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Cruising

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Having just returned from a fabulous cruise around the Caribbean I really couldn’t recommend it enough as the perfect winter sun destination.

I sailed with Norwegian cruise lines with their relaxed atmosphere, free all inclusive and freestyle dining, however most cruise lines have many ships sailing around the islands between October and March, some even all year round, but our winter is the best time of year to visit the Caribbean. So if you prefer smaller or large ships, formal or informal, loud or quiet there is always an itinerary and cruise line to suit your requirements.

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The Caribbean islands are mainly split into 3 sectors, Eastern, Western and Southern.

My first cruise was to the Western Caribbean, sailing from Miami we visited Jamaica, Bahamas and Cayman Islands. I thought these were stunning with plenty to do, whether lie on the soft golden beaches, climb Dunn’s River falls or shop in the array of tax free shopping I was in heaven. My passenger’s always told me the Southern Caribbean was the place to go, so this was the destination of my most recent cruise and wow, sometimes I feel like I dreamt the holiday now. The pictures that you see are really how these islands look, I was slightly worried with the aftermath of the hurricanes but they have recovered well. We began in Puerto Rico, stopping off at Barbados, St Kitts, Martinique, Antigua and St Thomas. The people are so welcoming and friendly and love us English.

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Southern Caribbean itineraries tend to sail from Barbados (P&O, Carnival and MSC), or San Juan in Puerto Rico (NCL, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity). The most visited islands are Aruba, Bonaire, Martinque, Barbados and Dominica. The islands that mainly cover the Eastern Caribbean are St Martin, St Thomas, St Kitts and US Virgin Islands, with most of the major cruise lines sailing around here you can take your pick from anywhere between a 5-14 night cruise, the longer the cruise the more ports you get to experience.

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Some people have said to me once you visit one Caribbean Island you’ve visited them all, or that they all look the same. I don’t agree, to me each one I have visited has offered something very different. From Volcanic landscapes and lush rainforests, wide long beaches to tiny secluded coves, local rum tasting and traditional bbqs to local culture and dancing, snorkling and swimming with stingrays, or just relax with a cocktail watching the sun set from your private verandah.

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Add on a few days hotel stay pre cruise, go shopping in Miami, or venture around Old San Juan amongst the little art and craft shops and colourful Colonial Spanish buildings. The Caribbean has it all and really is the world in your oyster and I for one am already planning my next trip

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I would love to share stories and hear which islands I need to see next, so for any advise or questions to help plan your perfect Caribbean cruise please get in touch with me

marcia@cruiseclubuk.com or call 0161 798 2516

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Did you know here at Cruise Club UK we have a Loyalty Bonus Scheme. Book your chosen cabin type and you can receive up to 50 Bonus Points (1 Point = £1) That’s a saving of up to £50 off your next cruise booked with us.  

 

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Visit two islands with one port of call when your next cruise docks in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Being the most southern islands in the Caribbean, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago lies just 6 miles off of the North-East coast of Venezuela, South America.

Parlatuvier Bay, Tobago
Parlatuvier Bay, Tobago

They have two seasons each year: Dry Season, which is the first five months of the year, with the Wet Season being the remaining seven months of the year.

The two ports which are open to cruise ships are; Port of Spain in Trinidad and Port of Scarborough in Tobago.  Being just a twenty minute ferry ride apart, you can plan your visit to whichever of the Twin islands quite easily, due to the very frequent ferries that operate each day. The cost is also very minimal, at just £6 per adult, each way.

Having visited Tobago myself, it is a haven for beach lovers. They offer stunning, relaxing beaches with local crafts and food for sale. They have small markets close to beaches giving you the option to browse for souvenirs at your own freewill. Be sure to try the fruit here, its cheap and so fresh! Just what you need on a hot summers day in the Caribbean.

Cumana Bay, Trinidad
Cumana Bay, Trinidad

Trinidad is of course renowned for their Carnival which is one of THE most attended carnivals in the world, taking place February each year. Here you can witness the most Extravagant-barely there costumes, vibrant colours, dancing, music, food and some of the most beautiful women on the island. Known as “The Original Carnival” it is certainly something to witness if you are sailing here when it is on.

So if you are sailing into one of the beautiful twin islands of Trinidad & Tobago on your next cruise, and you want to see the sister island, take a ferry and explore! Be sure to check your “All Aboard” time, you don’t want to miss the boat!

Follow us on our social media channels for Exclusive Offers – Cruise News – Blogs – Competitions & much more:

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Did you know here at Cruise Club UK we have a Loyalty Bonus Scheme. Book your chosen cabin type and you can receive up to 50 Bonus Points,

(1 Point = £1) That’s a saving of up to £50 off your next cruise booked with us.  

Email or call me to discuss your dream cruise: Michellehaslam@cruiseclubuk.com 0808 278 0342

 

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Ultra-Luxury Six Star Cruise Line, Silversea, announce refurbishment plans for the Silver Whisper and the Silver Wind.

As a part of the “Elegant fleet-wide refurbishment” program, which was launched by the luxury cruise line back at the end of 2016, The two ships will undergo a concrete refurbishment which will be completed by December 2017. Just in time for Christmas sailings!

