Bad Weather tips

Having just experienced a little rough weather on P&O Arcadia, I found this list on the web of things to look for to see if impending bad weather is due.

1.During the day, you hear the maitre d’ quietly instructing the waiters to chain down the tables in the dining room for dinner.
2.You pop up on deck before sailing to see what’s going on and you see the captain staring pensively out to sea.
3.Motion discomfort bags appear at strategic locations throughout the ship.- see my blog    
4.All deck furniture is cleared away and lashed down and the hot tubs are emptied.
5.Rumours begin to fly around the ship: “So-and-so overheard a crew member saying it was going to be ‘horrendous.’” - I overheard the ships band members talking about this one in port in Southampton on Arcadia in December!
6.The ship is bouncing around ominously, even though it’s still alongside, tied up. - Had this on Norwegian Epic in Cozumel, it actually took 14 hours for the ship to leave as the winds were too strong to leave the berth!
7.The following day’s port of call is cancelled as it’s too ‘exposed.’
8.The advertised dinner menu changes suddenly to something comforting like plain steaks and chicken soup.
9.The cocktail of the day is an ironic Dark and Stormy.
10.Seasick pills are given out like free 'sweets' at the reception desk.

Now there are lots of things the Captain will do to make sure that the sailing is as smooth as it can be, like changing course or itinerary and will give as many warnings as he needs too.

But what is clear is that the key point is we all enjoy cruising and although bad weather can be unpleasant we are still happy to go back for more and are happy to recount the stories on a regular basis!

P&O Arcadia - Mini Cruise

As you probably know we all went on P&O Arcadia on Thursday for a short 2 night cruise from Southampton to Zeebrugger and back for our Christmas Party; so here we all are:-

But what did I think of the ship?


So having already been on both Ventura and Azura, I was not expecting a larger 'glitzy' ship and Arcadia is not these things. Size wise she is a little smaller than the Queen Victoria but takes slightly more guests, so this gave the impression of a lack of space in the public rooms.

The dining room was pleasant, but again a little confined space wise.

I was lucky to get a Mini Suite cabin, BD category. Great for space, plenty of hanging space and a bathroom with separate shower and whirlpool bath, if only my budget could run to this on every cruise! Although, the TV services did disappoint, not interactive and with limited choice, and although not a problem on this short cruise, you could not get your on board account on the TV. A necessity on a longer cruise to check how much you have spent!

Service was up to P&O usual standard as was the food, although the choice in The Belvedere Restaurant at lunch seemed a little limited. Perhaps the effect of the falling sales price is that they have to reduce the spend on the food?

I went to the show on the first night, partly because I remember Jimmy James from my youth, although he had The Vagabonds with him then and also to see the Comedy Juggler, Pete Matthews. I have seen him before and thought he was really funny and he did not disappoint on this occasion neither.

Weather wise, what a roller coaster of a few days. During the last 2 or 3 short cruises the ship has
not been able to get into port on every occasion and we had a few bumps on the way out on Thursday, but managed to get into Zeebrugger for a day in Bruges. On the way back however, the motion of the Ocean was much strong and a number of people succumbed, Faz did turn a funny shade of green at 1 point (and if you know him you will know how difficult this is!)

Arcadia should have gone for a refit in November/December this year but this was postponed because of the refit to Oriana, and I have to say that perhaps she is starting to get a little tired and in need of a little tender care. See my picture of the tiles from the bathroom, just a a little bit of age showing - I am not saying that I though the cabins were dirty though. See picture below:-

Overall I had a good time and enjoyed the ship, but no massive wow factor here - but perhaps that's because of the mini cruise and not having sufficient time to get to know the ship!

What's in a name?

What is in a name?

Well, if you are of a certain age you will remember the Marathon Bar - now the Snickers Bar....... being re-branded.

Or, JIF the cleaning product which is now called CIF, but what are P&O doing now.....? Picture taken while on P&O Arcadia this weekend, a post about the cruise with pictures will follow.

A 'Motion Discomfort Bag'? .... come on what's wrong with a Sea Sick Bag?

Answers on a post card if you please!!!

Celebrity Eclipse - A ship visit

Way back at the beginning of July I had the opportunity to visit Celebrity Eclipse in Southampton for a day, you can read my thoughts if you follow this link to 'Has my favourite ship been Eclipsed!'

