Yearly Archives: 2010

/2010

Too hot for a Brazilian cruise

Transport links throughout the UK and much of Europe are crippled by the big freeze. Heathrow and Gatwick struggle to clear their runways, and queues snake round the streets of London as passengers hope to stake their claim to a seat on a Eurostar train to Paris. (I'd love to hear John Heald's take on that, by the way, but I digress). Spare a thought, then, for the unfortunate people who had hoped to be spending their Christmas cruising the South American coast on board MSC Musica. The seven-day voyage, which was due to depart from Rio de Janeiro on [...]

By | 2017-06-15T16:00:13+00:00 21 December 2010|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News, Cruise Ships|1 Comment

Cheers! All-in drinks for just £49

Christmas really is a magical time of year, isn't it? How else can you explain the generous offers cruise lines are desperate to make in order to get us to book holidays with them next summer? Royal Caribbean has been giving away free flights to whisk you to their ships in the Mediterranean, and although I might have my reservations about the reference to tips in P&O's promotion, there's no doubting the bargain fares on offer. Other lines all have their different tricks to distract us from the Christmas shopping and peeling the sprouts and to think instead about lazy [...]

By | 2017-06-15T16:00:13+00:00 21 December 2010|Cruise Deals, Cruise News|1 Comment

Confusion over tipping the crew

It's all very well for P&O to promote the value for money they say their cruises provide, but should they be doing it at the expense of their crew? Even without the savings on offer in the company's winter sale, the all-inclusive experience on board - including meals and entertainment - represents a holiday bargain. Throw in discounts of up to £2,500 and on-board credit of up to £1,000 per couple and it's almost irresistible. Who would disagree with MD Carol Marlow when she says: "Today's consumer expects to get excellent value for money, and this is especially pertinent when [...]

By | 2017-06-15T16:00:13+00:00 21 December 2010|Cruise Deals|4 Comments

Snowy scenes at sea

Cunard president Peter Shanks joked last week that giant wing mirrors had been fitted to the bridge of Queen Victoria, ready for Inger Olsen, the first woman captain in the company's history. He should have brought a snow plough on board, judging by this picture taken at the weekend during the ship's Christmas Markets cruise to Amsterdam and Zeebrugge. Or perhaps he is planning to turn the Pavilion Pool into an ice skating rink. Fred Olsen's Black Watch led Victoria back into Southampton this morning with inveterate cruise fan Patricia Dempsey on board. She refused to allow the wintry weather [...]

By | 2017-06-15T16:00:13+00:00 20 December 2010|Cruise Destinations, Cruise Ships|1 Comment

Beat these cruise fares for value

If you still think cruising is expensive or exclusive, think again. Look at these prices per night for voyages early next year, and see if you could match them at a land-based hotel, resort, or apartment complex. And don't forget the figures include all-inclusive accommodation with as many meals per day as you can eat, entertainment, and flights (where necessary). £50 No-fly cruise from Southampton to the Mediterranean on board Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas, the largest cruise ship sailing from the UK. Itinerary includes Portugal, Mallorca, Barcelona, Florence, Rome, Naples, Cagliari, Gibraltar and Seville. Fares for the January [...]

By | 2017-06-15T16:00:14+00:00 18 December 2010|Cruise Deals|0 Comments

Recipe for success on Allurodam

Even if I didn't know how to chop an onion properly, making delicious sweet potato soup with chef Molly Brandt on Allure of the Seas has given me a taste for cooking. Especially for cooking in a cruise ship galley. And I think I may have spotted my next opportunity. TV chef Valentine Warner will be hosting a series of demonstrations for passengers on Holland America's Eurodam during a voyage to the Norwegian Fjords and Scottish Highlands later this year. The 12-night cruise leaves from Dover on June 3 and Warner, who spent five years working in London's restaurant kitchens [...]

By | 2017-06-15T16:00:14+00:00 16 December 2010|Cruise Food & Drink, Cruise Ships|1 Comment

Disney’s dreaming of a white Xmas

Cruises on board brand new ship Disney Dream will be in the warm waters between Port Canaveral in Florida and the Bahamas. So these pictures of the vessel covered in snow will be a rarity. And unfortunately there's little chance the snow will still be there at Christmas. The 128,000-ton ship leaves Europe later this week, but photographer Kent Phillips caught these winter wonderland shots in Bremerhaven, Germany. There's a unique water-coaster circling the upper decks, but it looks like an ice rink would be more appropriate. Not sure who this character with the distinctive ears could be. Any suggestions?

By | 2017-06-15T16:00:14+00:00 16 December 2010|Cruise Ships|0 Comments

UK’s best cruise port plans expansion

Southampton is not the only British cruise port with expansion plans. Just a day after the announcement of its new £30 million terminal comes an announcement of planned development several hundred miles further north. Kirkwall, capital of the Orkney islands, is hoping to build on its selection as the UK's best port of call in this year's Cruise Critic Editor's Pick Awards and plans to spend £8 million improving its facilities for visiting ships. The town's Hatston Pier is to be extended from 250 yards to 415 yards, allowing some of the biggest ships in the world to tie up [...]

By | 2010-12-16T11:09:51+00:00 16 December 2010|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

New cruise terminal for Southampton

Contrasting fortunes today for two British ports. While Liverpool businessmen are campaigning to restore the glory days when ocean-going liners moored in the centre of the city, Southampton announced it is to build a fifth cruise terminal (above), capable of handling some of the biggest ships in the world. The £30 million facility, expected to be operational by 2013, will welcome up to 4,000 passengers at a time during the summer, and will be used for importing tomatoes from the Canary Islands during the winter. It will be constructed between the City Terminal and the Mayflower Terminal, in the area [...]

By | 2017-06-15T16:00:14+00:00 15 December 2010|Cruise News|4 Comments

Splendor not back until Februray

Repairs to Carnival Splendor, crippled by an engine room fire early last month, are taking longer than anticipated and some replacement parts are having to be manufactured from scratch. Five more voyages - the January 6, 23 and 30 and February 6 and 13 departures - have been cancelled and the ship is now scheduled to return to service on February 20. "We sincerely apologize to our guests for having to cancel these additional cruises," said Gerry Cahill, Carnival's president and CEO. "We know this is extremely disappointing for our guests and particularly disheartening for those who already had their [...]

By | 2017-06-15T16:00:14+00:00 15 December 2010|Cruise News|0 Comments