NADINE NAVIGATES

New Ventures

2011-10-14T04:53:00.000-07:00

Nadine has left but all current active bookings or future enquiries will be dealt with by Jeannette.

Jeannette has over 10 years experience in the travel industry as a cruise specialist, so you are in safe hands.

Please feel free to contact Jeannette for any reason on 0800 408 6166 or email jeannettes@cruise.co.uk - she will be delighted to help you. You can also find out more about her and see comments from many of her own satisfied customers by visiting her blog http://jeannettecruise.co.uk.

CELEBRATE CELEBRITY!

2011-10-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

CELEBRATE CELEBRITY!

Congratulations go to Celebrity Cruise line this morning as Ive just found ut that they been named the overall winner in the Cruise Category in the recent 2011 Conde Nast Traveller World Saver Awards CLICK HERE to find out more.

I know Celebrity are winners for what they do with food - some of the most interesting dining experiences Can be had on a celebrity Solstice class ship, Qsine for intense, treat your taste buds to a trip round the world in one evening at sea. Finest desserts mastered exactly to your tastes.

Call me to find out out more and get involved, perhaps try the Eclipse in 2012, sailing from Southampton, perfect for non flyers!

I’ve found what I’m looking for!

2011-09-27T01:30:00.000-07:00

Summer you beautiful lady where have you been?
Media confuses us with tales of snow to be seen!
For three days I anticipate the summer,
An Indian summer for us all to greet.
And when you’re gone, you be a long time missed
For those not on cruises, searching for heat!

Now, I'll admit poetry is not my strongest skill set - whipped this up in just a few minutes - What do you think?

I have to admit I am genuinely excited by the last of summer arriving at our doors this week... Dreading the snow to follow and the cold winter mornings!!

Caribbean cruising looking VERY Exciting now... Click Royal Caribbean to see whats happening as they have some great deals with $100 on board credit still available if booking before end of September! NICE

SNOW WAY IT’S NEARLY OCTOBER!

2011-09-20T04:44:00.000-07:00

OMG I nearly had a heart attack this morning coffee in hand and toast on the go – I was feeling a bit chilly when I turned the page and there it is – Cold hard reality brutally shoved it in our faces – October is penned as being our early winter with Snow!! Snow I tell thee!! I’m not being funny but I don’t actually remember much of a summer – so for Mother Nature to completely by pass my favourite season – autumn or if you’re American – Fall… I love autumn, with rich colours, cold enough for jumpers, but not quite a coat! The fresh smell of morning with crisp blue sky and a tiny scattering of frost in the early hours… Click here to read the full article
I was wondering where the best autumn would be as the UK is bound now to have below average temperatures... Virginia, I’ve always fancied Virginia in the fall.. It’s meant to have the most definitive Seasons; spring comes when it’s meant to!! Summers are beautifully warm. The University of Virginia has a whole page dedicated to their weather -CLICK HERE

Canada is also one know for it awesome seasons. I thought about how I could squeeze both of these into a cruise and I came up with this.

Depart UK – Head out to New York for a cruise on board
Caribbean Princess - 1st Oct 2011 for 7nts
New York, New York, Usa : Newport, Rhode Island : Boston, Massachusetts, Usa : Bar Harbour, Maine, Usa : Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada : Halifax, Nova Scotia : New York, New York,

After the cruise – Take a post cruise deviation for 5 or 7nights – you can stay in New York and shop till you drop or head in land to Virginia and explore the different scenery along the way – stopping at Philadelphia & New Jersey along the way perhaps. Now that’s one way to escape the poor Autumn planned!

This is a lake in New Jersey!!

How beautiful is that!!!!

FREE CRUISE TO BE WON

2011-09-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

These days there is a great saying - There no such thing as a free lunch - so how about 18 free lunches???

Daily Mail in conjunction with Cunard cruises are offering a 9 night

Mediterranean sailing, out of Southampton featuring the cruise connections - Free car parking or coach transfers!

I'm always on the prowl for a good news bulletin, story or drama to report on, but I wasn't expecting the Daily Mail to be running a free prize draw to Win a FREE cruise on board one of the most prestigious Ocean liners to leave Southampton The Queen Elizabeth! Ive been lucky enough to have been on aboard myself in a Princess Grill cabin: Click here to read my review: Simply the Beth! She was awesome, breathtaking and everything she should be!

Terms and Conditions: - Prize draw rules.

Closing date for the draw is 30 September 2011.
The prize is for Q216, Queen Elizabeth Voyage on 28 August 2012. The prize is for a balcony stateroom
The winning entries will be drawn at random from the valid entries received before the closing date. The decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into. No cash alternative will be offered. The prize is non-transferable
The winners will be notified in writing by 15 October 2011.
No employees of Carnival plc or Associated Newspapers may enter the draw. The draw is open only to residents of the United Kingdom.
Only one entry per person. Entrants must be aged 18 or over. No bulk or third-party entries accepted.
No purchase is necessary to enter the draw.
The winners will be bound to Cunard's booking terms and conditions.
Proof of posting will not be accepted as proof of delivery. Responsibility cannot be accepted for lost or misplaced entries.
The promoter is Carnival plc, trading as Cunard Line, Carnival House, 100 Harbour Parade, Southampton SO15 1ST. Please do not send coupons to this address. The promoter reserves the right to amend any dates / deadlines at their discretion.

To enter the competition and Read more: CLICK HERE to take you to the Daily Mail site

Please note that in no way am I anything to do with this prize draw- It is an independent promotion that I am just bringing to public knowledge!

Come dine with me & Oceania

2011-09-16T08:05:00.000-07:00

Following my recent trip to Dover & the Oceania Insignia visit I thought I might talk a little about the food… I won’t go over board!!

They are famously known for their 4star plus ships and 6 star service and food. Amazing.. I'm not one to get overly gush, but this was to die for!

Warm Crushed Baby Potato with Caviar

Echire Butter and Fresh Chives

Risotto all'Aragosta

Arborio Rice with Lobster Medallions in Lobster Broth Reduction

Den Miso Glazed Seabass

Wrapped and Cooked in Banana Leaf

Seventy two hours Slow Cooking Short Rib "Perigourdine"

Semolina Gnocchi, Vegetable Casserole and Crispy Parmesan

Gold Bullion" of Valrhona Jivara Chocolate Mousse

Praline, Exotic Fruit and Amarena Cherries

Its been a struggle to eat anything normal since, I even tried cooking up my own fish dish the other day - But wasn't anywhere near as breathtakingly supremely gorgeous as the Den Miso glazed Chilean Sea bass, I Did Thai cod loin!! Ive searched everywhere for a recipe to recreate at home the closet Ive found is this one which I'm planning on trying next week or so:

If anyone fancies having a go at it - Feel free to upload your photos and reviews here, Ill do the same when I make it! Gotta locate some Chilean Sea bass first!

Recipe: Miso-Marinated Sea Bass

Ingredients:
Sea bass (about 5 oz. piece)
1 teaspoon white miso paste
1 teaspoon mirin
2 teaspoon sake
1/2 teaspoon ginger juice
1/2 teaspoon palm sugar (sugar)

Method:
In a small bowl, mix the marinates well and save some for the plating. Drop the sea bass into the marinate, coat well, and leave in the fridge for a few hours.

Preheat an indoor grill and lightly wipe off (with fingers) any excess miso marinate clinging to the sea bass but don’t rinse it off. Place the fish on the grill and lightly grill on both sides until the surface turns brown. Transfer the fish fillets to the oven (350 degree) and bake for 10-15 minutes. Serve hot

GOODLUCK

Coolest cruise ship collection.

2011-09-10T08:04:00.000-07:00

Having a read on line I came across a feature on cruise ships, and naturally my eye lit up and I did my best meercat impression... Ooh Ooh what's going on here then???

Entitled, 'Worlds coolest cruise ships' I thought it might be about the NCL Epic Ice bar - But no! Its MSN's list of cool ships CLICK HERE to read the feature entirely.

1) Seabourn Quest that launched last June. This ships gets brownie points for the exotic destinations, on board experience and beach seafood barbecue called Caviar in the Surf!

2) Celebrity Silhouette came next - Silhouette's speciality restaurant Quisine serves up quirky dishes from animated iPad menus and a dessert list on a Rubik's cube. This features across the solstice class ships and my personal favourite is the cheese cake - Served in a two tier glass, cheesecake filling in the top with two beautifully buttery shortcakes and underneath strawberry candy floss!! GREAT STUFF..

3) Oceania Marina - For her astonishingly fantastic quisine and swish Canyon Ranch SpaClub that offers thalassotherapy and a heavenly pool area with soft-towelling-encased day beds. Foodies will be in their element at La Reserve by Wine Spectator, which offers wine and food pairings

4) Seven Seas Voyager - A personal favourite of a few of my regular passengers and its easy to see why with all inclusive shore excursions and drinks, but this on made their list for the great choice of cabins.

5) SeaDream - These one makes the list attributed to their superb itineraries and hotter climes are the perfect place to try the Balinese double dream beds, which can be made up at night with luxurious duvets and soft pillows for guests to sleep under the stars. Elsewhere, pre-loaded iPods, Bvlgari products in marble-lined bathrooms and a comprehensive on board water sports marina up the ante.

6) Norwegian Epic - Hardly surprising given the levels of innovative stuff on board - Its the night time entertainment that gets this ship listed, hardly surprising with the like of the Blue Man group and Dinner acrobatic combo.

7) Orion - Expedition cruises, take a trip with this expedition cruise operator for an experience of a lifetime: Take a trip to Borneo accompanied by botanists, marine biologists and cultural experts. Get hands on with Orangutans and other wildlife. If you are of active body & active mind, passengers will enjoy a whole host of destinations that larger ships cannot access, nor bring their guests ashore.

8) Grand Princess - Featured for her multi million Pound make over earlier this year and the new One5 nightclub, with a popular outdoor chill-out area that overlooks the ship's wake as she sails off into the sunset from Southampton.

9) Crystal Serenity - She also had a recent make over - Back in May £15million spent to update and revive her! Super staterooms and sophisticated decor on board win her a place on the list.

10) Star Clippers - For people with a passion for the open waters - the three 'Tall ships' are working sail powered vessel, great for those who like a hands on approach - You can really get involved, but MSN award this place for the 'something different' aspect..Guests can join in with the hoisting or sail one of the small dinghies when anchored in port.

Whats your 'COOLEST' Ship?

Mine would have to be the MSC Splendida - Eight Swaosovski Crystal staircases costing 1.5million Euros each! THATS COOL!

Oceania Insignia Reviews of food lover!

2011-09-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

Luxury Lovers and a Foodies heaven - Oceania's moto is to Deliver over and above the expected!

Monday 5th September there was two things for me to celebrate – Firstly my Dads birthday – So happy Birthday Popsicle, hope you liked your card? And Secondly I got a absolute treat and went to see the Oceania Insignia.

Insignia according to the dictionary means: a badge or distinguishing mark of office or honour: a military insignia. Alternatively its a distinguishing mark or sign of anything: an insignia of mourning

I think in the Case of Oceania – Insignia means a sign of excellence, a food lover’s haven, a luxury cruise liners epitome of taste sensations! Ill come back to that later!

The Oceania Insignia stands as a mid sized ship at 30,277 tons and has passenger capacity of 824 and a crew to passenger ratio of a staggering 1.7!! According to the Berlitz guide, the vessel is most suited to couples who enjoy good food and style, but want informality with no formal nights on board, interesting itineraries, all at a very reasonable price, well below what the luxury ships normally charge - Compfortably 4Stars plus. This is the kind of ship and company that genuinely appeals to aspirational travellers - 50 something to 75 with active mind and active bodies is the sort of people onboard.

The ship itself is quite understated with a 1920/1930 aura about the ship - There is a weird and wonderful art deco'esque type ceiling where its been made to appear like a conservatory roof that looks out to tropical gardens - Very interesting with a slight calming effect.

Cabins for me let it down a little, I was hoping for more of a wow factor - none of the cabins have a bath with the exception of the Penthouse and owners suites, however 30% of the passengers who are regular luxury liner guests travel in Penthouse or above as they do prove great value for money compared to other companies. 96% of cabins have balconies on Marina and the new ship Rivieria (To be launched next year) On Insignia and Regatta it is 75% of cabins that have balconies. They have a rolling 12-18month refit programme, which keeps this looking fresh, however perhaps the balcony furniture is the concierge cabin I saw could do with being updated now as it was looking a little weathered!!

The owners suite was AMAZING!!! L Shaped sofa and lounge area nearly 1000 square feet and taking up cloase to half the bredth of the ship. Have your own Jacuzzi, refridgerated mini bar - all soft drinks a free on board Oceania! 42inch plasma TV and complimentry laptop to use.

Ill review the food later as quite frankly it does deserve a section all to itslef..... Mouthwatering thinking of the lunch!
We currently have a whole heap of sailings that have upto $1000 on board credit!! Check out our website for itieraries - http://www.cruise.co.uk/

For some Reason Blogger wont allow me to load the pictures, so if you look for me on facebook, Ive added them all there. nadinel@cruise.co.uk

PARIS!! It’s electrifying.

2011-09-01T03:24:00.000-07:00

I was looking at the Daily Mail and thought Id bring you the news that the Eiffel Tower was hit by lightening! The photograph that they have here shows quite vividly the electrifying scene! Brings a whole new meaning to the term City of Light! Read more: CLICK HERE

Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas is doing some mini cruise over to Le Harve for Paris – One of which we are hosting a Zumba Dance cruise with the Famous zigzag dance factory with Warren Bullock on the 2nd May 2012 – This is a cruise.co.uk exclusive and Zumba is the amazing new dance craze and best way to keep fit doing the Zumba workout you can burn between 500-900 calories, just by dancing for one hour!! That will help work off some of the cruise food that is so fabulous.

Why not stroll along the Champs- Elysees, view the wonderful and exquisite works in the Louvre as you will have an over night in Paris, while away some time on the banks of the Seine or perhaps a romantic meal or dance the night away at one of their glorious hot spots, so vibrant and alive, Paris has something for everyone.

Don’t forget to try the Royal Caribbean special dish – Escargot – They do something wonderful with them and whilst in France it would be rude not too!

