Cruise News

I’m looking forward to a day out at Southampton’s Ageas Bowl on June 28 – not to watch the cricket, but to take part in the Planet Cruise Holiday Show. I’ve had my arm twisted to join three “expert” panels advising on Cruising for Newcomers, Where to Cruise, and Premium and Luxury Cruising – I’d better start doing my homework. The forums will be hosted by travel broadcaster Jonathan Beaumont, and the day’s events in the theatre also include presentations from Oceania Cruises, Hurtigruten, CelebrityCruises, an introduction to river cruising, and a question and answer session with Planet Cruise TV [...]

The last sailings of RMS St Helena next year will include a rare visit to the UK. The two-week trip from the remote South Atlantic island, via Tenerife, used to be a feature of the ship’s regular service, but in recent years it has been confined to a shuttle between Cape Town and Ascension, with an occasional diversion to Tristan da Cunha. The island’s first airport will open for business in May and the ship, which is the only regular link to the outside world for the 4,000 islanders, will be retired in July. The 6,700-ton vessel was built in [...]

Taking an unprecedented leap forward in technology and design, Carnival Corporation is to build four vessels powered by liquefied natural gas, which it claims will be have the biggest passenger capacity in the world The ships, carrying up to 6,600 passengers each, will measure more than 180,000 tons. Two, to be built at the Meyer-Werft yard in Germany, have been designated for Carnival’s Aida brand. No announcement has yet been made about who will operate the other two, which will be built in Turku, Finland. The multi-billion dollar deal is part of a contract already signed for the delivery of [...]

In a move designed to prevent illicit alcohol being smuggled onto its ships, cruise giant Carnival is to ban passengers from bringing bottled water and fizzy drinks on board. Only limited quantities of sealed cans or cartons will be permitted after July 9, and passengers will be given the chance to pre-order bottled water for their cabin at a reduced price. Without referring to any specific event, Carnival spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz said the new policy was designed to prevent security incidents “often with tragic consequences” which have been blamed on passengers getting drunk on alcohol not bought in [...]

Don’t Tell The Bride … but she’s going to get married on board a cruise ship, on prime time TV. The hit television series is transferring from BBC3 to BBC1 later this month, and a wedding on board MSC Lirica will be the third of six hour-long episodes to be broadcast. The production team joined Manchester-based entertainer Mark Kelly on the ship last September, as he prepared a theatrical wedding to sweetheart Kelly Roughley. The couple are no strangers to radio or television. They work together as presenters, actors, singers, a magician/illusionist duo, and children's entertainers. They used to host [...]

Farewell then, Adonia. The smallest ship in the P&O Cruises fleet will leave the UK next year and sail off to a new venture as the flagship for a social impact tourism project to be launched by the giant Carnival Corporation. Instead of carrying 710 British passengers at a time on voyages to the Mediterranean, northern Europe, or further afield to South America, the vessel will be taking voluntourists on 7-day voyages from Miami to the Dominican Republic. Travelling with the new fathom venture, they will be given the chance to work on activities such as providing clean water, planting [...]

Latest estimates put the number of spectators crowding the banks of the Mersey to see Cunard’s spectacular Three Queens event on Monday at an astonishing 1.3 million. The throng certainly looked impressive from my viewpoint on board flagship Queen Mary 2 as we headed to the mouth of the river to greet Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria, and then followed them to the Pier Head. Thousands swarmed across the beaches at Crosby and New Brighton, and they were scores deep in front of Liverpool’s Three Graces – the Liver Building, Cunard Building, and Port Authority HQ – and across the [...]

There were a few more reminders yesterday that Queen Mary 2 is not just a cruise ship but an ocean liner. Captain Christopher Wells made the point forcefully throughout his address to passengers at the Gala 175 Welcome Cocktail Party. Apologising for the fact we had felt some movement as the ship encountered near gale-force winds between Land’s End and the Irish coast, he blamed the fact that we were “pootling along” at a mere 13 knots. The ship is designed to make twice that speed on Transatlantic crossings in far worse weather. Capt Wells made several semi-apologetic references to [...]

Intense competition between mainstream operators continues to keep fares down and ensure that cruises offer some of the best holiday value available. It also encourages operators to find new ways to increase revenue. In the case of Norwegian Cruise Line , whose Norwegian Epic is now based year-round in the Mediterranean, that has resulted in a charge being made for room service. The fee of up to $7.95 per order was introduced at the beginning of April on Breakaway and Getaway and to the rest of the fleet from the beginning of May. So far, so good – nobody is [...]