Ever since it was announced that Princess Cruises were coming out with a new ship, everyone has been so eager to see it and finally Royal Princess arrived on Saturday and did not disappoint.

A spectacular arrival was put on as the ship was welcomed by a musical salute from the Southampton University Brass Band. The band serenaded Royal Princess with a performance of 'God Save the Queen' as the ship sailed into Southampton harbour.

Royal Princess will be officially named on Thursday 13th June by Her Royal Highness Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton. Leading up to this will be a week of exciting events to celebrate the launch. This weekend thousands of travel trade partners were invited onboard for a one night spectacular including a five course meal, special presentations and a performance from RnB singer, Lemar.

Jan Holmes, Executive Vice President of Princess Cruises said “What an extraordinary welcome Royal Princess received for her arrival in Southampton.”

The brand new 141,000 tonne ship can hold up to 3,600 passengers and boasts some amazing features. The 26,000 square feet of public space hosts many bars, restaurants, theatres and evening venues.

An exciting industry first that Royal Princess presents is the new SeaWalk. This is a unique glass bottomed walkway that extends 28ft from the ship's edge and 128ft above the ocean, allowing guests to experience similar views to the bridge.

The pool deck has beautiful swimming pools that display private cabanas that appear to float in the water. Another exciting feature on the pool deck is the ‘Movie under the stars’ concept where guests can enjoy watching movies on a large outdoor screen on comfortable lounge chairs.

At the heart of Royal Princess is the largest Atrium at sea, providing a stunning centre piece for the ship, lined with elevating platforms of cafes, bars and seating areas.

After the ship's naming ceremony on Thursday it will start its Mediterranean maiden voyages, visiting popular European destinations including Venice, Rome and Barcelona.

Last year P&O announced they were going to invest in a multi-million pound refurbishment project on three of their ships Ventura, Oceana and Arcadia. Due to findings from customer research, the upgrades are being carried out to include features which have proved popular on sister ship, Azura.

One of the main attractions is the addition of The Glasshouse concept and menu. This restaurant was first introduced on Azura and was created in partnership with TV’s Olly Smith. It has proved to be so popular that P&O wanted to add it to Ventura. The installation of an advanced wine system that allows guests to buy premium wines by the glass selected by Olly Smith, which has already been a huge hit for many cruisers.

Other dining upgrades include the new Thai/Indonesian menu at East, designed by celebrity chef Atul Kochhar.

An exciting change for single cruisers is the addition of 18 new single cabins. These are located on Deck six, in the same place as they are on Azura. They are perfect for a cost effective option for people cruising alone.

The Retreat is an open-air sun terrace exclusive for adults only, located all the way forward on Deck 16. A tranquil area with stunning sea views, this is a perfect addition to Ventura.

All the cabins have undergone an attractive upgrade including the replacement of carpets, cushions, curtains and mattresses.

Other changes guests can look forward to seeing include a new dance floor in the atrium, ship wide Wi-Fi, a new perfumery and a new library with digital functions.

P&O Cruises Managing Director said, “We are committed to ongoing and continuous improvement and refurbishment of our ships so that there is a consistent standard of decor across the fleet. The Glasshouse and Retreat areas on board Azura have proved very popular and so we are taking this opportunity to add these innovations to sister ship Ventura. The addition of a dance floor in the atrium on board Ventura will make it the heart of the ship for afternoon and after dinner dancing, which is so popular on Azura.”

Ventura is perfect for family cruises, singles cruises, mini cruises and no-fly cruises. This summer it will sail from Southampton on a range of exciting European itineraries.

Following the exciting news that Holland America Line are going to launch a new class of ships in 2016, we can reveal that they have now named the designers that will take charge of the interior designs.

The new ship, whose name is yet to be revealed, is set to debut in February, 2016. Coming in at a staggering 99,000 tons it will be the first of a new class of ships for Holland America Line. It has been exposed that the first in the Pinnacle Class will showcase decors by designer Adam D. Tihany and designer and architect Bjorn Storbraaten.

