Lou's Cruise News

Princess cruises are getting all loved up!

2012-02-14T09:53:00.000-08:00

Well Valentines is here once again and I am really impressed with the sale Princess Cruises have at the moment, especially as it is called the 'Love Boat', how romantic. I do remember watching the Love Boat on television when I was much younger! I used to love it and I was told the other day that the programme was actually filmed on the Pacific Princess, this is something I didn't know. I thought I would have a look further at this and to my surprise some of the filming was also carried out on the Island Princess. I was a huge fan of this series back in the late 70's, it was very easy going and always ended with everyone happy! I think I am just a little romantic still at heart. Well here is a few pictures as I had real fun looking at these and remembering what the cast used to look like.

I hope you have as much fun looking at these pictures as I did, it just brings back really good memories to me. I just wish when I go my cruises it was like the Love Boat and I would meet the man of my dreams and live happily ever after!!!

Fred Olsen ships to sail from Liverpool in 2013

2012-02-07T03:15:00.000-08:00

I have just been reading that Fred Olsen are looking at sailing out of Liverpool port in 2013. They have just announced they will have 10 cruises on the Boudicca sailing from the port next summer. Before next year Cruise and Maritime Voyages have some sailings this year from Liverpool port starting in May. They have a selection of 11 sailings going to Norway, the Baltics, France/Portgual, Ireland and the Canary Islands.

Liverpool's Port openend in 2007 but it has not proved to be very succesful due to the Pier Head was built with public money, on the understanding that it would be used for day calls at this historic northern port. Cruises that started and finished in Liverpool were not permitted originally to sail from the port on this basis.

Fred Olsen used to sail out of Liverpool but my understanding as to why they originally pulled out of the port for their cruises was the lack of facilities for embarkation. But now, Liverpool Council has agreed to repay up to £9 million of the grant cash that built the Pier Head terminal so that it can compete freely with ports like Southampton, Dover and Harwich. The council is also applying for planning permission to build a baggage handling facility by spring this year.

I must say I think this is great news for the cruising industry as it gives passengers alot more flexibility on where to cruise from in the UK. No fly cruises are proving to grow each year as more and more people decide they do not want to fly anymore.

I have Passed my Driving Test!!!!

2012-01-31T09:12:00.000-08:00

I thought I would let you all know and share my fantastic news. I have passed my driving test and I am over the moon! I was so nervous when I took my test but luckily I had a really nice examiner and he managed to put me at ease. I felt like I had driven well but then you can never be sure how you have done, as soon as I pulled in back at the test centre my heart just sank, I then started to panic but when he told me I had passed my face just lit up. I am now fully qualified to drive and have my little car which I am now driving on my own, I just love cruising along.

Why not try something new like and Azamara cruise!

2012-01-24T10:57:00.000-08:00

I was having a look today at some cruises for myself, I think I just feel like getting away and I cannot wait until July for my next cruise! I came across an Azamara sailing, I looked further into the itinerary and price, I was amazed at the cost. They have some fantastic deals on at the moment and they are almost all inclusive as they include the following:

1. Gratuities
2. Boutique red and white wines with lunch and dinner
3. Bottled water, soft drinks, speciality coffees and teas, this is all throughout the day
4. Complimentary self-service laundry room
5. Complimentary shuttle service to and from the ports, this is subject to the distance of the ports from the town etc

I must say I cruised with Seabourn last year, they are small, luxury ships and I wasn't sure how I would like it but I absolutely loved it. Azamara are the same in size, small, intimate ships, with a country casual feel onboard (which means no formality), I do like this sometimes as I am not a big fan of dressing up as sometimes I just want to chill out and relax in what I feel comfortable in. They are 5 star premium ships too which appeals to me at the moment, all I need to do now is get myself booked on one!

Terrible News about Costa Concordia

2012-01-17T11:49:00.000-08:00

I still cannot believe what has happened to the Costa Concordia ship over the weekend. It is just so hard to believe that in this day and age this disaster could happen. It should never have happened, they are saying on the news it is the fault of the Captain, a human disaster! The more I am reading about it the more angry I am getting with the Captain. I really do feel for the people onboard, the crew and the passengers, it must have been very terrifying for them, something that will stay with them forever.

It is such a shame for the cruising industry though, I just hope it doesn't put people off going on a cruise in the future. Cruising is one of the greatest ways to travel, you can relax, be pampered and see many countries in just one holiday. It is good value for money for all of the family no matter what age you are. My family love cruising and they say it is the best way to holiday and I know they are going to keep going, they love it so much. I fully understand people will panic when they hear this but I think if you worry about everything you see, hear and read about you wouldn't leave the house. I have my cruise booked for July and I cannot wait, I have been on many cruises and I have always had a fantastic time, hence this is why I keep cruising.

My thoughts are with the families of the people who have lost their lives and who are still missing. This must never happen again but I really hope cruising is not only remebered for the Costa Concordia disaster.

Celebrating a BIG birthday by going on a Cruise

2012-01-10T11:49:00.000-08:00

I am starting to feel very nervous as I have a Big birthday coming up, my 40th! I keep getting reminded by my friends and family every day asking me 'what are you doing for your birthday'? I just wish now I would have booked a cruise so that I could have avoided having a big celebration at home, I really do not like being the centre of attention. I don't like to leave anyone out of celebrating so I am going to have to celebrate it over a week now so I can do something with everyone! Just when I thought I could forget it after the day I am going to have to prolong the celebrations. If only I would have thought about it earlier I could have gone on a cruise, had a celebration package on the ship for one night then I could just forget it and pretend I was still only 30! I have had a look at some of hte packages they offer and they are really good, you can even have your cabin and door dressed up! As usual I just didn't think about it until the last minute. My sister celebrated her Wedding Anniversary last year when we cruised on the Independence of the Seas and they were really surprised, especially when the staff sang tothem at dinner and delivered a cake to the table, they were made to feel very special onboard by all of the staff. This is what I should have done, at least it would have been just one night of celebrating.

For all of you out there who do not want people to know when a big birthday is looming look at going on a cruise and getting away from it all, it is worth it and something you will never forget.

Just Got Back From the P&O Arcadia

2012-01-03T13:32:00.000-08:00

I thoroughly enjoyed my works recent Christmas Party, a mini cruise on the P&O Arcadia in December. I had a fabulous time, I wasn't sure we would get into Bruges as the last couple of times the Arcadia had not managed to get into the port due to the bad weather conditions but the Captain managed to get in this time. I had such a fantastic time with all of my work colleagues, we are such a great bunch and we really know how to party!

The ship is an adult only ship, it was a little strange not seeing any children onboard as I have not previously been on an adult only ship. However she had a great English pub onboard called the Rising Sun, it reminded me of a pub back at home, very English and it also had a karoke machine which was great fun for cruise.co.uk after a few drinks! We had diner in the main restaurant onboard, it was lovely and as always we had service with a smile. Nothing was too much trouble for the staff. I decided to go and see a show on the night, there were two acts, one was a juggling act and another was a soul singer, both were very good. I wasn't too sure at first about watching the juggler but he was really amusing, very funny and very good at what he did, he got the crowd roaring with laughter. I then enjoyed a drink at the Rising Sun and a quick dance in the nightclub before I retired at around 1.30am, my bed was calling, I wanted to enjoy the day in Bruges and get myself some chocolates for Christmas so I decided not to burn the candle from both ends. I had promised my friend some handmade Belguim chocolates as her husband was in Bruges to see the football earlier on in the year and didn't get her any so I couldn't break my promise, what sort of friend would I be!

Well the next day I went for breakfast in the Buffet restaurant, I had a big cooked breakfast, it was lovely apart from I ate too much. Then off I went for my day in Bruges. It is such a wonderful place to visit, I think Bruges is so pretty and such a perfect place to go on holiday. The only problem was that it was a wet day and I had to keep darting in and out of the shops to keep dry and warm. But I am not complaining I even had a lovely mug of hot chocolate and a mulled wine whilst on my travels. The day was nearly over so I went back to the ship and got ready for another great night. This time I decided to try the Indian night in the Buffet restaurant. The staff were all dressed up in their traditional clothes and they had prepared a wonderful curry night. The tables were all laid out very formally even though you still went to get your own food and picked exactly what you wanted. I had a great meal that night, I really enjoyed it and would recommend anyone to go to these nights when they are on, you do not have to pay any supplement for this it is all included and it just gives you more choice of where and what to eat whilst onboard.

Well my trip was nearly over now but I did have a great time, I thought the ship was great, plenty of places to go to whatever your age and plenty of things to do. I can't wait now for our next Christmas party, only another 12 months to go.

Happy New Year to everyone

2011-12-28T08:29:00.000-08:00

Well Christmas has now gone, I am back at work now and I have got back to normality. However I cannot believe how quickly Christmas has been and gone already. I had a wonderful Christmas this year, it was lovely to see my nephew and two nieces all excited with what Father Christmas had left for them under the tree! However I cannot believe that is it now for another 12 months!.

I wanted to just wish you all a very HAPPY NEW YEAR and here's to 2012.

Halfway there to Passing Mr Driving Test

2011-12-19T07:14:00.000-08:00

I am over the moon, I have just passed my Theory Driving test! Only the Practical part to go now!

I was so nervous when I went to take it, my hands were shaking as I felt like I couldn't remember anything I had previously looked at, my mind just went blank. I was surprised though, as when I sat down and started the test I could feel myself getting calmer and excited as I knew the answers! As the questions came up I thought 'I know this one'!

I thought I would let you all know, this is the best Xmas present I could have had and you can imagine I have a huge smile on my face.

Here's to the last part now! I am hoping to cruise through it.

Cunard's QM2 is back in service after her refurbishment.

2011-12-12T10:16:00.000-08:00

Cunard recently took into dry dock the QM2 for a refurbishment which took 2 weeks. She was taken into dry dock in Blohm Voss yard in Hamburg where she underwent some routine maintenance work underneath, hence the reason for going into dry dock. At the same time she also went through some extensive internal refurbishment to update her. They have had more than 18 miles of new carpets and fabrics fitted around the ship. Her staterooms and several bars have also had work carried out.

The biggest change from the outside was that 'Southampton' from the ships stern has been replaced now with 'Hamilton'. This is because the ship is now registered in Bermuda rather than Britain so that people can get married onboard her if they wish. 'Weddings at Sea' is now a very big market, hence you can have your wedding and honeymoon all in one go and anyone who wants to join you can do. I think that Cunard have realsied this big business now and unfortunately ships registered in Britain are not recognised by British Law so this is why they took the decision to get her registered in Bernuda where they are recognised.

I am glad to say she was re-launched on the 8th Decemember when she sailed from Southampton for her mini cruise. One of my friends was on her and said she was amazing!

What happened over the last 7 days!

2011-12-05T08:55:00.000-08:00

I have come back to work today after a weeks holiday, haven't been away though on a cruise unfortunately! I needed to get the last of my holiday booked before the end of the year so I thought I would take a week off to catch up on a few things I have been putting off. My first priority was to start my Christmas shopping, I cannot believe we are in December already! Well I have made a pretty good start as I have got nearly everything I need and probably a bit more aswell. My next priority was to start revising for my driving test 'Theory' and I am very pleased with myself as I have put alot of time into this and fingers crossed for me when I take the test, I will let you know how i get on. My last priority was to go out in my car with my dad and get alot of practice in as been at work all day I tend to only get time in my car on my days off and if I want to build up my confidence I need to get on the road as often as I can. You will be pleased ot know I managed to go out quite a few times and my dad is still in one piece! I am just sitting here thinking where did last week go, it just flew past and it is like I have never been away from my desk! However I will say it is nice to get back to normal, I have missed catching up on the gossip with all my work colleagues, I have been watching 'I am a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here' and I had no one to talk about it to the following day! Well I am back now and I must say it is nice to be back!

Another cruise for me to look forward to!

2011-11-21T08:35:00.000-08:00

I have not got too long now to wait until I go on the P&O Arcadia. I am looking forward to seeing her as I have cruised on three P&O ships in the past butI have not been on one of their adult only ships. In fact I have never not been on an adult only ship before with any cruiseline. I am going on the Arcadia in December for a two night sailing to Bruges, this is our works Christmas Party so I know how lucky I am.

I have been to Bruges a few times now so it is more the ship for me this year but I will still be going into Bruges to get some lovely handmade chocolates to take home with me. I bought 2 boxes last year and I loved them so much I ended up eating a box all to myself! I definitely won't be doing that this year, I must have put on half a stone in weight! However they were the best chocolates I have ever tasted.

I have just printed off my tickets so as you can imagine I am getting a little excited, I wil let you know all about it on my return.

My great weekend in Anglesey!

2011-11-14T11:20:00.000-08:00

I thought I would let you know what I did this weekend. I have a great friend whose mom lives in Beaumaris in Anglesey, which is a town on the Menai Strait. I have been here before and I absolutley love it, I feel so relaxed when I am there, I go for a weekend but feel I have been there for a week! We drove there through Snowdonia National Park and I was just amazed at the scenery, we do not realise how lucky we are and what we have on our doorstep.

Beaumaris is known for its medieval Castle which dates back to the reign of Edward I and its Victorian pier, gaol & courthouse. It is also a major centre for yachting and also boasts two golf courses within one mile of the town. However I have never played Golf so I wouldn't know what is a good or a bad course to go on! However they have some lovely shops aswell with some great gifts to bring home.

I really was quite taken back with how the town all pulled together on Remembrance Sunday. After the Church service they had a Parade with the band playing through the town, I thought this was lovely and it made my weekend feel very special.

I also visited a great beach called Lligwy, as the weather was beautiful everyone had the same idea as me and it was quite busy.

I thought how lucky people are who live there having this beach on their doorstep! I found out the beach has won seaside awards since 2004, I can see why. They allow dogs on the beach all year round and I was so surprised how clean it was, there was not one bit of rubbish or mess on it at all. I picked up a few shells to keep and I now have them on my desk as when I look at them they put a smile on my face and remind me of my wonderful weekend!

What a Lovely Surprise!

2011-11-07T04:38:00.000-08:00

I came into work on Wednesday and found a big parcel on my desk. I started to think what could it be, I never have parcels delivered to work except sometimes my clients will send me information they received on their recent cruise, such as menus etc. I do enjoy receiving these as it helps me in my job and it also lets me see what my clients have had on their cruise.

I started to open it and my heart was racing, I could not believe my eyes, it was a Fossil Bag from one of my very good customers. I was completley shocked at what they had sent me. It just put a huge smile on my face and it made me feel extremely special. I feel I don't deserve it though as it is my job to look after my clients and this is what I pride myself on. So to me I have not done anything out of the ordinary to what I do normally in my job. However I did call my clients to thank them and they did say they really appreciate all the work I do for them and their cruises always go smoothly!

