Denise Cruises

It’s all about the food on Independence of the Seas

18. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: family cruising, Food at Sea, Information for cruisers, Royal Caribbean

Anyone out there who follows my ‘blogs’ will know I have just returned off the Independence of the seas 4 nights mini cruise to Cork in Ireland. You can read all about Cork here but I would now like to share my thoughts on an area very close to my heart… the food on independence.

Although I was only on board for 4 nights I made it my aim to sample as many of the restaurants as possible and of course this was purely to help my clients and had nothing to do with the fact I LOVE eating out myself! So which restaurants did I try and what did I think?

For the main meals we had booked fixed dining, which I prefer and you can see why if you read my previous blog. We were booked on the early dining on a large table as I like to be sociable when on holiday in the Romeo and Juliet dining room. I have to say the look and feel of this restaurant when empty far surpassed anything I had imagined on Independence. It was elegant and beautifully furnished. The cracks only appear when you enter the dining room when there are hundreds of people and waiters trying to get through the very small gaps between the tables and serve too many guests at a time making it impossible to have a relaxed meal. The food quality was okay, nothing special and certainly no silver service in sight. What I expected of a 4 star ship.I just felt that the staff were asked to serve way too many tables at a time. Very difficult when they need there tips at the end of the cruise to earn a decent wage.

I did also eat quite a few times in the Windjammer restaurant both for breakfast and lunch. I was very impressed with this. Although massive it has been set out in a way to make it feel much smaller with alcoves and lots of tables by the window. The food was always great quality and very hot. The only bug bear I would have with this resturant is the constant message being given out on the PA system to vacate your table as soon as you have finished due to the thousands of people trying to get seats.

My Son’s favourite restaurant had to be Jonny Rockets. For anyone who has been on a Royal Caribbean ship would have to agree this is a fun night out. We were greeted with a massive hello from both the staff and the guests eating as soon as we walked in which put a smile on your face straight away. The food was what we expected burgers, fries and onion rings but the atmosphere was great. The waiter were dancing in the aisle and my son was asked to join in which he loved.Every bay had a juke box (not that they worked) but my 9 year old thought he was selecting the music, makes them feel important!

My choice had to be Chops Grill. One of the fine dining choices onboard Independence of the Seas. After all the cruise was a birthday celebration for myself! You are charged a $30 per person cover charge for this resturant so is it worth the money? I would have to say yes. We had a beautiful meal here. Mine consisted of a giant prawn cocktail, a beautiful filet steak and a dessert to die for. The service was very personal and the environment felt very relaxed. My waiter did have a few hick ups which I am sure he is very embarrassed about but I shall say no more about that. Wine prices in here are very steap, we had to ask for a wine we had previously had in the main resturant rather than the $50- $60 bottles they were recommending in Chops. I would save this resturant if you have a special celebration or you just want to get away from the crowds for a while.

There are many other places you can eat on Independence, we did use the Italian (Sorrento’s) and the coffee shop in the Royal Promenade. Both were good and convenient.

There is so much more to tell about my visit on Independence. So keep coming back to my blog or ‘like’ me on facebook to not miss any of the updates.

So what is Cobh (the port of Cork) famous for?

10. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: family cruising, Information for cruisers, Royal Caribbean, Where am I?

For any of you who follow my blogs will have seen that I was off to Cork on Independence of the Seas for bank holiday weekend.

I will be writing my full report on Independence but for now I would just like to tell you a little bit about Cobh. It is a beautiful town with muti coloured buliding’s, a few shops and of course some very lively Irish bars ready to welcome you to Ireland for the traditional pint of Guinness that seems mandatory for all English guests to their shores.

But this small port is also famous as the last joining point for the Titanic one and only sailing 100 years ago. As a memorial to Titanic they have produced the Titanic Experience Cobh. During this tour you are given a ticket for one of the last 123 passengers who boarded the Titanic on its fateful maiden voyage to America. You then follow their storey later to see if you survived. Apparently only a handful of the people who boarded in Cobh survived. The three 3rd class tickets my husband son and I were given unfortunately, were all lost at sea that day. This picture is the platform where they boarded the tender out to Titanic in 1912. At around £9 per person this was a moment in history well worth experiencing and i would recommend it to anyone visiting Cobh.

Cobh also has other history with tragedy at sea when fishermen from the port of Cobh rescued survivors from the RMS Lusitania which was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of Ireland on 7th May 1915 and sank in just 18 minutes killing 1,198 of the 1,959 people aboard and leaving just 761 survivors.

