All the latest cruise news from the man in the know

Is the QE2 pining for home?

The distinctive red funnel of the liner Queen Elizabeth 2 still stands proudly - if a little incongruously - in Dubai's Port Rashid. It rose through the mist and dust as I arrived at the port last Monday, although much of the ship was concealed behind huge heaps of stone and rubble on the quayside. It was almost as if Nakheel, who bought the ship for $50 million, and had ambitious plans to spend millions more converting it into a luxury hotel, had grown ashamed of the vessel and their ownership of it. As Rob Lightbody, of The QE2 Story [...]

By John Honeywell| 2011-02-04T08:22:56+00:00 4 February 2011|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News, Cruise Ships|2 Comments

All ashore that’s going ashore!

When Brilliance of the Seas reaches Abu Dhabi on Saturday morning I will be jumping in a taxi and racing to Yas island to visit the Ferrari World theme park. Next day in Dubai I'll be taking a bus tour of the city and a trip up the Burj Khalifa tower, tallest building in the world. A couple of days ago I was riding in a 4WD LandCruiser on a thrilling dune-bashing expedition in the desert, and for the past few days I have been exploring Muscat, the capital of Oman, courtesy of Panorama Tours (more of whom later). The [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:11+00:00 4 February 2011|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|2 Comments

Celebration dodges riots in Egypt

Watching from a comfortable berth on a cruise ship in the Gulf as mass protests seem to be about to usher in world-changing events, it can be difficult to appreciate the enormity of what is happening in Egypt. I am visiting states run by benevolent rulers - whose coffers are filled by the Western demand for oil - who guarantee their futures by providing their grateful subjects with free homes, free education, free healthcare . . . and as I discovered today, petrol at 30p a litre While my ship, Brilliance of the Seas, sails on to Muscat, passengers on [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:11+00:00 1 February 2011|Cruise News|2 Comments

Fred’s fares still feeling fuel effect

Fred. Olsen must have been stung by reaction to their individual approach to fuel surcharges, adding a percentage to each passenger's cruise fare rather than charging a fixed amount per day, which is what many other lines have done. How else to explain a press release issued today seeking to "clarify our position"? They have also promised to refund the supplement - in the form of on-board credit - if the benchmark price of Brent Crude oil falls below £45 a barrel - an event as likely as my winning the lottery and waking up next to Gwyneth Paltrow. On [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:11+00:00 1 February 2011|Cruise News|0 Comments

Olympic challenge for Azamara

Boutique cruise line Azamara Club Cruises could be sailing both its ships, the Quest and the Journey, into London to provide accommodation for sports fans visiting the London Olympics, according to CEO Larry Pimentel who was in town this week. The company is open to offers for full-boat charters, or could arrange its 2012 itineraries around the Games. They will have to make a decision soon, because the best berths have already been snapped up. Luxury line Silversea will have its 296-passenger Silver Cloud berthed alongside HMS Belfast at Tower Bridge, and the 388-passenger Silver Whisper at Greenwich. Unless the [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:11+00:00 28 January 2011|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Is there any way to escape fuel supplements on top of cruise fares?

The rising cost of fuel is about to hit cruise fares, and a number of UK lines have recently announced they are imposing fuel supplements - or in some cases increasing their surcharges. Passengers hate them, cruise lines don't like imposing them, but they are an inevitable result of the record price of oil, which anyone who has to fill a car with petrol or diesel can't help noticing. The black stuff in ships' bunkers looks rather different from what flows out of the pump at a filling station - it's what's left after lighter fuels have been distilled off [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:11+00:00 26 January 2011|Cruise News|0 Comments

QE2’s master takes over lighthouses

Congratulations to Captain Ian McNaught, former master of Queen Elizabeth 2, who has found a new berth as Deputy Master of Trinity House, which looks after the lighthouses around the British coast. After 40 years at sea, more than 20 of them with Cunard, he finally gets a home posting. Captain McNaught, 56, a Wearsider from Washington, was in command of QE2 when it sailed off to retirement in Dubai in November 2009. He hosted a lunch for Prince Philip - who is Master of Trinity House - and made an emotional speech before the ship left Southampton for the [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:11+00:00 26 January 2011|Cruise News|0 Comments

Three ships together for third time

Somebody please tell Cunard's Alastair Greener, entertainment director on board Queen Elizabeth, that the Royal Rendezvous in New York earlier this month was not the second time the line's three ships have been together in port. True, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria were in New York harbour together with Queen Elizabeth 2 in January 2008 - the first time such a gathering had ever taken place. But the vessels were reunited in Southampton on April 22 that year before QE2 sailed off to retirement eight months later So when Elizabeth joined Mary and Victoria in New York on January [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:11+00:00 25 January 2011|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Royal Caribbean to introduce single cabins – would you Adam and Eve it?

I'll be re-acquainting myself with life on board a Royal Caribbean ship next week, cruising from Dubai on board Brilliance of the Seas. For once, I'll have Mrs Greybeard with me - she had to stay at home when I was invited to the inaugural cruises of both Oasis and Allure of the Seas, although she did impress on her Louboutin heels when Independence of the Seas was launched in Southampton. We'll be sharing a double cabin, and even if I was alone it would be impossible to have anything else because until now Royal has ignored the growing movement [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:12+00:00 25 January 2011|Cruise Food & Drink, Cruise News, Cruise Ships|1 Comment

Cunard sails on to victory

Congratulations to Cunard, who have topped a UK poll to choose the best cruise line for the third year in a row. Their ship Queen Victoria also picked up three gongs, for best ship, best food, and best excursions in the annual survey published by cruise.co.uk The results of the survey are compiled from the star ratings (from one to five) given by passengers submitting reviews to the website, and Cunard president Peter Shanks said: "This is a particularly valuable award as the voters are people who actually go on cruises and they know what they are talking about. It [...]