Call me for availability on this Zumba cruise – Or with out it – We can do both! Its selling fast!

Fred Olsen, Fantastic Fun and Frolics

2011-08-25T05:37:00.000-07:00

Hello – It’s me Nadine, The cupcake Genius!! I’ve had loads of great comments on those and plenty of people wanting to try and make them for themselves!

Last weekend seemed to be filled with festivals, I went to my local annual Redditch festival and a great time was had by all despite the rain, and then the was V Festival & of course, The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where according to The Daily Telegraph a guy called Nick Helm told the funniest joke:

‘''I needed a password eight characters long so I picked Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.''

This put in mind of the Fred Olsen Music and laughter program that they ran last year when I was on Black Watch – Click here to read that review, they had some great performances from the Rat Pack returns and Taffy the comedian – AWESOME!! This season – Winter 2011-2012 they are carrying it through with the well known Operababes, Bee Gees magic, The Phoenix Jazz band AND IT TAKES TWO – a Tina Turner & Rod Stewart tribute act, to name just a few, fantastic itineraries from Christmas Markets to Sunny Canaries and India and the Red Sea, there is so much on offer with Fred Olsen, get ion touch if you fancy a copy of the Music & Laughter program.

Fred Olsen, Fantastic Fun and Frolics for all!!!!

I'm a cupcake genius!

2011-08-18T02:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my day off and I really wanted to try out a new idea I’ve had for a cupcake! I love cupcakes and my sister Hayley holds the family badge as she enjoys making them too and has a naturally more artistic hand, so hers tend to be a lot prettier than mine! But I just love making them. I wanted to make a cupcake cone! Cupcake in an ice cream cone – It worked a absolute treat! Ive brought a few samples in to the cruise.co.uk office this morning and by ten am they were all gone with the official seal of approving from my close colleagues.

This is my cupcake cone!

Here is one of Hayley’s more prettier cakes.!

This just got me thinking about the Royal Caribbean – I’m taking a lot of enquiries about their cruise for September and October – You know once the kids are back at school!!! They actually feature a venue on Oasis, Allure, Independence and Liberty of the seas – The Cupcake Cupboard!

The cupcake cupboard hosts decorating classes, which I could probably do with! It’s a 30minute class conducted by the ships very own pastry chef – Based in The Royal Promenade the cupcake cupboard is always casual and there is something for all cake lovers, You do need to make reservations for the classes and there is a nominal fee of $22.00 per adult and $15.00 for kids.

I think I should treat myself when on board next!

Great Gates – Its Gareth.

2011-08-13T03:54:00.000-07:00

Life on the open Seas is amazing, and any singer would be honoured to get that gig, but I must admit I was a little shocked at the newest crooner in town!

Its been advertised in the Daily Mail that the prestigious company P&O have invited Gareth Gates to sing on board the Oceana on 03rd September 2011 – Southampton to Bruges and back. Normally I would be encouraging all fans to ‘get on board’ however, bar three JB Grade balcony cabins at £460.00 per person – the sailing is full!! So he will be selling to a sold out venue!! That’s an accolade and a half!

So I’m asking if anyone is on board that sailing to do a review for me and maybe a photo or two

Drinking under 21?

2011-08-11T07:08:00.000-07:00

As we all know Royal Caribbean are an American Cruise line there is a strict over 21 alcohol policy. I have a lady who is travelling with her grown up children aged 21, and 18. As they are travelling over Christmas, she really wanted her 18 year old to be able to enjoy the festive spirit with the rest of the family! I enquired about this with Royal Caribbean and ruling is as below:

Providing the 18 year old is travelling in Europe with their legal guardian or Parent and that parent or guardian is happy to do it, they can sign an authorisation form allowing the 18 year old to drink, under the responsibility of the said parent or guardian. This can be signed on the first day or board and DOES NOT stretch to friends of the family, unless their parents are also on board and can sign the declaration as well.

So this is good news for my client and thought it might be interesting to other family groups!

Signs of things to come

2011-08-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

Following my blog, ive had a few sent to me at cruise.co.uk by email and thought Id share these too:

This one is from one of my family members in Cardiff, this is totally genuine!

This one is from a cruiser who alerted me to one they had seen: 7 Deadly donts!

I found this one on google images. Apparently means, no cutting in line!

Send yours to me - nadinel@cruise.co.uk

Signage disasters

2011-08-09T02:20:00.000-07:00

One of my cousins who works as a trouble shooter for a major IT Company gets to travel the world and is currently in Dubai, he has a hobby of taking photographs of badly worded signs in hotel, airports and service stations across the globe I find the majority of these hilarious, so I thought Id share some with the cruise.co.uk blog fans:

Feel free to submit your own after wards.

This one is bit of tongue in cheek innuendo!

Heres one I found on google which tickled me:

MINI CRUISE - Big demand

2011-08-02T08:15:00.000-07:00

Lots of cruise lines offer mini cruises, but at cruise.co.uk we do find it quite amusing that people phone up and seem to think that happen every weekend; unfortunately this is not the case and when people like P&O and Royal Caribbean do have the ‘mini cruises’ they tend to sell out fast and furiously.
The mini cruises left for 2011 are as follows:
P&O Oceana 03 September 2011 - 2 Nights to Belgium
P&O Aurora 12th November 2011 - 2 nights over to Bruges and back.
P&O Oriana 30th November 2011 - 3nights Bruges and Le Havre for Paris.

These are selling FAST – And they are offering mini cruises in 2012 – One of which was the P&O 75year celebrations, the 3 day cruise sold out of interior cabins in just 20mins!!!

I’ve successfully managed to book myself a mini cruise this morning – But it’s a secret as we will have lots of passengers on that one, so perhaps I'll share where once its sold out – although availability was quite slim on this one too.

The results are in!

2011-07-27T05:49:00.000-07:00

As promised – The answers to our little taster quiz on Monday

BAN BUZZER                                                 BARBIE – (Bar Bee)
CHANCE TAKEN                                          RISK
ROUGH SKETCHES                                     DRAFTS
SMALL £25 THAT I OWN                            MY LITTLE PONY
HINT NICKNAME FOR MONEY                CLUEDO (CLUE DOUGH!)

So now I’ve finished twisting your brain with the cruise.co.uk quiz questions, let me know your answers!

Did anyone guess correctly?

Honey – I'm home.

2011-07-25T10:12:00.000-07:00

So I’m now back in the office after my few days off and my time off and trip to Cardiff was a success, saw the family, paid my dues on the granddad front, he’s doing ok, very pleased about the wedding and getting quite excited! On my birthday it was the cruise.co.uk annual quiz night! Turns out that my specialist subject is 80s Cartoons, who would have guessed it – I know thunder cats, fraggle rock and all sorts.

Thought I’d give you a taster of the cryptic toys and games round: Try to get your head around some of these:

BAN BUZZER
CHANCE TAKEN
ROUGH SKETCHES
SMALL £25 THAT I OWN
HINT NICKNAME FOR MONEY

Let me know how you get on. I'll post the answers later in the week.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME.

2011-07-19T07:03:00.000-07:00

As it’s my 31st birthday tomorrow – Wednesday 20th July, I thought Id take advantage of the fact that it’s my rota day off work from cruise.co.uk and tack a few days annual leave onto the end, so I’m now out of the office until Monday 25th July at 11.30am.

No actual holiday planned, but will be taking a trip to my cousins in Cardiff, may go to Cardiff bay and enjoy some lunch at the noodle bar, Might do something interesting and do the half a mile walk over from Penarth on the new bay foot bridge…

Fingers crosses its not too windy and I dont get blown off it!
If you need help – My colleagues cabin help on 0800 408 6200 – Or hang fire and Ill help on Monday!

I've been on Azura!

2011-07-18T09:28:00.000-07:00

I've been on Azura and she blew me away!

As my last post mentioned, I’m proud to announce, my visit to Azura went well, amazingly well, great trip down there and straight forward check in. The ship looked breathtaking as we approached, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but she is a big beauty (Much like myself)

Highlight for me was the Glass house, Ollie Smiths inspirational wine bar, superb ambience, great lighting and actually really well priced wine. Ollie does a special supper club, by secret invitation, if you’re a wanna be wine connoisseur , hang around here long enough and I’m sure you will get an invite!

The questions I got asked before I went, I did my very best to get answered for you:
1) How big are the port holes in the Ocean view staterooms? Approx 14Inches
2) Take a picture of the wedding ceremony room. This I will happily do as they are looking to get married on board next May. This has been taken on my colleagues camera so will follow shortly!
3) How big is the teenager’s area? Teen areas are quite big, held about 50 teens at anyone time. Loads of facilities, guitar hero, Pcs, Games consioles, activities
4) What Internet packages are available in board?
A 250 minute package of Internet time for use on board, anywhere in the world. When this package is purchased prior to your cruise, 30 minutes will be added free
A 100 minute package of Internet time for use on board, anywhere in the world. When this package is purchased prior to your cruise, 20 minutes will be added free
5) Find out if I will be claustrophobic with a pull down bed above my head. I wasn’t!!! the beds are visable, but once out against the wall during the day – wont cause too much of an obstruction, however I would recommend if finances will allow to look at the larger suites with sofa beds!!! Much more user friendly!

I was soooooo impressed with the food, a lot of people tend to judge by how well or not well a steak is cooked on board, but I thought Id try a different atct and went for the vegetarian option and to my relief it was infact the best vegetables Ive ever eaten – No kidding, I could go vege on that diet!

King Prawn cocktail served with treacle bread (Although – It just looked and tasted like wholemeal!)

Potato and Rosti vegetable Pan Haggerty served with Caramelised leeks and a red wine mushroom Ragout – OUTSTANDING – All served with broccoli & Dauphinoise potatoes which are possibly my favourite potato dish.

Dessert was warm dark chocolate and praline fondant with vanilla bean ice cream and a cappuccino anglaise…. How I didn’t pop Ill never know.

Finished of nicely with a wonderful coffe & hand made rose Turkish delights….. SUPERB.

In conclusion, well done P&O I had a wonderful time and it may be on my honeymoon list now!

Azura be good!!

2011-07-14T10:51:00.000-07:00

Friday 15th July and I’m off down to Southampton again to be nosy! I enjoy a good poke around as much as the next person, but tomorrow will be special, I’m heading off to have a tour of P&O Azura and I’ve had some strange requests this week when I’ve mentioned it to passengers:

1) How big are the port holes in the Ocean view staterooms?
2) Take a picture of the wedding ceremony room. This I will happily do as they are looking to get married on board next May.
3) How big is the teenager’s area?
4) What Internet packages are available in board?
5) Find out if I will be claustrophobic with a pull down bed above my head.

So I’m going to endeavour to get the responses and post them here when I return and let you all know..

Has anyone got any other questions?

DUBAI – Or not Dubai

2011-07-12T08:56:00.000-07:00

As many of my avid bloggers will know – I’m from a large family – Six sisters & three brothers, so someone is always doing something, as I’m the oldest, most of these things include recent achievements, include, a new kitten called Beatrix. new flat, passing of their drivers test, new car, another new car, promotion & pay rise for the next in line, then there is a Levels, GCSE’s and of course PROM! You may ask what this has to do with Dubai and yes, I can rant, however there is a point I promise.

One of my sisters who have just finished her exams is lucky enough to be invited to stay with her best friends parents at their home in Dubai!!!! No wet weekend in Wales for her… Flying with Emirates she will be welcomed by her friends mother in Dubai where they will be enjoying lots of treats, such as safaris, scuba diving, skiing and an apparently amazing buffet somewhere which costs $400 per person. Now Ive always fancied travelling to Dubai myself and its becoming more popular with the likes of Royal Caribbean having the Brilliance of the Seas out of Dubai this year with many more to follow such as MSC Lirica who have some awesome pricing structures to boot sailing out of Abu Dhaby

CLICK HERE TO SEE SOME ROYAL CARIBBEAN SAILINGS IN FEBRUARY 2012

So do you fancy Dubai? Have you been? whats your best bits?

Summer sailings

2011-07-07T03:00:00.000-07:00

School summer holidays are very soon upon us once again, and for those of you who are now sat at home thinking – Huh, What should we do?? I know that departures from Southampton are preferable with the kids, saves on flying, but this close to departures; we are really struggling for quad or three berth rooms. Also some of the sailing even in twin rooms have run out of space is certain age groups, an example of this is when I was looking for sailing with P&O for a lady last week who called I to me at Cruise.co.uk as she is a big P&O Fan - I discovered the following
VENTURA
30/07/2011 - 14Nights - No kids 0-16
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
AZURA
05/08/2011 - 16 Nights – VERY limited spaces available for three berth JA Grade balcony cabins
INDEPENDENCE OF THE SEAS
23/07/2011 – 14 Nights – No multiple berth rooms left.
06/08/2011 – 14 Nights – H Grade ocean views & Grand Suites still available for multiples
20/08/2011 – 14 Nights – K Grade inside cabins – FP – Family promenade cabins
H Ocean view & D1 Balconies – still has availability at the moment.

Don’t forget – Plenty of twin berth cabins available on most sailings. And we have some great rates on EX UK Flights & departures – Check out Royal Caribbean med sailing with extra on board spends.

MSC Opera – Is she really something to sing about?

2011-06-30T06:59:00.000-07:00

MSC Opera – Is she really something to sing about? - Quite frankly – YES!!

On Tuesday a couple of my cruise.co.uk colleagues and I took a road trip down to Southampton. The weather when we arrived was warm and sunny and it made it even more pleasant being on the ship, walking across the pool area, seeing people in the ample pools and Jacuzzi areas Good news - They don’t mind you having a cocktail in the Jacuzzi – I asked, best place to enjoy a strawberry Daiquiri if you ask me!!

I was quite impressed with the central reception area s- The light pine & mirrored effect was very ‘Cunard-ish’ the staff were friendly – happy to be there, and OH MY GOSH that ship is clean – so much polishing and buffing going on! There were guys polishing the brass scuff boards all along the ship.

I enjoyed the fact that whilst she has all the main requirements, a gym, spa, pool, kids clubs, nightclub, swanky piano bars, she wasn’t over the top with the Milan Glamour feeling I usually get from MSC Ships, I heard a comment that she is the poor relation in the fleet and well if that really is the case, I cant wait to see her sisters – MSC Magnifica & Splendida . The casino looked amazing – so Vegas like the real thing.

