Caroline's Cruise News

Try before you buy!

2012-02-17T07:37:00.000-08:00

Have you ever thought how good it would If you could try out a ship before you committed to booking a full cruise. 2/3 Night mini cruises are a great way to do this but Fred Olsen have decided to go one better and offer day visits.

For just £40 per person guests can visit their chosen ship and enjoy a welcome drink, followed by a presentation. They will then be split in to small groups and be taken on a guided tour of cabins and all public areas. Then once everyone has worked up a good appetite they can enjoy a buffet lunch and wine in the main restaurant.

So once you are suitably impressed you have 6 months to book a cruise resulting from the visit and Fred Olsen will thank you by giving you an additional £200 per person or a 5% discount (Whichever is the greatest)

BALMORAL

20th July Southampton

3rd August Southampton

27th October Southampton

BRAEMAR

14th April Dover

31st May Dover

22nd September Dover

BOUDICCA

7th July Rosyth

10th August Rosyth

26th August Newcastle

4th November Portsmouth

18th November Portsmouth

BLACK WATCH

11th June Dover

24th June Dover

7th July Dover

2nd September Dover

What a day!!

2012-02-10T10:40:00.000-08:00

Well what a day today has been! P&O & Cunard’s 4 sale has gone off with a bang and our phones have been ringing off the hook since 08:00 this morning.

It’s been really great and I’m happy to say everyone who preregistered with us we’re happy to hear we had secured them balcony stateroom for the price of insides.

All though a few of the lead in prices have sold out there are still some great deals and we are expecting things to be just as busy over the weekend.

If you would like to see whats still available click here

Also if you are a fan of Princess they have a sale starting from Monday with up to £200 off per cabin and onbaord credit spend of up to $185

What is online check in and why do it?

2012-02-03T02:33:00.000-08:00

I have been taking many calls recently from clients asking about on line check so I thought I would clarify a few points.

Before boarding your cruise your chosen cruise line will require the following information. Your passport details, next of kin information and insurance details.

On line check is not essential but as you can imagine if passengers have done this prior to getting to the port then embarkation will be quicker for everyone.

So how to go about doing on line check:

Once your cruise has been confirmed you will be sent an operator reference number. Please remember if you have booked through a travel agent this number will be different to their booking reference number.

You can then use this number to access your individual bookings direct with the cruise lines. On the www.cruise.co.uk website this can be accessed using the payment and on line check facility. CLICK HERE

Managing your booking online is great as you can start to plan your trip from the comfort of your own home by requesting luggage labels, booking shore excursions and even booking speciality restaurants.

90% of cruiselines now operate using etickets which again will be available to download from your cruise personaliser and you will receive an email from us approx 2 weeks before travel to let you know they are ready.

Food from the master!!

2012-01-25T07:09:00.000-08:00

I was so excited when I read today that Mast Chef Nobu Matsuhisa will be on board the Crystal Serenity in May serving in person as Executive Chef in his speciality restaurants Silk Road and the Sushi Bar.

(Us Dining in Silk Road)

I sailed on the Serenity a few years back and can personally say dining in Silk Road has been the best dining experience I have had on board any ship. There was such a selection to choose and it’s a great opportunity to try out new dishes.

So here’s what’s included for all you “foodies” out there can look forward to.

· Nightly appearances and mingling with guests in Silk Road and the Sushi Bar.

· Special add-on “Omakase” dinner, with sake and sake champagne pairings chosen by Sake Master Fumio Hazu, the man behind Nobu’s exclusive “living” Hokosetsu sake, plus explanations of each course by both.

· Intimate hands-on cooking class in Crystal’s kitchen for 10-12 guests.

· Cooking demonstration for all guests.

· Autograph signings of “NOBU’S Vegetarian Cookbook” and “NOBU the Cookbook”.

· Photo opportunities.

· Sake tasting with Japanese hors d’oeuvres, hosted by Mr Hazu.

Crystal Serenity

24th May 2012

12 Nights

Dover, Uk : Bordeaux : Bordeaux : Lisbon, Portugal : Gibraltar, Uk : Monte Carlo : Monte Carlo : Florence (From Livorno) : Portovenere : Civitavecchia, Italy

Oceanview Suite £3005 per person

Balcony Suite £3631 per person

Suite £5708 per person

I loved the Serenity as there are only 1070 guests on board so it has a really intimate feel and you don't need to worry about hidden costs on board as they have recently gone all inclusive and gratuities, speciality dining and port transfers are inluded in the price.

Have you got it covered?

2012-01-17T07:21:00.000-08:00

I know I’m a bit late but firstly I would like to wish all my guest a Happy New Year and hope you all had a great Christmas.

Hopefully by now you will have overcome the usual January blues and are looking forward to some fantastic holidays in 2012,I know I am!

Yesterday I confirmed my flights for a trip to New York in April and can’t wait for to join the Independence of the Seas for a special Zumba cruise to La Harve in May.

So back to the reason I started writing. When my passengers get back from their cruise I always give them a call just to see how the trip went and help if they have had any problems.

Recently I have had a few people who have had the same complaint.

For whatever reason whilst on the cruise there ship has had to change its itinerary and they missed ports of call. Now the cruise lines will always try their best to keep stick to an itinerary and missing ports is not something they take lightly. Decisions to do so are only ever made as a matter of safety.

Now of course we all want the captain to make the right decision and not put people in danger (especially after recent events on the Concordia) but it can be frustrating and very often you may have already booked shore excursions etc.

My point is this is a natural part of cruising and can’t be avoided however here at cruise.co.uk we have been working closely with a company called Holiday extras and can now offer you a holiday insurance policy specifically designed for the cruise industry.

As well as the usual cover you would expect from any decent policy our policy covers you for £300 per port missed and if unfortunately you fall ill on the ship you are covered for £25 per day up to £1000. You can also claim back the cost of any unused shore excursions

Example Price: 2 adults in the 40’s doing a 14 Med sailing in June from £65

Feel free to give me a call if you would like a quote.

We're going on Arcadia

2011-12-13T03:35:00.000-08:00

Just to let you know this week the cruise.co.uk team will be heading down to Southampton to enjoy our Christmas party on board Arcadia.

We are meeting the ship on Thursday and the plan is to spend Friday in Bruges. However due to bad winds the last couple of sailing haven’t been able to dock in Bruges and the ship has had to change itinerary and go to the La Harve. I must admit if this happens I will be a bit disappointed! We did a similar trip last year to Bruges on Aurora and it was great. We spent the day exploring the Christmas market, ice skating and sampling the local drinks, mainly hot chocolate and wheat beer and the scenery was beautiful. The ground was covered in heavy snow and it certainly had a real Christmas feel.

Now there is nothing wrong with Le Harve. I am actually doing a three night sailing there in May on the independence of the Seas but our plan then is to head in to Paris. Now it takes at least two hours to get to Paris from the Le Harve which will be fine on this trip as the ship is spending the night in port. On Friday however we will only be there for a few hours and I’ve heard there is not a lot to see or do in Le Harve itself so I will probably just stay on board and explore the ship.
So fingers crossed we will reach Bruges and I can come homed stocked up on Belgian chocs!

Now if you do need to contact us between the 15^th -17^th don’t worry there will still be a skeleton staff in the office but if it’s not urgent I’ll be back around 13:00 on Saturday

What is a guarantee cabin?

2011-11-21T04:01:00.000-08:00

I noticed a question on the www.cruise.co.uk website about guarantee cabins and thought it would be good to clarify.

When booking a cruise you have a selection of different cabins that you can choose from. When the cruise lines have nearly sold out of a particular grade of cabin they will put them on a guarantee basis. This is normally to give them some flexibility when it comes to giving out upgrades nearer the sailing date.

If you decide to go for a guarantee cabin then the cruise lines promise to allocate you a cabin of the grade that you have paid for (they will never allocate you a lower grade) or they will upgrade you. Lots of my clients like to go for guarantee cabins as they know this can be a good way of getting an upgrade.

But remember guarantee cabins are not for everyone. I wouldn’t recommend them to clients who always like to be in a certain position on board e.g some of my passengers always like to be forward or midship. Also If I’m booking multiple cabins for a client I don’t normally recommend Guarantee cabins as they may be allocated cabins on different decks or one could be forward and back and with the size of some the ships nowadays you could have a lot of long walks in store.

New Look Queen Mary II

2011-11-06T08:44:00.000-08:00

Last week Cunard announced that our beloved Queen Mary II will be going in to dry dock between the 24th Nov and the 7th December to undergo a major refurb ready for her eighth birthday next year.

* The Golden Lion pub is set to have a complete refurbishment and redesign. Now I’m a little concerned about this as Cunard plan to create a more American style country club feel with plush seating and warm colours. Of course I don’t mind this but the main appeal for me and I’m sure others agree is the Traditional British feel and classic pub lunches.

* All 1310 staterooms on board will have a fresh new look with new carpets, curtains and bedding. The bedding element has caused a lot of discussion on the http://www.cruises.co.uk/ forum this week, with some people thinking the bedding on board had not been changed for eight years!!! I can assure you this is not the case and Cunard do change bedding on a regular basis. What Cunard mean is they are going o be changing the design of the bedding.

* The teak surrounding of the Canyon Ranch (My favourite place on board) are set to be replaced and all other facilities will receive a general update.

* Play Zone/Kids Zone is set to have a complete makeover including new soft play area and new gaming areas.

* All public areas and the Grill restaurants are set to have new carpets.

Rumour is Cunard have plans to introduce several new features but at the moment they are keeping tight lipped. When I find out I’ll be sure to keep you up to date!

Fabby Abu Dhabi & Dubai Delights

2011-10-19T05:53:00.000-07:00

As some of you know a few weeks back I was really lucky and Cruise.co.uk sent me on a trip to visit Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Before the trip I have to say Dubai was never one of my top ten destinations to visit but I have definitely been converted.

We flew out from Birmingham and as the trip was being hosted by Emirates they flew us out Business class. I have never flown business before but I can see now why people splash out and upgrade.

The lounge in Birmingham was brilliant and we soon settled down to a glass of champagne and a lovely prawn cocktail.

After a very relaxing night’s sleep in a reclining chair we arrived in Dubai. We headed straight to Abu Dhabi which was a lot closer than I had thought. It took less than an hour from Dubai Airport.

Now the main reason of the trip was to visit a whole range of hotels in Abu Dhabi and Dubai but I’m not going to go into details about all of these just yet. I’ll write in more details about each in future blogs but to give you a taster we did visit the Emirates Palace, Burj Al Arab and my personal favourite Atlantis.

(Emirates Palace)

(Burj Al Arab)

Our hotel in Abu Dhabi was right next to the Yas Marina Grand Prix circuit. Yas Island is a strange place as the whole area is manmade and designed solely around the circuit. They haven’t even “built” the beach there yet so it would be great to go back in a few years and see how things have changed.

Before we headed of back to Dubai we popped in to Ferrari world. It’s the world largest under cover theme park and hosts the world’s fastest roller coaster. Unfortunately the park was actually closed when we visited but our fabulous tour guides Gulf Ventures managed to persuade them to sneak us in for peak but of course we couldn’t get on the rides.

Afterwards we stopped off to see the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. This is an incredible building and I thought I was dressed quite respectfully for the visit but apparently my calf length dress was too short so I had to wear a burqa.

(Before)

(After)

We really made the most of our time in Dubai visiting the Palm, Marina, Downtown for some shopping, Water taxis across the bay, SUV Dune Safari, Camel ride, Bedouin BBQ.

All of this was great but the highlights for me have to be taking the leap of fate at the Atlantis water park and watching the fountain show outside of the world largest building the Burj Khalifa and I'm already planning my next trip.

The leap of faith

(Not for the faint hearted)

(Atlantis Hotel)

Burj Khalifa foutain show

View From the cocktail lounge at the Address Hotel

Words can't describe how amazing the fountain shows are so click below to see for yourself!

Fountain Show

Let's go all inclusive!

2011-09-21T03:49:00.000-07:00

I am asked on a regular basis by guests if they can upgrade their cruise to all inclusive so I thought it only right to share some current promotions with you.
Now as a rule the 6* star cruise lines like Regent, Silverseas and Seabourn are all inclusive but of course in a realistic world these are not always within everyone’s budget.

So if you want to bag an all inclusive deal for 2012 then here goes.