So over the last few days I have been going through my old photo's and found these of my day away, so I though I'd put together a little slide show of my pictures from the ship.




As we are heading into winter, it give me the opportunity to dream of warmer times, so enjoy, and come back with any comments.

iPad Technology for Royal Caribbean Guests on Splendour of the Seas

Royal Caribbean's Splendour of the Seas is the next ship in its fleet to receive a "Revitalization" upgrade, Splendour is now nearing the end of a five-week upgrade process at the Navantia ship yard in Cadiz, Spain where $35 million in changes will occur.

So what new feature will she have when she returns?

OK, I might as well just list the new features:-

• New dining venues
  • Chops Grille
  • Izumi
  • the Boardwalk Dog House
  • Chef's Table
  • Park Café
• Royal Babies and Tots Nursery
• Diamond lounge for Crown and Anchor guests
• Concierge lounge for suite guests
• Technology upgrades throughout the ship
• 123 new balconies
• Stateroom flat panel television upgrades
• Ship-wide WiFi access
• Digital wayfinder system
• Electronic mustering
• Outdoor movie screen

But it's not just these features that appeal to me, as we start to become more new technology savvy, even I am looking at getting an Apple iPad!  Now, the announcement that when Splendour comes out of dry dock, she will be offering all of her passengers soon an iPad in every cabin, did make make think that the world is moving on.

Additionally, Royal Caribbean is planning on rolling out iPads to every Vision class ship (Vision, Grandeur, Rhapsody, Enchantment and Legend of the Seas) by 2014.
With the iPads, passengers will be able to

• Access the daily Cruise Compass of events and activities
• Access personal daily itineraries, including shore excursions
• Monitor their onboard account
• Order room service
• View restaurant menus
• Access the internet
• Watch movies

All of the features of the iPad will be complimentary, except for the Internet access.

Royal Caribbean senior vice president of Hotel Operations, Lisa Bauer, commented on the news, "Based on consumer research, we added the iPads to greatly enhance guest communication, interactivity and to continue to offer industry leading technology that helps enhance the guest experience. This is just one of the many exciting ways that Royal Caribbean continues to provide our guests with the ultimate cruise experience."

Royal Caribbean expects every cabin onboard Splendour to have an iPad by February 2012.

Now I know that Celebrity use an iPad for the menu on Qusine on Eclispe, so is this the next step and who else is going to follow?

I think I've found the perfect cruise

If you have regularly read my blog you will know I-
 1. Enjoy my holidays
 2. Am always looking for that something different

and yes I do have a copy of '1000 Places to see before you Die'

So you will not be surprised if I tell you that I think I have found the perfect cruise for us, but its for next year!

The furthest East I have ever been is actually Cyprus, surprisingly Istanbul is slightly West of Cyprus, so I am always looking to spread my boundaries and I have found for me the perfect cruise that goes to those Far East destinations I want to experience.

So here is the itinerary:
  
Sun 05 Feb    SINGAPORE    
Mon 06 Feb   AT SEA    
Tue 07 Feb    KOH SAMUI, THAILAND  
Wed 08 Feb   LAEM CHABANG (BANGKOK),THAILAND     
Thu 09 Feb    LAEM CHABANG (BANGKOK),THAILAND   
Fri 10 Feb     SIHANOUKVILLE, CAMBODIA   
Sat 11 Feb     AT SEA     
Sun 12 Feb    PHU MY, VIETNAM   
Mon 13 Feb   NHA TRANG, VIETNAM   
Tue 14 Feb    AT SEA    
Wed 15 Feb   DA NANG, VIETNAM
Thu 16 Feb   SANYA (HAINAN), CHINA 
Fri 17 Feb     HALONG BAY, VIETNAM 
Sat 18 Feb    AT SEA 
Sun 19 Feb   HONG KONG, CHINA

The cruise is on Holland America's Zaandam, a Luxury Cruise line on a midsized ship, not a cruise line I have sailed with before but all the reports I have tell me it excellent.

So what appeal? Well the itinerary, it covers some amazing places - well my research tells me that and too be honest I want to try. The joy of a cruise, is you are in the same hotel for the 2 weeks and get to experience some wonderful places and cultures.