Cocktails in the Carusoe lounge where they have the shows, amply seating enough for two shows a nights so that you don’t miss it if you are on second dining!

My lunch was great – Appetiser I enjoyed Pineapple & Parma ham which was so delicious the pineapple was perfectly ripened and suited the ham. This was followed by a tagliatelle dish with porcini mushrooms. – divine!! Main course was small – But that’s how its done in the Mediterranean style – Little and often! Strips of fillet beef served on a bed of rocket & cherry tomatoes drizzled with dressing and cheese. Finished beautifully with coconut cream cake. The down side was being the driver I only had half a glass of red wine with dinner and a ‘mocktail’ fruit punch earlier in the day I was looking forward to some exquisite Italian red to finish the meal wonderfully, instead I was disappointed by a fairly ropey dry flavour that felt grainy.

So as a review, I’m quite happy to that YES I would travel on Opera and YES she is great Value for money and YES there is everything that should be there and Yes she has a great atmosphere..

Prices are really good at the moment and I don’t think you can go wrong at all!

Congratulations Faz.

2011-06-25T08:03:00.000-07:00

Wedding Fever at Cruise.co.uk hits once again. Tomorrow Sunday 26th June 2011, I shall be attending the wedding party for the nuptials of my colleagues Faz, and I am really looking forward to a bit of shin dig and some lovely food with some of my colleagues and meeting the new Mrs Sidat

Last night Curtis and I settled on our wedding venue FOR OUR wedding on June 1st 2012. So all I need to do now is…… EVERYTHING…. Panicking slightly, well lots actually, but I’m keen to look at honeymoons and getting Curtis on a ship is my big plan. I’m looking at the Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas on 3rd of June out of Rome. I really fancy seeing Rome, so perhaps will have to arrange a post cruise deviation and a day or two there. Or perhaps the MSC Opera out of Southampton doing the Fjords, I’m going to look at the Opera on Tuesday 28th so hold fire for the full low down after that! Hopefully that will help me make a decision.

Perhaps with a mini honeymoon we want to go to Glastonbury next year as well.
This wedding malarkey is really hitting feverish levels, still to go in 2011 – Emma & David, Angela & Brian.. And If I win the lottery I may do it earlier…

Queen Elizabeth detour causes a stir in Travenmunde

2011-06-21T09:41:00.000-07:00

During one of my ‘welcome home’ calls – I like to ring my cruise.co.uk passengers upon their return to find out how they got on with their cruises and relish in the tales to be told and the excitement and wonder that is held by new cruisers. Its great fun and has such an awesome sense of satisfaction hearing how much you all enjoy cruising, just as much as I do!
Back to my QE Story – Mr Britton-Jones, has kindly relayed to me about a port change that Cunards Queen Elizabeth made into the German port of Travemunde. I went to Travemunde in December on the Fred Olsen Black Watch, and to be honest, it’s quite a sleepy sea side town that looked like it had a high level of student activity there Check out Wikepedia take on Travemunde here:

Queen Elizabeth was, according to my passengers the largest ever cruise ship to dock at Travenmunde and caused quite a stir! Mr Britton-Jones was kind enough to send me some photos of the event, where due to the unprecedented stature of the vessel in port there were many, many people waving the ship off and they even had a procession of speed boats follow them out in celebration, It looks like the atmosphere would have been electric!

My brother. Soon to be famous artist.

2011-06-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

On Friday afternoon, my day off, I went to the Birmingham school of Art where my brother in law has been studying for the last two years fine art. It was the end of year show and we went to see some of his work. He is fantastic at what he does and has some wonderful, but dark fantasy twists to his work, here are a few of the paintings he has done. My Nan, My Niece, My Mum… check him out at www.mathunt.com

He did some wonderful work for a children’s bedroom, an album cover and all sorts, but it got me thinking about the art on board ships, the best that I’ve ever seen it a tight draw between, the pastel art deco and wood of the Queen Elizabeth, and the fresh, eye-catching modern sculptures on board the Celebrity Eclipse. CLICK HERE TO REVIEW CELEBRITY ECLIPSE

MATHUNT AVAILABLE FOR MURAL, PORTRAITS OR SOMETHING MORE UNIQUE.

Mystery Over!

2011-06-15T04:04:00.000-07:00

After scratching my head and asking everyone at cruise.co.uk if they knew where the Voyager was, low and behold not 48hours later I get an email that tells me exactly what is happening from Royal Caribbean.
The letter arrives stating:

Dear Travel Partner,
Re: VOYAGER OF THE SEAS 2012
We are sorry to advise that we have taken the decision to cancel the above sailing. This decision has been made in order to redeploy Voyager of the Seas to China for the 2012 Season. We understand that this change will cause some inconvenience which we regret. We attach a letter addressed to our mutual guest, which explains how their booking will be affected. Please contact our guest as soon as possible and pass the attached letter on to them. Luckily I have only one passenger that will be affected by the change, although they now have options to change over to another ship and sailing date.

Alternative ships out of Venice for 2012 is the Serenade of the Seas… Check out her itineraries here

The new Voyager itineraries for China are yet to be disclosed. I’m personally quite keen to see what they offer as I have lots of passengers who ask about the far east, but don’t fancy princess, so perhaps this might make a refreshing change, I will let you all know when I find out the itineraries. Where would you like to see her go?

Where is the Voyager for 2012?

2011-06-13T10:36:00.000-07:00

I took a call from a lady earlier today who is look for Greek Isles cruise in 2012 and she had seen the Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas which would have been perfect it was sailing out of Venice going to Dubrovnik, Ephesus, Istanbul for two days, Athens, Chania in Crete and returning into Venice on 13th August. Sounds wonderful don’t you think?

Its not very often that a nosy parker like me fails to get the information I seek, But I’ve spoken to a number of people at Royal Caribbean over the last few days and no one seems to know the answer..

Any cruise geeks know the answer? My minds been racing and I thinks, it either going to be repositioned elsewhere OR she’s in for a refit, but during August and school summer holidays doesn’t make sense to me.

I will naturally inform you all once I get to the bottom of it!!!

Vegas & New York, Pre Christmas shopping with Cunard

2011-06-10T05:38:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I was asked to look into building a cruise.co.uk tailor made experience for one of my passengers who has recently returned from a cruise The man I was talking to wishes to go to the bright lights and show lounges of Las Vegas, see some shows and take in a casino or two perhaps, then moving on to New York so his wife can do a bit of pre christmas shopping, not having to worry about weight restrictions whilst cruising back to the Uk and relaxing on board the Cunards Queen Mary2, a fabulous transatlantic liner

Monday 17th October 2011 Continental airlines - Depart UK from Birmingham International – 09.00am Continental airlines – Arrive into Las Vegas airport at 11.
Monday 17th October 2011 Private car transfer to 4nights hotel stay at the Venetian Resort & Casino hotel
Friday 21st October 2011 Return via Private car to Las Vegas airport for internal flight 11.2am into New York Newark 19.17
Friday 21st October 2011 Private car transfer to 2 nights hotel stay at Wyndam Garden hotel Times Square south
Sunday23rd October 2011 Private transfer down the cruise terminal to pick up to Cunard Queen Mary2 New York – Southampton transatlantic cruise.
Sunday 30th October 2011 Return into Southampton approximate 8am, Disembarkation by 10am

Prices for the entire package

£2869 per person Interior cabins - Based on a D8 grade
£3099 per person Ocean view cabins - Based on a C2 grade cabin
£3499 per person Balcony cabins - Based on an A2 grade cabin

Please let me know what you think of this package and or if there are any areas that I may need to tweak slightly for you, I will always do my very best for you

AMAZING AZAMARA.

2011-06-09T04:43:00.000-07:00

At cruise.co.uk I’m always talking about Luxury cruises and how they offer so much more for the money, well the latest offer that has been published is with luxury liner Azamara and the ship Quest its one of our specialist Tailor made packages, so not only do you get the cruise, but lots of extras.

Sailing on 27th February 2012 – Remember ladies, this is a leap year so it’s your turn to do the proposing on the 28th! So you leave the Uk on 27th February for 18nights – Going to Singapore, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan & Shanghai. CLICK HERE to see the full itinerary.

Included is 2nights in Singapore, 2 Nights in Shanghai and a host of tours a trips for you as well as the sailing on board Azamara Quest.

For those of you are unfortunately not unfamiliar with Azamara, they are a luxury 5/6star liner who pride themselves immensely on provided high class service, intimate ships not HUGE liners, so its much more of a resort style on board and that follows through into the clothing, no need for big ball gowns and tuxes here, think ‘resort casual’ and you will hit the mark, quite USA Country club. The ships them selves are state of the art and comes with a whole host of things included which on many other lines you would have to pay for.

Bottled water, soft drinks, speciality tea & coffee is available through out the vessel at no extra charge!
House wines with Lunch and Dinner
24 Hour room service
Egyptian cotton bathrobes & slippers
Bathrobes and slippers
Open seating in the main restaurant
Welcome fruit in your cabin & flowers
Complimentary shoe shines, laundry (Self service) and use of umbrella & binoculars.
Complimentary shuttle bus service to and from ports.
First Class entertainment on board
Enrichment lectures
Daily News bulletin.

Its Amazing how much you do get as standard. But whats the ONE thing you would like to see ‘complimentry’ across all liners?

For me it’s the Wine with Lunch and dinner….. Surprised??

MSC POESIA – God is a DJ.

2011-06-07T02:36:00.000-07:00

As most of you are aware cruise.co.uk regularly send an email with the up to date news and ‘bits n pieces’ of whats hot at the moment.

Well last nights EBlast came through and whilst reading it my jaw nearly dropped with excitement – DJ's at sea and not the kind of wedding DJ's off the 80s with hairy chests and medallions, but real, bonefide DJ - Mr Norman Cook – AKA Fatboy slim. MSC are doing a 3night stint on the MSC POESIA in January 2012, also as a point of interest – the former member of the motley crue – Tommy Lee will be onboard. Other DJs taking part in the event include Laidback Luke, Diplo, Rusko, A-Trak; Steve Aoki and Skrillex. Tommy Lee will be appearing with DJ Aero.

The sailing will include a pre cruise party on 5th January 2012 in Fort Lauderdale (details are yet to be released) and there will be a ‘Beach Party’ at a private Island in the Bahamas hosted by Norman Cook – Fatboy Slim

This is AMAZING news for the party hearted, but I’m not sure about flying all the way to Florida for a three night cruise. Perhaps its an opportunity to team it up with another cruise or a hotel stay in Fort Lauderdale to give you a chance to recover before flying home again?

This cruise goes on sail on the 15th June – Only available to over 21s – There is no upper age limit – But I’m guessing slightly younger average age than most cruises. Make sure you get in touch let me know what you think and how many cabins to secure for you when it goes live, I’m guessing it will sell fast!

P&O Move to Mega Ship Market

2011-06-06T03:04:00.000-07:00

Last week news hit at cruise.co.uk and it was a buzz with the hot off the press information: We were emailed regarding the up and coming new ship from P&O. Anticipated to be the largest ship in the P&O fleet so far, the yet unnamed vessel will launch in March 2015, the new ship will carry well over 3600 passengers at 141,000 tonnes, Compare this to her newest ship Azura at 116,000 tonnes and carrying only 3000 passengers the new ship has got some records to break for P&O. No doubt the new ship will have some of the P&O Favourites – Marco Pierre White’s restaurant – Which has been a winner on Azura.
The daily mail has done a feature on the new ship – Click here to read the article.

I was discussing this with my father at the weekend, I told him that I’m so excited; I’m wondering about all the added extras on board – what will they add to her to compete with the likes of the Independence, Oasis and Allure of the Seas by Royal Caribbean. Id like to see a P&O ship with Some Fun factor – Like a mini theme park, laser quest for the kids water parks and maybe a new twist with the ice skating rinks and some fabulous shows will feature then.

Perhaps teaming up with a company to compete with NCL & Nickelodeon, Disney – I think they have the opportunity to break away from the P&O Stereo typical cruise ship and make ship with a twist.
What do you think would be a good feature to the new ship?

May madness – Ends Tuesday 31st May 2011.

2011-05-31T05:33:00.000-07:00

Roll up, roll up, credit cards at the ready – This weekend has been one of the busiest of the year so far and its rolled over today as well, so Just as a quick word of warning, I thought Id post a quick reminder that there are a lots offers that are due to end today.

2012 – Free Car parking for Royal Caribbean is due to finish today.

Fred Olsen are due a price increase.

Royal Caribbean 4 Day sales – ends today.

Carnival Group – the parent group for P&O Cunard & Princess, along with the likelihood the prices will change, they are changing their terms and conditions!!

Balance due dates have changed, meaning that we will now collect the balance payments 17weeks prior to the sail date.
Deposits will now be – 15% plus the £50 per person cruise.co.uk deposit
World cruises will still stand at £850.00 per person.

CANCELLATION TERMS WILL CHANGE HENCE DEPOSIT AND DUE DATE CHANGING

LIST OF FIRST SAILING ON WHICH NEW CONDITIONS APPLY ARE AS FOLLOWS :

P&O Cruises
Adonia D201 03-Jan-12
Arcadia J201 09-Jan-12
Aurora R201 04-Jan-12
Azura A201 06-Jan-12
Oceana E201 08-Jan-12
Oriana X201 05-Jan-12
Ventura N201 13-Jan-12

Cunard Cruises
Queen Elizabeth Q201 20-Dec-11
Queen Mary 2 M201 19-Dec-11
Queen Victoria V201 21-Dec-11

So – come on, if there is something you have been toying with the idea of – Call me, get it booked and get the best available deals today – You never know what tomorrow will bring!

Off and away

2011-05-29T12:09:00.000-07:00

This weekend I making the most of the bank holiday weekend, in Northamptonshire, catching up with old friends and enjoying the British inland waterways, I know everyone at Cruise.co.uk must be missing me, but I'm away and will be spending tomorrow and crick boat show, looking at some different kind of cruise vessels that I'm used to dealing with, I'm sure I wont find a boat with the service or standards of a luxury liner like Oceania cruises, however something like the the new Amsterdam wide beam narrow boat by Heritage of Evesham will surely captivate those who choose to cruise on a smaller scale.