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The Silver Whisper is said to be scheduled for Technical refurbishments which will hopefully increase the already exceptional level of guest satisfaction on board. Public areas on board Silver Whisper are due to have a major redesign, taking some Inspiration from the newest luxury ship part of the Silversea fleet; Silver Muse, which was launched just this year. Carpet replacements and Upgrades for Panorama Lounge, La Terrazza and Observation Lounge are also on the To-Do list.

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The Silver Wind will also take inspiration from the new Silver Muse and will be upgraded in a similar format to the Silver Whisper. Reupholstering of chairs, stylish enhancements and new carpets for the casino are on the agenda. Based on the concepts of Silver Muse, the Spa and Beauty salon on board will receive a new floor upgrade.

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CEO of Silversea, Roberto Martinoli described the arrival of the Silver Muse as an “Inspirational Milestone” for the brand. The Luxury Cruise Line are hoping the makeover of the Silver Whisper and Silver Wind will be appreciated by guests on board and will also enhance the on board experience of guests sailing with them.

Want to be one of the first to walk on the new carpets?

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Top 50 Cruise Blog High Res

Did you know here at Cruise Club UK we have a Loyalty Bonus Scheme. Book your chosen cabin type and you can receive up to 50 Bonus Points,

(1 Point = £1) That’s a saving of up to £50 off your next cruise booked with us.  

Email or call me to discuss your dream cruise: Michellehaslam@cruiseclubuk.com 0808 278 0342

 

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Italian owned Costa Cruise Line have today announced their partnership with Italian Football team Juventus.

For all of their sailings within Asia, Costa Cruise Line will be offering a Juventus Experience on board for all passengers.

Guests on board will be able to view Juventus content at anytime from the TV in their cabin. They can also learn about Juventus’ history, as there will be a fantastically decorated “Juventus Museum” corner, showcasing related Memorabilia. Of course you can pick up a souvenir, just visit the Juventus Shop on board!

They will have a fantastic mini club on board where children can play with the Juventus Official mascot, Jay. In my opinion, the highlight of the new partnership will be a Juventus trainging program, for children aged 5 to 14 years old. Aspiring footballers are encouraged to sign up regardless of the technical level, as the training will be managed and trained by coaches from Juventus and the program is copied from the Juventus Soccer school “Juventus Academy”.

The cruise line say the new partnership with the Italian Football Giant, will accentuate Costa Cruises Italian DNA and enrich the on board offerings to passengers.

Costa Neoromantica, Costa Victoria and Costa Neoclassica are the three ships kicking off the 2018 Asia Sailings.

Due to the new partnership, cabins will be getting full very quickly, so don’t miss out on your chance to be apart of this new program!

Follow us on our social media channels for Exclusive Offers – Cruise News – Blogs – Competitions & much more:

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Did you know here at Cruise Club UK we have a Loyalty Bonus Scheme. Book your chosen cabin type and you can receive up to 50 Bonus Points,

(1 Point = £1) That’s a saving of up to £50 off your next cruise booked with us.  

Email or call me to discuss your dream cruise: Michellehaslam@cruiseclubuk.com 0808 278 0342

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Thomson Cruise Line announce “Electric Sunsets” cruise for September 2018.

Plans have been revealed for a special 80’s themed music voyage on board the TUI Discovery. The Adult Only sailing, will depart from Newcastle on the 1st September 2018, passengers will visit Amsterdam and Zeebrugge (for Bruges), before disembarking in Southampton.

Former Radio 1 DY Sara Cox will headline on the Sunday, with a guest appearance from lead singer of 80’s band T’Pau; Carol Decker. Headlining on the Monday, Music lovers will enjoy sounds from Trevor Nelson.

Passengers on board can expect a Guilty Pleasure Party, Classic Eighties Movies, a silent Disco and Ministry of Sound sunset pool parties featuring top DJs Adamski and Brandon Block.

Richard Sofer, the Managing Director of Thomson Cruises said he is excited for the new “Electric Sunsets” itinerary and to take passengers back in time to the Iconic 80’s era. He isn’t the only one said to be excited, DJ Sara Cox also said “DJ’ing anywhere is amazing and on board a huge ship will be epic. The energy will be electric and the ports of call are party scenes in themselves so it promises to be a fantastic few days for everyone on board.”

The sailing is All Inclusive which means all your fabulous food and drink is included for the entire duration of the cruise, and the best part: its UNLIMITED!!! So, the only spending money you will need is for the souvenirs in Amsterdam and Bruges.

This one off sailing is due to sell out very quickly, so I would say get your cabin booked if it’s something you are interested in.  The ship has capacity for 1,830 passengers in total. DON’S MISS OUT!!!!

Follow us on our social media channels for Exclusive Offers – Cruise News – Blogs – Competitions & much more:

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Did you know here at Cruise Club UK we have a Loyalty Bonus Scheme. Book your chosen cabin type and you can receive up to 50 Bonus Points,

(1 Point = £1) That’s a saving of up to £50 off your next cruise booked with us.  