I thought you may want to see a picture of me with my new bag. Just look at my HUGE smile!

Finally I have my own Car

2011-10-31T16:26:00.000-07:00

I am really excited and just wanted to let you all know, I bought my first car today! It was delivered whilst I was at work so I cannot wait for my day off, I am going to give it a spring clean so that it is gleaming! I am very proud of myself, I have not passed my test yet but hopefully it won't be long now. You probably remember my Blog at the beginning of the year telling you that I am starting to learn to drive. Well I am nearly there, my dad never thought the day would come when I have my own car, I think he is in shock! I have promised myself that I will keep my car very clean, I am even going to buy myself a little air freshner to hang off the mirror! Maybe a Vanilla fragranced one as I love the smell of Vanilla. I know it sounds daft but I cannot wait to take my car out for a spin, I am very proud of myself! I am still looking forward to my cruise next year but for the moment the only thing on my mind is passing my test so that I can go cruising in my own car!

A - List Celebrity cruising on the Allure of the Seas

2011-10-24T00:28:00.000-07:00

How shocked was I when I sat down with a cup of tea on Wednesday night and I saw Paul Merton the Comedian cruising on the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas!

Well it was really fascinating to watch especially as this is the largest ship in the world and it brought back so many memories of my cruise with Royal Caribbean on the Independence of the Seas this year. She has the same features on board but on a much bigger scale, I was even taken back by the sheer size of her. The programme brought back so many memories for me and the Irish bar reminded me so much of my many nights in The Dog and Badger!

I must say for anyone who has never cruised before it was well worth watching as it showed you what his thoughts were on his 7 night sailing in the Caribbean. As well as showing you the ship it was great to see the Ports of call as well especially as I have never been to the Caribbean. The only gripe I would say is that he didn't show you much on the entertainment on the evening as they do put on some fantastic shows and the Royal Promenade Parades are not worth missing they are the best you will see at sea. However it was well worth watching and I am sure the show will be repeated sometime in the near future and if you are interesterd in travel his show is carrying on each week on Channel 5, it is called 'Paul Merton's Adventures' and it is showing you different ways to take your holiday, taking you to differnet countries each week. I think it is well worth watching and I will be glued to the screen again this Wednesday.

Carnival Cruiseline will be hosting a free concert with Maroon 5

2011-10-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

I have just read that Maroon 5 will be hosting a concert for Carnival cruiseline on the 13th November this year in Galveston Texas. The reason for the concert will be to celebrate the Carnival Magic, the newest ship in their fleet as she makes her transatlantic crossing to Texas this year. She was launched in May this year in Europe and will now be sailing to Galveston in Texas where this will be her all year round home Port. The concert is to welcome their newest 'fun ship' to the fleet and the concert will be free for Maroon 5 fans and Carnival passengers who are lucky enough to grab a free ticket! The band will perform in front of the ship at the new Pier before she will then sail on her inaugural sailing from the US. I wish was there I am a real fan of Maroon 5.

Had a Fab time in Johnny Rockets on Royal Caribbean

2011-10-10T07:11:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share with you my experience in Johnny Rockets when I was onboard the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas. It is such a treat and something everyone should try if they are going on a Royal Caribbean cruise which has a Johnny Rockets onboard! It is something you may never do again, eating in an authentic 1950's American Diner whilst at sea, how great is that! You can dine in Johnny Rockets for Lunch and Dinner as it is open from 11.30am until 1.00am (so if you fancy a burger as a midnight snack this is the place to go). They do charge a supplement of $4.95 pe person to dine their but it is worth every penny, the burgers are so juicy and there is a never ending supply of fries and onion rings. I think they charge this to stop the children eating there every minute of the day as it is very appealing to kids, just look at McDonalds. But I have to say this diner is nothing like going to McDonalds! You do have to pay for your drinks in there just like any other restaurant onboard but if you have the soda fountain package then it is accepted aswell. Another bonus is that every 30 minutes the waiters get up and dance for you! Oh and each table has its own Juke Box so that you are incontrol of what music is played whilst you are in there but if you choose to sit outside they do not have this facility it is only inside the diner.

I thought you may want to see some of pictures from my time dining in Johnny Rockets. I will definitely be eating here again next year when I go back on the ship.

P&O have extended the refurbishment time for the Oriana

2011-10-03T10:22:00.000-07:00

I heard the news that P&O have had to cancel three of their sailings in December this year due to the Oriana having to stay in dry dock longer than P&O originally thought. I have to say I understand that the refurbishment may need to take longer than they thought but I can't help but feel sorry for the passengers who have booked on their sailings and have now had to have them cancelled or transferred. It must be very disappointing for the passengers especially as it is around Christmas and it will be very hard to find something esle now to do for the time. However I know P&O have offered alternatives such as a cruising on a different ship or postponing their cruise for a later date, they are also offering full refunds to passengers who do not want to do either of the alternatives.

I do think that the ship will be amazing after her refurbishment and she will be worth the wait but it is just so unfortunate for the passengers who were already booked on her. As soon as I know anymore about her new features etc I will let you know as I am really interested in what she will be like especially as I cruised on her last year!

I have booked again on the Independence of the Seas for 2012!

2011-09-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

I am so excited, I have booked again today for the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas, I will be cruising on her in July 2012. As you can imagine I had such a fantastic time this year that I want to go again! The reason I have booked so early is that my nephew will be coming again with me and I know the cabins sell so fast for the school holidays. Even though I work in the travel industry and I can check prices every day I know if I do not book early for school holidays I will not get what I want, also as the cruises sell out the prices normal increase! I am going on the same ship but I will be doing a different itienrary, the Italian Med this year so some new ports of call that I have not been to before.

I thought you may want to see some more pictures from my cruise on her this year.

You can see why I have booked again, it was one of the best holidays I have ever had. I have just got to work hard now to pay for it!

My day on the MSC Opera

2011-09-19T11:12:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to be invited to Southampton to look around the MSC Opera ship last Thursday before she went on her cruise. I have wanted to see this ship for a long time now because she is very popular as she sails to and from Southampton. No fly cruises are getting so popular now, I think it is because it is much easier than flying, less hassle and you have no luggage restrictions (so long as it fits into your cabin!). I know she is a slightly older ship so I wasn't sure what she was going to be like but I was very surprised. As soon as we walked on the staff were very friendly, smiling and greeting us as we were walking around which is always a good sign (the staff are obvioulsy happen in their work).

The decor was very pink but in a nice subtle way, the carpet and funishings were very well maintained and you would have thought she was only a couple of years old. MSC have really well looked agter her and kept her maintained her . I was also told that the Opera has no obstructed views in her Theatre, she has no pillars restricting your view when in her. I wasn't aware of this before but I think it is really good selling point for MSC as I love going to the Theatre's onboard and watching a show and I have on the odd occasion had to sit in front of a pillar when there has been no other seats available and you keep having to move your head from side to side to get a view of what is going on, it can be very annoying!

I had a look at some of the cabins on her and the inside and outside cabins are very similar in size and layout apart from you get a window in the oceanview cabin. To be honest if I was going to sail on her I would either book an inside or a balcony. MSC always have fantastic prices and normally the oceanview prices are only marginally lower than the balcony, sometimes it can be the difference of £50 - £100 per person which I think is nothing for a 7 to 14 night cruise when you break it down per day. They had everything you need in them so just the same as any other ship. They had a few lounges and bars onboard for you to relax in which is always good as that it was we go on holiday for and the top deck area with the pool was great. They had 2 pools and 2 jacuzzi's between them and I must say the size of the pools were very good so plenty of room for everyone. Oh and another good point to make was the ice-cream parlour on the top deck by the pool bar, it had every flavour you could imagine and it looked extremely tasty! Very nice when you have been sunbathing all day in the heat and you need something to cool you down.

Well I did enjoy my visit to the ship and you never know next time I may be lucky enough to sail on her!

Fantastic time on Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas

2011-09-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

Well, as you all know I am back from my Summer holiday and what a holiday I had! From the moment we drove up to the Port at Southampton and saw the Independence of the Seas we were all in shock (apart from me as I have seen her in Port before so I knew how big she was).
My nephew's eyes were nearly popping out of his head and this continued as we embarked the ship. I have to say she is AMAZING, I think it is the size of her that you cannot believe and when you are on board she has the Royal Promenade and you just feel like you are in a shopping mall, you cannot believe you are actually on a ship! She is so glitzy with everything you can imagine onboard. she has very friendly staff and food to die for, the choice was brilliant. My brother in law came with us aswell and he is the most fussiest eater you will ever come across and even he was stuck for choice on what to eat as there was so much variety.

Here is just a few pictures of some of the food we had onboard:

I have to say we did eat in the main restaurant on board for most of our nights, the only nights we didin't were two where we decided to eat in Johnny rockets (the American Diner). We enjoyed every meal we had and we couldn't fault any of it. Even the Windjammer Buffet Restaurant where we had breakfast and lunch was great and once again so much choice.

The standard of the cleanliness on board was really good and we didn't hear of anyone getting the Norovirus but I have to say Royal Caribeean made sure everywhere you went they had the hand sanitisers available for use and people were using them.

The Ports of call, Entertainment etc was fantastic and we all had such a great time, I have so much to tell you and so many photos to add on it is going to take me a few weeks to finish my Blog on the cruise so I thought it would be easier to break it down into sections.

Just to finish this section of my Blog, we are going to book now for next year, the same ship but different itinerary so this just shows you how FANTASTIC it was!

I am back from my cruise and feeling in the dumps!

2011-09-05T11:43:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe my holiday is over, I waited 12 months for the cruise and it was well worth the wait. I had an absolutely fantastic time and the ship was amazing. So much to do on her, my nephew was blown away and wants to go again next year! I did say I will take him again and I am going to start looking for 2012.

I will soon get my photos put on my Blog so you can see for yourselves what a great time I had so keep your eye out as it will be coming shortly.

I am off now on on my cruise !

2011-08-19T00:23:00.000-07:00

Yippee !! Well here is my last Blog before my holiday, I am sure you all know by now I am going on my cruise on Saturday, the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas and I cannot wait. I am looking forward to a cocktail on our sailaway from Southampton.

All I wanted to say was Bon Voyage and see you you when I get back on the 5th September. Watch this space for my photos and Blog, I will let you know all about it on my return.

Gareth Gates to Cruise on P&O

2011-08-13T04:44:00.000-07:00

I was reading the paper yesterday and noticed that Gareth Gates will be cruising with P&O. He is going to be on the Oceana for a 2 night cruise on the 3rd September 2011 and will be performing for the passengers. I must say I did watch Pop Idol when Gareth was on, 10 years ago now and I was a fan of Will Young. However I did like Gareth and I do think he has a wonderful voice, its just that I am a big fan of Will!

Gareth will be performing 3 shows in the 500 seat Footlight Theatre on board. They have said he will be performing some of his hit singles such as Spirit in the Sky, Unchained Melodies and Anyone of Us (I did really like this single). He is also going to be around after the shows for people who would like their photograph taken with him and get his autograph.

I was tempted to see if I could get on the cruise but I only get back from my cruise on the 3rd so I need to be back at work, I think I may be pushing it a bit if I ask for another 3 days off!

Looking to cruise in school holidays for 2012, LOOK NOW!

2011-08-06T11:09:00.000-07:00

Well I didn't think I was going to be able to Blog today, my computer has been going crazy! As I am not the most technical person I have been pulling my hair out all day! But thanks to my friend, he has managed to get it working so enough about my bad day and let me tell you what I wanted to put on my Blog.

As you know I am going on my cruise in two weeks and although I haven't been yet I have started thinking about my holiday for next summer already. It is very disheartening for me as I have taken many calls at work from people over the last few weeks wanting a last minute cruise with their family and even though I have tried very hard to find them something on most occasions I have not been successful. I feel awful for them as I can hear the disapointment in their voices. This has made me start to think about my cruise for next year, I need to start looking now if I am going to take my nephew again as school holidays sell out so fast especially if you need three or four people in a cabin, these can sell out 12 months in advance! It sounds crazy but cruising is so popular now and everyone wants to go, I think it is because it really is value for money. Parents can relax and enjoy their holiday knowing that their children are been looked after in the kids clubs and if they are not there they will be enjoying themselves just being onboard as there is so much for them to do. Don't forget all your food and entertainment is included aswell so this takes out the worry of 'what shall we do tonight, how much can we spend?. So I thought I would put this on my Blog to get people thinking, if you want to cruise next year and it is in school holidays you must start looking now, do not leave it to the last minute as it just causes dissapointment and why shouldn't you get away when you have worked hard all year! So happy searching!!

Travel Insurance specially designed for cruisers

2011-07-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

Well I thought I would let you know we have an new Travel Insurance policy which is designed just for cruisers. I think it makes perfect sense to add extra cover for cruise travellers as they may need a few more benefits than land based holiday travellers.

For instance:

1. If you are arranging your own flights and the flights are delayed or cancelled etc the policy will cover you.
2. If you are poorly on your cruise and cannot leave your cabin then you can claim for this and receive compensation for the days you miss of your cruise.
3. If the ship changes its itinerary and has to miss a port whilst on the cruise, for instance if the weather is too bad for the ship to dock. You will receive compensation for this also.

I must say that this Insurance is a breath of freshair and makes perfect sense for people who want comprehensive cover for when you go on a cruise. However this policy may not appeal to everyone so there is also a standard Travel Insurance policy which suits everyone who is going on a holiday and covers all of the basic needs for people on their holiday. So once your Travel Insurance is in place you can sit back, relax and look forward to going!

Elvis is cruising on the ocean waves!

2011-07-24T04:14:00.000-07:00

Wow, I am so jealous, I have just read that the Carnival Fascination will be having a 4 night Elvis Themed cruise. You will have various Tribute Acts onboard aswell as some of Elvis's former costars and friends who will be interacting with all of the passengers during a question and answering session, panel discussions, autograph events and alot more!

The cruise is on January 12th 2012, it will be a once in a life time cruise to celebrate the life of the KING OF ROCK 'N' ROLL and what a great way to celebrate his life. It is just after his birthday and it will follow the celebrations in Memphis. I have been a massive fan of Elvis and have been since I was a child, I have always loved his music and films. He is one of my idols! This cruise will be around the Caribbean, she is setting sail from Jacksonville Florida and will be cruisng to Nassau in the Bahamas.

One place I have always wanted to visit is Hawaii, it is a dream for me to go there and I know one day I am going to take a cruise to Hawaii. My only thoughts about Hawaii is Elvis because of the three films he made there Blue Hawaii, Girls Gitls Girls and Paradise, Hawaiian Style, I have watched them many times and love them! I know he also went there to perform and did many live performances for his fans. My only wish is that I could have seen him live but unfotunately I was too young but it would have been amazing! He was so talented and it was such a tragedy when he died so young. At least I can look back and watch his movies, they always put a smile on my face when I watch one!