There will be a whole host of events happening tomorrow which I'm looking forward to. There will be Jazz bands, a pop duo and acoustic folk music all day. Ive heard that there will be a whole host of dancing and music to enjoy as well as discovering new boats and things to do - Perhaps Ill even find buyer for Otters Pocket - Our 57ft narrow boat which is currently up for sale! Click here if you are interested in her.

Being on the boat always makes me a feel a special kind of relaxation, that you just don't get on any land based activity or holiday and likewise, the cruise liners that I deal with on a daily basis have the same effect. When I was on the Royal Caribbean ship The Adventure of the Seas, it was ideal for relaxing - I loved the outdoor spa pools and enjoyed many an hour chilling out - Just a shame I couldn't bring my book and a cocktail in, but they were close at hand on a sunny lounger.

Whats your favorite way to relax? On-board or at home? I'm looking for something new!

Tuesday, I shall be back at the helm, ready to help make sure you don't miss the boat on your favorite cruise liners and the best deals I can get for you!

Honey I'm home!!

2011-05-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

After my weekend away – I'm back hard at the grindstone that is cruise.co.uk. Sometimes it’s not where you are and what your doing that makes a holiday, but the people you are with and the people who make that holiday extra special. Its friendly faces that make it!

We had a wonderful time, we visited Galstonbury & The Challice Well, this is me drinking from the well, which is meant to be healing, my Nan politely said perhaps it will cure me of my fatness!!!! Bless her indeed.

As from my last blog, I’ve spent the weekend in Western Super Mare with my family staying at the Sandringham Hotel opposite the Grand Pier. The hotel itself is under going some much needed refurbishments, we had a selection so different rooms as we were a big family group – My room was in much need of restoration it is due, whereas my Aunt and Uncles' room next door had already had the work completed to a high standard and was really neat! There are family rooms, single rooms, even some ‘Flats’ which my sister Hayley was lucky enough to have been booked into, with its own kitchen come lounge area stocked with mod cons, cooker, microwave kettle etc. I have to mention one lady who was Exceptionally good – A lady named Sue, our waitress, the most kind hearted a wonderful woman, made even a gloomy windy departure breakfast a lovely experience, she took a shine to my niece and even went so far as to buy her a small departure gift. Sue you are an absolute asset to the hotel.

Me and my WONDERFULL Nan.

Now this all makes me think of the policy or attitude towards tipping on board ships.

Personally I agree with pre paid gratuities where possible, because staff work hard to earn those, then if any (Like Sue) goes above and beyond I will always make sure that a thank you pieces of paper graces their palms, I was wondering your thoughts on gratuities on board?

Weekend in Weston.

2011-05-19T05:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I will not be in the cruise.co.uk office, I’ve booked some time off as annual leave and I’m heading off to Weston-Super-Mare .

I Say ‘I’ it’s actually a family affair, my Nan was born in Wells, Glastonbury and she wants us all to visit her home town and go to the ‘Chalice Well’ in the hope that the blessed waters will cure all manner of diseases and ailments, My fatness, (My Nan lacks normal tact and discretion, but I love her) Curtis’ diabetes and her illness too, I’m sure there is a further list in her head that we are yet to hear about.

Curtis and I will be joined with my Nan, My Mum, Sisters & their partners: Donna, my niece Mollie & Darren, Hayley & Matt, My bro’ Joe, Auntie Karen Uncle Kevin, Auntie Roz & her husband Dave. And that’s not even half of us…. So I’m sure a great weekend will be had and hopefully not too many family arguments will ruin it!

If Id have had my way I would have taken us all on either the Celebrity Eclipse of Independence mini cruise – Much nicer than 2 nights in the Sandringham hotel. I'm sure it will be lovely - But I'm a little bit nervous as the chaos that may be upon me.

Ill be back on Monday 23rd May - So hopefully I can report well then!

WIN A FREE OCEANIA CRUISE

2011-05-18T09:45:00.000-07:00

Ever fancied the life of Riley? I'm a big fan of luxury cruising as many of you will know from the numerous blogs I have done on the subject over time and I though this was fantastic opportunity to try it for yourself.

CALLING A LUXURY LOVERS

OCEANIA CRUISE LINE

NEW MARINA SHIP:

Click here to enter a free sweepstakes.

A Fantastic Opportunity to Win a Ultra Luxury Cruise on Oceania Marina on 15th July 2011 for 14 nights.

You will be staying in the Veranda Balcony Suite on the ship. The Cruise will be visiting several ports in the UK & the Norwegian Fjords.

Oceania are a luxury cruise line, offering outstanding food and impeccable service. Marina is their brand new ship launched recently.

Soft drinks will be complimentary throughout the ship. You will also get return chauffeur transfers to Dover straight from your home.

(UK RESIDENTS ONLY – ANYONE OUTSIDE OF THE UK MUST BE ABLE TO GET THEMSELVES TO DOVER PORT)

GOOD LUCK - I Hope its one of my past passengers win, If your struggling to find a cruise partner - Ill be free!!!

WEDDING FEVER

2011-05-15T13:21:00.000-07:00

Off the back of the Royal wedding, I thought Id share a little of my own news. Last night lots of the girls from cruise.co.uk got together and headed out to Zorbas in Birmingham a Greek restaurant for a night of fun and frolics Well for those of us who were not the designated driver and could stay out until the small hours!! This was all in the aid of celebrating another cruise.co.uk collaboration, Amy & Dylan tie the knot next week so....
BIG CONGRATULATIONS in advance:

Last year saw the wedding of Tony & Grace.

We still have two more wedding later in the year with Brian & Angela and then later in the year we have Emma & David. So it all go - Ill be whipped up into an array of hen dos and fascinators, which leads me nicely to my news.

I'm getting married too!!! 2012 will the collaboration of the myself and Curtis.

So its straight to the drawing board - What shall I do for the wedding? Ideas on a postcard - Neither of us are very normal in a jokey kind of way - we like things a little bit unique, I like the idea of something quaint and elegant.. so I'm appealing for help! Unfortunately I cant get him interested in weddings at sea. Click here to see what P&O Offer!!

Oh and opinions on the rock too. Here's a picture!

SPECIAL CRUISES FOR YOU...

2011-05-09T07:32:00.000-07:00

This month I’ve been asked by a couple of my past passengers to take a cruise and style it to them, this is our company is known as tailor made packages and we have a special lady in our marketing department who builds these packages generically – Not with one specific person in mind, but to appeal to the masses. At cruise.co.uk we do pride ourselves on the levels of customer service and the amount of repeat business we get – so when our my past passengers ask me for something specific, its feels like im providing a real ‘service’
The package that I’ve done for them is as follows

TRAVEL & CRUISE ITINERARY:
11th September 2011 Depart for London Heathrow
11th September 2011 Arrive into Athens
11th September 2011 Private transfer to Hotel
11th September 2011 One night stay - Room only - Piraeus Theonexia 5star hotel
12th September 2011 Private Transfer to Piraeus Cruise terminal
12th September 2011 Embark on to the Seaborn Odyssey 7nights cruise
Piraeus : Santorini : Katakolon : Corfu, Greece : Kotor : Dubrovnik, Croatia :
Triluke Bay, Croatia : Venice
19th September 2011 Arrive into Venice cruise port - Disembark the Odyssey

19th September 2011 Private boat transfer from Venice cruise port to Hotel.

19th September 2011 One nights' accommodation at Bella Venezia hotel - Double room.

20th September 2011 Shared shuttle transfer from Hotel - Airport - By boat.

20th September 2011 Depart Venice and fly back into London Heathrow

All of this for just £3449.00 per person!!

I can even add in excursion and tours if you like.

The one I’m hoping to do for my self will be the Far East, if there is anything specific a little out of the ordinary and unique to you, please let me know and I can build a special package for you too!!

Adonia Arrives for P&O

2011-05-04T04:41:00.000-07:00

P&O Have a new ship – Adonia for 2011, launching less than 16months after the last newest vessel Azura, the Adonia is set to be a ship that they can be very proud of. Her history is very Royally indeed which is fitting for the time of the year with the Royal Wedding etc. The Adonia was originally the Royal Princess, built in 2001 and a very unique feature for P&O as she will have the smallest capacity in their fleet – Carrying just 710 passengers. Adults only ship, she will include Ocean Grill the Marco Pierre White restaurant that features on Azura amongst its other four dining venues . Also featuring a classic dance floor, Crow’s Nest observation lounge, formal nights, classical music recitals, guest speakers, silver service dining and a dedicated card room

Sailing out of Southampton with a scheduled launch date of May 22nd – Dame Shirley Bassey is set to be the Adonias Godmother with Actor Hugh Bonneville from Downton Abbey taking part in the naming ceremony – I'm anticipating it will draw quite a crowd.

Ive done a bit of research on the name Adonia to see what it means and what I found Is that it a variation of a Hebrew Biblical name meaning “my lord is God” from the Old testament Adoniah was the fourth son of David. As a female name, Adonia is a feminine form of Greek Adonis, suggesting a very handsome person. - I think this is fitting as she is set to be a might fine looking vessel.

Summer Sailings

2011-05-03T04:48:00.000-07:00

So how was the last two weeks for you?

I’ve had both the bank holiday weekends off, I did have to work in between them which was a shame, but now were all back to the grind stone here at cruise.co.uk and looking forward to the next set of enquiries – This is the time of the year where all parents start to panic. School Summer holidays start for England in less than three months!! So unless your one of the sensible one who book in advance and have got 2012 covered then you’re probably screaming at yourselves:

Where do you go?

What do you do?
Who do you go with?

How many people are travelling?

What’s available?
When could we go?

Well here is an idea – There are still a few family cabins (Four berth) available with MSC, NCL and Royal Caribbean leaving from the Med – Barcelona, Venice, Malaga as an example.

Check out our website for July & August CLICK HERE to see itineraries.

I suggest having a look and letting me know where or what it is that catches your eye – Be quick because the few family rooms we have will go swiftly now.

Vancouver Cruising

2011-04-28T03:34:00.000-07:00

I’ve been looking at the cruise news online this morning and I spotted an article that talks about Vancouver’s cruise port, Port Metro that come 2012 is set to get the record books twitching as they are expecting to have a phenomenal year. The cruise port are expecting up to 650,000 passengers this year is being used by the large cruise corporations Disney and Princess Cruise lines.

Princess Cruise lines will have their ship the Sapphire Princess sailing out of Vancouver and doing Alaska tours which are combinable with their pre or post cruise land tours. I’ve been looking at one exactly like this for one of my cruise.co.uk past passengers who is looking to go in June 2012. Pre cruise stay for 7 nights touring, the Denali national Park, Kenai River as well as other exciting things to see and do on this ship!

If this is something that has ever caught your eye or taken your fancy give me a call and I will see what I can match up for you.

CLICK HERE to look at the Alaska land tours with Princess

Easter Break from Cruise.co.uk

2011-04-21T05:37:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you all know that i am away from the office on annual leave until Tuesday 26th April 2011 but I wanted to leave you with a few thoughts.

1 PLAN AHEAD When planning what to do over the Easter holidays - Dont call the day before Good Friday and expect to get on the ridiculously cheap cruise that has been advertised with Ventura (Leaves tomorrow) THERE ARE NO SPACES LEFT!!! Sorry - But if

2 Wear Sunscreen - This easter is set to be a scorcher so take care out there - we may bi in April in the UK, But you can still burn and nothing ruins the weekend like sunburn!

3 The Rules of Chocolate are as follows:

*If you get melted chocolate all over your hands, you're eating it too slowly!!!

*Chocolate covered raisins, cherries, orange slices and strawberries all count as fruit, so eat as many as you
want. And for those of you on Weight Watchers, just like me and many in cruise.co.uk office - FRUIT IS FREE!
*The problem: How to get two pounds of chocolate home from the shop in a hot car?
*The solution: Eat it in the parking lot.
*Diet tip: Eat a chocolate bar before each meal. It'll take the edge off your appetite and you'll eat less.

*A nice box of chocolates can provide your total daily intake of calories in one place. Isn't that handy?

*If you can't eat all your chocolate, it will keep in the freezer. But if you can't eat all your chocolate, what's wrong with you?
*If calories are an issue, store your chocolate on top of the fridge. Calories are afraid of heights, and they will jump out of the chocolate to protect themselves!!!
*Chocolate has many preservatives. Preservatives make you look younger.
*Why is there no such organization as Chocoholics Anonymous? Simply because no one wants to quit.
*Put "eat chocolate" at the top of your list of things to do today. That way, at least you'll get one thing done.
*Chocolate is a health food. Chocolate is derived from cacao beans. Bean = vegetable. Sugar is derived either from sugar beets or cane, both vegetables. And, of course, the milk/cream is dairy. So eat more chocolate to meet the dietary requirements for daily vegetable and dairy intake.

SO EAT CHOCOLATE, BE MERRY AND THINK ABOUT WHAT CRUISE TO DO FOR EASTER 2012!!

New BBC Gardeners World Cruise

2011-04-19T08:46:00.000-07:00

BBC Gardeners World Magazine is promoting the following cruise in their May 2011 - This will sell VERY well off the back of this so get in fast! This will may well be one of the last chances to cruise the Caribbean with Fred Olsen as they are due to stop these itineraries from 2012.

Fred Olsens Braemar sailing on 24th Nov 2011 - 14 night fly/cruise Caribbean Cruise.

This cruise will include all of the normal Fred Olsen facilities plus the Cruise.co.uk exclusives such as talks presented by professional Garden hosts Matthew Biggs & Will Giles

FREE Parking at airport
£75 per cabin on board spend

1 x FREE Garden Tour – from Barbados

Gardeners' on board talks

Exclusive cruise.co.uk Gardeners Cruise Drinks Party

Has anyone been on one of these? We MAY have a special garden cruise with one of the smaller luxury liners for 2012 that will hopefully incorporate a flower show in Amsterdam and possibly the Chelsea flower show. will bring this info to you as soon as anything is confirmed, But I'm REALLY looking forward to that news hitting the press!!

