The Circus is in Town!

It was a very busy day today in the cruise.co.uk offices with the launch of the Cunard/P&O 4 day
Double Upgrade Sale, where you pay for an inside and get upgraded to a balcony!

It was so successful the last time they decided to give people another chance to make the most of it. So, after a very busy day for me helping people get booked in their balcony cruise cabins I decided to unwind by going to no other than..... The Circus....!

I took my 10yr old neice, two 4yr old nephews and a 6yr old nephew along to the Big Top to see lots of amazing acts which thoroughly entertain us. The children absolutely loved it (that includes me of course!)

Uncle Sam's American Circus rolled into town on Wednesday so we decided to treat them all to see the clowns. Not your average Friday night but fun none the less!

If you like the idea of the Circus then you can experience it onboard the NCL Epic where they have a Circus themed dinning experience called Cirque Dreams and Dinner. Here you can enjoy the fantastic show whilst you dine on some exquisit food...check out this amazing video clip...

What do you think of the idea of this dining experience, would it be for you....?

Mosey on up the Seine...

In aproximately 2 weeks time I will be boarding an Avalon ship in Paris - yes thats PARIS! To take a 4night River cruise up the Seine...




I am very excited about this as I have always wanted to experience a River cruise, having been on many ocean cruise ships, to see what the difference is like. River Cruising is exploding onto the cruise scene now and fast becoming a preferred way to cruise. Particularly for those who have done the Med itineraries to death and are looking for something that little bit different. With river cruises you get to sail along some of the most famous Rivers in Europe taking in every last drop of medieval scenery and pulling up right in the hearty of each City and Town.

On my trip I will be visiting Conflans where I can visit the town where Vincent Van Gogh lived or Napoleon and Josephine's Chateau de Malmaison. Vernon where I can go and see Claude Monet's house and stunning gardens. Then Finally finishing my little trip in Rouen where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in the market place.







I have never been to Paris so to say I am excited about this would be an understatement. My trip starts on the 10th April so I will be writing a full blog on my return of my adventures.

Its going to be Titanic

We all know the sad story of the "unsinkable" doomed ocean liner that struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic ocean on its maiden voyage to New York on the 10th April 1912, where 1500 passengers died and only 700 managed to survive. I am of course talking about the RMS Titanic. At the time she was the largest ship afloat at 46,328 GRT and certainly the most luxurious but looking back at that now she seems tiny compared to some of the monsters at sea like the Oasis and Allure of the Seas by Royal Caribbean. It took about 3 years to build this beauty and only one doomed night to destroy it, well about 3 hours they say for her to sink to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

We had the epic film back in 1997 with Leonardo DI Caprio and Kate Winslet where we got a feel of what may have happened that night with the love story of Jack and Rose but I have often wondered about the stories of the people that were actually on board, the survivors and those that perished. What really did happened that night?

Now is the chance for us to really get immersed in the story as ITV1 are going to be showcasing a 4 part drama starting on Sunday 25th March called Titanic. Penned by the Oscar winning writer Julian Fellows it is set to be an amazing drama click here to watch the trailer. I'm very excited about this and will definitely be tuning in to watch. I hope they can do it the justice that it deserves.

The captain of the Titanic,  Cpt. Edward John Smith, remained firm on his ship and went down with her after trying to make sure all the women and children were safely evacuated.....thats certainly more than I can say for one captain we know of in the recent news....not to mention any names!!

 Captain Edward John Smith.

How well do you know the Titanic? Take a quiz and find out! Click here 

Worlds lightest luggage!

Are you put off doing a fly cruise because of the luggage weight restrictions? Let's face it, if you are going on a cruise which has formal evenings where you are required to wear suits and evening gowns, then it can be a real nightmare with luggage restrictions especially on some of the low cost airlines.

There is an answer!


The Worlds Lightest Luggage...
This is a collection of luggage made by IT Luggage, which boasts to be the lightest in the world. There is a 16" Cabin bag that easily fits in with the low cost airlines such as Ryan Air and Easy Jet's on board cabin restrictions. Then they have a full range from 17" up to 30" with the 26" weighing in at just 1.95kg and the 30" weighing in at a very small 2.17kg. Along with a Holdall and even a laptop trolley! Every angle is covered.

This luggage collection will certainly help when it comes to taking your fly cruise and not only is it great for the weight restrictions it is also handy for the fact that it is easier to carry, pull and lift. Perfect!

So rather than just thinking you have to sail from Southampton, why dont you give a fly cruise a try? With Royal Caribbean leaving from places such as Barcelona and Malaga and Celebrity Cruises from places such as Rome and Venice, you really can start your cruise holiday with instant sunshine and no luggage hassle! Both of these cruise lines have a FREE flights promotion on at the moment on selected sailings and from selected airports.

This luggage can be purchased from Bagsetc.co.uk

2013 is just around the corner....

Yes you heard me right, 2013 is fast upon us! Granted we are only just in March of 2012 but in the world of cruising early booking is the way to go. People start to think of their cruise holidays well in advance especially if it is a very popular itinerary or you are a family that needs a 3/4 berth cabin, you have to get in there first!


So, the reason for my blog is to say that we have started receive information from the cruise lines regarding the launch dates for the new brochures and sailings for 2013/2014 and I wanted to keep you posted.

Fred Olsen
Has announced that they will be putting their cruise on sale on the 8th March. They are offering some fab "Pre Launch" offers for early bookers which included cruises from £84pppn and sailings from 8 ports in the UK! You have to call us to get these launch offers and the best prices.

Celebrity
Has today announced that they shall be putting their 2013 season cruises on sale on the 15th March which will include the newly rejuvenated Infinity sailing from Harwich as well as the Eclipse from Southampton for the whole season! Along with Early Booking offers of:

• Save up to £400 per stateroom
• Free Car Parking on sailings from Southampton and Harwich
• Free Coach Transfers on Eclipse and Infinity sailings from the UK
• Regional Flights from as little as £99pp on selected Eclipse sailings.

Princess
The Royal Princess, the next generation of Princess Cruise Ships, will be joining the fleet in June 2013. Click here for preview
Her highly anticipated European Debut Itineraries are to go on sale on the 15th March these include:

• 7 day maiden Iberia voyage - 16th June
• 3 day advance preview sailings - 10th and 13th June from Southampton
• Maiden Grand Mediterranean - Jun 23; Jul 5, 17, 29; Aug 10, 22; Sep 3, 15, 27
• 18 Day Miaden Venetian passage from Venice to Fort Lauderdale.

These are all that we have had so far, however, we do anticipate that over the next couple of weeks the other cruise lines will be following suit and releasing the Itineraries and on sale dates so watch this space!

If you are interested in finding out more about the above cruises and launch prices then feel free to get in touch with me for full itineraries etc.

Here's to a great 2013!