Updates on exceptional cruise deals and last-minute offers

Maiden’s over in just 29 minutes

There were mixed fortunes for P&O and Cunard this week when they put cruises on their two new ships on sale for the first time. The October 2010 maiden voyage of Queen Elizabeth sold out in just 29 minutes and 14 seconds, making it the fastest-selling in Cunard's history. Fares for the 13-night cruise to the Canary Islands range from £1,489 to £15,799 per person. Within 90 minutes of going on sale at 1.00 pm today, half of the cabins available on the six-voyage maiden season had been snapped up - that's more than 6,000 passengers putting down their deposits. [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:45+00:00 1 April 2009|Cruise Deals, Cruise News|0 Comments

Rocking the boat on a smooth cruise

As The Boat That Rocked, Richard Curtis's homage to the sixties hey-day of pirate radio opens in cinemas this week, Tony Blackburn is busy planning his own return to the ocean waves in the summer. The one-time Radio Caroline DJ is hosting a seven-night Smooth Radio cruise on board Ocean Village, sailing round the Western Mediterranean from June 2. OV's head of marketing, Gill Haynes, says: "Tony will go down a storm on board. His mix of charm, charisma, corny jokes and classic tracks make the perfect ingredients for a great holiday night out." Not sure you should be talking [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:45+00:00 30 March 2009|Cruise Deals, Cruise Destinations|0 Comments

Latest cruise deals from Doc Holiday

Everyone, it seems, is choosing to go cruising. The Passenger Shipping Association (PSA) has announced another record year for the UK cruise industry with nearly 1.5 million passengers getting onboard in 2008 - up 11% on 2007. The latest figures reveal a 23% increase in the number of people joining their cruise in a UK port while the number of fly-cruise passengers was up by 4%. Meanwhile Cruise118.com is offering a seven-night Mediterranean cruise, with fares starting from £499. The ship departs Palma De Mallorca on March 31 calling at Olbia (Italy), Civitavecchia (Rome), La Spezia (Italy), Villefranche (France) and [...]

By John Honeywell| 2009-03-28T00:00:00+00:00 28 March 2009|Cruise Deals|1 Comment

Buy one, get one (almost) free with MSC

The 2010 brochure from Italian line MSC cruises is out this week, with details of the 136 different itineraries available on their fleet, which will total 11 ships by next spring. But don't rush out to book them just yet. I can disclose that MSC are about to repeat - for a limited period - their "buy one, get one for £1" deal which proved so popular last year. Passengers will be able to book any 2010 cruise at brochure price, and pay £1 for a second adult sharing the same cabin. Together with their offer that children under 18 [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:45+00:00 26 March 2009|Cruise Deals|0 Comments

Book now for best cruise bargains

Has there ever been a better time to book a cruise? I don't think so. Cruise lines and travel agents, with extra capacity to fill and fearing the effects of the recession, have been offering never-to-be-repeated prices. Some customers, determined to have a holiday no matter what, have been cutting their spending on clothes or nights out to make sure they can still pay for their week or fortnight at sea. Others, suddenly realising that the ever-falling interest rates have cut their monthly mortgage payments dramatically, have discovered that they can afford a cruise after all. Which is why Royal [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:46+00:00 10 March 2009|Cruise Deals|2 Comments

Take a cruise to the Moon

The middle of the ocean is a great place for star-gazing, although when amateur astronomer and popular P&O cruise director Leon de St Croix organises a session on deck, it’s often a guarantee of a cloudy night. NASA astronaut Walter Cunningham should expect some clear nights, however, when he joins Fred Olsen’s Black Watch for a 13-night cruise from Dover to the Canary Islands in April. Cunningham was the lunar module pilot on board Apollo 7, the first manned spacecraft in the Apollo missions. He spent 11 days in space in October 1968. Together with marine historian Dr Robert Cartwright, [...]

By John Honeywell| 2009-02-18T11:36:39+00:00 18 February 2009|Cruise Deals, Cruise Destinations|0 Comments

Cruise Costa with Ryanair

Italian cruise line Costa is Europe’s biggest and busiest, carrying 1.2 million passengers on its fleet of 12 ships in 2008. Five more ships will be sailing under the yellow Costa funnel by 2012, three of them within the next 12 months. Up until now, the line has been a small player in the UK market, but that may be about to change with the announcement today that Costa is teaming up with Ryanair. Customers using the Ryanair website will be able to book Costa cruises from 50 departure ports throughout Europe, including Barcelona, Civitavecchia (for Rome), Marseille, Palermo, Savona [...]

By John Honeywell| 2009-02-16T16:46:48+00:00 16 February 2009|Cruise Deals, Cruise News|0 Comments

Why not marry on a Love Boat?

It’s Valentine’s Day, and if thoughts are turning from a sweet little card, a romantic meal and a bottle of pink fizz, towards a proposal and a diamond ring, then what better than a wedding on a cruise ship? A record number of couples are choosing to marry at sea, and it can’t simply be because it’s an easy way to combine the ceremony with the honeymoon. There were three weddings today on Arcadia, which is currently cruising off southern Australia, and there were six during my two-week Caribbean cruise on Ventura last year. In 2008 a total of 371 [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:47+00:00 14 February 2009|Cruise Deals, Cruise News|0 Comments

Great cruise deals with the Mirror

Today’s Daily Mirror contains an eight-page supplement with some fantastic cruise offers. Seven nights sailing in the Mediterranean from £399; three nights in Las Vegas followed by a 7-night cruise in Alaska, from £969; a 15-night far eastern adventure to Singapore and Indonesia for £1,339. These are just some of the offers available from Costa, MSC, Ocean Village, Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, and Holland America. If you can’t get hold of a copy of today’s Mirror, take a look at the Cruise Collection at mirrortraveloffers.co.uk.

By John Honeywell| 2009-02-05T10:22:32+00:00 5 February 2009|Cruise Deals, Cruise News|0 Comments