Adam D. Tihany is looked upon as one of the world’s leading hospitality designers. He has been involved in many renowned designer collaborations and the creation of numerous signature restaurants. Among his restaurant credits include the designing of eateries for well known chefs Wolfgang Puck, Thomas Keller and the legendary Sirio Maccioni of Le Cirque. Tihany has also been involved with the interior designs of some of the world’s most iconic properties, such as Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles and the King David Hotel in Jerusalem.

Yran and Storbraaten Architects are one the world’s leading cruise ship design and architectural firms. Known for working in a diversity of styles, they have developed a very impressive international client list. They already successfully worked with Holland America Line on ms Eurodam and ms Nieuw Amsterdam, as well as working with Seabourn for the Odyssey, Sojourn and Quest.

The new ship is set to feature exciting new public areas and dining venues, along with a spectacular host of interior observations. It is also rumoured that several new concepts are under development that are not yet on any other Holland America Line ship. Richard Meadows, executive Vice President of marketing, sales and guest programs for HAL stated “We are fortunate to bring together such distinguished professionals for our next-generation ship. The ambience of a ship is an essential part of the cruise experience and we are confident that Adam, Bjorn and their teams of experienced designers and architects will strike the right balance between contemporary and traditional that is the hallmark of the interiors of Holland America Line ships.”

Royal Princess is due in Southampton on Fri June 7th, where she will enjoy a week of festivities in the lead up to the inauguration. Princess Cruises have a wonderful history of previous cruise ship Godmothers, including the late Margaret Thatcher and Diana Princess of Wales.

Following a few short previous tours, Royal Princess’ maiden voyage will begin on June 16th, as she sets sail on her first of many Grand Mediterranean cruises, before switching to the Caribbean in the autumn.

It’s an excellent and fitting choice of Godmother, for a cruise line with such an elegant British heritage. We’ll be attending on June 13th to cover the event in detail, for what will no doubt be a fantastic event.

Thomson are offering three cruises from Liverpool in 2014 offering varied itineraries and destinations. The inaugural cruise is a seven night cruise visiting Dublin, Cork Galway, Greenock and Douglas. There longest cruise is a 10 night holiday to Iceland calling at; Akureyri, Isafjord, Reykjavik, Kirkwall, Portree and Belfast. There is also a three night mini cruise calling at Edinburgh and finishing in Newcastle.

2014 boasts new Arctic ports of call with the Thomson Spirit head to Longyearbyen & Ny Alesund in Spitsbergen and the Magdalema Fjord in Norway. Thomson have also added Haugesund, Alta, Bronnoysund and Leknes in Norway as new destinations.

Other new itineraries from Thomson Cruises in 2014 include the Best of British — a seven night cruise from Newcastle calling at Falmouth, Waterford, Dublin, Tobermory, and Kirkwall. Their Fire & Ice cruise, visiting Stornoway, Reykjavik, Isafjord, Akureyri, Lerwick, Bergen, Ulvik, and Eidfjord from Harwich. Thomson Spirit will also be offering two sailings to the Baltic capitals.

The last piece of exciting news from Thomson Cruises, is their adult-only sailings in 2014. These five cruises onboard Thomson Spirit offer the Baltic, North Cape, Fjords and the Med across a variety of dates and sail from Harwich or Newcastle.

To celebrate the launch of their 2014 Ex-UK programme, Thomson Cruises are offering free parking or coach transfers and £100 of onboard spend (per couple) on all Thomson Spirit sailings between May and September 2014 when booked before 30th June 2013.

Written by Charlie Hamilton-Beaufort
© Iglucruise

By 2014 Princess Cruises' fleet will boast one of the largest and newest at sea. Both Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess will be based in Southampton for summer 2014, meaning the cruise lines' four youngest and most modern liners will grace Europe during the summer months. Emerald Princess will sail to the Med, Canary Islands and Northern Europe, while Ruby Princess will offer a selection of British Isles cruises along with a North Cape & Summer Solstice cruise in June.