Cruise Collaborations

2011-04-15T04:08:00.000-07:00

From Ronnie Wood and and his crazy romance with the pretty blond Russian Ekaterina Ivanova, Jam and peanut butter sandwiches, Banana milkshake and fries, we as a nation are getting used to the most unusual sights, couplings and diversity of the modern world. But I had a lovely Feel good moment when I was scrolling through the papers on a coffee break at cruise.co.uk. I was paused with a moment of- ahh bless!!!

Bristol Zoos' Gorilla enclosure has become home to new breed - OF DUCK!! There sat in the enclosure, hugging the new born is a 4 Year old male gorilla called Komale, showing the great tenderness that every newborn deserves, cradling the duckling in his arms - ever so gently, but by all accounts the poor duck was still scared and kept trying to escape his cuddles and get back to its family (Which it did safely by the way)

Follow this link to see what I'm on about - CLICK HERE

So this got me to thinking about cruise collaborations and the strange and wonderful world we live in.

New Kids on the Block do a cruise every year with carnival which sells out every year - CLICK HERE to read my previous blog on this.

There are crossword cruises, dance cruise, garden cruises and all sorts of themed cruises like Nickelodeon with NCL.

What would you like to see as a strange but wonderful cruise collaboration?

I'm thinking - Rock Bands at sea... My sisters boyfriend is in a band which is very aptly named - Them at Sea and I think for the rock fan this would be great!

ICELANDIC CRUISE

2011-04-11T08:29:00.000-07:00

At cruise.co.uk there is lot of chatter at the moment about river cruise, luxury liners and niche markets, but something that has caught my eye is that fact that since the volcanic ash debacle, not only are more and more passengers looking to sail out of Southampton, but I’ve been asked more frequently about cruise that actually go to Iceland!!

There was an article in the Daily mail which I thought might be of interest to those considering something a little more unique in its destinations, I mean there are only so many time you can got o Rome, and as this a favourite port for many of the liners doing the med I thought this might be interesting –

CLICK HERE to read the Daily mail article.Cruise lines that do the Iceland tour are, Cruise & Maritime, Fred Olsen and P&O – CLICK HERE to see where they go.

Ive always fancied the breathtaking sights of Iceland and Greenland, perhaps you can report back if anyone has already done this. I know the Cruise & Maritime Iceland tour sold VERY quickly for 2011 and imagine the demand is the same for 2012.

WIN A FREE CUNARD CRUISE!

2011-04-09T02:44:00.000-07:00

Ive received my cruise.co.uk EBlast yesterday as many of you have, but I was astounded to see that cruise.co.uk are actually giving away a free Cunard cruise - To enter the competition
CLICK HERE

The cruise that is up for grabs is:
Queen Victoria - 29th May 2011 Sailing from Southampton and visiting Stavanger, Alesund, Geiranger and Bergen before returning to Southampton.

This is a perfect time of year for visiting these destinations and May is when lots of cruise lines do their Fjords tours. Spring time in the Fjords offers some fantastic scenery and in May you will find that most of the mountains still snow covered whilst in the Fjords the meadows are plush and green.

Has anyone done this itinerary already? Id love to get some feedback.

Any recommended shore excursions?

GOOD LUCK.

Princess Cruise- the proof is in the pudding.

2011-04-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

As you may have noticed on e of my passengers – Mrs Wilding brought me a selection of exciting souvenirs back from her travels on the Grand Princess, so I thought Id break a few bits down for you to ‘digest’

Princess cruises, along with many others are conscious of providing healthier options. The Lotus spa dishes are lower in fat, cholesterol and sodium – for the health conscious; I do recall a gym instructor on a ship one telling me that in an average 7night sailing passengers gain up to half a stone per week!!! Definitely worth considering the healthier options occasionally!

SAIL AWAY DINNER:

Signature pasta dishes

Pasta shells in Marinara sauce with broccoli, capers and olives – With or without wok fried chicken strips. – LOTUS SPA

Fettuccine Alfredo, The all-time favourite from Rome!
***

Lobster & Seafood pate, Dill Mustard sauce

Melon trio with port & mint - LOTUS SPA

Crispy hand rolled vegetable spring rolls with a hoisin peanut dip.

Tortellini Spinach soup with Parmesan sprinkle - LOTUS SPA

Creamy Porcini mushroom soup

Frozen rum infused Pina colada soup with pineapple dots - LOTUS SPA

Watercress, red radish & Iceberg Lettuce

***

MAIN COURSES

Pan fried Barramundi Picada - LOTUS SPA

Cajun spiced crawfish Crockpot with black mussels & tomatoes

Hawaiian Lau pork with apricot drippings

Slow roasted 5 Star Prime rib.

Homes-style Slow cooked Texas chilli with sour cream

Moroccan Vegetable ragout with pita bread and red oak leaf salad.

***

ALTERNATIVE CHOICES:

Shrimp Cocktail – LOTUS SPA.

Classic Caesar Salad.

Seared Salmon Cutlet with Herb butter – LOTUS SPA

Broiled Chicken Breast in natural Juice – LOTUS SPA

Grilled Beef fillet medallions with green peppercorn sauce

Artisan Cheeses with walnut bread & grapes

Sweet & Nutritious fruits - LOTUS SPA

Ive been flicking through some of the other days menus and cant believe how much is on offer on just one day!! Just one sitting.. The galley must be VERY busy on here.

Ive found my ideal dish.

Roasted Cod spiked with Chorizo, portebello mushrooms, parissenne potatoes and bacon balsamic vinegar!!

I first tried Escargot on the Adventure of the seas and TRUST ME!! They are amazing - they do something magical on board with snails...

Whats your favourite cruise dish?

Thank you Mrs Wilding

2011-03-29T07:34:00.000-07:00

This week I received a large packet in the post – Thank you Mrs Wilding.

Mrs Wilding has sent me so much information about her recent cruise. She did two weeks on the Crown Princess and LOVED IT!

Some of the bits and pieces I received were all of the menus – Which I will follow up with later with some more blogs later in the week. The daily schedules the Princess Patter! – Escape completely which tells me all the different activities that were available on board – shore excursions and lots of other tit bits of information.

It helps that I’m a real people person and love to see what other people are up to and this way I get to pretend it was me on board!

I LOVE GETTING GIFTS! It reminds me of Christmas, the excitement and joy of finding out what somebody has gift for you. So if you are one of my passengers and would like to get me a gift from you cruise, Id welcome a chance to look through all of you on board info!

Send it to me –
Nadine Lewis
Cruise.co.uk
Grosvenor House
Prospect Hill
Redditch
B98 0ER

I love giving presents much better, let me give a gift of fantastic service and a great deal with me! –

0800 408 6144 if there is something specific you have in mind for your cruise.

Family cruising – A quick guide.

2011-03-27T09:50:00.000-07:00

As we launch for 2012 cruises, it’s easy to forget that we still have summer 2011 to contend with first! It approaching fast and the manic frantic questions have started: Where can we go – What can we do, etc...

There are lots of things to consider if you’re travelling as a group or as a family.

1) How many cabins do you need? I.e.: Configurations, quad cabins, triple rooms. Some cruise lines wont allow a twin occupancy in a multiple birth room, so rather than having a quad with a twin next door for the grandparents – why not consider having two adults and a child in each room to ensure that you are next door to each other (Where availability will allow) There are some cruise lines that operate cabins with families in mind Norwegian Cruise lines have a Garden Villa which will sleep up to 14 passengers and when travelling as big group these can work out to be great value for money!

2) When will you be travelling – for instance we are now taking loads of pre – registrations for P&O School summer holidays for 2012 as people know that the multiple berth rooms sell out FAST at this time of year – HINT: Royal Caribbean have started selling their 2012 rooms already – so move swiftly to secure Independence for 2012!

3) Pick a suitable cruise line to travel with – If you have a group with lots of different ages in it – you need a ship that ill have something for every one to do, no point the kids being busy as a bee and grandma completely bored sipping sherry all week!

4) If you are a single parent, BE PREPARED. You will have to pay the full cruise fare for the first two passengers in any one cabin – ie: if there is just two of you travelling, your child will be charged the same as you!

5) Consider cruise lines that offer children for free when they are 3rd of 4th passengers, MSC Cruise have some great deals on this basis.

6) Look at cruise lines who offer children’s facilities, a lady I spoke with the other day wasn’t keen on travelling with one particular cruise line as they do not allow you to leave your child in the kids clubs when going ashore!!

7) DON’T FORGET: Sometimes your children may be split up when going to children’s clubs for insurance reasons. Children are split into groups. Aged 2-4 then 5-7, 8-10 pre- teens start at 11-13 – teenagers ages 14-17. Children in different groups may not always be able to eat together (Unless at dinner with you!) Occasionally groups will be combined if numbers are smaller.

8) Babies are welcome, but some cruise lines have restrictions, if there are more than 3days at sea they may not be able to travel under 18months – As a general rule its 6months! Some ships offer baby packs which include nappies & food etc to be in your stateroom on arrival to save on luggage. If you take powdered formula, note that bottled water bought on board the ship can be quite expensive.

9) Let the holiday be an adventure – for both you and the children, so plan a little time away from the children perhaps and evening together - a dinner for two, for example in one of the speciality restaurants - There are many ships with evening or baby sitting facilities.

10) Be flexible, and realize that not all things go according to plan - GOOD LUCK!

Sunday Funday

2011-03-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

Today Ive had quite a active day - My day off from cruise.co.uk and the sun was shining so we decided to make the most of the big open spaces around where I live and take to two wheels, Curtis, his daughter and my sister and I took off on our bikes for an afternoons cycling. We took off toward our local heritage point, Forge Mill and Bordesley Abbey - The Archaeological dig site in Redditch - there is some really interesting places local to where I live, however I digress, the main point of this blog was to introduce to you cruises that have connections or facilities for cycling. There are many places where getting to see the sights is common place by bicycle, for instance Amsterdam, there are lots of different bike hire places when you get in to the city. Plenty of cruise liners take in Amsterdam as one of their ports of call, from P&O to Princess there is lots of things to see here. I would love to see Amsterdam by bike, or Paris.

But this made me think about one of the cruise liners who came into the office the other day to do some refresher training on their product and I was quite surprised at how much they had to offer - Crystal Cruise are a six star luxury liner who have some the most beautiful and breathtaking ships in the world. They take pretty much everything you could need into consideration, but I did recall they mention cycling so I went to there website and sure enough there are excursions that include cycling Click Here to see what is on offer.

I was wondering if there were any other cruise liners who offer bike loan or hire as one of their facilities for guests who may prefer a slightly more fast paced day. Ok so there are bike facilities in most of the on board gyms, but what about once you get off the ship?

P&O Offer a selection of different ports where they do have excursions which offer cycling, for instance Halifax in Nova Scotia - Halifax by Bike - Enjoy a leisurely bike ride along the scenic city streets and charming Victorian homes that Nova Scotia is famous for, this is a tour suitable for novice cyclists or avid bike riders, 21 speed bikes allowing you take things at your own pace whilst exploring Point Pleasant Park or take a ride past the home of the Titanic Millionaire George Wright. Click here for ideas of other things to do with P&O whilst in Nova Scotia.

Has anyone ever taken the bike ride options as one of their shore excursions? Any recommendations.

Honeymooners Cruise to Married Life!

2011-03-13T11:57:00.000-07:00

I have been talking with a lady this weekend who has called in to cruise.co.uk looking for a good cruise deal and for help in organising her honeymoon as she gets married in June, so Congratulations to Jane!!
We talking about different things on different ships and I’ve tried to put myself in her shoes to decide what I would want to do as we are of a similar age and after talking with her she seems very much on my wave length even down to a few of the things she said that made me smile. So as Jane cant seem to decide, I thought perhaps some of you might like to help out, pros and cons can be listed in the comments section underneath.

OPTION ONE – Royal Caribbean - Voyager of the Seas – 7Nights med cruise
Venice : Koper : Ravenna : Bari : Dubrovnik : Venice : Venice, Italy.

I have actually been on one of the ships in the same Voyager Class and I was so amazed and enthralled by it that some of you may recall previous blogs I’ve written about the Adventure of the seas and how I thoroughly enjoyed it – the atmosphere, the entertainment – the food facilities and some VERY interesting cocktails! I would be more than happy to have my honeymoon on here. (Fingers crossed he ever makes an honest woman of me lol) Johnny Rockets is a total blast and the 50s theme was really cool, so much to see and do on this hip you will never be bored. As a romantic evening I would suggest a night in portofinos, order a good red, sit back and enjoy the waves crashing around you in the most elegant surroundings on board
See some of the reviews that other passengers have written – CLICK HERE

OPTION TWO: Celebrity Equinox –Solctice Class – 7 Nights Med cruise
Rome (Civitavecchia) : Santorini : Athens (Piraeus) : Istanbul : Istanbul : Ephesus (Kusadasi) : Mykonos : Naples/Capri : Rome (Civitavecchia

This is VERY difficult choice to make, I understand, I have been on the sister ship to this one as well, I’ve been on the Celebrity Eclipse and quite frankly was blown away by the simplistic modernisation, the giant wine tower in the dining room and the champagne inspired surrounding the gave way to a most delightful dining experience. The whole ship just oozes class and elegance and that is fantastic for those who are little bit hip and enjoy the finer things in life. The dining options through out the ship are amazing Qisine is a highlight for me and I recommend all my passengers have a night in there!

Read our passenger reviews here- CLICK HERE
This is a very difficult decision to make, so I sympathise with Jane wholly and hope she some to a conclusion soon –Ill fill you all in when I know what she went for. Any advice from avid cruisers on how to make the most of either of these ships would be welcomed:

P&O Celebrate 175 years cruising in 2012

2011-03-07T04:55:00.000-08:00

P&O Celebrate 175th anniversary on July 3rd 2012 will make the enormous event of P&Os 175th anniversary and they will be celebrating with the accumulation of all seven ships in Southampton for the Grand event – Adonia, Aurora, Arcadia, Oriana, Oceana, Ventura & Azura . The details of the celebration have yet to be release, but I’m sure I will bring that info to you as soon as I can establish what they are planning.
P&O are offering some special sailings with Grand Event celebratory prices as follows, The Grand Event Cruises are:
• Azura – 11nights Atlantic Islands Cruise – Starting at £1,149pp
• Ventura – 17nights Central Med cruise - Starts at £1,699pp
• Oriana- four nights mini cruise at just £399pp
• Adonia- 21nights central med cruise - £2,349pp
• Aurora does a 17nights Baltic cruise – £1,749pp
• Oceana has a 7Nights fjords tour from just £749pp

These will go on sale on April 5th 2011 and will include the early booking discounts (Please note that these are just guideline prices)
The 175th anniversary is of the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company who were awarded the lucrative Admiralty contract to carry mail to the Iberian Peninsula and beyond.