Added to which you can add a couple of nights or so before and/or after in Singapore or Hong Kong.

It is perfect, except I am already on a Caribbean cruise then so can't go! But roll on 2013, it with be the Volendam and in Feb - so perfect timing for the weather in that area.

Hope I can wait, and that my boss does not read all the way down here as he will not be happy at nearly 3 weeks holiday for this!!

Autumn Wine Cruises from Celebrity

Now as you may be aware from reading my previous reports there are 2 or 3 things that interest me, one being Photography, another being holidays and thirdly but not lastly a nice glass of Red wine. So how about this with Celebrity Cruises, I can indulge in all 3 on a choice of cruises!

Okay, on most holidays you can do all 3 but Celebrity have recently announced a change to their itineraries for 2012 with Celebrity Constellation being based in Southampton from September 2012 for a series of wine and food themed cruises.

Constellation will be joining Celebrity Eclipse for the first time with seven food and wine themed sailings from Southampton and will take takes Celebrity Cruises UK fleet deployment to two ships. In 2010 Constellation had a $40m refit to 'Solsticize' her, and although she is an older ship she now has some of the features that we love about the Eclipse. Why not read my blog about the refit.

Constellation in Barbados

So throughout the 2012 harvest season, 7 September – 18 November 2012, Celebrity Constellation will sail from the UK to some of the top-producing wine regions in France, Spain and Portugal. The new itineraries feature overnight stays in Le Havre (for Paris/Normandy) and Le Verdon (for Bordeaux), France, as well as Bilbao, Spain.

Guests also have the opportunity to enjoy tours and tastings at some of the region’s most renowned wineries, experience grape harvesting for themselves and learn how Port is blended and aged.


Celebrity’s onboard experience will reflect the flair and flavour of the region too with partnerships with local wineries, including Rioja tastings, Champagne brunches, Bordeaux samplings, Port and food pairing dinners and more, including special events in the ship’s Cellar Masters bar. A seasonal wine package featuring special selections from the region also will be added to the onboard drinks packages available.


After cruising from Southampton, Celebrity Constellation’s new wine-themed itineraries begin with three consecutive overnight stays: one each in Paris (Le Havre) and Bordeaux (Le Verdon), France, and Bilbao, Spain, and also feature visits to Vigo, Spain and Porto, Portugal. The sailings from Southampton depart on 7 and 19 September; 1, 13 and 25 October; and 6 and 18 November 2012.

The ship’s 15-night transatlantic voyage from Europe to the U.S. will depart Southampton on 30 November 2012, with visits to Paris/Normandy (LeHavre), France; Lisbon, Portugal, and Tenerife, Canary Islands, ending in Miami, Florida.

I'm looking for a cruise at tha time of year, 30th wedding anniversary, could I get away with this and have a Red every night?

Royal Clipper - want to see my picture?

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you will know that one of my interests is photography and when I am away I tend to take loads of pictures, sunsets, landscapes and even ships.

I have to be honest and say the picture above is one of my favourites of the pictures I have taken, (Just blowing my own trumpet!) and clearly isn't Royal Clipper.

Over the last few months I have found various websites that include photos of cruise ships, and the best for me is www.shipparade.com.

So having returned from the Queen Victoria, I have spent a little time sorting my pictures and deciding which ones I could upload onto their website. So, after a bit of research I decided on a picture of Star Clipper's Royal Clipper, so follow this link to see my picture.

Kung Fu Voyager

As my granddaughter is getting older, well she is nearly 14 months old now, I have been thinking about when we take her away on holiday. What have cruise ships got to keep children entertained?

Now I am not going to list all the feature, but I did notice this news article last week. Royal Caribbean International And Dreamworks Animation Expand Strategic Alliance To Voyager Of The Seas

Royal Caribbean International and DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. have announced that they will extend the DreamWorks Experience to a fifth ship in 2012 - Voyager of the Seas, the largest cruise ship sailing in Asia and Australia.

Po and Shrek will be among the “celebrity” characters that will engage guests of all ages, with exclusive special events and parades, interactive character breakfasts in the main dining room, and plenty of photo opportunities. The DreamWorks Experience will be in place and available to guests at the start of the summer 2012 Asia season.

