Are Wii addicted???

It is becoming more and more apparent to me that people are getting addicted to computer games. I try to ring my boyfriend, he's busy fighting people on the X Box. I ring my friend sister, she is busy racing her daughter on Mario Cart. I ring my mum, she's busy exercising on Wii Fit. Am I missing out?

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy a quick race on mario cart from time to time, and quite enjoy the quiz challenge of Buzz when visiting my friends, but that's about it. It seems that some people play them at every given opportunity. So it's not surprising that cruise liners have cottoned on to this. Norwegian Cruise Lines have included a large entertainment room on their latest ship Norwegian Epic, dedicated to this craze. There are Nintendo Wii's and PS3's with extra large tv screens to play against eachother on. Children and teens can be amused for hours with the latest games and gadgets as well as Karaoke Machines and Table Hockey to mention a few. Somehow I can't help but think it may not just be the children and teens who will want to play along in this genious idea.

Nobody Forgets Their First Time.....

I have just booked a cruise for my Mum and Step Father. They are going on Royal Caribbean's Brilliance Of The Seas for 12 nights around the Med in August. This will be a first cruise for both of them and they are very excited. My mum came to me a couple of weeks ago and told me they had decided to go on a cruise to celebrate my step dads 60th birthday so wanted it to be something special and one to remember. I have gone out of my way to ensure I have booked a perfect cruise to suit their needs as I want it to be absolutely perfect for them. She hasn't been the easiest of customers, I have to say!!!

Also my mum has never fancied a cruise. She prefers a nice beach holiday in Greece or Canaries so that made it even more important for me to find her a dream cruise so she gets the bug like everyone always does.  I really hope I have found her a cruise she will never forget!

This got me thinking.......When was your first cruise, and how did you find the experience? Did you immediately get hooked and have booked several more since? Have you stuck with the same cruise liner because you loved it so much? Did you not enjoy it, was it not what you thought??

I would love to know, post your replies below.

Tea...? Coffee..??

I recently made a booking for a gentleman and his wife who were about to cruise with Cruise and Maritime Voyages for the first time. He found the cabin he wanted and a price that suited him, so everything was great. Until......he read our review site and found that someone had written a review saying Cruise and Maritime Voyages do not have tea and coffee making facilities in the cabins. This was important to him. He liked a cup of tea before bed and as soon as he wakes up. 

I looked into it for him and the reason they (and some other cruise liners) don't have them in the cabin is simply for health and safety.

Cruising for Cats........

Do you find it too hard to leave your precious pets at home whilst you go off on your jollies? Well Cunard is the one and only Cruise Line who allows cats and dogs onboard. Yes that's right....you can take your cat on the cruise with you. The purpose of this was not really introduced for those people who can't bear to be partied from the beloved pets, but more for people who are re-locating and using the cruise to get to get to their new home city etc.

Cruises from UK Ports......BIG thumbs up from me!!

If you have read my previous posts you will know that I used to fly as Cabin Crew and that I love to fly so much. So for me fly cruises would have always been my first choice. I always thought a flight was where your holiday began. However, after staying on the MSC Magnifica which was docked in Southampton, I can now totally see why people choose to cruise from UK Ports. It was so easy and convenient with no stress at all, and Check-In was efficient and pain free - unlike airports can be!!
From arriving at the Port on the coach to getting to my cabin was only around 15-20 mins which I was very impressed with. No queues, no need to purchase over priced food and drink for 2 hours like in a airport.
All in all, I was converted.....maybe flying isn't always as good as it seems.

Many Cruise Liners offer great deals such as Free Car Parking or Free Coach Transfers to UK Ports.

MSC Magnifica....Magnifique!!!!

Well as promised I am writing about my experience onboard the MSC Magnifica which some of here at cruise.co.uk got to stay on at the weekend. As we arrived at the Port in Southampton I was suprised at the size of the ship...it was a lot bigger than I thought. The check in was quick and efficient and the staff were very friendly.

2 Point 4 Children.....

With the School Summer Holidays approaching I am getting more and more calls for families wanting to cruise where the adults stay in one cabin and the children in another. Just a reminder...it is ok to do this but the cabins will need to be either next to, or adjacent to eachother. With this mind, it's not wise to leave it until the last minute to book as availability is limited during these months from very early on. My advise would be, plan ahead and book early.

Magnifica......Magnifique????

Very often I get calls from customers enquiring about a cruise with MSC. Their prices are extremely competitive which attracts peoples attention immediately. They then read reviews and come across a common one about the food onboard. People who have cruised with MSC have come back and written reviews saying the food wasn't hot. MSC are an Italian Cruise Line, and anyone who has travelled and eaten out in local traditional mediterrean restaurants will know that the food is never served piping hot. It's a Mediterrean thing!!

Pack Your Bags......

Airlines are getting more strict when it comes to baggage. If I can give any advise, it would be to pack light and make sure you are within your baggage weight restrictions. I used to work on check in so I know how strict they are. Always check with your airline carrier to see what their weight allowances are as they vary from airline to airline. No bag over 30kgs is allowed to go through check in due to health and safety.

World Cup on Water.....

