TV chef Phil Vickery ‘comes home’ to Saga
TV chef Phil Vickery ‘comes home’ to Saga
TV chef Phil Vickery can’t wait to sail on Saga Sapphire in the summer – and he has a special reason why. Phil started his career as a commis chef at the Burlington Hotel, in Folkestone, where the Saga story began. He said: “I feel like everything has gone full circle. My first job was
January 2015
Crystal Cruises celebrates its 25th anniversary
Crystal Cruises celebrates its 25th anniversary
Luxury cruise line Crystal Cruises is commemorating its 25th anniversary with a range of celebrations planned for 2015. This year they are offering 63 itineraries sailing to 224 ports of call spanning 65 countries. 24 of the ports will be maiden calls for the cruise line. Maiden calls are scheduled for: Albany, Australia; Ambodifotatra and
January 2015
Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes joins Saga cruise in search of the Northern Lights
Explorer Sir Ranulph Fiennes joins Saga cruise in search of the Northern Lights
Sir Ranulph Fiennes is the world’s greatest living explorer and he will be joining Saga Pearl II in search of the Northern Lights when she sails from Southampton on March 4, 2015. Norway is Saga passengers’ favourite cruising destination and Sir Ran, as he is usually known, will make the sailing even more fascinating as
January 2015
Sail into Salzburg on 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music
Sail into Salzburg on 50th anniversary of The Sound of Music
Saga’s Salzburg and the Beautiful Wachau Valley river cruise features a two-night hotel stay in the musical city of Salzburg to ensure guests have time for a few of their ‘favourite things’ during the special anniversary year of The Sound of Music. Whether it is climbing every mountain or searching high and low for The Sound
January 2015
Scenic Tours to launch all-inclusive Mekong River cruises
Scenic Tours to launch all-inclusive Mekong River cruises
Scenic Tours have unveiled their range of all-inclusive river cruises on the mighty Mekong River in South-east Asia planned for when their latest river cruise ship, the Scenic Spirit, enters service in January 2016. Scenic Spirit is set to be the most spacious river cruise vessel to sail along the Mekong River. Measuring 85 metres
January 2015
Lobsters: Separating the fact from the fantasy
Lobsters: Separating the fact from the fantasy
My best laugh of the month? Has to be the Daily Telegraph, who really ought to know better, reporting that Canadian lobsters found in the North Sea got there because they had been thrown overboard by cruise ship passengers. Apparently overcome by guilt, diners were buying the live creatures from tanks on board ship and
December 2014
Learning to “drive” a cruise ship… properly
Learning to “drive” a cruise ship… properly
Three-point turns may be about to disappear from the driving test, but they are still essential when it comes to parking a cruise ship. I got the chance to practise my parallel parking by taking command of Emerald Princess as she entered Port Everglades at Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Having safely negotiated the entrance channel –
December 2014
Christmas cruise gift ideas
Christmas cruise gift ideas
This may be the age of the Kindle, the Hudl and the iPad – and they especially invaluable on holiday – but you can’t beat a good book when it comes to lavish illustrations or detailed reference information. Just in time for Christmas, and in readiness for next year’s 175th anniversary celebrations, along comes a
December 2014
THE LANGUAGE OF SPAS
THE LANGUAGE OF SPAS
Much as I love spas, sometimes they can be simply exhausting – and that’s from just reading the treatment menu. There is too much jargon and too many confusing descriptions of what are essentially very simple treatments. Take ‘journey’ – there is hardly a spa on the planet that doesn’t offer a journey, which involves
October 2014
Off limits: More ports for ships to avoid
Off limits: More ports for ships to avoid
The violent conflict between Israel and the Palestinian territory of the Gaza strip led a number of cruises to cancel calls in the region. An AIDA ship was struck by shrapnel as it was leaving Ashdod, the port usually used for excursions to Jerusalem. Costa Crociere cancelled all its port calls at Ashdod and Haifa
August 2014
FITNESS with FOGLE
FITNESS with FOGLE
Celebrity Cruises have joined forced with Ben Fogle for triathlon themed shore excursions at various locations across Europe. The first one is in Dubrovnik, so passengers sailing through Croatia can take part in one of Ben Fogle’s Great Adventures which include biking, swimming and sea kayaking in the Adriatic. For other locations and more information
August 2014
Food quality is a major selling point for the eagerly awaited Britannia
Food quality is a major selling point for the eagerly awaited Britannia
No doubt about it, food is going to be a big draw on P&O’s new Britannia, launching next spring. We’ve already been introduced to the Food Heroes, the appetising line-up of celebrity chefs who will be masterminding menus in some of the ship’s restaurants. Now the company is whetting our appetites by revealing some tantalising
August 2014
Food glorious food on P&O’s Britannia
Food glorious food on P&O’s Britannia
Britannia’s food offering is tantalising to the tastebuds. Captain Greybeard loosens his waistband I’m already licking my lips in anticipation of the foodie delights being lined up by P&O Cruises for its newest and biggest ship, Britannia. While we wait for revelations about the ship’s godmother and the launch celebrations planned for next March, the
June 2014