Rewards and Benefits

Every one likes a bargain and the best way to do this is via loyalty schemes. Much like the supermarkets and major department stores, most of the top cruise lines out there have some kind of membership scheme. Once you have been on a cruise for the first time with a particular cruise line you automatically become a member, and you may receive extra benefits next time you book. Some of them give benefits straight way, whilst others have schemes in place that allows you to accumulate benefits as you cruise more and more with the same company. This could be anything like discounts when booking, onboard credit, discount on your onboard spend, priority boarding and invitations to special occasions/parties onboard.



Don't always leave it to the cruise lines to make you member, always check while onboard and fill out the necessary forms if needed. Also, always have your membership numbers at hand when getting a quote or booking your next cruise.


Cruise lines and their member club names:
P&O - The Potunas Club
Princess - Captain's Circle
Cunard - World Club
Fred Olsen - Oceans Club
Royal Caribbean - Crown & Anchor
Celebrity - Captain's Club
Azamara - Le Club Voyage
Holland America - Mariner Society
Norwegian Cruise Lines - Latitudes
Yachts Of Seabourn - Seabourn Club

If you want to know what benefits your getting as a member and for great cruise deals then contact me on 08004086144 or email nadinel@cruise.co.uk

Festivals at sea

Ive spent the last 12 months eagerly awaiting a local festival, with local bands, as last year I missed it due to helping my sister move house – Duty calls!! Anyway – The Morton Stanley Festival came, along with hundreds of local supporters, local bands and the rain!!! I think that comes as par of the course for any festival in this country – IT HAS TO Rain. Anyway it got me to thinking about Festivals at sea, I know P&O do a Music Festival at sea, although not in line with the type of festival I went to, but music all the same.
Cruise PO19 – Artemis – 21st October – 17nights Western Mediterranean cruise,


Cruise PO21 – Artemis –18th November– 26nights Eastern Mediterranean cruise,


You’ll have the chance to experience our Music Festival at Sea. Hosted by well-known personalities from TV, radio and the stage and complemented by a wonderful team of internationally renowned artists, there’s something to suit everyone, whatever your taste. Don’t forget that Artemis is soon to be retired and new ship Adonia launching in 2011. It's not too late to experience Artemis. These cruises are one of the last few remaining cruises. Attend a classical concert in Artemis' Festival Theatre and you'll find the conviviality of her surroundings perfect for our Music Festival at Sea programme.


Not one to feel left out – Fred Olsen have their own arrangements, in the form of their Music & Laughter programme which envelopes all tastes and falvours great bands, comedians and solo artists are all featured, providing star-studded entertainment on board. Starting in Autumn 2010 taking us through to Spring, each ship has a different twist on board from the world of comedy with Jim Bowen, Don Reid, and Jimmy Tamley


A entertainment from rock, pop, jazz, swing and of course, the laughter bit – Top rated comedians on board. Performers include Opera Babes; the Divas of Motown performing some of the best-loved Tamla Motown hits from the sixties; Colin Bryant and his Hot Rhythm Orchestra, rocking the ship with swing and jazz numbers; and the evergreen sixties band still delighting audiences everywhere - The Merseybeats. Tribute bands are great and they look to some of the great names from entertainment such as Elvis and Abba.

 If you fancy a geat value cruise with fred olsen cruise or P&O, just ask me who’s on board and I can fill you in!

08004086144

Gentlemen Hosts

Ive just taken a call from a lady enquiring as to which ships have gentlemen hosts on board, now I do recall from my training days that this caused a titter or two when we discovered that some cruise lines do indeed have gentlemen hosts. Gentlemen hosts are there for single ladies to dance with at formal nights and functions. who happen to greatly out number male passengers on most cruises.

Lines who have Gentlemen hosts onboard:

*  Cunard
*  Fred Olsen
*  Holland America Line
*  P&O Cruises

Dance hosts must be present nightly at dance floor locations and "work the room", offering a dance to each unescorted female passenger, while being careful to not to show favouritism. They are also responsible for attending all ship-sponsored parties and are often asked to host tables at dinner time.