Royal Princess, who debuts latest this year, will be sailing her first season to Scandinavia and Russia — which will include two days in St. Petersburg. Regal Princess, who will debut in spring 2014, will sail a series of 12 night Med cruises between Venice and Barcelona for her inaugural season.

Written by Charlie Hamilton Beaufort
© Iglucruise

In a brilliant opportunity to be hosted and entertained by Britain’s premier wine critic, Clarke will run workshops, lectures and lead wine tasting events for the duration of the cruise. Enthusiastic about the prospect of the wine cruise, Oz Clarke told the blogger Captain Greybeard: "I can't wait to take my passion for wine to the high seas. Not only am I looking forward to learning more about the impressive wine selections, bars and restaurants from Celebrity Cruises, I'm also keen to talk to fine food and wine fans, share my knowledge... whilst having a great time onboard the ship. The chance to sail between some of Europe's best known wine regions, relaxing with a glass in hand, is just too good to turn down."

Oz Clarke is a hero among wine professionals for his informative approach to wine tasting. He is famous for encouraging the popularity of New World wines in the '80s and '90s and was allegedly banned from the Champagne region for suggesting the regional bubbly was becoming more expensive and less good.

The wine cruise special is onboard the newly refurbished Celebrity Infinity. Departing from Harwich, the first night of the cruise sails to Le Havre, the access point for the wine regions of France. The options for excursions in Northern France include a cheese tasting expedition to Pays d’Auge in Normandy, the home of Camembert, a romantic interlude Paris or a daytrip to the rolling hills of Champagne. The next port of call is Bordeaux, perhaps the most famous wine city of them all, with a chance to tour the vineyards of South-West France. Next the Infinity heads to Bilbao on the Basque coast, home of the stunning Guggenheim museum, with excursions to the Rioja region, before continuing around the Iberian coast to Portugal.

The newly modernized Celebrity Infinity has benefitted from a $140 million invested in the vessel, which now boasts updated décor throughout the ship, new bars and restaurants and an expanded art collection. The ship’s Cellar Masters bar is the perfect place to try some of your favourite wines discovered in the vineyards.

We are offering an astonishing deal on the Oz Clarke wine cruise and the other Celebrity wine cruises, with inside cabins available from £799 pp. Valid only until the 28th of February, Iglu are offering a free upgrade to the All Inclusive package, worth £400. We are also paying half the gratuities if you pre-pay them at the time of booking.

Written by Bernard Goyder
© Iglucruise.

Following the success of their three, more modern luxury ships, Seabourn's owners, Carnival, have brokered a deal with Xanterra that will see the ships join Windstar between April 2014 and May 2015. Seabourn Odyssey, Sojourn and Quest have proved to be popular ships with the cruise line's luxury guests and the line have decided to move forward with these great ships.

Richard D. Meadows, President of Seabourn, said: "Based on the success of Seabourn Pride, Spirit, and Legend over nearly two decades, we created Seabourn Odyssey, Sojourn and Quest as an evolution of the Seabourn experience. With the same personalized, intuitive service and relaxed social atmosphere for which the company is renowned, the newer ships offer enhanced accommodations, amenities and features made possible on a larger vessel."

As well as an evolution for Seabourn, the move helps Windstar further develop their fleet.

Andrew Todd, Xanterra President and Chief Executive, said: "Windstar Cruises has experienced four straight years of revenue growth... This expansion is the perfect way to build on the momentum following our recent fleet-wide renovation, providing us with the much-needed capacity to match the accelerating demand for our intimate style of yacht cruising."

"Windstar has built a great reputation, offering distinctive intimate, yacht-style cruising... This style is at the core of our guest experience and these ships will be a great addition to our brand."

Seabourn Pride, Seabourn Spirit and Seabourn Legend will join Windstar in April 2014, April 2015 and May 2015 respectively, bringing the fleet's capacity up to 1,230 berths alongside Windstar's Wind Spirit, Wind Star and Wind Surf.