Well, all I need to do now is save some money and hope there will be another Elvis cruise in the future.

I am Counting the days now until my CRUISE!

2011-07-17T04:31:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it, I booked my cruise last September and I now have less than 5 weeks to go before I am on the ship! You will all probably remember I am cruising on the Royal Caribbean - Independence of the Seas on the 20th August for 2 weeks with my nephew.

Well I cannot tell you how excited I am, I have made sure I have done everything I needed to do in preparation, I must tell people so many times a day what they need to do after they have made the booking so if I cannot get this wrong!

This is my cruise checklist:

1. Check-in online.
2. Look at Shore Excursions online.
3. Order my luggage lables online.
4. Print off my tickets online.
5. Makesure I have valid Travel Insurance.
6. Makesure I have at least 6 months validaty on my passport from when I return to the UK.
7. My credit or debit card is in date.
8. I have plenty of currency for the ports I will be visiting.
9. Do I need any Visa's?

If I have done all of the above then I am ready to go!!!!!!!!!

I promise you I am going to have a go on the FLOW RIDER and the ROCK CLIMBING WALL so keep your eye out for my pictures when I get back.

Here is a picture of the Rock Climbing Wall and Flow Rider so you can see what I will be experiencing at sea! Oh and I did forget to mention I will also be ice-skating as they have an Ice-Rink onboard! How fab is my holiday going to be and my nephew will have plenty of things to talk about when he gets back to school.

What you need to follow to get yourself a last minute cruise deal!

2011-07-10T07:45:00.000-07:00

Well Summer is here (apart from the odd shower now and then!) and I have been getting lots of calls from people wanting a last minute deal. I thought you may want to follow my checklist to help you bag a last minute cruise deal!

Just follow these 5 steps:

1. FIND YOURSELF AN AGENT YOU LIKE AND STICK WITH THEM.
Every cruise agent will have access to the same cruise availability, so it will not make any difference if you call 5 or 6 agents as they will have exactly the same offers. The best thing to do is find an agent you like and stick with them and let them do the work for you (remember if you have an agent with a direct line you will always beable to go straight to them at anytime and not have to keep been transferred to different agents within the company).

2. BUDGET, SET YOURSELF AN AMOUNT YOU CAN AFFORD.
The general rule is that cruise lines will only reduce prices if they are struggling to fill the ship. A popular cruise ship and departure date will often hold its price and will not be reduced. You need to look at when and where you want to cruise to, just bear in mind a 14 night cruise to the mediterranean in the summer will not sell for £500 per person! If you do get a last minute deal they will not normally have anything else attached to them like free carparking or onbaord credit as the price would have been slashed drastically from the original price so it is not worth even asking.

3. TRY TO BE FLEXIBLE.
If we only have 2 dates to work with, only able to check from one departure point and must be one destination it limits the cruises we lcan ook at for you. It is easier if you can be a bit flexible, especially if you are looking around school holidays. This doesn't mean you tell us you don't mind when you travel, where you go to, have no budget in mind as this can be just as difficult as there are so many cruises out there. Try at least to give dates and a budget that you are working towards.

4. BE ORGANISED.
Always check you can have the time off work, if you have any animals makesure you can get them into a kennel etc, have a valid passport and a credit or debit card in your hand to make the booking. Once you have all this sorted just call your agent so that they can look for a cruise for you and hopefully get it booked. Remember availability can go at anytime so if you like the cruise and the price you have whilst on the phone, book it straight away otherwise if you callback later on it may have gone! Always remember cruiselines will not let anyone hold cabins, especially on last minute deals.

5. COMPROMISE.
Lets be honest, if you leave things to the last minute you will not beable to get the best cabins as these would have been booked well in advance. Be prepared to be offered cabins with restricted views, guaranteed cabins (this is where you will be offered a certain grade but not a cabin number, the cruisline will allocate a cabin for you). You may not get flights from your nearest airport, so be prepared to travel further afield and you may not get direct flights. Also you may not get the dining time of your choice, again this is because people that book early will have had first choice and booked what they wanted. But you must bear in mind what you will get is VALUE FOR MONEY! The chances are you would have paid less than others who booked earlier and to see what a BARGAIN you have had just check out the original price in the brochure!

Well after you have booked your last minute bargain sit down, relax and have a well earned drink and then jsut start thinking of what you are going to pack!!!!

I hope this has helped and remember just follow these 5 helpful hints and you will definitely pick up a FANTASTIC DEAL!!!!!

What is included on a Seabourn cruise

2011-07-03T01:52:00.000-07:00

I was really surprised when I cruised on Seabourn, I knew what was included onboard before I went but I was still so surprised when I got on board. I have never been on an all inclusive ship before and it did feel very strange, everytime I ordered a drink I didn't have to get my key card out to give to the waiter, then not haivng to sign or it and getting a receipt! I always end up with loads of till receipts in my bags and pockets from being on a cruise, this time I had nothing! I literally did not have to pay for anything onboard. The only things you do have to pay for are the Shore Excursions (if you decide to take any) and Spa treatments etc. The one thing that was great was the Square where I would go and have a speciality coffee in the morning and afternoon, anything I wanted I could have at no cost, it was amazing. Normally on most ships you always have to pay for speciality coffees! It sounds really silly but it made me feel important and special not having to pay for things, when you think of everything you pay for onboard a cruise ship Seabourn does work out very good value for money.

I thought you may want to see the menu board from the square, just see what you can have:

Here are a couple of pictures of the square where you can sit, relax and enjoy a coffee. It is also the place where you would go to book shore excursions and the Reception:

IPad menus onboard the Celebrity Infinity

2011-06-26T09:41:00.000-07:00

I have just read that the Celebrity Infinity ship has a new restaurant onboard called 'Qsine' and it features the menus (including wine) presented on an IPad. How amazing is this and so Hi Tech! This was added to the ship as part of its new refurbishment it has undergone. Well it just goes to show how these ships have come on, you can virtually have anything on a cruise now, they are literally floating resorts. This is just one of her new features onboard, she also features the Aqua class staterooms which are inconjunction with the Spa Program they offer. She has now the famous Ice-topped Martini Bar aswell, I thought this was a great bar when I was on the Equinox, very unique.

I cruised to Warnemunde in Germany on Seabourn

2011-06-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

Well I thought you might want to know how I got on when I cruised through the Kiel Canal and went to Warnemunde in Germany recently on the Seabourn Sojourn. I did say I would let you know how I got on and show you some pictures, so here we go.

Going through th Kiel Canal Transit was amazing, it took most of the day and it was great. You cannot imagine how close you are to the canal bank. In the morning I decided to go up to the Observation Lounge as I thought this would be the best place to see everything, I wasn't wrong. I went out on the the front and had a really great view. As the sun came out in the afternoon I did go into the jacuzzi with a nice cocktail and just watched the world go by, it was great!

Kiel Canal Transit:

Rostock: I couldn't resist this picture of a shop selling underwear, look what they have on the washing line above!

Warnemunde is such a pretty place to visit and the sailing boats make it look so picturesque. Apart from the big seagulls lurking around!

As you get to the lighthouse you turn the corner and have a lovely beach to relax on.

I must say I was really impressed with Warnemunde, if I did want to go into Berlin from the port it would have been a around a 3 hour coach ride which I thought was just too long. I decided to take a walk into Warnemunde and I was really surprised. As soon as you get off the ship it is a small 5 minute walk, you pass through the train station and then cross a bridge and you are there, it is lovely. I did get the train to Rostock which is a town so if you want to get some shopping in this is the place to go to, I had to take a train first which was took about 20 minutes and then I changed to a 5 minute tram jorney to the centre. I would only recommend going into Rostock if you want to shop in high street stores as I found Warnemunde a much prettier place to stay for the day and they had some lovely souvenir shops.

So my next Blog will be on Tallinn which is where I disembarked the ship so watch this space!

A new ship to cruise with P&O

2011-06-12T04:21:00.000-07:00

P&O have just announced they are going to be launching a new ship in 2015. She will be 141,000 tonnes so the biggest they will have in their fleet and she is due to be cruising with them in March 2015. I read that she will carry 3,611 passengers, the biggest ships they have at the moment are the Azura and the Ventura but they only carry 3,100 passengers and they are only 115,000 tonnage so you can see she will be considerably bigger!

P&O have said that their new ship will offer a sylish and new innovative theme aswell as an unprecedented number of passenger facilities. Don't worry though as they have also said she will still have the brands classic and iconic features on board. I think they want the ship to entice new people to crusing with the new features on board but still keeping it very P&O as they also want to keep their loyal passengers happy. They are not letting us have anymore inforamtion at the moment and said that they will release more information later on in the year so we will just have to wait a little bit longer. I think they love to keep our minds thinking, teasing us on what she will be like and keeping us guessing!

Look at my Suite I had on the Seabourn Sojourn

2011-06-05T06:51:00.000-07:00

Well I said I would have more Blogs to follow regarding my recent cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn. The suite I had was amazing, I had a huge bathroom with a separate shower and bath, a walk in wardrobe, a huge bed which was so comfortable, a great longe area with a flat screen television and a big balcony with 2 loungers and a table. Here are a few of my pictures.

Just look at the soaps you can have aswell, this is on top of the Molton Brown products already in the Bathroom.

Look at this spacious Bathroom, I couldn't believe I had a separate Shower and Bath!

And look at this walk-in wardrobe, how good am I, as soon as I got into my suite I hung up all of my clothes as I didn't want any creases!

I was extremely impressed with the impeccable service from everyone onboard and I knew from this moment that this cruise was something very special. I checked out the movies on demand, I couldn't believe how many were available for me to watch and they were so up to date, I watched Black Swan which has only just been released and 127 Hours. All of these were available for me to watch whenever I wanted and at no charge, you could even start to watch a film then if you wanted a break you could go back and resume it at any time! I thought it was great! I just could do with this at home!

I did have room service on a couple of occasions, it was great because you have a table and chairs in your suite so you don't have to eat you food on your lap or on an extremely small table like some cabins I have been in on other ships. When the steward arrives with your food, they lay it out onto the table just like in the restaurant, table cloth aswell! the food is hot and you could even have the menu on the evening that is in the main restaurant so you get a different menu each evening which I thought was good as it gives you more variety.

Well what more can I say about my suite apart from it was FANTASTIC.

Watch this space to see more on my cruise with Seabourn.

Roger Daltrey cruising on Cunard

2011-05-29T14:01:00.000-07:00

Wow, I have just been reading the newspaper tonight and I could not believe my eyes. Roger Daltrey from the band The Who has just cruised on Cunard's Queen Mary 2 from Southampton to New York . Apparently he was on there with a really good friend of his who was hosting some workshops onboard for songwriting. He decided to take to the stage in the Golden Lion pub on the last night of the cruise and sing some of his hit songs. Wow what a great person, that really shows he appreciates his fans, he didn't have to give them a free intimate concert! I know if I was on there and saw him I would have been gobsmacked, I think he is great! Just shows you that you never know who you could meet on your cruise!

I am back from my cruise on Seabourn

2011-05-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

Well I am finally back from my cruise on the Seabourn Sojourn and what a wonderful cruise I have had.
Firstly I am going to have to write my review in stages on my Blog as there is just too much I want to say and I have lots of pictures to add on aswell so watch this space over the next few weeks!

What a lovely view of the main pool.

See below for some more great pictures!

This is a picture of the Square, where you can have a lovely coffee, all complimentary of course.

Just some of the great food I had onboard!

Look at the luxurious sun lounges, they were really comfortable!

This is the main Restaurant.

Nicole my cabin stewardess used to leave me something on my bed each evening, I even had little notes saying 'Pleasant Dreams' etc. She also used to lay a board out on my bed with all the information I needed for the next day. I used to look forward to going to bed just to see what I had!

This was a picture I took of the ship when we docked in Warnemude in Germany.

I took this picture from my balcony as we were cruising through the Kiel Canal.

Another picture going through the Kiel Canal.

Here I am in the Main Restaurant one evening, I really enjoyed the food!

This was a picture I took from the main restaurant through the window, I couldn't resist the beautiful sunset.

From the moment I got to Southampton Port I was spoilt, I was only on the cruise for the first 5 nights so I didn't have a big suitcase (even though they say women always take too much) so I walked my case on myself. Only just after I checked in and went to walk through security I was stopped by a lovely gentleman who worked for Seabourn, he took my case and walked with me all the way through to the ship and took me to the Grand Salon lounge whilst I waited for my suite to be ready for me to go to. I was then looked after with refreshments of my choice, any drink from a cup of tea or coffee to a soft drink or an alcoholic drink including champagne!, anything I wanted I could have had. Also they were offering sandwiches, cakes and homemade cookies, it was the best embarkation I have ever had. I was made to feel special from the moment I checked in!

I will be going through my photos shortly so watch this space for more about my fabulous cruise on Seabourn.

I am off on a cruise again, this time on Seabourn ship!

2011-05-11T00:54:00.000-07:00

Well I thought I would let you all know, as I am extrememly excited, I am off on another cruise! On Sunday I will be sailing on a Seabourn ship, the Sojourn. She is a new ship and was only launched in June 2010. I will be cruising on her for 5 nights and I really cannot wait. I have never been on a luxury ship before so this is all new to me and very exciting. I am really looking forward to seeing the suites onboard and how they compare with a 4/5 star ship and also the food. I have been on an Oceania ship for a day and had an amazing meal onboard, the food was just magnificent, I even had caviar, something I have never eaten before so you can imagine I cannot wait to see the food I will be having on the Sojourn! Here is a picture of the ship I will be on, I cannot wait.

Watch this space for when I get back, I will tell you all about it on my return.

New Carnival ship to sail in the Mediteranean

2011-05-04T00:32:00.000-07:00

Carnival have a new ship launching in June 2012, she will be called the Carnival Breeze. She is going to start off her sailing days in the Mediteranean and will consist of 12 day cruises. After this she will be repositioning to Miami in November for year round 6 and 8 day Caribbean sailings.

As a typical Carnival ship the Breeze will still be classed as a 'Fun Ship' and she will offer a host of exciting innovations including expansive top deck areas such as WaterWorks which is an aqua park with exhilarating water slides, a SportSquare which will be an open air recreation complex with a ropes course, mini-golf and an outdoor fitness area. There will also be The Lanai which is a wraparound promenade with whirlpools extending over the ship’s sides and a 270 square foot poolside with LED screen displaying movies. There will also be dedicated play areas for the children, this will be for all ages from infants upto teenagers.

Just look at this slide for the kids even though I think alot of the adults will be on it aswell!