Not long afterwards the concept of cruising was born and since 1837, cruising has evolved into a popular holiday choice and now P&O Cruises carries more British cruisers than any other line. With her effortless style, grace and all round ‘British’ sense of formality and some fantastic itineraries, makes cruising with P&O altogether a super choice for British passengers and for the from across the globe, who would enjoy the superior dining options available to them.

So I was wondering what your favourite memories of the P&O Fleet are and how you think they should celebrate?

Marching bands and all setting sail together would be idyllic for me…

ROYALLY CONFUSED ABOUT TIPPING?

2011-03-04T04:56:00.000-08:00

As I have outlined CCS, MSC & NCL so far, I thought I d bring all you cruise.co.uk website & blog fans the gratuities information from Royal Caribbean and It looks quite confusing on the site, so I thought Id try and simplify things:

Basically, all new bookings have an option to pre pay your gratuities, or to pay them on the ship following the recommended daily rate as below. These guidelines serve as suggestions to help guests express their gratitude for the outstanding service they experience on their Royal Caribbean cruise holiday.

For new or existing bookings that set sail before 1 July 2011, the suggested tips are:

Suite attendant: USD 5.75 a day per guest
Stateroom attendant: USD 3.50 a day per guest
Dining Room Waiter: USD 3.50 a day per guest
Assistant Waiter: USD 2.00 a day per guest
Head Waiter: USD 0.75 a day per guest

For new bookings that set sail on or after 1 July 2011, the suggested tips are:
Suite Attendant/Housekeeping Services: USD 7.25 a day per guest
Stateroom Attendant/Housekeeping Services: USD 5.00 a day per guest
Dining Room Waiter: USD 3.75 a day per guest
Assistant Waiter: USD 2.15 a day per guest
Head Waiter: USD 0.75 per person per day

Alternatively to pre paying the gratuities or having them added to your on board account, these can be paid in cash, at the end of your cruise, in Dollars. Envelopes for tips will be provided in your stateroom on the last night of the cruise. These should still be given using the recommended amounts as above.

CCS - Cruise Gratuities

2011-03-03T08:02:00.000-08:00

At cruise.co.uk, we are constantly asked about the gratuities, who gets paid what etc, so s promised, I have brought to you some additional information regarding the tipping policy of different cruise lines, today I have been looking into P&O, Cunard and Princess:
Cunards official line from their website states that: Gratuities are charged at a discretionary charge which is added to your on board account. If you wish to amend this you can do so by contacting the Purser's Desk once on board. Queens and Princess Grill guests are initially charged US$13 per person per day; Britannia guests are initially charged US$11 per person per day. Gratuities can not be pre purchased and will be added to your on board account during the voyage. You may pre purchase on board credit to cover these costs if you so wish.

P&O Cruise lines say that tipping SAY - Who, when and how much you tip is entirely up to you. Tips are usually given in cash at the end of the holiday to your Stateroom Steward, Restaurant Stewards in the Club dining restaurants and to any other staff you feel you wish to reward. As a guide, the amount we would recommend is £3.10 per person (aged 12 and over) per day, which covers all staff who have looked after you during your holiday.

The only exception to this is for passengers who have opted to enjoy the flexibility of Freedom Dining as, with this style of dining, they may be seated at a different table and served by a different waiter on each occasion. We will therefore add an automatic service charge of £1.60 per passenger (aged 12 and over) per day to their shipboard account for the Restaurant Stewards. This amount of course, can be increased or decreased at the passenger's discretion by visiting Reception at any point during the cruise. Passengers may also tip any other staff, including their Stateroom Steward as they feel appropriate. Further details of who and when passengers should tip can be found in staterooms.

Princess Cruise line: During your cruise, you will meet staff throughout the ship who provide you with excellent service. Many more crew support those who serve you directly. A discretionary Hotel and Dining charge of $11 per person for mini-suites and suites, and $10.50 per passenger in all other staterooms per day (including children) will be added to your shipboard account on a daily basis. This charge will be shared amongst those staff who help provide and support your cruise experience, including the waitstaff, stateroom stewards, buffet stewards, galley staff, laundry staff and others.

A 15% gratuity is added to bar charges and dining room wine accounts. This is shared amongst the beverage staff and their support staff, including cleaners and utility staff. We know you will find these services onboard exemplary. Casino dealers and Lotus Spa® personnel do not share in the Hotel and Dining charge, as not all passengers utilize these services.

What do you think, do you prefer to do t your own way - by guided amounts or are you happy pre paying and forgetting about it?

Dydd Gwŷl Dewi Sant hapus - HAPPY SAINT DAVIDS DAY

2011-03-01T01:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Saint Davids day to all my fellow kinsmen… Being from Cardiff, today marks an opportunity for me to remind everyone of my heritage – With my surname Lewis, you would think that people knew I was was welsh, but as I have long since lost my accent, a gentle reminder doesn’t hurt. I'm sat at my desk at cruise.co.uk waiting to get my Daffs out!!
For those of you that don’t know, Dewi Sant – St David is the patron saint of Wales and was born towards the end of the Fifth century. He was the founder of a Celtic monastic community at Glyn Rhosin which translates to the Valley of roses. This is where Saint Davids Cathedral stands today.
Saint David was a teacher and he was ascetic – (Asceticism describes away of life characterized by abstinence from different worldly pleasures, often with the aim of pursuing religious and spiritual goals) His foundation in Glyn Rhosin became an important Christian shrine, the most important in the whole of Wales. The 1st of March is recorded as the date of his passing, As his tearful monks prepared for his death St David uttered these words: 'Brothers be ye constant. The yoke which with single mind ye have taken, bear ye to the end; and whatsoever ye have seen with me and heard, keep and fulfil'.

Every year on 1st March – Parades are held in Cardiff to mark this honourable day – children dress up and perform celebrations which are called and Eisteddfod and this is when children wear robes of his day – the traditional welsh dress – Unfortunately I don’t have any of me at school, but this is the effect!

So in celebration of his life, eat welsh cakes, welsh rarebit and enjoy some leeks and daffodils and celebrate my heritage. The association between leeks and daffodils is strengthened by the fact that they have similar names in Welsh, Cenhinen (leek) and Cenhinen Pedr (daffodil, literally "Peter's leek").

Does anyone of my blog fan come from a land more interesting than my own? How do you celebrate your heritage?

Cruise Gratuities - To pre pay or not pre pay! That is the question???

2011-02-23T06:41:00.000-08:00

As you all can see I have been asked the Rate my service section about the tipping policy for MSC & NCL Cruses, so I have outlined some information below. I will do the other cruise lines later, but for now I hope this information answers the questions from Mr Heinrich Esterhuysen.

Tipping is a personal matter and your own judgment is the best guide. Different cruise lines operate different policies

For your convenience MSC Cruises do have what’s known as a recommended daily rate which will be applied to your on board account, this is split between all the staff on board. This is down to the length of your cruise and where you went, for instance a Mediterranean, Northern Europe or Westbound Transatlantic will carry a 7Euro per day per person recommended amount. Caribbean and Eastbound Transatlantic is $12.00 per day per person. Under 14s do not pay the ‘Gratuities’, ages 14-17years will pay 50% of the recommended amount. This is subject to change and depends on the currency used on board. You do have the right to make changes to this by contacting the Guest Relations Manager whilst on board. 15% is automatically added to drinks.

Regarding the Gratuities for Norwegian Cruise line they also operate a per person recommended amount - $12.00 per day per person, with NCL you do also have the opportunity to pre pay these 9at a slightly reduced rate) if you would like to pre pay them, let me know prior to departure a minimum of 14days and I can add them to your booking. Alternative this will be added to your on board account. You can request to have these removed if you so desire, but the reason for the fixed rate is so that the crew are encouraged to work together as a team to create the best environment for passengers then this money is split between restaurant staff, stateroom attendant and behind the scenes staff. Anyone over the age of 3 years pays the gratuities with NCL.

*Where your service charge has been pre-paid before departure, refunds are not available on board and you must apply for a refund, if applicable, after your return home by writing to our Guest Relations department.*

Personally – I’m a big fan of pre paying gratuities as I feel, if its incorporated in to the price of your cruise, it generally makes the on board bill at the end of the cruise much more palatable. Also if someone has gone especially out of their way for me, I may slip them and extra few quid or five as a little extra!

What do you think? To pre pay or not Pre pay, that is the question!!

TOP FIVE CRUISE COMPANIONS:

2011-02-17T05:06:00.000-08:00

Chatting to some colleagues at cruise.co.uk it everyone seems to have a dinner party list, you know the one, which five people would you invite to dinner, alive or dead. So I thought I might give it a cruise twist and see who we would all like to spend a week with sailing the seas. Rules: You do not HAVE to share a cabin, for those who appreciate it – If Brad Pitt is on your list you can share if you like – It all Hypothetical of course!! I’m not a genie – I cannot actually guarantee these people to be on your next cruise, but I thought it would be interesting to see who would be on your list!

Ill kick us off with mine:

1) Curtis – My other half, yes its cheesy, yes it’s a bit romantic, BUT I’ve done three cruises without him as he prefers the British in land waterways to the open ocean. I'm going to tack Family into this one as well, My mum is best friend and I know I would always have a good time with her beside me, wherever we were going

2) Princess Diana. I was deeply moved by her passing and would love to ask her about life as a Royal and especially her humanitarian work for aids charities and especially with the up coming Royal Wedding, it would be lovely to hear her advice for Kate.

3) J K Rowling – I am a bit of a book worm, I love nothing better than getting down to a good book, especially one of a series, where the characters are more realistic and I find myself thinking about them as if they are real people, Id love to find out what inspired her to write the first Harry Potter and where all her fantastic imagination comes from. Maybe get a few tips and start writing myself.

4) Lee Mack – The comedian and star of the sitcom – Not Going Out… If you have not seen any of the fourth series, you need this in your life, his one line wit and sarcastic remarks and hysterical and as a northern lad, I could imagine we could have a night out or two. Lee Mack is currently my favourite comedian and I saw him on Alan Carr's chatty man last night – So funny.

5) One for the ladies – I know he old enough to be my father (And maybe some more) and If my Mum was with me there would be a fight for his attention, Art Malik!! He is so cool and sophisticated and as the gorgeous Ruben in Holby City all those years ago, his voice makes me melt, so on days when the sea may be rough and I need a calming influence, perhaps I could get him to read to me!

So I have laid out my thoughts - Your turn, whose is your top five?

ROYAL CARIBBEAN CRUISE TO A NEW PARTNER'SHIP'

2011-02-14T07:12:00.000-08:00

Royal Caribbean have a new project under the wings, Project Sunshine is a new collaboration between Royal Caribbean and German ship yard Meyer Werft, they have and agreement in place to build their latest generation of Ocean Liners, the first one will be launched in 2014 with the option for second vessel for 2015

the new ship will come in at 158,000 tonnes, just a fraction bigger than the Southampton based ship, Independence of the Seas. Will carry 4,100 guest (double occupancy) The 'Class' of the ship is yet to be announced.

Ive been thinking about which class I think the new ship should be and I think a new take on the Vision class of ships might be a good idea. Vision class, ships of Light, and do some really great itineraries, so a bigger vessel would work really well in this Class.

There are some really good Mediterranean based Vision Class ships at the moment, the Grandeur of the Seas and the Splendour of the Seas are both really popular at the moment. Vision Class ships

Features of the Vision Class ships:

Dance the night away at their world-class nightclub
Sample cuisines and wines from around the world in a spectacular two-storey dining room
Play poker, craps or blackjack at our Vegas-style casino
Have a drink at one of eight bars and lounges
Relax in our adult-only Solarium
Have a massage at our Day Spa & Fitness Centre
Give your children a holiday to remember with our Adventure Ocean® Youth Programme

Royal Caribbean are keeping their lips sealed on this at the moment, they have said that the new ship will be a something for everyone type of ship with more personal space, lots of dining venues and great place for families looking for a wide variety of activities to suit all the generations of their family

Does anyone have any suggestions as to which class of ship deserves a new sister?

How to make a cruise booking. - Dear Brenda.

2011-02-13T02:10:00.000-08:00

I have been asked on the rate my service section, to the left of this, how to make a booking, well... there are a number of options.

1) Telephone me directly on my free phone number - 08004086144

2) Email me - nadinel@cruise.co.uk
3) Telephone the cruise.co.uk main line if outside the UK - +441213122809

Let me know the ship, the sail date, how many travellers and or if your require flights.

I am in the office today until 6pm (Sunday 13th Feb) and next week I'm in 9-5.30.

Let me know how I can help you.

Cruise Joke to make you smile!!

2011-02-12T08:53:00.000-08:00

A magician was working on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. The audience would be different each week, so the magician allowed himself to do the same tricks over and over again. There was only one problem: The captain’s parrot saw the shows every week and began to understand what the magician does in every trick.

Once he understood that, he started shouting in the middle of the show:

“Look, it’s not the same hat”

“Look, he is hiding the flowers under the table!”

“Hey, why are all the cards the Ace of Spades ?”

The magician was furious but couldn’t do anything; it was the captain’s parrot, after all.

One day the ship had an accident and sunk. The magician found himself on a piece of wood, in the middle of the ocean, with the parrot, of course. They stared at each other with hate, but did not utter a word. This went on for a

day, and another, and another.

After a week the parrot finally said: “OK, I give up. What’d you do with the boat?”

Ilfracombe the Cruise port... its Devonly exciting

2011-02-09T09:36:00.000-08:00

WOW!! Holland America ships are now set to make Ilfracombe in Devon one of their ports, the BBC has reported that MV Rotterdam & MV Prinsendam will be visiting the south coast. Ilfracombes economy will be boosted massively by the new sector to the tourism industry which is paramount for many of the locals there.

