Captain Greybeard

Timing. It’s never been one of my strong points. So trust me to be laid up in dry dock just when there have been some significant – and long-awaited – announcements in the world of cruising. Cunard and Azamara are both adding ships to their fleets, with a new-build and an acquisition. First off, Cunard is to build a fourth ship to join the three Queens: Mary 2, Victoria, and Elizabeth. It’s going to be five years before the vessel is completed – at one of the Fincantieri yards in Italy – and its arrival in 2022 will be 12 [...]

The 50th anniversary of the revered Cunard liner QE2 is to be marked next month by a special voyage of her near namesake, Queen Elizabeth. During five specially-themed days during a 17-night cruise to Venice, guests will be treated to gala menus inspired by the liner, and talks from special guests who each have their personal connections with QE2. Themes include Moving in Royal Circles, looking back at the special bond between QE2 and the Royal Family; The Falklands, which acknowledges the ship’s service as a troop ship in the 1982 conflict; Triumph of a Great Tradition, examining the QE2’s [...]

UPDATE: TUI Discovery 2 finally left her berth at about 23:45 local time, having delayed departure to wait for 14 passengers and two crew. The last four passengers arrived at the ship at about 23:30. Three cruise ships packed with British passengers were in Barcelona today when at least 13 people were killed and 50 were injured in a terrorist attack on the busy Las Ramblas. P&O Cruises’ Britannia carries 4,324 passengers and 1,398 crew; Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas 2,500 passengers and 859 crew; and Thomson’s TUI Discovery 2 about 2,100 passengers and 750 crew. All were safely [...]

A major international cruise line has cancelled a charter booked by a far-right alliance after pressure from UK-based campaign group HOPE not Hate. Rebel Media, which has been described as a neo-Nazi organisation, was planning to hold a week-long conference on board Norwegian Getaway, sailing from Miami in November. HOPE not Hate, which lobbied for unity after the death of MP Jo Cox, and which has supported alternatives to far-right movements, urged Norwegian Cruise Line to cancel the booking on the grounds of Rebel Media’s links with white supremacists in north America. Last weekend’s violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, brought [...]

The first-of-a-kind go-kart track on cruise ship Norwegian Joy has proved such a success that the ship’s successor, Norwegian Bliss, is to follow suit – with an even bigger circuit. Details of Bliss’s features were revealed at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas tonight by Norwegian Cruise Line’s president and CEO, Andy Stuart. To be honest, the reaction to Joy’s go-kart track has been so positive that the move was inevitable, as is its extension to almost 1,000 feet in length. The karts that race on it can achieve speeds of up to 30mph, and drivers get a turbo boost [...]

The more details are revealed about Scenic Eclipse – billed as “the world’s first discovery yacht" – the more it looks like being something very special indeed. Details of the 228-passenger vessel’s restaurants were announced today, and it’s clear they go way beyond what could be expected of a ship many times the size. If 24-hour room service is included, there are a total of 10 dining experiences available, promising a “truly multi-cultural culinary adventure.” From contemporary French fine dining and Champagne bar Lumière, to fillet steak cooked to perfection in the elegant Elements main restaurant, or a casual meal [...]

REVEALED: Eden is set to be a passengers’ paradise on board the new Celebrity Edge cruise ship. The venue, announced last night at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in New York, tries to disguise the fact it was inspired by the spectacular 270 room on Royal Caribbean’s Quantum class vessels, with elements borrowed from the Celebrity Solstice-class atriums. A vast triple-deck space at the aft end of the ship, Eden is claimed to be even more exciting than the revolutionary Magic Carpet which was among the ship’s features announced in March. It will be somewhere to relax with a book, a [...]

P&O Cruises and television go hand in hand ... following the success of And and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway on board Britannia, and two series of Battlechefs, three celebrities will set sail across Europe on Oceana this week in ITV’s summer special Lorraine’s Cruise Control. Launched yesterday (Monday June 26), Lorraine’s Cruise Control sees X Factor winner Sam Bailey, comedian Helen Lederer, and Gogglebox’s Sandi Bogle boarding Oceana in Venice. On a quest to feel body confident and kick start a healthier lifestyle, the celebs are swapping their usual daily lives for a week of workouts, balanced diets and mindful [...]

The 73-year-old solo yachtsman rescued in the Atlantic by cruise liner Queen Mary 2 is enjoying his experience on board so much that he says: “I may be a little less snooty about cruise ships now.” Retired Royal Marine Mervyn Wheatley was taking part in the Royal Western Yacht Club's Original Singlehanded Transatlantic Race (OSTAR). His yacht, Tamarind, was one of several damaged in an “extreme” storm with 50-foot waves and winds reaching 60 knots. Mr Wheatley, from Devon, put out a distress call after his attempts to bail out the boat proved futile. A cargo ship was sent to [...]