I H8GAYS - (I don't really!)

Just in case you think I've lost my mind and suddenly turned homophobic; I haven't. The title of today's post comes direct from a really unfortunate error on behalf of Delta Air Lines. 

Facebook just isn't hip enough anymore

First things first - In my daily life I don't go around using words like hip, with it or cool. I do however work with a marketing team of people, shall we say A LOT younger than me, (I'm really not that old - honest), so do hear the word sick, ream and for some reason snake a lot, (I think snake means bad but what do I know)? Nine times out of ten I've absolutely no idea what they're talking about :-(

So why am waffling on about how old and un-cool I am you ask?

Isn't it about time cruise ships started offering free Wi-Fi?

Internet access on a cruise ship has always been expensive and people are, by and large, used to this I think. Most people realise that if they want to stay in touch they'll have to pay a lot for it and accept the fact that it will run slowly. I always accepted this as part of the course myself.
But.................
Working in an online environment for the last few months has given me a very different perspective on it and I think it's about time cruise lines started providing free internet access for all guests.

Are MSC being hypocritical?

MSC have recently changed the rules for smoking on-board the MSC Divina. This is to bring her in line with the expectations of the U.S market when she starts to sail from Miami in November.
From then on the only areas you will be able to smoke on the ship will be the Cigar lounge, selected areas of the outside deck and the casino, (sort of).
It's the rules about the casino that has annoyed me by being too vague.

Hapag Lloyds Europa 2 2014/2015 brochure online

Hapag Lloyd have recently aimed the Europa 2 at the UK market, it's an ultra luxury ship that looks beautiful.
If you been considering booking a cruise with Hapag Lloyd or the Europa 2 then you may want to check out their new 2014/2015 brochure below.

Happy cruising

Anthem of the Seas to sail from Southampton?

You all know I love a bit of cruise gossip and if anything comes across my desk I'll share it with you straight away.
Well I've heard something interesting about Royal Caribbean this morning that I thought any of their fans would be very interested in hearing!

Do High Rollers get free cruises?

I was watching Oceans Eleven at the weekend, (the original with the Rat Pack in it), and it got me thinking about comped rooms.
A comped room, (for anyone not 'down' with Las Vegas slang), is a room or a service that has been given to free, or paid for by the casino, to a high roller, (someone who will gamble a lot of money). This is done to entice them to your hotel over one of your competitors in the hopes that they will spend, (and lose), large amounts of money at your gambling tables.
As so often happens when a random thought pops into my head I started to think how this may apply to the world of cruising.

Where's Cruising Chris

We've been running a fun little cruise game on Facebook for a few weeks now called "Where's Cruising Chris" and in-case you hadn't seen them on our Facebook page, (find us on Facebook here), I thought I'd post a quick recap of them for you , (I'll make sure I post the new ones as and when they're published).

Feel free to copy them and share with your friends

Happy cruising

Royal Caribbean introduce robots to the fleet

I'm constantly amazed by the innovations cruise lines introduce to new cruise ships trying to stay ahead in the game of 'who's got the best ship'.

Sometimes this works really well and we end up with features like bumper cars at sea, (Royal Caribbean), zip wires, (Royal Caribbean and Carnival), planks to walk over the edge of the ship, (NCL), 'magic' port holes with well loved children's characters peering in, (Disney), to name just a few! Other times it doesn't and you get the world's biggest cake shop at sea or the worlds biggest hedge art sculpture.

This next innovation though looks simply amazing!
If I've one complaint about cruising, (blasphemy I know), then it's the shows in the theatre. I've always found them a little amateur dramatics for my taste and tended to do other things, (there's plenty to do), but after reading this my mind may just be changed.

I don't think so Daily Mail

I don't read the Daily Mail for a multitude of reasons but we won't get into my political leanings here. The reason I mention it is that I missed this article yesterday but one of my colleagues has kindly ripped the page out of yesterdays paper and left it on my desk.
When I first saw the article I thought someone was trying to make an obscure joke about my age -
When does middle age really begin? On your 53rd birthday
It wasn't until I started reading that I noticed the cruise reference hidden in the article.

