Cruise Entertainment - Page 8 of 17

Are guns the next winning formula?

Stand in the middle of one of the frenetic casinos on a modern cruise ship, and you might almost think you're in Las Vegas. There's big money to be won - and lost - on the nerve-jangling, flashing slot machines, card games and roulette. One lucky punter paid for his cruise and a few more besides when he collected an eye-watering $235,000 (£168,000) on the craps table in Queen Mary 2's Empire Casino (above). Some cruise lines even have special programs for high rollers, although they are reluctant to talk about them too widely. After all, how many passengers would [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:50+00:00 23 April 2012|Cruise Entertainment|0 Comments

Of all the films in all the world …

First port of call on Saga Ruby's mystery cruise last December was a north African city which has for decades been synonymous with glamour and romance - among people who have never been there. For the passengers who stepped ashore in an industrial container port shrouded in dust from the phosphates being loaded from silos into a cargo ship, and with its once-elegant boulevards a shadow of their former selves, Casablanca did not exactly live up to the image created by Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. In fact some, who had visited the Moroccan city on earlier travels, chose to [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:51+00:00 3 April 2012|Cruise Entertainment|0 Comments

Strictly steps out on Oriana

Acid-tongued Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood will be taking to the sea this summer as the hit BBC show goes cruising. He will join dancers Natalie Lowe, Ian Waite, Katya Virshilas and Pasha Kovalev (above) on board P&O's Oriana sailing to the Canary Islands in May, and returns to the ship in July with another line-up of dancers, including Kristina Rihanoff and Robin Windsor, for a voyage to the Norwegian fjords. As well as watching the programme's professionals show off their award-winning routines, passengers will also be able to see a collection of the exquisitely intricate costumes worn [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:52+00:00 13 March 2012|Cruise Entertainment|0 Comments

A new story as Infinity announces cruises from Harwich and beyond

With annual UK passenger numbers nudging the 100,000 mark, Celebrity Cruises have announced that it will have a second ship sailing from Britain next year. The 11-year-old Celebrity Infinity, carrying 2,200 passengers, will be based in Harwich during summer 2013, embarking on voyages to Norway, Iceland, and around the British Isles. Celebrity president Dan Hanrahan, in London last night to launch the company's new partnership with wine specialists Vinopolis, announced that the ship would arrive in May 2013 for a season lasting until October. It is expected to include a range of 10, 11, and 12-night voyages to the fjords [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:53+00:00 23 February 2012|Cruise Destinations, Cruise Entertainment|1 Comment

Wow! There’s so much to keep us busy during a restful day at sea

Seven days in the Caribbean on the biggest cruise ship in the world. Diary of a week on board Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas MONDAY: We are at sea for the first full day of this cruise, which will take us from Fort Lauderdale to Royal Caribbean's private resort of Labadee on the north coast of Haiti; on to the newly-developed port of Falmouth, in Jamaica, and then to Cozumerl, off the coast of Mexico. No need to rush then, and I took the chance of a lie-in to catch up on sleep lost during the previous couple of [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:54+00:00 13 February 2012|Cruise Entertainment, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

It’s all about the motion of the ocean: cruises are sexy and you know it

Good to see the cruise industry can't resist jumping (if you'll pardon the expression) on the Valentine's Day bandwagon with a typically topical piece of promotion. A survey has discovered that 90 per cent of people questioned rated sex as the top item on their cruise itinerary. Half of those taking part said they were more likely to "be intimate" during a cruise than on a holiday ashore, and almost two-thirds said that sex on their last cruise was better than normal, while a quarter chose their cabin balcony for those close encounters. Here's the money shot for Royal Caribbean, [...]

By John Honeywell| 2012-02-13T12:19:51+00:00 13 February 2012|Cruise Entertainment|0 Comments

Meet Bernie the Cunard bear

Commodore Bernard Warner may have left the Cunard fleet, but he has not been forgotten. The collectors' item teddy bear on sale on the line's ships this year has been named in his honour, following a Facebook poll among passengers. I would love to know what Bernard, who retired last April after 42 years at sea, has to say about his namesake. I'm guessing he would think it is "marvellous." Passengers on Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth this year will be able to buy Bernie the Bear for $24.99.

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:54+00:00 8 February 2012|Cruise Entertainment|3 Comments

AWT pulls out of cruise with MSC

Shamed chef Anthony Worrall-Thompson - cautioned by police after being caught shoplifting from his local Tesco supermarket - has withdrawn from guest appearances on MSC cruise ship Splendida. The TV chef will be replaced by Michelin-starred Paul Rankin who joins the ship in Barcelona on February 5. A statement on MSC's website said it was making the announcement "with regret," but made no mention of Worrall-Thompson's recent troubles. A spokesperson later added: "In the wake of the coverage which appeared in the media and Mr Thompson's own public announcement of his desire to seek appropriate treatment for his condition, we [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:56+00:00 26 January 2012|Cruise Entertainment, Cruise Food & Drink, Cruise News|0 Comments

Iron Lady is pushing the boat out

The last time my path crossed with that of Maggie Thatcher was on board Cunard's QE2, when she attended a Royal reception to mark the ship's 40th birthday, and I'm not convinced she's the best marketing tool for cruises. Others may think differently, and both Swan Hellenic and Voyages of Discovery are linking the release of the biopic The Iron Lady to their formidable line-up of guest speakers. Former Foreign Secretary Douglas (now Lord) Hurd, who served in Maggie's Cabinet, will be travelling on board the newly-refurbished Minerva for a 15-night cruise in the Adriatic. As he was in office [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:56+00:00 14 January 2012|Cruise Destinations, Cruise Entertainment, Cruise News|0 Comments

QE2 is biggest star at New Year party

Sounds like the New Year's Eve party on board QE2 was a bit of a strange affair, with the guests hardly being allowed inside the ship, and even having to use Portaloos on the outer decks rather than put a strain on the original plumbing. Lindsay Lohan had threatened legal action to prevent the organisers suggesting she was going to be attending and there was no sign of the promised Pamela Anderson - partying in Las Vegas instead. Tennis stars Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer - who were in nearby Abu Dhabi for a match - chose an early night [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:57+00:00 2 January 2012|Cruise Entertainment|0 Comments