As general companions to ladies, making conversation and joining in for shipboard activities and games. All the while, romance is not involved, so these gentlemen must have their wits and tact about them. Crossing another passenger's cabin threshold can result in disembarkation!! This is never a good idea, especially on world crusies. Ideally hosts come from well travelled and well educated backgrounds who find it easy to converse on a variety of subjects. It is important that hosts have polished appearances and refined, approachable manners. They must also be in good shape, as dancing, most nights, lasts for hours.


However there is a thought to the single gentlemen whom are not so suave and sophisticated when it comes for asking for a ladies hand on the dance floor, do they offer a similar service for the opposite gender – Quite simply the answer is NO! Which begs the question, Is there discrimination, or would Lady Hosts be open to too many unwelcome advances?? Any one had any experience of the gentlemen host? Is there are a role for the female counter part?

Eggstra thoughtful breakfast from Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean have announced this week that they have decided to use FREE RANGE eggs to their on board catering! This policy has been brought about by the collaboration with US Based humane society: Royal Caribbean will bring in 3.2 million eggs of free-range immediately, and will increase to 6.8 million within one year. It is estimated the change will spare nearly 30,000 hens each year from being crammed inside tiny cages

Matthew Prescott, corporate outreach director for the Humane Society said: "Many cruisers take their concern for animals, food safety and sustainability with them when they travel, and we applaud Royal Caribbean for taking those concerns seriously by reducing their reliance on eggs from caged hens". I personally am in favour of the move as I always aim to get free range eggs at home, and I don’t particularly favour the way cheap chicken meat has been reared. I for one would have thought this was in place a long time before, any one have any thoughts or opinions on this? Any ideas how else the cruise line could be a bit more ‘friendly’?

Natural end for Whale!

One of my colleagues, posted a blog last week about a whale that had been found dead at the bow of the Sapphire Princess! National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service have said that the whale found last week on the bow of Sapphire Princess was likely dead before it was struck by the ship.


Though these preliminary results are not definitive (it could be several months before final results are available, according to the NOAA's statement), this scenario is considered likely for a number of reasons, such as:  The whale was already missing a fin, possibly due to an earlier boat strike, causing debilitation and/or death. The whale was also already missing part of its jaw. According to the NOAA, the loss of the fin "may have been followed by killer whale scavenging, as a large portion of the ventral pleats in the lower jaw was missing (an area of the body typically targeted by killer whales)."

Collected samples -- skin, muscle, blubber, liver, kidney, ovaries, stomach contents, parasites, urine and faeces, and one recovered eye -- will be further examined to rule out scenarios such as exposure to toxins and genetics. A post-mortem in a similar strike last year involving Sapphire Princess concluded that whale was also already dead when it and the ship collided in Alaska.

This is all good news for animal lovers who were concerned for the welfare of sea creatures being at risk from cruise ships. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

Epic reasons to turn round!

Reading through cruise reports this weekend I found out that a medical emergency onboard Norwegian Cruise Line's newest ship, Norwegian Epic, forced the ship to return to its Miami homeport hours after it embarked on a seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise. It looks like a passenger has had a severe allergic reaction whilst onboard causing the ship to turn back to Miami as they were only about 40miles from Port. The ship notified local authorities and returned to Miami at approximately 12:45 a.m. for a medical disembarkation. Unfortunately the passenger in question passed away before the ship could reach port – but it did cause need for the Dade County crime scene investigation van and police cars at the port. Police were still on board at almost 2 a.m

The remainder of the ship's itinerary will not be impacted by this delay, and Norwegian Epic will call in St. Maarten on Monday as planned. The statement concludes, "Norwegian Cruise Line extends its sincerest thoughts and prayers to the guest's family during this difficult time." As do all at Cruise.co.uk

Shrek on the seas

Royal Caribbean invites Shrek on the Independence of the seas.

Shrek, Donkey and a crew of penguins are coming to sea via Royal Caribbean's innovative new family-focused entertainment program. At a recent press conference, the cruise line announced that it has inked a partnership with DreamWorks Animation, the powerhouse entertainment studio responsible for films including "Kung Fu Panda," "Madagascar" and of course all three flicks in the growing "Shrek" enterprise with the fourth film released in the uk in July! Animation-themed activities and amenities will debut with Allure of the Seas, due out in December 2010, and eventually roll out to Oasis of the Seas, Freedom of the Seas and Liberty of the Seas.

