Cruise Blog

UK cruise lovers are a step closer to sampling the brand new 122,000-ton Celebrity Eclipse, which has set sail from the German dockyard where it was built for its new home.

The luxurious vessel set sail for Southampton where it will be based after its launch, although the journey is expected to be the most challenging ride of the vessel's life.

Due to the size of the 121-foot-wide ship, it will have to pass through a series of gaps with at times just a few inches to spare on each side and below.

However, through a process known as "conveyance", the ship will be guided through an innovative system in which the position of the moon will be carefully monitored to ensure tidal conditions offer a safe depth in which it can sail.

"Cruise ship captains generally do not expect to encounter the challenges the conveyance presents," explained Celebrity Eclipse captain Panagiotis Skylogiannis.

"Celebrity Eclipse is only a few feet slimmer than the narrowest lock we have to navigate, which isn't much room, particularly when the president of the company is onboard, keeping a close watch."

The captain and Celebrity Cruises' president and chief executive Dan Hanrahan are on board the vessel together with winners of the line's global Eclipse of a Lifetime sweepstakes.

Alongside a select group of travel agents and members of the press, the lucky winners had the opportunity to activate the very first cuts of steel for the next ship in the operator's line-up before experiencing the once-in-a-lifetime conveyance.

"This event is a vivid example of our 'Designed for you' brand platform, as it's an experience ideally suited for discerning cruisers like those who entered our sweepstakes," said Mr Hanrahan.

An estimated 1.65 million UK cruise holidays are expected this year, according to projections by the Passenger Shipping Association.

Written by Chris Smith.

Sophia Loren has won two Oscars during her glittering acting career, but there was no appearance on the red carpet this year as she was in Hamburg instead unveiling a new ship from MSC Cruises.

The Italian film icon, who was wearing a full-length black dress, was joined in Germany by Greek singer Nana Mouskouri and Italian superstar Eros Ramazzotti for the christening ceremony of the MSC Magnifica vessel.

Both on board the latest member of the MSC fleet and at the port itself, a number of celebrities enjoyed a dazzling event entitled Carnival of Venice, with Ms Loren responsible for cutting the ribbon.

A firework display above the river Elbe was also a part of the celebrations on the vessel, which has a retractable roof, alongside featuring 17 bars and lounges, a 4-D cinema, a mini bowling alley and four restaurants.

Ms Loren also performed the ritual of smashing a bottle of champagne, which is a task that has not always gone as smoothly for others in the past, most notably Camilla Parker Bowles.

The second wife of Prince Charles was to christen the 2,014-seater Queen Victoria vessel from Cunard Cruises during a ceremony in Southampton in 2007 but the bottle failed to break.

Just weeks after this unfortunate mishap, Dame Helen Mirren launched her first ship when she was approached by P&O Cruises for its latest vessel Ventura.

P&O Cruises managing director Nigel Esdale said of the decision: "Dame Helen Mirren embodies glamour, vitality and Britishness, which are all values that will be a feature of Ventura.

"We are delighted that Dame Helen is to be associated with her - and we are determined to get the bottle-smashing right."

However, in a break from tradition, it was decided that the actress would be spared against swinging the bottle of champagne against the hull of the ship.

Instead it was left to a squadron of the Royal Marine Commandos to smash the bottle as they abseiled down the hull.

Also in 2007, celebrity sisters Jemma and Jodie Kidd failed to break a bottle of champagne at their first attempt during a launch in Southampton.

Written by Chris Smith

Holidaymakers can expect even more quality from Costa Cruises, which has now joined ABTA - The Travel Association in a bid to offer more "security and peace of mind" to customers.

Founded in 1950, the association currently has 1,351 members, who include travel agents, tour operators and support services covering everything from small family-owned businesses to the largest organisations.

According to ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer, Costa Cruises is recognised for its high-quality services "with its distinctive Italian flair".

He expressed his delight with the new membership, saying the association looked forward to helping raise the cruise operator's profile with both members and holidaymakers.

Marco Rosa, managing director of Costa Cruises, said: "As the leading cruise line in Europe, Costa Cruises is delighted to announce its membership of ABTA, the leading voice in the travel industry.

"ABTA represents security and peace of mind for many consumers and our decision to add the association to our existing bonds with ATOL and the PSA is part of our continuous efforts to offer industry-leading service to our passengers."

