Its the end of the line, but where do the cruise ships go?

So what happens when a ship has reached that point where the cruise line is thinking of replacing it, trading it in for a better phrase just like we do with our cars?

I did write an article 'What's in a name', about how some ships in various guises have had different names. So one way that the cruise lines move on their ships, they sell or transfer to another operator.


Take for example the Spanish operator, Pullmantor Cruises, owned by Royal Caribbean and the current fleet of 3 are all ex- Royal or Celebrity ships, Empress, Soverign and Zenith and will be joined next year by Monarch.

 
Then in the UK there is Thomson Cruises, there 4 ships have come for a variety of background, including Holland America and Costa Cruises. Anybody remember the accident in Egypt in 2010 on the Costa Europa, now sailing as the Thomson Dream?

Thats a great way for the cruise line to move on those older ships, but not every operator can do this, and what about those they have replaced, they end up moving further down the food chain or are scrapped. Like perhaps the old Pacific Princess, yes The Love Boat from the TV.

Or do they? What are cruise ships, in reality nothing but floating hotels.

The original Queen Elizabeth was being used as a 'School' having being retired afetr 30 years of service, when she caught fire and sank in Hong Kong Harbour in 1972. Another classic Cunarder, The Queen Mary has been in California since her retirement and now operates as a Hotel and Event and Wedding Venue.

What happened in the end to the the QE2, well she was supposed to be converted to a hotel but she is now moored in Dubai after the recent global collapse.

Just what is going to happen who knows.But then you have to ask, what will happen to the Concordia when they finish the salvage operation? Scrapped, perhaps that is the right thing but it is amazing what the ship yards can do so maybe in a copule of years she may up in the fleet of your favourite cruise line!!

River Cruising, whats it all about?

Sorry but it is a few weeks since I wrote my last post, so back into the rhythm now and thought I'd write something about River Cruising.

So don't we tend to associate "cruising" with getting on a huge ship filled with thousands of people and sailing to foreign ports of call in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Alaska or Far East. But what are if any, the other options?

Well it is interesting that most people ignore the most original form of travel on water, river cruising. It is safe to say that mankind was moving goods and people up and down rivers and canals long before ocean travel came into fashion. In fact, the majority of cities and towns throughout the world (up until 100 years ago or so) were constructed on or near a river or major water source, so before the railroad, rivers and canals were the lifeline to commerce and travel.

So instead of looking at an Ocean Cruise, how about thinking about a River? Not just the Danube or the Rhine, you can go to China, Russia, Vietnam and even USA. I did write about an article on The Mighty Mississippi, but here I am going to concentrate on Europe, where there has been an explosion in the size of the market over the last 10 years.

European River Cruising

There are a number of companies that operate ships on the Danube, Rhone, Moselle, Rhine, Seine and Duoro in Portugal. With the European riverboats being purpose-built for modern river sailing; typically they are a long, sleek, narrow vessel with no more than four decks, which allows them to navigate the various locks and bridges found on European rivers.

A river cruise in Europe is all about the history of the land, in most stops each day there will be a Castle or Cathedral and many other historic sights to see, and you find with some lines that the days excurisons are included and usually they have options to suit the needs of all their passengers.

There are a number of European River Cruise Operators, including Viking River Cruises, Avalon River Cruises and AMAwaterways to name just a few. If you follow this link, you will find my views of the few days I spent on AMADante last year.

Advantages of river cruising

Convenience - On a river cruise, you have the ability to visit several cities, perhaps even in multiple countries, without having to pack and unpack each time you move from one place to the next. You literally wake up in a new city every day and, in many cases, you can step off the boat and walk into town or even take a bicycle ride!

Inclusive - Unlike ocean cruises, the fare your pay for your river cruise will include most, if not all, land tours and excursions, and in some cases all gratuities and pre-/post-cruise hotel stays. This makes river cruising an exceptional travel value.

Smooth sailing - You never have to experience motion sickness on a river cruise. In fact, you probably won't even know the ship is moving! It's that smooth.

No long lines - Riverboats typically carry only 100 to 150 passengers, so you will never find yourself standing in long lines.

Adult-oriented - River cruises tend to attract a more mature clientele. There are no facilities or staff dedicated to entertaining children. Therefore, a river cruise is probably not the best choice for a family vacation with the kids.

Casual - You can leave your suit and tie at home. River cruises tend to be much more casual and relaxed than ocean cruises. There are no formal nights.

So, if you are interested just give me a call to get my impartial views on what you can find.

Want to take the kids away on a cruise? Will a P&O cruise suit?

Over the last few weeks as my granddaughter heads towards her 2nd birthday as a family we have been thinking about options for the next 12 months. I have to say my daughter has never fancied the idea of a cruise, but she is slowing coming round. 