We also took a morning out to take a rather pretty train ride into Cork. The train line stops right outside where the cruise ships stop so it is by far the easiest and cheapest way to visit Cork. I would just like to add that in Ireland they still celebrate bank holidays by shutting nearly every shop in town. So if you are looking to really see what Cork has to offer I would suggest not visiting on a bank holiday weekend, unlike us!!

If you would like to experience Cobh for yourself, Independence of the seas are sailing two Norway and Cork itineraries next year on 1st June 2013 and 7th Sep 2013 from Southampton visiting Cork, Olden, Alesund, Flam, Stavanger, Kristiansand, Oslo and Bruges. And with 14 nights from only £1289 per person at the moment with free port parking this is a twist on the usual Fjords itinerary we have seen of late. call me if you would like more details on this sailing.

One last thing, for all of you who think it always rains in Ireland. Well I am pleased to say we didn’t use our umbrellas once! Needed a wind break and good pair of gloves but at least it stayed dry. I for one could not think of a better way to be spending my bank holiday weekend.

I just need to plan the next one now.

Happy sailing

Never give up if you really want to go… there is always the waitlist

30. April 2012 · 6 comments · Categories: Information for cruisers, p & o cruises, Uncategorized

Many people think that once a cruise has gone to waitlist it is full. Well I can give you a great example to prove that never say never……

I had a lovely couple who were looking to book the P&O Oriana 22 night Caribbean no-fly cruise for 26th April. For personal reasons I will not go into they had not been able to book earlier.They had family who were already booked on this sailing and really wanted to join them.The only cabins available were suites, at over £4000 per person they were way above budget.

When my client called me she had already spoke to a few different cruise companies who just told her it was full. Well I knew how important it was that they got on this sailing so I offered to put them on the waitlist. After all they had nothing to lose by doing this.The cruise was due to do in less than a week’s time. So in hope they started packing waiting for my call.

I had been checking the waitlist every day for them and had nearly given up hope when I received a call for one of my colleagues telling me P&O had been trying to call me they had a cabin for my clients. Well I nearly leaped for joy. But with less than 24 hours’ notice would it be too late???

Luckily, my clients had still got their bags packed, or just had not unpacked yet… and the answer was yes! I not only got them away but at an amazing price of just £899 per person for a 24 night sailing. Less than £38 per person per day- WOW!!. I now cannot wait to call them when they get home to find out what cabin they were allocated. They may even have been given one of the suites.

So the moral of the storey is.. Never say never and never give up. When all other travel companies fail you I will not. And who knows if you can go at the drop of a hat and you have seen a cruise you like which is showing full. Call me I will do everything in my power to get you a great deal on that sailing.

So when you are calling round all the other companies out there for prices. Ask yourself this question. Do they value my business or are they just looking for a quick sale?

Do MSC Cruises have the quirkiest sunbeds at sea?

25. April 2012 · 1 comment · Categories: MSC Cruises, Where am I?

For those of you who follow my blogs will know that I have been to visit the MSC Lirica while it was docked in Harwich on 13th April.

I was very excited to be visiting the Lirica because although I have been working in the industry for over 20 years I have never been on a MSC ship.

The Lirica is one of the older ships in the MSC fleet and a sister vessel to the Opera which is just about to start its summer season sailing from Southampton. But I have to say everything I experienced on board exceeded my expectations. One of the areas that I was really impressed with was the Pool area on deck 11. There were two large pools, Spa baths and lots of sunbeds. We were lucky the day we visited, the sun was out and the pool area was in use by a few brave children. The one thing that really stood out to be different to any other ships I had visited before had to be the sunbeds! Not due to their comfort, in fact they could have done with some nice comfy cushions on them. But because of the face shades that pull up from the back of the sunbed. My colleagues and I were very impressed by their design. I would be really interested to hear from you if you have ever seen these at sea before.

One burning question I needed to get answered while I was on board was to do with value for money. This year MSC Cruises have had some amazing prices on their cruises. The very successful Keep it simple campaign I wrote about in January has really helped them to fill their ships for the whole summer. So what I was concerned about was whether they will try to recoup their profits by increasing prices on board. Well I have to say no they haven’t. Prices were in line with other cruise lines and there were no ‘hidden extras’ that I could see.

We did get to visit a few cabins and if you take away one piece of advice from this blog please upgrade from and inside to at least an outside cabin. The inside cabins (category 1-5) were very small and if the cabin is set as a double there is so little floor space I think you would end up getting dressed standing on the bed. The price difference to an outside (category 6-10) is so small with MSC it will be the best money you will have spent. Although not really larger, the fact that the large windows lets so much light into the cabin it made the room feel so much bigger. I would have been happy to stay in the standard outside cabin. We did also visit a suite with balcony (category 11) which was much larger and had a seating area plus balcony giving you a lot more room. The upgrade to these cabins is quite large though so it would really depend on how much time your are spending in your room.