One for the adults will be the RedFrog Pub, a lively spot for tasty island inspired snacks and drinks, including its own private label beer. Other dining highlights will include Cucina del Capitano, a family style Italian restaurant that also brings the heritage of Carnival’s captains to the table, along with a casual two level poolside eatery. As with most ships she will also have classic American style Steakhouse (the steakhouses onboard the ships I have been on have all been the best steaks I have ever had, they just melt in your mouth).

The colour scheme throughout the ship will be Caribbean inspired, it will be throughout the interior and it takes its look from the region’s cool island breezes and warm tropical sunsets. The striking new tropical design theme will be carried out in the ship’s public spaces, as well as staterooms which will offer a combination of bright colors and soothing pastel hues, with iconic images of palm trees and other island inspired elements adorning the corridors. It all sounds very tropical to me which is great because at the end of the day you are on holiday when you sail on her and bright colours always puts a smile on my face!

I think it sounds fabulous, I would love the opportunity to go on her whilst she is in the Mediteranean in 2012 as I have never been on a Carnival ship. They always sound such fun and I know they are all very glitzy which is something I just love!

Will it be a cruise for the Royal Honeymoon!

2011-04-27T00:34:00.000-07:00

I have been wondering whether Prince William will be taking his new bride on a cruise for their honeymoon? They have not announced anything yet but I think it would be a great honeymoon for them, just think of all those places they can visit in 14 nights! What a great way to impress their children, just think of all those magical pictures they could show them, of course I am thinking in the distant future. I cannot think of a more romantic way to spend time together than cruising the ocean.

As you know I love cruising and I cannot think of anything more special then watching the sunset on the back of the ship sipping a cocktail or two. What a wonderful view they would have.

If it was me I would pretend I was like Jack and Rose from Titanic, how in love were they on the ship!

I know I am a bit of a romantic at heart, may be one day it could be me!

Well all I can say is that I am very excited for Friday and I cannot wait to see the wedding.

We have Won yet another Award!

2011-04-20T01:03:00.000-07:00

I am so pleased to be able to put on my Blog that Cruise.co.uk have just won an award for the 'BEST Large Online Travel Agent in the UK'.

Well I am over the moon, I feel very privileged to work for such a great company. It is also great to be able to tell all my friends and clients the news through my Blog, but then again I always knew that WE ARE THE BEST! when it comes to cruising. To win the award we beat many other good Travel Agents and some of the finalists were Expedia, Onthebeach and DirectlineHolidays.

My colleague Tina went to London for the ceremony and the award was presented to her on the evening. As you can see she looks really happy to be receiving the award, I did speak to her yesterday and she did say she was very nervous on stage and her legs didn't stop shaking! You can see below Tina receiveing the award and all I will say is watch this space for more awards!

P&O have announced the new look Oriana

2011-04-13T11:55:00.000-07:00

I recently received my Portunas magazine for Spring 2011 and they have announced what the Oriana is going to have new on her when she goes in for her refit in November this year.

As we know she will become an adult only ship when she cruises again after her revamp. The first thing to go will be the child friendly pool on deck 8 at the aft of the ship, including the paddling pool and kids play area. This will be turned into a relaxing seating area , complete with a small bar and elegant outdoor furniture.

They are adding 27 new cabins to the current Reef area (kids club area on board) including 2 new cabin grades and they will be an additional balcony grade and new single cabins. The single cabins is great news, I think this is because the single cabins currently on the Azura and the Ventura have proved really popular and sell out really quickly.

The Spa, Tiffany's Bar and the Reception area is to also have an upgrade. I am not sure how they can upgrade Tiffany's though as when I was on board last August it was a stunning bar with amazing decor and furniture. It was very cosmopolitan.

A picture of me in Tiffany's.

When I was onboard the Alfresco restaurant was extremely popular so I can understand why they are expanding this area. They are going to rename it Sorrento's and it will be serving exquisite Italian food so this is a change from Alfresco's but I am sure it will still be as popular.

The one thing I am a little disappointed about is that the Oriana Rhodes (Gary Rhodes restaurant) is to become the Ocean Grill, a stylish new restaurant by Marco Pierre White. I am sure it will be just as fantastic as the Oriana Rhodes and I know the White Room on the Ventura is very nice and this is also one of Marco Pierre White's restaurants. It is just that when I did dine in the Oriana Rhodes it was amazing, I have never experienced food like it and I always recommend it to people who are going on board the Oriana. I suppose all good things have to come to an end sometime but I am sure the Ocean Grill will be just as nice.

I thought you might want to see a picture of me eating in the Oriana Rhodes.

Well I am looking forward to seeing some pictures of her after her refit and hopefully one day I will cruise on her again.

New Ships for Viking River Cruises

2011-04-06T07:38:00.000-07:00

I heard today that Viking River Cruises have announced they are building 4 new ships and they will be launched in 2012. This is part of their $250 million ongoing expansion. I think this is really good news, especially as River Cruising is getting more popular and this is probably why they are planning to have more ships launched in 2014!

The 4 new ships will be called, Viking Freya, Viking Idun, Viking Njord and Viking Odin. They are all to be launched at the beginning of 2012, this will be in time for the river cruise season and the ships will sail by the end of March. They will inaugurate the line's Longship class of vessels, designed by maritime architects Yran & Storbraaten (known for creating Disney Dream and Seabourn's ships) and named after Norse gods.
The ships will feature some new state of the art facilities etc, see below:

1. Explorer Suites onboard, there will be 2 per ship, and they will each measure 445 square feet and feature a separate living room, bedroom, bathroom and private, wraparound verandah.

2. Verandah Suites onboard, there will be 7 per ship, they will be 270-square-foot and will offer full-size verandahs in the living rooms and French balconies in the bedrooms.

3. 75 percent of cabins will feature verandahs or French balconies, including 39 205-square-foot Veranda Staterooms with full-size verandahs.

4. The Aquavit Terrace brings a new lounge concept to the line. The all-weather indoor/outdoor space features retractable floor-to-ceiling glass doors for alfresco relaxation on nice days and climate-controlled views on inclement days.

5. There will be several dining options for their passengers with the addition of alfresco areas with grills on the Upper Deck.

6. Viking are going Greener also, with green cruising becoming a big trend these days, Viking will offer energy-efficient hybrid engines, solar panels and an organic herb garden on the Longships.

Viking will not be adding a Spa onboard as they do not want to take cabin space away from their passengers so instead they are going to offer spa and health club packages at luxury hotels in select destinations. I must say that a River Cruise is totally different to say a Mediterranean cruise, a River Cruise is much more about the destinations and not the entertainment onboard the ship. It is much more relaxing as it is all about the places, cruising through day and seeing all the picturesque scenery on your way!

The new ships will sail Viking's most popular routes, these are as follows:

10-day 'Tulips & Windmills' cruise.
8-day 'Romantic Danube' cruise.
15-day 'Grand European Tour' cruise.
8-day 'Danube Waltz' cruise.

I believe that as these are so popular they need more ships out there to cater for the demand in passengers so to have 4 new ships to help the existing ships already there makes perfect sense.

Well I hope one day I will get to go on a River Cruise, I would love to experience the constantly changing sceneray along the rivershores.

NCL will have Legendary Tribute Acts onboard the Epic

2011-04-01T05:57:00.000-07:00

I have been catching up on the cruise news today and I have read about the new Legendary Tribute Acts who will be performing onboard the NCL Epic this summer (from May 18th 2011) whilst she is cruisng the Mediterranean. They have announced 3 new tribute artists, they will be Whitney Houston, Elton John and Shakira.

I wasn't aware of this until I read the following:

"Legends in Concert has been one of the most popular and memorable shows aboard Norwegian Epic because the performers are so dynamic and authentic. We keep it fresh and exciting by changing the performers every four months,” said Kevin Sheehan, Norwegian Cruise Line's chief executive officer. “We are pleased to bring these new Legends performers to Norwegian Epic for her inaugural season in Europe.”

They also said that “The entertainers appearing on Norwegian Epic for the European summer itineraries performing as Elton John, Whitney Houston and Shakira were specifically selected because of their international appeal and diverse musical styles,” said Brian Brigner, chief operating officer for "Legends" producer, On Stage Entertainment. “They are three of the highest quality tribute acts in the world, and they will be joined by the always electrifying Legends singers and dancers, and a rockin’ live band.”

I know that from when I went on the Epic, the entertainment was absolutely amazing, I can see why they have very good ratings regarding this from their past passengers. I saw the Blue Man Group Show and it was something I will probably never see again. It is very hard to descibe as it is mad yet you cannot help but watch in amazement. I came out the show totally in awe and I will never forget it. I can understand why they have chosen the 3 people, as they said above , they appeal to all ages and as the Epic is a family orientated ship it makes perfect sense to have 3 different acts who all ages will know and like.

The Blue Man Group below:

The Theatre:

Fat Cats Jazz Club:

Spiegel Tent:

Well all I hope is that Elton sings his ''Rocket Man'', Shakira shakes those hips just like on her videos and Whitney belts out ''I Wanna Dance With Somebody''.

How about a Crystal Cruise!

2011-03-16T05:02:00.000-07:00

Wow, yesterday I had a chat with my Crystal Cruise Reprensentative and I was really surprised when we looked at the price difference between a 4/5 star cruiseline to a Crystal Cruise 6 star (Crystal is a luxury cruiseline). I know alot about the product and I understand it is not everyones cup of tea but I have to admit I think more people who cruise on a regular basis would be quite pleasantly surprised if they did take a cruise on one if their ships. They have two ships and they are the Crystal Serenity and the Crystal Symphony.

When you are onboard you always receive a six star service with six star dining which is always a bonus as the food is exquisite. My colleague was lucky enough to go on a Crystal ship last year with his partner and one think he did rave about was the food, he said it was 'out of this world'.

Here are just some of the benefits you receive whilst onboard:

1. You have the main dining room plus speciality restaurants which are included in the price so you do not have to pay a supplement for dining in one of these.

Prego Restaurant - This is where you can enjoy Italian Cusine, you will have signature dishes from Piero Selvaggio.

Silk Road Restaurant - this features contemporary Asian cuisine created by internationally renowned Japanese master chef, Nobu Matsuhisa.   He also has the Sushi Bar onboard.

You can also go to one or more of their altrernative restaurants aswell which may offer informal dining in a relaxed atmosphere and this can be on the top deck aswell which is nice as it is in the open air.

2. They have a Learning Institute onboard which is all included.  These consist of  Arts & Entertainment, Business & Technology, Lifestyle, Wellness and Wine & Food. I think a good one would be the Computer Learning University at Sea, it teaches you everything from how to prepare a financial spread sheet, to e-mail to writing a personal journal. Classes feature hands-on instruction and there are also lectures on the state of technology and projections for the future from industry experts. I know this would be a good one for me!

Their entertainment sounds great too and it offers something for everyone to big glitzy shows to concerts and dance aficionados.

To book a Crystal Cruise it is more expensive at the time than a 4/5 star cruiseline but when you get onboard you do receive alot of complimentary items which you would normally have to pay for so you find you do not need to spend much at all and your bill at the end is minimal if anything! They include all soft drinks, including bottled waters and mixers, ice creams, speciality teas and coffees, complimentary shuttle bus services into the nearest towns at the ports. You also receive upto $2000 per couple onboard credit so this is great to pay towards whatever you want it to apart from in the casino. They also offer complimentary flights (not on their World Cruises) from London including your transfers so again this is a bonus! This is where the cost works out very similar to a 4/5 star cruiseline in the end.  I think for anyone who has cruised alot in the past with their families and are now older and want a more relaxing cruise where they will get totally pampered than I do think Crystal would be a great choice.

Maybe I will get my parents to try this one next time!

My Parents are finally back from their CRUISE!

2011-03-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe they are already back! It seems to have flown past, I thought 18 nights seemed so long for them to be away for but boy I was wrong. My mom actually said before they went she thought it was going to be too long for them and too many days at sea but when she got back she said it just wasn't long enough!

My parents have never been on a ship of this size before but they absoulutely loved it, they were amazed with her size but also with her facilities onboard. My dad couldn't believe the Royal Promenade, I did tell him before he went that some of Royal Caribbean's ships have Royal Promenade's running through the middle of their ships but I don't think he imagined it to be as good as it actually was. He actually said 'it was like shopping at the Bullring in Birmingham'. The one thing they did say was definitely worth going to as they know I am sailing on the Independence in August this year was to go to the Ice Shows as they were absolutely fantastic. It is very hard to believe you get to see all this whilst at sea, I did say to them she is like a floating resort! I think that for anyone who has never been on a cruise before it is very hard to imagine what it is like and alot of people can only relate it to maybe Titanic and they think it is only for retired people. I think that if people did take the plunge and actually booked a cruise they would be very surprised, I would also say that they would then catch the bug and want to go again and again. It is very good value for money when you look at what is included, your food, accommodation and entertainment. Where would you beable to go for two weeks holiday and wake up each morning in a different country! Now I think that is pretty special.

They now keep pestering me to look at some dates for them to go on her next year now.

Well all I will say is I cannot wait for the 20th of August as they will be so jealous when I leave to go on my cruise on the Independence!

New Reward Scheme for P&O Cruiser's

2011-03-02T09:03:00.000-08:00

As a current Ruby member of the Portunas Club with P&O I receive regular updates from them. I received some information from them today telling me that their current membership scheme is changing, their new scheme will be called the Penninsular Club and this will replace the current Portunas Club that they have. I have had a look at it and it sounds quite good, there are more levels within the Penninsular Club, they are Atlantic, Pacific, Mediterranean, Caribbean, Baltic and Ligurian classes, with the latter being the most exclusive. At present they only have 3 levels so I think this is good straight away as there is more to aim for!

I have read it through and from how I understand it passengers will earn 10 points for every night they spend on a ship which contributes to their tier status. Baltic and Ligurian tiers will be granted to those with more than 2,500 points plus an extra requirement to have spent more than 80 nights onboard P&O Cruise ships within the last three years. However the Ligurian class has only been extended to P&O’s most loyal customers, unfortunately this does not relate to me!

They have said that the reason for the change comes from passengers feedback, Their Managing Director Carol Marlow said "it has been shaped by our customers’ experiences and their comments which demanded a more exclusive club, so we have kept the popular elements from The Portunus Club, and added new ideas, many of which came from our passengers."

I have read that the extra benefits we get at present will still be included, this is good news so we will still get between 5-10% discount on any onboard purchases and early embarkation etc so I think this sounds good news to all us past passengers of P&O and of course for all new passengers also.
The new scheme is due to start in April 2012.