Thomson Cruises

Thomson Dream May – Oct 2012

Thomson Spirit 26th Sept – 27th Oct 2012

FREE ALL INCLUSIVE

MSC Cruises
Fantasia, Splendida, Magnifica, Musica, Orchestra, Sinfonia, Armonia & Divina April 2012 – November 2012
UPGRADE TO ALL INCLUSIVE FOR JUST £1 PER PERSON
MSC Opera July 2nd, 10th, 18th, 26th, Aug 3rd, 11th, 19th, and 27th
UPGRADE TO ALL INCLUSIVE FOR JUST £1 PER PERSON

Royal Caribbean Cruises
Royal Caribbean only began to offer all inclusive packages this year so are currently trailing it on the Grandeur of the Seas, Legend of the Seas and Independence of the Seas

Beer Package $39 per person per day

House wine by the glass
All Beers (draft, bottle & can)

Classic Package $49 per person per day
All Beers (draft, bottle & can)
House wine by the glass
House brand spirits
Cocktails house brand spirits

Premium Package £59 per person per day
All Beers (draft, bottle & can)
House wine by the glass
House & Premium brand spirits
Cocktails house & premium brand spirits
Wine by the glass up to $10

Introducing MSC Divina

2011-09-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

Construction on the newest addition to the Msc fleet MSC Divina started over a year ago and on Saturday a selected group of guests we’re invited to see her transferred at her birth place Saint Nazaire from dock B to dock C where she will undergo her final make over.

Over a million man hours will now turn the ship in to a “divine goddess”. Word has it the ships 18 decks will be named Urano, Afrodite, Aurora, Giunone, Artemide, Zeus, Mercurio, Cupido, Iride, Minerva, Apollo, Saturno, Elios after gods of ancient Greece. You may know Sophia Loren is the patron of the MSC fleet and the ship has been named and themed in honour of her.
Divina will be the 12th addition to the MSC fleet and at 140,000 ton and holding 4363 passengers she is going to be the most magnificent. She will see the debut of the Garden pool area featuring an infinity pool and unique view of the ships wake.

Christening of the Divina is scheduled to take place in Marseille on the 26th May 2012 “Grand Ball” and as always I’m sure MSC will pull out all the stops for the event. I was lucky enough to have attended the launch of MSC Poesia back in 2008 and saw Sophia Loren, Kate Tunstell and an amazing performance by Andrea bocelli.

What's going on in September?

2011-09-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

September is always a busy month here at cruise.co. uk. I think it’s because the school holiday are over and done with and people start to think about Christmas and start planning their cruises for the following year.

The cruiseline are aware of this too and have some great September incentive to entice you, so here goes!!

Royal Caribbean

* $100 Per cabin on board credit spend for any European sailing or Dubai sailing of 6 Nights or above

Celebrity Cruises

* $200 Per cabin on board credit for suites and $100 per cabin for balconies for all sailing of 6 nights or above

* £99 Regional flights

* Free upgrades on selected sailing from oceanview to balcony

Norwegian Cruise lines

* Up to $500 on board credit on selected sailings

Fred Olsen

From the 9th Sept Fred Olsen will be offering extra discounts and on board credit spend on many sailing to celebrate National Cruise week.

Princess

Free upgrade from ocean view to balcony on slectyed sailings

P&O & Cunard

On selected sailing P&O and Cunard will be offering the following:

Complimentary Car parking in Southampton

Complimentary coach transfers to and from Southampton

Complimentary domestic return flights to Southampton from BFS, EDI, GLA, NCL, MAN, LBA

Complimentary flights on med fly cruises

Complimentary airport parking at LGW, LHR, MAN, BHX, LPL, EMA, BFS, CWL, DSA, EDI, EXT, GLA, & NCL

(Please note though these offers are for new booking in September only so if you have an exsisting booking with Cunard or P&O then they will not allow you to take advantage of this offer. I know because I have already tried for a couple of clients today and they will not budge!)

Please feel free to give me a call if you would like more info on any of these deals.

Queen Mary II back on the up!

2011-08-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

You may recall my blog a few weeks back about the Queen Mary II failing a Health & Safety inspection back in June. Well the good news is the ship underwent another surprise inspection in New York by the Department & centres for disease controls on the 27th July and passed with flying colours.
The pass mark is 86 and back in June the ship only scored 84, this time around she earned a respectable 92.

One of my regular passengers was all praise talking about the ship last week. She has sailed with Cunard many times and had commented previously that she thought standards were slipping but having just returned from a recent voyage she commented there has been a noticeable improvement on board.
Even better news, Cunard have just advised the ship will be going in to dry dock in November. The word is all staterooms and many public areas will undergo a refurbishment although exact details are yet to be released.

Drugs bust on the Grand Princess

2011-07-25T11:23:00.000-07:00

I read a shocking story in the paper today about the Grand Princess. It would seem a Jamaican crew member named Anthony Spence decided to supplement his wages and dabble in bit of drug smuggling.
He was caught trying to smuggle £80,000 worth of cocaine in to Britain. Customs officers found the haul hidden inside a pair of trainers in Spence’s luggage following a recent Mediterranean cruise.

It does make you wonder if cruise ships really have this issue under control as it seem we are hearing more and more stories like this and the crooks are targeting a whole range of ships.

Last year £1.4 million worth of cocaine some 35 kilos was found on board the MSC Poesia when she arrived in to the UK. Eight individuals from Latvia and Lithuania were arrested and back in January three crew members on board the Enchantment of the Seas we’re caught in Baltimore with $94,000 worth of Heroin and cocaine and
Thankfully it seems are border controls are hot on the tails of the smugglers but it does make me wonder how they manage to get the drugs on board in the first place. Obviously not all countries have the same security measures in place.

Zumba Fever

2011-07-18T05:18:00.000-07:00

Zumba Fitness was launched back in 2001 and since then has become the world’s most well know dance fitness programme. Its estimated over 12 million people worldwide now take regular classes of the latin inspired fitness programme and Yes I have to confess I am one of the them! I recently brought Zumba fitness for the Wii and have become quite addicted. I really can see now what all the hype is about, it’s easy to follow, great fun and I love the fact you can burn over 1000 calories in just one hour.

So why are you telling us this? I hear you ask.
Well here at cruise we have listened to the nation and launched a dedicated 3 night Zumba cruise on the fantastic independence of the Seas!!

Independence of the Seas

Weds 2nd May Southampton

Thu 3rd May La Havre

Fri 4th May La Havre

Sat 5th May Southampton

Inside Stateroom £319pp Oceanview Stateroom £360pp Balcony Stateroom £410pp

WHATS INCLUDED IN THE FARE

• 3 Exclusive Zumba Classes hosted by professional dancers Warren Bullock and Jane Phillips

• Meals, snacks on board, port taxes,

• Luxury shipboard accommodation

• All on board entertainment

New brochures for the Sailing landed on our doorstep this morning so if you would like more details drop me an email and I'll post one to you.

Free Iphone App from cruise.co.uk

2011-07-11T11:43:00.000-07:00

After the success of the cruise.co.uk Android app I phone users will be happy to know their wait is finally over!

Now you can download the cruise.co.uk application straight to your Iphone. All you have to do is click on Apps, type in cruises and your favourite cruises web site will appear.

Now you can keep up with all the latest deals, ask questions or join in debates even while you are out and about. We have a lot of dedicated members who are on our site at all hours of the day and night and are always happy to answer questions and give advice so you know have a 24 hour help line.

So that’s enough from me start downloading and let us know what you think!

School Holidays

2011-07-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been inundated with calls from people looking to book 3 & 4 berth cabins in the Peak Season school holidays leaving from the UK.
So I thought I would give an update as alot of people don’t realise how full the ships get at this time of year and are often disappointed when I can’t get them on to the cruise they want. This may be because the cabins have sold out or there may only be suites for example so blowing their budgets.

At other times I have to advise the passengers that I can’t book them on the cruise they want as the ships not taking any more children of certain age groups. This is for insurance purposes any they normally will not budget.

For example this is how things stand with the Ventura at the moment:

30/07/2011 - 14Nights - No kids 0-016
20/08/2011 - 14Nights - No kids 3-7
23/07/2011 - 7 Nights - No kids 3-7
13/08/2011 - 7 Nights - No kids 3-8

If you are still looking then this is the best deal I have been able to find:

Queen Mary II 12 Nights the Fjords

D2 4 berth cabin with 2 adults and 2 children Grade inside cabin (Only 3 cabins left) Total £3180

Generally my advice to people with families is book up as far in advance as you can. I have lots of passengers who book at launch time so as not to miss out on free child places, free car parking, on board credit and other deals the cruise lines have to offer. This also gives them a chance to secure their cruise before any price increases

Bad news for Cunard

2011-06-27T08:52:00.000-07:00

In 2009 I did a transatlantic on the Queen Mary 2 with my mom and was very impressed with the high standards of food and cleanliness on board.

So you can imagine how shocked I was to read today that earlier this month the liner failed a surprise health and safety inspections by officials in New York.

According to the report they found cockroaches in a food storage area, human hair in an ice machine and dirty water in a splash pool, gross!

The pass rate for the inspection is 86/100 and in previous years the ship has always scored a minimum of 95 but with these terrible findings the ship only scored 84!

This is sure to cause much embarrassment to Cunard and this is what they had to say

“Ship and shore management have now redefined certain roles and responsibilities to clarify accountability and the company's already rigorous training schedule has been stepped up. The company is confident that failings of this nature will not occur again, and that the ship's VSP scores in the future will return to the customary consistently high level.”

That's what I call a party!

2011-06-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

So if money was no object where would you choose to throw a party? Well this week a mystery British woman paid a million dollars to charter the Seabourn Spirit.

The lady who is frequent passengers of Cunard and Seabourn decided to celebrate this birthday in style and even charted a 757 Jet to fly 208 friends and family to and from Venice.

Passengers on board are sure to be in for a treat with entertainment and menus being carefully chosen by the lucky lady.

Seabourn Spirit is a small cruise ship at just under 10,000 tons and 440-ft long. One of three almost identical vessels - the others are the Pride and the Legend - it cost $50 million to build in 1989. The ship carries 208 passengers - all in suites with a sea view; there's nothing so basic as an inside cabin - attended by about 160 crew.

See through planes by 2050

2011-06-14T07:55:00.000-07:00

I couldn’t believe when I read today that Airbus have unveiled some extraordinary plans including see through planes which they believe will become reality by 2050

The new design will see the cabin become transparent at the wave of a hand and change colour according to light conditions.
Seats will be body sensitive and offer drinks, massages and even create sea breezes!
On board passengers will be able to experience pop up Holographic games which will be powered by passenger’s heat.

Technology which will allow passengers to read bed time stories to children at home.

I am fascinated by the new ideas and very jealous of travellers of the future.

It’s made me start thinking about how cruise ships may look in 2050. Maybe they will become transparent too Imagine that!!

Can anyone think of any other ideas??

Welcome to America

2011-06-07T03:44:00.000-07:00

I was shocked to hear today about the ordeal Arcadia passengers suffered recently at the hand of US immigration officers.

The passengers who are enjoying a 72 night Alaskan adventure cruise arrived in to LA on the 26th May and after landing on US soil nine times didn’t expect any disruption.

How wrong they were! After one of the passengers complained about the how long the checks were taking the US officials decided to take revenge by insisting all 2000 take a full biometric tests. They consisted of being finger printed on both hand, retina scans, passports scanned and each passenger questioned. The whole ordeal was topped off when the board control computer system “failed” delaying things even further.
In all passengers we’re waiting for 7 hours in 80f heat with no access to water or toilets and bear in mind many of which are elderly.

I am disgusted about the whole thing and shocked that the US thinks it has the right to treat people like this. What do you think?

Are you going to become a Salad dodger?

2011-06-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

We are all well aware of the E Coli outbreak sweeping Europe and although we are being told the outbreak is originating from Germany nothing has been confirmed for sure.

So I thought I would give you an update as I’m sure some of you may be concerned about how this may affect your cruise this summer.
So there is the obvious answer you can become a “salad dodger” although I wouldn’t recommend this option as generally I put on a 1lb a day whilst on board which is bad enough and I always have salad for lunch.

But on a serious note the cruise lines are monitoring the situation very closely and this is what they have to say so far.

Holland America "The outbreak has caused no change to its menus, and there has been no impact on supply chains that serve Holland America or Seabourn. However, the line is keeping a close eye on the issue"

P & O Cruises "All Carnival UK ships have stringent policies and controls in place surrounding food handling and hygiene ... and we can confirm that no sources of fresh produce supplied to our ships have been implicated in the outbreak. We are monitoring the E.coli outbreak extremely carefully and there have been no cases of illness associated with cruise ships" She went on to say that the line has provided "specific advice to all of our ships regarding the importance of E.coli prevention and have put further measures in place during this time."

Royal Caribbean "we have one central supplier that provides all of the produce for all our ships in Europe. This allows us to trace back all our produce sources, so that we know exactly where they come from. Our supplier in the region has confirmed that we have not received any of the contaminated product to any of our ships."

I will keep you informed of any announcements made by other lines.