Opportunities for character interaction, day and night, including parades


Character meals in the main dining room A new lineup of movie-themed games and adventures in the Adventure Ocean kids' program DreamWorks Animation movies on the big screen -- in 3D Special character shows in the Studio B ice rink (such as "How to Train Your Dragon") and AquaTheater - For amazing value cruises on Independance, Oasis, Freedom and Liberty of the seas call me on 08004086144

Cruising for everyone

Everyone of us id different is our opinions our choices, our likes and dislikes, humour, pastimes and our idea of fun is very different!

Luckily for you guys, cruising suits all types of characters, however it is a good idea to do a bit of research on they type of cruise you about to embark on when deciding where to go for your next cruise and more importantly who with I.e.: which cruise line… Most of don’t have much choice on who comes with us, significant others tend to follow or lead!!
I thoughts id list some of my recommendations for some of our speciality cruises that may tickle your fancy:

Venture to the Caribbean with Ventura

Anyone fancy a pre christmas tan?

Ive got a great deal on the P&O Ventura.

20% Off (Discounts included in prices below)

19th November 2010 - 14nights - Roundtrip flights included (Manchester and London avaliable at the moment)

Inside starting £1319 per person with £150 each on board credit

Ocean view starts at £1419 per person with £150 each on board credit

Balconies start at £1690 per person with £200 each on board credit


Superior Balcony at £1935 per person with £200 each on board credit


SUITES are amazing value at £2779 per person with £200 on board credit!!




Fri 19 Nov     BARBADOS   20:30EMBARK OVERNIGHT ONBOARD SHIP
Sat 20 Nov    BARBADOSFULL DAY
Sun 21 Nov   AT SEA
Mon 22 Nov  BONAIRE, DUTCH ANTILLESFULL DAY
Tue 23 Nov   ARUBA, DUTCH ANTILLESFULL DAY
Wed 24 Nov  AT SEA
Thu 25 Nov   OCHO RIOS, JAMAICAFULL DAY POSSIBLE TENDER
Fri 26 Nov    AT SEASat 27 NovGRAND TURKFULL DAY
Sun 28 Nov   AT SEA
Mon 29 Nov  ST. MAARTENFULL DAY
Tue 30 Nov   ANTIGUA, LEEWARD ISLANDSFULL DAY
Wed 01 Dec  DOMINICAFULL DAY
Thu 02 Dec   ST. LUCIAFULL DAY
Fri 03 Dec    BARBADOS


LIMITED AVALIABILITY Call me now for your cabin!
NADINE LEWIS 08004086144 
This ship also has departures on 20th Novemeber, however there isnt the same discount avaliable!!

Dearest Bloggers

I, Nadine Lewis of cruise.co.uk humbly invite you to be of utmost assistance!! Cruise.co.uk has a very limited number of spaces available for the Agents day launch of the new Cunard ship The Queen Elizabeth in October.

I am asking for those who I have been lucky enough to speak with and organise cruises for – would you be so kind as to drop me a few lines in the rate my service section of my blog, there is a competition in house for the limited spaces available on the ship visit.


I will bring you photos and brilliant blog updates live from the ship if I am lucky enough to get a slot – so thanks in advance and while I am talking of the ship, don’t forget that the inaugural season will be very busy, so best to get your cabins booked in advance. 08004086144

Truly a premimum upgrade!

Not so long ago I did a blog about luxury cruise lines and how, sometimes the leap isn’t as big as you may first think, I’ve found out today that premium luxury line Oceania has decide to invest in the ships and make the most significant upgrade since they first launched.


The will be spending lots of money upgrading the ships, Regatta, Insignia and Nauticca, now if any of you have been on these ships, we would hardly refer to them as tired looking, but I guess that’s what sets them apart – forward thinking and proactive refurbishment programmes. They now promise to offer 'more stylish staterooms and more varied cuisine-styles, including spa cuisine'.