So I suppose the ultimate question is ‘would I go on an MSC Cruise’? And the answer is most certainly yes. I have had it on good authority whilst on board that the 2013 MSC brochure will be out early May and they have hinted that they will be launching with a fantastic early booking campaign. Aiming to fill the cabins early for 2013 instead of waiting till January to release sale prices. So if like me you are looking at MSC for summer 2013, drop me a quick email at denisew@cruise.co.uk and I will let you know as soon as we have booking dates for next summer. Personally I would now love to try one of the new Fantasia class ships like Divina, Fantasia or Splendida. So watch this space I will let you know when I have booked.

If you would like to see the full rage of pictures from my MSC Lirica ship visit please visit my facebook page and ‘like me’ to receive my blogs each week.

100 days till the start of Olympics. Will you be watching?

18. April 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Hot off the press, Where am I?

Well, it’s 100 days to go till the start of the London 2012 Olympic games. I remember when the announcement was made years ago when London won the bid, ’that will be amazing we must be part of the occasion’. Now all I can say is ‘I wish’.

I have asked many of my friends to see if they have actually got tickets to the games and not one of them have….

So it got me thinking. If I can’t be in London to watch the games in person, do I have to stay at home and watch from the sofa? The answer is most certainly no.

There are some amazing bargains to be had on cruise sailing during the Olympic games. And if you are worried about missing all the action, many of the cruiselines are saying they will be showing the games live on big screens

I would certainly like to be watching the Olympics on the ‘Movies under the stars’ screens with Princess Cruises.

These are just a few of the offers that are around during the Olympic games-

P&O Oceana 03 August 7 night cruise to the Norwegian Fjords from just £599pp

P&O Oriana 28 July 7 nights cruise also to the Norwegian Fjords from just £499pp

P&O Azura has a fantastic 13 night sailing on 28th July to the western Med from just £1199pp

Princess Cruises have a sailing around the Uk on board the Ocean Princess 2nd Aug 8 nights from £740pp

Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas is offering a 14 night Spanish Med sailing on 28th July from £1449pp

plus there are many fly-cruise options available.

So if you fancy jetting off during the Olympics why not give me a call to see what I can arrange for you…………..

I would also love to hear from thise of you who were lucky enough to scoop up a magic seat or two to see the games. Fancy taking me with you?

Cunard have given me the Ultimate party invite

10. April 2012 · 4 comments · Categories: Cunard, Where am I?

Well I am one very excited Cruise Specialist today.

I have just won an invite to the party of the year at Cunard Three Queens Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in Southampton on 5th June.

Not just an invite, but a VIP invite with a special drinks reception, a lavish lunch on board a waterline tour of the three ships at their berths and a VIP view of the aerial display.

What a sight this will be to see all three ‘Queens’ together in celebration of our Queens special anniversary.

I will of course be reporting back with many photos after the event so if you want to make sure not to miss them then ‘like’ me on facebook from my link on here and I will keep you posted.

This is the official press release about the day from Southampton City Council in case you fancy joining in the celebration.

The Red Arrows will join Cunard’s Three Ship Diamond Jubilee tribute to the Queen on Tuesday 5 June 2012. It will be the first-ever Red Arrows display over Southampton.

The world-famous Red Arrows will be an extra highlight of the Cunard’s Three Queens Diamond Jubilee Event in Southampton to celebrate the 60 years of Her Majesty The Queen’s reign, on Tuesday 5 June 2012

In what is expected to be the biggest celebration outside London over the extended bank holiday weekend, all three ships of the Cunard fleet will sail up the Solent in formation for the first time on the morning of 5 June, in preparation for a day of special tributes, celebrations and displays for the enjoyment of the ships’ passengers and residents of the city of Southampton and beyond. This will be the first time the aerial display team will have performed over Southampton and the Solent, with the action being focused above the Marchwood area of the docks. The display will begin around 6pm and is expected to last almost 25 breathtaking minutes.

Her Majesty The Queen has long been associated with Cunard, being the only person to have attended the naming of all three Cunard Elizabeths, beginning in 1938 with the original Queen Elizabeth, then 1967 when she launched Queen Elizabeth 2 and 2010 when she named Queen Elizabeth.

The combined sight of Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria together with a seven-aircraft Red Arrows squadron will create both an outstanding spectator experience and a fitting commemoration of Her Majesty’s 60 year reign.