I've just been to Skiathos!

2011-05-27T07:22:00.000-07:00

As you may know I have just returned from 2 weeks in Skiathos. I went with a group of friends to celebrate turning 30 and it was a fantastic trip.

I’ve seen pictures of Greece on TV and of course I have seen Mama Mia but I was still blown away at how beautiful it was. We stayed in the Area of Toulos which was great as it was only a five minute walk to the beach, well saying that the island has 69 in total so you are never far from a beach!

One of the days we took a boat trip which was great as we had to the chance to visit Lalaria which is the only one of the beaches you can’t get to by land. We also got to visit some of the surrounding islands and visit the mainland all in one day!

We hired a Jeep for a few days as well which was a bit hair raising, I have to say my definition of a pot hole varies greatly from that of the Greeks!!!

All in all it was a fantastic trip and I would recommend Greece to anyone. The people are great, the food is fantastic and we are already planning a return trip for next year!

I'm off on Holiday!

2011-05-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

Just to let all of my guests know I shall be out of the office from Thursday 5th May until Tuesday the 24th May as I will be going on a nice holiday to Skiathos to celebrate turning 30!!

This will be the first time I have visited Greece so I’m really looking forward to experiencing the culture, visiting some of the surrounding Islands and of course sunbathing and relaxing by the pool with a cocktail!

If you do need any assistance whilst I am away then my colleagues here at http://www.cruise.co.uk/ will be more than happy to help so feel free to give them a call on 0800 408 6200

Fly Direct with Royal Caribbean

2011-04-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

All most daily I am being asked by passengers “if we take the cruise lines flight packages can we fly from Stanstead?” and unfortunately normally the answer is no and they have to opt for Gatwick or Heathrow instead.
So I was really pleased when I heard this announcement from Jo Rzymowska the general Manager for Royal Caribbean International UK and Ireland.

As from June 2011 Royal Caribbean will launch its first direct cruise connection from London Stanstead, using BA charter flights to Venice.
The flights will connect to a seven-night Adriatic sailing on the Voyager of the Seas

I think this is great news as around 6.7 million people live in the catchment area on Stanstead and I know personally being able to fly from my local airport is always a deciding factor when I‘m choosing my holiday!!

Cunard in 3D

2011-04-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

At the end of April Cunard will be starting their seventh transatlantic season and have announced some exciting new entertainment.

From early May 2011 they will be showing 3D films in association with RealD the world most widely used digital 3d project technology. This is sure to be a fantastic experience and guests will be able to watch in the comfort of the Queen theatre.

The debut to be shown is Carmen in 3D which is a story about love, jealousy and betrayal and forth coming films will include Pirates of the Caribbean, On stranger Tides and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I think this is going to be a big hit with transatlantic guests. I did one a few years and to be fair they did have films showing in the Theatre but it never really appealed but knowing it was in 3D I would definitely have given it a go.

My favourite activity was visiting the world only planetarium at Sea which is an amazing experience and I ended up going every other day!
Other new entertainment includes:

PROFESSIONAL INSIGHTS SONG WRITING PROGRAMME –

Song writing workshops with Chris Difford, formely of 1970’s band squeeze

Quests will be able to collaborate in small groups with pianists, Guitars and bass players and the best of the bunch will even be invited to record their songs in an on board studio and take their CD (I mean No. 1 hit) home with them

ROYAL ACADEMY OF DRAMATIC ART (RADA)

The RADA have been working closely with Cunard Cruises for many years but this year they will be going all out with various “Street theatre” performances being performed around the ship
The new entertainment sounds great to me and next time I do a Transatlantic I’m going to have to drag myself out of the Spa more offend to experience it all. What do you think?

Anyone for another??

2011-04-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

Three weeks ago Royal Caribbean decided to trial an all inclusive drinks package on board the independence, Grandeur and Legend of the Seas and this week it seems to be the hot topic on the forums.

Already passengers are abusing the system and Royal Caribbean have been forced to suspend the deal on the forth coming Canaries cruise until new measures are put in place. There has been talk that all passengers travelling in a party would have to opt for all inclusive. I can see what they are trying to prevent by doing this but it’s not going to work for everyone. I spoke to a couple on Friday who we’re asking about the package and he wanted the beer package but his wife is unable to drink because of medical reasons and she is planning to book the soft drink package. Where would they stand?

I even read somewhere that they may even stop adults with children from buying the packages. How could they possibly get away with this? They are a family cruise line and many of you may have already noticed the peak time cruise price increases for 2012. I know the independence is easily the most popular ship to sail from Southampton in the school holidays but it seems parents are really getting the raw deal as they are not offering reduced fares in 2012 for children during peak season and now this!! So while everyone else on board is supping up the benefits of all inclusive poor Mom and Dad are landed with another hefty bill? I also think it is quite insulting to people with children, it’s almost like they are saying they can’t be trusted to drink responsibly and look after their kids.
The only confirmed details we have had from Royal Caribbean so far is the package prices have gone up by $10 per person per day so I hope the rest is just rumours but I will be sure to keep you informed.

Beer Package $39 (Per day)

House Wine by the Glass
All Beers (Draft, bottle & Can)

Classic Package ($49 Per day)

House Wine by the Glass

All Beers (Draft, bottle & Can)
House brands spirits
Cocktails using house brands only

Premium Package ($59 Per day)

House Wine by the Glass up to $10
All Beers (Draft, bottle & Can)
House / Premium brands spirits
Cocktails using house/premium brands only

(Currently these packages can only be booked on board)

So far so good

2011-04-05T06:55:00.000-07:00

We're half way through launch week and I'm happy to report so far, so good!

I've booked many cruises this week and so far I've managed to get everyone their first choice of cabins and secured free childrens places.
Tomorrow is going to be the real test as P&O’s 7 Anniversary cruises will be launching at 08.00 in the morning at the same time as the August school holidays. A bit daft I think it would have been better if they had spread the Anniversary sailings throughout the week but there we are.
Also we have it on good authority that the Penninsular Gold tier members really took advantage of being able to book early on Saturday and the X210 mini cruise taking part in the celebrations already has limited availability.

So wish us luck and I will update you on how tomorrow goes!

Getting set for 2012

2011-03-29T07:29:00.000-07:00

As you are all probably aware next week see the launches of both Cunard and P&O’s 2012 /2013 sailings.
This is always a very exciting time in the office and many of my guests have already Pre registered!

So what is pre registering and why do it?

Well you should have received brochures from us recently with all the new cruise itineraries and prices listed. They also show what extras the cruise line are offering as incentive for you booking early e.g free car parking and obc and free child places.
The main reasons people Pre register are once the cruises go on sale the prices will immediately start to fluctuate as the cruise line work on fluid pricing so if a sailing is filling up quickly well then the prices will start to go up and “child free places” are always limited.
For example from previous experience I know that all of the seven ships taking part in P&O’s 175th Anniversary sailings are going to increase in price straight away.

This is a huge event where the whole fleet will set sail from Southampton at the same time.
This is an historic event for P&O and has created massive interest.
The reason many of my guests pre register with me year on year is they know that by doing so they have the best chance of getting exactly what they want at the best price.

I don’t know if any of you have ever tried to contact a cruise line on launch day but if you have you will know it is virtually impossible.

Pre registering your cruise makes booking hassle free as you can phone me any time before the sail date and we can go through exactly what you want then the morning it goes on sale I’ll be in the office waiting for the clock to turn 08.00 so I can confirm your holiday for you. All you need to do is relax and wait for me to call with your confirmation.

You will see from comments previously left on my blog that on previous launches my passengers have always been happy with my service

Launch Dates

Sat 02 Apr 09.00 – 1700 Gold Tier members only

Tues 05 Apr 08.00 – March April May 2012 departures

Wed 06 Apr 08.00 – June July Aug 2012 departures

Thurs 07 Apr 0800 – Sep Oct Nov 2012 departures

Fri 08 Apr 08.00 – Dec 2012 & Jan to Apr 2013 departures

Sat 09 April 09.00 – 1700 – Everything will be on sale as normal

All in with Crystal!

2011-03-22T10:36:00.000-07:00

We have received word today that Crystal Cruises are set to go all inclusive as of spring 2012.

This is great news as it was only a few days ago I was discussing with one of my managers how time and time again I’m speaking to people about luxury brands and suggest Crystal they tell me they prefer the all inclusive experience.
I spent a week on board the Crystal Serenity back in 2008 and it was an amazing. The service from staff is easily the best I have seen on any cruise line and the speciality dining was out of this world. I’ve just had a debate with one of my colleagues who travelled on Serenity last year over which one is the best. My favourite is the Sushi restaurant with renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisa but Richard prefers the Italian with Piero Selvaggio. With such world class restaurants you would think they would cost a fortune but “no” with Crystal they are included in the price.

Other nice touches are when in port there is a complimentary bus which takes you in to town and if you have a short wait at the dockside before boarding your tender they give you refreshments!

But don’t worry if you are thinking about sailing with Crystal then you don’t have to wait until 2012. For many of their 2011 sailing they are offering up to $2000 per cabin on board credit spend.

Enjoying dinner at Nobu

I passed!

2011-03-15T08:31:00.000-07:00

You may remember me telling you a few months back about my disastrous driving test where everything that could possibly have gone wrong did and how disappointed I was. Well I am happy to say that this morning was a very different story and I managed to pass with only three minors.

I had made it my mission to pass before I turn 30 in May so it feels like a double achievement.

Now all I need to do is decide what kind of car I want. I am a typical girl who knows absolutely nothing about cars so I think I will have to sweet talk my brother in law who is a mechanic to give up a weekend and go car shopping with me.

It’s very exciting and any car suggestions would be gratefully appreciated and thank you to those who wrote me emails of support last time and the girls in the office at cruise.co.uk for my lovely hand made card.

Cruising doing it's bit for Charity

2011-03-08T10:56:00.000-08:00

I have always been a big fan of Red nose day and like most people in the UK I will be glued to my TV this Friday for a night of classic comedy and entertainment.

It always fascinates me how every year they manage to raise so much money and I must say it does gives me a sense of pride that as a nation even when things are hard and we are going through a recession people still dig deep in to their pockets for a worthy cause.

This made me think about a really nice couple who are currently on a cruise through the Amazon. I was amazed to hear when I booked it for them last year that one of the main reasons they wanted to take the cruise was that on a similar sailing a few years ago they had passed through a very poor village whilst on a shore excursion. Their guide had taken them to an orphanage and whilst there they had been introduced to a young boy of about five who was seriously disfigured and blind.
He had been abandoned at the orphanage and whilst talking to the staff they learned he was in serious need of surgery but there was no chance the orphanage could afford to send him to the city for treatment.

My client we’re so touched by this that when they returned home they started organising fund raising events in their home town. It wasn’t a quick fix but over time they had sent back enough money for the child to have his operations and needless to say their efforts have meant this child has a descent quality of life.

I can't wait for them to get home so I can find out how the visit went!

This also prompted me to start thinking about what cruise lines do for a charity and I have been pleasantly surprised.

CUNARD
Sir Terry Wogan will be doing a cruise on the Queen Mary II around the British Isles in Sept 2011 and 10% of bookings will be donated to Children in need. This is the third such cruise he has done with Cunard in recent years and has so far raised over £200,000

FRED OLSEN

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is the RNLI's longest running corporate partner, having been associated with the charity for over 40 years

NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE

In an October 14, 2010 press release, “Norwegian Cruise Line Parties in Pink to Promote Breast Cancer Awareness,” NCL announced that nearly all of its ships would host a White Hot Party in October to commemorate Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Adult Only Flights?

2011-03-02T05:29:00.000-08:00

So we all know it can be horrible when your board your flight and realise your are sat next to a crying baby or you have to put up with the child behind you kicking the back of your seat throught the fllight but adult only flights?

Holiday extras recently carried out a survey of 5000 air passengers to see what people really want from their flights and a third said infants and children should be banned completely from flights. A bit harsh I think I mean they were kids once and how would they have felt if they were not allowed to go on their family holidays to ths sunshine.

51% we're a bit more sympathetic but would like the option of booking adult only cabins. This I think would be a good idea and I must admit quite appeals to me.

Unsuprisingly more than 75% would like to have more leg room and 9% would complain if having to sit next to someone smelly!

After reading about this I think adult only flights could become a reality. What do you think?

Pregnancy & Cruising

2011-02-22T06:02:00.000-08:00

In the last week I have spoken to two guys who were looking to book cruises for them and their partners and I’ve had to disappoint them.
The reason being both of their wives were pregnant. In fact one was looking to go on the cruise for their honeymoon but his new bride would be 8 months pregnant at the time they wanted to go.

