6 New cruise ships for 2011

I’ve got my fingers crossed that cruise.co.uk get an invite or two for some of these launches, and that I get to go an have a nosey round to give the full low down.

Oceania launches the new ship Luxury liner Marina from the port of Barcelona on January 22nd, Marina is the biggest Oceania ship to date at 66,000 tons!!     

Disney Cruise lines have a new ship the Disney Dream, sailing on 26th January out of Port Canaveral in Florida at 128,000 tons she is offering everything you would expect from a Disney ship with maiden voyage out to Castaway Cay in the Bahamas, something for everyone, as long you’re a Disney lover than is!!

Carnival Cruise lines launch the ship ‘Magic’ on 1st May from Venice, she is the 23rd ship that Carnival own and promises a fantastic ship with all the character of a Carnival ship.

Italian cruise line Costa launch their newest lady to the seas, Favolosa at 114,500 tonnes will leave Venice on 4th July, hopefully with a firework or two to launch in line with Independence day! Superior designs inside offer a children’s water park with Pirate galleon!!

Celebrity Silhouette – the newest ship to the solstice class, sailing on July 23rd out of Hamburg – These ships are a wonderfully designed and Silhouette at 122,000 tonnes is due to be just as glorious as sister ships Eclipse and solstice!

Last but by no means least Yachts of Seabourn are offering up their new ship ‘Quest’ June 20th from Barcelona providing the ultra luxury standard we are used to from their other ships.

So if like so many other your fascinated by new - let me know which of our new ladies take you fancy and we can look at getting you on board.

Have you ever taken the maiden voyage? what did you think? Id love to hear your thoughts!

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.

CRYSTAL Bring a friend!

Refer a Friend to Crystal, and get extra Onboard Credit



The Cruise: Crystal is offering between $100 and $400 in onboard credit to anyone who sponsors a new-to-Crystal passenger, who travels in a separate stateroom on the same Crystal sailing as you. The new Crystal cruiser will also receive $100 shipboard credit. This offer applies to select voyages only.

Luxury liners leading the way!

If like many of our clients at cruise.co.uk you are considering moving forward in your cruise experience, here is a piece of advice for those planning a cruise holiday: Buy as much as you can possibly afford – It pays dividend in the end!!

In many cases, as cruise, in any cabin standard is a BIG holiday! So why not make the most of your investment and get the most satisfying experience you can! Why settle for an interior cabin if another couple of hundred will get you an ocean view or balcony cabin – If you can make your money stretch a bit further for mini suites or suites you will enjoy the cruise experience a whole lot more with more room to spare! And finally: Why not consider travelling on a small luxury vessel rather than on a mainstream cruise line's massive mega ship? Many people never give the likes of Silversea, Seabourn, Crystal and others in that upscale niche a second thought when they get down to making their cruise plans. That could be a mistake. Sure, these companies charge more. But they tend to give a lot more as well.