Picture quiz

It is that time of year and in the papers and on various websites I have seen lots of little quiz's.

So here is my quiz for the year, answers to the usual address, prize the same as usual (so that not a lot, just the satisfaction of getting the answers right!)

5 ships in picture, try and name them. The answers will be given on my next post, to be published on 2nd January - so come back them and see how you have done.

Good luck!

 Ship 1

Ship 2

Ship 3

 Ship 4

Ship 5

Comparison of Luxury Cruise with a Land Resort holiday

I have recently been talking to some customers about the merits of a Luxury cruise against a stay in a Luxury resort.

Of course when you compare a cruise to a resort holiday, you have the benefits of a moving hotel with a different experience and port each day whereas in a land resort you stay for your whole holiday in the same destination.

But what about the other things, like dining or movies or gratuities.  So here's a little comparison between a Silversea cruise and a land resort.

	Silversea	Resort
All open seating a la carte dining.	Yes	Maybe
All on-board gratuities are included, none expected.	Yes	No
Complimentary beverages throughout the vessel including in suite beverage cabinet stocked with your preference of wines and spirits.	Yes	No
Complimentary cocktail receptions (open bar and canapés).	Yes	No
Complimentary use of the on-board venues for meetings and presentations.	Yes	Maybe
Complimentary food and beverage for business breaks.	Yes	No
Complimentary 24 hours room service.	Yes	No
Complimentary in suite movie channels.	Yes	No
Complimentary daily activities and special events.	Yes	No
Complimentary nightly entertainment including stage productions, variety acts and live musicians.	Yes	No
Complimentary twice daily suite service with turndown every evening.	Yes	No
Complimentary personalised stationery in each suite.	Yes	No
Complimentary and personalised Silversea Chronicle – daily news and activities schedule.	Yes	No
Complimentary health and fitness centre, including fitness equipment, aerobics, yoga and more.	Yes	No
Duty free boutiques and shopping.	Yes	Maybe
24 hour, on site medical services (full time Doctor).	Yes	No
24 hour security (access to the vessel is exclusive to documented guests).	Yes	No

So what do you think? As expected, you get far more benefits and service on that Luxury cruise, added to which you get the joys of those new experiences everyday give it a  go.

 

Where does (one) Nautical expression comes from....

Do you wonder where various expressions in common use come from, especially at this time of year when the weather is getting colder?

So we have all heard the phrase, 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey' but did you know this has a maritime connection.


Way back in history when ships sailed with cannons for protection, they had to find a way to keep a supply of cannon balls near each cannon without them rolling away. So they developed a storage devise so that the cannon balls could be stored in a pyramid in a safe way, which was a metal pate with indentations to hold the bottom row of cannon balls, called a 'monkey'.

Now for the science, not done that for a long time!, if the monkey was made from iron because of the damp on ship the cannon balls would rust onto it, no good; so the solution was to manufacture the money out of brass.

However, brass will contract when it is cold. So, in colder temperatures the indentations would shrink so much so that the cannon balls would come adrift from the monkey. Hence 'cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey'.

No I am not so sure how true the science is here and how cold it needs to be, but it is an interesting story.

Now for an irrelevant fact, the "brass monkey" is the nickname of the house flag of the Cunard Line, adopted in 1878.

Where is my cruise ship?

So one of the first questions you'll ask yourself when you're planning a cruise holiday is, "Where do I want to go and when can I go there?" The answer to these questions can be must trickier than you think, given that cruise ships only visit some destinations during certain seasons of the year.

So here is a quick guide to point you in the right direction.

The key thing to remember is that the cruise lines decide their itineraries some 2 years or so in advance,  but do so to have the ships in places where the weather is good and tourists want to go.

You can go to the Caribbean throughout the year, but the 'peak' season would be our Winter when most of the ships from the summer Mediterranean sailings have repositioned and it is outside the hurricane season. So, should you not go when the weather may be bad? Of course all modern ships are bristling with technology, so the Captain knows about possible weather problems some time in advance and can change the course or itinerary to compensate.
 
As one cruise line representative said, "That's the great thing about a cruise ship. We don't have to sit and wait it out for the season to change; we can follow the sun and move the ships to where people want to go."

So based on that premise, thought I would come up with a where or where not for the various seasons. Don’t forget that there are always exceptions to the rule and I hope that I have covered most of these off.-

• Alaska - This is a short season so you can catch the best weather in the Alaskan Fjords.

• Australia - This is a year long season, although the Winter months see more ships as they have repositioned  for the peak season. In the Summer months mostly Australian cruise line  sailings from Sydney.

• Canada & New England - Traditionally a short season to see 'New England in the Fall' and the Autumn Colours.

• Caribbean - This is a year long season, although the winter months see more ships as they reposition from the Mediterranean. Although the weather is warm year long in the later summer months may see some hurricane action.

• Dubai & Middle East - Generally a Winter sun destination or world cruise stop off. Probably too hot and humid in the summer months.

