Your guide to news from cruise destinations around the world

Your guide to the latest news and updates from cruise destinations and ports of call around the world. Mediterranean, Europe, Caribbean, Alaska, South America, south-east Asia, Australasia, Arctic, Antarctica, Middle East. Southampton, Barcelona, Rome, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Barbados, Panama, Norway, Dubai, Bahamas, Abu Dhabi, Sydney, Auckland, Wellington, Baltic, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki, St Petersburg, Marseille, Athens, Greece, Venice, Dubrovnik, Corfu, Malta, Sicily, Sardinia, Naples, Santorini, Mykonos, Le Havre, Amsterdam, Bruges, Dublin, Belfast, Edinburgh, Kirkwall, Bergen, Svalbard, Iceland, Reykjavik, Costa Rica, Dominica, Puerto Rico, New York, Vancouver, Seattle, Skagway, Juneau, China, Shanghai, Singapore, Myanmar, Thailand,

P&O Cruises re-routes ships to avoid Norwegian ports closed by strike

The Norwegian pilots' strike has forced P&O to devise completely new itineraries for two cruises departing from Southampton this weekend. Azura leaves on Saturday and was scheduled to take her 3,000 passengers on a seven-night voyage to Stavanger, Flåm, Olden and Bergen. Instead of cruising in the fjords, they will now travel to Zeebrugge, Rotterdam, Copenhagen and Gothenburg. Adonia, departing on Sunday, should have been taking a 14-night voyage along the Norwegian coast to North Cape and the Midnight Sun. Now her 700 passengers will be diverted to Iceland and the Faeroes, with calls in Ireland and Scotland en route. [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:48+00:00 1 June 2012|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|8 Comments

Devil in the detail for UK cruises

According to figures issued this week by CruiseBritain, a total of 666 cruises will depart from British ports in 2012. Somebody should have a word and get one added to or removed from the list. Don't they realise it's the Number of the Beast? Lucky or not, it represents a 17 per cent increase on last year's figures, with departures to destinations as far afield as South America, the Caribbean, Baltic, Mediterranean and America. In addition, the number of round-Britain cruises will increase to more than 100 for the first time, and are up 33 per cent year-on-year. Passengers will [...]

By John Honeywell| 2012-06-01T10:28:17+00:00 1 June 2012|Cruise Destinations|0 Comments

Cruise ship Countess brings Jubilee cheer to disappointed Highland town

The people of Fort William were left disappointed last weekend when a cruise ship failed to turn up as expected. Local businesses had taken on extra staff, and restaurants and takeaways doubled their food orders in anticipation of the arrival of 800 passengers on board Marco Polo. The visit was called off when the ship's captain decided he was not prepared to take the 580-ft long vessel through the Corran Narrows and into upper Loch Linnhe without the assistance of a qualified pilot. Apologising for the disappointment, operator Cruise & Maritime Voyages assured Fort William that next Monday's planned visit [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:48+00:00 1 June 2012|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

Pilots’ strike disrupts fjords cruises

Just at the time of year when cruises to the fjords should be reaching their seasonal peak, the strike among Norwegian pilots is beginning to cause huge disruption. Many ships are having to switch ports at the last minute or drop calls altogether and spend unscheduled days at sea. One ship has abandoned Norway completely for the week and will instead travel to ports in Germany, Denmark and Sweden. The capital city, Oslo, is completely off-limits to visiting cruise ships and those - such as Vision of the Seas - which use the port for turnarounds, have been forced to [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:48+00:00 31 May 2012|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

Strike threatens cruises to the fjords

Cruises to Norway could be threatened by a strike among pilot boat skippers if the industrial action which has disrupted visits to Oslo spreads to the rest of the country. Royal Caribbean's Vision of the Seas was unable to dock in the Norwegian capital at the weekend, and passengers were instead embarked and disembarked at Gothenburg, Sweden, about 180 miles and three-and-a-half hours away by coach. Yesterday, Holland America's Rotterdam diverted to Sandefjord, about 76 miles away. Shuttle buses took passengers into Oslo and other excursions operated with minor inconvenience. Star Flyer and Emerald Princess were both turned away from [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:49+00:00 29 May 2012|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

Cruising where eagles dare

After the National Day celebrations on Hurtigruten's Midnatsol last week came the real highlight of my two days aboard - the Sea Eagle Safari. Wrapped up against a chill wind, our group boarded a smaller boat and, noticing a basket of bread and a box of fish I wondered for a moment whether I had not accidentally stumbled on a re-enactment of the Biblical feeding of the five thousand. But of course the bread was to attract hundreds of gulls, who were confident enough to eat from the crew's hands. They came in such multitudes that at times it was [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:49+00:00 25 May 2012|Cruise Destinations|0 Comments

How to celebrate National Day

So, Nasjonaldagen, what's that all about? A celebration of Norway's National Day and also known as Constitution Day, it is held on May 17 each year to commemorate the country's independence. And the Norwegians make a big thing of it, taking a day off work, dressing in national costume, parading through the streets behind the local brass band, waving flags, shouting loud "hoorahs" at every opportunity, and tucking into substantial feasts. On board Hurtigruten's MV Midnatsol, the festivities began with a speech from Captain Kjell Jonassen before passengers walked in sedate procession around the upper deck behind banners which they [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:49+00:00 22 May 2012|Cruise Destinations|0 Comments

Luxury way to explore the UK coast

Luxury expedition vessel Silver Explorer is on a ground-breaking cruise around the UK, yesterday becoming the first cruise ship to visit Lyme Regis. I'm off to see her in Dartmouth today and I'm hoping to meet Canadian cruise blogger Aaron Saunders, who embarked in Portsmouth on Saturday and will be on board until the ship reaches Greenock on May 30. Judging by his first reports, he is already enjoying himself immensely on the 6,000-ton ship which was recently known as Prince Albert II. Carrying just 132 passengers, and with a crew of 111, Explorer takes its guests off the beaten [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:49+00:00 21 May 2012|Cruise Destinations, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Northern sights: By kayak to the Arctic in the light of the midnight sun

Even if the England football team scored 10 goals in Oslo next Saturday, their smiles could not be any broader than the one on my face after my trip to Norway this week. Who would have thought I would be afloat in the sea, 217 miles inside the Arctic Circle, in something as small and flimsy as a kayak? But that's what I found myself in shortly after arriving in Tromsø. The first sighting of eagles came that very evening, as I paddled past a nest in a tree just yards from the shore of Kvaløya - the Whale Island. [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:49+00:00 21 May 2012|Cruise Destinations, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

My picture of the year

I have plenty to tell you about my three days on board Hurtigruten's Midnatsol this week, travelling along the coast of Norway from Tromso to Trondheim. But it will be a day or two before I get time to write about it - the days might be long in this part of the world at this time of year, but they are also packed with places to go and things to do. Just to give you an idea of what to expect, here's a sea eagle photographed on yesterday's excursion in the Lofoten islands. Knowing how inept I am with [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:49+00:00 18 May 2012|Cruise Destinations|1 Comment