Hey don’t take my parking space……!!

Like me do you think that parking spaces at supermarkets and in town centres are getting smaller? Even though my car has power steering and it is not a big car, in some car parks once you are in its very hard to get out. And then do you always get the person who drives up then gets in before you even though you are waiting!

If you think that’s bad, what about a Cruise ship!

I have just come back from a couple of weeks on the Ventura and spent loads of time just watching the ship sail away of an evening; I was never up to see her dock!

This picture isn’t really a celebrity ship stealing our parking place (sorry, berth) but shows close the ships get when they leave a port.

To get that high level of manoeuvrability all modern cruise ships have varying numbers of bow thrusters, which allow the Captain in essence to move the ship round virtually on its own axis. Captain Brown did tell us that the bow thrusters mean that the ship does not need a tug unless the winds get to about 25 knots!

I couldn’t find a picture of Ventura, so this is Holland America’s Eurodam taken when in dry dock in 2008.

Although you can see below that just occasionally a helping push maybe needed.

I go on holiday for many things, but watching feats of engineering always intrigue me. 

So if you want to watch as many sailways as you can, then give me a call.

Epic blog part 4.................. the show continues

So what has happened whilst I have been away?




Construction seems to be going on at a pace, and I can just see myself 'playing' here later in the year.

To keep up with whats going on NCL have launched a specific blog for The Epic, why not have a look.

Don't forget to get on a sample this inivative ship either in the Caribean or in the Med in 2011, give me a call on 0800 408 6105 or email at stuartc@cruise.co.uk and let me book your cruise for you.

Airport Stress

If you are like me you probably hate the stress of the airport, going through immigration, collecting your bags and then having to drag them to the coach, taxi or car to get to your final destination, then the stress starts again when you are ready to come home.


Well, I have just got back from the Caribbean on P&O Ventura and it was a pleasure to transit through Barbados.


At your departure airport you check in as normal, when you land in Barbados there are coaches waiting to transfer you direct to the ship, no going through immigration and having to collect your bags. Your bags are delivered to your cabin by your steward once you are on board ship.


On the return journey, you have to go through an immigration procedure on board ship when it gets back to Barbados before you can go ashore, took no more than 5 minutes (for me) and only 1 from the party needs to attend, you leave your bags outside your cruise cabin on the final night – not forgetting to keep your clothes for the return journey and your last day in Barbados.


The bags are collected and the next time you see these is when you collect them from the baggage claim at your UK airport! On the final day you are transferred to the airport in time for your flight, and if it is delayed you stay on ship until the appropriate time. At the airport, as you have completed your immigration procedure its straight through to the scanners and then into departure – less than 10 minutes after getting off the coach.

Not sure of any other places were the cruise lines organise this, and I think that Fred Olsen also have this procedure for their Barbados departures.


Saves a lot of stress and waiting, but of course doesn’t get rid of the jet lag!! Where is my Rum punch then?


So, if you want to take advantage give me a call on 0800 408 6105 and I will give you a quote.

Feeling relaxed?

So you are off on a cruise holiday and want to get their feeling relaxed and refreshed, so how do you do that?



I think that every journey has an element of stress involved, just the worries of getting there on time on top of any actual worry of the journey. So if you have a long flight before your cruise is it really worth paying the extra and getting a flight upgrade?

It is all down to personal preference if, unlike me, you are 6 foot tall and find the pitch of the seats restrictive then paying the supplement may just meant when you get to your destination you don't spend the first few days uncoiling from the spring like position you have had to sit in.

But then, what about baggage; now that is a minefield!

Upgraded flights on some flights come with additional baggage benefits, and when you have a cruise and all them posh frocks and DJ's to pack it might just pay to have the extra allowance. In 1 bag or 2 ... it gets very complicated, so read the notes with tickets, check the airlines website or give us a call and we will try to help.