Cunards Queen Elizabeth - Cruise review

I've just returned from a two night mini cruise onboard Cunards Queen Elizabeth and thought I'd share with you some of the photos and videos I took whilst onboard.

I've sailed a few times now with Cunard through work but it was my wife's first experience of them and she was a little nervous. She'd read all the reviews and heard all the criticisms -

"Cunard are too formal"
It's really stuffy onboard"
"They're boring"
"Everyone will be really snobbish"

As it turned out we both had a great time with my wife being turned into a huge fan of Cunard.
I've personally always thought traditional or formal are the wrong words to describe Cunard. When I think of them the word that always springs to mind is iconic and I think this sums up the whole experience you'll have onboard.
As soon as you see that black hull and red funnel in the distance you know you're in for a great cruise.
Yes as a cruise line they are more formal than others, but rather than this feeling overbearing it lends a 'special' feeling to each dinner. You come out of your cabin each evening feeling like James Bond.
I realise that this style may not be for everyone but for anyone that's ever been put off the idea of a Cunard cruise please don't dismiss them out of hand, you really will have a great time!

Cruisers not happy with cruise lines

How happy were you with your last cruise?
Did you have a major complaint?
A minor complaint?
More than one complaint?
Would it surprise you to know that 18%, nearly one in five cruisers, were unhappy with some aspect of their cruise?
This is according to a report by JD Power in a cruise survey called Cruise Line Satisfaction report released last week.

When did potato croquettes become fine dining

That might seem a really random question to ask but it's been bugging me recently.
On the last few cruises I've been on, (with three different cruise lines), at most dinners a lot of the meals have come with potato croquettes, (mashed potato covered in breadcrumbs for those who have never had one).
I'm not saying I don't enjoy them. In fact as a kid I loved them, (as do my kids now), but how are they fine dining?

No one home

I'm going to be off for the next week now on holiday with the family.
For any quotes or admin queries please contact one of my colleagues on 0800 408 6200 who will be more than happy to help you.

If you'd like to wait for me please note I will be back in the office on Saturday the 6th July.

Happy cruising.

Voyages to Antiquity 2014 Online brochure

You can find Voyages to Antiquity's new 2014 brochure below - You can read it online - Just click the button at the bottom right of the brochure to increase it's size.

Happy cruising

Royal Princess Ship Review

I've just returned from Southampton after being invited down by Princess Cruises to attend the naming ceremony of their new ship the Royal Princess. I was invited down the day before so got to enjoy both lunch and dinner onboard and had a great chance to review the ship overnight.

To quickly summarise I was really impressed with almost all elements of the ship. I had a few small gripes, (which I'll discuss below), but in the main I really liked her. It was pretty clear Princess intended the ship for the 50's plus market, I wouldn't describe her as family friendly by any stretch of the imagination, but in chasing this demographic I think they've hit the nail right on the head.
The ship is really stylish, elegant and contemporary. In fact, even though Princess Cruises are only a four star brand I think the Royal Princess could give a lot of Celebrity's ships, (a five star brand), a run for their money.
Read on to see what you think of the ship as well..........................

Top ten ways to avoid cruise ship queues

Queueing - The bane of any good holiday. Who want's to get home with fond memories of standing in a queue for hours on end?
With that thought in mind I've put together a little guide for you on what I think are ten great ways to avoid queueing on a cruise holiday.

Escalator etiquette

I know it may seem a bit of a strange topic for someone writing a cruise blog but as I commute to work each day escalator etiquette, (or lack of it), is something that I see daily and whilst it may only be a, (very), minor annoyance for me, if you're at a cruise terminal, or even worse an airport, it can have big consequences on your journey.
Read on and let me know what you think; am I just being pedantic or does this bug you as well?

Royal Caribbean 2014/2015 cruise brochure online

Royal Caribbean have just released their 2014/2015 cruise brochure and as always I thought it might be useful if you could read it online so feel free to browse it below.

Happy cruising

What are the different ‘types’ of cruise holidays available?

This article, by necessity, is going to have to make some generalisations. I’m aware that some of the categories below can be combined so that the cruise you end up going on could well be described by several of the categories. Never the less I thought it might be useful for first time cruisers planning their first voyage, or even to more experienced cruisers looking to broaden their horizon, to make a brief list of all the different types of cruises available with the pros and cons to each.                  

