Cruise Blog

We’ve just released an incremental update of our Cruise Search app. It is now available to download from the App Store.

So, what’s new? The big change is that we now support the iPhone 5’s longer screen. So gone are the black borders at the top and bottom and now you can enjoy scrolling through cruises in full screen and with high resolution photos.

We’ve also made a couple of changes to how we display destination and flight information to make cruises much clearer. So when you’re searching fly cruises now, it’s much more obvious where the cruise starts.

Finally, we know a few devices were suffering from occasional crashes. We’ve worked on improving this greatly and you shouldn’t be experiencing those any more. There’s also now a feedback form in the app, so if you do have any further issues or suggestions, you can send those to us directly.

Let us know what you think and if you haven’t tried it, you can download it from the App Store now.

After spending the last five years working onboard Royal Caribbean cruise ships Sally Grimes is welcomed to the Iglu team to bring a wealth of unique knowledge about all things cruise! Here’s what she has to say:

After living and working on cruise ships for the last five years of my life it seems surreal that I am now sitting here writing a blog introducing myself and letting you all in on a small snippet of my crazy adventures at sea!

A mind for adventure…

At the innocent age of 21 after completing my studies and working within a few companies in the travel industry, I had this adventurous dream of working onboard a cruise ship, which was slightly strange bearing in mind I had never been on a boat, let alone a cruise ship! I started to look into different cruise lines, jobs and more importantly how old you had to be to work onboard! From extensive research I became particularly interested in Royal Caribbean due to their large, innovative ships and bright, friendly reputation. ‘Guest Services Officer’….what a perfect role I eagerly thought to myself. I knew I had excellent customer service skills, good communication skills and was sure I would be able to enhance a guest’s experience on a cruise. So with no further ado I sent off my application, had my interviews and was hired…eeek now it was just a waiting game for my placement!

Off I go...

A month later I had my US visa and flights booked and I was off to Miami to join the Majesty of the Seas to work and sail around the Caribbean. Although the Majesty is the smallest of Royal Caribbean’s fleet I will never forget walking up to the ship in complete awe of how large it was. The astonishment did not stop there, the interior was magnificent and I knew I was going to love my new home! It did not take me long to rapidly start gaining a passion for cruise. I learnt so much about the cruising industry and I feel that you gain an extensive understanding of the industry if you have actually worked onboard!

My first six month contract came to an end and I knew I wanted to stay with Royal Caribbean and build up a career within the cruise industry. After being placed on a Freedom class ship for my next contract I was lucky enough to be part of the take out team for the new ship, Oasis of the Seas. I was so excited, I mean the Oasis of the Seas…the largest, most innovative ship in the world, can you imagine my anticipation?

Being part of history…

I was one of the first people to step onboard the Oasis in August 2009 in the ship yard at Turku, Finland. It still gives me goose bumps when I remember the taxi pulling up to the ship…it was AMAZING! In -8 temperatures I donned a helmet and thick coat and set off to explore the ship, to be honest when I entered it looked like a building yard and it was incredible to experience first-hand how a ship is built and pulled together. In November we set off on our two week crossing to Fort Lauderdale, of what will always be the most exhilarating two weeks of my life. From going under the Great Belt Bridge to being stuck in 40 foot waves in the Bay of Biscay the whole experience was incredible. The welcome when we arrived into Fort Lauderdale was unbelievable, it felt like the whole world was waiting for us. I even get a tiny bit emotional sitting here thinking about it!

It was on the Oasis that I became interested in starting to move up positions in the company and further my career. The position of Loyalty Ambassador was the role I really wanted! This role involved onboard marketing, booking guests on their future cruise and taking care of the company’s loyalty guests. This role really gives you chance to enhance and share your knowledge of cruising with people and I was delighted to be offered the position. I have worked as a Future Cruise and Loyalty Ambassador representing Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara Club cruises onboard many Royal Caribbean ships including Oasis of the Seas, Explorer of the Seas and Mariner of the Seas. I have taken lead of various projects and been the face behind many new ideas that have been implemented onboard throughout the fleet.

Seen the world…

I have been on every class of Royal Caribbean ship as well as travelled on other cruise lines and also been fortunate enough to travel all over the world so I truly have first-hand knowledge of everything anyone would need to know about cruise! I honestly do not believe there is a better option for a holiday than a cruise. No other choice of holiday allows you to go to multiple destinations, only have to unpack once, get constantly waited on, see the best in entertainment and taste the finest dining options…all in one place. Cruising offers incomparable value for money and I can fully understand why after going on one cruise, you are hooked! With the cruise industry rapidly expanding it is now possible to cruise all over the world on a range of cruise lines depending on your style of traveling.

My time at sea has been one electrifying journey with a wonderful company! It has taught me not only about the travel industry but about myself and life as a whole.

