My experience on Oceania Cruises

As I sit in the cool, air-conditioned room of the Hotel EME in Seville, situated right by the cathedral, I reflect on the last few days and a fantastic, if not indulgent, cruise aboard Insignia.

Day One

It was an early start for the journey from Northampton to London Stansted, as I arrived at 4 AM for fast track security and my forward seat on the plane. We were all seated and ready to depart for Alicante, when the announcement came to tell us we would have to stay on the plane and wait for Julie. An audible sigh resounded around the aircraft as everyone realised that instead of leaving at 6:35am we were now due to leave at 8:15am. However, thanks to the very funny and entertaining hot tub salesman sitting next to me regaling stories of his trade, the time seemed to fly by.

At last, it was time literally started to fly, as we took off and landed in Alicante airport just over two hours later. I made my way to a taxi transfer and joined the queue of around 40 Brits, which included mostly men who were off to enjoy the sights of Benidorm as part of a bank holiday stag weekend.

My taxi transferred me to the very pleasant looking dock and I finally got a glimpse of my home from home for the next four days. There she was in all her glory - Oceania Insignia.

I was taken through security and embarked. As a stepped aboard this floating luxury to me like a country club hotel at sea, I was greeted by smiling faces and a cheerful receptionist who gave me my key and directed me to my cabin.  

I flung open the door, eager to see what delights would await me, and I wasn’t’ disappointed. The cabin was very spacious with a balcony, lots of storage space and a reasonably sized bathroom. Well, I suppose you would have to call it a shower room, as there wasn’t a bath. The shower was a touch on the small side, but I wasn’t sharing a shower with any gorgeous officers! so wasn't a problem. I did, however, make the most of the luxury Bulgari products for hair and body, and shower cap with a hair toggle, both of which I thought were thoughtful additions.

The prestige bed and pillows was so comfortable and meant I felt like I was sleeping on a cloud for the duration of the trip.

I made my way to the Waves bistro by the pool, to join my colleague Sharon. Sharon had arrived earlier and so had already found an enviable spot by the pool. She sat enjoying the sun and the alcohol free cocktails that this all-inclusive ship had to offer.

There was so much great food on offer including tasty salads, premium Angus steak beef burgers and even surf ‘n’ turf - plenty of choice and everything was so tasty.

After lunch, and a quick power nap to set me up for the rest of the evening, we met for happy hour in Horizons. This bar has a great view of the front of the ship and the cocktails were definitely flowing. We then met with Louise and Clive, who were hosting our group, and joined the rest of the group to dine in Polo Grill. This speciality dining restaurant is inclusive in your price when you sail with Oceania cruises. And what an experience it was. In fact, the entire trip was an endless array of gastronomic delights.

Day Two

We arrived in Almeria, Spain and took a tour around the city. During our explorations, we came across a small festival which brought the streets alive with music and colour. A religious procession followed by lots as the music, laughter and dancing continued. This was authentic Spain at its best and so we decided to sit in a local street bar with a cold beer, soaking up the atmosphere.

That evening, lobster was on the menu for me as we enjoyed another delicious diner – this time in Toscana.

Day Three

On the third day, we docked in Gibraltar and, of course, we took a tour to the rock and saw the monkeys. They were fascinating to watch. I was not keen on the centre of Gibraltar, so I sat down to have a coffee in a bar.

I paid the bill and left the coffee. Needless to say, I found it as unpalatable as the square in which I was drinking it.

And besides, what was the point in sitting in such awful surroundings when we had a beautiful luxury ship with good coffee and good food waiting for us. In all honesty, there was no contest. So, I headed back on board to make the most of what was on offer.

In the evening, I enjoyed an excellent show in which a great violinist couple, Lazlo and Irene, delighted the audience with their exciting and vibrant performance. Their energy on stage was infectious and a fabulous evening was had by all.

Day Four

The ship sailed up the river to dock in the centre of Seville. It was an interesting approach as we sailed through the draw bridge.

Disembarkation came all too soon, though, and I was very sad to leave the ship. Sharon and I took a taxi to our hotel in Seville, the EME Cathedral Hotel, where I currently sit writing this.

We were blessed to receive an upgrade and were escorted to our wonderful room with its private terrace and hot tub, something which immediately gave me flash backs to the salesman who provided me with an entertaining start to my trip.