Celebrity Summit is to Undergo a Refurbishment

2011-02-23T10:46:00.000-08:00

I have just read that the Celebrity Summit is to undergo a refurbishment and she will be revamped into a Solstice Class of ship. Celebrity are calling this 'Solsticizing'. At the moment the Summit is part of the Millennium Class of ship and at present she is the first one in their existing fleet to be transformed as the Solstice ships are all brand new to the fleet. It means she will feature many things that the Solstice Class of ships already have such as the spa inspired Aqua Class cabins, the Blu Restaurant, Martini Bar, iLounge, Bistro on Five, Cellarmasters Wine Bar and many more. From what I can understand Celebrity have decided to do this as all of their Solstice Class of ships cruising at the moment have proved to be very popular with their passengers. They do like the features the ships offer and I suppose it makes sense for them to create more of their ships like these. The revamp should all take pace by 2012 but I am not sure yet of the exact date she will be going into dry dock.

I think this sounds all exciting news and as I have been on the Celebrity Equinox I can say the ships are fantastic so to have more ships in their fleet like the Solstice Class makes perfect sense to me!

Cruising on the Independence of the Seas!

2011-02-16T02:05:00.000-08:00

Well I thought I would let you all know my parents are currently cruising on the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas. I have been a bit worried as my mom is not a great traveller and does suffer from seas sickness, howeer she has been on four Fred Olsen cruises and has been absoultely fine! She does have a tendency to worry too much, a bit like me! and she always stocks up on her travel medication and wears the wrists bands so she is always prepared.

They left Southampton on Sunday and I have been checking on the weather and it hasn't been too good. From what I can see the winds have been quite strong and because of this they have had to abandon going to Lisbon today and they are now on their way yo Palma. I can relax now myself as the worst part of the journey is over, the Bay of Biscay. Believe it or not I cruised myself over the Bay of Biscay in August last year and it was like a Millpond going, it was so calm but coming back it was a slightly different matter. It was quite windy so there was alot more movement but it wasn't too bad and I didn't feel sick once. It looks like the storm they went through is now behind them.

I think this picture says it all with the gloomy sky:

All I can do now is wait to hear from them, hopefully on Friday when they reach Palma as you cannot call when you are at sea. I know people do call when they are at sea but this depends on whether they can get a signal, if you can you have to pick up the ships satelite system so it can be extremely expensive. I am sure they are having a great time though as the ship has so much on her to do, she is magnificent. All my dad kept saying to me before he went was 'I am getting the ship prepared for you for when you cruise on her in August'!

Cruising in to Egypt

2011-02-09T02:26:00.000-08:00

I was really pleased when I spoke to one of my clients yesterday as they have just got back from a Thomson's cruise from Sharm El Sheikh. The cruise itself was going from Sharm El Sheikh and cruising to Jordan, Cairo, Luxor etc for 7 nights. As you can imagine people have been worried about cruising there at the moment because of all the trouble they are having but it must be very heartbreaking when you have worked hard all year and need your holiday. It is something you have been looking forward to for a very long time so I can only imagine the disappointment people must be feeling to be told they can no longer travel. I fully understand that people's safety has to come first, I know if it was me I would be sceptical about travelling. I had a lovely conversation with my client and he couldn't praise Thomson's enough for how they handled the situation, they did go to a couple of different ports such as Jordan and Jerusalem during the cruise. This didn't spoil my clients cruise, he said it made it a real adventure and something he will never forget. They even had to re-fuel at one point and a boat came out to them in the ocean to do this, he said it was fascinating to see and probably something he won't encounter again on a cruise ship! He said the Cruise Director on board made such a effort to ensure all of their passengers had a great time with plenty of entertainment.

All I can say is full praise to Thomson Cruises, I think people are always quick to complain but I think praise where praise is due on this occasion. It also makes me feel confident that my clients are been looked after during such a difficult time for the Travel Industry and my thoughts go out to the people in Egypt at this present time.

Celebrity's Newest Ship to Be Named In Hamburg

2011-02-02T11:26:00.000-08:00

I have just heard that Celebrity's newest ship from the Solstice Class is to be named in Hamburg, she will be named the Silhouette. The naming ceremony will take place on the 21 July 2011 and her inaugural cruise will take place on the 23rd July for 7 nights. She will cruise from Hamburg to Rome with a day in Barcleona on her way. After this she will sail the Mediterranean in the summer until she sails to America in October for the winter.

She does look a fabulous ship and I have read she will feature some new venues onboard.

Here is a list of some of the new venues you can expect to see whislt onboard:

• The Lawn Club Grill, the industry's first outdoor, interactive grill restaurant

• The Porch, offering quick, simple, casual and complimentary breakfasts and lunches against a backdrop of views of the lawn and sea
• The Art Studio, a space within The Lawn Club where guests can participate in intimate, hands-on instruction from experts in drawing, painting and beading, as well as the art of food, with plating, tastings, mixology and other culinary-themed classes
• The Alcoves, a private retreat overlooking the lawn, ocean and coastlines, featuring eight exclusive, cabana-style settings, each designed for two to four guests
• The Hideaway, a high-tech, avant-garde treehouse-like spot for vacationers relaxing with their Apple iPads or perhaps reading a good book within cozy, intimate lounging "nests"

See the Lawn Grill below:

Enjoy real grass on the top deck:

Doesn't she look amazing!

I Cannot Wait to Go Cruising The Roads In My Own Car!

2011-01-26T09:55:00.000-08:00

Well, I thought I would let you all know how my driving lessons are going. I have now had four lessons and I feel very proud of myself as this is such an achievement for me as I used to hate learning to drive. I actually found it such a chore and very challenging which is why I eventually gave up.

I am really enjoying learning to drive this time round, it is so funny because even though it has been such a long time since I last had a lesson I seem to be picking it up again really quickly. It may have something to do with the fact I am learning in an automatic car. I used to struggle with the gears before and by learning in an automatic I have eliminated this fear straight away. I have to say it is so much easier and I am actually enjoying my lessons, before I used to keep watching the clock to see when my lesson was due to finish!

I cannot wait to beable to cruise the roads on my own in my little car. I will feel so proud of myself when I finally pass my test! I will keep you updated on progress.

Celebrities onboard P&O ships

2011-01-19T11:13:00.000-08:00

I was just catching up on my Portunas Club Magazine, when you have sailed your first cruise with P&O you automatically join their Portunas Club which is their priviliged scheme. It is nice to join the cruiselines membership clubs as you find the more you cruise with them the more extra benefits you receive. Anything from onboard benefits such as priority embarkation, to free minutes using the internet whilst onboard, to getting an invite to the Captain's Cocktail Party, to extra discounts off the cruises you book.

Well as I was browsing through my latest Portunas magazine I was shocked reading the celebrity entertainment that was recently on board the Oriana and apparantley their are more to come. They had entertainer Les Dennis, singer Matt Monro Junior, TV stars Des O'Connor and Roy Walker, West End star Bonnie Langford, Theatre stars Gary Wilmot and Mike Alexander and also one of the original member of the band the Supremes, Karen Ragland. I must admit I would have liked to have seen Roy Walker, I would have gone up to him and said 'Say What You See'! I used to love Catchphrase his TV show in the 80's.

And here he is the man himself Roy Walker.

Well when I was on in the summer there was definitely no celebrity stars so I missed out there, however I can't complain as the Entertainments Team were excellent and the shows were fab!

First Female Captain for Cunard Cruises

2011-01-12T14:55:00.000-08:00

Well I have just read Cunard have appointed their first female captain. This is the first time Cunard have ever appointed a female Captain since their first ship launced 170 years ago. Inger Klein Olsen who is 43 started her new role as Captain onboard the Queen Victoria the beginning of December 2010. She joined Cunard in 1997 as a First Officer aboard Caronia, she did have a break from Cunard but rejoined them in August 2010 as Deputy Captain of the Queen Victoria. The rest as they say is history. I think this is a great achievement for women everywhere and how nice is it to have a female Captain on board a Cunard ship!

My 2 night cruise on the P&O Aurora

2011-01-06T11:50:00.000-08:00

Well I have finally got around to writing my Blog about my cruise on the P&O Aurora last November. As I went on the Oriana in the summer, I imagined the Aurora to be very similar, I wasn't wrong. Much of her layout reminded me of my fantastic summer cruise. The one thing I will say though is that I thought the cabins on the Aurora were slightly better, they seemed to be a little bigger and the decor was more up to date than the Oriana. Not that it mattered because if you have already read my Blog about the Oriana you will know that I had an amazing time, the ship, destinations etc were fantastic and I would go on her again.

As I was only on the Aurora for 2 nights, I must admit I didn't get to sample everything on her, I did find the retractable ceiling good though over the middle pool. Even though it was cold people could still have a swim and relax in the jacuzzi's. If I have one moan about the cruise it would be the food and the service in the main restaurant, the Medina. I didn't find the service as good as what I have had in the past, it seemed slow, the staff were not as friendly and the food was not quite to the standard I thought it should be. The food wasn't very warm when it was served to us and the menu was either very bland or very rich. Apart from this I must say I still had a wonderful time, it was a hectic weekend though as we didn't get on the ship until the afternoon on the Saturday and we were off on the Monday morning for nine.

I have been to Brugges before but in the summer, I must say it was like a winter wonderland. It had been snowing before we got there so everything was covered in snow, it was lovely. I managed to pick up some handmade belgian chocolates which were the best I have ever tasted and I also went ice skating in the centre on an open air ice rink. I think this has to be my highlight of the weekend.

Well I had a great time and here are some more pictures for you to look at.

I now have the Azura to look forward to in April so watch this space.

Happy New Year

2010-12-30T04:10:00.000-08:00

I would just like to wish everyone a very Happy and Prosperous New Year. I cannot believe another year is over and we are nearly in 2011. It doesn't seem that long ago we were having the big celebration for going into the Millenium in 2000!

Well I have my New Years resolution, it is to pass my driving test, believe it or not I have been trying on and off for nearly 20 years! I have finally booked a lesson for tomorrow, mind you it has been 5 years since I last had one so it is about time. I am definitely not giving up this time, I am going to learn now in an automatic, I am hoping this will be a little easier than a manual. So watch this space as I will have a big smile on my face when I pass.

Goodluck to everyone for 2011, have a great New Year and speak to you all in 2011.

Happy Cruising!

Happy Christmas!

2010-12-23T09:52:00.000-08:00

Well I have finally broken up from work and I am now on holiday. I am getting really excited because it is nearly CHRISTMAS!

I have always been the same, I am like a child in a sweet factory, I get so excited for the children and I cannot wait to see my nephew and my two nieces faces when they open their presents on Christmas day. I keep telling them that they have to be good otherwise Father Christmas will not deliver to them as he doesn't like naughty children!

I just cannot believe the weather we are having at the moment, it is always my dream to have a sprinkle of snow on Christmas day but this is just unbelievable the amount we are having beforehand. I feel really sorry for people that were due to go abroad or go to stay with family throughout the UK as they now have to change their plans and have to prepare for Christmas day differently now.

Well this is it now for my Blog before Christmas so I would just like to wish everyone ' A wonderful Christmas and a very happy New Year'.

NCL will have 4 ships sailing the Mediterranean in 2012/2013

2010-12-16T09:31:00.000-08:00

I have just read about NCL's announcement. They have announced its largest ever European deployment, with four Freestyle Cruising ships, including two based year-round in the Mediterranean, sailing in 2012 and 2013. This means four Freestyle ships will be based in Europe at the same time.

Norwegian Spirit will be joining the Jade in 2012, sailing in the summer and autumn of 2012, starting in April 2012. This is exciting for the Spirit as this will be her first time cruising in Europe.

The Norwegian Epic, their most innovative ship (and largest) within their fleet and the Sun will continue cruising seasonally from Barcelona and Copenhagen respectively. These sailings have proven to be popular this year.

I think that anyone who would like a taster on the Norwegian Epic should go on the 4 night sailing from Barcelona on the 18/05/2011. She is such a great ship with so many things to see whilst you are on her and I think this would be a great way of experiencing NCL.

I think that NCL have realised that there is a need for Freestyle cruising in Europe and this is why they have made this decision. Since Ocean Village was taken to Australia there has been a need for more informal cruising within Europe.

I am Back from my Christmas Cruise on the Balmoral

2010-12-09T06:48:00.000-08:00

Well I am back from my amazing Xmas cruise onboard the Fred Olsen Balmoral and what a fabulous time we had.

As you know I first went on our Xmas Cruise Party onboard the PandO Aurora which I will Blog about after this one.

What can I say, we embarked the ship on Monday 29th November and went straight to our cabins, I was so lucky as I was in a Superior Suite. When I entered the suite I was taken back by how big it was, we had so much space, the bathroom was huge with 2 sinks! My mom was shocked when we went out onto our balcony as it was so big and spacious, she has never had a balcony before on a ship so it was new to her. I think my dad is worried now as she is going to want a balcony on all of her cruises from now on!

After getting into our suite we started to explore the ship even though we had both been on the ship before we wanted to see what was going on and also meet up with my colleague Hannah who was on the cruise with her 3 teenagers. They were in the Premier Suite on the next deck up from us so we went and had a look at their suite, once again we were amazed, now this suite truly was enormous and their balcony was big enough to have a party on, it was gigantic!!!.

We were all on 2nd sitting for dinner and we were on the same table which was really nice. Our waiters were briliant they were called Thaiyom and Lakorn (we called the Tom and Kin), they made our holiday as their service was impecable but also they were very friendly and funny. The only thing is we need to go on diets as we have all put on weight! The food was far too good not to eat!

This is them on the themed Country and Western night all dressed up.

I have to admit that the food was incredible on the Balmoral and so was the service, I found it much better than I did on the Aurora.

We visited some fantastic places, Gothenburg, Copenhagen, Hamburg and Amsterdam. My favourite was Hamburg and it was here I enjoyed the Gluihwein, I had a few glasses as it was the nicest I have ever had. Mind you I did go a little light headed after my second glass!

We all bought some souvenirs from each of the places we visited, mainly small trinkets and Xmas tree decorations as they were beautiful and it is something to always remind us of the cruise.

I could go on and on about the cruise but I really don't want to bore you. I will just say that even though it was cold (minus 12 in Gothenburg) it was an amazing cruise and one that I would love to do again. The ship is definitely one of the best I have been on, nothing was too much trouble for any of the staff onboard. The food was the best I have had on a ship before and there were plenty of staff around all of the time which mean't we were always served so quickly and never had to wait. We did get a bit addicted to the Bingo in the afternoon though, it was such good fun and you could win alot of money, it was anything from £40 to £170 and on the last day you could have won £440. Unfortunately none of us were lucky enough to win but we did have alot of fun trying! We also use to take part in the afternoon quizes but less said about this the better as we never did very well on them, all I will say is thank god we had Hannah and Ryhs with us!

Well all I am going to say is I loved it! and here are some more pictures for you to look at.

This was from our balcony, what a fabulous day this was.

