Cruise Entertainment

There was a second writer who caught my eye while on board a ship this year. After David Nobbs I discovered Joanne Harris, the author of 15 books including Chocolat and Runemarks, was at sea. Not exactly on a cruise, however. She travelled on a Transatlantic crossing aboard Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2, spent a week in New York, and then sailed back to Southampton talking and Tweeting all the way. On the westbound journey she was part of a literary double act, and appeared to love her new environment from the first minute. "My stateroom has orchids, Champagne and [...]

Perhaps they were expecting Mary Sunshine, the ace reporter from the musical Chicago. But as the character is often played on stage by a large transvestite with an operatic voice, they were going to be disappointed when I turned up. I can't sing and I don't wear dresses How was I going to razzle dazzle the stars of the feature show on board the biggest cruise ship in the world? Which though it is performed at sea, is pretty near the full Broadway production, in the 1,400-seat Amber Theatre with facilities - back stage and front of house - better [...]

For many, a Transatlantic crossing is the purest form of cruising there are no ports of call to interrupt the pleasure of being on board a ship for seven days (or more) sailing between Southampton and New York. There's all the time in the world, with nothing to do and not enough time to do it in, especially travelling westbound, when the time changes give you an extra hour on five days. In fact there's no shortage of activities to keep you occupied, even if the wind across your balcony as the ship ploughs through the grey seas of the [...]