First up…………..

P&O and Cunard - Are they chasing the German market?

Any regular readers to this blog will know that I always try to keep you up to date with any interesting cruise gossip that crosses my desk.
You may, (or may not), also remember a post I wrote last year titled - The Germans are Invading.
In it I quoted leading cruise industry leaders who felt that by the end of this decade the German cruise market would have out-striped the UK cruise market in terms of passenger capacity.
Since then there has been a lot of consumer led speculation and rumours floating around as to when/if the cruise lines would start to chase this growing foreign market.

Brilliance of the Seas - Cruise ship review

I've said it before and I'll say it again - It's a hard job but someones got to do it! Yep, you've guessed it, I've just got back from Harwich after visiting a cruise ship just after it had been refurbished. This time I got to see Royal Caribbeans Brilliance of the Seas.
It was an overnight event for travel agents to showcase all the new features of the ship. I hadn't seen a Royal Caribbean ship since the Summer of 2010 when I got to go onboard the Independence of the Seas so I was really looking forward to it.
What were my first impressions? Well it's funny you should ask. As a travel agent when ever someone asks me what Royal Caribbean are like I always use the stock reply of "their quite glitzy and glamorous, all their ships have the 'WOW' factor". The problem with using a stock response though is that after awhile it can lose some of it's meaning. You forget how glitzy the ships are. You forget how glamorous they feel. You do tend to forget about the 'WOW' factor.
So first impressions?
Jaw dropping!!!!
I know Royal Caribbean aren't for everyone. I know not everyone likes that amount of glitz and glamour on their cruise but you have to hand it to Royal Caribbean - They make a great first impression!

How to get a free cruise ship cabin

It might seem a bit drastic to some but these sailors have stumbled on the perfect way of netting themselves a free cabin on a cruise ship..............

River cruise line 2014 brochure

If you're looking for a river cruise but don't like the prices that some of the five star cruise lines charge then may I recommend the River Cruise Line to you.
They're a great company that offer over two hundred and fifty different coach connection points around the UK to get you to the start of your cruise - And there prices are amazing!
Check out their new 2014 river cruise brochure below........

Happy, (river), cruising

Are Cunard cutting costs?

I've spoke to a few guests returning from Cunard cruises lately and they've all had the same thing to say about Cunards shore excursions.

Cruise.dot Karaoke

What do travel agents get up to at their Christmas party?
Well if they're anything like us they strut around the dance floor singing bad karaoke.
I've just gotten around to taking all these videos off my phone and thought I'd let you all have a bit of a giggle at them - Who's your favourite?

Happy cruising

Riviera river cruises 2014 online brochure

You may, (or may not), have heard of Riviera travel before now. If you haven't then they're a great cruise line for first time river cruisers with two new ships available for 2014.
They might not be as all inclusive as some of the other river cruise lines out there, (drinks, excursions etc), however, because of this, they offer much cheaper prices than some of the other rive cruise companies with the choice of flight or Euro-star connections.
Feel free to browse the brochures below and email me if you want any specific quotes etc.

Happy cruising

Quantum of the Seas

So by now you should all know how much I live big ships - The Independence and Oasis of the Seas - NCLs Epic - The bigger the better in fact. I'm also a huge fan of gadgets and technology which probably explains why I'm so excited about the launch of Royal Caribbeans Quantum of the Seas - It's got it all!
Taking just over 4,000 thousand passengers it would be easy to dismiss it as just another big ship but it's the features that RCCL have packed into her that makes it such an exciting prospect.

Swan Hellenic brochure Jan 2014 - Jan 2015

Here's Swan Hellenic's brochure for January 2014 to January 2015. As always you'll be able to read it online here.

Happy cruising

RCCL finally reveal Oasis itineraries

Any Royal Caribbean fans out there must now by now that the Oasis of the Seas will be coming over to Europe for a month or so in 2014. RCCL have been quite tight lipped about the exact pricing and even the full itineraries of the cruise, (especially as it goes on sale this Tuesday - 09th Apr 13), but they've finally relented and released the full itineraries with some lead in prices.............