Now going a cruise holiday can be ideal for pregnant ladies as they are very relaxing and you can even sail from the UK so don’t have the hassle of airports. However cruise lines do have restrictions and although each company may vary slightly the general rules are:
You must inform the cruise line you are pregnant have a letter from your doctor or midwife stating that mom and baby are both fit and healthy. (These can be sent to the cruise line in advance or handed at a check)
They will not accept ladies on board who are in their 24th week of pregnancy or reach 24 weeks during the cruise

I hope this blog helps as both are of these guys we’re going to book on our website http://www.cruise.co.uk/ and called up with some completely unrelated questions.

Had they gone ahead and booked they could well have found themselves out of pocket as well as disappointed!

Anyone for a free cruise?

2011-02-15T07:46:00.000-08:00

If you fancy a free cruise then you will be interested to hear about two new competitions being run by MSC Cruises.
The first is giving smooth radio listeners the chance to win an 8 Nights Mediterranean cruise in an outside cabin including flights from London and transfers.

To enter click here

Offer ends 06th March 2011

To enter the second competition click here and you could be in with the chance of winning a balcony cabin on the MSC Opera travelling on the 6th July 2011

The great thing about this sailing is going from Southampton which means you don’t have to worry about spending hours at the airport and they are even going to throw in free car parking!

If you are not one of the lucky winners then don’t rule out MSC as they still have some fantastic offers out at the moment, with many of their European sailing available with free flights and transfers.

One of the best things about MSC are their free child places and when they say children they really mean children under 17’s!

I went to launch party of the MSC Poesia a few years ago and I can tell you the Italians sure know how to throw a party. We we're treated to Katie Tunstall playing in the bar and Andrea Bocelli performed in the theatre. It was an unforgettable night and the ship was beautiful.

More to come from Azamara!

2011-02-08T09:55:00.000-08:00

I’ve heard a rumour this week that Azamara Cruise Club may be adding newbuilds to its fleet as early as next year.

This is great news as it was only yesterday my colleague Julia and I we’re discussing the fact that most new builds seem to be mega ships. Not that there is anything wrong with this and I would be the first to jump at the chance to sail on the likes of Allure or Oasis of the seas but it would be nice to see some brand new smaller ships at sea.

Currently Azamara cruise club consists of two ships the Journey & the Quest which are both former Renaissance cruise ships.

They are only 30,000 tonnes and have a guest capacity of only 694
Azamaras key selling points:

• Smaller ships with access to more intimate ports

• More overnight stays

• Vintage red & white wine with Lunch & dinner

• Complimentary in port shuttle bus

• Complimentary gratuities

• Coffees, bottled water and Sodas and tea throughout the day

Another note to make about Azamara is they frequently offer low single supplements and extras including free flights which is a great benefit to solo passengers.
I wonder if these new plans are influenced by the launch of Oceanias new ship Marina this month.

There fleet also consists of previous renaissance ships and this is the first time they have launched a new build so it will be really interesting to see how they have stamped the Oceania identity on board

I Passed!!

2011-02-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

Not my driving test unfortunately (I’m still waiting for a new date) But I just passed an honesty test from a client.

This is how my test went, the gentleman called me on my direct dial 0800 408 6073 and after checking his details I could see he has booked with us a couple of time over the years.

He then went on to ask me about cruises on the Thomson Dream and was it ship that was featured on watchdog? I told him it was and before booking on to her he should probably have a look at some of the reviews on our website and see what recent guests had to say and if the problems on board have really been resolved.

To this the man was proud to tell me I had passed his test and apologised for being dishonest.

The reason behind the test was he and his wife booked on to the ship before Christmas through a high street travel agent (no names mentioned) and was assured the ship was in perfect condition and there we’re no problems on board. They soon found out this was not the case and had a terrible time.

I’m happy to have restored his faith in cruise consultants and I’m happy to say they will be cruising on NCL later in the year and I’ll be happy to organise the trip for them!

I failed!

2011-01-25T10:39:00.000-08:00

Today I took my first driving test and failed!

So here’s what happened, I was doing the new “freestyle” part of the test where you get no instructions but have to follow road sings to a certain destination. So there I am cruising along and the lady behind starts frantically flashing her lights at me, So I’m thinking “no one told me about this bit of the test” and have to ask the instructor the question, err am I doing something wrong? Well he looked as puzzled as me so we pull over (safely of course). He gets out to speak to the lady and she tells him our right wheel is about to fall off! Not really what I wanted to hear but then I think if the car is broken do I get an automatic pass? no such luck. The instructor has a quick look at the wheel and assures the lady it’s merely a lose hub cap and we’re off again.

The remainder of the test was pretty uneventful until we we’re about half a mile from the test centre and approach what is normally a small island. Not today, today half of it is blocked off by road works. So when the instructor asked me to turn right at the Island I got a bit confused as there was no island. I pause and decided surely he can’t mean for me to go around the wrong way and decide to go left. WRONG! I didn’t follow the temporary roads sings and received a serious for hesitating too long.

All in all it was quite an experience but hey at least next time I know what to expect and you know what they say “Second time lucky”

I’ll keep you informed of my progress!

The Complete Cruise brochure has landed!

2011-01-19T03:52:00.000-08:00

It's that time of year again and the long awaited Complete cruise brochure is finally here.

Anyone who has seen one of our previous editions knows why I am so excited!

Our marketing department has done a fantastic job and it is packed with all the latest offers, covering a whole range of cruises from 3* to 6* so there really is something for everyone.

But not only that along with all the great offers you will find answers to all those little questions like,
How muuch are gratuities? Drinks prices? etc

It can be a bit baffling especially if you are new to cruising deciding which ship is best for you and I am always here to give you advise but now you get to sit in the comfort of your own home and browse at your leisure.

These new brochure will be landing on the door steps of cruise.co.uk clients in the next few weeks.

If you have any questions or would like a copy please let me know.

Wrecked Holidays

2011-01-12T11:31:00.000-08:00

I was reading in the paper today that last year British holidaymakers lost £751m because of travel disruption.

2010 was a particular bad year as on top of the usual BA strikes and bad weather we also had to contend with the Icelandic ash cloud.

I’ve had many clients who have been affected so thought I would give you a couple of tips for safeguarding your holiday.

Firstly insurance, insurance, insurance!

I am still amazed how many people still want to travel without any and the E111 or European health insurance is not the same as travel insurance and won’t for example cover you for repatriation or theft.

So ensure you read the terms and conditions of your insurance policy and make sure it covers all your needs.

Cruiselines are particular strict about insurance and many won’t let you board without you providing them with your insurance details

Here at cruise.co.uk we use a company called covermore so if you need a quote let me know.

Secondly,

It can be a lot cheaper to book your flights independently as the cruiselines flights can be expensive. However bear in mind if you go it alone it’s your responsibility to get to the ship and if something goes wrong your cruise is not protected.

The benefits of booking with the cruiseline is you have your transfers included and also if things go wrong it’s the cruiselines responsibility, they may try to fly you out to the next port and 9 times out of ten I have know them to offer full refunds.

I had an example with 4 passengers who were due to fly out of London Gatwick on the 18th December to Join the Grand Princess. As there we’re no flights of course they we’re disappointed but at least Princess have given us a full refund I have now booked them on to something else.

New Year New Offers

2011-01-05T08:54:00.000-08:00

So I would like to wish you all a very Happy New Year.

I had a lovely Christmas break but as usual it always goes too quickly and before you know it your back in the office.

Personally I always find this time of year very exciting in the office as like me most people are already fed up with the terrible British weather and start looking to escape on their next cruise.

To tempt you the cruise lines are offering some fantastic extras this month like on board credit, free car parking, free kids places and free cabin upgrades.
On top of that we here at cruise.co.uk are offering up to 15% extra discount on many sailings.

So if you are tempted or have any questions about these amazing offers then feel free to give me a call.

Merry Christmas

2010-12-16T07:16:00.000-08:00

I shall be breaking up for Christmas today and would like to wish you all a very

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

I will be back in the office on Tuesday 4th Jan but if you need assistance the office will be open and my colleagues will be more than happy to help 0800 408 6200

Finally a woman in the Driving seat!

2010-12-10T03:41:00.000-08:00

For the first time ever in Cunards 170 year history they have appointed a woman captain!!

43 year old Captain Inger Klein Olsen started working for Cunard in 1997 as first officer of the Caronia and has worked her way up through the ranks within the Carnival group. She returned to Cunard this year as Deputy Captain of Queen Victoria.

On the first of this month she under took first duty as Captain and sailed the ship without passengers to dry dock in Hamburg where she is undergoing a refit.

Then on the 15th of December she will be taking full control of bridge with a full ship of passengers for a five night northern Europe sailing.

I think this is fantastic news and a major historical event in Cunards history however when the news broke on the cruise.co.uk facebook page not everyone agreed.

Personally I wish captain Olsen all the very best What do you think?

Thoughts on Aurora

2010-12-03T09:25:00.000-08:00

Last week we at cruise.co.uk enjoyed our Christmas party over to Bruges.

We boarded the ship around 1.30 and not to break tradition headed straight to the Buffet for a spot of lunch. Our cabins we’re ready within the hour and our luggage also arrived very quickly. We we’re in deluxe balcony cabins which was lovely and I was impressed with the amount of storage space.

Most of us spent the afternoon relaxing in the Champions bar sipping cocktails and watching the football. We we’re on second dining so there was no rush to get ready.

The sail away party was freezing but the bag pipe players on the dock side was a lovely touch.

I have to say dining in the main dining room the first night was terrible. We we’re served our starters and after waiting an hour and a half for our mains I approached the waiter only to be told “The restaurant is busy and we can’t serve everyone at the same time, the chef is cooking it now”

After another ten minutes we requested to speak to the Maitre'de but to be honest he wasn’t much better he just grumbled something about the restaurant being busy. So eventually we we’re served cold food and asked them to take it back. By this time most of our party had finished dinner and we’re heading off to enjoy the night but not us.

We did get hot food the second time as they zapped it in the microwave. At this point we had another visit from the maitre’de and this is how the conversation went.

“Is your food hot?”

“Well yes but you have just put it in the microwave”

“I know but is it hot?”

I can honestly say this is the worst dining experience I have had on any ship and found the staff to be rude and most of them unable to understand or speak English.

After what had happened the first night I was quite reluctant to go back to the restaurant for the second night and was considering going to the buffet for Curry night. I did eventually get talked in to by my colleagues and as it was formal night thought we would give it another bash. I am glad to say it was much improved. We we’re served nice hot food out of the restaurant at a descent hour.

All in all I did enjoy the cruise and I’m looking forward to the 4 Night mini cruise I have booked on Azura in April.

Off to Bruges!

2010-11-26T09:26:00.000-08:00

This is just a quick blog to let you know the staff of cruise.co.uk will be celebrating Christmas early this weekend with our Christmas party on board P&O’S Aurora. We will be leaving for a two night mini cruise to Bruges in the morning.

I’ll be sure to take lots of pics and tell you all about it on our return.

If you do need assistance over the weekend please note the office will be running on a Skeleton staff and if your enquiry is not urgent it would be great if you could wait for our return on Monday.

A girls Adventure at Sea

2010-11-17T10:36:00.000-08:00

On Monday the 8th my colleague Nadine and I boarded the Adventure of the seas in Malaga. So here is a brief over view of how it went. I will go in to more detail regarding dining etc on future blogs.

We caught a taxi from the airport which took about twenty minutes and cost us $35 Euros (on the return journey we only paid $30)
As we approached the port I had a feeling of dread as there seemed to be hundreds of people everywhere. My fear thankfully was short lived as it was organised chaos! We collected our luggage labels from one of the porters and in no time we we’re checked in and on board. My luggage did take a few hours longer than Nadines' to arrive but that wasn’t a major problem.

We stayed in an inside cabin on deck eight. I was slightly disappointed that there we’re no bath robes, slips or descent toiletries but all in all it was a very comfortable cabin and our cabin steward Aristo was fantastic.
One afternoon I came back to find three men in the cabin replacing our sofa which I was quite impressed about as I didn't think the old one was particularly shabby.

The Adventure of the Seas is one of Royal Caribbean’s Voyager class of ship and absolutely ideal for me. I loved all the facilities she had to offer like the ice rink, in line skating, mini golf and I’m proud to say I conquered my fear of heights and went up the rock climbing wall. It was very windy and Scary but I’m glad I did it. (The photo isn’t great but I promise you it really is me!)

I was really impressed with the amount of loungers around the pool as this is always a big bug bear on large ships but Royal seems to have cracked it. The adult only pool area is a great touch and very relaxing.

As I said I don't want to go on too much about dinings but an afternoon trip to Johnny Rockets is a

definite must. There is a $4.95 surcharge but it is more than worth it.