The last ship to dock in Ilfracombe was back in 2006 and according to the BBC the harbour master said ‘Its fantastic news and they were all looking forward to it’
I’m a firm believer that the smaller ship should be visiting smaller ports – like the ideas floating around for Cardiff bay to be a luxury liner port. I for one certainly look forward to seeing the Itineraries that will incorporate Ilfracombe!!

To read the full story click here

Anyone have any suggestions for UK ports?

Missing Cruise ship member

2011-02-08T04:52:00.000-08:00

Yesterday one of my colleagues at cruise.co.uk brought to my attention that the body of a young Polish musician, a crew member of the world famous Allure of the seas was found dead, washed up in the Island of Cozumel, where it is suspected that she may victim of an awful violent crime.
Monika Markiewicz aged 32 had suffered a blow to her head, although the cause of death is listed as drowning, I'm guessing she was unconscious as she entered the water, police are treating her death as suspicious and investigating if this may or may not be a homicide. Although I personally find it hard to comprehend that accidentally she ended up in the water and Royal Caribbean have themselves said that there are indications she was involved in a violent crime
I always seem to happen across the sad news – perhaps someone could send me some good news – Any recent happiness in your lives?

Christmas comes late at Cruise.co.uk

2011-02-04T04:03:00.000-08:00

As everyone is well aware December we had some awful weather that interfered with travel arrangements and work commitments countrywide for about a week. On the first day of the Snow – Saturday 18th Dec Cruise.co.uk were due to go and see ‘The Greatest’ Take That tribute band, unfortunately due to inches of snow the show was delayed and guess what – TONIGHT’S THE NIGHT – Ladies and gents…. Take that as you have never seen them before – Because it’s not them!!

We have rescheduled to event and its back on for tonight, so I’m ‘pray’ing’ that’s its doesn’t snow and we can ‘Take that and party’ Lets see how may take that singles I can squeeze in here - ‘Babe’ I’m sure we will hear ‘A million love songs’ tonight, ill have to try my best to ‘shine’ on the dance floor, ‘could it be magic’ tonight for any of the singletons here looking for love, ‘It only takes a minute’ and ‘patience’ will be required… ‘why cant I wake up with you?’ after we have been ‘ up all night’ it would be the 'greatest day’

This is starting to get daft! Can anyone tell I'm excited? I hope it’s a good night, I want to be zoomed back to 1993 when I started high school and everyone had the take that duffle bags and pencil cases and you were not allowed to like the same member as your friends, just incase you ever did meet them and one of them really did fall in love with a school girl hehehe – God bless the fact that Jason Orange was my favourite – I didn’t have to fight many girls off that one – I loved all the dance moves and have been known to replicate them on occasions of severe peer pressure and alcohol… This will NOT be happening this evening lol…

Have a great weekend all. I'm back on Monday!

Yellow Monday?

2011-01-31T03:05:00.000-08:00

As I wrote a blog about Blue Monday, the first Monday after a full week in January being the bluest day of the year. The day where most people felt the pressures of the festivities. So I thought Id bring you today’s news: Today is meant to be the Happiest Monday of the year – The daily mails article I read this morning over coffee states that The first Monday in February is statically the happiest Monday of the year – so the happiest colour I could think of would be yellow! So is today Yellow Monday? Well, the first Monday in February - The article also says that its due to a combination of the first post Christmas pay cheque and the booking of summer holidays makes today the happiest of the year

To read the article click here: Just so you all know I’m not making it up to make you feel better, however I genuinely feel a little bit happy and excited for no apparent reason, so perhaps there is some truth in after all.

How are you all feeling today?

Have you booked your holidays yet?

Crystal Clear Cruising

2011-01-25T03:52:00.000-08:00

Here at Cruise.co.uk there is a new buzz about the office as the luxury cruise liner Crystal famed for their Luxurious suites, sumptuous food and seriously outstanding service have today announced details of the 2012 world cruise. The vessel is the Crystal Serenity has a guest capacity of 1080. Registered in the Bahamas this 68,000 ton ship is perfect for the voyages ahead. The tour is called Epic Islands & Empires. The Crystal Serenity will sail for 94 days and has planned on taking in no less than 35ports.

Leaving LA on January 18th 2012 and going to places such as Hawaii, Sydney, Bangkok, Shanghai, Russia and Alaska

For the full itinerary click here:

Crystal is offering a series of firsts for them there are ports of call that they have never been to before, so regular crystal cruisers can get some new tastes and flavours of the world. And also on their website they have featured lots of shore excursions, which is a year in advance or the cruise. Yet another first!

For shore excursions click here:

To secure your cabin on this ship call me direct - 08004086144 and I will arrange the most fabulous cruise experience for you.

Model Cruise ships!

2011-01-21T06:01:00.000-08:00

One of my colleagues at cruise.co.uk wrote an article yesterday for her blog about a man who has spent the last six months making a model of the ‘Love Boat’ Pacific Princess out of 250,000 Lego bricks. Here it is –

Now I’m sure she wont mind me showing everyone who visits my blog, but it reminded me of the ship model I saw during my cruise with Fred Olsen on the Black watch, a man had made a model of the famous Cunard ship the QM2 out of natural Amber – I can decide which is better – Lego or Amber – Lego probably sticks together a bit better!! The Amber ship was amazing!!

I’ve found a guy who has made the QM2 out of Lego – here it is on You tube:

Blue Monday - Sad Wednesday

2011-01-20T01:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was my day off work, Wednesday 19th January 2011 and we had to make a very hard decision and have our wonderful family dog Megan put to sleep, a beautiful Welsh Border Collie, who we had from a working farm in Wales in 1996!! She would have been 15 in April. Unfortunately age caught up with her and she was blind, almost deaf and could only hear loud noises and her back legs were playing her up. We would often find her having wandered into a corner, not sure how to get out - stuck standing between a wall and a door.... or in the case of the picture below, a vase of flowers!!

This is Megan.

She was such a wonderful dog and we all have fond memories, I'm from a large family - 5 Kids at home including myself (Ive got another 5 brothers and sisters in Wales with my Dad!) and Megan slotted in just lovely along with our three cats Murphy who lives with me and Ive had since I was 17 is in the photo with Megan above! Kiara who lives with Donna and Marble who unfortunately had stroke last year and became very poorly.

I remember when the children were playing in the garden and a storm came, Megan, still a relatively young pup, decide that safety was paramount and rounded all the kids up that were playing in the garden, My sisters and brother and a few friends ended up all huddled up under the patio table!!! Wish I had a photo of that!

So here's, to you my Meggy Moo.. Rest in peace we have had a wonderful time together with the family - Thank you!

Cruise the Blues away

2011-01-17T05:33:00.000-08:00

So statistically today is dubbed the ‘mood killer’ the third Monday in January will be the bluest day of the year with a post Christmas debt – rubbish weather and all round gloominess apparently makes today worse than any other!!!

Click here to read about what The Daily Mail has to say:

With today’s headlines such and Jordan and Alex Reid splitting up, the poor 9 year old boy that was stabbed by his 21year old schizophrenic brother, the four British women trapped in their hotel in Tunisia due to the conflict there, I’m not surprised today is the bluest of days.

According to the Daily Mail article there are three mood enhancing things that can be done, 1 is to help someone in need, 2 is receiving a compliment out of the blue and 3, the one I can help with – Listening to the sound of the sea – Call into cruise.co.uk and see what offers we have that might brighten up your 2011!!

Nadine's helpline!
0800 408 6144

Somali Pirates strike again!!

2011-01-13T05:19:00.000-08:00

Well well well, as you all know I'm quite nosy and often search world news for cruise tit bits and info that I can share with you all. but I didn't have to look very far for toady's info. Toady's Daily Mail headline is a Saga ship Somali pirates have tracked across the Indian Ocean and all passengers were ordered to the decks below for safety: Click here to read the full article.

The spirit of Adventure travelling from Madagascar to Zanzibar with up to 350 passengers who assumed

to be mostly British travellers when it was set upon by pirates. It just remind me of the poor couple who have been held hostage by pirates thinking that our government would pay the ransom! Paul and Rachel Chandler who werenear the Seychelles on their yacht 'Lynn Rival' when the pirates stuck taking them both - Luckily they have now been released and are back home with their families. Everyone here at cruise.co.uk is just as relived as I am that the captain on the Saga ship was able to hold all the security measures together and ensure that there were no injuries, and the pirates did not manage to get on board!

Missing cruise man reported in New Zeakand waters

2011-01-10T09:27:00.000-08:00

I seem to stumble across these unfortunate incidents – whilst searching for some information regarding cruises in New Zealand in 2011 – I found an article published in the Herald Sun Australia about a young man presumed drowned

The man – a 32 year old went overboard on 8th January after falling from cruise liner MS Volendam a wonderful Holland America ship which sails the Island in February. The ship was in Lyttelton Mariner not far from Christchurch and they were performing some kind of training programme which has evidently gone wrong.

A cable on one of the lifeboats snapped and two men went into the water, one man lucky enough to find one, clung on to a bucket until he was rescued successfully and injury free by the Canterbury Coastguard. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for the second man who m there is no sign of, even though they have search teams searching for him – Neither were wearing their life jackets, perhaps if they had then we would have been looking at the safe return of two men rather than the sad report of the missing man and a huge sigh of relief that the second man found that bucket!

I know like myself one muster drill feels a lot like the last and its fairly straight forward - But I honestly belief that these drills DO save lives and always discourage anyone from trying to pretend they are still in high school and playing truant – for the half an hour out of your day – It could prove beneficial – And there is usually the odd interesting or funny sight – Like when I was on the Adventure of the seas – One lady who had been hauled out of the pool to attend and was standing there on deck dripping wet!!!

Does anyone have any interesting sights to report?

6 New cruise ships for 2011

2011-01-05T01:42:00.000-08:00

I’ve got my fingers crossed that cruise.co.uk get an invite or two for some of these launches, and that I get to go an have a nosey round to give the full low down.

Oceania launches the new ship Luxury liner Marina from the port of Barcelona on January 22nd, Marina is the biggest Oceania ship to date at 66,000 tons!!

Disney Cruise lines have a new ship the Disney Dream, sailing on 26th January out of Port Canaveral in Florida at 128,000 tons she is offering everything you would expect from a Disney ship with maiden voyage out to Castaway Cay in the Bahamas, something for everyone, as long you’re a Disney lover than is!!

Carnival Cruise lines launch the ship ‘Magic’ on 1st May from Venice, she is the 23rd ship that Carnival own and promises a fantastic ship with all the character of a Carnival ship.

Italian cruise line Costa launch their newest lady to the seas, Favolosa at 114,500 tonnes will leave Venice on 4th July, hopefully with a firework or two to launch in line with Independence day! Superior designs inside offer a children’s water park with Pirate galleon!!

Celebrity Silhouette – the newest ship to the solstice class, sailing on July 23rd out of Hamburg – These ships are a wonderfully designed and Silhouette at 122,000 tonnes is due to be just as glorious as sister ships Eclipse and solstice!

Last but by no means least Yachts of Seabourn are offering up their new ship ‘Quest’ June 20th from Barcelona providing the ultra luxury standard we are used to from their other ships.

So if like so many other your fascinated by new - let me know which of our new ladies take you fancy and we can look at getting you on board.

Have you ever taken the maiden voyage? what did you think? Id love to hear your thoughts!

NEW YEAR - NEW CRUISE?

2011-01-02T02:43:00.000-08:00

Well It official - the New Year is here, I'm back at work now and ready and waiting to get your 2011 cruises sorted.

I'm not one to wish away the year before its even started, but I wanted to let you all know about this fascinating piece of news I saw yesterday!

Tescos have started to launch their Easter range - LETS GET CHRISTMAS OUT OF THE WAY FIRST - PLEEEEEASE, I mean do they think that we have not had enough chocolate for a while and we could hold off for a few weeks before they shove the eggs down our throats!!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1239740/Its-New-Years-Day--Easter-eggs-appear-shelves-Tesco.html

SURPRISE!!

2010-12-28T02:30:00.000-08:00

Oh my god - who ever said men don't remember anything fibbed!!

I got the best surprise gift - something Ive wanted for years - but not the sort of thing you go out of your way to buy yourself, and certainly not something I expected my boyfriend to remember that I wanted!!

A Sony book reader!!! WOW - I was stunned - I'm such a book worm and I have mentioned about 5 or 6 times in the last two years that I have wanted one, especially good for trips such as fly cruises where the luggage allowance deters from taking an abundance of books! THANK YOU CURTIS! XX

Other gifts this years included:
Hairdryer
2 pairs of slippers (One of which are boot type feather quilted - ace)
Photo frames
chocolates
Alcohol (always a winner)
Beauty items
Kitchen scales from my brother - Not quite the same when you know in advance what your getting!

I was most proud of my present buying as I like to buy items that spark memories and this year I bought my brother his child hood hero on DVD - The complete series (101 episodes) of Captain Planet - Hes the superhero that is going to bring pollution down to zero!! I much prefer the giving than the receiving - But just don't try and take my book reader back lol..

I hope you have all had a really good festive period - I'm now back at work and will be here until 4pm today - Weds and Thursday then back on Monday 3rd January 2011... Well that came around quickly didn't it!

Let Black Watch Entertain you!!

2010-12-23T12:56:00.000-08:00

Before I go off for my Christmas break - I'm back on 28th December after a few hours in the office tomorrow (Christmas Eve) I wanted to do a review for you!

The acts I saw on board:

Taffy Spencer – Comedy Magician! http://www.taffyspencer.co.uk/

Bob Webb– Comedian - http://www.mjemanagement.com/#/stand-up/4522891293

The Black Watch theatre company

Alan Sheils - Piano Entertainer

Timeline – Duo - http://tld.timelineduo.com

The Rat Pack Returns – http://www.ngmproductions.co.uk/

The majority of my evenings were spent in the Lido Bar, which becomes a hub of activity after dinner, I opted for a later dinner (8.30) as I'm not one for rushing when I don't have to and this gave way to brilliant sights - Black Watch always do two shows per night - so if your on early dinner you don't miss out with a 8.30 and 10.30 showing of whatever entertainment is on in the Neptune Lounge; The Black Watch production of Juke box jive was brilliant an array of swirling skirts and an amazing adaptation of 'Austin Powers' it was very funny! The dancers were brilliant and the lead girl, I Don't know her name or I would have given her a mention.