Some of the amazing food onboard the ship on the Gala Buffet night.

Here is the last one of me and my mom on the stairs at the Atrium onboard.

FABULOUS HOLIDAY AND ONE I WILL NEVER FORGET!

My Holiday is nearly here!

2010-11-22T05:11:00.000-08:00

I am getting so excited now as the time has nearly come for me to set sail on my holiday. I am due to sail on the PandO Aurora on Saturday for a 2 night cruise to Bruges, this is my works Christmas Party. I know I am very lucky, it beats just going for a meal! I have been told that at Christmas time Bruges is like a winter wonderland with plenty of handmade chocalate shops which sounds like heaven to me. I will be travelling with my work colleagues so I am sure we will all have a fabulous time.

When I get back to Southampton on the Monday I am then cruising on the Fred Olsen Balmoral with my mom, we are going on an 8 night cruise to the Christmas Markets. This is something I have wanted to do for a few years now as I love going to the Christmas German Market in Birmingham. I have been going there now for many years now and I love it, so to actually be going to Hamburg this year is amazing. I have already packed, my case seems very heavy but then this is not a summer cruise and I know I am going to need to take my winter thermals with me!

I am really looking forward to having some Gluhwein (mulled wine), it just wouldn't be the same without having a glass or two whilst walking around the markets. I am hoping to pick up a few Christmas presents whilst I am there for my nieces and nephew as I think it would be great to get them something different this year and hopefully something no one else will have.

My colleague Hannah is also coming on the cruise with her family so I am sure we will all have a wonderful time with alot of fun and definitely alot of food! Well all I am going to say now is Bon Voyage and I will definitely let you know how it all goes when I get back.

P&O Oriana to go Adult only by the end of 2011

2010-11-15T09:01:00.000-08:00

The latest news I have just read from PandO is that after their ship the Oriana has had her refurbishment in October/November next year she will be an Adult Only ship. I am really surprised at this because when I went on her this year she had alot of families onboard and the facilities were really good for children. I believe there must be a good reason for them to do this. I know that PandO currently has 2 adult only ships, Artemis and Arcadia but from next year the Artemis will be going and they have a new ship the Adonia joining their fleet ( she is currently the Royal Princess). Both of these ships are small with a the Arcadia having approximately 1,200 passengers and the Adonia 710 passengers. I think that they have realised that with the Azura and the Ventura catering for families and holding approximately 3,000 passengers on board each ship that they need another ship purely for adults. It is going to be interesting to see how PandO will adapt the childrens areas on board, by this I mean the specified Kids Clubs but I am sure she will still be a lovely ship. I must say that the Oriana gets an awful lot of past passengers on her which is great to know.

Well watch this space but for the meantime here is some of my photo's from on board the Oriana when I was on her in August.

Great News for Thomson Dream

2010-11-08T06:54:00.000-08:00

I have to say I did see the episode of Watchdog a couple of months ago when it was discussing the new Thomson ship the Dream. I thought at first what they were saying was a bit harsh, especially as the ship is 24 years old but then when I heard what past passengers were saying I did feel sorry for them. They said that the cabins had suffered from flooding and the airconditioning was broken, this is just a couple of the problems they encountered. None of this would be nice when you are on holiday and I can understand the frustration in the passengers whilst onboard, especially when you have worked hard all year to pay for your holiday so that you can relax and be pampered. Thomson' s have already rectified these problems and are now letting her undergo a revamp which I think is great news for her.

I am so pleased that they have realised they need to carry out some changes on her. I have read today that the Thomsons Dream is on her way to Hamburg where she will spend six weeks having her refurbishment and she will also undergo some technical changes. Some of the changes that are going to take place are, doubling the size of the kids club, brand new Thomson signage throughout and the Reception area and Shopping Arcade will have new carpets, decor and ceiling panels.

I do think that this is a great start to making the needed improvements, apparantly Thomson's have already had some really positive feedback from their clients that have recently cruised on her and I think things can only get better now. I am sure anyone who cruises on her after her revamp will have a thoroughly great time and enjoy every minute of their holiday.

MSC Cruises have discounts for Military Veterans

2010-11-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

I have just read that MSC cruises are going to be offering discounts to Military Veterans for a certain period of time. It applies to all of their Summer 2011 sailings around the Mediterranean.

I think this is a great idea and it is showing their appreciation for all of out military veterans and for those still serving. They will receive a 50% discount if they book between 11th and 15th November. This is to mark Remembrance Sunday on the 14th November when the nation will be remembering people who lost their lives for their countries from 1914 through to present day, Iraq and Afghanistan. I really do think this is such a good deed that MSC are doing and it just shows their appreciation.

MSC ships are really nice, they are Italian and you will find that they will cater mainly for European passengers. I have been lucky enough to go on the Magnifica and I had a thoroughly great time whilst I was on board.

Dance Cruises, for people who just love to dance!

2010-10-26T07:46:00.000-07:00

Dance cruises have become so popular, I think it may have somerthing to do with reallity TV shows such as Strictly Come Dancing. We know how people just love to dance and as our Dance cruises proved so popular in 2010 we have just launched our new itineraries for 2011. As we speak the Cunard QM2 is away dancing the night away in the luxurious Queens Room. We have many clients booked on this cruise who our part of our exclusive Dance Group, we also have our very own hosts Warren Bullock & Jane Phillips on board.

Now that is what I call a dance floor! This is the Queens Room on board the QM2, wouldn't it be great to dance here whilst at sea with two fantastic dancers. Warren met Jane when he was 19 years old and they became professional partners, they married in 1995. They now have their own dance studios, 14 all together and they teach at the studios and on board cruise ships. I think we are very lucky to be able to have them as hosts onboard our exclusive Dance cruises.

For 2011 Vanessa (who arranges all of our themed cruises) has picked a handful of sailings which will feature Warren & Jane onboard as part of our Groups The Dance cruises will feature on three sailings and the ships are the Cunard - QM2, Royal Caribbean - Brilliance of the Seas and P&O - Azura. I do think these are going to prove very popular again and I think for anyone who loves travelling and dancing this is a great way of combining both.

New Ship for Carnival

2010-10-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

I was just reading some news today on the new Carnival ship which is due to be launched in less than 7 months and it will be called the Carnival Magic. It looks like it will be a great ship, 130,000 tonnage with a capacity for 3643 passengers so she isn't going to be small!

I have read that this will be the most innovative 'fun ship' to date but then thats what Carnival ships are like, American, fun and very glitzy. The ship will feature the Redfrog Pub which will have a Caribbean theme to it and it will sell its own brand of beer. It will also feature and Italian restaurant called Cucian del Capitano and its very own Sports Square(sports complex) which will feature an outdoor fitness area with a 'ropes course'. I don't know what this will be like but it does sound good and different to what anyother ship has at present. The ship also has another innovative theme, Carnival Waterworks which is an aqua park, an adult only retreat called Serenity and the Lanai, a wrap around Promenade with whirlpools that extend out over the ship's sides. It sounds fabulous!

They have a lot of ships all year round in America but the Carnival Magic will be cruising the Mediterranean in the summer of 2011 before she then goes to Texas, she will be doing 7, 9 and 12 day itineraries. The ship will depart from Barcleona and Venice so they will be fly cruises.

I must say she does sound a really amazing ship, I just need to keep my fingers and toes crossed now and hope get to go and see her in the flesh.

My Look at the New Cunard Queen Elizabeth

2010-10-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

Well I was lucky enough to go on the new Cunard Queen Elizabeth last weekend and I was not disappointed. I knew she was based on the same spec of ship as the Queen Victoria, which I sailed on in November 2008. I walked on was greeted by the staff on board, they were all so well presented in their uniforms and greeted me with a smile and a welcome.

My first thought was how new she felt, the carpet felt so bouncy and everything was so shiny as if it had never been touched before. I felt very honoured that I had been invited to stay on her overnight and we were told we were the first people ever to sleep on her. I was quite overcome by this thought, I knew that Cunard now has the youngest fleet in the world and that they will not have another ship launch for a very long time.

I quickly put my overnight bag in my cabin which was a blacony, it looked exactly the same as the Queen Victoria's balcony cabin. I had plenty of room and wardrobe space, even though I was not really going to use it. The bathroom was the same and as on the Queen Victoria I thought the shower was a little small but I understand that space is an issue on ships, they will never be as big as a hotel! But it was absolutely fine for what it is used for. The balconies were a nice size, you had two chairs and a table, plenty of room to sit out on in the nice weather.

I knew that I didn't have much time to have a good look around the ship before I needed to be ready for diner. I tried to run around as fast as I could, I must have ran off a few calories this day! I made my way first of all to the Princess & Queens Grill dining room as I have never been in one before. They were up on deck 11, I walked through and my initial thoughts were how intimate it felt, it was spacious and very well presented as you walked through, the decor was wonderful. I have only dined in the main dining room before, the Britannia which is still just as nice but on a much bigger scale. It would be nice one day to dine in a Grill but for the moment I can only dream about it as it is alot more expensive. The rest of the ship did not disapoint me, I know I keep saying it but everything was the same as the Queen Victoria, the Theatre, Golden Lion Pub, Casino, Spa, Garden Court etc but the decor was different. On the Queen Elizabeth it was rich wood panelling throughout, the Art Decor was fantastic to see and it had gleaming chandeliers. I think they have tried to make it just a bit more grander but to me they are both fantastic ships and no matter what ships I go I just love Cunard!

I must say she is a truly magnificant ship and is living up to her name. I had a wonderful time on her and the evening went brilliantly, the food, entertainment in the theatre was all as I thought it would be. I was in awe of her all night.

Her Majesty the Queen named her in a ceremony which took place on Monday 11th October and it was televised all over the world. I did see it on the news and it looked an amazing event, I kept thinking to myself, I was on her yesterday. It took place at Southampton's Ocean Terminal and I think for anyone lucky enough to go it would have been a truly unforgetable occasion.

Well all I need to do now is work hard so that I can go on her for a cruise one day!

See below for a few photos of me and my colleagues onboard.

My New Cruise on Fred Olsen

2010-10-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

Well I have now booked myself on Fred Olsen Balmoral for the 29th November this year. I am very excited as the itinerary is the 'Christmas Markets' and I have wanted to do this itinerary for a long time. I have sailed on the Balmoral before so I know about the ship, usually I can find my way around after a day or two so fingers crossed I will know where I am on the first day.

People I have spoken to have told me that they have been on a Christmas Markets cruise, they have all said how great the places are and that I must have some Gluhwein(hot mulled wine). This will be my first purchase from the markets when I get there, I am sure I will need it to warm me up as I am expecting it to be rather cold. I will definitely be packing my winter warmers for this trip!

I am taking my mom with me on this cruise and she is just as excited as I am so watch this space for my return and I will let you know all about it.

Azamara has launched a 'Titanic Memorial Cruise'

2010-10-02T11:51:00.000-07:00

I have just read that Azamara have announced a cruise for 2012 on the Journey to commemorate the transatlantic maiden voyage of the Titanic.

The Journey will depart on the 9th April 2012 from Boston for a nine night roundtrip cruise. She will arrive at the final resting place of the Titanic on its 100th anniversary, she will remain there for three days. All of her guests onboard will beable to see live video feeds from a remote operated underwater vehicle deployed from an expeditionary ship alongside.

Guests will have the option to participate in three memorial services, a wreath-laying ceremony, and presentations by a line-up of maritime and fashion researchers and historians, executives from international Titanic societies, and survivors' relatives. They will also experience menus for dinner designed on the origianal dishes passengers received onboard the Titanic.

This sounds a wonderful cruise, a very special moment in peoples lives. I think it is a lovely way to remember all of the people who lost their lives all those years ago. On the anniversary it will be such a special moment and it will allow people to reflect on what happened 100 years ago. It will be a very sad day but it will also show that those people who lost their lives will never be forgotten.

Celebrity's New Ship Named

2010-09-26T07:58:00.000-07:00

Celebrity have released the name of their 5th ship in their Solstice fleet, she will be named CELEBRITY REFLECTION.

The ship will be part of the Celebrity Solstice, Equinox, Eclipse and Silhouette. The first three ships have already been launched and are cruising as we speak, the Silhouette will be launched next, in the Autumn of 2011 and then the Reflection will lfollow.

Celebrity ships are part of Royal Caribbean, they are a step up as they are classed as a 5* ship. I was lucky enough to go on the Eclipse and I was impressed with her, I especially liked the nightclub on board, it had an out of space feel with some really groovy seats!

I am sure we will not be disappointed in Celebrities 2 new ships.

Excited about going on the Independence of the Seas!

2010-09-20T03:42:00.000-07:00

Well I have booked my next summer cruise for 2011, I am taking my nephew with me this time. It will be his first ever cruise and he has already told all of his friends he is going. I decided to book us on the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas as it fitted in well with his school holiday, plus it is an amazing ship for kids.

We had a look on their website to look at the virtual tour of the ship so he could see what to expect and there is just so much on there, I cannot see how he will get bored at anytime! He has already decided he wants to go on the flowrider, rock climbing wall and go ice skating (yes there is even an ice-skating rink on board). I think I may need another holiday when I get back!

All I have to do now is work really hard to save for it! August 2011 here we come.

20th Anniversary for BBC Gardeners World!

2010-09-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

I found out this week that we will be helping to celebrate BBC Gardeners World Magazine's 20th Anniversay next year. We are helping them to celebrate with one of our special Themed Garden Cruises which Vanessa Behan has been working hard to organise. Vanessa has been organising our Garden Themed Cruises through Gardeners World Magazine now for 19 years!.

I have to say when I joined the company three years ago I booked my parents on a Garden Themed Cruise to the Norwegian Ffords, this was their first ever cruise and they had a wonderful time. I have since booked them on 3 cruises and they are not stopping there as they want to look at one for 2011. I think this cruise will be one I will book them on for next year as they are both keen gardeners.

The cruise Vanessa has organised to to celebrate next year is on Fred Olsen Balmoral, 8th August 2011 for 10 nights, Dublin & Around The UK.

Itinerary below:
Mon 08 Aug SOUTHAMPTON
Tue 09 Aug ST. PETER PORT, GUERNSEY
Wed 10 Aug CRUISING
Thu 11 Aug HOLYHEAD, WALES
Fri 12 Aug DUBLIN, IRELAND
Sat 13 Aug GREENOCK, SCOTLAND
Sun 14 Aug TOBERMORY, SCOTLAND
Mon 15 Aug SCRABSTER, SCOTLAND
Tue 16 Aug CRUISING
Wed 17 Aug HARWICH, ENGLAND
Thu 18 Aug SOUTHAMPTON

Vanessa has also arranged for one of our regular hosts, Alan Titchmarsh to be on board, as part of our celebration, I am sure you all know who Alan is (my mom thinks he is great). I have also heard that there will be other celebrity gardeners on board helping to celebrate.