First launched aboard Allure of the Seas in November 2010, the DreamWorks Experience is now available on board Oasis of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas, and features some of the studio’s most popular animated films – “Kung Fu Panda,” “Shrek,” “Madagascar” and “How to Train Your Dragon.”

Royal Caribbean International’s Adam Goldstein said:

“Expanding the DreamWorks Experience to Voyager of the Seas further illustrates our commitment to the China market, and the Asia and Australia region. This is really going to set us apart as an international cruise line that delivers the very best in family entertainment for guests around the world.”

DreamWorks Animation’s Lew Coleman added:

“At DreamWorks Animation we are always looking for new and expanded opportunities for our fans and for families in particular to interact with our characters and our brand. Royal Caribbean International offers a one-of-a-kind experience for their customers and we very much look forward to extending our entertainment offering in Asia.”

Now, there are a couple of points for me here, firstly I think I need a lesson on these children's characters as it is something I have little or no knowledge of. Secondly, I think Australia might be too far for her first cruise, I will need to look for something nearer home.

Another port of call - Santorini

So having made Santorini, some 30 years after I originally should have gone, I thought I'd write a port review.

Santorini Panorama - 12th September 2011

You can just see the donkeys in the bottom left corner starting their perilous journey back down to sea level!

Why read my review of the Queen Victoria cruise, with some more photo's of Santorini

Now the touristy bits...

SANTORINI, also called Thera or Thira, lies to the south of the central Cyclades group of Greek islands. It is considered the hottest holiday spot in the Cyclades in more ways than one. Born in a massive volcanic eruption, fumes still rise offshore.

Santorini satisfies the up-market end of the Greek island holidays market with many luxury hotels, and cruise ships bring holiday visitors ready to gasp at the romantic sunset skies, and turn on to the island's hot nightclubs.

Spectacular is a word that applies more to Santorini than most. Visitors sailing into the flooded caldera are greeted by dizzying cliffs with dazzling white villages plastered like dollops of cream on the sky-hugging rim. An island of extraordinary contrasts, Santorini can be both breathtakingly beautiful and deeply unattractive. The sheer cliffs of red and black can feel intimidating and the black volcanic sands hold the heat. White cube houses and blue dome churches tumble attractively down the cliffsides but streets are full of expensive cafes, trendy shops and near nightmare swarms of tourists.

There are a couple of ways to get to the village, either walk or take the donkey - not my idea of a good time; use the chair lift, queues permitting or take a cruise line excursion which take you to a low lying port and so missing out on the queues or hike!

As you can see from my photo, it is a tender from the ship to the land and these are run by the locals, so no need to lower the lifeboats. Later on that day an MSC ship also came into the bay, a very busy time!

Its a lovely place, and certainly lived up to my expectations but it does get very busy and smelly with all the donkeys going up or down the paths!

Restricted view, is it the same with each Cruise Line?

Having just got back from my cruise on Queen Victoria I was asked a question by a passenger about restricted view cabins and this made me think about any differences between the cruise lines.

 A restricted view cabin

I spoke about this when I came back from my ship visit to the Celebrity Eclipse in July, read my review here, so what is there a difference between Cunard and Celebrity in how the categorise restricted view cabins.

So on the Solstice Class ships with Celebrity, the 2D & 2C balcony cabins on Continental Deck (Deck 6) are sold with a restricted view, the system says about 30% restriction. As you can see from the picture, you are just over the lifeboats so your restriction is in your downwards view.

Celebrity Eclipse

Now on the QV, and also the QE , the A4 balcony cabins on deck 4 are sold as clear view, but if you look at the picture below of the QV, the A4's on Deck 4 are just above the lifeboats on the left of the picture.

Queen Victoria

Is this any different to the 2D & 2C's on the Eclipse? I don't think they are; yet the cruise lines have a different opinion as to what constitutes a restricted view.

If I did not know and took the A4 on Cunard I would be less than happy, especially as they cabins have a slight overhang! See the picture below.

A4 cabins deck 5

So the moral of the story is, always ask your cruise specialist because we can give you these bits of knowledge that others might not be able to.

My Cruise on Queen Victoria to the Greek Isles and Aegean Treasures - part 2 the Ship

I recently wrote about the itinerary in my last blog, please read, so I thought I'd now talk about the ship and experience on board.

