Captain Greybeard

I'm enjoying an Easter cruise through the Greek islands. We were in Mytilene, the capital of Lesbos, yesterday; today it's Kos, and tomorrow is Rhodes. Still to come, Crete, Mykonos and Santorini. The weather could be better - it's been cool and windy and there were showers this morning - but so far it has been a relaxing break.The only concern is the future of the ship I am sailing on; the plucky Spirit of Adventure is to be taken out of service in just over a year's time. Operators Saga, abandoning the unequal struggle to keep the Adventure brand [...]

When Carnival's biggest-ever cruise ship, Carnival Dream, was launched in New York in November 2009, its inaugural voyage was rocky in more ways than one. Seas were so rough that at one stage a departure from the Manhattan pier was in doubt, and when we did hit the Atlantic, it became apparent that there were some basic design flaws with some of the ship's amenities. The Lido restaurant in particular came in for criticism - not for the food, but for the inconvenient traffic flow of passengers and its inadequate capacity. It was all very well having a variety of [...]

An army of workers is ripping apart the interiors of Grand Princess, popular among British cruise passengers, as part of a multi-million pound refurbishment of the 13-year-old ship. Fans familiar with the vessel after her frequent visits to the UK - it sails from Southampton during the summer - can watch the progress of the refit on a daily video diary hosted by British cruise director Martyn Moss. There is also a growing collection of pictures on Princess's Flickr album. One of the most dramatic moments will be the removal of the ship's signature Skywalker nightclub - the distinctive handle [...]