It was absolutely necessary to go to the rooftop terrace bar overlooking the magnificent Seville Cathedral and have a Cava to toast the last few days. We recalled the friends that we had made on this wonderful journey – a journey during which we all fell in love with Oceania Cruises.

What a splendid end to a wonderful time on board Insignia and the lovely welcoming team at the EME hotel in Seville helped us finish in style.

 Tracey Holt

Go Cruise Itinerary Highlights

Room for a little one? Luxury on family cruise lines

Takings kids on a cruise doesn’t mean foregoing luxury. The most family-friendly companies are now building some of the biggest and best suites at sea.

There are two options for the parent who wants a luxury cruise. The first is to book a holiday on one of the high-end lines that welcome kids on board. This means fine dining, beautifully appointed suites, all-inclusive drinks and excursions – but, more often than not, hardly an abundance of fun for the kids. Ultra-luxury tends not to mean bumper cars and multi-storey waterslides.

The other option is to embrace the family-friendly cruise lines – those who offer ridiculously over-the-top fun for kids and that have increasingly embraced the space and the service provided by luxury lines. It makes sense that some of the biggest ships – those in the fleets of Norwegian Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International – also have some of the biggest suites at sea.

Norwegian, for example, offers the Haven Three-Bedroom Garden Villa on board Norwegian Gem, Jade, Jewel and Pearl. At up to 5,750 sq f, these are made up of three bedrooms with king or queen beds, a huge living area including bar that seats four and dining table that seats eight, as well as a private garden terrace (and hot tub, of course).

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Aegean Odyssey scores 98% satisfaction scores from guests!

On the 16th September 2016, Aegean Odyssey disembarked passengers on one of their signature Classical Greece & The Greek Islands cruises. The cruise had an incredible 98% guest satisfaction score, meaning 98% of the passengers who joined the cruise (Many of whom had not cruised with them before or in fact cruised with anyone before) would happily return to cruise again. Below are just a handful of reviews from their passengers.

 

Of course, as you can see from the last comment in blue, it would be disingenuous of us to only share the positives, we get the occasional negative comment too.

Well, you can’t win them all!

Mission accomplished! Crystal Serenity safely back in NYC after a “Historic” NWP cruise

Crystal Cruises becomes first ever luxury cruise line to transit the historically elusive Arctic route; preparations underway for 2017 voyage.

More than three years after the inception of the immensely ambitious plan to transit the Northwest Passage, Crystal Cruises’ luxury cruise ship Crystal Serenity has completed the epic undertaking, arriving in New York City this morning. The successful voyage marks the first of its kind made by a large luxury cruise ship. For 32 days and 7,297 nautical miles, more than 1,000 guests and 600 crew members witnessed the remote Arctic waterways and terrain that was inaccessible just over 100 years ago.

“We are humbled and thrilled to have completed such a monumental journey,” said Edie Rodriguez, CEO and president at Crystal. “As Crystal is constantly seeking new ways to share the world with our guests, the Northwest Passage represents an especially massive undertaking that was made possible by the extreme dedication of our expert destination team and expedition partners. We now look forward to beginning the planning process in delivering another memorable experience for guests on our 2017 sailing.”

The award-winning vessel was captained by Master Birger J. Vorland, who enters an exclusive club of maritime explorers to successfully lead a vessel through the Northwest Passage, and joins Norwegian-born sailors Roald Amundsen and Henry A. Larsen on achieving the professional milestone. During the northernmost portion of the journey, Crystal Serenity was escorted by the RRS Ernest Shackleton. In addition to being fully equipped as a first response vessel for virtually any emergency situation, the RRS Shackleton provided ice breaking capabilities, two helicopters for special adventures and additional expert expedition crew.

“From day one of planning the voyage, we were committed to ensuring the safety of our guests, crew and the ship,” said Captain Vorland.  “In addition to carrying two veteran Canadian Ice Pilots, Crystal Serenity’s bridge team received ice navigation simulator training to prepare ourselves for the conditions and, prior to the voyage, the ship was outfitted with forward looking sonar, ice searchlights, ice radar and a thermal imaging system were installed.”