One of the big highlights of the trip for me was being invited up to the bridge for a tour with the second office.It was really interesting to see behind the scenes and I found it to be remarkably calm up there.

As I said I will be following up the trip with future blogs but if anyone has any questions in the mean time then feel free to give me a call.

Going on a Royal Caribbean Adventure!

2010-11-03T07:06:00.000-07:00

On Monday I shall be going on a five night cruise on the Adventure of the Seas out of Malaga.

I’m really excited about the trip as I have never sailed with Royal Caribbean before. A couple of years ago I went to the launch party of the Independence of the Seas and instantly fell in love with Royal Caribbean as I am definitely a fan of big ships.

Adventure of the seas is one of the voyager class of ship so will have around 3000 passengers on board and I’m sure we’ll find plenty to do to entertain us.

SHIP HIGHLIGHTS

Ice skating rink

Rock-climbing wall

In-line skating

Royal Promenade (open 24 hours)

Johnny Rockets® '50s-style restaurant

Portofino Italian Restaurant

Themed bars and lounges

Casino RoyaleSM

Golf simulators

Nine-hole miniature golf course

Adventure Ocean® youth facilities

Day Spa & Fitness Centre

Full-size basketball court

I would really love to try the rock climbing wall but I don't think i'm brave enough!

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures and look forward to telling you all about it on my return.

Alan Titchmarsh is Back!

2010-10-28T11:02:00.000-07:00

Here at cruise.co.uk we take great pride in our exclusive Garden themed cruises. We organise a whole selection of cruises ranging from the Caribbean to Norway.

Cruise.co.uk guests have exclusive extra benefits on these cruises including exclusive talks with a whole host of the UK’s top gardeners as well as on board credit, free car parking and a free shore excursion.

But now for the big one! The chairman of cruise.co.uk Andrew Gardener is a close friend of Alan Titchmarsh and following the success of a Norway cruise he hosted for us on the Balmoral in May of this year he has managed to get him on board again literally!!

To celebrate Gardeners World’s 20th Anniversary Alan along with Adam Pasco, Matthew Biggs and Pippa Greenwood Will be hosting a 10 Nights cruise around the British Isles.

You will sail on the Fred Olsen ship the Balmoral from Southampton on the 8th Aug 2011 and take in some of the best ports the UK has to offer. Including, St Peters Port, Holyhead, Dublin, Greenock, Tobermory, Scrabster and Harwich.

This cruise has only been on sale since last week and with prices starting from only £999 per person we have had a lot of interest already.
If you would like more details about this cruise or any of our other Garden themed cruises then please feel free to give me a call and request a brochure. 0800 408 6073

Costa Crash Again!

2010-10-19T05:32:00.000-07:00

We all know cruising is normally one of the safest ways to travel. However guests of Costa Cruises may not be feeling so confident given recent events.

Some of you may remember back in April only weeks before the Cost Europa became the Island Escape the vessel crashed in Egypt killing two of its crew members.

A few days ago the Costa Classica collided with a cargo ship near Shanghi resulting in a 60 foot gash on the starboard side and the ship having to head back to port.

A spokesman for Costa added “Costa is very regretful that this incident has occurred and is working closely with Marine Safety Administration of Shanghai to fully investigate this matter”

Due to the damages to the ship Costa had to cancel the 18th October departure and we are waiting to see if any other departures will be affected.

Are safety standards slipping with Costa and would you think twice before boarding?

Queen Elizabeth 1st Class

2010-10-12T02:55:00.000-07:00

On Saturday 9th October I had the privilege of being invited to spend the night on board Cunard's newest ship the Queen Elizabeth along with some of my colleagues her at cruise.co.uk

We arrived at the ship around 15.00 and check in was very smooth and efficient.
We then spent some time exploring the various types of cabins available on board and there really is something for everyone.

We stayed in an A4 deluxe balcony which was nice and spacious with a good size balcony.

Approx 242sq ft

I think the inside and oceanview cabins are a good size at approx 180 sq ft. I stayed in an inside with my Mum on board the Queen Mary and we never felt the cabin was too cramped.

I have to say I was quite disappointed with the Princess Grill cabins. Although they are approx 335sq ft they are very narrow and don't have any wow factor. For example a deluxe balcony stateroom on Azura or Ventura is about the same size but the way they are layed out makes them feel alot more spacious.

Well what can I say about the Queens Grill staterooms? They are fantastic!! beautiful bathrooms, walk in wardrobes, great lounge areas and full size dining tables for in suite dining.

After our tour we put on our glad rags attended a champagne reception in the Queens room followed by an amazing meal in the Britannia restaurant.

A few of my colleagues were disappointed with the ship thinking it didn’t have a wow factor and comparing to other ships like the Celebrity Equinox.

I disagree I think Cunard have again excelled and given us a beautiful traditional ship which I’m sure their guests will feel proud to sail on.

If anyone has any questions about the Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary or the Queen Victoria then please feel free to give me a call and I'll be happy to help.

Off to meet the Queen!

2010-10-05T03:45:00.000-07:00

I am really excited to have been invited on board the newest addition to the Cunard fleet the Queen Elizabeth on Saturday 9th October. I’ll be on board exploring the ship for one night before her official naming ceremony on Monday 11th. This is going to be a really special occasion and I’m sure there will be a real buzz about the ship as her majesty the queen will be presiding over Monday’s naming ceremony.

I feel really privileged to be attending this weekend’s events as I was lucky enough to have attended the launch of the Queen Victoria back in 2007 and I did a transatlantic on the Queen Mary in 2009. I’m really looking for to seeing how she compares to her sisters and I’m sure I won’t be disappointed.

I’ll update my blog with pictures and my thoughts on the ship on my return

What a fantastic present!!

2010-09-01T01:43:00.000-07:00

Do you fancy spoiling any of your friends or family? then what could be better than a Cunard Gift card?

You don’t need to worry about booking them a cruise they won’t like as the lucky person will be able to decide for themselves which ship and sailing they would like to go on.

Gift cards can be made in the form of full payment or a contribution towards their trip which is ideal if people are clubbing together for a honeymoon or an Anniversary present for Mom and Dad!!!

If you would like to find out more you can call the special gift certificate hotline on 0845 071 0305

ESTA Fees

2010-08-25T03:48:00.000-07:00

Back in January it became compulsory for all passengers travelling to America to fill in an ESTA form online at least 3 days prior to travel. Well now the American government have decided it would be a good idea to charge you for the privilege.

So starting on the 8th Sept there will be a $14 fee for each application. This can be paid using Mastercard, Visa or American Express.

So if you are planning a trip to America I would apply now as each visa will last for 2 years.

The link below will take you to the offical American goverment webite.

Apply here

Don't get caught out!

2010-08-19T08:04:00.000-07:00

I was reading in the paper today about a lady who fell from here balcony whilst on on her honey moon in Greece. She has very severe injuries and needs to have a specialist flight to take her home. The problem is the couple only had their European health insurance card and no other insurance. The flight home alone without taking in to account the other medical bills is £12,000. The European health insurance card is always handy to have as it will offer you certain treatments around Europe but will not cover you in an emergency or for cancellations, theft etc.

I would advise as soon as you book your cruise you take out insurance straight away. Even if you have booked early and only paid a deposit then at least this too will be covered should anything happen.

Here at cruise.co.uk we use a company called covermore so if anyone would like a quotation please feel free to give me a call.

Fancy something differant with Princess

2010-08-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

Are you fed up of visiting the same old places on your cruise holidays? There are only so many times you can visit Barcelona and Gibralta.

Well good new Princess cruises new 2011-12 Exotic cruise season will offer you chance to explore India and Africa! In total four extended cruises offer the opportunity to visit 38 intriguing ports.

The Ocean Princess and Sun princess will be doing voyages ranging from 28-46 days. Offering you a multi continent adventure and the chance to take in Europe and Asia as well.

Mediterranean, India & Asia -- For a three-continent adventure, passengers can sail on a 28-day voyage from Rome to Singapore aboard Ocean Princess. The small ship will take cruisers to Sorrento, Athens, and Kusadasi (for Ephesus) before transiting the Suez Canal and continuing on to Sharm El Sheik, Aqaba (for Petra) Safaga (for Luxor/Karnak), Dubai, Muscat, Mumbai, Cochin, and Kuala Lumpur. Ocean Princess departs on October 15, 2011.

West Africa Adventure -- A unique opportunity to explore the African coast, this 28-day journey onboard the small ship Ocean Princess travels from Cape Town to London (Dover). Travelers can explore a variety of African destinations plus and European ports beginning with a overnight stay in Cape Town. Calls include the Namibian ports of Lüderitz and Walvis Bay, Cotonou (Benin), Lomé (Togo), Tema (Ghana), Dakar (Senegal), Cape Verde Islands, Canary Islands, Casablanca, Seville, Lisbon, and Paris/Normandy before arriving in Dover. The sailing departs on May 6, 2012.

Africa, India & Southeast Asia -- The intimate Ocean Princess also offers a 30-day journey from Singapore to Cape Town. Passengers can enjoy the small ship experience on an itinerary to Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Maldives, Mumbai, Muscat, Dubai, Mauritius, Reunion Island, Durban, and East London, plus an overnight call in Cape Town. Travelers have the option to visit the Taj Mahal in India or take a safari to Phinda Private Game Reserve in South Africa. The sailing departs on April 6, 2012 and can be combined with the West Africa Adventure for a 58 day Grand Adventure cruise from Singapore to Dover.

South Africa & Indian Ocean Odyssey -- On a 46-day roundtrip sailing from Perth, travelers cover several continents during their voyage. Sun Princess will call at Asian ports such as Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Phuket, then move on to India with visits to Mumbai, Goa, and the Maldives. After crossing the Equator, the ship visits the Seychelles, and the South African ports of Richard's Bay, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, and Durban. The ship calls at Reunion Island and Mauritius before returning to Perth. Sun Princess departs on May 3, 2011.

If you would like more details about these fantastic voyages then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Unlucky For Some!

2010-08-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

Having recently had a review of MSC Ships with Steve from MSC he mentioned in passing that it was considered unlucky for a ship to have a deck 17, The reason for this is that in Roman numerals the number 17 is spelt XVII which can be anagrammatically re-arranged to spell out VIXI which translates as ‘I have Lived’, implying in the perfect tense "My life is over’ NICE!!

So it has got me thinking of other ship superstitions, a few I’m aware of because of ‘Otters Pocket’ and the canal boat industry – Like never renaming a boat when it’s still in the water – you should only do it when out of the water – although some hardnosed cynics say you should never rename a boat at all, so I did a little bit of research and found this list which I thought might be interesting.

• Never start a voyage on the first Monday in April as this is when Cain slew Able!

• Never start a voyage on the second Monday in April as this when Sodom & Gomorrah was destroyed!

• Never start a voyage on 31st December as this is the day that Judas Iscariot hanged himself!

• Avoid Red hair when going to a ship to start a journey, Red heads bring bad luck to a ship, this can be averted if you speak to the red head first!

• Pouring wine on the deck will bring good luck like an offering to the gods!

• Throwing stones out to sea will cause great waves and storms.

• Women onboard a ship makes the sea angry!

• However a naked woman onboard has a calming effect – hence the naked female figurines

• A dolphin swimming with a ship is very lucky!

• Killing a dolphin is extremely unlucky!

• Cutting your hair or nails is bad luck, apparently these were used as offerings to Proserpina and Neptune will become jealous if these offerings are made in his kingdom!! I won’t be telling the salons this one!

• It is unlucky to kill a gull

• It is unlucky to kill an albatross

• When the clothes of a dead sailor are worn by another seaman during the same voyage, misfortune will befall the entire ship!

• Never say the word drowned when at sea!!

• A shark following the ship is a sign on inevitable death – Sharks were believed to be able to sense those close to death!

• Black cats are considered good luck and will bring a sailor home safely from sea!

Thank you!

2010-07-22T02:11:00.000-07:00

We really have some lovely clients here at cruise.co.uk

I would just like to thank Ralph, Iris, Chris and Mike for travelling up from Somerset yesterday and taking me for a lovely lunch.

Where do Oceania stand?

2010-07-19T08:36:00.000-07:00

Last Monday I was invited on board Oceania cruises ship the Regatta for Lunch.
The Regatta is only 30,000 tonnes and really is an elegant and charming ship. With 400 staff looking after only 648 guests the Regatta offers every luxury you expect.

Oceania have no formal nights on board which many people find very attractive and the choice of food is amazing and the wine included at lunch is free flowing.