I have been lucky enough to sail on Queen Mary 2 and saw Queen Elizabeth when she was launched in Southampton, so I was really looking forward to spending a pleasant cruise on QV.

My first view was that she is intrinsically the same ship as the Queen Elizabeth, far smaller than QM2 and more of a cruise ship than an Ocean liner but this does not comprise on space and I never felt as though she was full to overflowing even though she had been fully sold out.

The public spaces are well appointed and maintained, and throughout the cruise I did not find it difficult to find a seat in any of the bars, lounges or the nightclub, Hemispheres when I went to them. In fact the staff were scrambling to serve you to have something to do in the Golden Lion, great for a traditional pub lunch though, and with draft Guinness!

Grand Lobby

Golden Lion

Champagne Bar

Food and service on board was I thought excellent, I heard of people saying the service was not up to scratch, but it does depend on the waiter and I found that everything was at a standard that I was very happy with. In fact we had a bonus on the table front, Table 396 deck 2, right at the back with an excellent view through the windows, perfect.

There is speciality dining in Todd English, and they do an alternative dinning in the Lido and it is disappointing that since my last Cunard cruise they have started to charge a supplement for the alternative dining. However, they have just moved the 'Taste of India' from the Lido to the Todd English - charge has doubled for this from $10 to $20pp - but I have to say the food and service was excellent.

I don't usually take pictures of food, but this is the starter.

The cabisn are no different in size to those on Queen Elizabeth, but how much time do you really spend in the cabin. So for 12 nights it was just perfect, one day I will go for a Grills just to see how the other half live!

Overall, this was an excellent cruise. The itinerary was just perfect and went to the places we wanted, the weather which was in the late 20's everyday, except the rain in Dubrovnik, added to an excellent experience onboard - all in all the perfect atmosphere to book another cruise especially as we are now Gold Cunard World Club Members.

Rain in Dubrovnik, but it went in 20 minutes

But the offers on board this time were not as good as last year, my credit card bill last week was just £3 after the on board spend we had for the cruise, so I think I'm going to sit and wait and see what happens to the price of the Queen Elizabeth cruise we want to do.

As I say, its the overall cost when you get off that you have to look at.

My Cruise on Queen Victoria to the Greek Isles and Aegean Treasures - part 1 the itinerary

I thought that for this cruise I'd do my review of this Queen Victoria sailing in 2 parts, firstly the destinations and then the ship - partly because for me the decision to go was based on the itinerary, places I've always wanted to go to or been to and wanted to go back.

So, we started on 9th September in Rome not that you see anything just the hour drive from the airport to Civitavecchia and departed that evening for Naples.

Naples has a reputation, and I was a little concerned but we took a taxi to part of the Old Town and then walked along the narrow streets back to the ship. Now we Italy, so this was an excellent day but you do get to see some strange groups of people!

From Naples we headed after a day at sea to Santorini, 30 years ago I had a holiday booked for this beautiful island, but for 1 reason or another we could not go so we were really looking forward to this stop, and it did not disappoint.

The island of Santorini is the rim of an old volcano, and the ships anchor in the caldera and you are tendered to the port. There are 3 ways to the town, cable car, donkey or by foot, for me you need to take the cable car but watch for the queues, on the day we were there there were 6 cruise ships in and the queues were long and it was very hot so walking was a really bad choice!

From here we headed to Izmir for Ephesus, a historic ancient city although the day we visited I think everybody in Turkey was also there! At least I can say I've been to Asia, as this site is in the Asian side of Turkey.

Then for me one of the highlights, the sailing into Istanbul where we had an overnight stay, and it was great to get off ship in the evening and walk around the restaurants and some shops taking in the sounds and smells.

The picture below is taken from the balcony of the cabin and has the minaret's of the Blue Mosque and St Sophia's on the headland as well as Topkapi Palace.

Then there is the Grand Bazaar, don't forget your credit card! They say that there are 5 miles of passageways and thousands of stalls, I did not try to check but this is an amazing place.

After this stop in Istanbul, the ship sailed for Samos, Athens and Zakynthos- typically Greek with gorgeous weather in fact on 1 day the mid afternoon temperature was over 100 and the pool was a welcome cooling point.

