Cruise.co.uk are supporting our local Football Team!

Cruise.co.uk can announce that we are PROUDLY sponsoring our local football team, Redditch United FC or known to supporters as The Reds!

It all came about because my boyfriend, Mark Hands, has played for Redditch United on and off for a few years now and is currently playing for them. He asked me about possible sponsorship and we thought it would be a great way to keep things local and support the small guys.

Redditch are in the Southern Evo Stick league. 

The new 2013/2014 kits has arrived and this is what it looks like:

Not bad if I say so myself! 

I am sure many of the staff at Cruise.co.uk will be heading down to the Valley (the Valley Stadium) to watch them and support them in the new season. Fingers crossed for a good run COME ON THE REDS!

Finally, singles can GETAWAY!

I would say easily one of the biggest bones of contention with cruising this year has been about the P&O and Cunard Getaway deals. In particular, the way that these deals have penalised the single cruiser.

When the getaway deals were first implemented a few years ago, singles were permitted to book on these reduced fares at 100% supplement (which was always still lower than what the normal fare was at 75% supplement) then at the beginning of this year they decide to change the policy and they stopped the getaway deal being available to book for singles altogether!

I have to say, this caused outrage in the singles market (which is quite a high proportion of Cunard/P&O's repeat passengers) myself alone have taken 100's of calls where a single traveler has seen the cheap last minute deals thinking/hoping that they can still book them at the usual supplement but being very disappointed when told that it is not possible and they must pay sometimes triple the price on the Vantage deal!!!

I am quite sure many people have written in to the cruise lines with their gripes on this, in fact I know a few of my clients have, so surely the cruise lines had to listen?? Yes is the answer! They have FINALLY listened and have decided that for their cruises departing from September on wards, the getaway deals can now be booked by singles and families!! Singles are charged 100% supplement but this is still usually a great deal less than the 75% supplement on the Vantage and families can book 3/4 berth cabins at the reduced prices.

This is absolutely fantastic news in my opinion and could not come soon enough! If I had £1 for every single/family that we have had to turn away because of the current ruling  I would be a very rich young lady.

So to all you single travelers out there - September onward is the time for you to GETAWAY! :)

Cruising with Babies?

I am very excited to hear that we are FINALLY going to get some nice weather this coming weekend. It's not been the greatest summer so far lets's face it. Not only is it going to be nice weather, but it also falls on my weekend off! Even better! :)

So what are my plans for a sunny weekend off? Well, as I am 27 weeks pregnant it certainly isn't going to be anything too strenuous! Probably just bask in the sun with family and friends, maybe have a little BBQ and feed the baby!

On the subject of pregnancy, I have missed out on some exciting ship launches and cruises this year due to being pregnant :( the Royal Princess being one of them....the reason being is because I was too far along for the ship to be able to accept me. Each cruise line has there own terms for this but the general is to be no more than 24 weeks pregnant at the time of travel. This, I think, is down to premature births as the ships facilities cannot look after premature babies.

Being an expectant new mum, like myself, it is always handy to know the cruise lines minimum age to accept children. here is a useful link to help you with making your choice for your next family holiday and how well they cater for babies and toddlers:

Get a Good Nights sleep on Ventura!

If you are in search of a perfect nights sleep on your Cruise Holiday, then look no further than the P&O Ventura!

Ventura is one of the largest ships in the P&O fleet with an incredible choice of facilities from bars, restaurants, a sports court, 4 pools, Spa and Theater along with many exciting features that are exclusively to the ship. these include its Signature Restaurant, The White Room, by the very own Marco Pierre White. 

To top all of this off she was recently refurbished with state of the art luxury Sealy Beds. This means you can sail off to a deeper more comfortable sleep than you would probably even get at home in your own bed!

I personally tend to get a good nights sleep on most ships I have been on as I find the beds and bedding extremely comfortable, so I would be very keen to give these a try on the Ventura. 

Do's and Don'ts on the first day of your cruise

So the day of your cruise has arrived, you are excited and anxious to get on-board. If it's not your first cruise then you will probably have your usual ritual that you do. If, however, you have never cruised before it can all be very daunting! You wont really know the protocol and what the best things for you to do are on your first day on-board. this is where I am here to help. Here are some top tips on the Do's and Don'ts on your first day:

DO's 

• Tour the Ship. You need to do this to get your bearings as ships can be a minefield to navigate around when you have never been on one before! Start at the top and work your way down, this way you wont get lost or miss anything out. You also can walk down the stairs then and won't tire yourself out!
• Make your Specialty Dining reservations as they tend to get booked up quite early. Especially if you have a special occasion you are celebrating one evening, you wont want to be disappointed.  
• Book your Spa treatments. Again, this is one of the things that gets booked up quickly, especially for days at sea! Top tip, book your treatment on a port day  (if you have been somewhere already) the Spa tends to offer big discounts on treatments on port days. 
• Buy your Alcohol or Soda packages if you haven't already pre booked. Royal Caribbean and MSC do some fantastic value ones that will save you a small fortune on your spending money. 
• Take lost of photo's whilst the ship is fairly empty and in order as once the activities begin and everyone is on-board it will be hard to get a clear picture of the ships fabulous features.
• Visit your cabin and freshen up, maybe even change your clothes to something a little more comfortable and holiday like.
• Finally, head up deck for the sailaway. It will really get you in the mood and set you off on an exciting foot for your cruise ahead.

