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
Life on-board: Comedian Mike Doyle
Life on-board: Comedian Mike Doyle
Mike Doyle – Comedian (and why he thinks Simon Cowell is wrong about cruise ship entertainers) Have you always been a professional entertainer? How did you get your first break as a comedian? I started off in the working men’s clubs of South Wales and holiday camps as we used to call them, but this
October 2014
Travels with Marco Polo
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
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
Royal Crown
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
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
Canyon Ranch Sets Sail With Celebrity
Canyon Ranch Sets Sail With Celebrity
Jo Foley reports on a new venture for well-being on the waves as Celebrity Cruises join forces with the Canyon Ranch group The cruise industry is always on the lookout for ways to help enhance the passenger experience, so much so there is hardly ever a dull moment at sea these days. Each season new
April 2014
It’s a Matter of Class
It’s a Matter of Class
Cruising’s top blogger John Honeywell, aka Captain Greybeard, considers the class implications of a new trend at sea Celebrity Cruises’ introduction of a new Suite Class is further evidence that the much-derided class divisions so familiar from the days of travel by liner are actually the way forward. To satisfy passengers prepared to pay more
April 2014
The Path Between The Seas
The Path Between The Seas
The 92,000-ton Coral Princess has already navigated Limon Bay and is now nudging along the man-made passageway through northern Panama that leads up to the first set of monstrous gates marking the three-stage ‘lift’ over the Continental Divide of the Americas. Our vessel’s sleek shape and dimensions are purpose-built for this particular journey but there
June 2013
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
December 2011
The Mississippi Returns
When the 111-year-old Delta Queen Steamboat Company went into liquidation in 2001, it threatened to spell the end for one of the world’s most classic – and long-running – cruise styles. For several additional years under differing owners, the three traditional river steamboats struggled along without getting the much-needed TLC they needed, and their audience
November 2011