All the latest cruise news from the man in the know

What makes Allure different?

They're sisters, and they have the same DNA, but the two biggest cruise ships in the world are not identical twins. As Allure of the Seas nears completion in a shipyard in Turku, Finland, I joined representatives of the world's media for an early preview, and discovered what makes her different from Oasis of the Seas. First surprise was a claim by Captain Hernan Zini that Allure is longer, and can rightly lay claim to the "biggest" title. The difference is not exactly great, or indeed noticeable. Oasis is officially 360 metres long, or 1,187 feet. Allure is 360 metres [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:22+00:00 2 September 2010|Cruise News|0 Comments

Cunard’s dreams come true at last

For months, the big bosses at Cunard Line have been tiptoeing around, desperate to be able to announce that the obvious person has agreed to name their newest ship. It's called Queen Elizabeth, so no prizes for guessing who that person should be. Such is the protocol for these things that they could not even ask until they knew the answer would be yes, because if Her Majesty had declined, they would have been unable to pass on to another member of the Royal Family. Finally today, with a fanfare of trumpets no less, came the announcement that the world [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:22+00:00 1 September 2010|Cruise News|3 Comments

How to save money on your cruise

Looking for the best deal on a cruise? Then travel during off-season in an inside cabin on board a ship built before 1980. That's the advice from cruise guru Douglas Ward, in the 26th edition of the annual Berlitz Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships, to be published in October. With 40 years' experience gained firstly from working on board ships as an entertainer and cruise director, and then as a fastidious inspector and author, Ward certainly knows what he is talking about. When checking out a new ship, he is reputed to take a tape measure to record the [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:22+00:00 26 August 2010|Cruise News|3 Comments

Sterling future for Oceania Cruises

The country club interiors, the boutique ship style, and the interesting itineraries all make Oceania Cruises an deal match for the British market - especially those travellers who know their way around. And finally, starting from the middle of next month, brochures will be available with fares in pounds sterling, instead of US dollars. The voyages in the brochure will be the winter 2011-12 season, which go on sale from September 15. European sales and marketing director Bernard Carter is clearly delighted at the new policy agreed by his American bosses. He said: "This is an incredibly big step forward [...]

By John Honeywell| 2010-08-17T02:08:35+00:00 17 August 2010|Cruise News|1 Comment

Olympic cruise ship plan under fire

More news on that proposal to spend an astonishing £6.6 million on leasing a cruise ship to provide accommodation for police at the 2012 Olympic Games sailing events. And someone is talking sense for once. Dorset County Councillor Tim Munro is demanding that the money be spent on creating a lasting legacy for the region. Describing the plans to moor a private cruise ship in Portland Harbour as "disgusting," he said: "If the figures are right and £6.6million is spent on housing police, then why on earth is it not invested somewhere in Weymouth and Portland? A cruise ship will [...]

By John Honeywell| 2010-08-06T17:22:01+00:00 6 August 2010|Cruise News|2 Comments

Cruise ship for Olympic police?

The Dorset harbour of Portland is the UK base for RMS St Helena, the supply ship which provides a vital link for the remote south Atlantic island of the same name, and this week the town has been host to a couple of visiting cruise ships. Oceania's Insignia and Holland America's Westerdam were in port for a few hours each, as passengers set off on excursions as far apart as Weymouth and Stonehenge. It's possible a cruise ship will be berthed in Portland for rather longer in 2012, when Weymouth Bay will be the venue for the Olympic sailing events. [...]

By John Honeywell| 2010-08-05T00:06:23+00:00 5 August 2010|Cruise News|1 Comment

Hi-tech protection for whales

Within days of the grim discovery of a dead whale trapped on the bow of a cruise ship, one cruise line has announced a partnership with the WWF to help prevent similar incidents in the future. A 43-ft long humpback whale (above) was found on the Sapphire Princess off the coast of Alaska on Wednesday as the ship was travelling from Ketchikan to Juneau. The carcass was removed and taken away for examination. Like a fin whale found on the bow of the same ship last year, it is believed the creature was already dead when it was hit by [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:23+00:00 30 July 2010|Cruise News|1 Comment

Win free tickets to Cruise Show

Looking for ideas for your next cruise, or a newcomer wanting to find out if holidays at sea are for you? Not sure whether to choose a trip to the Caribbean sun or an expedition to Antarctica? Want to know what it's like to travel on a mega-liner or an intimate river-boat? Then The CRUISE Show will be the place for you when it opens at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre in October. All the major and specialist cruise lines will be exhibiting under one roof, and if March's event at London's Olympia is anything to go by, it's going to [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:23+00:00 30 July 2010|Cruise Deals, Cruise News|0 Comments

Costa’s backing Dover cruises

There's no reason to expect logic in the forward-planning departments of cruise companies, I suppose. How else can you respond to Costa Cruises' decision to base one of their ships in the UK for the first time, less than three months after the Italian company closed down the London office? It's not long since rival company NCL - despite figures showing substantial growth in the numbers of people sailing no-fly cruises from UK ports - decided to withdraw from Dover and base its Baltic cruises from the port of Copenhagen instead. They argued that their passengers preferred to save the [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:23+00:00 26 July 2010|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|3 Comments

Not so Fantastic for MSC Cruises

In an unfortunate coincidence of timing, MSC Cruises announced confirmation of their newest ship at the weekend, just as news reports were breaking about a passenger being killed when a gangway collapsed. Construction work started in April, but it is only now that financing has been agreed between MSC, its bankers, and builders STX France at St Nazaire. French president Nicolas Sarkozy has been closely involved in brokering the deal in order to provide jobs at the yard whose order book has been looking a bit thin since the completion of Norwegian Epic in June. His intervention has sparked speculation [...]

By John Honeywell| 2010-07-26T10:32:15+00:00 26 July 2010|Cruise News|0 Comments