Also in the Neptune lounge - A laugh a minute - the wacky world of Taffy Spencer - I immediately warmed to Taffy upon hearing his accent in the Lido bar on the first night - He is a fellow Welshman and I always smile when I hear the accent - However seeing his show later in the week, I was amazed by one or two of his magic items - The finale of the pipe smoker was astounding and such a breath of fresh air - I had face ache from laughing!! My friend Paul though he was really good too!

Bob Webb followed him with some more traditional comedy, not that took the spotlight off at all - managed to deliver some very funny takes on older more well known jokes...Not that I can remember them now though!

However the absolute highlight for me was a wonderful tribute act which was part of the 'Music and Laughter' programme - THE RAT PACK RETURNS!! Three guys who astounded me with the sing a like voices, with a little 'filler' between songs, entertaining in every sense!! Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jnr!! outstanding and the applause at the end of the show really gave such brilliant reflection of how much everyone enjoyed them selves, I missed the first one, but I over heard lots of other passengers exclaim what a good time they had all had! So I made sure that I saw that one! For a taster of what to expect - check out this link! THRILLING - I've just shown my boyfriend the clip and he thought they were good too!

http://www.ngmproductions.co.uk/The%20Rat%20Pack%20Returns!.htm

So if you want to be entertained I highly recommend a trip on one of the Music and Laughter cruises - Fingers crossed that Fred Olsen decide to roll them on for the next season too.

Black Watch Reviews!!

2010-12-21T02:07:00.000-08:00

I thought I would look at what other people had thought about the Black Watch so I did what a lot of my passengers do and read the reviews on line – I found some interesting ones that I thought Id share with you and see what you think – Feel free to send me your comments below:

Christmas Markets to Disaster was the first one I found, I don’t agree with comments about the food at all – I found it all to be of a really high standard. The markets in Hamburg were great! I recommend that you all have a look at the comments underneath this review – Makes for interesting reading! We most definitely were not ‘HIT’ by a tug boat – the whole point of them is to help guide the ships into position!! Oh Dear!!

http://www.cruise.co.uk/cruise-reviews/fred.-olsen-cruises/black-watch/read_review_26536/

If you have recently been on a cruise – don’t forget to write us a review on the website – www.cruise.co.uk/cruise-reviews and let me know your reference number and we will send you a Berltiz guide to cruising as a Thank you for your efforts –

I'm going to do a entertainment review next and food after that so keep an eye out!!

CRUISE LOG - Black Watch

2010-12-17T08:15:00.000-08:00

As you are all aware I have just been on cruise number three!!! Fred Olsen - Black Watch - Arriving home shortly after 1pm today - Yes I know I'm keen but I feel I've got so much to share with you all that I better get cracking! Even if I am sat here swaying like I'm still on the ship! (Quite funny feeling)

Lets start with Itinerary as this has been a bit of a magical mystery tour this week and what was meant to happen:
Friday 10th Dec - Embarkation at Southampton
Saturday 11th Dec - Ijmuiden for Amsterdam -Netherlands
Sunday 12th Dec - Cruise Kiel Canal
Monday 13th Dec - Copenhagen - Denmark
Tuesday 14th Dec - Travemunde - Germany
Wednesday 15th Dec - Cruise Kiel Canal
Thursday 16th Dec - Ostende - Belgium
Friday 17th Dec - Disembarkation in Southampton.

Now as a 'Force Majure' we can never really know what's going to happen, so due to high winds, storms and powers beyond that of the cruise line - There was a change!

Friday 10th Dec - Embarkation cancelled as previous cruise was delayed due to high storms and seas coming through the Azores!
Saturday 11th Dec - Embarkation in Southampton
Sunday 12th Dec- (Formal night) Day at sea! Lots of reading took place and the stormy ocean was fairly kind to us!
Monday 13th Dec - (British night) Hamburg Germany! Arrived into Hamburg around 10.30am. spent the whole day in the markets which were absolutely gorgeous, so festive and really put me in the mood for the holiday - Hot mulled wine went down a treat whilst standing in the fresh snow!
Tuesday 14th Dec - Travemunde - Germany - This is were it all went a bit weird - The delays were MENTAL!! We were meant to be in port for 12.30 which got extended to 2.30 and eventually by the time we had all queued in eager anticipation we all spilled in to the streets of Travemeunde to find a beautifully quaint town but unfortunately not much to do and at nearly 4pm by the time we got off the ship we had a quick coffee and got back on the ship!!!
Wednesday 15th Dec - Transit Kiel Canal.
Thursday 16th Dec - Ostend - Belgium (Formal night) We arrived at Ostend due at 9am, again with delays - we were waiting to get into Ostend port bobbing around in the ocean and eventually we were informed that due to the high seas Ostend port was closed and were were bound for Zeebrugge where they would be laying on extra transfers buses (complimentary) back to Ostend. Paul and I in our infinite wisdom decided that we would go into Bruges given that I had missed it during the Cruise.co.uk Christmas party cruise when I was so awfully poorly! 12 min train journey from Ostende so not bad!!
Friday 17th Dec - Disembarkation in Southampton - We were an hour late into dock as we apparently had problems getting the 'pilot' off the ship!

So all in all - despite the disruptions, I've had a fantastic week and Paul really enjoyed his first cruise too!

Festive Feelings for Fred Olsen.

2010-12-09T01:55:00.000-08:00

Just to gloat slightly – I'm am on Annual leave from Friday 10th December until Monday 20th December!

I know it hasn’t gone unnoticed, but Christmas is nearly upon us and everyone here at Cruise.co.uk is starting to feel the Christmas spirit and lots of passengers are calling us asking about cruise deals 2011. I however am looking forward to my pre Christmas Cruise, I set sail on Friday on the Fred Olsen Black Watch with my good friend Paul and we are both looking forward to hitting the Christmas markets in Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Travenmunde and Ostende, so ill have lots of Christmassy Photos to show you all when I get back to work on 20th December.

The itinerary is really impressive and I’ve been looking at shore Excursions, working out what to do and where to go! Paul's happy there is a gym on board so he can keep up his fitness regime whilst we are away, I’m looking forward to relaxing whilst on board so I will mostly be enjoying the spa treatments and a good book or three – I’m a bit of a speed reader!

I’m looking forward to actually getting into Belgium this time as I missed Bruges on the Christmas party cruise.

Any recommendations for Travemunde???

Don’t forget that although, I may not be here to help you personally – My colleagues are more than capable of assisting you – Call the main line on 0800 091 5254

Charity begins at Sea??

2010-12-07T06:48:00.000-08:00

As always I found my self scouring the papers for news articles on cruises and cruise companies, I found out the Medical University of South Carolina Children's Hospital and the goal of bringing the paediatric care $50,000 in donations and services this year at Carnival cruise line have announced on Monday that they are now in partnership. They are looking to invest in the centre providing four new ‘fun centres’ including two new laptops, Nintendo Wii console, a flat screen TV and a digital video disc player combination unit which can be moved between children’s rooms.

They are also providing towel pals... Just like the ones we get in our staterooms, children who are sick may never get to cruise, and would not get to see the creative creatures our cabin stewards rustle up when were not looking! So they will be bringing some into the hospital for the children. 1,000 are due to be donated to the hospital in the next year!

Mike Julius, managing director of U.S. sales for Carnival, described a host of gifts and services coming in 2011 from a colourful stage in the toy-filled atrium at the children's hospital. They are also starting to hold quarterly shows with staff from the Fantasy, the ship that home-ports in Charleston. They are also planning extra fund raising events this year such as Hockey games and the Cooper Ridge Run.

I think this is a great partnership and one other cruise lines could do well to follow suit with so I thoughts Id see who else has partnerships:

Fred Olsen – RNLI in March 2010 – According to their website ‘Funds are raised on board its cruise liners through raffles, quizzes, church services, foreign coin collections and auctions. Fred. Olsen has also supported the charity by donating numerous cruise prizes, which in turn has helped generate funds for the charity through the Lifeboat lottery and other competitions. The money donated by Fred. Olsen passengers has funded three inshore lifeboats, three mobile training units, kitted out three seminar rooms at The Lifeboat College, and paid for the development work on the RNLI's DODO (drive on, drive off) lifeboat launching trolleys, in addition to funding three of them’

Celebrity Cruise line – In April 2010 - The first ever Celebrity SunWalk sponsored by Celebrity Cruises took place in Southampton on April 24 2010 and was organised by Walk the Walk, the leading UK-based grant making breast cancer charity, in partnership with Celebrity Cruises.

Drinks price guideline

2010-12-02T09:17:00.000-08:00

I’ve just been on a call with a gentleman looking to book onto a NCL Jade cruise, but was asking about drinks packages and prices on board as he has a friend who quoted him $8 per pint of larger!!! I’ve been assured that this was including the taxes, but made me think about drinks prices on board – who is the best value for cruises 2011?

Best value cruises for drinks have to be Yachts of Seabourn and Regent who have drinks included in the prices, but for the rest of the lines a rough guideline below:

NCL: Bottles of beer at $3.95, wines by the glass $6.95 soft drinks from $1.25 – If you buy a cruise with flights NCL offer free soft drinks for children ages 2-12 9This offer does not apply to cruise only or mini cruises)

P&O : Bottles of beer £2.35, wine by the glass from £3.35 and soft drinks start at 75p!! Not much on a cruise for less than a pound! They do not offer any packages at all, which is a shame.

Royal Caribbean: Bottles of beer for $5.50, wine by the glass from $5.50 as well, soft drinks from $1.95, but I always recommend the soft drinks packages, which start from about $6 per day for adults at $4.95 for children, these are great value and they get a special cup, but you don’t need to carry it around as a special sticker is put on to your sea pass!

Cunard: Bottle of beer $4.75 – wine by the glass at $5.75 and soft drinks from $1.95 – Cunard offer a soda package where you receive unlimited soft drinks in the restraints and bars price is $3.95 per day plus the 15% grats or taxes!

Fred Olsen: Bottles of beer at £2.20 wine by the glass from £3.25 and soft drinks from 70pence. No soda packages are available on these ships.

MSC: Bottles of beer from 3.90-5.75 Euros and wine by the glass starts at 3.00euros and soft drinks2.50euros. Packages for children start at 28euros for 5 soft drinks and 5 juices. A selection of adult drinks packages from 98euros per person per week.

If you would like any of the great value cruise deals 2011 please let me know.

Aurora have saw more!!

2010-11-30T08:37:00.000-08:00

Here we are again – Back in the office with Bruges under our belts – well for some us! I unfortunately didn’t make it out of my cabin on Sunday, so as a massive chocolate fan, you can imagine my disappointment to have been stuck by illness that kept me away from the markets and all their Christmassy delights and chocolate heavens!!!

The P&O Aurora however was a really good ship. From what I saw, plenty to do, plenty of space and even people swimming in the outdoor pools whilst we were still in dock in Southampton with snow on the ground and people sat around watching them swim in their hats and coats it was rather a strange contradiction. The blessing for others is the pool with retractable roof, much more pleasant for swimming and hot tubs even in the colder weather – reminded me of a rather Scandinavian way of living!

I would like to thank everyone who voted for me as best cruise agent, although I didn’t win I was so pleased with some of the additional rate my service comments I have received, so thank you all again.

I will be off on another cruise on 10th December – on Fred Olsens’ Black Watch for 7 nights – Christmas Markets cruise to Amsterdam, The Kiel Canal, Copenhagen, Travenmunde and Ostende so lots of Christmassy feelings, hot chocolate and markets for me to make up for missing Bruges! OBVIOUSLY there will be a blog or two on this one when I return.

Shore Excursions - To buy or not to buy!

2010-11-26T05:17:00.000-08:00

As you may have noticed Christmas is just around the corner and Cruise.co.uk are heading out this weekend for the annual Christmas Party – which we are lucky enough to be have an amazing team of managers who have organised for us all to go on the P&O Aurora for two nights to Brussels and back, now we have organised our own coach in Brussels to pick up those who want to explore Brussels, as there is so many of us, we just are planning a shopping trip perhaps a coffee or two and lunch and then head back to the ship for early preparations for the formal night – I’m sure picture will follow. But it got me thinking about shore excursions, how much they are and what type of things people do.

Shore excursions obviously depend on the cruise line, where your going and what is available, they are known to start from half day to full day and the most expensive one I’ve seen so far was about $10,000 for a private Ferrari hire and helicopter ride. But for ‘normal’ folk this is going to be out of the budget, but there are many more wallet friendly trips.

TIPS:

* Book early on line if you see something you fancy doing as lower end priced trips and one with a high interest factor will obviously sell out first! This way your shore excursion tickets will normally be printed for your arrival.

* Go to the Customer relations as soon as you board as they may have added new items to the list

* Usually the day before you arrive at a port the in cabin TV will have a short talk by the cruise director on the local areas, things to do etc, so if you didn’t book in advance, don’t panic, I’m sure you will find something interesting to see or do. Especially if Like I was in Palma on the Adventure of the Seas – we just walked off the ships and walked directly into Palma.

* Make sure you are prepared, many of the excursions that you see on line indicate the level of walking involved, so no high heels if you hiking! Water proofs etc if your going to Grand Canyon, what ever – Be realistic.

* If you want to do something specific, be prepared and book through the cruise line - Book through the cruise line. Yes there are local tour operators who will organise excursions for you perhaps a little cheaper but many of these are not screened and especially in some of the more exotic locations, and remember if you are delayed for any reason the ship may leave without you!

* If you’re travelling St Petersburg – I always recommend going ashore with the cruise line organised trips as they have blanket visa for all passengers, rather than attempting to organise your own visas this is very popular – so book early.

* If you’re on early dining take this into consideration as you may or may not be back in time to change and get to the dining room on your allotted time.

So I will do a piece or two when I’m back on the P&O Aurora, Brussels and the events of the weekend, We will be back in the office by around Mid Day on Monday 29th November, so please email any questions or queries to me at nadinel@cruise.co.uk So until then MERRY CHRISTMAS