My new adventure…

I am now extremely excited to join Iglu’s Digital Marketing team and hopefully bring some unique, informative and new ideas to the team. Marketing is an area I have experience in and will find great pleasure in combining this with my passion for the travel industry, particularly cruise. I already know that Iglu are a fantastic company who have really grown within the travel industry and built an admirable reputation in the world of cruise and ski. You only need to read the constant positive feedback from customers or see the awards they have won to realise this.

Due to personally experiencing almost everything in the world of cruise I am planning to do regular, knowledgeable blogs for all your cruising needs! Stay tuned :-) 

You've got the day in Bruges, arguably the greatest beer city in the world. A cruise is all about relaxing; you won't want to rush around trying to do everything. You want to pick a spot, sit back and take in the atmosphere. So where's good to head for a beer? We've picked three of our favourites. It's enough for a short tour around the city, or just pick one and soak it up. Either way, they're all great locations, so you can't go wrong.

Image: Staminee De Garre

Staminee De Garre

http://www.degarre.be/

Generally open from midday, this hole in the wall is tricky to find. It's down a narrow alley, in fact it's supposedly the smallest street in Bruges and you can easily just walk right by it if you don't look out, as it just looks a bit like a door to a house. However, find it and you're in for a treat. It's a treasure trove of ales and is an authentic Belgian delight.

Its charm comes from its off the beaten path location and secretive feel. It's small and cosy with a local, friendly vibe. Despite being off one of Bruges' busiest streets, most people don't even know it's there. Highly recommended.

We Recommend: Tripel de Garre (11.5%). This house draft beer is rarely found anywhere else. It's brewed especially for this bar and it has a seductive aroma and a silky, orange body with a refreshing, creamy taste. You wouldn't think we were talking about a beer with vocabulary like that, but that's just how good it is.

Bierbrasserie Cambrinus

http://www.cambrinus.eu/

With a pleasant tavern-like wooden interior, Bierbrasserie Cambrinus (Aka the King of Beers) is a lovely place to sit for a drink. It's not too small, so it's not packed with people and likewise it isn't oversized, so it has plenty of character.

The beer menu in this place is like an encyclopedia. It's simply stuffed with exciting beers and it's incredibly heavy. On our last visit they claimed over 400 beers, which is quite possibly the biggest selection in Bruges. They have tables down the left side of the pub, which on busy days require a reservation. Though, we recommend simply pulling up a stool and chatting with the bartender about what beer they have, whilst enjoying the surroundings.

We Recommend: Rochefort 10 (11.3%). A simply divine, special dark Belgian beer. It has a lively, fruity and almost sour taste that fizzes on the tongue. It'll also only take one bottle to get you merry.

2be

http://www.2-be.biz/en/2BeBar.php

We admit it, 2be sounds like some sort of student pop club and the website is a retro blast from the past. But don't be put off, this is a gem of a spot. It does have a decent range of beers — many displayed on the now famous "beer wall" outside — but 2be goes beyond that. It has one of our favourite spots to sit in the whole city. If you go through the bar to the outside balcony and around the corner, they've got a long table beside the canal. It's secluded, it's beautiful and it's free of crowds. You can sup your beer and watch the canal tours float by.

On top of that, it also has a great range of table beers which are the perfect size for sharing and also a bit of a fun novelty to try.

We Recommend: Tripel Karmeliet (8.4%). A gorgeous, golden abbey beer, with touches of vanilla and citrus. Despite its strength, it's a real thirst-quencher in the hot sun and 2be has the huge 750ml bottles to share.

Bonus: 2be bottle shop

And it doesn't end there. On your way out of 2be, before you reach the main street, look left and check out the shop. You can stock up on a few bottles to take back on the ship (just make sure your cruise line allows it first, as many don't) or simply for some to take back home.

What cruise should you take?

We've picked two crackers to visit Bruges in 2013. One at the end of April with a good chance of sun, and one in October where the cold nights will be drawing in. Bruges is beautiful all year-round and the seasons really bring it out differently, so whether lazing out in the sun or enjoying a cosy pub by the fire, you'll still fall in love with it. These two short breaks both cruise from (and back to) Southampton, so no faffing about at the airport. Let's take a look:

3 Night Bruges & Guernsey Break on P&O Azura

Cruising at the end of April to Zeebrugge (a short ride from Bruges) and coming back via Guernsey, this is a great short break and has a last minute price to boot. P&O's Azura is a wonderful ship with plenty of amenities, including the highly regarded Sindhu restaurant and their fine wine bar, The Glasshouse. You can grab an inside cabin for just £239 per person, which is a steal really to get on such a lovely ship. Given the time of year though, it might be worth a treat to take a balcony cabin, which come in at just £369 pp.

Paris & Bruges on Independence of the Seas

Visiting Bruges in October and coming back via Paris make this one a great romantic break. Perfect for anniversaries or birthdays, you get two of the most romantic cities in the world for one. Insides will go from £339 pp and it'll come a few months after Independence gets her upgrade, which will include ship-wide Wi-Fi, as well as their brand new Cupcake Cupboard. What could be better?