Cruise Ships - Page 56 of 57 - Captain Greybeard

Ventura: Has she got the V-Factor?

My two weeks on Ventura are over, and I am now back in a decidedly chilly UK. So what’s the verdict on P&O’s superliner for the 21st Century? Well it was much better than I would have expected if I had believed all the critical reports from the first few months of operation. I was also aware before I boarded the ship that P&O already had plans to deal with some of the issues that had come up – such as increasing the number of sun loungers, and improving the freedom dining option which had been a bit of a [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:50+00:00 8 December 2008|Cruise Ships|1 Comment

Ventura: A quiet day at sea? No chance

It’s the third of the sea days on this cruise around the Caribbean islands. The next few days will see a hectic round of port visits, to St Kitts, St Lucia, St Maarten, Tortola, Dominica and St Vincent, before we arrive back in Barbados. So today’s a final chance to relax, right? Wrong. Every minute of the day, from dawn until after midnight, is packed with activities, from the sunrise stretch on the open deck, to the formal dress black and white dance date in the Tamarind Club. So let’s take a look at how to fill a day at [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:50+00:00 28 November 2008|Cruise Ships|1 Comment

Ventura: All White on the night (part 2)

Last night we ate in the White Room, Marco Pierre White’s signature restaurant perched high above the stern of Ventura on deck 17. And an excellent evening it was, worth every penny of the £20 per head cover charge. It’s quite a large restaurant but it appeared almost full, in contrast to East, the other speciality restaurant on board which is not attracting customers in big numbers. We started with a glass of Bellini on the house, and a sun-dried tomato ravioli amuse bouche which was bursting with flavour. I then followed the recommendations Marco had made when we shared [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:50+00:00 27 November 2008|Cruise Gossip, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Ventura’s new sister – Azura

While I was sailing between Antigua and Grand Turk yesterday on board Ventura, P&O bigwigs in London were announcing details of her new sister, Azura. Now being built in Italy, the Azura will be similar in appearance to Ventura, but as forecast, will be less focused on catering for families with young children, so there’s no mention of Noddy or Scalextric this time round. Instead there will be extended spa facilities, including private cabanas in The Retreat, and some treatment rooms with balconies, for massages in the open air. There will be big screen by the Aqua Pool, following Princess [...]

By John Honeywell| 2008-11-26T14:43:25+00:00 26 November 2008|Cruise Ships|7 Comments

Boudicca’s Barbados bump

More on the Boudicca, which I mentioned seeing in Bridgetown harbour a couple of days ago. What I didn’t realise at the time was that the Fred Olsen ship had stayed there a little longer than planned after a close encounter with a concrete jetty. While moving berths to make way for Ventura, the ship took a chunk out of the quayside, and in return, Barbados took a bite out of Boudicca’s bow. Extra tours were arranged for passengers, while emergency repairs were carried out, and the ship left a day late for Grenada. Further repairs will be made later. [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:50+00:00 24 November 2008|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Ventura: in Bridgetown, Barbados

A relaxing day today after yesterday’s early start and the flight from London to the Caribbean. The good thing about flying into Barbados is that there is no need to go through customs and immigration, and baggage checked in at Gatwick is delivered direct to your cabin on board the ship. The bad thing is that if you’re aboard the third of four planes to touch down within a few minutes, then there’s a delay before you can get off the plane and into the transport to the ship. A long delay. We landed at 4.50 in the afternoon, but [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:51+00:00 22 November 2008|Cruise Destinations, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Captain Greybeard in the Caribbean

I have arrived on board the P & O cruise ship Ventura in Barbados, with two weeks of Caribbean cruising ahead of me. I shall post updates as often as I can, so check back regularly for news and views on the ship and the destinations.

By John Honeywell| 2008-11-22T01:33:19+00:00 22 November 2008|Cruise Destinations, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

QE2 will go out with a bang

The most famous ship in the world, Cunard’s QE2, sails out of her home port of Southampton for the final time on Tuesday November 11, and she’s not going quietly. She will cast off from her berth at the Queen Elizabeth II terminal at 7.15 pm and will then proceed astern to Mayflower Park for a firework display before she heads off down the Solent at 8.00 pm, whistle blowing loudly, and accompanied by a flotilla of small boats. There will be a day of events, on board and ashore, to mark her departure for Dubai, where she will begin [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:51+00:00 6 November 2008|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Anyone fancy a Ruby?

There are all sorts of romantic festivities planned to mark the launch of Princess Cruises’ newest ship in Fort Lauderdale tomorrow. The Ruby Princess will be named by American reality TV lovebirds Trista and Ryan Sutter, who are celebrating their fifth wedding anniversary. Another couple will be married on board, and the bride will be given away by Gavin MacLeod, the actor who played Captain Merrill Stubing in the TV series Love Boat during the ‘70s and ‘80s. A ruby red tie gala kicks off a two-day cruise for invited guests and celebrities, and on Friday there will be a [...]

By John Honeywell| 2008-11-05T13:43:17+00:00 5 November 2008|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|0 Comments