The ships will approach the port soon after first light on Tuesday 5 June, sailing in single file up the Solent, with a flotilla of small boats expected to welcome them in. As Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria tie up at their berths, Queen Mary 2 will follow on, turning in the upper swinging ground and then passing each ship in turn, with crew lining the foredeck of all three vessels, and the ships’ whistles sounding in salute of Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee.

After the Red Arrows display, as darkness falls, the celebrations will culminate in an evening spectacular where all three ships will be brought within close proximity of each other, and a fusillade of fireworks and special effects will light up the evening sky beyond them. Queen Mary 2 will then lead Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth in single file down the Solent as all three ships set out on their celebratory Diamond Jubilee voyages.

Mayflower Park will provide the best vantage point for those interested in seeing the arrival of the fleet, the fireworks, and the departure of Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria. For the Red Arrows display, Hythe Marina and Town Quay will also offer good viewing.

So will you be joining me there? I would love to here from those of you who are going.

Happy Cruising

Do you need any advice on MSC Lirica?

02. April 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized

I have never been on an MSC ship so when the opportunity arose for a visit on MSC Lirica next Friday I snapped my managers hand off.

In the past I had heard a very mixed response to MSC but recently this has really changed. I January they brought out the sale of all sales and from what I can see have pretty much filled most of their cabins for this summer. I was that impressed with the offer at the time I even wrote a ‘blog’ about it. click here to read it. Now, MSC are offering cruises where the second passenger pays just £1.

So my thoughts are…. can MSC keep up the Cruising standard with prices as low as £349pp for a 7 night cruise? Well I am off to find out next week.

If you have any burning questions you would like me to get answered on MSC Lirica please email them to me at denisew@cruise.co.uk and I will gladly get them answered directly from the horse’s mouth as we say.

I will follow up this blog at a later date with details including photos of the Lirica an my honest opinion on the ship too.

MSC Lirica Video

My personal experience of using the P&O night nursery.

27. March 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: family cruising, Information for cruisers, p & o cruises

For those of you who have read any of my previous blogs, you will know that family cruising is very close to my heart. Not only because I love helping families make the right holiday choices, but also I am a Mum myself.

So often I have this conversation with my friends who are new Mum’s as to why a cruise really is the perfect family holiday with young children.So I thought I would share my words of wisdom with you.

So why did I chose a P&O cruise as my holiday choice when my son Alex was just 21/2 years old? Working in the travel industry does mean I am fortunate enough to have a few holidays a year. But after my son arrived holidays just became a bit ‘hard work’. I know many people are happy to have their children fall asleep in a push chairs and carry on a night out as if they are not there. But that was never what I wanted to do. So we had a couple of land based holidays while my son was a baby but I got fed up of being back in a hotel room early in the evening then sitting on the hotel balcony trying not to make too much noise.It was then I decided to try a cruise.

We went to Norway with P&O Cruises. I chose an Ex UK Cruise for obvious reasons. It really is an easy option and with no luggage limits I could take as many toys for Alex as I wanted to. I could also take plenty of my own brands on nappies on-board.

My main reason for choosing P&O Cruises is the night nursery facilities it has on-board their four family friendly ships- Ventura, Azura, Aurora and Oceana. Which is also free of charge.

So what do I really think of the P&O night nursery?

Each night my cabin steward would bring a nice bottle of warm milk to my cabin about 6.30pm. This would help him settle. We booked a cabin close to the night nursery so to not disturb Alex. We would take him to the nursery at about 7pm and get him settled in. The staff were fantastic, they were all fully qualifies and reassured me he would be fine. The first night it did take him a while to settle but by the second night he went straight to sleep. The staff would then give me a pager so if there was a problem and he woke and needed me they could call be back to the nursery easily.

We would then go and get ready for our ‘adult night out’ knowing that Alex was is safe hands. At diner we felt like a couple again enjoying a social meal and adult conversation. We did get paged one night when Alex was restless but otherwise had a holiday that was all about the family during the day and all about us as a couple in the evening. Just what we needed.

At around midnight we would go and collect Alex from the night nursery, having a cabin close by was now very important. We would sign him out and sneak him back to the cabin trying not to wake him. The night nursery is open till 2am. The problem with having a late night was that when Alex woke bright and breezy, I just wanted to stay in bed!

The night nursery operates from 6pm till 2am every night of the cruise, for children aged 6 months to 5 years. It is on a first come first served basis so there is no guarantee that you can get a space but I never found it a problem. P&O do limit the number of children in all age groups on each cruise and this is one of the many reasons why.

So would I recommend the P&O night nursery? 100% yes. why not try it for yourself.