Royal Princess launch ceremony

"It's a hard job but I supose somebody has to do it".
Yep, you've guessed it I've just had my invatation to the naming ceremony of the Royal Princess on the 12th June this year, (which is nice as the 12th will be my birthday).
I've got all my fingers crossed for good weather as the pictures Princess have been releasing of the top deck look amazing!

Top ten towel animals

Cruising as a holiday is always a great experience, (I'm biased I know). Even if you book a budget three star cruise you're almost always guaranteed a good time.
However, as in life, I think with a cruise it's the little things that can make a big difference.
One of my favourite 'small things' on a cruise has to be the towel animal tradition. They always make me smile and some cabin stewards really go all out when they're making them.
I know not everyone is a fan, thinking they're a silly cruise tradition but I'd be really disappointed if I did a cruise and didn't see a towel animal waiting for me in my cabin.
Here's my top ten........................

Vantage fare stage two - Confirmed!

I wrote a post last year called Vantage fares - Stage two and three, (you can click the bolded letters to read the original post). With the launch of the 2014 cruise season just around the corner I've just had an interesting update that I thought I'd share with you all..............

The Balmoral Bark - Fact or Fiction?

Have you ever heard of the Balmoral bark? I hadn't till yesterday.
Or maybe more to the point, have you ever cruised with Fred Olsen? On the Balmoral maybe?
If you have then there's a good chance you'll have come across it before without even realising what it is.

P&O Oceana - Not for me!

This isn't going to be a great review of the P&O Oceana I'm afraid so let me start my defending P&O a little first.
I'm a huge P&O fan.
I've cruised with many different cruise lines but I've sailed on more P&O ships than I have with any other brand and there's reason for that. They're a solid British brand with Southampton departures, no need for flights, cheap drinks and reasonable gratuities just to mention a few of the positives, (for the record my favourite P&O ships are the Aurora and the Arcadia).
The Oceana just wasn't for me though. Some of the points I'm going to bring up might be excused by the fact that I was only on a mini cruise, (20th Dec to Bruges), although as so many people use mini cruises as 'taster cruises' I've always thought they should be at their best rather than worst . The other things that happened might of just been bad timing and I'm sure there are many people out there who love the Oceana, but as I say, she just wasn't for me.

Harlem shake - On a cruise ship

As any regular reader of this blog will know I'm a huge fan of any Internet fads or memes that happen to be doing the rounds at the time. What always makes me smile though is when one of these 'fads' makes it's way onto a cruise ship - as in the below example.

Viking 2014 UK brochure

I gave you a sneak peek a couple of weeks ago of the new Viking river cruise brochure for 2013/2014.
They've just released their full 2014 river cruise brochure which you can now read below.............

Happy , (river), cruising

Cruising traditions – But why do we do them?

Cruising is full of traditions the sail away party and the Captains dinner for example, but why do we still do them? Are we just mindlessly following tradition because that’s the way it’s always been done or are there real reasons behind some of these rituals of the sea?

Funny Friday

I've gotten into a bit of a routine now of publishing a funny post on a Friday for you to enjoy and as I saw this on Facebook this morning I thought I'd share it all with; enjoy..............

Happy cruising

Viking river cruise brochure 2013 and 2014

I published the Viking river cruise brochure a while back for all of 2013. I've just been sent a sneak peek of their 2014 itineraries and thought I'd share them all with you here.
as always you will be able to view the whole brochure online.

Happy, (river), cruising

Are Disney cruises sexist?

I saw this complaint letter on the Internet earlier, (someone actually sent it to me as a joke), and I wasn't sure whether to take it seriously or not, I wasn't sure if it was a spoof. However, joke or not, it does raise a good point so I thought I'd share it with you to see what you thought.......

Funny cruise stories

I was on a Uniworld river cruise recently, (you can read my review here), when this little incident happened to me.
I'm sure we've all got funny or embarrassing cruise stories so  thought I'd share this one with you to see if any of you are brave enough to share your funny stories here.

Problems with UK immigration

I've given US immigration a hard time in the past as any regular readers of this blog will know. US customs is almost a byword these days for long queues and trouble. However according to recent reports online it's possible I should have been looking a lot closer to home.