So what have P&O got to offer families?

Family cruise holidays

Enjoy family cruises on the family friendly members of the fleet: Aurora, Azura, Oceana and Ventura. These super liners were created with family enjoyment and comfort in mind, and are dedicated to ensuring the very best for your family on our family cruises making sure your family have a wonderful time with us and return home with amazing memories.

The child and teenagers programme is called The Reef, with enthusiastic and well-qualified Reef Rangers who have extensive training and experience in planning a wide range of play and leisure activities ensuring that your children will always be in safe hands.

The Reef


The Reef is our exciting on board programme for 2 – 17 year olds, meaning we are the ideal choice for cruises for families. Split into four age groups, there are a whole host of exciting activities organised daily by qualified Reef Rangers, to keep children of all ages entertained and to ensure that they have the chance to make friends of their own age.

Splashers’ for 2 – 4 year olds ‘Surfers’ for 5 – 8 year olds ‘Scubas’ for 9 – 12 year olds ‘h2o’ for 13 – 17 year olds Accommodation The cabins are well equipped for the needs of the whole family. Many have additional beds. For example, in the majority of twin cabins, beds fold down from the ceiling or out from the wall. In cabins, mini-suites and suites, the extra beds are sofa beds. Other facilities in your room include: TV Telephone Refrigerator Tea and coffee making facilities Plenty of drawer and wardrobe space In-stateroom listening facility Teenage and adult pamper packs Bathroom

Family Dining Normally children join their parents for breakfast and lunch but since you might occasionally want to dine on your own, on our family cruise holidays, we lay on a special children’s tea every night featuring all the food that children will enjoy: sausages, fish fingers and pizza to name just a few. In addition there are many healthy options, such as salads, soups, fruit, vegetables and pasta. Shore Excursions On our family cruise holidays we have a whole range of tours designed especially for families, meaning your time ashore will be as stress free as the rest of your holiday.  With arranged transport, entrance fees and English speaking guides, all you need do is turn up and enjoy your time together. Typical family tours include: Beach transfers Water park trips Dolphin/ Whale watching Adventure trips Family city tours  So, has that helped? Don't forget that there are only a limited number of 3 or 4 berth cabins on each ship and the number of children in each age category are limited for health and safety purposes so I would always recommend that you book early.

Do the cruise lines really welcome back past passengers of other cruise lines?

So you've just taken your cruise, most cruise lines will want you to come back to them to try a different ship or itinerary. To entice their past passengers, not only do most offer some kind benefits for making that next booking onboard but they all have special clubs for 'repeaters', which include perks such as magazines, members sailing and even discounts.

But can you 'sort the wheat from the chaff'?


Well, each cruise line has something different to offer, these are summarised in the Complete Cruise Brochure for 2012, if you follow the link you can view the electronic version of this guide, then look at pages 86 and 87.

But can you benefit with one line having sailed with another?

Well I can't see Royal Caribbean giving you the benefit of sailing with NCL, you can get cross over between Royal and Celebrity but really at a high level and when P&O changed to the Penisular Club they stopped taking sailings with Princess into account.

However, recently I recevied a leaflet direct from Princess - now you probably know I have never sailed with Princess, and was surprised to see in the Captain's Circle they are giving benefit to P&O passengers. Now I know there isn't much to give away to a Gold member, see the image below, but its better than nothing!

I wonder then in these difficult times if others will follow suit? Perhaps Silversea or Regent will take into account your days on Thomson, would be very interesting!

Washington DC, a Tailormade opportunity?

Well as you can probably guess I have been away for the past 10 days or so,  not on a cruise but doing a City Break to Washington DC. What an amazing city!

There is absolutely loads to do here and my feet are still aching; sightseeing, Museums, Arlington Cemetery and even the Zoo and it has the advantage of all the attractions being free!

We even went to Capitol Hill, you had to go through security to get in but again guided tour all free, you would not get any of that at home would you?

I even got to stand on the spot at the Lincoln Memorial were Dr Martin Luther King made the famous 'I have a dream' speech.

The City itself is quite large, but the Metro is easy to use and priced relatively low, we did use a Taxi a couple of times and found these were more expensive than we expected. So the answer is to walk or take the Metro.

I found this place an amazing place to visit and was wondering if it could be added to the start or end of a cruise from the US? Well, New York is only 2 hours by train from Union Station, or Baltimore is not far up the road.

So we could book you on Cunard's QM2 from New York and add in a couples of days in Washington then time in New York; or go on Royal Caribbeans Enchantment of the Seas from Baltimore to Bermuda and spend some time in Washington.

To be honest the options with this are endless, which is why they are called Tailor-made cruise holidays, so just give me a call so I can tell you more about my break but then arrange a trip for you.