There are four unique open seating restaurants on board:

Grand Dining room - A 5* luxury French inspired restaurant offer

Terrace Café – An Alfresco dining area offering a sumptuous buffet each evening

Polo Grill - Speciality steakhouse restaurant

Toscana – Speciality Italian restaurant

Also to be noted there are no supplements for speciality restaurants on board Oceania

The suites are on board are very spacious and well decorated but I was disappointed at the size of the Penthouse suites. They didn’t have any wow factor and only seemed marginally bigger than a standard balcony. The nice thing about the Suites is they also offer course by course in suite dining.

The trip has made me wonder where Oceania stand in the cruise market? They are classed as deluxe but don't offer the extras you get sailing with the 6* lines but yet still offer far more than the more commercial 5* lines like Cunard, Celebrity and P&O.

The only line that I think is comparable at the moment is Azamara Cruise Club and Azamara have been offering some great deals recently with on board credit and free flights. But then Oceania don’t have much availability left for 2010so they must be doing something right. What do you think?

If anyone has any questions about Oceania or any of the other cruise lines, then please feel free to contact me.

Carnival passenger killed in the Virgin Island

2010-07-13T06:42:00.000-07:00

Carnival cruise line have cancelled all ships visiting the Virgin Islands after a teenage passenger was shoot during a gangland shoot out.

The 14-year-old, names Lizmarie Perez Chapparo, was a passenger on the Carnival ship Victory and was travelling on a tourist bus in the Virgin Islands.

The bus was travelling near the Coki Point cemetery in the St Thomas area when a car began spraying bullets at a funeral that was taking place. Chapparo was hit during the gunfire.

Could this be the beginning of the end of the Virgin Islands being a popular port of call and will other Cruise lines join in the boycott?

Lunch on the Regatta!

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

I'll be going on the Oceania Regatta on Monday for a tour and some lunch. I've heard some fantastic things about Oceania especially the food so really looking forward to it and will be sure to be writing a blog next week all about it.

Azamara Cruise Club Deals Extended

2010-07-06T03:22:00.000-07:00

The new Azamara Club club has some fantastic deals on at the moment and we have just been notified these deals have now been extended until 31st August 2010

• Free/Reduced Air - from selected gateways in the UK

• $500 per stateroom OBC - for ALL 2010 European sailings (oceanview staterooms and above).

• 100-125% Single Supplements - Just a 25% supplement on (most) selected 2010 European sailings and 0% Single Supplement on a select few 2010 European sailings.

• $1000 per stateroom OBC - on selected Azamar Journey sailings 2010/11

• Free Veranda Upgrades - Veranda staterooms for the price of an Oceanview is available on selected Azamar Journey sailings in 2010/2011

Alot of people I speak to have either not heard of Azamara or don't really know much about them.
I was recently speaking to a client who quite rightly compared them to Oceania Cruises but at a much more competitive price.

If you would like more information about Azamara you may want to look at a blog I did a few months ago or you are more than welcome to give me a call.

Dubai is hotting for up 2011

2010-07-06T03:08:00.000-07:00

There's a lot to be said, it seems, for guaranteed winter sunshine. Though the winter of 2011 may seem a long way off, the port of Dubai is already likely to be expecting a bumper season, if Royal Caribbean's latest move is anything to go by.

The cruise line began offering cruises out of Dubai in January 2010 on the 2,501-passenger Brilliance of the Seas and is returning this coming winter for a second season. Both of these programmes --which, according to a statement from Royal Caribbean, have exceeded expectations by 30 percent -- have been so successful that the line has stepped up its presence in the Gulf for 2011.

One of the reasons, the statement says, is easy air access from the U.K.; Emirates, the national carrier, has an impressive 98 flights a week from the U.K. including daily services from Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle and Glasgow -- all easy, regional departures for holidaymakers who want to depart from close to home.

Brilliance will now return to the United Arab Emirates in November 2011, two months earlier than previously planned, and will offer an increased range of itineraries including longer cruises of 12 and 18 nights, taking in ports in southern India as well as the Gulf.

Royal Caribbean has also tweaked the itineraries for both 2010 and 2011based on feedback from passengers and travel agents. There will be double the number of seven-night cruises and the order of ports has changed, to speed up visa processing. Bahrain, which lacks the history or culture of some of the other ports, has been replaced with an overnight in Muscat, while the cruise ends with an overnight in Dubai, so passengers can shop and sightsee without running up huge hotel and restaurant bills.

One of the new itineraries for 2011 is a 12-night Dubai and India cruise featuring ports of call such as Muscat, Cochin, Goa and Mumbai.

Epic Redeemed!!

2010-06-29T04:23:00.000-07:00

After I bit of rocky start to our Trip on the Epic with the ship being delayed NCL really turned things around.

We boarded the ship at 5.30 and check in was really quick and efficient. We then went straight to the reception to make a reservation for the cruise.co.uk team to try out the ice bar. As it only holds 25 people at a time we knew we would have to book in quick.

An hour later we we’re kitted out in our poncho’s and having a couple of shots. There are only 14 ice bars in the world so I would say it’s a great novelty to try out. The cover charge is $20 per person. This allows you in to the bar for 15 minutes and includes two shots. It doesn’t sound like long but believe me it is more than enough time. Especially if like me you are wearing flip flops!

We then went for dinner in one the speciality restaurants The Cagneys steak house. This has a cover charge of $25 per person but is well worth it. My meal of Lobster and Steak was fantastic! I can honestly say it was the best steak I have ever tasted!

The rest of the night we danced away between the Bliss lounge and the outside night club the H20 zone.

The weather was great whilst we we’re on board so the following day we hit the water parks. Again great fun and definitely going to be a big hit with families.

That night we we're lucky enough to get to see the Blue Man group which was very strange but well worth a look. I would say it's not like any other show you will have seen and that's for sure.

So all in all I think the Epic is going to be a big hit. It has something on board for everyone. Like many of my colleauges the only thing I could fault was the size and lay out of the cabins. The balconies are adequate for 2 people but any more than that I would say would be a real struggle.

If any is booked on to the Epic or thinking about booking on to her feel free to give me a call and I'll be happy to answer any questions.

An EPIC Disappointment

2010-06-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

An Epic Disappointment

So we got to work today all excited that we are going on the Epic tomorrow and things have already started to go downhill.

First we find out the ship has been having technical problems and passengers boarding in Rotterdam today has been delayed. This means instead of arriving in Southampton at 10.00am tomorrow the ship isn’t going to reach Southampton until 5.30. This means we are not going to be able to board until 8.30!!

I’m really disappointed I already had my day planned. Lunch about 13.30 followed by a good look around the ship and then off to the pool for a few hours before dining in the Spiegel Restaurant at 6.30.

But no! Dining in the Spiegel has obviously been cancelled. We can’t even try and eat there on the second night as that means we will miss the Blue man show and to top things off we’ve just found out the ship isn’t even going to sail so all we’re are going to get is a view of Southampton port instead of open waters.

I’ve never been on an NCL ship and I’m not impressed so far. Hopefully when we do finally get on board we’ll be so impressed we’ll forget about the problems but we’ll see.
I’ll keep you posted!!

3 Day count down until the launch of the Epic

2010-06-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

The countdown is on only 3 days to go until the launch of the Norwegian Epic

I love being a cruise consultant sometimes! On Tuesday next week me and and some of my colleagues have been invited to the two night launch of the Norwegian Epic.

The ship looks absolutely fantastic and I can’t wait to try out the rock climbing wall and water parks. Fingers crossed the weather is going to be nice!

We are dining in the Spiegel Tent for the first night which I’m really excited about. Basically it’s like dining round the edges of a circus tent with Acrobats and performers entertaining us.

Under strict instructions from my colleague Kris we are watching the Blue man show on the second night. He hasn’t stopped going on about it for a week!

I’m definitely going to make sure at some point we go to the ice bar. I was impressed on the Equinox that the bar was made out of ice in the Martini Bar but the Epic has one of only 14 in the world real ice bars.
I’m sure there is going to be so much more to see and tell you about and hopefully if things go to plan I’ll be taking lots of pictures and keeping you up to date whilst on board.

Regent Seven Seas Voyager

2010-06-12T02:42:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday I was lucky enough to be invited to visit Regent Seven Seas 6 * ship voyager.

A few years ago a spent a week on the crystal serenity and felt the ships we're very similar.
The main things you notice on 6* vessels is the amount of space. With only 700 passengers on board and 447 staff you never feel the ship is to over crowded and you can always find a quiet place to relax.

I found impressive the fact the Voyager is an all suite ship all balcony ship with suites ranging in size between 356 to 1,403 sq. ft., including balcony

Standard Deluxe Suite

Grand Suite ( I love the Jacuzzi's in these suites)

For dinner you can choose:

Open-seating dining - dine when and with whom you choose in Compass Rose and La Veranda (We ate in the Compass Rose and the food was absolutely fantastic!)
Four dining venues to choose from including Signatures, dedicated to Le Cordon Bleu® cuisine, and Prime 7, a contemporary interpretation of a classic American steakhouse (Note there no supplements for using the speciality restaurants)

Regent really is exceptional value for money as there are no extras it really is all included:

Free flights on selected 2010 and all 2011 cruises
Free transfers on all 2011 cruises
Free unlimited shore excursions on every cruise in every port
All on board gratuities
All fine dining
All drinks and beverages
All on board activities

Now if you add all these extras on to many of the other ships you can see that to experience the luxury of a 6* really may not be out of your reach. If any one would like more details about Regent cruises or any of the other luxury liners then please feel free to give me a call.

"Ash cloud detector"

2010-06-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

AVOID (Airborne Volcanic Object Identified and Detector)

Easy have confirmed they will be the first airline to test the new system invented by a Norwegian scientist.

Flight control centres can use the real time data from plane's AVOID system to build up an accurate image of a volcanic ash cloud.

This is great news for the cruise industry as Easyjet fly to some of the main European destinations like Palma, Rome and Barcelona. Recently I've spoken to many clients who are opting for Uk sailings to avoid the problem. So hopefully this should help to get things back to normal.

The new technology which works like a weather radar uses infra red technology taking pictures to send to the pilot. Enabling them to see ash clouds at altitudes between 5,000 and 50,000 so changing their flight plans accordingly

Easyjet will be spending £1m this year alone testing the system on the Aibus 340

This pioneering technology is the silver bullet that will make large-scale ash disruption history," easyJet chief executive Andy Harrison said in a statement

In the last hour BA have also announced that they to are going to be testing the new technology.

This week airlines called for the new British government to compensate them over lost earning during the ash cloud crisis. The estimated cost to European airlines alone in estimated at around £2 billion

Garden Themed cruises

2010-06-01T04:45:00.000-07:00

For all you keen Gardeners out there!!

Every year we exclusively organise hosted garden cruises to a whole range of destinations e.g Canaries, Norway, Baltic’s and even the British isles.

So what’s involed?

As well all the usual benefits of the cruise, cruise.co.uk passengers also get the added benefits of being able to attend hosted garden talks by a range of the UK’s leading gardeners, free car parking, on board credit, a free shore excursion and private cocktails parties.

I always get fantastic feedback from passengers who have been on these cruises and know many will be keen to hear about what we have planned for 2011

BRAEMAR – M1103 – Amazon - 3 February – 14 x nts – TONY RUSSELL

BRAEMAR - M1105 – Classic Caribbean - 3 March – 14 x nts – host tba

BOUDICCA – D1105 – Dublin and Daffodils - 7 April – 3 x nts – host tba

BLACK WATCH – W1003 – Canary Islands - 15 April – 12 x nts – PIPPA GREENWOOD

BALMORAL – L1103 – Norway - 3 May – 10 x nts – host tba

BALMORAL – L1108 – Baltic - 24 June – 14 x nts – host tba BALMORAL – L1110 – Italy - 16 July – 16 x nts – TONY RUSSELL

BRAEMAR – M1121 – Canary Islands - 29 September – 13 x nts – host tba

I always get fantastic feedback from passengers who have been on these cruises and know many will be keen to hear about what we have planned for 2011

I’m particularly pleased to hear we will doing the Amazon again as this one was a huge hIt in 2010.

If any would like more details or brochures on the 2010 or 2011 sailing then feel free to contact me

World Cruises 2012

2010-05-25T04:53:00.000-07:00

We have been advised today that Cunard and P&O are going to be releasing their 2012 full world voyages and sectors on the 16th July.

As of yet we haven't been given itineraries but I will keep you updated.

We all know not everyone is in a position to book a full world cruise. Most of us are restricted by work and family commitments or money constraints.

But imagine being able to set sail for 100 days on a beautiful vessel and experience places most of us can only dream of.

I find many of my clients like to book sectors of a world cruise instead of a full voyage. Normally this is because they have been on many cruises and want to experience an itinerary a bit out of the norm.

I know the 2011 voyages are still selling well but it does make me wonder if the recession will have an effect on people committing to such a cruise. What do you think?