The improvements will also be made to new flagship Marina before her debut in January. Frank Del Rio, the line’s founder and chairman/CEO of parent company Prestige Cruise Holdings, said: “With our new Pillars of Distinction initiative we have raised the bar in upper-premium cruising.”

Has anyone been on these ships? What do you think? Are they ready for a facelift?


Anyone wanting great value cruising should definitely try the premium lines; call me on 0804086144 for itinerary and costings.

NKOTB! New Kids on the Destiny!

Now this may be a blog for my friends as well as cruise lovers – I Am VERY excited, NKOTB cordially announce the NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK CRUISE 2011 aboard the CARNIVAL DESTINY - sailing from the Port of Miami, FL to Half Moon Cay and Nassau, May 12 – 16, 2011. The voyage will take place on the 2,642-passenger Carnival Destiny, a bigger ship than in the past, and it'll last a day longer than the first two NKOTB voyages. The trip will kick of May 12, 2011 in Miami and include stops in Nassau and Half Moon Cay, a private island in the Bahamas.

New Kids on the Block used its 2009 voyage to kick off the band's North America reunion tour, and it sold out almost immediately. It was so popular that on the day the cruise was first advertised on NKOTB.com, the site's server crashed.


It's been such a hit, they're doing it again. In the wake of sell-out trips in 2009 and 2010, New Kids on the Block has announced yet another cruise-with-the-band voyage for 2011. Next year’s cruise promises to be everything you loved about 2010…and more…
ALL CATEGORIES WILL GO ON SALE: FRIDAY AUGUST 13th @ 3PM EST
PRE SALE FOR PAST CRUISERS FRIDAY AUGUST 13th @ 10AM EST
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR CABIN
DON’T. MISS. THE. BOAT!
CABINS STARTING AT $699! And I can now package Carnival cruise with flights and get the best prices possible. - 08004086144

Ship festival in Hamburg

This week on our – Cruise.co.uk news bulletin, it has features and articles, and there was an article about how Hamburg Port has celebrated its second Cruise Days festival with a spectacular cruise ship parade.

The art project "Blue Port" and more than 150,000 visitors turned the port into a worldwide unique stage and offered unusual views of the maritime metropolis and its waterfront. The beautiful and bustling Port of Hamburg is one of the "cruise capitals" in Northern Europe, regularly attracting cruise liners from far and wide. For the second time the hanseatic city was celebrating the Hamburg Cruise Days from July 30 to August 1, 2010. Never before has a port of Hamburg's importance offered cruise ships a comparable platform with a stunning artistic project of this type.

It has been questioned as to why we don’t have one, with so many ships being ex U.K and departing from ports such as Dover, Harwich, and Southampton to name the busiest ones, but this got me to thinking, what would it be like if we did – The pictures from Hamburg were just breathtaking – The only river festival I’ve been to has been the river festival in Evesham held annually – I’m now worried that perhaps we would expectthe independence of the seas to be dolled up like these:

If the idea of Hamburg sends thrills n chill your way, then send me your deatils and we can look at cruises together - 08004086144

A Night at the Oscars! Azura and ME!!

As any of my regular blog readers will know – Mainly thanks to Marcia on my Rate my service section, last week I enjoyed my 30years of this life and I threw a joint party with my Mum who was 50 the same week. We had a themed party of ‘A night at the Oscars’ Red carpet glamour was the theme of the night and boy did we have some good outfits. It all reminded me a bit of Formal nights on board and I thought Id show you some of the pictures.

Also – It made me recall the Azura – It has an open air cinematic experience with films shown during the day and under a starlit sky at night, they also enjoy themed nights such as ‘A night at the Oscars’ and the chance to watch well loved TV Comedy classics, Plus exclusive behind the scenes footage and interviews with the ships officers!!

And all of this can be enjoyed form your lounger, with a drink in one hand and popcorn in the other – We currently have some great 2011 Cruise sale prices on with P&O – If any of you read the Sunday telegraph we featured a lot of these then, so the availability is going rapidly and we are very busy here at Cruise.co.uk this week.