Cruise Blog

As spring kicks into gear we are often invited to visit many of the cruise ships based in the UK for the summer. These days visits onboard are hosted by the cruise lines and are a great way for members of the Iglu team to familiarise themselves with the vast ships on offer, or to refresh their memory.

Earlier in the month Royal Caribbean invited members of our sales team to see Independence of the Seas in Southampton, offering a great opportunity to visit the largest cruise ship based in the UK. Robin, one of our sales consultants, went along for the visit, and here's what he thought of the experience onboard Indy:

Well, what can I say about this ship? I think the first impression you get when you walk up to the terminal is one of awe as you realise quite how big this ship is! Now, one of the misconceptions I have always had of the ship is that it's is very much geared to the UK market and is in some ways a little shabby and abused, and this is reflected through the reviews on Cruise Critic. I can honestly say that seeing the ship all of these misconceptions have been dispelled.

We boarded the Indy at around 10am, with most ship visits it's a case of being taken around the ship and shown all the main areas, lounges and then the state rooms, and sometimes it can all be a bit of an information overload! Royal Caribbean — being the innovators of cruising — decided to bring this attitude into their ship visits and created for us The Royal Quest. This turned out to be a kind of treasure hunt, where the aim was to see the entire ship, take photos of various things onboard and picking up bits such as teeth whitening kits from the spa, a cookie from Ben & Jerry's and also an ice cream cone.

We ended up running around the ship, seeing all the main lounges such as the On Air Bar, where we made a cocktail, and the ice rink, where we posed for a photo and had a bit of a laugh. We found the pharaohs in the Pyramid lounge and had boogie in the Labyrinth Night club. I think going around the ship the way we did gave us a true idea of how big, yet functional the ship was — with all the areas interlinked by the Royal Promenade down the middle of the ship. The rock wall is impressive, as is the Flow Rider which is literally the width of the ship, kind of gives you an idea of how huge Oasis of the Seas must be as she has two of them!

We also saw some impressive staterooms. We started with a Promenade stateroom — cabin 6305 — which is known as the Ben & Jerry's suite. It is above the ice cream shop on the promenade and those who stay in the room get free ice cream all cruise — which is a winner in my book. We also visited a disability-access promenade stateroom and a junior suite — both of which were huge — as well a large ocean view — sleeping four — which was very large as well. The best cabins I saw were an E1 grade cabin at the stern on deck 6, even though you have the beam at the stern with the Royal Logo, the balcony is a lot bigger than other cabins and the view is not that obstructed. The piece de la resistance however had to be the owners suite, and WOW is the only word I could use, with a lounge area, walk-in wardrobe and your own bar — this was the ultimate luxury.

As always with these things, after going around the ship and absorbing all the information, we finished in the main dining room for lunch, which was awesome. We were treated to steak followed by chocolate cake, all washed down with a few glasses of house wine — we do have such a hard life sometimes! The food was very good and the service was definitely attentive — even if we were only travel agents — you still got a very good idea of what guests would receive.

All the crew we came across were friendly and knowledgeable about the ship and were always happy to help and direct you to where you were aiming for onboard. After seeing the ship I would consider cruising on her in a balcony stateroom or, if I could afford it, the owners suite!

Currently there are some awesome deals on the Independence sailing from Southampton, all the way through the summer holidays.

Celebrity Cruises summer 2013 cruises go on sale today, with the 5* luxury cruise line concentrating on their two UK based ships, Celebrity Eclipse and Celebrity Infinity, a first for the cruise line. Another first going on sale today is the Celebrity Solstice's 2013 Alaska programme — the first time a Solstice class ship has cruised the Alaskan coastline.

Highlights:

• Two ships based out of the UK for the first time.
• Newly refurbished Celebrity Infinity to sail from Harwich.
• Celebrity Eclipse continues to offer popular Med sailings from Southampton.
• Solstice class ship to cruise in Alaska for the first time.
• Captain's Members can book from today, general public can book from tomorrow.

Next summer will be the first time the cruise line has based two of their ships out of the UK. Celebrity Eclipse has sailed regularly out of the UK since her launch and will continue to sail from Southampton throughout the summer. The Solstice class ship, popular with Brits' wanting ex-UK sailings, will be joined by Celebrity Infinity, who will be spending the summer season sailing from the increasingly popular departure port of Harwich.

Celebrity Infinity has recently completed a major modernisation as part of the cruise line's Modern Luxury Makeover programme, which has seen Celebrity spend upwards of $140 million on their Millennium class ships. The ship has undergone a complete make-over of her staterooms and public areas, with the best bits of the Solstice class ships plucked and added to the charming Celebrity Infinity. These improvements include new Aqua class staterooms — complete with the exclusive Blu restaurant — the amazing culinary experience that is Qsine and two great new bars, the Martini Ice Bar and Cellar Masters — boasting a groundbreaking wine serving system, I'd try to explain it, but I can't.

The cruises go on sale from today for all Captain's Club members, which is essentially anyone who has completed a cruise of two nights or more onboard. If you are planning your first cruise with the luxury line, then you can pre-register today though Iglu, or you can book anytime from tomorrow.

Having these two fabulous ships based from the UK is huge news in the cruise world and shows real commitment from Celebrity Cruises towards the British cruising community. Celebrity Eclipse will continue to offer her usual range of fantastic Med and Canary Islands cruises, while Celebrity Infinity will sail to the Norwegian Fjords, Baltic and around the British Isles. The two ships offer a pretty diverse choice in destinations, onboard two impeccable and beautiful ships.

To help tempt your into booking your cruise for next summer now, Celebrity Cruises are currently offering free parking and some onboard spend with certain sailings — you've got to love some free spending money for your cruise, especially with the great wine lists onboard! To tempt you further, the Iglu sales team can exclusively offer you half-price pre-paid gratuities (or tips to us Brits) and free credit card charges on deposits. For more details pop over to our Celebrity Cruises 2013 promo page.

If you fancy somewhere a little different Celebrity Cruises will be sending their flagship to my favourite destination next summer, Alaska. If you have never visited Alaska, and if cruising is about visiting beautiful, fascinating destinations as opposed to lying on a different beach each day, then this is somewhere to add to your list. Put it this way, if I was told I could only do one more cruise, it would be Alaska — and before you get the wrong impression I'm 29, not 79.

The Celebrity Solstice is arguably the cruise line's finest ship and Alaska is one of the most naturally beautiful places on earth, probably only matched by the Norwegian or Chilean Fjords.

The itineraries sailing from the UK or sailing to Alaska are available from today, for the period 3rd May 2013 until 20th October 2013. Celebrity Cruises fly-Med programme due to go on sale 27th March and the rest of their itineraries will follow shortly afterwards.

So, whether its beaches, Fjords, mountains, charming wood-filled ports, ancient cities or cosmopolitan surrounding you are after, Celebrity Cruises' 2013 summer cruise programme has it all.

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.