All the latest cruise news from the man in the know

Princess escapes to come back new

"A cruise isn't good enough, unless we come back new." Can't say I'm entirely sold on the new slogan from Princess Cruises, or exactly what it means, but watch their video and decide for yourself whether it's a suitable replacement for the old slogan, "Escape completely."

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 27 February 2014|Cruise News|0 Comments

Princess introduces all-inclusive cruises and brings Royal back to UK

An all inclusive package will be available on one of Princess Cruises' UK-based ships for the first time next year. The offer, which forms part of the company's 2015 Europe programme, will be available on ten sailings in the Mediterranean and Northern Europe on board Caribbean Princess. The 3,000 passenger ship will set sail from the UK during spring and summer next year. Other highlights include a reduced deposit of £99 per person on all Europe cruises and an increased number of sailings across the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. The cruise line has also revealed that Royal Princess, launched last [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 25 February 2014|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Discovery diverts for repairs

Another British cruise ship has been taking a battering in the stormy weather. MV Discovery, operated by Cruise & Maritime Voyages, was returning to the UK from a winter lay-up in Greece when it ran into heavy seas. The ship - last of the TV Love Boats - is scheduled to spend a week alongside in Avonmouth in preparation for its summer season of cruises. But instead of heading straight for the Bristol Channel, it put into Falmouth for repairs to a 3-centimetre leak in the hull. A CMV spokesman said today: The vessel was subjected to severe weather conditions [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 21 February 2014|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Prop fault cuts short Oriana cruise

Cruise ship Oriana, whose progress in the past few days has been slowed by a fault in its propulsion system, is coming back early to Southampton for repairs. Passengers will be given the opportunity to remain on board while the work is carried out. Oriana left the UK on Saturday (February 15) but could not operate at normal speed because a propeller shaft bearing was overheating. P&O say that the problem had no impact on the ship's safety, although its itinerary was amended. The vessel, with about 1,800 passengers on board, was due to arrive in La Palma today but [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 20 February 2014|Cruise News|2 Comments

Cruise ship death inquiries begin, as CMV insist Marco Polo is seaworthy

Cruise & Maritime Voyages has defended itself against claims that its ship Marco Polo, on which a passenger was killed during the weekend's storms, was "badly maintained." James Swinstead, 85, died when a wave smashed windows in the ship's Waldorf restaurant at lunchtime on Valentine's Day. A 70-year-old woman passenger was airlifted to hospital and 14 others received treatment on board for minor injuries sustained when water flooded into the room. Mr Swinstead's widow, Helen, from Colchester, Essex, praised the crew for their support after her "lovely" husband's death but claimed that a"rusty puddle" under a window was an indication [...]

By John Honeywell| 2014-02-17T18:17:32+00:00 17 February 2014|Cruise News|0 Comments

Passenger dies as storm hits British cruise ship in the English Channel

An elderly passenger has been killed as a cruise ship was battered by storm-force seas returning from a six-week cruise. Another passenger was seriously injured and has been airlifted to hospital. The tragedy occurred in the Western Approaches as Cruise & Maritime Voyages' 22,000-ton Marco Polo was heading to her home port of Tilbury after a cruise to the Amazon, West Indies and the Azores. It is due in the Thames on Sunday morning Water crashed through a window injuring a number of the passengers. An 85-year-old man and a woman in her 70s were airlifted from the ship. The [...]

By John Honeywell| 2014-02-14T22:37:29+00:00 14 February 2014|Cruise News|2 Comments

Waves rule Britannia for the first time

Within hours of the lavish event which showed off some of Britannia's interior design and introduced its brigade of Food Heroes, the ship was officially floated out today. The ceremony took place at Fincantieri's Monfalcone shipyard, near Trieste, Italy. In keeping with local tradition, the ship was blessed by a priest and a bottle of Prosecco - Italian sparkling wine - was smashed against the hull by a madrina, or godmother. The woman chosen for the role was Louise Hunt, a cruise sales agent from Travel Counsellors UK. Also in keeping with tradition, a coin - in this case a [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 14 February 2014|Cruise News|0 Comments

Could it really be a Valentine’s Day massacre for last of the Love Boats?

Sad to report, on St Valentine's Day of all days, but the last of the Love Boats may soon be no more. Discovery, the former Island Princess, could be following sister ship Pacific Princess to a scrapyard grave. The vessel is owned by All Leisure - the business that has Voyages of Discovery, Swan Hellenic and Hebridean Island Cruises under its umbrella. Facing losses of £14 million for the first three quarters of 2013, the company has announced it is putting Discovery up for sale. Since spring last year, the much-loved ship has been operated in a joint venture with [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 14 February 2014|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|2 Comments

Full details of Britannia’s maiden season of cruises from Southampton

P&O Cruises' Marketing Director, Christopher Edgington joined the company only last hear, and he is new to the whole world of holidays at sea. But having seen what is planned for his line's newest ship, Britannia, he says he wants to find a way to set up his office on board. Announcing the ship's maiden season of cruises today, he said: "We have ensured that our prices remain constant throughout the year irrespective of the timing of the peak school holiday periods. We are conscious of the hardship families face when taking holidays at these time and are therefore committed [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:27+00:00 12 February 2014|Cruise Deals, Cruise News|0 Comments

What’s cooking? A brigade of food heroes for Britannia’s maiden season

Details of the maiden season for P&O's Britannia - biggest cruise ship ever to be built for the British market - have been announced. The ship's maiden voyage will be from Southampton on March 14, 2015, and the summer includes cruises to the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands, Norwegian fjords, and the Baltic. There will be a two-night short break cruise to Guernsey in July, followed by a 12-night round-Britain cruise visiting Edinburgh, Inverness, Kirkwall, Glasgow, Liverpool, Dublin, and Cork. In October, the 3,600-passenger ship will set off for winter in the Caribbean, and fares for the 14-night Transatlantic crossing, which [...]