Royal Princess is upon us...

The time is nearly upon us for the Launch of the eagerly anticipated Royal Princess....
Princess have announced 2 mini 2nt taster cruises that you can book to try out the new ship - on the 9th and 14th June - only Balcony cabins will be on sale and the prices are starting from £349pp - they go on sale tomorrow (Wed 30th) at 2pm if you wish to get yourself on-board this beauty of a ship!

Reading up on the new 139,000-ton Royal Princess, which is due to be delivered in May 2013, there are many fantastic things she has in store such as the Giant Movies under the Stars and the pool area which will turn into an outdoor dance club with lights and water shows. The one thing that really caught my eye was the all new and never attempted before signature "Sea Walk"....

The Sea walk is a fully glass enclosed walkway that cantilevers out more than 28 feet over the side of the ship!! Eeeek! Well that's what my initial thought was anyway and particularly when I saw the proposed pictures. I have to say I am a real wimp when it comes to heights and not quite sure I would be brave enough to walk around it myself? See what you think...

If this wasn't enough for you then on the opposite side of the ship you can sip a cocktail in the SeaView Bar which also has incomparable views through the glass floor..... don't have too many though as you may feel just a little bit giddy!

Although I think these are great features of a new ship and something not tried before I am not too sure I would be trying them in a hurry!

Princess have announced 2 mini 2nt taster cruises that you can book to try out the new ship - on the 9th and  14th June - only Balcony cabins will be on sale and the prices are starting from £369pp - they go on sale tomorrow (Wed 30th) at 2pm if you wish to get yourself on-board this beauty of a ship!

Tailor Made just for you....

Fed up with the Med? Done the Fjords to death? Want to do something a bit more exciting and bespoke?!

Then look no more! Here at Cruise.co.uk we pride ourselves on our Cruise Experience and giving our customers the best available service and knowledge when booking our customers cruise holidays. Well, we have gone that little bit further on what we can offer and have spread our knowledgeable wings into creating exciting and inspiring Tailor Made Luxury Cruise Packages.

Let us take you on a Voyage of Discovery with our expertly chosen and crafted packages. Teaming your favourite cruise lines and itineraries with breathtaking shore excursions to tantalise any traveller’s senses! To top off all of that we have chosen some of the best Hotels around the world to complete your package, stay in wonderful Cities such as New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Sydney, Hong Kong, Rio De Janeiro to name but a few...it really is the most exciting way to take a cruise.

Hong Kong at night!

Las Vegas

Sydney

You can view our full Tailor Made Packages on our website http://www.cruise.co.uk/ or click here Tailor Made We have a specialist team on hand ready to take your calls and don't worry, if you don't fancy a certain hotel or want to add on extra nights take nights off we really can Tailor Make it to your holiday needs, the possibilities are endless....

Never Cruised? Try a mini taster cruise

Have you never cruised before but often wondered what it might be like? Or even not cruised with a certain cruise line before but want to know what they are like to cruise with? You don't want to take the chance by booking a longer cruise because what if you don't like it? Well there is an option for you!

Why not try a mini cruise?!

A few cruise lines are offering 2/3/4night 'tatser' cruises in April and May, June and July this year, which would be a great opportunity for you to try them out.

P&O - has the Azura and Ventura offering a selection of cruises to tickle your tastebuds:

April:
· Departing April 16, 2013, a two-night cruise on Azura (A309P) calling at St Peter Port

· Departing April 18, 2013, a four-night cruise with opera duo, Jonathan & Charlotte from Britain’s Got Talent on Azura (A309Q) stopping at Zeebrugge and St Peter Port starts

· Departing April 22, 2013, a three-night cruise with a special celebrity guest on Azura (A309R) calling at Zeebrugge and St Peter Port

· Departing April 25, 2013, a two-night cruise on Azura (A309T) calling at St Peter Port

May:
· Departing May 27, 2013, a four-night cruise on Ventura (N313N) calling at Zeebrugge and St Peter Port

· Departing May 31, 2013, a three-night cruise on Ventura (N313P) calling at Zeebrugge and St Peter Port starts from £249 per person for a Vantage Fare.

June:

· Departing June 3, 2013, a five-night cruise on Ventura (N313Q) calling at Amsterdam and St Peter Port starts

July:
· Departing July 14, 2013, a two-night cruise on Oceana (E316N) calling at St Peter Port

· Departing July 16, 2013, enjoy a three-night cruise on Oceana (E316P) calling at Zeebrugge and St Peter Port

Royal Caribbean has a couple on their newer class of ships the Independence of the Seas and the Adventure of the Seas:

2nd May 2nts - Southampton - Le Harve (for Paris) - Southampton - great for a romantic city tirp, perhaps a gift for Valentines day?

05th May 2nts - Southampton - day at sea - Southampton - this is a cruise to nowhere but would be fab to just relax on-board and enjoy the facilities of the ship, maybe get pampered in the spa?

07th May 2nts - Southampton - Le Harve (for Paris) - Southampton. Another Romantic city opportunity!

With all of these cruises the possibilities are endless for you to try. You could celebrate a special Birthday with one, or even an anniversary? I'm sure your loved ones are worth :)

2013 is the Year of the River Cruise!

Having worked at cruise.co.uk for nearly 4 years now, every year has been focused on the main Ocean Cruising. River Cruising was not something that was very popular and we didn't really know a great deal about them in all honesty, nor did many of our clients from what I can gather.

That really has changed in last 12 months and River Cruising has exploded into the market, with quite an impact may I add. My awareness of River Cruising became more prominent when I was sent on an Avalon Waterways trip back in April last year. This was on the River Seine and was absolutely wonderful. I really did enjoy the experience and I came back from it with a new love for River Cruising.

Click here to read my full review of this trip

Last year we saw a massive increase in River Cruise bookings compared to the year before, so why is this?
From speaking with customers on a daily basis I find quite a lot have been Ocean Cruising for many years now and because of this they tend to have taken quite a lot of the itineraries in already. The Mediterranean has been done to death by a lot of seasoned cruisers so they are really looking for something new. Because a River Cruise vessel docks mostly in the heart of the Towns and Cities you can really travel to unexplored places within Europe. For Example, on my River Cruise, I was able to visit a beautiful little Village called Giverney where I got to visit the home of Claude Monet and see his famous Lilly Water Garden. Giverney is quite inland in France so is somewhere that on Ocean cruise would never be able to offer you as an excursion. Short of putting a back pack on and travelling around Europe by rail there is no other way you will get to see these unique and beautiful, cultural places. This is the beauty of River Cruising!

A few things I saw on My River Cruise:

Also, the Vessels that are used are quite small and many are rather luxurious, holding an average of about 100-200 passengers maximum. This means that you really get an exceptional service on board with a very high standard of food. You do not have to queue for hours to get on and off the ship in each port, it really is just a case of stepping off to shore.

What I would say is, if you like the razmataz of the big Ocean Ships like Royal Caribbean and you like the entertainment that you get every evening, then a River Cruise is probably not for you as this is all kept very low key really. To be honest, with all the sightseeing and tours you do on one you will be far too tired anyway and need rest for the next action packed day!

If you have any questions about River Cruising then do feel free to get in touch. Ask me for some brochures to get your senses going and see what it’s all about - 2013 is selling out pretty fast now so you will need to be quick or be thinking for 2014. From my personal experienc though, I would highly recommend if you love history, culture, great food, nice people and stunning scenery.....