I think for any keen gardeners out there this will truly be an amazing cruise and well worth going on.

Cunard have finally announced who will be Godmother to The QE

2010-09-08T03:12:00.000-07:00

Cunard have announced that Her Majesty The Queen will be Godmother to their brand new ship the Queen Elizabeth.

I am very excited as I have been lucky enough to win a place on the ship. I am going on the 9th October overnight so I will be able to experience the ship first hand and before the Queen names her on the 11th! I have been on the Queen Victoria and I absolutely love her so I am sure I wil love the Queen Elizabeth just as much!

The Queen will officially christen the ship on the 11th October 2010. The naming will be a milestone in British History and will be a major event all over the world. This will be a very special occasion especially as the Queen originally launched the Queen Elizabeth 2 in 1967 and named the Queen Mary 2.

Her Majesty was also present at the age of 12 at the launch of the first Queen Elizabeth on the 27th September 1938 when she accompanied her mother, Queen Elizabeth, to Clydebank for the launch.

I know that many cruisers will be interested to know her maiden voyage sold out in 29 minutes!

Watch this space for my Blog on my return.

P&O show onboard some of Rolf Harris's Paintings

2010-09-02T10:50:00.000-07:00

Passengers on board P&O Arcadia, Azura, Oceana and Ventura have just had the pleasure of enjoying a special collection of artwork by none other than Rolf Harris.

This was to celebrate his 80th birthday, I really cannot believe his age, he is marvelous and very talented. He unveiled his new collection, A Life In Art, it was a collection of limited editions, lithographs, sculptures and a new retrospective art book. The collection was showcased to passengers in the Gallery's on board. This proved to be one of P&O's most popular art events that they have had on board their ships.

I can see why it was so popular as he is a very talented and much loved celebrity, he is also adored by people of all ages all over the world.

Gary Rhodes Restaurant On Board The P&O Ships

2010-08-28T08:03:00.000-07:00

When I was on the P&O Oriana recently I decided to go to the speciality restaurant as many of my friends and clients have recommended this to me. I must say I did not know what to expect from the service or food. The restaurant is called the Oriana Rhodes and of course the celebrity is Gary Rhodes. I did have to pre-book my reservation and they do charge a supplement of £15.00 per person. I did not mind paying the supplement as I knew to book into one of his restaurants in London would have cost me a lot more than this.

I was greeted at the entrance and escorted to my table, the waiters were fantastic, very helpful when I asked about the menu and the service was excellent. I ordered my meal and throughout the evening I was give complimentary tasters, everything I tried was lovely. I chose carefully from the menu and I took a chance for my main meal and went for the Grilled Snapper, when it came the presentation was second to none. I have never had this before and didn't know what type of fish it was but when it came it was gorgeous, the taste was amazing.

I would recommend for anyone to go into the speciality restaurant if you get the chance as it really is a wonderful experience, the only thing I would say would be DO NOT EAT IN THE DAY! I really was full by the end of the meal and then at the end you get given some gorgeous chocolates to eat with your coffee. I was so full but I still managed to eat two of them!

This was one of my highlights of my cruise and I will not forget it in a hurry.

My return from the P&O Oriana

2010-08-22T07:21:00.000-07:00

Well I am now back into full swing at work after my fantastic summer holiday on board the P&O Oriana. The 16 nights flew past far too quickly and before I knew it we were back in Southampton.

I had the most amazing time on the ship and I am now looking for a cruise for next year! I wasn't sure what to expect on board as I knew she was an older ship, she came into service in 1995 but when I got on board she was lovely.

The staff on board were more than helpful and nothing was too much trouble. There was plenty of entertainment on board and the sail away parties were fabulous, I thoroughly enjoyed everyone, the P&O Entertainment Team made sure everyone was enjoying themselves and joining in, one day I ended up doing the Conga in the swimming pool!

We cruised to some lovely places, Kotor (Montenegro) was very pretty, Venice was unbelievable, I couldn't quite take it in to think that I was actually walking on water the whole time, it was so quiet as there was no noise from any cars! Very strange to what I am used to.

My whole experience was fantastic and I will put up some photos soon for you to see and discuss the ports of call in more detail as I am still catching up on my work!

Watch this space!

OPERABABES join Fred Olsen ships entertainment

2010-08-16T03:02:00.000-07:00

I have just read that Fred Olsen Cruise line have just announced Rebecca Knight, soprano and Karen England mezzo soprano will be joining them on the Black Watch ship. The sailing will be the W1018, it is a 14 night crusie, departing from Southampton on 15th October 2010, and visiting Gibraltar, Menorca, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Ibiza and Almeria, before returning to Southampton. The ‘Operababes’ will join the ship in Barcelona and entertain guests on board for the remainder of this cruise.

They were both discovered by a talent scout in 2001, when they were busking in Covent Garden. Their first big break came when they were booked to perform at the FA Cup Final, giving them a worldwide audience of 500 million people, and they have never looked back. Their first album was launched to great critical and popular acclaim and reached Number 1 in the UK Classical Charts, selling over a million copies, and also reaching Number 4 in the US chart.

They have performed for Her Majesty The Queen on several occasions – including the Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall, and the launch of the Commonwealth Games, and have sung with many of the world’s leading orchestras. A highlight was performing alongside Placido Domingo at the Los Angeles Opera. They have made numerous TV appearances, both in the UK and USA, and made musical history by being the first classical act to perform at the world famous Stardust Casino in Las Vegas.

The duo has released two highly successful albums – ‘Beyond Imagination’ in 2002, and ‘Renaissance’ in 2006 – and Fred. Olsen customers will have an exclusive opportunity to see them on board Black Watch this autumn.

I think this is great for Fred Olsen and a real treat for its passengers.

Dreamworks Animation on board Royal Caribbean

2010-08-10T11:10:00.000-07:00

It has been announced that Royal Caribbean have just completed a deal with Dreamworks Animation, this means that on board the Allure of the Seas will be Shrek, Donkey etc will be joining the ships entertainment. This will be part of the ships Family Entertainment and is aimed at the children on board, even though I think the adults will enjoy this too.

I have heard that this entertainment will eventually be rolled out to the Oasis of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas and Freedom of the Seas.

This will give people the chance to enjoy the following, day and night including parades:

Character meals in the main dining room

A new lineup of movie-themed games and adventures in the Adventure Ocean kids' program

DreamWorks Animation movies on the big screen -- in 3D

Special character shows in the Studio B ice rink (such as "How to Train Your Dragon") and AquaTheater

I think this all sounds fabulous and I cannot wait for the launch in December 2010.

First Female Captain for P&O

2010-08-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

I have read recently that P&O appointed their first female captain to their fleet of ships. This is a first in 173 years of cruising. I think this is great for us girls! You can sail with Sarah Breton on the adult only ship Artemis. Sarah has previously worked onboard the Princess fleet and Ocean Village before joining P&O.

Sarah is not the first female captain though, Royal CAribbean have this honour when they appointed Karin Stahre-Janson on the Monarch of the Seas back in 2007.

Emerald Princess Loses Power!

2010-07-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

I have just heard that the Emerald Princess, which had just left its home port in Fort Lauderdale on Sunday lost all of its power! It must have been very distressing for its staff and passengers. Everything went down for approximately 4 hours.

I must say I have never heard of this happening on board but they managed to get it all back on and even though the ship missed its port of call on Monday. The ship had to spend a day at sea but thankfully it is all back on track now.

Watch GMTV this week to see the P&O Ventura sailing in the Med!

2010-07-26T02:57:00.000-07:00

If you fancy seeing what it is like onboard a ship cruising then just watch GMTV this week. They had a competion about 2 months ago to win a holiday onboard a P&O ship, there were 4 finalists, they each won a weeks cruise onboard the Ventura. The 4 finalists will work alongside Rosemary Shrager and cook onboard this week, the overall winner will get the chance to cook with none other than ‘Marco Pierre White’ and they will also win a 14 night Caribbean cruise for themselves and their family. How great is this!

I did watch the show this morning before work, they were in Vigo and the weather looked really hot. I just thought that this is a great way to see a ship whilst cruising and for anyone who has thought about going on a cruise it would be great, just watch it this week from 7.00am to 9.00am.

Learn to Cook with Marco Pierre White onboard P&O Ventura!

2010-07-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

Your Children will be able to take cookery lessons with Marco Pierre White whilst on board the P&O Ventura, this is starting from next month. I think this is a great opportunity for any child, he is a well established Celebrity Chef and he has his own restaurant on board the ship too.

The lessons are during half term and consist of up to 3 classes a day with up to a maximum of 8 children at a time.

Some of the dishes on White’s ‘mini menu’ will include Marco’s tomato pasta and Marco’s fish fingers, they are designed especially for children, it is hoped it will encourage children to eat fresh fish and not just fish that has come out of the freezer! The junior chefs will be challenged to taste spicy foods, this is to get their taste buds into some different and I presume healthy!

I have read that the classes have gone down a treat with adults and I am sure they will be just as popular with the children.

The classes can cost approximately £20 per child £75 per adult but I think it is money well spent, especially to cook with Marco!

Royal Caribbean are staying in Dubai for longer

2010-07-14T01:34:00.000-07:00

I have heard that Royal Caribbean are going to keep the Brilliance of the Seas in Dubai for longer as they have noticed an increase in people wanting to cruise the Middle East. They have had a very good response from the Brilliance this year when she sailed from Dubai for a series of eight night cruises.

Royal Caribbean have now decided to increase the number of cruises on offer for their third season in the region and the Brilliance will return to Dubai in November 2011. This is two months earlier than previously planned. They are also going to offer an increased range of itineraries including longer cruises of up to 12 and 18 nights.

I think that cruising the Middle East is probably the best way to see it as the itineraries are fabulous!

My visit on the Royal Caribbean - Independence of Seas

2010-07-08T02:15:00.000-07:00

All I can say is WOW!

I was lucky enough to go down to Southampton on Saturday to see Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas whilst she was changing over to set sail on another 14 night Mediterranean cruise. I have to say when we drove up to the dock I couldn't believe her size, she was huge! I was feeling jealous as I waited to board her as all of her new passengers were starting to arrive and check-in, I wanted to sail on her aswell!

I finally got on board and she definitely exceeded my expectations, I have to favourite highlights of the ship, my first was the Ice Rink, I have been told that the shows are fantastic and a must see. You can also ice skate yourself on the rink in the day, I think this is fantastic to be at sea and to beable to go skating. My second was the Royal Promenade, it had everything you would need from shops to Cafe's to the Irish Pub - The Dog and Badger and to Sorrento's the Pizza Parlour.

They have a fantastic Pool area on deck for the kids aswell as the adults, the kids area is called the H2O zone and I think you would find many adults here also! They have a childrens area onboard, a very large Casino, an adults Night Club and a Teenagers Night Club. They even have an american themed diner Johnny Rockets, you get served by waitresses on roller skates and you can enjoy a burger, fries, milkshakes etc hers. I you are really feeling like having a sing song you can also have a drink in the Walk of Shame bar which offers 2 Kareoke Booths.

I had a look around the cabins and they were very spacious and comfortable looking but I don't think you would be spending too much time in them as there really is too much to do onboard. I ended up having a lovely meal in the main restaurant, I found the service to excellent, nothing was too much trouble and service was with a smile.

All I can say about the ship is when can I go!

Cunard World Cruises for 2012 Launching Soon

2010-07-02T12:11:00.000-07:00

I have just heard that Cunard are releasing there World Voyages on 15th July 2010. They will have 2 World Voyages and a series of Exotic Discovery Voyages.

The 2 World Voyages will be on the Queen Mary 2 and The Queen Elizabeth. They will both have fantastic itineraries going to some fabulous places. Just look below at some of the places you get to visit.

Southampton, New York, Port Everglades, Aruba, Limon, Panama Canal, Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, Los Angeles, Lahaina, Honolulu, Apia, Pago Pago, Port Denarau, Bay Of Islands, Auckland, Wellington, Sydney, Melbourne, Fremantle, Bali, Hong Kong, Nha Trang, Phu My, Laem Chabang, Ko Samui, Singapore, Port Kelang, Penang, Langkawi, Cochin, Mumbai, Muscat, Dubai, Salalah, Aqaba, Suez, Transit Suez Canal, Port Said, Piraeus, Civitavecchia, Lisbon, Southampton

I think the World Cruises are a great way to see the world in just a few months, to do this by air and hotels it would cost a fortune and take you a very long time. What a fabulous retirement present to yourself, I have quite a few years left at work but I am trying to put some money aside for my retirement as I would love to go around the world and see some of these magnificent places!

NCL Epic - I finally got onboard!

2010-06-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

Well after the long wait and delay to our boarding I finally made it on to the ship and what a fabulous ship she is. The NCL Epic looked amazing from the outside and I was not disappointed when I got on board.

My first impression of the ship was WOW, there were so many places to eat and drink that I didn't know where or what to do first. One thing was for sure I knew I was not going to get to see everything within 2 days! The ship can only be described as Vegas at sea.

Unfortunately I was not able to dine in the Spiegel Tent featuring Cirque Dreams which I was really looking forward to, this was due to our delay on embarkation. Instead of embarking early afternoon we did not get onto the ship until 6.00pm so we dined at Cagneys Steakhouse instead. I have never had steak like it, it was so tender, it melted in your mouth.

My first stop was the ICE BAR, this was a great experience as I have never been to one before, I believe there are only approximately 14 in the world! You are given a fake faux poncho and gloves, believe me you need them as it is like walking into a freezer. The bar and seats are made out of ice and you are given shots of Vodka whilst you are in their. The cost is $20 per person but it was money well spent, it is not everyday you can say you have been in a bar made out of Ice whilst at sea. I would do it again tomorrow if I could.

Well I didn't know where to go on the night but I ended up at the open air nightclub, how nice was this as you are at sea and dancing the night away with the breeze going through you, at least you cannot complain you are too hot! Then afterwards I ended up in the inside nightclub called BLISS. You will find yourself wondering what to do from going to the Comedy Club, to Fat Cats Jazz Club to the Casino, there is too much to choose from.

I had a great sleep in my Balcony cabin, the beds were comfortable but it took me a while to get used to the layout in the cabin. You have a separate toilet, separate shower a separate sink. This is a good idea as someone can have a shower whilst the other person can use the toilet but it is unusual and I am undecided as to whether I like it or not. The cabins have a wave going through them and they can be quite tight in there but they still have everything you need, they have lots of storage spaces in them which I think is good.

The top deck has the best pool I have seen at sea and you even have some fantastic water slides aswell which is very unique and great for all ages to enjoy.

