Cruise Blog

Family holidays are becoming harder and harder to plan, not due to a lack of options, new places to visit or adequate entertainment for the whole family, but quite the opposite. You can lay on a beach for a week and let the kids run riot, head on a cruise, where entertainment is bountiful, or you visit one of the world's ever increasing choice of theme parks.

There is another choice of course, which keeps the whole family happy, and that's to do all three! Royal Caribbean have teamed up with Universal Orlando^® Resort and a selection of hotels, to offer an incredible package holiday.

The Cruise

You can begin your ultimate family trip with a week long cruise around the Caribbean, taking in the sights and sounds of the islands, the vibrant and friendly culture and, of course, the world renowned sandy white beaches and turquoise ocean. After a relaxing week in the sun onboard one of Royal Caribbean's amazing ships, you can then spend three, four or even five days in Orlando with a ticket to the various resorts and attractions that make up Universal Orlando^®. Alternatively, you can begin your holiday with a few days of excitement, rollercoasters and Harry Potter-themed experiences, then recover with a week sailing around the stunning Caribbean.

There is a choice of three of Royal Caribbean's fantastic, family-friendly, entertainment-filled ships: Freedom of the Seas, Monarch of the Seas and Jewel of the Seas. All three boast Royal Caribbean's rock climbing at sea, as well as a huge variety of dining venues, entertainment, lounges and activities. With the three ships varying in size from 2,300 passengers to 4,300 passengers, there is bound to be a ship that suits your need — whether you are looking for a more intimate experience or you are looking for the ultimate in choice and facilities.

There is a choice of three Caribbean cruises to enjoy as part of this incredible holiday. The most popular choice is a seven night cruise, that includes a selection of ports from Royal Caribbean's private beach at Labadee in Haiti, Royal Caribbean's private island — CocoCay in the Bahamas — Ocho Rios in Jamaica, George Town in Grand Cayman, Philipsburg in St. Maarten and Cozumel Mexico. You can also chose from a selection of five, four and even three night cruises to similar destinations, but if you are going to fly all that way, you might as well make the most of the Caribbean sunshine and sandy white beaches on offer.

Universal Orlando^®

Whether pre or post-cruise, Universal Orlando^® offers an amazing experience, from the world renowned Universal Studios^® to their latest creation, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. To make your trip as easy as possible there is a choice of in resort hotels, offering the ultimate access to the non-stop entertainment and magical feel, or a choice of off-site hotels, should you wish to take in the local scenery and culture, but remain within walking distance of the theme parks and attractions.

Here comes the important bit, the theme parks. All of the packages we offer include a four day base ticket, giving you park-to-park access to Universal Studios Florida^® and Universal's Islands of Adventure^® theme parks for any four days you choose. Plus, receive admission to the entertainment venues of Universal CityWalk^® for any four nights of your choice.

The on-site hotels include the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, a AAA Four Diamond Award® hotel, the Hard Rock Hotel^®, located in the middle of Universal Orlando^® and the Loews Royal Pacific Resort, which combines one of the world's most famous theme parks with a pacific resort. The bonus of the onsite hotels has to be the free Universal Express^SM ride access for both theme parks along with the Early Park Admission to Universal's Islands of Adventure.

Off-site you can chose from the Double Tree Hotel, a Hilton run property an the resort's entrance, the Four Points Hotel, a Sheraton run hotel on the world famous International Drive and the Hyatt Hotel, sat across the street from Universal Orlando^®

So, with all of the excitement to deal with, beaches to relax on, theme park rides, new cultures to experience, is there anything else you need on a family holiday? I for one would love to take this trip when I have kids, though the cruise will definitely come second, as I need it to recover from the first four days!

For more information on the Universal Orlando and Royal Caribbean cruise deals and for more information of the Universal Orlando and Royal Caribbean cruise package.

Wine and cruising sounds like the perfect combination if you ask me, and Celebrity Cruises have decided to combine the two, with a series of cruises from Southampton that takes in the famous wine producing regions of France, Spain and Portugal. All that's missing is some good cheese and a comfy chair...

...Fortunately a cruise that takes in the famous wine regions of Champagne, Bordeaux and La Mancha will be able to fill in that final criteria and more. I'm not 100% certain where the idea has come from, but this is a great concept and a well thought out — all the cruises depart during the harvest season.

So what are these cruises all about? Unfortunately they don't depart until September so I can't give you a personal review, but here's what I've pieced together from the lovely information packs Celebrity have sent over.

The Cruises

The cruise are all onboard the recently refurbished Celebrity Constellation, but we'll come to the ship later, and they capture the finest wine producing regions in Western Europe. Whether visiting the vineyards and regions close to the ports or taking the extensive shore excursions taking you into the heart of the regions, there will be something for everyone — there is even a three day land tour, form Paris to Bordeaux.

Each sailing offers at least three over night stays so you can visit the area in full and make the most of the local hospitality as well the local produce.