Volcano ash forecast

2010-05-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

I thought the Volcano disruption was a one off event but it looks like the problem may be with us for some time.

I spoke to some passengers this morning who were supposed to be flying from Belfast to Barcelona to meet the Voyager but all flights were grounded. Unfortunately they had booked a cruise only so Royal Caribbean’s not responsible for getting them to the ship. This means if their insurance company will not pay up they will be left out of pocket.

I know many people prefer to do their own flights as the packages with the cruise lines can be more expensive. But with the way things are at the moment can you afford to take the risk? Most cruise lines have been offering full refunds to clients who have booked their packages and been unable to go because of the problems.
If you are travelling soon then you may find this link from the met office helpful as it gives a five day volcano cloud forecast.

Until next year!

2010-05-01T07:30:00.000-07:00

So there we have it launch week is over for another year and what a week it's been.
I'm happy to report a full house as I managed to get all my clients the cabins they wanted at the best price.

As you can imagine the biggest sellers this week have been for the kids cruise free or low priced child places.

The Azura on the 28th May 2011 for example has sold out of 4 berth cabins for every grade below balcony cabins. These are still available with kids prices from £127pp

The new Queen Elizabeth has been really popular as she is offering free kids places in August. Her 2nd Aug med cruise has already sold out of 4 berth cabins and there are only six 4 berth cabins left on the 14th Aug Baltic sailing. Although I don't think they are going to be there for long, so if you are hoping to get one then don't leave it too long!!

Half way through Launch Week

2010-04-28T02:26:00.000-07:00

We're half way through launch week and I'm happy to report so far, so good!

P & O's systems had a bit of a wobble this morning with everyone booking up for 2011 school holidays, but they were soon back up and running.

I've booked many cruises this week and so far I've managed to get everyone their first choice of cabins and there have been no major price increases.

So 2 days to go and hopefully by the end of the week I'll be reporting a full house.

2011 Launches are underway

2010-04-24T07:20:00.000-07:00

So today marks the start of the 2011 launches with P&O Gold Tier members being able to book ahead of everyone else.

I can report the office has been extremley busy but great fun. It always reminds me of a stock market in here on launch days.

I managed to get everyone of my client's exactly what they wanted so I'm really pleased. Hopefully everything will go just as well next week.

Cunard Cruises will be going on sale Monday afternoon for World Club members and P&O Cruises are going to be staggered throughout the week.

So if you haven't done yet then there is still time to pre register.

Writing a review

2010-04-23T04:23:00.000-07:00

To everyone who recieved an email this week asking you to write your cruise reviews and you haven't been on your cruise yet.......

I do apologise there was a techincal error which is why you received the email.

Don't panic your bookings are all confirmed but don’t forget to write a review when you return.

Great Deal - P&O Arcadia Canaries

2010-04-16T04:40:00.000-07:00

If anyone is looking for some winter sunshine then I've got some fantastic cruise deals not to be missed. Here is one of my favourites:

The deal:
P & O Arcadia
Departing 8th December for 11 Nights

A balcony stateroom for the price of an inside
JUST £826pp

If this wasn't good enough we can also give you £200 per person on board credit spend

Wed 08 Dec SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND 12:00 17:00 EMBARK

Thu 09 Dec AT SEA
Fri 10 Dec AT SEA
Sat 11 Dec AT SEA
Sun 12 Dec MADEIRA, PORTUGAL FULL DAY
Mon 13 Dec LA PALMA, CANARY ISLANDS, SPAIN FULL DAY
Tue 14 Dec TENERIFE, CANARY ISLANDS FULL DAY
Wed 15 Dec LANZAROTE FULL DAY
Thu 16 Dec AT SEA
Fri 17 Dec VIGO, SPAIN FULL DAY
Sat 18 Dec AT SEA
Sun 19 Dec SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND 06:30 DISEMBARK

Free Kids with Cunard 2011

2010-04-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

I've just been checking for one of my clients which Cunard cruises have free child places on them for 2011 so I thought others would also like to know.You might be suprised some are actually in the school holidays!!

The Queen Mary is offering places on the following round trip transatlantics:
M106B 10th May
M109B 03rd June
M116A 15th Aug
M121A 29th Aug
M128A 16th Oct

The Queen Victoria has two saillings:
V119 12nt Baltic 20th July
V113 7nt Ireland & Iberia 22nd May

The last two on the Queen Elizabeth are going to sell out really quickly as unlike the Queen Victoria where maximum capacity for a cabin is 3 people, The Queen Elizabeth has 15 4 berth inside cabins on board which as you can imagine aren't going to be around for long.

Q113 12nt Western Meditteranean 02nd Aug
Q114 14nt Baltic 14th Aug

If anyone would like to discuss further then feel free to give me a call

Azura Calling!

2010-04-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

P&O have told us that their new ship The Azura has arrived safely in to the U.K, where she will join a number of other ships which offer cruises from Southampton

The official Naming ceremony takes place on Saturday with Darcey Bussell being made god mother.

Some of my colleagues are lucky enough to be spending tomorrow on board to soak up all she has to offer. At these events there are always lots of pictures taken and between everyone most of the ship is always covered.
So if you have any questions then we'll be able to help.

Transatlantic Treat

2010-03-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Back in November I went on my first transatlantic voyage on board the Queen Mary II. We had it planned for months and we're by no way disappointed.

We spent the first three days of our holiday exploring New York, which was fantastic. We purchased tour bus tickets and couldn't believe how easy it was to explore. We Just hopped on and off the buses, would do a bit of shopping, a bit of sightseeing then on to the next place!

So after 3 days of hard core shopping we couldn't wait to board the Queen Mary and start to relax. Having been on the Queen Victoria I knew what to expect with Cunard. However this was my mom's first ever cruise and she was absolutely blown away. (Exactly the reaction I had been hoping for!)

Our cabin was spacious and clean and after a quick wash we we're ready to watch the ship sail out of New York. This really was a once in a lifetime experience.

We spent the rest of the voyage eating well and relaxing. We loved the Canyon Ranch and purchased a three day spa pass costing $75. This gave us unlimted use of the facillities, hydro pool etcs. It even has it's own lounge where you can realax, get yourself a drink and relax with a good book.

I thought this was great as the one draw backs for me was the daily activities. The talk about the Titanic should not be missed but Being in my late tweenties I didn't feel that my age group was catered for that well.

However my Mom loved them she was doing everything from Knitting classes to acupunture.

We do both agree that afternoon tea served with white glove service in the Queens Room was amazing and we even saw a couple of dolphins!

The food and staff we're first class and we met some great people.

All in all it was a fantastic holiday and we are already planning to do the same trip next year with my sister and Aunty.

Whats the Goal this Summer?

2010-03-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

With the World Cup being held in South Africa this year many of you may be wondering if you'll be able to see your favourite matches whilst away on your family cruise.
So here's what we know so far:

Thomson Cruises and Island Cruises are going all out allocating viewing areas complete with big screens and bars. All England games will be being shown but if the worst happens and we're knocked out early they'll show Brazil and Spain instead. To keep everyone happy they will also be offering special deals on their Spa packages during the matches.

P&O, Ocean Village, and Cunard have confirmed they will be showing all England Matches as well as the final on the 11th July.

Norwegian Cruise Line are going to be following most countries including Spain, Netherlands, Brazil, Argentina, USA, Germany, Italy and England though initial stages. Then the rest of the Tournament. Talking about covering all bases!

Princess, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Costa and MSC are yet to show their cards but I can't see them missing out on this opportunity. Especially the football mad Italians!

Fred Olsen's officially declaring their ships to be Football Free Zones!

I hope this helps and you don't end up disappointed.

I remember being at the launch party of the MSC Poesia a few years ago on Grand National day. We had hoped to see the race but after some confusion with reception who thought I wanted to upgrade to a Grand Suite we had to rely on friends to call us with the results!

For all you Titchmarsh fans out there!!

2010-03-15T07:32:00.000-07:00

Springtime in Norway 15th May Balmoral

Don't miss out on the fantastic 7 Night cruise to Norway.

As well as enjoying talks, book signings and photo opportunities with none other than Alan Titchmarsh.

If you would like to know more feel free to give me a call prices start from £645pp but be warned places are selling out fast!

Sat 15 May DOVER 16:30

Sun 16 May CRUISING

Mon 17 May OSLO, NORWAY 08:00 23:30

Tue 18 May FREDRIKSTAD, NORWAY 07:00 18:00

Wed 19 May KRISTIANSAND, NORWAY 07:00 18:00

Thu 20 May STAVANGER, NORWAY 07:30 17:00

Fri 21 May CRUISING

Sat 22 May DOVER 07:00

Have you ever seen anyone do anything this stupid on a ship?

2010-03-02T11:34:00.000-08:00

Msc to sail from Southampton Good or Bad?

2010-03-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

What do you think about MSC Cruises planning to offer cruises from Southampton

As part of their 2011 UK brochure MSC will be giving some of the more well known cruise lines a run for their money, with competitive prices, free car parking and on board credit deals.

But is this going to be enough to win you over?

With sailings leaving from Europe they haven't always been know for catering to the British passenger. I've had guests tell me in the past that UK guests are treated like second class citizens!

They will be aiming entertainment more towards British clientele and apparently they will be offering a more British influenced menu and even the traditional Scones for afternoon tea. ( Always a personal favourite of mine)

If they manage to get this right and at the right price I wonder how this will affect the likes of Royal Caribbean or P & O?

I guess it's going to be a case of watch this space!!

Three sailors killed in cruise crash

2010-02-26T09:12:00.000-08:00

Costa Cruises

Three sailors have been killed this morning and at least 4 others have been hurt when the Costa Europa crashed while docking in to Sharm al-Sheikh during bad weather.

Official have confirmed that three crew members and 4 passengers including 3 british women and an Italian man are being treated in hospital but are beleived to stable.

The ship has suffered severe damage to the starboard side of the hull but is now safely docked in to port.

All other guests have now been disembarked and are being accommodated in local hotels

If you are due to sail on the Europa we will keep you informed of any future developments.

Fantastic offer on Azura

2010-02-23T08:46:00.000-08:00

P&O Have released a fantastic deal on the new Azura.

If you would like to sail on the brand new P&O Azura then this is a deal not to be missed!!

10th May 2010 Central Mediterranean

Prices start from just:

£1049pp Inside, £1249pp Ocean view
But the best deal I think is £1599 for a 314sqft Super Deluxe Balcony

I've had alot of interest in this cruise over the last few days and cabins are selling out fast.
If you would like more detail call me direct on 0800 408 6073 or carolinek@cruise.co.uk

Mon 10 MAY SOUTHAMPTON

Tue 11 May AT SEA
Wed 12 May AT SEA
Thu 13 May MALAGA FULL DAY
Fri 14 May AT SEA
Sat 15 May AT SEA
Sun 16 May KATAKOLON FULL DAY
Mon 17 May CORFU, GREECE FULL DAY
Tue 18 May DUBROVNIK, CROATIA FULL DAY POSSIBLE TENDER
Wed 19 May VENICE, ITALY FULL DAY
Thu 20 May KORCULA FULL DAY TENDER REQUIRED
Fri 21 May AT SEA
Sat 22 May AT SEA
Sun 23 May GIBRALTAR AFTERNOON
Mon 24 May AT SEA
Tue 25 May AT SEA
Wed 26 May SOUTHAMPTON

Funchal Floods

2010-02-23T03:12:00.000-08:00

Since the terrible landslides in Funchal Madeira at the weekend I've had lots of people asking if their cruise will still be calling in to port. Funchal is a very busy port and a favourite for the cruise lines. The Costa Marina which should be there today but will now be calling at Tangiers instead. The MSC fantasia is scheduled to be there on Friday and the Costa Serena on Saturday. Although they haven't advised of any itinerary changes as yet I imagine they will follow suit.

I brought this up a few weeks ago when Royal Caribbean continued to call at Haiti immediately after the disaster.
Do you think it's the right thing to do or should we leave these countries in peace until they manage to come to terms with what has happened?
One of my clients told me visiting Haiti was an awful experience and he didn't enjoy his holiday after that.

Farewell to Ocean Village

2010-02-20T08:26:00.000-08:00

I've taken my first booking today for Ocean Village Cruises' Farewell voyage. She doesn't go on Sale until the Monday 8th March so I'll be here bright and early to make sure I get the best cabins and prices for my clients.

Details of the final voyage of Ocean Village have just been released, and it does not dissapoint! the two cruise options available are;
Fond Farewell - 21st October 2010 - 23 Nights

Heraklion, Port Said, Suez Canal, Safaga, Muscat, Dubai (Overnight), Cochin, Langkawi, Port Kelang, Singapore

Prices from £1699 + FREE £150pp to spend on board!
The Big Goodbye - 14th October 2010 - 30 Nights

(Incorporates the final 7 night voyage)

Heraklion, Dubrovnik, Venice, Korcula, Corfu, Katakolon, Heraklion - then as above.

