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Travels with Marco Polo
Venerable cruise ship Marco Polo takes ANTHONY NICHOLAS on a journey back in time, to an era when just being at sea was considered more than enough to entertain Eidford at first light. Rolling mountains stand black and massive on both sides, reflected on the glass-calm, silver sheen of the fjord. On the shore, cars
NEW YORK QM2
After a week at sea on board the magnificent Queen Mary 2, the arrival into New York harbour is all about getting the timing right. Trust me to get it wrong. The previous afternoon Captain Kevin Oprey had announced that he expected to be picking up the local pilot from Sandy Hook Pilot Station at
NEW YORK SPLENDOR
The pavements in Manhattan are the hardest in the world. They have to be to withstand the weight of those frozen tornados disguised as skyscrapers. The terra has never been so firma. After pounding those ineffable streets in search of the American Dream, the body yearns for something more yielding, something that delights the spirit
REGENT SEVEN SEAS VOYAGER
Regent Seven Seas tour of MS Voyager
Royal Crown
If Miss Marple had peeked out from behind one of the palms in the Royal Lounge I doubt anyone would have batted an eyelid. Such is the cameo of Edwardian noblesse oblige that overflows aboard Royal Crown. The anachronistic river cruise ship is unlike any other and offers a milieu that harks back to the
Alila Purnama – Indonesian Phinisi boat.
Alila Purnama provides ultra-modern and relaxing accommodation for up to 10 guests. The 46 metre long ship consists of three decks and has been built by hand in the traditional style of an Indonesian Phinisi boat. The company offers three sailing routes, including the Raja Ampat Voyage and Komodo Island Expedition. Onboard are five well-appointed
It’s Saga Week on World of Cruising!
Get ready for a full week of Saga Cruises here at World of Cruising this week, with a whole range of stories, insight and special offers from Britain’s classic cruise line. Starting on February 11, we will have a new story each day on an aspect of the Dover-based company, who operate two ships
A Blissful L’Austral Summer
After more than 20 years sailing the seven seas aboard a veritable charivari of ocean liners, cruise ships and sailing vessels, I am convinced I have just experienced what is possibly the perfect itinerary. I have long held the belief that serendipity is the essence of cruising and my week-long sojourn along the Dalmatian Riviera
A True Cruise Fantasy
When the Walt Disney Company entered the cruise business in 1998, then-CEO Michael Eisner challenged his designers to “out-tradition tradition.” He wanted his ships to actually look and feel like ships, not follow the trend for floating hotel blocks. The first two offerings, Disney Magic and Wonder, fully lived up to that ethos, providing a
Lost In A SeaDream
Could the day get any better? We had spent the morning on WhiteBay on the British Virgin Island of Jost Van Dyke, where a stunning sandy beach stretched out below gentle tropical hills. Small sailboats tugged on their anchor chains while tanned yachtsmen drank cold beer at the nearby One Love Bar. Offshore, the SeaDream
Swan Goes Back To The Future
Swan Hellenic Cruises prides itself on maintaining the traditions that its founders, WF and RK Swan, set out nearly 60 years ago. These can be summed up as providing well-planned and thought-provoking itineraries around the world, with the added ingredient of stimulating guest speakers to bring the sights to life. However, the company is also
The Lawn Ranger! Celebrity’s New Silhouette
In 2008, Celebrity Cruises raised the bar for five-star cruising with the introduction of Celebrity Solstice, the first of their new class of 122,000-ton vessels. These innovative ships have become, among the mega-ships, the epitome of style and good taste. Celebrity Silhouette, the penultimate in the five-ship series, joined the fleet this summer after a
A Viking Good Time On Saga’s New Pearl
The sea, the colour of beaten metal, turned grey and then stratospheric blue at the horizon. On its surface, little tussocks of ice were strewn, brilliant white, like blossom left from some religious ceremony. I was delighted to be back in one of my favourite cruising regions, the Norwegian fjords. Most ships schedule their visits
A Nieuw Amsterdam
You say Manhattan. I say “The Big Apple.” We both call it New York. Back in the 17th century, New York City went by the name Nieuw Amsterdam. Contemporary versus classic. That, in a New York minute, is the theme carried out on board Holland America Line’s newest ship, Nieuw Amsterdam. Launched in July 2010,
Viva Marina!
In today’s brave new world of cruising, some headline-grabbing ships, reminiscent of floating condominiums, carry as many as 6,000 passengers. These behemoths are launched in a blaze of publicity in which famous monuments are marshalled in a fevered attempt to describe their scale.
Celebrity Eclipse cruise ship review
Of all the mainstream lines, Celebrity Cruises have done most to advance the cause of large-scale premium cruising. From Century in 1995 to Millennium in 2000 and then Celebrity Solstice in 2008, they have pushed the envelope of size-versus-style to the maximum. With the exception of a handful minor glitches – a few drops in
In The Wake Of The Queen
Lacking a royal yacht these days, the Queen has twice chartered Hebridean Princess for holidays around the deserted beaches and tiny islands of north-west Scotland. And it’s easy to see why. Having started in 1964 as Columba, one of the Caledonian MacBrayne fleet of car ferries, this boutique little gem was converted to cruising and
Europa, the Flawless Flagship
It is a bold claim, but few would deny that the Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships is the undisputed ‘bible’ of cruising. Now in its 26th year, this comprehensive almanac of everything cruise-orientated is the world’s most trusted resource.
Disney Dials Up A Real Dream
It takes something dramatic to really catch the imagination of the cruise world these days. So Disney set out to create something
The Graceful Princess
Tied up at Rhodes’ Mandraki Harbour in mid-October, the Princess Danae presented a striking contrast to the pair of large, modern mega-ships sharing pier space with her. The low-slung hull with its soaring sheer, huge welded plates looked simply stunning as the ghost of a fading autumn sun glanced briefly along it, bringing every curve