Le Harve

Le Havre is the cruising gateway to Paris and the Champagne region. Onboard these cruises Celebrity will be offering various excursions to Paris, from a simple bus tour to sightseeing trip with lunch at the Eiffel Tower, trips around Le Havre and even to abbey of Mont Saint Michel. But this isn't why you're taking this cruise. From Le Havre you can partake on one of the first two 'tasting' excursions. The first is a trip to Pay d'Auge, which takes you through the Normandy landscape, before arriving at a cheese factory, where cheese tasting will take place including the likes of Pont l'Evêque, Camembert and Livarot. Afterward you will drive to Le Breuil en Auge, to visit the home of Calvados, the regions famous Normandy Brandy.

The second tour is a mammoth three day, two night land tour form Le Harve passing by Paris, the Loire Valley, Cognac, then Bordeaux before re-joining the ship at Le Verdon. The trip involves city tours, a vine and wine museum, wine tasting, cognac tastings and more.

Le Verdon (Bordeaux)

Now this is where things start to excite me, with two days and one night in the port town of Le Verdon you can enjoy the delicacies and vine yards of Bordeaux, one of my favourite wine producing regions. Over the two days you can chose from a Saint Emillion wine tour, a Medoc wine tour, a Graves wine tour, a Margaux wine tour, a Saintes and Cognac tour, tasting and dinner at the Chateau Rousseau de Sipian and more — I think I'd need to do this cruise about three times just to get all this in!

Bordeaux, along with Champagne and Burgundy is among France's most famous and probably most revered wine regions, so to be able to visit the so many of my favourite wines would be heaven. St. Emillion is a given, but do you go for the Graves, Medoc or Cognac tour?

Bilbao

Arriving in Bilbao adds another new exciting dimension to the tour, as we move away from the renowned French cheeses, wines and brandys and onto Spain's wonderful Rioja, Tapas and the Guggenheim. Food, wine and culture, now that's easily two days worth of entertainment. There are tours of the city and the world famous museum, there is a Bilbao and Tapas tour (if you ask me, a must) and of course a visit to probably Spain's most famous wine region, Rioja.

Porto

Last, but by no means least on this short guide to what's on offer is Porto, famed for its port. Here you can tour the city and local attractions, enjoy a wine tasting at the Mateus Palace, enjoy the Douro Valley winery tour, or take in one of the Oporto tours and wine tastings. Well you can go to Porto and now enjoy a drop of port, that's like going to the Alps and not having a fondue!

The excursions are all being offered by Celebrity Cruises and £31.25, for a walking tour of Le Havre, to £125.50 for the St. Emillion tour, including a wine tasting session and lunch, all the way up to £692.50 for the three day wine tour from Paris to Bordeaux.

The Ship

The Celebrity Constellation will be your home on these wonder sailings, with the first sailing departing on 5th September 2012 and the final cruise of the season departing on 18th November 2012. As previously mentioned the Celebrity Constellation has undergone a huge refurbishment, as part of a project that has seen Celebrity Cruises spend $120 million Solitcizing their Millennium class ships.

Onboard the ship there will also be a variety or wine themed events, including some special events held at Cellar Masters, the ship's fantastic wine bar that boasts the high-tec Enomatic by-the-glass wine serving system — which keeps the wine in perfect condition from the first glass of the bottle, to the final drops.

If you find that you have taken to a new grape or vineyard while ashore, the ship will also be offering an expanded wine list selection from the ports of call. The wine tasting sessions start from as little £11, so you won't need to break the bank to carry on enjoying the regional specialties while sailing from one region to the next.

Last week I wrote about Paul Merton's holiday onboard the Allure of the Seas, and having gained further insight to the world's largest cruise ship, I thought I'd take a look at the difference between the modern über-ship experience and the more elegant, traditional smaller ships.

Would you, like Paul Merton, cruise on one of the world's largest ships, or would you prefer a more intimate experience? Here at Iglu there is a mixed view on Allure of the Seas, there are those who absolutely love the ship and have enjoyed their cruises on her, and others, like me, who prefer the mid-sized or small ship experience.

The Big Ships

Big ships, when I was still a bar tender for Princess, were big, but not in comparison to now, back then the 3,500 passenger Grand Princess was one of the largest ships at sea. Royal Caribbean then stepped up the game with their Freedom class ships, that grew a little each time, until the 4,100 passenger Independence of the Seas was launched. This is a ship that boasts a climbing wall, swimming pools, an ice-rink (yes I did say ice-rink) and the huge Royal Promenade as the ship's heart. This new breed of ships offer more choices of cabin, dining and entertainment than you can imagine. There is more variety than you'll find in most holiday resorts and you can go half the week without bumping into the same people, should you wish.

Having seen the Allure, what other ships are showing off their credentials among the world's elite in terms of size?

