John Honeywell, Author at Captain Greybeard

Princess introduces all-inclusive cruises and brings Royal back to UK

An all inclusive package will be available on one of Princess Cruises' UK-based ships for the first time next year. The offer, which forms part of the company's 2015 Europe programme, will be available on ten sailings in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe on board Caribbean Princess. The 3,000 passenger ship will set sail from the UK during spring and summer next year. Other highlights include a reduced deposit of £99 per person on all Europe cruises and an increased number of sailings across the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. The cruise line has also revealed that Royal Princess, launched last [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 25 February 2014|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Dream has these guys on the run

If you have ever missed the boat - got back to the pier and found your cruise ship has left without you - you'll know why the guys in this video are in such a hurry. Not sure how many other ships would allow them to clamber aboard from jetskis though. And just as a matter of interest, are those wave runners now adrift in the Caribbean? Leaving those details said, it's a great way to publicise Thomson Dream's 2014-2015 sailings from Montego Bay. And of course, these are not regular passengers, they are members of 3RUN, the free running [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 25 February 2014|Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Dream has these guys on the run

If you have ever missed the boat - got back to the pier and found your cruise ship has left without you - you'll know why the guys in this video are in such a hurry. Not sure how many other ships would allow them to clamber aboard from jetskis though. And just as a matter of interest, are those wave runners now adrift in the Caribbean? Leaving those details said, it's a great way to publicise Thomson Dream's 2014-2015 sailings from Montego Bay. And of course, these are not regular passengers, they are members of 3RUN, the free running [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 25 February 2014|Cruise Destinations|2 Comments

Discovery diverts for repairs

Another British cruise ship has been taking a battering in the stormy weather. MV Discovery, operated by Cruise & Maritime Voyages, was returning to the UK from a winter lay-up in Greece when it ran into heavy seas. The ship - last of the TV Love Boats - is scheduled to spend a week alongside in Avonmouth in preparation for its summer season of cruises. But instead of heading straight for the Bristol Channel, it put into Falmouth for repairs to a 3-centimetre leak in the hull. A CMV spokesman said today: The vessel was subjected to severe weather conditions [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 21 February 2014|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Discovery diverts for repairs

Another British cruise ship has been taking a battering in the stormy weather. MV Discovery, operated by Cruise & Maritime Voyages, was returning to the UK from a winter lay-up in Greece when it ran into heavy seas. The ship - last of the TV Love Boats - is scheduled to spend a week alongside in Avonmouth in preparation for its summer season of cruises. But instead of heading straight for the Bristol Channel, it put into Falmouth for repairs to a 3-centimetre leak in the hull. A CMV spokesman said today: The vessel was subjected to severe weather conditions [...]

By John Honeywell| 2014-02-25T17:57:35+00:00 21 February 2014|Cruise Destinations|0 Comments

Prop fault cuts short Oriana cruise

Cruise ship Oriana, whose progress in the past few days has been slowed by a fault in its propulsion system, is coming back early to Southampton for repairs. Passengers will be given the opportunity to remain on board while the work is carried out. Oriana left the UK on Saturday (February 15) but could not operate at normal speed because a propeller shaft bearing was overheating. P&O say that the problem had no impact on the ship's safety, although its itinerary was amended. The vessel, with about 1,800 passengers on board, was due to arrive in La Palma today but [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 20 February 2014|Cruise News|2 Comments

Cruise ship death inquiries begin, as CMV insist Marco Polo is seaworthy

Cruise & Maritime Voyages has defended itself against claims that its ship Marco Polo, on which a passenger was killed during the weekend's storms, was "badly maintained." James Swinstead, 85, died when a wave smashed windows in the ship's Waldorf restaurant at lunchtime on Valentine's Day. A 70-year-old woman passenger was airlifted to hospital and 14 others received treatment on board for minor injuries sustained when water flooded into the room. Mr Swinstead's widow, Helen, from Colchester, Essex, praised the crew for their support after her "lovely" husband's death but claimed that a"rusty puddle" under a window was an indication [...]

By John Honeywell| 2014-02-17T18:17:32+00:00 17 February 2014|Cruise News|0 Comments

Passenger dies as storm hits British cruise ship in the English Channel

An elderly passenger has been killed as a cruise ship was battered by storm-force seas returning from a six-week cruise. Another passenger was seriously injured and has been airlifted to hospital. The tragedy occurred in the Western Approaches as Cruise & Maritime Voyages' 22,000-ton Marco Polo was heading to her home port of Tilbury after a cruise to the Amazon, West Indies and the Azores. It is due in the Thames on Sunday morning Water crashed through a window injuring a number of the passengers. An 85-year-old man and a woman in her 70s were airlifted from the ship. The [...]

By John Honeywell| 2014-02-14T22:37:29+00:00 14 February 2014|Cruise News|2 Comments

Waves rule Britannia for the first time

Within hours of the lavish event which showed off some of Britannia's interior design and introduced its brigade of Food Heroes, the ship was officially floated out today. The ceremony took place at Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard, near Trieste, Italy. In keeping with local tradition, the ship was blessed by a priest and a bottle of Prosecco - Italian sparkling wine - was smashed against the hull by a madrina, or godmother. The woman chosen for the role was Louise Hunt, a cruise sales agent from Travel Counsellors UK. Also in keeping with tradition, a coin - in this case a [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 14 February 2014|Cruise News|0 Comments

Could it really be a Valentine’s Day massacre for last of the Love Boats?

Sad to report, on St Valentine's Day of all days, but the last of the Love Boats may soon be no more. Discovery, the former Island Princess, could be following sister ship Pacific Princess to a scrapyard grave. The vessel is owned by All Leisure - the business that has Voyages of Discovery, Swan Hellenic and Hebridean Island Cruises under its umbrella. Facing losses of £14 million for the first three quarters of 2013, the company has announced it is putting Discovery up for sale. Since spring last year, the much-loved ship has been operated in a joint venture with [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 14 February 2014|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|2 Comments