The World Cup is fast approaching. Planned or planning a cruise this summer, but you also don't want to miss the matches? No need to worry, you can watch them onboard! Cruise ships have plenty of variety when it comes to bars and big screens, so you won't miss a minute of the action.

My Recommended Restaurant...

I know it's the new year so most of us are dieting to get rid of that extra Christmas weight that we all gained but I have a recommendation for a fabulous place to eat. I used to spend a lot of time working in the USA, and as you probably know, the USA are famous for their choice of restaurants/diners/fast food outlets. Well I found a real treat...'The Cheescake Factory'.

Handy Hotels

Having worked as Cabin Crew for several years prior to moving into the world of Cruises, I have stayed in many, many hotels around the world. Some whilst on duty with work and some when I was maxing out my staff travel concessions! I thought I would share some of my favourtites with you.....

New York - Novotel Times Square

Ideal location on 52nd and Broadway. Fantastic Views of Times Square.

Rooms for around £100 per room per night

See all the sights right on your door step

Great value for money

Grease Is The Word....

I have a birthday looming and have a wonderful weekend planned. I am going to stay in London for the weekend and do lots of sightseeing and eating out in nice restaurants. But the best bit of all is that I am going to see Grease The Musical at Picadily Theatre in the West End. I have been a huge fan of this film since I was a little girl and I used to watch my older sister singing and dancing to all the classics like 'You're the one that I want' and 'Hopelessly devoted to you'. I have never been to a West End show so as you can imagine I am VERY excited!! It has made me realise that I would like to see shows more often. I think its a good excuse to go on a Celebrity Cruise where they show West End Productions such as Chicago and We Will Rock You as part of their entertainment programme. On a 7 night cruise you would normally get 2 shows as well as the other nightly entertainment programme, and on a 14 night cruise you would get 4 shows. I think this is pretty impressive when you consider how much it would cost to visit West End shows in London 4 times in 2 weeks! A friend of mine used to work on Celebrity and he tells me the entertainment and shows are out of this world. I'm sure after seeing Grease on 13th, I'll be hooked! I'll report back with my reviews.

Flight Upgrades - Worth it or not???

I recently took a telephone enquiry for a cruise with flights either side. I offered my client the option of a flight upgrade on British Airways, from World Traveller to World Traveller plus. He was unsure and asked me what I thought he should do. Well its not a standard answer for each person, it is definitely down to personal choice. But this question got me thinking....Are upgrades worth the extra cost???

I'm Jealous on an Epic scale....

Sometimes I book a cruise for someone and I feel so jealous at their upcoming cruise holiday, and if there is one ship that is having that effect more than other right now, its the Norwegian Epic. 'WOW' is the word that springs to mind. This really is the next generation of cruise ships. Whilst I sit here now looking at the brochure I am just amazed, especially by the Ice Bar (pictured below) where you can sip away at the various flavoured iced vodkas.

 Not to mention the water park, and climbing wall. Who said cruising wasn't for families?? Well they were wrong. I thought Royal Caribbean had the best facilities for families but now I say its NCL. Children and teenagers could never get bored....not once they've experienced the the largest bowl slide and only tube slide at sea at the water park (pictured below).

When the youngsters are not splashing around or climbing the rock climbing walls, they can enjoy some home from home fun in the Recess where they can watch films in the movie theatre or play against eachother in the Wii Room, where it has all the latest Nintendo Wii games on large screens. NCL offer 'Freestyle' Cruising so you can pick and choose when and where you eat, and at what time. NCL Epic is launching in May this year, and is designed to 'take your breath away'. Well I have to say, I can totally see why. Dare I say it........Its my new favourite ship!!

Forget the shops......here's a real SALE!!

Don't miss out on the fantastic January Sale at cruise.co.uk.

Reasons to Cruise.....

Here are just some of my top reasons to take a cruise:


1. Cruising is excellent value for money. People think cruising is expensive but this is definitely not the case. If you compare the price of a cruise with that of a package holiday including flights, accomodation, food/drink, going out etc you will quickly see that cruising offers fantastic value for money.

2. Cruising suits all. The entertainment on-board a cruise ship is top class and fun for all, regardless of age. There is so much choice of fun activities and entertainment so everyday is different and you will never get bored.

Watch this space.....

Fred Olsen's Black Watch has revealed its major refurbishment which included a new casual dining area, which has been created in the space where the Braemar Lounge and Garden Café were situated.

The transformed area is now the Braemar Garden, a casual dining area with seating for 120 persons, and replaces the Garden Café which seated 80 persons.

Other areas of the ship have also received new soft furnishings, including the Neptune Lounge, Pipers Bar, Glentanar Restaurant and the Observatory Lounge. In addition, many cabin bathrooms have been refitted and they have also made changes to make more unrestricted view cabins.

Park and Cruise

Princess Cruises are currently offering FREE car parking at Southampton. Don't miss out on this fantastic offer, book your Princess Cruise now and save that all important spending money to treat yourself to something special on-board.

Decs are down!!

Well its official for me now, the festivities are over. I am very superstitious and believe the decorations shouldn't be taken down until the 12th day...not before! So yesterday, 6th Jan, was my day off and I battled for hours to make sure they are all down and packed away in the loft for next year. I would be lying if I said I didn't get the tangled up in the fairy lights!!