John Honeywell, Author at Captain Greybeard

Take two cruises to North Cape: which one offers the better deal?

There are still bargains to be had on this summer's cruises to the Norwegian fjords - but they are not all equal. Take two 14-night voyages from Southampton to North Cape which have been put on special offer by NoFlyCruising.com. Queen Victoria's departure on August 3 and Oriana's cruise beginning two days later have almost identical itineraries. There's £100 per person difference in fares for inside cabins and ocean-view accommodation. On the P&O ship, they start at £699; for Cunard it's £799. If you are looking for a balcony stateroom, however - highly recommended for making the most of the [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:31+00:00 21 June 2013|Cruise Deals, Cruise Destinations|1 Comment

Needles ready for knitting cruise

We've had cruises devoted to antiques, gardens and golf, to food and drink, country and western, and Harley Davidsons. There are themes of all descriptions to suit all tastes and pockets. But here's something completely new - a knitting-themed cruise ... hosted by someone described as "one of the top 10 most influential men in the world of knitting' alongside Charles Dickens and Edward VIII. My mind is totally boggled. Barry Klein will host the seven-day river cruise on the Danube from December 27, 2014 - so participants will presumably have received new needles for Christmas. On board AmaBella, Klein [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:31+00:00 21 June 2013|Cruise News|0 Comments

Sample a taste of Celebrity

Celebrity Cruises are determined to gain wider recognition for the food on their ships. To the extent that chief executive Michael Bayley has plans up his sleeve to open a New York restaurant serving dishes from the menus in an attempt to earn Michelin star status. London's own Celebrity pop-up food and drink outlet opens today in Regents Park. The company is operating a stand at the Taste of London festival; visitors will be able to sample popular items from the quirky Qsine restaurant menu and executive chefs will be on hand to showcase skills such as sushi lollipop. Celebrity [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:31+00:00 20 June 2013|Cruise Food & Drink|0 Comments

Voyages to view the eclipse are the hottest cruise ticket on the planet

What's the hottest ticket in the cruise world right now? Maiden voyages on the shiny new Royal Princess, christened last week by the Duchess of Cambridge? The 200th anniversary Transatlantic crossing by Cunard's Queen Mary 2? Oasis of the Seas' first European cruises next year, or the 2014 debut of Quantum of the Seas ? They are all proving popular, but they are being outshone by a number of cruises in March 2015 which will provide a rare opportunity to witness a total eclipse of the sun - from a position just off the Faroe islands - and the possibility [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:31+00:00 19 June 2013|Cruise Destinations|0 Comments

Luxury quiz finds the best cruise

Not sure which is the best cruise line for you? Then take this simple quiz devised by leading travel agents The Cruise Line. The official word is that works from a "complex behavioural database" to find the perfect match. Forget all that jargon, and just choose which pictures best suit your maritime mood and let the system do the rest. It worked pretty well for me, coming up with three choices that I would consider perfect for my requirements, although possibly not in my preferred 1-2-3 order. Jos Dewing, Managing Director of The Cruise Line said, "This quiz is not [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:31+00:00 18 June 2013|Cruise Entertainment|0 Comments

Woman passenger killed during cruise ship expedition to Svalbard

A passenger from an expedition cruise ship has been killed and two others are reported to have been injured when they were thrown into the sea from a rubber inflatable boat during an excursion in the Arctic. The woman, an American in her 60s, was taking part in an excursion from the 100-passenger Sea Spirit, operated by Quark Expeditions, when the incident happened yesterday. She was one of 12 being carried in a Zodiac vessel which was sightseeing near the 14th of July Glacier just outside the settlement of Longyearbyen, the administrative centre of the Svalbard archipelago. All the passengers [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:31+00:00 18 June 2013|Cruise News|5 Comments

Carnival sues BAE shipyard for £8m

Carnival Corporation has filed a claim for $12 million damages (£8 million) after one of its ships was damaged when it broke free from moorings during a violent storm. The lawsuit, against UK-based BAE Systems, claims that defective mooring equipment in its shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, failed to hold Carnival Triumph when the ship was hit by winds of up to 66 mph. The ship was towed into Mobile from the Gulf of Mexico in February, after an engine room fire left it crippled and without power. After disembarking 4,200 passengers, the 101,000-ton vessel was taken to BAE's yard for [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:31+00:00 18 June 2013|Cruise News|0 Comments

Victoria gets a new Verandah

Cunard's Queen Victoria has a new Verandah - not a cabin balcony this time but a restaurant to match the one that has proved to be such a success on sister ship Queen Elizabeth. It replaces the Todd English speciality restaurant on Deck 2, just off the Grand Lobby. How long now before Victoria's Chart Room bar is replaced with a Britannia Club restaurant like the one which has been a hit on Elizabeth? Todd English is an American celebrity chef - he opened his first Olives restaurant in Boston in 1989 and it was followed by one in Bellagios, [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:31+00:00 17 June 2013|Cruise Food & Drink|0 Comments

How can fear of high fares be putting British holidaymakers off cruises?

More British holidaymakers than ever before are thinking of taking a cruise, according to the results of a YouGov survey published today. The prospect of waking up in a different destination each morning led a third of travellers questioned to say they would be tempted by a cruise if the cost was comparable to an all-inclusive resort on land. Astonishingly, despite the advertising bombardments on TV, in newspapers, and online, 40 per cent of the people questioned by YouGov thought cruises were too expensive, especially with the added cost of drinks and gratuities. Where have these people been hiding? How [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:31+00:00 17 June 2013|Cruise News|0 Comments

Royal Princess naming in pictures

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, with Princess Cruises CEO Alan Buckelew, Mrs Buckelew, and the Bishop of Winchester Natasha Bedingfield performing "Unwritten" Kate with Princess Cruises CEO Alan Buckelew and Mrs Buckelew. Behind them are Lord and Lady Sterling Mass Ensemble, performing "Into The Flow" Capt Tony Draper invites the Duchess to "name my ship" The Duchess talks to Isobel and Charles Rowbotham, who presented her with the scissors to cut the rope I name this ship Royal Princess. May God bless her and all who sail in her

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:31+00:00 14 June 2013|Cruise Ships|0 Comments