Cruise Entertainment

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The stars will be shining for P&O

The stakes have just been raised for cruise ship entertainment with P&O's announcement of a season of celebrity performances on voyages from the UK later this year. Performers including David Essex, Michael Ball, Paul Young and Toyah will be on the line's ships this autumn. Essex, who scored 19 Top 40 hits in a career which blossomed in the 1970s and went on to become Eddie Moon in EastEnders, will be on board Azura during a cruise to the Caribbean, departing November 1. Michael Ball, one of the biggest stars in West End musical theatre, is travelling to the Baltic [...]

By | 2015-04-12T21:16:16+00:00 12 August 2013|Cruise Entertainment|0 Comments

Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the fjords of Norway…

Passengers on board Quest for Adventure had an unexpected treat this week, an unannounced 90-minute concert performance by singer-songwriter Ralph McTell during a cruise through the Norwegian fjords. The unique event - McTell's first performance at sea - was the culmination of three years' dogged effort from Quest's cruise director, Neil Horrocks, who has been a fan for 16 years. And of course it finished the only way possible, with McTell's biggest hit, Streets of London. Neil told me today: "It took lots of careful emails to persuade Ralph to come on board. He was naturally wary, as when you [...]

By | 2017-06-15T15:59:30+00:00 30 July 2013|Cruise Entertainment|0 Comments

From Russia With Love: Bond girls entertain on a cruise to the Baltic

James Bond's first girlfriend has been on a special mission - entertaining passengers aboard a cruise ship. Eunice Jackson - who as actress Eunice Gayson played the part of Sylvia Trench in Dr No and From Russia With Love - travelled on Discovery and was joined by Jenny Hanley who appeared in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Appropriately enough, they sailed on a cruise to the Baltic and visited Russia's second city, St Petersburg. Each took part in Q&A sessions with cruise director Richard Sykes, keeping passengers enthralled with their stories of their acting careers. Eunice was originally offered the [...]

By | 2013-07-19T07:57:03+00:00 19 July 2013|Cruise Entertainment|0 Comments

Ship-shape: it’s the future for hotels, museums and landmark buildings

It looks spectacular - bizarre, even - and it has excited a lot of attention since I posted pictures a couple of days ago, but the cliff-top Sun Cruise Resort hotel is only one of many buildings around the world which look like cruise ships . One of the most bizarre is a shopping mall in Hong Kong, surrounded by tower blocks. At least The Whampoa (above), which houses 30 retail outlets, is surrounded by water, albeit a shallow pond. And the site was originally a dry dock. Then there's quite a selection of hotels that take their inspiration from [...]

By | 2017-06-15T15:59:30+00:00 16 July 2013|Cruise Entertainment|4 Comments

Cruise ships stranded on dry land

The oceans and the waterways are not the only place you'll see cruise ships and riverboats these days - as these bizarre pictures show. Perched on a clifftop in South Korea stands the Sun Cruise Resort which compensates for its situation by playing recorded sounds of crashing waves and bird calls. Which is particularly odd, as the sea is only a few metres away. The resort has 211 guest rooms, two restaurants, a revolving sky lounge, swimming pool, golf range and gym. Everything a real cruise ship boasts . . . except the risk of seasickness. One guest, severely lacking [...]

By | 2017-08-30T12:39:22+00:00 12 July 2013|Cruise Entertainment|1 Comment

Luxury quiz finds the best cruise

Not sure which is the best cruise line for you? Then take this simple quiz devised by leading travel agents The Cruise Line. The official word is that works from a "complex behavioural database" to find the perfect match. Forget all that jargon, and just choose which pictures best suit your maritime mood and let the system do the rest. It worked pretty well for me, coming up with three choices that I would consider perfect for my requirements, although possibly not in my preferred 1-2-3 order. Jos Dewing, Managing Director of The Cruise Line said, "This quiz is not [...]

By | 2017-06-15T15:59:31+00:00 18 June 2013|Cruise Entertainment|0 Comments

Drink a toast in Crystal glasses

You probably thought a booze cruise was a ferry crossing from Dover to Calais to stock up with cheap drinks from Carrefour or Auchan. Or perhaps you had a two-nighter from to Zeebrugge in mind - packed with stags and hens who staggered off the gangway in Southampton or Tilbury bleary-eyed and nursing sore heads. Well think again. Luxury cruise operator Crystal is taking the concept to a whole new level. It has put together a selection of excursions throughout Europe this summer to satisfy the thirstiest throats and the keenest palates. Passengers from Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony will [...]

Disney ducks make wish come true

Passengers and crew on Disney Cruise Line's four ships have raised $14,000 for the Make-A-Wish charity with a series of rubber duck races in the ships' pools and watercoasters. The events marked the 30th anniversary of the Disney VoluntEARS programme, which gives opportunities for cast and crewmembers to donate their time to worthy causes around the world. On the ships, thousands of yellow rubber ducks were decorated and personalized before taking part in the races and on the newer Disney Dream and Fantasy, they were raced through the AquaDuck watercoasters. All funds raised from the duck sales have been donated [...]

By | 2017-06-15T15:59:31+00:00 8 June 2013|Cruise Entertainment|4 Comments

Time for Glee to take to the sea?

There was almost an element of inevitability about the announcement that Legally Blonde: The Musical is to be the headline entertainment on Norwegian Getaway when the ship launches next year. Norwegian and rivals Royal Caribbean are vying with each other to bring the best of Broadway and Las Vegas to cruise ship theatres. This week's newcomer, Norwegian Breakaway, features Rock of Ages on the main stage (above); Norwegian Epic has the innovative Blue Man Group. Hairspray, Chicago, and Saturday Night Fever have all made the transfer from Broadway and the West End to Royal Caribbean ships, and I'm still waiting [...]

By | 2017-06-15T15:59:33+00:00 11 May 2013|Cruise Entertainment|0 Comments

Magic makes a bigger splash

Cruise ship Disney Magic is back in Europe this summer for the first time in two years, and will be taking families on exciting adventures throughout Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey. The ship will not be going straight home to America at the end of the summer - an extensive five-week refit has been announced today, planned to begin on September 7 in Cadiz. The multi-million dollar makeover will freshen up the 15-year-old vessel - oldest in Disney's fleet of four ships - and give it a new lease of life. There's a thrilling waterslide called the AquaDunk, which begins [...]

By | 2017-06-15T15:59:34+00:00 26 April 2013|Cruise Entertainment, Cruise Ships|2 Comments