From there we headed to Dubrovnik, a new place for us and one were looking forward to, especially as for a couple of years in was regularly in the news in the 1990's about the conflicts in the area.

It is a walled city and there was a courtesy coach from the ship to the town, this was the only day that the weather was inclement and we got caught in a storm on the wall, but found shelter and then a bar, well I have to get refreshments!

I have to say that we loved this port, and it is somewhere that I will go back to and may even do a land holiday here.

This was towards the end of the cruise and the last port of call was Venice, a city we visited about 6 years ago but only for a day. I had spent ages making sure we had a cabin on the correct side of the ship for the sail in especially as we had 2 full days in the port, however Cunard changed the itinerary and the sail into Venice was mid morning - I was not disappointed.

OK, if you stop on St Marks Square to get a drink or something to eat it is expensive a tea and coffee with the music was 30 Euros, but head off down the side streets and alleyways and you will stumble across so little cafes and bars which make a place like this.

After 12 nights we had to come home you can read my thoughts on the flights at A Tale of 2 Airlines, if I could have stowed away to do it again I would have done! This to me was one of the best itineraries that I have seen and I would happily do this trip again.

Part 2 about the ship will follow in due course.

I am now back... but heres a Tale of Two Airlines!

Just arrived back after 12 nights on Cunard's Queen Victoria doing the Greek Isles and Aegean Treasures, the weather, cruise and ship were great, last year I wrote about QM2 - I still think she may be my favourite ship.

It will take me a few days to write my review and go through the photos from the cruise but I thought I'd just make a few comments about the flights.



This was a fly cruise with Cunard, and I took the option of flights from East Midlands, chartered by Cunard.

On the way out we were on a flights with Titan Airways (who you say) and coming back with Jet2, and what a difference!

Great on Titan, comfy seats a newspaper as we embarked and a bottle of water waiting on out seats, then complimentary meal and drinks - real crockery and glasses! Yet on the way back on Jet 2, we were met with 'There is no food on this plane' and the drink was served in a plastic cup!

Such a difference, and I am glad that it was on the way back that the service offered was poor, because if it was on the way out it may have given me a different start to my excellent cruise.

So there we are, a Tale of two Airlines ..... (sorry Mr Dickens!)

Dover. A quintessential english port?

So, thought I'd do another of my Port reviews, but with a different twist. In the UK we are all well aware of the major Ports of departure, so I thought I'd talk about Dover, is it the quintessential English port?

Ships departing from Dover include ones from Fred Olsen, Oceania, Holland America, Crystal Cruises, Seabourn and Princess Cruises at various times during 2012, so there is plenty of choice. But do we just travel down and see the car park then get on ship?

Those of you who have read my blog from the beginning will remember the problems with our Christmas Cruise in 2009, bad snow and a long walk to the ship through snow drifts and dodging cars! Nice picture though, but Dover is not like that really, read on.

Lets start quickly with the car parking, as there is more to see than this. you can park either in the cruise port or use 1 of the out of town parks, either of which you are best to book in advance. Yes I can help if needed.

So what is there to do in Dover, well of course you can see 'The White Cliffs of Dover', a National Trust survey highlighted this as the most popular stretch of coastline in the UK.

Then there is the historic Dover Castle, which sits proudly atop the White Cliffs of Dover and overlooking the port.

The site of Dover Castle has been of vital importance since the Iron Age with the first castle at Dover most likely an Anglo-Saxon fortress until the arrival of William the Conqueror when its existing fortifications were improved.

Of course, you can motor down through the Kent countryside; known as the Garden of England for its rich farming and hop making heritage. Kent stretches from Dover's White Cliffs Country to medieval Canterbury in the east, elegant, Tunbridge Wells to the west and the historic Medway towns to the north.

So perhaps it is worth setting off a little earlier and getting off the drag of the M20 motorway to see some of the countryside or the town before heading to the cruise port.

Wooden Deck - are they just for the Luxury cruise lines?

I have this bee in my bonnet at times about 'proper' teak decks and the 'plastic' ones you find on some cruise ships, and I was looking at some photos the other day and started to wonder, are they just for the Luxury cruise lines?

So I had a better look and got some surprising results, so read on....