You can read my blog about why families should book early by clicking here.

You can read our companies guild to travelling with babies on a cruise here.

If you need more advice or would like to check a great family cruise call me on 0800 408 6182 or email me at denisew@cruise.co.uk

Loving the new NCL ship Breakaway

19. March 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: family cruising, Information for cruisers, NCL, New ships

It has to be said that until now I have never been a fan of NCL. However, I am very excited at the new design features that NCL have introduced on their new ship the Breakaway which launches in April 2013.

It will bring a somewhat different restaurant concept to the cruise industry. Several of the restaurants and bars will be facing and opening outward onto an outdoor promenade on Deck 8 that wraps almost all the way around the ship. The ocean views and al fresco seating will help the passengers connect to the sea. The promenade will be called the Waterfront.I am really looking forward to sampling the feeling of the Alfresco dinning on board.

Another major design element of Norwegian Breakaway is a three-deck-high atrium called 678 Ocean Place, the name relates to the decks of the ship it covers, 6,7 and 8. This will have many of the restaurants, bars and amusement areas opening onto it. Some of the Waterfront’s venues will run halfway through the ship so that they will open onto both the Waterfront and into Ocean Place. The casual dinning restaurant La Cucina is one of the resturants that opens onto both 678 Ocean Place and the Waterfront. Looks lovely

This is the beautiful atrium of 678 Oceans Place

If you like the look of the new NCL Breakaway it will be starting with a Transatlantic sailing from Southampton to New York on 30th April 2013 for 7 nights. with inside cabins from just £450 per person outsides from £550 and balcony cabins from £723 per person. I can also arrange you flights home from New York or maybe you fancy staying on board as it embarks on a schedule of 7 night cruises from New York to Bermuda till October 2013.

You can view a video on the NCL Breakaway by here- Norwegian Breakaway – YouTube

If this has wetted your appetite and you would like to find out more

call me on 0800 4086182 or email me at denisew@cruise.co.uk

You can also view my other latest deals by clicking here

Does pre-paid service= lesser service?

15. March 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Food at Sea, Information for cruisers, New to cruise information

There are many considerations when booking your cruise. One of which I can honestly say I discuss lots of times every day. fixed dinning or flexible dinning, to pre-pay gratuities or to not.

I have to say I am getting increasingly concerned by the number of times people are not wanting to pre-pay. I personally have always done this if possible. I find it easier and one thing less to worry about on the last day of my cruise.

This week however I have been chatting to a client of mine who has been on many cruises. One this occasion he was booking a P&O cruise and we were discussing the dining options. Whether to do a fixed early or late option or to book any time dinning. He was convinced that the service in the Anytime dining restaurant was not as good because the staff know your gratuities will be added to the bill without much effort on their behalf. He even described a situation on one cruise, where when the veggies ran out whilst serving they did not even bother to go and get more for the clients who had not been served yet.

I have and always will be a fan of fixed dining. I feel the evening meal is a large part of any cruise. Although sitting with different people each night may be nice from the point of view of variety. But I find having to go through the half hour of introductions and small talk with different people each night a bit tiresome. I like getting to know people properly, comparing experiences of the day and having a fun, something that really builds over the duration of the cruise. Of course you do sometimes get that one person that you may not quite ‘gel’ properly with. But overall I find my fellow cruisers fun to be with.

My son on our last cruise could not wait to get down to dinner to find out what his serviette had been turned into, waiting pride of place at his table setting. Alex would try to make something different for our waiter in return. It really was sweet.Our table waiter well and truly earned his tip we gave him on that cruise. We would never have had this bond if we had chosen anytime dining.

So we may not have had ‘fancy’ serviette’s in the any time sitting. But would we have received a lesser service I wonder. I would be really happy to hear about your experiences or opinions on this.

With Royal Caribbean the whole Mytime dinning restaurant is full of people who have had to pre-pay gratuities. Does this mean the weaker staff are serving in this restaurant, I wonder.

So to pre-pay or not to pre-pay that is the question. Well I say, if you want freedom or any time dinning what have you got to lose. And in the fixed dining restaurant the staff do not know anyway if you have pre-paid. And if you feel the service is not up to scratch then you can always choose not to hand your waiter the voucher in the envelope. The good news is you will not be feeling out of pocket at the end of the cruise having to find large amounts of cash to tip for the fantastic service you have received.

Ultimately it is down to personal choice, there is not right or wrong. Plus, one poor experience with service should not form a general opinion. If I lived life that way I would never eat or shop anywhere.

You can ready our guide to gratuities by clicking here

Happy Cruising