD, a choice of twin and queen sized beds, a sitting area and marble bathrooms. Other on board amenities include a health spa with gymnasium, sauna, sun deck Jacuzzi and a stern marina platform.

A small selection of the Cruise's they offer are:

Kimberley Expedition

2010 Departures - May 11, 21, June 10, 20, 30, July 20, 30, August 9, September 6, 16

Orion’s Expedition Team will lead your exploration of secluded beaches and river inlets – waters famous for an abundance of wildlife. From spectacular waterfalls and awe inspiring gorges, to ancient cultural history and indigenous rock art, the only way you can access the best of the Kimberley is from the sea onboard Orion. These 10 night expeditions explore the Kimberley coastline one way from Darwin to Broome or vice versa.

Wild Papua New Guinea & Bismarck Archipelago

2010 Departure – April 7

A true Voyage of Discovery, this 10 night expedition will present a brand new cultural experience that has never been encountered before. Those travellers who are fortunate enough to make a journey through these isolated islands become immersed in an array of experiences found nowhere else on the globe. Guests will also have an opportunity to snorkel from pristine beaches and relax on white sandy shores.

Mawson's Antarctica - Commonwealth Bay

2010 Departure - December 28

For many, the highlight of the voyage is a visit to Cape Denison, the site of Sir Douglas Mawson’s hut from the historic 1911-1913 expedition; a time capsule from a great era of exploration. This is one of the most exclusive places on earth – more people have stood at the top of Mt Everest than have stood inside this historic hut. The voyage also takes us to Port Martin, the site of 100 grounded icebergs, allowing our guests to get up close and view these amazing sites; and Dumont d’Urville, the French base renowned for its rich local wildlife, including colonies of Adelie and Emperor penguins.

As you can see these journeys are out of this world, they offer many more amazing itineraries and is definitley something for the more discerning traveller.

The Best and Worst of Speciality Restaurants - Part One

2010-01-29T09:51:00.000-08:00

One of the biggest aspects of cruising has got to be the food! The Cruise lines are always trying to open and bring out new innovitive speciality restaurants with Celebrity Chefs making them more attractive.
So with some personal experience and advice from fellow past passengers I am going to guide you through the best and worst speciality restaurants at sea!

CELEBRITY SOLTICE - They have 4 fabulous speciality restaurants each one with its own unique style. I have been on the ship and can safely say they are the most fantastic restaurants, the fee to dine in them is also very reasonable starting from $15 per person and only going up to $30 per person

Blu - Eclusive for Aqua Class guests and in my opinion the best reason to book Aqua Class. The restaurant is Stylish well laid out serving international cuisine. A recent review from our website says:

There has been a lot of discussion about why you should take AquaClass above Concierge or any other and most people come down on the fact that you get access to Blu. This really is a first class restaurant. The decor is impressive and the food excellent with plenty of choice (including no added sugar options as standard). It is also open for breakfast when it offers smoothies and freshly squeezed juices as standard.

To read the review in full please follow this link: http://www.cruise.co.uk/cruise-reviews/read_review_20350/

Murano - It has undeniable warmth and is as inviting as it is impressive. The restaurant is traditional elegance in both character and cuisine and has a superb wine collection. Fine Riedel crystal, exquisite china, and gleaming silverware accentuate your experience, making this specialty restaurant an instant classic.

Tuscan Grille - A splash of Italy finds its way to sea in the Tuscan Grille. With its vibrant ambiance, this steakhouse offers a variety of exquisite selections, from Caesar salad prepared tableside to an antipasti station. Paired with any number of quintessential Italian wines, this is an experience destined to please more than just the palate.

Silk Harvest - Embark on an exotic tour of the Far East, where the cuisine and atmosphere offer a fusion of authenticity and creativity you won't find at any port of call. From Japan to Thailand, your family-style meal delights with mouth-watering sushi, stir fry, and Asian cocktails. The ambiance is inspired as the dishes themselves, with balance of liveliness and serenity for a truly unique experience.

Pre Pay? or Not To Pay?

2010-01-27T13:54:00.000-08:00

The biggest talking point when it comes to cruising has to be should gratuities be included in the price?

On a daily basis the subject comes up with many new and old passengers, the general feeling with British cruisers is we like to know we have had the good service before paying for it!

It can be very confusing as all cruise lines have such different rules and amounts, maybe every cruise company should just charge the same amount but also give people the option to remove them!

