Captain Greybeard - Page 168 of 209 - Your expert guide to cruise ships and cruise holidays

Celebrity names newest ship

First, an apology for not bringing today's news to you yesterday, but I was stuck in a car in the snow, as the worst weather in years (well, since last year) hit my part of Hampshire. Global warming, eh? Who would have thought that the Copenhagen summit would have had such an immediate effect? Anyway, as I prepared to spend the longest night of the year in the cosy confines of my car, Celebrity Cruises took the opportunity of the winter solstice to announce the name of their fourth Solstice-class ship. The 2,850-passenger vessel will be called Silhouette, and follows [...]

By John Honeywell| 2009-12-22T09:20:31+00:00 22 December 2009|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Postcards from Suakin

The children we met in the Sudanese port of Suakin during the cruise on board Spirit of Adventure were delightful - always a beaming smile and, unlike those we encountered in Egypt, they were not incessantly pestering for cash. They have not yet been spoilt by hordes of visiting tourists, and they were happy to see their own faces on the cameras' screens rather than demanding hand-outs. We saw no signs of the harassment and violence which the US Department of State cites in order to warn its citizens to avoid travelling to Sudan. Spirit of Adventure's managing director, James [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:34+00:00 20 December 2009|Cruise Destinations|0 Comments

Choose a cruise with a view

Whatever the attractions of a cruise ship, whether it's built like a luxury resort or crafted like a private yacht, the real point of travelling by sea is the ability to go sightseeing in a selection of places all on the same holiday. Because your floating hotel comes with you all the way, there's never any need for tiresome packing and unpacking between different destinations. Exhausted after a long day climbing mountains, traipsing through historical ruins, or viewing museums? Then you can retire to your cabin, order dinner from room service and watch a movie on television. Refreshed after a [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:34+00:00 20 December 2009|Cruise Deals, Cruise Destinations|0 Comments

Cruise deals of the week

It's been another good year for cruise holidays, and Cruise118.com, which is frequently featured in this column, is celebrating a record trading day, with sales up 360 per cent on a year ago. Gills Cruises, also a regular, says that despite the economic downturn, bookings for balcony cabins are up by 80 per cent. James Cole of Cruise118 says the launch of Oasis of the Seas last month has helped boost sales generally. "There are many myths that surround cruising, and people often think that it's simply a holiday choice for retired couples, there's little to do on board, with [...]

By John Honeywell| 2009-12-19T00:00:01+00:00 19 December 2009|Cruise Deals|0 Comments

Riding the iron road

The Eritrean Railway was constructed in the 1930s when the Italians occupied this part of Africa. It runs for 73 miles from Massawa to the capital, Asmara, and after being put out of action by damage inflicted during the war with Ethiopia, is now in use again carrying freight and the occasional passengers. It must be a rarity, however, to have 200 cruise ship passengers aboard, even if we only had time for the 18-mile run to Mai Atal. First some pictures of the train, then some of the people we saw on the journey. This delightful girl was from [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:34+00:00 16 December 2009|Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Massawa in pictures

Of all the fascinating places visited on my recent cruise in the Red Sea, the highlight was undoubtedly the day in Eritrea, partly because of the chance to take a ride on a veteran steam train, but mostly because of the smiling faces of the people who have stayed defiant against years of war and famine. First some pictures from the port of Massawa, and later I'll bring you images from the railway journey. Here's our ship, Spirit of Adventure, in port. Next to the port is the ruined Banca d'Italia building, which must have been very grand in its [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:34+00:00 16 December 2009|Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Safety warning for cruise visitors

Nassau, capital of The Bahamas, has spent millions of dollars dredging its harbour and building new port facilities so it can handle Oasis of the Seas, the largest cruise ship in the world. So a recent spate of armed attacks on visiting cruise ship passengers, must have sent a shudder of panic through the local authorities and Oasis's owners, Royal Caribbean. The ship's maiden call on Friday went ahead as planned, but passengers were warned of the risks before going ashore. As Thea Rutherford reports in the Nassau Guardian, the 6,000 passengers were advised to be "mindful of their personal [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:34+00:00 14 December 2009|Cruise Destinations, Cruise News|0 Comments

It’s the end of my Adventure

Spirit of Adventure docked in the Mumbai yesterday, at the end of a two-week cruise through Africa's Red Sea and across the Indian Ocean. Many of the passengers are staying on for another three weeks, and are today en route to Kochi (or Cochin) in southern India at the start of a Christmas cruise of Dragons and Temples which will take them to Sri Lanka, Thailand, Java, Bali and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. Christmas Day will be spent at sea between Langkawi and Singapore. I left the ship on Thursday when the ship arrived in Salalah in the south of [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:34+00:00 14 December 2009|Cruise Destinations, Cruise Ships|0 Comments

Magic deal on a Disney cruise

Here's a magic deal - a 10-night Mediterranean cruise on Disney Magic for just £799 per person. That's a reduction of £1,900 on the original fare. What's more, children under 17 go free, and there's $25 per cabin on-board credit, which should pay for a few ice creams at least. Cruise from Barcelona to Valletta, Tunis, Naples, Civitavecchia (for Rome) la Spezia, Ajaccio and Villefranche. The fare, based on two adults sharing an inside cabin, includes return flights to Barcelona, departing May 5, 2010. Go to www.iglucruise.com or cal 020 8544 6447. Get away to the Red Sea for the [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:35+00:00 12 December 2009|Cruise Deals|1 Comment

Princess ship switches to P&O

Good news today for those passengers regretting the forthcoming departure of adults-only ship Artemis from P&O's fleet. Managing director Carol Marlow has announced the introduction of a new ship in May 2011, a vessel carrying just 710 passengers and suitable for visiting destinations off the beaten track. Well, not exactly a new ship because the vessel, which will be called Adonia, is presently sailing as the Royal Princess, and was originally built in 2001 for the now-defunct Renaissance cruise line. More than 75 per cent of her 355 cabins have balconies and before entering service with P&O the ship will [...]

By John Honeywell| 2017-06-15T16:00:35+00:00 9 December 2009|Cruise News, Cruise Ships|0 Comments