Costa Cruises recently expanded its choice of ships and itineraries with the launch of its latest vessel - Costa Deliziosa - at a glitzy ceremony held in Dubai.

Meanwhile, the cruise industry appears to be on the rebound, following a slump brought about by the recession, which has led to an "unprecedented" year-to-date increase in booking volumes for Norwegian Cruise Lines.

Company chief executive Kevin Sheehan said: "Our first quarter wave season promotion definitely persuaded consumers to book a Norwegian cruise vacation as we saw heavy call volumes translating to exceptional bookings."

He went on to say that as business improves the company will review its fares upwards, warning people to "expect to see our prices rise across the fleet", especially in its new and "highly anticipated" vessel the Norwegian Epic.

Written by Chris Smith.

 

Hi, I’m just back from Orlando and fresh from a 3 night Disney Cruise Line Bahamian cruise on Disney Wonder (the sister ship of the Disney Magic) - a short cruise, but definitely a sweet one!

A smooth check-in was a good start to my holiday, I was impressed with the spacious Port Canaveral Cruise Terminal used by Disney Cruise Line and it was great fun walking through Mickey's ears to board the ship. From the moment you set foot aboard the crew make you feel extra special – I won’t spoil the special surprise, you’ll need to cruise with Disney to see why!

The ship is about 10 years old and in excellent condition, my stateroom was a Deluxe Oceanview on deck 5. All staterooms have a bath with shower which is a plus. I found it very easy to find my way around the ship from here – It’s not that big and by the second day, you’ll know where everything is located.

The ship has fantastic entertainment for kids and families, Disney characters are always on hand to entertain adults and kids alike. One night of my cruise was ‘Pirate night’ with everyone dressing up in keeping with the theme.  If you there is a themed night on your cruise, definitely join in, it’s brilliant fun! There was also a fireworks display at sea, something only Disney Cruise Line do (weather permitting) and I can say it was a blast! I also enjoyed the shows each night, they are truly Magical and not to be missed, I highly recommend the Toy Story production show.

Now to the best part, the food is out of this world! My favourite restaurant was the Italian restaurant ‘Palo’, its adult only, but don’t worry, the children will be more than happy to check out the kids clubs while mum and dad take a break to be wined and dined in style! I advise making an advance reservation though, as space is limited and it’s very popular!

The dining on board is based on a rotational dining system where you dine in a different restaurant every 3 nights, with the same waiting staff moving with you. One night you can eat in the ‘Animators Palate’ decorated with black and white sketches of Disney characters that change to colour as you dine - very different! You’ll also have the choice of ‘Parrot Cay’ and ‘Triton's’ - both offering outstanding dishes and service. All I can say is get packing now and sample the Disney Difference!

Signs that the cruise industry is set for further growth have been highlighted by Carnival Corporation, which has announced that two new vessels will enter service in the next four years.

The company has placed an order with Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri for two new cruise ships for its Princess Cruises brand, which will both be capable of catering for 3,600 passengers.

Expected to start welcoming cruise lovers in the spring of 2013 and the spring of 2014, the 139,000-tonne luxury liners will be the largest vessels in Princess Cruises' fleet.

An increasing number of holidaymakers are now being attracted to cruising thanks to the launch of new ships and wider choice of itineraries to exotic destinations around the world.

The UK cruise industry is among those that have been expanding in recent times and the Passenger Shipping Association estimates the growth will result in 1.65 million British cruise holidays this year.

Cruise operators are recognising the growth of European markets, including the UK and Ireland, and some are relocating their ships to regional ports in a bid to capitalise on the increase.

Royal Caribbean Cruises recently positioned itself to reach out to this market by announcing that Liberty of the Seas will be moved from the US to Barcelona next year.

Meanwhile, details of itineraries and prices for 63 cruises running from April through to November have been released by Fred Olsen Cruise Lines in its 2011 Preview brochure.

Covering the company's four cruise ships, the brochure features the destination areas of the Mediterranean, northern Europe and Baltic, the Canary Islands, Iberia, the UK and Ireland.

Holidaymakers will be able to go for short voyages with the company thanks to the inclusion of a number of mini cruises, which will last for between two and four nights and will depart from Dover, Southampton, Liverpool, Newcastle, Greenock and Rosyth.