My highlight was the BLUE MAN GROUP which I saw in the Epic Theatre, this is a show from Vegas. I really did not know what it was about and what to expect but I was not disappointed. I am not going to tell you about it as hopefully you may see it one day. All I will say is that I do not know how they ever thought of the idea!

I went to the main dining room on the second night and once again I had a lovely meal, service was quick and efficient. I cannot complain about any of the staff onboard as I found them to be very accomodating to my needs and requirements. Nothing was too much trouble.

All that is left to say is that I really enjoyed my time on the ship but 2 nights was not enough, there is so much to see and do that you need at least 7 nights, this way you will get to see everything the ship has to offer. The one thing I didn't get chance to see for obvious reasons (my age) was having breaksfast with Sponge Bob Square Pants, this was with the the Nikelodeon for the kids section, how fab would that be for kids!

Well all I am going to say is you will not get bored on this ship and it will suit all ages. I cannot wait to go one her again!

Oasis of the Seas - Possibly coming to the Mediterranean

2010-06-21T06:13:00.000-07:00

I have read today that there is no shortage of Mediterranean ports that would welcome the Oasis of the Seas. In fact, several are ramping up their facilities to handle larger passenger volumes. There is a rumour that Royal Caribbean has a track record of moving its bigger ships to Europe – sooner rather than later. Speaking for the Port of Barcelona, Cruise Manager Carla Salvado said at the recent MedCruise assembly in Constantza that she would welcome the giant ship.

Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean has a 10-year agreement with Port Everglades that stipulates that the cruise company has committed to 17 million passenger movements between 2008 and 2018 for its three brands, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara, according to a spokesperson.

Royal Caribbean has also agreed to homeport the Oasis and the Allure in Port Everglades, but without giving a time commitment. However, it would take several Voyager-class ships to substitute for the two giants. Initially, Royal Caribbean executives also did say that the Voyager-class would never leave Florida.

I am hoping the rumours may be true, it would be fantastic if the Oasis came to the Med for the summer.

Watch this space!

Fred Olsen - Popular Cruises to Iceland

2010-06-17T03:26:00.000-07:00

I have read today that Fred Olsen cruise ships which go to ports of call in Iceland are proving to be really popular and are selling well.

With the effects of the volcanic ash cloud having disrupted air travel in and out of the UK and across Europe in recent weeks, travel to the area by cruise ship is regarded as the best way to visit that part of the Arctic.

The cruises, both on the 804-passenger Black Watch, depart from Southampton in early August, and early September, with the August cruise having the additional benefit of Photography as The ArtsClub subject, hosted by self taught freelance photographer Paul Howard.

Please see the details below for the sailing dates:

Black Watch cruise W1013 is a 15-night Greenland and Iceland cruise, departing from Southampton on 7th August, 2010. Ports of call are Qaqortoq, Narsarsuaq and Nanortalik (all in Greenland), and Isafjordur and Reykjavik (both in Iceland).
The ArtsClub is Fred. Olsen’s programme of special interest cruises, which are free of charge and cannot be pre-booked. Passengers are free to dip in and out of the lectures and activities as they please. On this cruise, the advice and guidance of a photography expert Paul Howard should prove very useful for passengers in order to make the most of the spectacular flora and fauna that might be seen.

The second Iceland cruise W1016 is 12-nights duration, and runs from 5th to 17th September, 2010. Ports of call are Heimaey, Reykjavik, Isafjordur, Akureyri (all in Iceland), and then Alesund, Bergen and Farsund which are Norwegian ports.

Celebrity Launches their new 'Chef Themed' Cruises

2010-06-12T00:13:00.000-07:00

Celebrity Cruises has a launched a new celebrity chef program whilst onboard, it is called 'Savor Your Destination.' Unlike other celebrity chef theme cruises, Celebrity's twist is that their program won't be like what the other cruise ships offer, for instance a "name" chef doing a cooking demonstration combined with a special menu one evening which he has put his stamp of approval on. Instead 'Savor Your Destination' promises much more interaction with the chef at various events, as well as a chef-created menu. I think this is great for passengers who really enjoy cooking and experiencing new 'tastes', it would be great for all those dinner parties back home!

See the amazing Chandelier onboard the Norwegian Epic

2010-06-08T00:11:00.000-07:00

I have read today that the Norwegian Epic has now got the largest LED chandelier onboard and it is the first ever to be installed on a ship. Apparaently it took three weeks to complete and was built at the STX Europe yard in Saint Nazaire (France). This is where the ship is in its finishing process for the handover later this month.

I am going on the Epic later this month so I will makesure I will put a Blog on about it, I really cannot wait as it sounds spectacular! The more I read about it the more excited I get, I think I am going to be very tired when I return as I have it all planned out to makesure I see everything the ship has to offer whilst I am onboard.

Disney's New Ship DREAM

2010-06-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

The new Disney Dream sets sail 26/01/2011 and I cannot wait, she looks amazing!

This will be Disney's third ship in its fleet, it will have 14 towering decks, a ship length of 1,115 feet and a maximum width of 125 feet, the 128,000-ton vessel includes 1,250 staterooms and has the capacity to comfortably accommodate 4,000 passengers. It will have a 20th-century design, which harkens back to the golden age of cruising, with state-of-the-art technology. She will cater for families in mind, combining sleek style and convenient facilities with splashes of disney magic throughout, this is the first disney ship to have a splashtacular AquaDuck, the very first water coaster at sea.

Onboard the Disney Dream:

Staterooms on board the Disney Dream feature contemporary amenities, ample space and elegant yacht-style decor. Most boast split bathrooms, a feature perfect for families and a cruise line industry first.

Youth Clubs fulfill the recreational needs of younger Guests. Kids clubs, activity centers for tweens and teens, and a plethora of unique interactive programs and wondrously themed immersive spaces can be found throughout the ship.

Dining options aboard the Disney Dream include elegant adults-only dining, gourmet Main Dining delights and mouthwatering made-to-order casual fare all in magically themed restaurants.

Entertainment aboard the Disney Dream, including musical live shows, first-run films, Digital 3-D movies and fun-filled family deck parties, is available at lavish onboard venues each cruise day and is unlike anything else offered on the high seas.

Pools aboard the Disney Dream are terrific places to cool down and relax on sun-kissed afternoons. On Deck 11, you'll find 3 sparkling pools, one for kids, one for families, and one just for adults. How great is that!

Nightclubs & Lounges on the Disney Dream fill the nights at sea with live music, dancing and socializing. Explore The District - the ship's adults-only entertainment area, home to 5 distinct lounges and nightclubs.

Doesn't she look FABULOUS, I can't wait for her launch, see the link below so you can see for yourselves:

http://disneycruise.disney.go.com/ships-activities/ships/dream/

Weddings at Sea

2010-05-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

My friend recently renewed their wedding vows onboard the P&O Oceana, they were celebrating their 25th Anniversary. Everything was arranged before they embarked the ship with P&O direct, they were very helpful and the whole priocess was painless. When they got on board they found that P&O had arranged everything for them and they had a wonderful time with their family, it was so memorable, something they will never forget. They said that nothing was too much trouble, they arranged an intimate meal afterwards for their family with flowers, photos and even a cake too , it didn't matter how big or small the party was they tailored it to sit their needs and requirements.

See the link below:

http://www.pocruises.com/wedding/index.asp

Disney wins an award from Friends of The Earth

2010-05-25T23:51:00.001-07:00

I have just read an article today from Friends of The Earth, they have just carried out the Cruise Ship Envirnomental Report Card and Disney cruise ships came out as MOST IMPROVED with the most Improved Status.

The test this year looked at 11 cruise lines and 113 ships in the following categories:
- Sewage treatment
- Air pollution reduction
- Water compliance

The test this year looked at 11 cruise lines and 113 ships in the following categories:

- Sewage treatment
- Air pollution reduction
- Water compliance

I think that because the cruises caters for so many children on board they have to be extra vigilant when it comes to the Health and Safety. I think this is a real achievement for them.

The ships look fantastic, see the links below:

http://www.foe.org/cruisereportcard

Well done to Disney

Fred Olsen Balmoral - Insight to Chelsea Flower Show from Alan Titchmarsh

2010-05-25T05:50:00.000-07:00

Alan has just got back from the Balmoral where he was hosting one of our fantasic and exclusive GARDEN CRUISES.

Alan gave everyone an insight into behind the scenes at the Chelsea Flower Show were he is now hosting. This will be the 88th RHS Chelsea Flower Show, I must say he looks fantastic, so tanned. He was on the Norwegian Celebration Cruise as it was Oslo's National day, the weather was fantastic and you can see this from Alan' tan. Everyone on board had a wonderful time and the weather could not have been better. Everyone of my paasengers who booked through me all have said they had a wonderful time.

Please follow my link for the Chelsea Flower Show

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Shows-Events/RHS-Chelsea-Flower-Show/2010

A Change to the Toiletries on P&O

2010-05-24T23:48:00.001-07:00

I have read recently that P&O have decided to bring back White Company's bath and body products once again in all of their staterroms onboard their ships. I am so pleased as I love the White Company's products, they feel so great on my skin and the bottles look really nice too. I actually save the bottles when they are finished and have them in my bathroom for show.

You will be able to see these shortly accross their entire fleet. These consist of luxury shampoo, conditioner and hand & body lotion, you will also find a shower cap for your convenience. The Premier package which you will find in all their penthouses, suites and mini suites includes larger products plus soap, vanity pack, shoe shine and even your very own mending kit which can always come in useful.

See the link below and read all about The White Company.

http://www.thewhitecompany.com/content.aspx?cntcode=help_about

These products will be launched very shortly.

Need a cure for SEASICKNESS

2010-05-21T12:23:00.000-07:00

When I first went on a cruise I was concerned that I would get seasickness. You here everyone say 'the sea can be rough when you cross the Bay of Biscay'so my first thoughts were what can I do to prevent this and what actually causes it?

Seasickness is caused by boat motion. About 90% of people will experience seasickness or motion sickness at some point in their lives. If you're new to sailing, or have ever experienced nausea or dizziness on a boat, it's worthwhile to take steps early to prevent seasickness.

Well I went straight to a herbal shop and was told the best thing you can take is GINGER, it stops you feeling sick so I purchased some Ginger sweets. I have only experienced it once and as soon as I felt sick I took one of my sweets, it took the sickness feeling away from me straight away, I then went to the Bar and I had a ginger beer/ale, I was starting to feel much better. I thought that evening I would not make it to dinner but I did thanks to my GINGER remedy.

I know sometimes you may have to take medication for this but believe me I will not now go on any trips without putting my Ginger sweets in my bag.

So for anyone out there who is concerned when they are going on a cruise just remember to stock up on Ginger, if you do forget you can always get a ginger drink form one of the bars!

Changes to Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas

2010-05-14T06:37:00.000-07:00

Royal Caribbean have announced they are going to make some changes to the amenities onboard Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas, they are going to be more like the Oasis of the Seas. These changes will take effect from the first quarter of 2011.

The changes are as follows:

Cupcake Cupboard - You can learn how to make cupcakes yourself and even have a cupcake party onboard, they also sell the icing top confections for approximately $2.50 each.

Outdoor Movies - You can watch a movie outdorrs by the pool area on an 18.5 foot screen.

Broadway Shows - Hairspray has been a huge hit for Oasis of the Seas and Chicago is due to be shown on allure of the Seas when she is launched. These are to yet be named but I have heard Freedom of the Seas may still carry on performing 'Once Upon a Time' as this has been very popular.

Imaginocean Puppet Show - This is a fabulous pupper show for all ages.

Royal Tots and Royal Babies - This is the nursery program which provides childcare for ages 3 - 36 months, this can be booked once on board and the cost will be $8 per hour per child. They do have limited spaces and it is on a first come first serve basis.

Interactive Touch Screen Displays - These are digital signage that are usually found in the elevator lobbies, they feature restaurant infomation, deck plans and Royal Caribbean's daily ' Cruise Compass ' activity guide. They have proved to be a great help to passengers whilst on board the Oasis of the Seas. They are apparently very user friendly aswell so anyone can easily use them.

This all sounds really great news and I look forward to seeing these implemented onboard.

Fuel Supplements

2010-05-08T13:31:00.000-07:00

Fuel Supplements are starting to be introduced again on the ships, this is due to the rise in fuel costs. This has meant that some cruiselines have had to bring back the fuel supplements for their passengers. Due to the vast size of these ships they use an awful lot of fuel and unfortunately the companies have got to start passing these onto passengers in order for them to keep their ships running. The cruise lines normally charge a set amount pe person per day and they have a maximum limit on them so don't panic if you wish to go on a world cruise.

Hopefully this will not make alot of difference in the cruising industry and it won't make an awful lot of differnece in the prices. Whatever people do for their holidays, whichever way they travel they will incur fuel costs so I don't think this will make a huge difference in the cruising industry.

Adonia P&O's New Ship

2010-05-02T09:36:00.000-07:00

Well she is now on sale for her launch in 2011. The new ship for P&O is at present a Princess ship, Royal Princess, P&O have decided to buy her as their smallest ship Artemis is to be sold and will be leaving the fleet in April 2011.

You will find the smaller ships are still important to have in the industry as they can get into some of the smaller ports enabling cruisers to see some amazing countries on their holiday, not all cruisers like the big ships. You tend to find that the smaller ships get a lot of repeat past passengers sailing on them. The Adonia will be an adult only ship just likeArtemis is at present and she also offers some fly cruises, 10 nights aswell as cruises from Southampton.

I am sure she will be a big hit and remember she is on sale now.

Cruise Launch for 2011/2012

2010-04-25T09:01:00.000-07:00

Well this is the week to get your bookings in with the cruiselines offering amazing early booking discounts. Also by booking early you will get the cabin of your choice and exactly what you want with your dining requests etc.

Don't forget if you are taking your family away, especially during the school holidays, these are the cabins that will go first. We have many people calling up early in the year wanting to a cruise for their family in July/August and we cannot find any 3 or 4 berth cabins left! This increases the price straight away as they have to take 2 or 3 cabins to accomodate their family as there are only 2 berth cabins left.

So don't delay and call today for your quotation on your 2011/2012 cruise.

Iceland's Volcanic Eruption - causing chaos

2010-04-18T12:52:00.000-07:00

We would never have envisaged such chaos from a volcanoe erupting in Iceland. I cannot believe how the airports are just deserted and nobody knows when the next flight will be. I feel so sorry for people that are stranded and cannot get home, it must be very worrying. I know that everyone is working extremely hard to find an end to this and to get back to normality. One thing is for sure are health and security is been considered, if it is not safe then nobody should travel and put themselves at risk.

We are updating our website as and when we hear updated news on the situation and we are trying our utmost as a Travel Agent to answer our customers questions to the best of our ability and to help them where needed.

We must keep our fingers and toes crossed that this terrible situation will be resolved shortly.