• Far East - This is again a short season to catch the best of the weather in the South China Sea.

• Galapagos - All year round, speciality cruising.

• Hawaii & Pacific - You can sail all year round in Hawaii, with a ship based in Honolulu, but far more ships sail to Hawaii in the Winter months from LA or San Diego.

• Mediterranean - This is year long season, although the summer months see more ships as they have repositioned from the Caribbean (mostly). In the Winter months it could be colder and inclement weather.

• Mexican Riviera - Can be all year round from LA, but care may be needed at times of US holiday seasons as lots of students may make it a little more boisterous than you would expect.

• Northern Europe - The main season for cruising to the Fjords or Baltics is during the Summer; but you can sail the Fjords on a speciality cruise throughout the year.

• South America - In the Southern Hemisphere, so their Summer is our winter, so going at these times make the best of the weather.

• World Cruise - Generally to be away for the worst of the winter, and a variety of destinations and trips available.

The key:

Green arrows mean most ships available, amber arrows less ships available and no arrows means in the main no sailings. - There are always exceptions to this rule!

Get me to the Church on time! A wedding at Sea?

Bet you think I'm going mad again, well you are probably right! I have just been discussing costs with a friend who is getting married soon and we started talking about getting married at Sea.

So read on for my thoughts.


A lot of the cruise lines have different wedding packages on offer, follow this link to find a brief summary of these. But what are the different wedding options available?

On some cruise lines you can get married:-

1. by the Captain at Sea
2. on ship on the day of departure, usually in a US port
3. in one of the ports of call during the cruise
4. renew your vows
5. or just have a Symbolic ceremony having get married before on land.

The list is not exhaustive, but give a flavour of the options available. In all cases you will also have to get the appropriate licences to be married in your chosen location, but the cruise lines usually have a weddings department to help you out there. But are there any other pitfalls?

Well, there are only a limited number of wedding ceremonies available on each sailing, and although you know when you want to get married your choice of line and venue, this might not be available with the cruise line.  And you may find that those popular times for weddings, like close to holiday seasons, have an additional cost from the cruise line.

With all the legal niceties there are, only a few lines are able to offer ceremonies at sea, although things are changing here as a recent law change in the Bahamas means that from 2013 Royal Caribbean will now be added to that list.

If you are getting married on the day of departure you just need to make sure that you are in the destination in sufficient time as it is usually an early start, but in most cases using this option means that your guests do not have to travel on the cruise (your honeymoon) with you!

Now the one that worries me is in a port of call during the cruise, might be really idyllic to get married on a Caribbean beach but what happens if the ship can't dock because of the weather, especially as you may have paid several hundreds of dollars to your licences, which will be no good on the next island!

Of course there are the logistics of the process, you need to check availability of a wedding spot on ship, cabin availability and  like everything in the world you can 'upgrade', add more flowers, more pictures, champagne breakfasts and the wedding breakfast on top of that. So the costs could also add up quiet significantly, so watching the budget is a necessity.

According to a search of the web the average cost of a wedding in 2013 is going to be about £16,500. So would getting married on a ship make this come down? Well, you will probably have less guests going and you might be able to get them to pay for their own cruise so you could bring it in cheaper than that if you wanted.

So, it must be worth a look at so give me a ring and I will try to point you in the right direction.

A guide to a few of those cruise phrases and jargon

It's not just those people who are new to cruising that struggle with the phrases, jargon and acronyms that are used.

So time for a little bit of help, it is nothing to worry about hopefully the list will explain things in plain English. Just read on.

