Cruise Entertainment - Page 14 of 17

Together in Estonian dreams

Was it the sun, was it too much of the local Saku lager; or was it the fact that I haven't had a cigarette for two days? Whatever the reason, I thought I was hallucinating this morning. Walking towards me, through the cobbled streets of Tallinn, were Elton John and Hot Chocolate's Erroll Brown. The Rocket Man and You Sexy Thing, together in Estonian dreams? It took me a moment to realise that they were in fact John Ellis and Kennie Simon, lookalikes whose tribute acts have been packing the Manhattan cabaret lounge on Azura this week. Along with thousands [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:27+00:00 31 May 2010|Cruise Destinations, Cruise Entertainment|0 Comments

Storm in an afternoon teacup?

A generous pot Earl Grey, cucumber sandwiches, warm scones with jam and cream, served by crisply-dressed waiters wearing pristine white gloves. They are all part of the tradition of afternoon tea which many British cruise ship passengers set their clocks by. It's one of the favourite social occasions of the day, often accompanied by a string quartet, a pianist, or even a harpist. I have seen passengers queuing for the best tables in the Queens Room on Cunard's Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria. The Discovery Lounge on Saga Pearl II was packed every afternoon during my recent cruise to [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:28+00:00 24 May 2010|Cruise Entertainment, Cruise Gossip, Cruise News|1 Comment

Stormy weather? You’re bluffing

The message from the bridge was stark. As Saga Pearl II's passengers relaxed over afternoon tea, Captain David Warden-Owen came on the public address to warn that once we left the shelter of Alesund harbour and headed out into the North Sea, we were in for a rough ride. The icy northerly winds which have been chilling Britain for the past few days were blasting down the Norwegian coastline, whipping up three-metre seas. As we had to be in Bergen by the morning, there was no way of taking shelter or avoiding the conditions. It wasn't quite "batten down the [...]

By John Honeywell| 2010-05-12T11:27:06+00:00 12 May 2010|Cruise Entertainment, Cruise Gossip|0 Comments

Legendary shows on Epic

If Celebrity Eclipse has one of the most exciting restaurants at sea, then another new ship launching this year promises to provide some of the most spectacular entertainment. The line-up of shows on board Norwegian Epic will be stellar - including a number of shows which are big crowd-pullers in Vegas and Orlando. Legends in Concert features some of the best tribute acts in the world. Take a look at Elvis Presley, Michael Jackson and Marilyn Monroe in the video below. Cirque Dreams is a restaurant and circus cabaret combined. There's a sneak preview in this video. The show I [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:28+00:00 3 May 2010|Cruise Entertainment|0 Comments

Cruise ship is home to the world’s most extraordinary restaurant

Here and there on Celebrity Eclipse there are little touches which set it apart from its older sisters, Solstice and Equinox. The living tree in the central atrium, for example, grows in a giant pearl, suspended on elegantly curving tubes rather than the rather brutish girders which support the plant pot - albeit a Svarowski Crystal plant pot - on Equinox, and the entrance to the lavish spa area has been re-modelled and improved. But what really sets Eclipse apart is the Qsine restaurant - it's like nothing else on earth, or at sea. You might think the food sounds [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:28+00:00 29 April 2010|Cruise Entertainment|1 Comment

World Cup screenings at sea

There will be two groups of passengers on cruise ships this summer - those desperate to keep up with the latest exploits of Rooney, Ronaldo, Messi and Drogba in the World Cup, and those who have taken to the sea in the hope of avoiding wall-to-wall TV coverage from South Africa. As the opening date of June 11 grows closer, and more cruise lines announce that they have paid for rights to screen matches, it's beginning to look like the fans will have the upper hand. England supporters sailing with P&O, Cunard and Ocean Village will be able to watch [...]

By John Honeywell| 2010-04-09T00:50:19+00:00 9 April 2010|Cruise Entertainment, Cruise News|0 Comments

Tambourine Man takes a cruise

I make no apologies for returning to Alastair Greener's We Are Cunard blog today, because it includes an interview with one of my musical heroes - Roger McGuinn of The Byrds. There's even an impromptu performance of Mr Tambourine Man, and a guest blog written by the man himself, who sailed on Queen Victoria from New York to San Francisco last month. As well as entertaining passengers with two talks about his life and career, Roger and his wife Camilla hosted a couple of sailaway parties on the balcony of his cabin and was a hit with his fellow guests [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:33+00:00 15 February 2010|Cruise Entertainment|1 Comment

Crown Princess a real Love Boat

The TV series Love Boat was filmed on board Princess cruise ships, and the line regularly tops polls of romantic venues. So it's no surprise to see 300 couples here renewing their wedding vows in a group ceremony on board Crown Princess on St Valentine's Day. They are all taking part in a special Romance Summit-themed cruise and have been joined by US reality TV stars Trista and Ryan Sutter, whose television wedding in 2003 was watched by an audience of 26 million. The couple clearly enjoy their cruises - they were chosen to be godparents to sister ship Ruby [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:33+00:00 14 February 2010|Cruise Entertainment|1 Comment

Is this really top of the bill?

The launch of P&O's newest cruise ship, Azura, will be one of the highlights of 2010 with prima ballerina Darcey Bussell an elegant and glamorous godmother. Passengers booked on her maiden voyage, a 16-night Mediterranean cruise leaving Southampton on April 12, will no doubt be looking forward to spectacular evenings of entertainment in the ship's 800-seat theatre to match the splendour of destinations such as Dubrovnik and Venice. I wonder how many will be impressed by the line-up announced today. Topping the bill is tenor Russell "The Voice" Watson, and he will be joined by Claire Sweeney and Gary Wilmot. [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:33+00:00 9 February 2010|Cruise Entertainment|1 Comment

TV makes life on board Costa Serena look far from serene

According to cruise director Federica Giammarioli - in five different languages - Costa Serena is one of the most beautiful ships in the world. According to the narrator of a new TV series, it's one of the world's most spectacular cruise ships. And if you can stand the tension over the next six weeks it will be the most watched cruise ship in the world, as the star of Cruise Ship Diaries - in glorious HD (that's high drama as well as high definition). The series promises to take us behind the scenes among the 1,000 crew who look after [...]