Written by Chris Smith.

As another year of cruising comes to an end, we thought we'd take a look back at 2009 and the most popular cruises and destinations. Unsurprisingly, our number one cruise destination is the Mediterranean - with a huge range of cruise lines and itineraries featured in this diverse and fascinating region. With many Med cruises departing from UK ports, there's often no need to fly and this certainly keeps the cost down. Royal Caribbean's, Independence of the Seas sailings from Southampton reflected this trend, and made her our most popular ship of 2009. Packed with stunning leisure and entertainment options, the Independence delighted cruisers on voyages to the Med and the 5th most popular destination, the Canary Islands.

Our 2nd most popular destination is the Baltic, Fjords and Scandinavia. A growing market, the stunning sights and history of the Northern Europe are proving a favourite with cruisers. Almost all cruise lines offer itineraries in this region now, with Fred. Olsen and Cruise and Maritime Voyages offering superb traditional voyages on more intimate sized ships, for an absorbing experience.

The Caribbean is our third most popular destination and there's nothing better than a spot of island hopping under sun-kissed skies. Princess Cruises and Celebrity Cruises, premium quality sailings in have proved extremely popular in this region, as have P&O Cruises British style cruises and Royal Caribbean's action packed adventures. In fourth place we find European short break cruises. These cruises offer a great taster of what a cruise line has to offer, with Ireland, Bruges & Amsterdam amongst the most popular ports of call.

Outside the top 5 we find more specialised cruises like the transatlantic crossing and world cruises. Cunard Line are undoubtedly the leaders in the transatlantic voyage with their decadent Southampton to New York sailings. The world cruise sector offers chance to be a part of an epic journey, to discover Australasia, the Far East or closer to home. 'Once in a lifetime' destinations like the Panama Canal, South America and Alaska also make our top 10 destinations with Dubai - a relatively new and fast growing destination for cruise holidays.

Although, there is a catch - there must be one full fare paying passenger, and flights cost around £210 per person, so actually the best price we have is £599 pp based on 2 sharing- though this is still £200 per person off the normal price.

This offer is valid on most 2010 MSC Cruises, but only until 14th December.

top tip - why not book the cruise to get the great price, but book flights through easyjet or BA etc - you'll save even more!

http://www.iglucruise.com/promotion_id98

News has just been released of P&O Artemis farewell Mediterranean sailing from Southampton. Departing 12th April 2011, it promises to be an emotional voyage, as Artemis has been well loved during her P&O years.

Prices for this once in a lifetime voyage start at £1099 - with £50 Onboard Spend included - which many will use to buy one of the specially commissioned  memorabilia pieces available onboard, which will be highly collectable. Don't forget that P&O are also sailing from Southampton to Alaska for the first time ever! You can see these cruises on our Arcadia Alaska cruises page.

We're open for pre-registration now, as this celebration cruise goes on sale on the 1st Dec 2009 - and will sell out shortly after.

Click Here for cruise details.

New to the world of Iglucruise, Hurtigruten are our most recent addition to our ever growing cruise portfolio. Their name may not exactly roll off the tongue, but the cruises they offer certainly are simply mouth-watering! As working ships, Hurtigruten's modern fleet offers a lifeline to remote Norwegian communities, and for fortunate guests, a totally immersive window into a range of fascinating destinations.

The Northern Lights itineraries so far are proving the most popular, possibly because they sail over our winter time (which is the best time to see the Northern Lights). This also means the excursions on offer are more out of the ordinary and are not readily available on most Norwegian cruise itineraries. Imagine dog sledding through the unspoilt Arctic pleateaux or exploring Lapland by snowmobile. Excursions of this type, typically cost less than £90 per person.

Other cruises available on Hurtigruten include Greenland, Svalbard or even explorer cruises around the Antarctic!

We appear to be right slap bang in the middle of repo cruise season - that is - a time when repositioning cruises represent magnificent value. The most recent addition to the website is the Norwegian Gem reposition from Barcelona to New York on the 29th November 2009. This one starts at £299 for the 13 night cruise - we've added return flights and 2 nights in New York all for £799 pp - ideal for a pre Christmas shopping trip?

http://www.iglucruise.com/norwegian-gem/29th-november-2009_c34012