• Aft - Towards the back of the ship. 
• Alongside - When the ship is beside the pier (or another ship).
• At Anchor - When the ship is anchored offshore (as opposed to docking alongside). 
• Astern - Behind the ship, beyond the stern.
• Balcony - A Balcony space outside, sometime referred to as a Veranda on some Amercian Ships
• Beam - Width of the ship at it's widest point. 
• Bearing - Compass direction, expressed in degrees from the ship to a particular destination. 
• Berth - The beds in your cabin are sometimes called berths, and when the ship is docked, it's also in a berth.
• Bow - The front of the ship. 
• Bridge - As it sounds the place where the Captain steers the ship. If you can get to have a look it's well worth seeing. Why not look at my time on an Inside Access tour with Celebrity.
• Bunkers - Fuel storage area.
• Cabin - What is a 'room' in a hotel is a 'cabin' afloat. Sometimes known as staterooms, your cabin has all the facilities you'd expect from a hotel room.
• Cabin Grade - E1, B3, F5? Confused by all the letters and number combinations,  especially as each cruise line has their own code, call me and I can help. 
• Cabin steward/stewardess - This is the lovely lady or gent that takes care of your cabin every day, turning it down at night and maybe even leaving a chocolate or towel animal on your pillow.
• Cashless system - No need to carry cash around the ship as your boarding/swipe card can be used to make purchases on board. 
• Colours - Ship's emblem or Flag of nationality.
• Crew - All those people on board there to make your holiday extra special. From the Captain to the laundry people, from the wine waiters to the spa therapists. 
• Disembarking - Quite simply, this is getting off the boat 
• Dock - The act of bringing the ship alongside the Quay.
• Draft - Distance from the ship's waterline to the bottom of it's keel. 
• Embarking - Getting on ship.
• Emergency drill - A requirement of maritime law, it is compulsory for guests to attend an emergency drill. The purpose of this is to familiarise you with the safety procedures on board and the actions you must take in the event of a real emergency. 
• Forward - Towards to front of the ship.
• Funnel - Ship's exhaust.
• Galley - Ship's kitchen.
• Gangway - The ramp linking the ship to the land. 
• G.R.T. - Gross Registered Tonnage. This geeky, but is the  ship's total internal volume expressed in "register tons", one of which equals to a volume of 100 cubic feet (2.83 m³). It is calculated from the total permanently enclosed capacity of the vessel. This is basically how big and heavy a ship is. 
• Inside Cabin - A cabin situated in the middle of the ship. Ideal if you're happy to go up to the deck for your sea view.
• Keel - Longitudinal extension of the ship's underside. 
• Knot - Term for speed at see, 1 nautical mile per hour. 
• Life Boat - For use in an emergency. 
• Life Jackets - 1 per person can be found in your cabin on arrival. To be used at the emergency drill and in the case of an emergency. There are others on board at strategic points in the ship.
• Midships - Towards the middle of the ship. 
• Muster / Muster Station - Assemble guests and/or crew at  your emergency assembly point. This is a mandatory requirement and in the first few hours of your cruise, the alarms will go off, you'll don that gorgeously fetching looking life jacket of yours and head to your muster station. 
• Nautical mile - 1,852 meters (10 knots = 10 nautical miles per hour = 11.5 land miles per hour)
  Outside Cabin - A 'sea view' cabin. Outside cabins means you'll have a window to enjoy the scenery floating by.
• Pilot - Independent navigational adviser who comes on board to guide the ship when entering and leaving port. 
• Pontoon - Used and lowered to the side of the ship for guests to walk on prior to getting in the tender boat to go ashore when the ship is at anchor.
• Port - Listen up, there are two meanings. Port means the left of the ship. But it also refers to places you'll visit...basically, all those fabulous destinations you'll be visiting on your cruise.
• Porthole - If you've booked an outside cabin, you'll have a window, AKA a porthole. 
• Pullman Bed - This is a pull down bed from the wall for some of the beds in the cabins.
• Quay - Dock, pier, or berth.
• Rudder - The bit of the boat that steers it usually but some propulsion systems use a rudderless system.
• Satellite Navigator - The global positioning system (GPS). A system using 24 satellites to fix the ships position.
• Stabilisers - Wing shaped fins on the bottom of the boat that helps minimise the side to side rolling movement. There to make the cruise as as smooth sailing as it possibly can be.
• Starboard - To the right of the ship.
• Stern - The back of the ship. 
• Swell - The motion of the ocean.
• Tender - If your ship cannot dock in the port, you will get a tender to the shore, could be the ships lifeboats or tenders from the port.

Your P&O Cruise Personaliser. Are the changes better for you?

All the cruise lines have different ways of obtaining your pre-cruise information and offering you excursions and packages that they have available on board.

P&O, have recently up dated their Cruise Personaliser with new features and facilities but are all the changes better for you the passenger?

Well, the actual look of the system is now much clearer and I think it is easier to navigate around, see the pictures below:-

So what can you do, well you can see personal detail, flight details, cabin details and you can amend who the beds are set up, dining information with dress information, you can access and print eTickets and luggage labels when they are available, purchase gifts and luxuries and even add your own notes.

All of these seem to be an improvement for the customer.

Then you come to excursions. You can view and book as you could before but here comes the rub, when you confirm those you want you have to add your card details and pay for the excursion up front. This is a big change for P&O, but you are right to say no different to Royal and Celebrity.

However, what happens if you have some on board spend, historically you booked the excursion and the cost was charged through your on board account, so paid at the end of the cruise and if you had any on board spend it could go towards these excursions. Now, you pay before the cruise and therefore if you do have some on board spend it can't be offset again the cost of the excursions!

Now, the answer from P&O is that you can use the on board spend for purchases on board, so you could wait till you were on ship and then purchase your cruise line excursion. But would you do that for St Peterburg or other ports where it is perhaps better to do the cruise lines tours than your own thing? Perhaps not.

I do understand that things change, but I bet that this will come as a big surprise to many long standing P&O customers who may have booked their excursions like this for many a year. You do have the option to cancel and get a refund, within terms and conditions but how many people will?

So, overall the changes appear to be an improvement but just be aware of that unexpected cost! Of course, also watch for Cunard although I don't have any information I can't imagine that their personaliser will not change in the same in the future.