Oasis of the Seas: Oasis of the Seas was the first 5,400 passenger ship and the original Oasis class ship. She is so large the ship is split into neighbourhoods. This ship has sea view balconies, park view balconies and double-height, New York-style, loft suites. She boasts climbing walls, a zip line and an AqauTheatre, and, of course, an ice rink! The Oasis is something truly spectacular and it will take you the full cruise to dine, drink and relax in every possible venue. Well worth a week of Caribbean cruising if you like hustle and bustle.

Norwegian Epic: The Norwegian Epic is another huge cruise ship, at 4,000 passengers she is similar in size to the Independence of the Seas, but has a slightly more wacky feel. This ship is aimed at a younger crowd, boasting huge waterslides and a bowling alley. There is an amazing array of dining to choice from that includes a French Bistro, a Teppanyaki restaurant, a Steakhouse, a noodle bar, a sushi bar, an Italian restaurant, cafes, 24/7 pizza delivery and so much more. The ship has also boasted onboard acts that include the famous Blue Man Group.

What these über ships lack in elegance, they make up for in choice and entertainment.

The Mid-Sized Ships

Mid-sized ships offer more of a middle ground. Typically between 1,200 and 2,500 passengers, these ships are able to offer the more intimate locations, such as Alaska's Inside Passage, and offer a more elegant onboard atmosphere, yet are big enough to offer a choice. Most mid-sized ships will offer a main dining room, two or three speciality restaurants, a cafe serving decent coffee and the obligatory 24 hour buffet and room service. Mid-sized ships vary from the 5 star cruising of Celebrity Cruises and Holland America, to the great value 3 star cruising of Thomson Cruises or MSC Cruises.

ms Ryndam: The Ryndam is one of the few Holland America ships to cruise from the UK, carrying her 1,260 passengers to Norwegian Fjords, or cruising from Barcelona to the intimate Mediterranean ports of Monte Carlo and Ibiza. Offering a more adult inspired atmosphere and with special guests, as part of their culinary programme, including the likes of Valentine Warner, as opposed to Shrek. The ship has a country club feel and a chino wearing clientele, offering a relaxed environment and impeccable service.

Sea Princess: The Sea Princess is one of Princess Cruises' Sun class ships and the sister ship of my former home, the Sun Princess. Again, as she only carries around 2,000 passengers, the atmosphere is a lot more relaxed than the larger ships. Though, there is still some great choices on offer, from the Italian Trattoria to the ever popular Sterling Steakhouse. Due to the styling of the ship and the fact she offers cruises to Alaska, including the aforementioned Inside Passage, and through the Panama Canal, the crowd tends to be older families, with children more likely to be teenagers than toddlers.

Mid-sized ships offer a fantastic balance between the too, but for those looking for action-packed cruises and family facilities for every age and mood, these ships may feel a little too calm.

The Small Ships

You know what they say about small ships? Small ports. The more intimate small ships will whisk you away to the charming ports of Portofino and St. Tropez. These ships tend to offer a even more relaxed pace, with chinos and sports jackets the standard attire. They are like being in a elegant, members only golf club, but with fantastic food and fascinating destinations on offer, as opposed to golf.

Azamara Quest: Azamara Club Cruises offer two identical ships, with cruises that live up to the name. The Azamara Quest and Azamara Journey are very much a floating country club, with the Azamara Quest boasting an itinerary that includes the Monaco Grand Prix. The ships offer a very mature environment, though this doesn't mean dated. With itinerary heavy sailings and fabulous food, wine and cocktails on offer, you won't need the 3D theatre, ice-rink or waterslides of the larger ships. And don't worry there is still the obligatory steakhouse, Prime C, onboard!

Adonia: Adonia is P&O Cruises' smallest and newest ship. Part of the cruise line's adult-only selection, P&O Cruises launched her to offer diversity as they have ships in each category, with the Azura and Ventura in the über ships and the likes of the Aurora offering a mid-sized ship experience. Again, Adonia offers a more intimate experience, very elegant surroundings and a mixture of quaint ports and off-the-beaten-track destinations. Perfect from honeymoons to celebrating retirement.

I suppose the moral of the story is that no type of cruise ship is better than any other, it is more down to what ship, facilities and destinations thatare better four you. The big ships offer a more action-filled, exciting holiday, perfect for families or energetic cruises, with their resort feel they are also ideal for those there for the onboard experience as opposed the onshore ones.

The smaller ships are more about offer stunning, intimate and interesting destinations, but with the added bonus of sleeping, dining and relaxing on an elegant, country manor-styled ship, that takes you from one place to the next, without unpacking.

It would be unfair to say mid-sized ships are a middle-ground, even if they are, as they offer their own experience. There are more lively ships or more mature ships to chose from and they offer incredible views in the Alaskan or Norwegian Fjords, relaxing, sun-blushed cruises to the Caribbean and some of the Med's more elegant ports of call. They also offer a fabulous onboard experience for sea days, whether it be the pool, spa, kids club or cocktail bar.

I know which are my favourite, but do you know which are yours?

Pop over to our Facebook page or join us on Twitter to give us your opinion.