Prices from £1999 + FREE £150pp to spend on board!

This cruise will sell out FAST.

PLUS you can add FREE nights in Singapore after your cruise:

Add 1 FREE night in Singapore - receive £75pp FREE to spend on board during your cruise

Add 2 FREE nights in Singapore - this would be in place of your free on board spending money

Add 3 nights in Singapore - this would be in place of your free on board spending money and would cost £75pp

Call now to pre register, dont miss your chance to cruise one last time on ocean village!

For all you Costa Cruise Fans!

2010-02-10T07:59:00.000-08:00

For all you Costa Cruise fans out there we have good news. The new 2011 programmes are now on sale.

A few new things to look out for, they have a new 7 night Red sea cruise and a 7 night winter Mediterranean.

The new Costa Luminosa and the Costa Delioza will sailing Dubai and the Emirates.

Also new for 2011 will be the debut of the Costa Favolosa who will be ailing the Mediterranean.

Selling us out to France

2010-02-10T01:35:00.000-08:00

PM Plans to sell Dover to the French!

Gordon Brown never ceases to amaze me. I was shocked this week to hear he is planning to sell the port of Dover to France.

The port which resisted the Germans during World War II and the French under Napolean is on offer for around £500million.

The plan comes as Gordon Brown try's to plug the gap in the countries national finances with a £16billion auction.

The White cliffs of Dover our one of our national Treasures and should be protected as such. What does he plan to sell next Big Ben? I'm sure that would pull in a couple of quid. What do you think?

Watch out for the Web Cams!

2010-01-22T03:38:00.000-08:00

This is Great!

Now not only can you see where your favourite ship is, but if you check out the web site below you can now view the ships cameras. The Crystal Serenity seems to be having great weather en route to Brazil.

http://www.kroooz-cams.com/

The Great "Island" Escape!

2010-01-20T03:24:00.000-08:00

You might be wondering what this is? Well these are the facilities clients have been putting up with on the Island Escape. I was recently sent some shocking pictures from a client showing the state of the ship and I've got to say I was shocked. I decided to look through recent cruise reviews on http://www.cruise.co.uk/ it looks like I'm not the only one. I've attached a couple more pictures and reviews for you to see for yourself. One couple even jumped ship after three days as they could bear it any longer! I think I would have done the same!

http://www.cruise.co.uk/cruise-reviews/read_review_19967/

http://www.cruise.co.uk/cruise-reviews/read_review_19936/

http://www.cruise.co.uk/cruise-reviews/read_review_20033/

Titanic Memorial Cruise

2010-01-19T03:40:00.000-08:00

100th Anniversary Voyage to Set Sail 2010

On the 8th April 2010 Fred Olsens Balmoral will sail from Southampton on a twelve night voyage of a lifetime following RMS Titanic's original Itinerary, passing by Cherbourg and calling at the Irish port of Cobh.

From there the ship with sail across the Atlantic, arriving at the Titanic site on April on 14th/15th exactly 100 years on from this tragic voyage. A memorial service will then be held to pay tribute to the brave passengers and crew who perished on that fateful night.

The voyage will then continue to Halifax, Nova Scotia, the final resting place of many who were on board, before sailing on to New York, the Titanic's ultimate planned destination.

As you can imagine this sailing is proving to be very popular and already 12 grades of cabin have already sold out. If you would like to know more give me a call.

Where's my favourite ship right now??

2010-01-19T02:56:00.000-08:00

If you are ever thinking about your favourite ship or have friends on a cruise and are thinking "I wonder where they are right now?"
Then I have the answer. Type in the name of the ship on the website below and you can find out it exactly where about's in the world she is. Big brother is watching you!!!

www.sailwx.info/shiptrack

Is it too soon to be calling at Haiti??

2010-01-16T02:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas was the first ship to arrive in Haiti since the capitals Port au Prince was devastated by a massive earth quake earlier this week. Their private "island" port Labadee was untouched in the quake.

A post yesterday on Royal Caribbean President and CEO Adam Goldstein's blog detailed the line's humanitarian effort, which includes bringing ashore relief supplies such as rice, dried beans, water, dried milk and other canned foodstuffs, which will be distributed through charity Food for the Poor (the items were brought aboard during the ship's port call in San Juan earlier in the week). The line will also be donating 100 percent of today's net proceeds from shore excursions and other activities to Haitian relief.

Next week, Labadee will welcome Navigator of the Seas (January 18), Liberty of the Seas (January 19) and Celebrity Solstice (January 22).

What's your opinion? Do you think ships should continue to visit or is it too soon???

Going Solo!

2010-01-15T08:52:00.000-08:00

At last, a stateroom designed and priced for the Solo passenger!

Fantastic news the new Norwegian Epic will have 128 Solo studios with prices starting from just £599pp for a 7 night Caribbean sailing.
As you can see from the picture the studio's look great.
Passengers in these studios will also enjoy exclusive key card access to the Studio lounge as well as:

• Innovative bathroom design – separate sink and shower provide more personal space
• Window to the corridor – you see out but others can’t see in
• 100 sq ft of space also includes unique storage areas, flat screen TV and a desk
• 128 Studios - Many connecting

Hopefully this is going to be a taste of things to come and the other cruise lines will start to follow suit.

Ventura School Holidays Availability

2010-01-15T07:49:00.000-08:00

School Holidays

If anyone out there is still looking to book your family on the Ventura this summer you might find this useful. I've put together a chart below to advise availability. Just be aware the reduced child prices are selling out fast so don't delay!!!

BEWARE ESTA FORMS TO BECOME COMPULSORY

2010-01-15T05:17:00.000-08:00

Please be aware as of the 20th January 2010 Brits wanting to visit the US will have to receive approval to travel in advance from The Electronic System for travel authorisation. Apply now https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/esta

Although the scheme was introduced in Januray 2009 it hasn't been compulsory until now.

The online Esta form replaces the old Green card that was filled out by passengers on board their US flight, and it is recommended travellers fill it out at least 72 hours prior to departure.

Airlines will not accept US bound passengers if they have not received approval.

There is talk of a $10 charge being introduced to apply but as yet this has not been confirmed.

Notice from Royal Caribbean

2009-12-17T03:09:00.000-08:00

GLOBESPAN COLLAPSE

With the news this morning that Globespan have gone into administration we would like to reassure all of our trade partners that we will be re-protecting any customers who were due to travel with the Airline onto alternative flight services.

Of course this will take us some time and we kindly ask that you bear with us while we begin the task of re-booking these flights.

Please be advised that once this process has been completed we will then notify you directly of the alternative flights booked.

Thank you for your patience and understanding and if you do have customers affected rest assured that we will be in contact as soon as possible.

Azamara goes all inclusive!!

2009-12-17T02:12:00.000-08:00

From April 2010 Azamara Cruises will be changing to Azamara Club Cruises and guests can benefit from an all inclusive cruise.
The decision to add "Club" into the name following talks with passengers most of whom are members of golf, health or country clubs. "Membership and a sense of belonging is important to them" .

Another great benefit is all gratuities will now be included in the cost.

For 2010, the line’s itineraries will be “slowed down”, with more two and three-night stays in selected ports to allow passengers time to immerse themselves in communities and cultures.

Overnight ports will include Istanbul, Sorrento, St Petersburg – where the ship will stay two nights – Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Singapore and Hong Kong. To emphasis the destination experience, the cruiseline has the new tag line, “You’ll love where we take you”.

The cruiseline is also retraining its butlers to give an English-style service, although, from April, only suite passengers will have a butler. Suite passengers will have unlimited free access to the speciality restaurant Prime C, and Aqualina, for Mediterranean cuisine; they were previously charged $5 per person per meal. However, non-suite passengers will be charged $15 per person to dine in either restaurant, up from $5.

Can we afford to buy back our beloved QE2!

2009-12-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

So less than a year after arriving in Dubai our beloved Queen Elizabeth II may already be up for sale. Do you think we brits could start a kitty and bring her back home?

A recent article in the telegraph explains the reasoning behind the decision.

Dubai World, the state-run company at the heart of a default crisis that has sent shock waves through the global financial system, bought a string of prestige stakes and properties as the city grew.

The team of auditors brought in by the government, led by one of Britain's leading experts in restructuring troubled firms, is to trawl through all the company assets with no options ruled out, a spokesman confirmed on Friday
The Queen Elizabeth II, the world's favourite cruise liner which was bought by Dubai World's subsidiary Nakheel to be turned into a floating hotel, is among them, he said.

The Daily Telegraph also understands that Abu Dhabi is giving close scrutiny to 'non-core' assets like the QE2 in the Dubai World portfolio.
Dubai's neighbouring emirate has agreed to lend $5bn to the support fund that is being used to bail out the city's finances, but is reluctant to see any of that money go to Dubai World until a clear exit from its debt problems has been plotted.

Nakheel bought the QE2 for $100m in 2007, but by the time it arrived in Port Rashid a year ago this week its future was already looking uncertain. Since then, little has been done to put in place ambitious plans to saw off a funnel in favour of a glass penthouse and refit its suites and ballrooms into a floating hotel.
It is supposed to be heading off for South Africa so that visitors can look round during the World Cup next year, at least bringing in some revenue.

QE2 is just one of a string of assets now held by Dubai World. Leaving aside its port operations and P&O, which it bought in 2005, all of which fall under its DP World subsidiary which is said to be exempt from restructuring, it has stakes in everything from entertainment companies to London apartments.

"I'm sure all of the assets of Dubai World will be reviewed," the spokesman said. "The QE2 is one of them. It's part of the restructuring process, though it's too early to say whether there's any sale in mind."

Nakheel has two hotel chains, one of which owns the Turnberry Hotel. Istithmar World, Dubai World's venture capital arm, has stakes in Barneys, the New York department store, Cirque du Soleil, the South African entrepreneur Sol Kerzner's hotel chain, and Standard Chartered Bank.

The company has also bought into MGM Mirage, the Las Vegas gambling operation - even though gambling is banned in Dubai - and Troon Golf. London properties include Adelphi on the Strand and the Grand Buildings in Trafalgar Square.

Dubai's senior officials are emphasising that progress will be methodical rather than dramatic, but confirmed that Aidan Birkett, the partner of Deloitte's appointed as chief restructuring officer, had assembled a team in the city to start going through the books.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum, the head of the emirate's finance committee and uncle of its ruler, Sheikh Mohammed, said in a statement on Thursday night that its intervention in Dubai World was "carefully planned" and that more information would be revealed next week.

However, investors will not be reassured that the careful planning did not include informing senior government figures in Abu Dhabi, who were caught as much by surprise as everyone else by the statement revealing the debt crisis on Wednesday night.
Officials remain insistent though that Abu Dhabi will stand by its neighbour, both as an emirate and as the senior partner in the federal government of the United Arab Emirates.

Sheikh Mohammed has previously insisted that Dubai World is a company and not part of the government, which would not necessarily guarantee its debts. Abu Dhabi is now expected to reassure the international markets that default by Dubai World does not imply a wider default that would undermine confidence in the city or the country as a whole.

Just for a giggle!!

2009-12-07T06:28:00.000-08:00

The old ones are still the best!

These are funny cruise stories from people who work on cruise ships.
These are true stories from someone who works on a cruise ship.

1. (For this one, you have to know that it's really easy to get lost in the maze of corridors and elevators on a ship.) A lady asked if this elevator went to the front of the ship.
2. Two elderly women were staring at the numbers of the floors listed above the elevator door. When asked if they needed any assistance with something, one asked how they were going to be able to reach way up there to push the button for their floor.

3. A newlywed couple, after bringing their luggage into their cabin, stormed down to the desk. The bride was in tears, and the groom was red faced. When asked what the problem was, the groom started swearing at the desk clerk. "We booked a cabin with a view for our honeymoon, and all we get to see out the window is a parking lot!"

4. There was some mix-up with a woman's room. The clerk (or whatever they are called on ships) was trying to remedy the situation. He asked, "Would you like an inside cabin or an outside cabin?" She replied, "Well, it looks like it might rain today. I'd better get an inside cabin."

5. Two women were sitting by the pool, and one asked what kind of water they fill the pool with -- fresh water or sea water? The cruise director answered, "Sea water." "Oh, that explains why it's so rough today."

6. Someone -- always a man -- always asks, "does the ship run on generators?" The Cruise Director usually tells them, "No, we just have a very long power line running to the mainland."

7. "What do you do with the ice sculptures after they melt?"

8. "Will I be able to sea fish if I have a seaview cabin"