Top ten tips for a child free cruise

A lot of people can spend a long time planning their perfect cruise only to have it ruined by gangs of feral children roaming the ship, (I’m exaggerating slightly here).
For teh record I have two young children of my own so I fall firmly into the family friendly cruising category. However I realise that a lot of people want/need/enjoy child free cruising. For that reason I’ve put together this little guide on the best ways to avoid having your well-earned holiday spoilt by someone elses children

Princess annoy regular cruisers?

I had a press release in from Princess cruises yesterday relating to two new mini cruises that will be going on sale soon. You can see the press release below................

Blue Monday

How are you all feeling today? Good? Bad? Happy? Depressed?
Well according to a scientific formula you should all be really depressed today as the Monday on the third week of January is 'officialy' the most depressing day of the year.

Uniworld river cruise brochure 2013

I've just had this new river cruise brochure sent through to me from Uniworld river cruises. I'm sharing it with you all as I only came back from a cruise on the Rhine with Uniworld recently and I had a great time, (you can read my review here). They're one of, (if not the), most luxurious river cruise lines out there on offer at the moment so I really recommend you take a look at their brochure below.

Happy, (river), cruising

Regent Cruise Atlas 2012-2013

Planning a luxury cruise this year? I've just come across this Regent Seven Seas brochure that runs through to December 2013 which may well be of some help to you...........

Happy cruising

The little hotel that could........

I came across this story in the news this morning and it made me smile so I thought I'd share it with you all.
It just goes to show you that you don't have to be a big multi-national chain to provide world class service!

P&Os Signature cocktail

Did you know that P&O has it's own signature cocktail for it's guests to enjoy?
I mention it as someone emailed me the other day as they'd seen I'd just come back from a P&O  cruise and wanted to know if I could remember what was in it. They'd tried it onboard themselves and loved it but couldn't remember what was in it for them to recreate when they got home.

Can I ask a favour please?

I've just been nominated for something called a Shorty award. It's a Social Media award for people working in different industries, (I'm tied for 9th place at the moment in the travel section). If you have a Twitter account could I ask you to vote for me here please - Best Travel in Social Media - The Shorty Awards - Using my Twitter name of @james_cruise_co

Thanks all - I appreciate it!

Dancing on a cruise ship

Anyone who's been following this blog for awhile now will know I've always had a soft spot for funny Internet trends or phenomenons. Preferably the funnier the better.
I saw this video last night, (taken on the Sapphire Princess), and it made me smile so much that I thought I'd share it all with you this morning and cheer you all up ready for the weekend.
Will you be trying it on your next cruise?

Happy cruising

When balconies go bad

A cruise ship holiday has to be the ultimate in luxury; being pampered by attentive staff 24/7; food and drink on demand; being immersed in opulent surroundings constantly and surely the most ultimate expression of that luxury is your own private balcony cabin to relax in? Whilst I’m sure most people would agree with that statement it does make you think - are there any situations where a balcony cabin can be a bad thing?

Here are a few examples I’ve thought of, do you agree with any of them?

P&O - Truth or Urban Legend?

People gossip on cruises; it's what they do. Sitting around a dining table or relaxing in the bar afterwards, people love to gossip.
I'm no exception to this.
I was on a cruise back in October with some fellow travel agents and we all found ourselves around the bar after dinner swapping funny stories about cruises and cruisers. After a couple of anecdotes someone happened to say...........
"and then of course there's always the old one about leaving £10 on your dressing table with P&O".
As you can probably guess none of us had ever heard this story before so I thought I'd share it with you to see if you'd heard of it.

Steak please

How many of you enjoy a steak dinner with all the trimmings?
I know it sounds a bit of a random question but I've done a couple of cruises in recent months and thought I'd let you all know about a trend I've noticed that seems to be creeping through the cruising world, (or so I've noticed after talking to other people).
The food on a cruise is almost always fantastic; indeed it's always been one of the big selling points for a cruise. However in times past if when you've sat down to dinner of an evening in the main restaurant and didn't like the look of the menu you could always ask your waiter to bring you a steak.
Unfortunately those days seem to be passing.