The rugged journey was somewhat of a departure from Crystal’s famous luxury ocean cruises, as adventures ashore were centred on the remote and sparse terrain of the region. “Wet” zodiac landings, icy hikes and intrepid treks were enhanced by the extensive knowledge of the local Inuit guides and the onboard expedition teams. Community visits in Canada’s Northwest Territories offered invaluable connections and insights into the local cultures. In Ulukhaktok, a troop of young local dancers boarded the ship to perform their traditional interpretive dances, fully outfitted in handmade costume. Travellers reflected on the history of the fateful Franklin Expedition during a visit to Beechey Island, while a call to Pond Inlet brought Captain Vorland and the town’s mayor together for a mutual exchange of gifts of appreciation.

In its continuing spirit of goodwill and connecting intimately with communities worldwide, Crystal extended its support to the local Inuit villages during visits on the Northwest Passage voyage. Crystal donated school supplies, hired local guides to assist in tours, hosted “community visits” which allowed local communities to sell arts & crafts and made charitable monetary donations that collectively represented more than $200,000 (CAD) in direct and indirect benefits.

“The importance of understanding the natural, cultural and historical implications of this sailing is tremendous,” adds Rodriguez. “We did not set out on this expedition to simply sail through the Northwest Passage, but also to illuminate the region and its remarkable nuances while also making a positive impact on the communities we visited.”

Along the way, Crystal’s ‘Unexpected Adventures’ – introduced for this voyage – brought impromptu opportunities to encounter wildlife, including close-up greetings (from the safety of an expert-driven zodiac) with polar bears and numerous whale pods. A small group of adventurous guests embarked on an overnight Crystal Adventure to a Greenland Ice Camp, trekking through deep crevices in massive glaciers and sleeping under the stars on the frozen ground.

The trip’s extreme expedition nature was punctuated by Crystal’s signature six-star luxury. Onboard, guests enjoyed real-time updates of wildlife sightings and other special happenings. Four sets of premium high-powered binoculars, as well as flat screens streaming from a cutting-edge Cineflex system were installed in deck 12’s forward Palm Court, ensuring guests always had the best possible views of their route.

Dozens of acclaimed experts also joined the voyage to lend background and fascinating insights into various topics relevant to the journey. Naturalists, biologists, nature photographers and videographers, historians and professional adventurers all led captivating presentations that helped bring the profoundness of the voyage to life.

Following the astounding response and enthusiasm about the 2016 sailing, Crystal has announced a second Northwest Passage route in 2017, open for booking now. For more information and reservations call Tracey Holt on 0800 432 0291 or visit www.luxurycruiseholiday.co.uk

Carnival Corporation’s British line P&O Cruises is to build a new ship for 2020.
The company signed a memorandum of agreement with German and Finnish shipbuilders Meyer Werft and Meyer Turku to build the new vessel, which will be fully powered by liquified natural gas.

The new ship will come in at 180,000 gross tons and be able to handle 5,200 guests. Its newest vessel, Britannia, can carry about 3,647 guests.

The ship will be built by Meyer Werft at its shipyard in Papenburg, Germany and will feature the company’s exclusive “green cruising” design as one of the first generation of cruise ships to be fully powered by Liquefied Natural Gas, shipping’s most advanced fuel technology, which will significantly reduce air emissions.

P&O Cruises senior-vice president Paul Ludlow said: “These are very exciting times. The number of British passengers taking a cruise in the past five years has significantly increased, boosted most recently by our very successful launch of Britannia last year. We know there is still huge potential as more and more people realise the value for money, choice and range of dining and entertainment options available on ships of all sizes. With an amazing range of itineraries, from two days to three months, there is a cruise to suit every budget.

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Royal Caribbean Cruises warns over Med but predicts record year

Royal Caribbean Cruises is seeing “headwinds” from the Mediterranean this summer yet is still projecting a record year.

The company's overall booking position remains strong, similar to last year's record high levels.

“However, China is a closer-in booking environment making it harder to compare positions,” the company said. “Excluding China bookings, the company's booked position is well ahead of last year's.”

The disclosure came as the parent of brands such as Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises and Azamara Club Cruises reported that adjusted net profit for the first quarter of the year almost tripled to $124 million from $45.2 million in the same period in 2015.

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