The people that get stung the most by tipping I feel is families, for example I booked a family of 2 adults and 2 children the other day on the Celebrity Eclipse, they wanted to opt for the select dining so of course I advised they would have to pre pay their gratuities, which was £107 per person and the same for the children. That added on over £400 to the total of their cruise just for tips!
Did they pay? No they ended up reluctantly booking the 2nd dining option as they could not justify paying that amount up front, they are season cruisers and advised they tip generously when on board but they like to give it personally to the people that looked after them.

On the other side of the fence I do believe the staff these gratuities go to deserve every penny and more that they earn, they work long hours with a smile on their face, doing all they can to make peoples cruise's memorable and relaxing as possible.

So the question still lingers to pre pay or not to pay? It will always be the cruise lines decision on how this big topic will end up.
Do I think anything will change? Im afraid the answer is no I trully believe they are here to stay, so just make sure when choosing and booking your next cruise you are fully aware of their tipping position!

9 New Ships in 2010! But is there too much choice?

2010-01-24T07:10:00.000-08:00

For most people the hardest part of choosing and booking their cruise is deciding which ship to go on! With 9 brand new ships launching this year is it just making the decision harder and more confusing for the customers?

For example with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity do we really need 3 or 4 ships in the same family/class that are indentical? Dont get me wrong their ships are out of this world and I really believe for new, fresh, and inventive ideas they come up on top over any other cruise line, but why so many? The money they are spending on building these new family of ships could in my view be better spent on upgrading and refurbishing the older and sometimes more popular smaller ships!

With all that said I am sure the new ships coming out this year will be spectacular and will wow everybody all over again! I always think the new ships cant get any better but I am sure I will be proved wrong.

The 9 new ships launching this year are:
Cunard - Queen Elizabeth, P&O - Azura, Celebrity - Eclipse, NCL - Epic, MSC - Magnifica, Costa - Delizosa, Holland America - Nieuw Amsterdam, Seabourn - Sojourn and Royal Caribbean - Allure of the Seas.

Which one are you looking forward too? Or do you think enough is enough? Have your say and post a comment.

Are Past Passenger Perks Really Worth it?

2010-01-23T07:09:00.000-08:00

Every Cruise Line has their own loyalty club, trying to tempt passengers to stay loyal to them by offering past passenger offers. But for all your loyalty to them how much do they really give back and is it worth it?

Cunard for example have lots of different levels to their Wolrd Club membership, you would think the higher you are the better the benefits, but for the poor folk who have reached the ultimate 'Diamond Level' ( this is by completing over 15 voyages or 150 days on board ) the only extras they get are an 8 hour internet package, priority luggage delivery and disembarkation and lunch at the Todd English restaurant!!! I would personally feel a little hard done by having these benefits, especially knowing that wether you have done 1 or 15 voyages everybody gets the same 5% past passenger discounts!

One of the better loyalty clubs I feel is Fred Olsen as the benefits you receive are more real and useful, for example their highest tier gets the same 5% Oceans Member discount but also receives a welcome a board gift, personalised luggage labels, a complimentry shuttle bus pass for the entire sailing and a 5% discount of shore tours. All these things are what passengers are looking for, I speak to numerous people that are annoyed at having to pay for shuttle services and how expensive shore tours are so these savings would please everyone!

I dont think any of the cruise lines have got their loyalty clubs totally right, they all need to look at them and start giving better perks to the clients that stay loyal and spend their hard earned money with them.

A Right Royal Stink!

2010-01-19T03:34:00.000-08:00

As many of you will probably of heard by now the Queen has caused a right royal stink! Not by falling out of nightclubs drunk and disorderly ( even though im sure we would all love to see that! ) but by wanting to celebrate her 80th Birthday in style.

Yes she has announced that she is to charter her favourite cruise ship the Hebridean Princess. It is reported that it will cost over £300,000 and also means that people that are already booked on the ship have had to be cancelled off! Which as always the good old British public are outraged by! Even though they will get a full refund and im sure with all the other cruise ships out there will get another cruise no problem!

Good on her I say! You are only 80 once and what a way to spend it! She has devoted her whole life to serving this country, I am sure we can forgive her for wanting a good old birthday shindig with the rest of the family!

Marco Pierre White cooking up a storm on Ventura

2010-01-16T02:52:00.000-08:00

Marco Pierre White will be offering cooking classes to children on board P&O Ventura.

