John Honeywell, Author at Captain Greybeard

Around the world in so many ways

If you're announcing a series of exotic voyages to the South Pacific, then a Polynesian tiki bar in the heart of London is probably an appropriate place to do it. And it's a fair bet that many of those who turned up for the launch of Cunard and P&O's 2013 world cruises were drawn as much by curiosity about the one-time hang-out of young Royals as a desire to be first to get their hands on the brochures. Two floors down, deep beneath the streets of the West End, the Mahiki Club is where Princes William and Harry used to [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:05+00:00 22 June 2011|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

A Caribbean cruise to Crow about

As a regular traveller on the London Underground, I'm no fan of Bob Crow, whose outdated tactic of calling his RMT union members out on strike at the drop of a hat disrupts life for millions of people. I've no time for the Daily Mail either, with its spiteful news agenda and its persistence in believing that every substance known to man can either cause cancer or cure it, and in some cases is capable of both. But it's a bit rich when the Mail takes Crow to task for flying to a Caribbean cruise in January, just a day [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:05+00:00 20 June 2011|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

Less smoke on the water

Cruise News column from the Daily Mirror print edition, June 18. Smoking on cruise ships has been a hot topic this week with three major lines clearing the air by finally announcing they are to ban lighting up in cabins. While hotels and restaurants on land in America and most European countries are off-limits to smokers, new rules to be introduced by Carnival, Holland America and Princess restrict the number of bars where smoking is permitted, and limit smokers to separate sections of casinos on their ships. On the newest Carnival ships, the dedicated cigar lounges are now non-smoking rooms [...]

By John Honeywell| 2011-06-18T10:25:27+00:00 18 June 2011|Cruise News|2 Comments

John’s week goes from bad to worse

I'm feeling a little bit sorry for Carnival's senior cruise director John Heald this week. For a start he was given the task of telling passengers how his company's new smoking policy will operate - and as a man who enjoys a Cohiba, it's not been easy for him to explain why the ships' cigar bars are to become smoke-free zones. One irate - but not erudite - passenger called him a "big hypacritt" and threatened physical violence before promising to take his custom to other ships where, incidentally, he will find his smoking opportunities just as restricted. But if [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:05+00:00 17 June 2011|Cruise Gossip|2 Comments

Million-dollar birthday cruise will be one woman’s party of a lifetime

A mystery British cruise passenger has paid one million dollars to charter a luxury ship for an extra special party. The woman, who is approaching a significant birthday, will be flying 200 friends to Venice for a week-long cruise on board Seabourn Spirit. Paying that sort of money - about £600,000 - she also gets to choose the restaurant menus and the entertainment throughout the cruise, which will begin on August 12. Travel Trade Gazette reports this week that the charter, made through luxury cruise specialists Sovereign Cruise Club, is thought to be the UK's largest-ever private cruise booking. Sovereign's [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:05+00:00 17 June 2011|Cruise Gossip, Cruise News|1 Comment

Watch Fantasy become reality

Disney's newest cruise ship is rapidly taking shape at a shipyard in Germany. And if you have never seen how giant ships are built in the 21st century - Disney Fantasy will be 1,115-feet long and 14 decks high - this short time-lapse video will amaze you. Not only is the 130,000-ton vessel put together from giant blocks each the size of a supermarket, it all happens under cover in a massive construction shed at the Meyer-Werft yard in Papenburg. Lego building has got nothing on this. Fantasy, a sister for new-build Disney Dream which was launched in January, makes [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:05+00:00 16 June 2011|Cruise Ships|1 Comment

All aboard for voyage to North Cape

Cruise from Bergen to the far north of Norway - FREE ! And you don't even have to leave your armchair. Hurtigruten's ship Nordnorge is taking camera crews from the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation on a six-day voyage which begins tomorrow (Thursday). Live action from the nine cameras will be streamed on the internet as the ship visits Geirangerfjord, the coast of Helgoland, the Lofoten islands, Tromso and North Cape, en route to Kirkenes. It won't matter that most of the commentary and interviews will be in Norwegian - the scenery speaks for itself. When it goes live, the voyage can [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:05+00:00 15 June 2011|Cruise Destinations|0 Comments

Plenty to see on tour with Eurodam, but Britannia still rules the waves

My 12-day cruise on Eurodam is almost over - today is the final day at sea before we dock in Dover on Wednesday morning - and I am acutely aware I have been failing in my duty to keep this blog updated. Trouble is that it's hard work having a relaxing time, and there aren't enough hours in the day. Especially when those days have provided so much interest and things to do OFF the ship as on it. Rarely have I enjoyed such fascinating excursions; some through Holland America's team, and some arranged independently. Apart from Copenhagen, which I [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:05+00:00 14 June 2011|Cruise Destinations, Cruise Entertainment|1 Comment

That’s the Spirit! Thomson cruise ship comes top in passenger poll

A ship built 28 years ago has triumphed over newer, shinier vessels packed with modern facilities, in a poll to find Britain's most popular cruise ship. Thomson Spirit came top in the mid-sized category of the first Cruisers' Choice Awards organised by the Cruise Critic website, which has 700,000 members and contains 70,000 ship reviews. The 1,250-passenger ship, launched in July 1983, beat the likes of Fred Olsen's Balmoral and P&O's Oriana in the votes cast by UK cruise passengers for ships carrying between 1,000 and 2,000 passengers. It was voted best overall and best for dining, entertainment, service, shore [...]

By John Honeywell| 2011-06-10T23:45:34+00:00 10 June 2011|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|2 Comments

Give generously for QM2 lunch

Want to have lunch on board the luxurious liner Queen Mary 2 and raise funds for a good cause at the same time? Then check ebay for a handful of auctions organised by Cunard in aid of The Princes' Trust. Bidding for the QM2 lunch - for two people - currently stands at £250. There's another lunch on board sister ship Queen Elizabeth for which the bids have reached £200. Other items on offer include two tickets to see Shakespeare's Richard III at London's Old Vic theatre and a reception to meet the cast, yet to receive a bid at [...]

By John Honeywell| 2011-06-09T10:38:42+00:00 9 June 2011|Cruise News|2 Comments