Written by Charlie Hamilton-Beaufort
© Iglucruise

Previously the cruise line had kept to American standards onboard, maintaining a minimum drinking age of 21 — though there were some cases where adults over the age of 18 could purchase alcohol onboard with written parental consent and when sailing in locations where the minimum drinking age in port is 18.

This marks a modern approach from Celebrity Cruises and shows how important the European market is becoming to them, where the legal drinking age is much younger. As a 5* cruise line, their target market isn't revelling teenagers, so they are merely allowing people travelling with families to enjoy the fantastic wine selections, cocktails and lounge bars that Celebrity offer.

Here are the official ages to purchase alcohol onboard with Celebrity Cruises:

• The minimum drinking age for all alcoholic beverages on Celebrity Cruises ships sailing from South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand is 18.
• The minimum drinking age for all alcoholic beverages on Celebrity Cruises ships sailing from North America remains at 21.
• In certain circumstances where local laws permit or require [it], Celebrity Cruises may modify this policy which may also require parent/guardian request/authorization [sic] for guests between 18 and 20.

So, if you are a young adult who likes 5* luxury or regularly travel with your family, then this is great news for you. Enjoying cocktails on sea days, heading to the Michael's Club to sample their collection of craft beers, or enjoying a bottle of wine over dinner with the rest of the family, adults over 18 can now enjoy a Celebrity cruise in full.

Update (18/02/13): Royal Caribbean's popular 4* American cruising will no doubt also be a hit with families and young adults heading to the Med, as they will operate the same policy of allowing adults 18 years and older to purchase alcohol onboard as advised above.

Written by Charlie Hamilton-Beaufort
© Iglucruise

2013 has a couple of exciting new ships on the horizon, with the Norwegian Breakaway and Royal Princess both set to debut over the next couple of months. There is also the Carnival Sunshine's unveiling in April — but this is a major upgrade, as opposed to a new ship.

Here are the four we're most excited about:

1. Royal Princess

Princess Cruises' Royal Princess is their new flagship. She is the largest in the fleet by quite some distance, but as opposed to more passengers, Princess have decided to improve the ship's layout and increase the size of the public lounges, giving it a much more luxurious 5* feel onboard. The new Piazza — running virtually through the centre of the ship — plays host to the best of the dining venues, bars and the spa, which is a new concept to Princess Cruises.

2. Project Sunshine

Royal Caribbean marked the first cut of the hull by announcing the names of their forthcoming Project Sunshine ships. At the traditional event, Royal Caribbean announced the names of both their up and coming ships. Quantum of the Seas will debut in autumn 2014 and sister ship, Anthem of the Seas, is set to arrive in spring 2015. Adam Goldstein, President and CEO of Royal Caribbean International, said: "We are extremely excited to celebrate this important milestone for our first Project Sunshine ship. After three years of design and advance planning this is the first step of the construction of the ship and I look forward to seeing it all come together in the coming months."

3. Norwegian Breakaway

Norwegian Breakaway is another ship we are excited about and is set to launch in April. Taking the innovations from the huge Norwegian Epic and the elegance of the Norwegian Jewel, Breakaway is set to offer a stunning, freestyle cruising ship. She will offer a new and unique itinerary too from New York to the Bahamas, following a fantastic relocation cruise from Southampton — where she is being named — to New York.

4. Carnival Sunshine

Carnival Cruises are also launching a new ship next month, but if you get a little deja vu, that's because they are taking the Carnival Destiny &mdash: a former flagship — sending her to dry dock, then giving her a £100 million makeover, before re-launching her as the Carnival Sunshine. This is part of Carnival's Fun Ship 2.0 programme, where they are ensuring they offer among the most fun, action-packed ships at sea. She'll no doubt be a popular option for fun-filled Caribbean cruise.

As more new comes in, we will keep you up to date, but 2013 is already shaping up as an exciting year for cruising.

Written by Charlie Hamilton-Beaufort
© Iglucruise