He already runs the White Room Restaurant and will be turning his hand to the smaller folk to teach them his culinary skills.

The first lessons will be during a half-term Caribbean cruise departing from Barbados. There will be up to three classes a day for up to eight children at a time.

Dishes on White’s “mini’s menu” include Marco’s mother’s tomato pasta and Marco’s fish fingers for children, aimed at children who refuse to eat fish unless it comes from the freezer. The junior chefs will also be challenged to taste spicy foods.

“These sessions have been a great success with grown-ups, so we felt it was right for children to have a chance to shine in the kitchen,” said Mr White.
Sessions cost £20 per child and £75 per adult. They are also available on two itineraries from Southampton this summer.

Royal Caribbean help with delivering aid to Haiti

2010-01-15T03:47:00.000-08:00

Royal Caribbean have lept into action to deliver much needed aid to Haiti. They have confirmed that the Independance of the Seas will arrive in Haiti on friday stocked full with relief supplies.

John Weis, RCCL's associate vice president of private destinations and overseer of Labadee operations, wrote on Royal Caribbean CEO Adam Goldstein's blog, "We are committed to continuing calls to Labadee with Independence of the Seas tomorrow. There were a lot of discussions about this, but in the end, Labadee is critical to Haiti’s recovery and hundreds of people rely on Labadee for their livelihood."

The world has been watching in horror at the devastation this eathquake has caused, and the rapid action of Royal Caribbean to help is marvellous. They will also be sending the Navigator and the Liberty of the Seas with more relief to arrive Monday/Tuesday next week.

To find out more about the help they are getting and the help you can provide visit the link below:
http://www.travelweekly.com/article3_ektid208938.aspx

Ultimate Family Experience with NCL and Nickelodeon

2010-01-14T07:50:00.000-08:00

Most parents holiday can be determined by how much fun the children are having! If there bored and moaning then you might as well be at home! But not on the new Norwegian Epic, they have teamed up with Nikelodeon to provide an amazing childrens programme that will promise to keep your own rug rats happy!

Debuting on Norwegian Jewel in April and on board the spectacular Norwegian Epic in summer 2010, Nickelodeon–themed family entertainment will include character meet–and–greets, interactive game shows, poolside entertainment, dance parties and more.

With much–loved characters like Dora The Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants, kids will have the time of their lives. And that's just one more reason to make NCL your recommended cruise line for families.

US Make Esta Form Compulsary!

2010-01-14T05:40:00.000-08:00

Brits wanting to visit the US will have to receive approval to travel in advance from the Electronic System for Travel Authorisation as of Wednesday January 20.

Although the scheme was introduced in January last year it wasn’t compulsory until now.

The online ESTA form replaces the green card that was filled out by passengers on board their US flight, and it is recommended travellers fill it out at least 72 hours before their departure.

“Under the new regulations, we will not be able to accept US-bound customers for their flight if they have not received ESTA approval or if they do not hold a valid visa or Green Card. Most of our customers are already familiar with ESTA as it has been in place for more than a year, although not fully implemented.”
http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2010/01/13/32797/us-esta-forms-to-become-compulsory-next-week.html

Tips and Tales from Barcelona!

2010-01-13T03:41:00.000-08:00

More and more people are choosing to book their own flights to match up with their cruise. One of the easiest places to do this is in Barcelona.

I visited Barcelona last October and was surprised to find how easy it was to get around. Here are my top tips:

Taxis are very cheap a one way trip from the airport to the port is aprox 25 euros and takes about 20 -25 minutes.
Pre and Post cruise stays are great here as the city is only 10 minutes from the port.
Low cost airlines operate direct flights from most major and regional airports ( Manchester, Leeds Bradford, Bristol and Lodon ) and and can be half the cost of doing the Cruise Lines flights.

Everybody wants to make the most of a stay in any city, and Barcelona is no different getting the hop on hop off bus gets you around easily and cheaply, ensuring you dont miss a thing. The metro system is also very reliable and safe we used it to get from our hotel to get to the port, we bought the ticket at the station and next thing you know a tram had arrived and we were on our way! This cost us around 3 Euros one way.

Some of the shiops sailing from Barcelona include the Voyager of the Seas, Norwegian Jade, MSC Splendida and the Ruby Princess. If you would like any more information regarding Barcelona or any other destination give me a call.