Regent Seven Seas Voyager

Oceania Regatta

Cunard QM2

Those are no surprise then, but I bet like me you thought the teak deck would be for the realms of the Luxury or 5 star ships, but not necessarily what about these surprising results!

MSC Opera

Cunard QE

Yes its teak, but surprisingly the next one is plastic!

Can anyone add any more cruise ships to my list, email me at stuartc@cruise.co.uk

Ultra Luxury - Seven Seas Voyager - It's all included

On Tuesday last week I had another a jaunt down to Southampton for a day ship visit to Seven Seas Voyager, a six star day out!

So what did I think, well read on.....

Well the key feature is 'it's all included', so what do you get:-

• All gratuities
• All fine dining, including the speciality restaurants and you can pre-book 1 reservation up to 90 days before the cruise and then make more once on board.
• Free unlimited shore excursions
• All drinks and beverages, includes fine wines, beer and premium branded spirits, soft drinks, bottle water, speciality coffees and tea served throughout the ship at any time of day.
• All on board activity including expert guest lectures, production shows from award winning directors, wine and food workshops, sporting activities and much more........
• Free in-suite mini bar replenished daily with soft drinks, beer and bottled water
• Butler service in category C suites and above
• 24 hour room service and in-suite dining
• Governmental and port fees

Then the amount of space stands out as a further feature of this ship, she is just over 40,000 tons but takes only 700 passengers in all suite with balcony accommodation, with the smallest suites being 350 square feet that's nearly twice the size of some balcony cabins on other cruise ships!

A category H to D suite

The ship is not in anyway 'blingy', high quality and to me seems like a posh country club, nothing to offend just that luxury hideaway from home.In fact in the next couple of months, she is returning to the ship yard in Italy for a refit of the soft furnishings, not that she looks tardy in anyway.

So what about the food and wine, lunch was great and the wine was excellent - a definite bonus when you think that these are all included at lunch and dinner!

So why would you go on this type of cruise ship?

Well think about the cost of getting off the ship, on Celebrity or Cunard you have the trips and drinks etc and these mount up and when you add them to the cost of the cruise how different is this to the cost of going on a similar Regent Cruise. I bet its not that much really.

So why not give it a go?

River Cruising - a short guide

I have written a little bit about River Cruising before but since I cruised onboard AmaWaterways’, AmaDante my eyes have really been opened to this whole new world of cruising. If like me you have done the Mediterranean, Caribbean and everywhere else a normal cruise visits then a River Cruise is most definitely for you.

So come on, read on ..............
Unlike Ocean Cruising, River Cruising is more about the destination than the facilities that are available onboard. When sailing onboard a River Cruise you get to dock up close and personal with most of the ports of call, for instance experience the stunning views of iconic landmarks such as the Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower which cannot be achieved anywhere else apart from on the river Seine.

Sail through some of Europe’s most spectacular and beautiful countryside in between calling at Europe’s major cities like Vienna, Cologne, Prague, Berlin and Russia’s fascinating cities of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Plus with most River Cruise Lines offering fully guided tours in every port of call included in the price, you’ll be able to fully explore these amazing cities without worrying about what time you need to get back onboard.

River Cruising isn’t just Europe though, practically where there’s a river you can sail along it! With many of the River Cruise Lines specialising in a specific rivers – like Discover Egypt , who specialise in Nile Cruises.

In July I wrote about the discussions at home about taking a Mekong River Cruise for our 30th Wedding anniversary, see my blog . With so much to see in Vietnam and Cambodia a River Cruise is truly the best way to get everything in and see all sights like the great temple complex of Angkor Wat, The Bayon Temple, Srey Temple and explore bustling cities Hanoi, Siem Reap and Ho Chi Minh City.

The Yangtze River is another must see for any avid traveller with so much of China’s history formed around its river banks, this river will fire your imagination and stirs the spirit of forgotten eras. Visit the glistening cities Shanghai and Beijing as well as wonders of world like The Great Wall, Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, Terracotta Army and sail through the Three Gorges. But don’t just take my word for it; see the Viking River Cruises videos below.





So has all that this talk of something different whetted your taste buds? There is only so many times you can take Med or Caribbean cruises, give me a call and lets see what we can find.