DON'Ts

• Head straight to the Buffet - I know you will be staving by now as breakfast would seem a lifetime ago but  everyone tends to head here first and it can be very hectic and hard to find a table! Maybe pack a snack for whilst you are embarking and then visit once the crowds have died down. Often other venues are open for lunch so maybe explore these instead.
• Take the lift if you don't have to! It will be packed and will take you ages just to get anywhere. Use the stairs where possible. 
• Presume your cabin will be immaculate and in working order. It should be, but on occasion things can be missed by the cabin steward so make sure you are happy with it and the condition it is in when you arrive. 
• Skip the muster drill. It is tempting as you will be off exploring no doubt but this is a vital part of the cruise and you MUST attend! Even for those who have cruised 100 times before.

Follow these simple rules and it should get you off to a cracking start to your cruise! :) Oh and DO make sure you have a cocktail or 2! Enjoy....

Quantum Leap for Crown and Anchor Members

As a Loyal Customer to Royal Caribbean, Crown and Anchor Society members will be given priority booking for the brand new and eagerly anticipated ship the Quantum of the Seas!

You will be able to priority book from the 28th May!! 

Here are some of the AMAZING new features that will be on-board:

RipCord by iFLY® That’s right: fly! This skydiving simulator lets your customers experience the sheer thrill and exhilaration of flying. RipCord by iFLY’s air machine will keep you afloat in a safe, controlled environment. So guests can feel the utter WOW of flying, without ever having to leave the ship. Learn more » North StarSM The exclusive North StarSM promises to elevate your customers both physically and emotionally, revealing 360-degree views of a world that’s never been seen before! North Star’s intimate, jewel-shaped capsule lets guests gently ascend over 300 feet above sea level, to take in breathtaking views of the ocean, the ship and exciting destinations. Learn more » SeaPlexSM SeaPlexSM is the largest and most groundbreaking indoor active space at sea. By day, guests experience a circus school and flying trapeze, as well as a regulation basketball court. By night, the first-ever bumper car and roller skating offerings at sea will deliver thrills, with music from a DJ booth that hovers overhead. Learn more » Two70°SM Your customers can immerse themselves in spellbinding performance art, mind-blowing light shows, and dazzling digital scenery. During the day, the space is a modern, open area living room with magnificent 270 degree panoramic views. By night, Two70°SM transforms as the lights go down and the music comes up. Learn more »

I think you will agree, this looks absolutely spectacular, you will not want to miss it! Don't forget, 28th May - have your Crown and Anchor membership number at the ready!

Fat Busters - what to eat to avoid the extra lbs on your cruise!

We all know that a good cruise is all about the food food food. It is in abundance on a cruise and can be very hard resist! They say on an average 14nt cruise you can expect to put on about 1lbd a day - that's a whooping stone in 2 weeks! Eeeeeeek!

I have been on lots of cruises where the food has been just amazing, you want to try everything on offer! From the 5 course meals in the main dining room to the buffet options practically 24hours a day, it can be rather difficult to say no can't it?!

So what are the main contenders on a cruise ship for this weight gain and what can you do to avoid it? Read on...

BURGERS AND FRIES

No poolside day is complete without a good old cheeseburger and a big portion of fries. Or a trip to the infamous Johnny Rockets on a Royal Caribbean ship is definitely not to be missed. But with the Smoke House coming in at 1100 calories and then another 480 at least for a portion of fries and washed down with a creamy milkshake at 920 calories you are in for a heart attack!

DIET SWAP - why not try a grilled chicken fillet burger instead, these carry much less calories than the beef burger and if you ditch the mayo and cheese you are saving even more calories. Or go Atkins style and skip the bun and fill up on more salad instead of fries.

SUGARY DELIGHTS

Most modern cruise ships have little havens of Sugary Wonders on board, take Royal Caribbean with its Ben and Jerry's ice cream parlour and the Oasis and Allure of the seas Boardwalk donut shop. and cupcake cupboard. not to mention pudding with your evening meal every night. It can be very hard to say no to these sweet treats!

DIET SWAP - Instead of having a whole cupcake or donut to yourself, why not break it in half and share with somebody, that way you are literally halving the calories! Have a frozen yoghurt instead of ice cream, much healthier choice and just as tasty! Instead of choosing the chocolate cake for your pudding opt a few evenings to have the sorbet instead.

COCKTAILS

We are all guilty of indulging in a few of these on our cruise holiday, mine is a strawberry daiquiri or 4! I like a Pina Colada....but not at aprox 645 calories I don't! A long Island Iced Tea comes in at a huge 780 calories and a margaritas has 740 - wow! Maybe we should really be looking at what we are drinking rather than eating on our cruise??

DIET SWAP - A glass of wine is much lower at about 100 calories a glass. Vodka or Gin and slim line tonic is always a dieters choice of drink. A Cosmo is only about 150 calories. But if you really must have a fruity, creamy cocktail then try having it as your pudding instead.


Happy Healthy Cruising (hmmmmmm, maybe not!) :)