All the latest cruise news from the man in the know

Time to wave Mexico goodbye?

With all eyes on the launch of Disney Dream last week, the arrival of sister ship Disney Wonder into its new home port of Los Angeles was a relatively low-key affair. For the next few months until it begins a season of cruises to Alaska from Vancouver - a first for Disney - the ship will be operating seven-night cruises to the Mexican Riviera. Strange timing, some think, because Disney's return to the region - the Disney Magic enjoyed a sold-out season of cruises here in 2008 - comes just at a time when other cruise lines are moving their [...]

By John Honeywell| 2011-01-23T10:17:57+00:00 23 January 2011|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|5 Comments

Follow me to the Disney Dream

I'm in Florida this week, and looking forward to the christening of Disney Dream. Not only will I be at the ceremony in Port Canaveral on Wednesday morning, I'll also be joining the ship for a two-day cruise to the private resort of Castaway Cay in the Bahamas. As if that's not enough, on Tuesday I'll be given a preview of the new Wild Africa Trek at Walt Disney World in Orlando. If I survive the crocodiles and the hippos, I want to be in the front row to see who has the privilege of being fairy godmother to Disney [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:12+00:00 18 January 2011|Cruise News|0 Comments

This is worth a thousand words

The last word for now on that Cunard Royal Rendezvous. And I'll let the picture do the talking. This view of the Statue of Liberty saluting Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth as they sail out of New York harbour, with the Empire State Building lit up in red, is simply stunning. Click on the picture to see a bigger version.

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:13+00:00 14 January 2011|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Cunard Commodore drops a clanger

Well, the fireworks for Cunard's Royal Rendezvous in New York were certainly spectacular, as this video from my pal Scott shows. Thousands of people lined the Hudson River to watch the show, despite freezing temperatures, but to get the best view, you had to be one of the passengers. Queen Mary 2 led the way down the Hudson and is now heading for Montevideo as part of a world cruise which will take it to Cape Town, Australia and New Zealand, and then back to the UK via China, Singapore, India and the Suez Canal. Next in line was Queen [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:13+00:00 14 January 2011|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Pirate Adventure in the Indian Ocean

The plucky little cruise ship Spirit of Adventure certainly lives up to its name, shrugging off a suspected encounter with pirates in the Indian Ocean yesterday. Passengers had just sat down to a black tie dinner as the ship sailed from Madagascar towards Zanzibar when they were ordered to leave the restaurant and were locked away in a lounge area which had been designated a safe room. A small speedboat had been spotted off the stern of the 9,500-ton cruise ship, and as crew on the bridge contacted the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Captain Frank Allica ordered full speed ahead [...]

By John Honeywell| 2011-01-13T10:14:22+00:00 13 January 2011|Cruise News|0 Comments

Best places to watch the 3 Queens

Jaunted, which describes itself as "the pop culture travel guide for globetrotters, business road dogs, and arm chair travellers," is looking forward to Cunard's Royal Rendezvous in New York tomorrow. Their video (above) shows QE2 leaving Manhattan Piers at the similar get-together three years ago. They have produced a guide to the best places for New Yorkers to watch the event, and they report that the Empire State Building will be lit up in red to mark the occasion. The 2008 event has also taught them a lesson. Back then, QE2 was a little late casting its lines and heading [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:13+00:00 12 January 2011|Cruise News|0 Comments

Carnival the new wizards of Oz?

You've got to feel sorry for Australians, haven't you? Their cricket team is getting hit for six by England, and vast areas of a country accustomed to drought and forest fires are currently under water as Queensland is hit by floods of Biblical proportions. At least they've got something to look forward to - Carnival Cruise Line announced today that it is basing a ship in Australia for the first time next year, sailing eight and 12-night cruises to the Pacific islands, and 13-night voyages to New Zealand. The 10-year-old Carnival Spirit, carrying more than 2,000 passengers, is too big [...]

By John Honeywell| 2011-01-12T13:32:37+00:00 12 January 2011|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|2 Comments

Insignia to become Columbus 2

Oceania Cruises is about to launch its newest ship, Marina, and another 1,250-passenger vessel, Riviera, is under construction in Italy. But it seems like the company's fleet of boutique ships is not going to be expanding as fast as was once thought. It was announced today that the arrival of Riviera next year will coincide with the departure of Insignia (above), one of the three ships currently in the fleet. The 698-passenger vessel, whose identical sisters Regatta and Nautica will remain with Oceania, is to be chartered to German cruise operator Hapag-Lloyd for two years The charter is only part [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:13+00:00 10 January 2011|Cruise News|0 Comments

Don’t make me sick . . . please

While Britain battles an epidemic of flu, cruise ships around the world are struggling to contain outbreaks of norovirus, commonly known as "winter vomiting disease." Radiance of the Seas delayed its departure from Tampa, Florida at the weekend in order to carry out a deep clean after about 150 passengers were affected on the previous cruise. Some passengers on Queen Mary 2's Christmas cruise in the Caribbean - including former deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott and his wife - reportedly suffered from the virus. Sister ship Queen Victoria, currently crossing the Atlantic, is in a state of red alert, with [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:13+00:00 10 January 2011|Cruise News|1 Comment

Silversea come clean for Kenny

A final word for now on Kenny Dalglish. While Silversea must have been sorry to see him and his wife Marina have to leave their Arabian Gulf cruise early to fly back to the UK, they must be delighted with the publicity the events generated. There can hardly be a newspaper or a football commentator in the land who has not found a way to contrast Dalglish's luxurious time on board Silver Wind with the rude awakening he and his Liverpool team received at Old Trafford yesterday afternoon, giving away a penalty in the first minute and having captain Steven [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:13+00:00 9 January 2011|Cruise News|0 Comments