All the latest cruise news from the man in the know

Will Ruby shine on in Rangoon?

Mystery surrounds the fate of cruise ship retiree Saga Ruby, which arrived in Gibraltar today. The last passenger vessel to have been built on the Tyne, she has reached the age - in shipping terms - at which she should have been expecting a telegram from The Queen, according to Saga Shipping MD Robin Shaw. Ruby, launched in 1972, returned to Southampton on Friday after a farewell cruise that did not go entirely to plan. A generator failure forced the Captain to cancel the entire Caribbean itinerary and instead the passengers spent Christmas in the Mediterranean - taking a 40 [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:28+00:00 13 January 2014|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|1 Comment

Bristol fashion for Boudicca

A second cruise line will be sailing out of Avonmouth Docks, this summer, following the lead set last year by Cruise & Maritime Voyages' mv Discovery. Fred Olsen's Boudicca will be setting out from the Bristol Channel on cruises to the Canaries, the Adriatic, and Iceland and Norway. Welcoming the move, James Stangroom, Business Development Manager at The Bristol Port Company, said: "As the Bristol Cruise Terminal enters its second season of operation, we are looking forward to welcoming Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines," adding that the terminal had a successful thanks to its easy access off the M5 motorway, convenient [...]

By John Honeywell| 2014-01-10T08:14:48+00:00 10 January 2014|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

Happy birthday, Queen Mary 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPHI3R-he8U It's a significant anniversary this week for Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2, celebrating her 10th birthday. There won't be much of a party when the ship returns to Southampton on Friday - that's being saved until May. But it would be unfair to let the event go unmarked, so here's a compelling collection of facts, figures and statistics. Since her spectacular naming by Her Majesty The Queen on January 8, 2004, Queen Mary 2 has undertaken a total of 419 voyages including more than 200 Transatlantic crossings. Cunard maintain she is the world's largest, longest, tallest, widest and most [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:28+00:00 9 January 2014|Cruise News|0 Comments

P&O targets the empty nesters

Looks like P&O Cruises may be picking up the baton carried by Fred Olsen's Nathan Philpot in targeting its advertising at the older generation instead of a relentless pursuit of a younger, family customer. Their latest TV commercial, which will debut on Boxing Day, is aimed at older couples who have more time and freedom now that their children have grown up and left home. It's interesting to note that in the 40-second version previewed above, the first image of a cruise ship and the first mention of P&O does not occur until 36 seconds in. Marketing director Christopher Edgington [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:28+00:00 22 December 2013|Cruise News|0 Comments

Heart-warming reunion for solo oarswoman and QM2’s Captain

Cunard flagship Queen Mary 2 was the setting for a heart-warming reunion this weekend, as solo rower Mylène Paquette took a trip on the liner which came to her rescue in mid-Atlantic. It was back in September that Captain Kevin Oprey responded to an SOS call from the French-Canadian adventuress. She had set out from Halifax, Nova Scotia on July 6, heading for Lorient, in Brittany, but lost her sea anchor and a satellite phone when her boat was hit by a storm. Queen Mary 2 greeted Mylène with three blasts on the ship's whistle and slowly circled her boat [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:28+00:00 16 December 2013|Cruise News|0 Comments

Ruby refuses to go quietly: generator fault cancels Caribbean Christmas

The last cruise ship ever built in a British shipyard is determined not to slip quietly away into retirement. Saga Ruby - built as Vistafjord at Swan Hunter on the Tyne - has thrown a final wobbly on her final cruise, which was to have been a month-long round-trip voyage from the UK to the Caribbean. One of its generators has failed, which would have left the air-conditioning plant underpowered and the ship uncomfortably steamy. Arriving in Santa Cruz on the island of Tenerife, Captain Krzysztof Majdzinski discovered repairs could not be made until a replacement part was manufactured. After [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:28+00:00 13 December 2013|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|5 Comments

Storm delays cancel Arcadia cruise

Posted on P&O Cruises' Facebook page: Unfortunately due to strong storms in Northern Europe, Arcadia has been delayed in leaving her refurbishment in Germany. As a result, we have had to take the difficult decision to cancel the two night cruise departing on Sunday. We are currently contacting all of our customers by email or phone to advise them of the cancellation. Everyone booked will be getting a full refund and a future cruise credit. There are also options for passengers to move to any other two night cruise next year. We are really sorry that we have had to [...]

By John Honeywell| 2013-12-10T15:15:37+00:00 10 December 2013|Cruise News|2 Comments

Impress me with a favourite menu and you could win a dream cruise

Think you know about food and cruise ships? Could you design a menu for a three-course dinner on board a ship? If you can, and you can impress me with it, you could win your dream cruise. The competition is being launched today by Thomson Cruises, who are looking for a menu to be featured in the Grill restaurant on their Platinum-rated ship, Thomson Dream. The Cruise Kitchen menu creator allows entrants to choose from a selection of ingredients to build their dream dinner, deciding on the central element of each disch - whether it be duck, scallops or venison [...]

By John Honeywell| 2013-12-06T14:04:11+00:00 6 December 2013|Cruise Food & Drink, Cruise News|2 Comments

Cruise passengers return to the Nile

Updated advice from the Foreign Office has allowed travel company Discover Egypt to resume cruises on the Nile. More than 50 British passengers are on board for a seven-night cruise which departed on Monday, the company's first for five months. Fares are as low as £799 per person including flights from London and Manchester and up to 10 guided excursions in Egypt. There are no single supplements and add-ons include a visit to the Pyramids for £60, an additional week in a Luxor hotel from £149, or at a Red Sea resort for £299. Sales director Philip Breckner said: "There [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T15:59:28+00:00 5 December 2013|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

Money-back promise from Fred

MY COLUMN FROM SATURDAY'S DAILY MIRROR Not sure whether you would enjoy a cruise? Now there's a way to find out that could cost absolutely nothing except time. Fred Olsen Cruise Lines' Enjoyment Promise will give any customer who has not travelled on the company's ships before the chance to try a cruise and to get their money back if the don't enjoy it. What's more, having made the decision - and it has to be within 48 hours of boarding - they will be flown home at Olsen's expense. The scheme will be launched on Monday [December 2] and [...]

By John Honeywell| 2013-12-01T12:10:37+00:00 1 December 2013|Cruise Deals, Cruise News|1 Comment