Email or call me to discuss your dream cruise: Michellehaslam@cruiseclubuk.com 0808 278 0342

 

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Football Fan? Cruise Fan? Why not take a cruise and go see a world cup football match in 2018?

The FIFA world cup 2018 will take place in Russia. Across the country, many different stadiums will play host to the games, with one being the Krestovsky Stadium in St. Petersburg. The stadium holds a massive 64,287 people for the World Cup Event. This is great news for Cruise passengers who want to see a game, as Oceania Cruise Lines and Azamara Club Cruises will both dock in St. Petersburg on the dates of the games at the Stadium, giving passengers a chance to see a FIFA world cup game. Who’s your team?

Saint Isaac Cathedral across Moyka river, St Petersburg, Russia
Saint Isaac Cathedral across Moyka river, St Petersburg, Russia

There are just Seven dates with football matches at Krestovsky Stadium, and they are:

15th June 2018 (Group B)

19th June 2018 (Group A)

22nd June 2018 (Group E)

26th June 2018 (Group D)

3rd July 2018 (Round of 16)

10th July 2018 (Semi-final)

14th July 2018 (Third Place Match)

Construction of the Arena: Krestovsky Island, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Construction of the Arena: Krestovsky Island, Saint Petersburg, Russia

 Azamara Club Cruises: The small-intimate Azamara Journey Cruise Ship will set sail from London Greenwich on the 17th June 2018, sailing for 12 nights to Stockholm, Sweden. This sailing will offer Three full days in St. Petersburg on the 25th, 26th and 27th June 2018. This offers passengers the chance to see the Group D match on the 26th June 2018. She will then begin another sailing for 12 nights on the 29th June 2018, from Stockholm, Sweden to Southampton, UK. This sailing will dock in St. Petersburg for Three days on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th July 2018, offering passengers a chance to see Round of 16 match on the 3rd July 2018.

Oceania Cruise Line: The beautiful Oceania Marina cruise ship will set sail on the 12th June 2018 from Stockholm, Swede taking 10 nights to sail to Copenhagen, Denmark. This sailing will offer a stop in St. Petersburg for Three days on the 14th, 15th and 16th June 2018. Passengers on this sailing have the chance to see Group B match on the 15th June 2018.

If you would like any further information with regards to the above sailings please feel free to contact via phone or email.

Follow us on our social media channels for Exclusive Offers – Cruise News – Blogs – Competitions & much more:

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Did you know here at Cruise Club UK we have a Loyalty Bonus Scheme. Book your chosen cabin type and you can receive up to 50 Bonus Points,

(1 Point = £1) That’s a saving of up to £50 off your next cruise booked with us.  

Email or call me to discuss your dream cruise: Michellehaslam@cruiseclubuk.com 0808 278 0342

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Many cruise lines have been forced to cut the time their ships spend in port when visiting Canadian ports.

Along the Gulf of St. Lawrence, cruise lines have had to cut the time they spend in port by reducing their speed to 10 Knots, which is nearly half of the previous speed cap. The new procedures came into place a couple of weeks ago by the Canadian Federal government, in a plan to protect the whale population of North America.

With slower speeds, it means spending more time sailing between ports.

The decision has been made by the government in hope it will prevent the chance of collision between the whales and cruise ships.

As of now, there are five cruise lines which have confirmed itinerary changes due to the newly enforced speeds. Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines are all affected.

Silversea, Seabourn, Princess and Cunard are still reviewing the new restrictions but have not as of yet made changes or decisions.

Due to the amount of deaths caused by cruise ships, the low population reduced by 2 to 3 percent over the past 12 months.

In this area alone is 20 percent of the world population of Whales, so it is very important to make changes now before it is too late.

Asking cruise lines to join in helping make this change is a great step to take and will hopefully raise more awareness to Wildlife danger.

Follow us on our social media channels for Exclusive Offers – Cruise News – Blogs – Competitions & much more:

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Did you know here at Cruise Club UK we have a Loyalty Bonus Scheme. Book your chosen cabin type and you can receive up to 50 Bonus Points

(1 Point = £1). That’s a saving of up to £50 off your next cruise booked with us.  

Email or call me to discuss your dream cruise: Michellehaslam@cruiseclubuk.com 0161 798 2512… I am happy to Help!

 

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Disney Cruise Lines have announced they are building their SEVENTH cruise ship

Last year, the magical cruise line announced they would have an additional two new ships in their fleet by 2021 and 2023. With the two new ships on order, they have today announced they have up-sized their ship order from two to three new ships.

The third new ship is set to be debuting in 2022.

All three ships are designed the same with around 1,250 cabins on board. This will offer occupancy to 2,500 guests. These are slightly larger than the last two ships from Disney, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy launched back in 2011 and 2012.

The three new ship names, itineraries and designs are all still being developed and are yet to be announced by the family cruise line. It is said that each ship will have its own unique features.

The Chairman of Walt Disney said that two new ships would not be enough to hold all of the new experiences they have been planning for the ships, that is why they have another on the Horizon. The new ships are set to transform the art of cruising and take guests on adventures in a way they have never dreamed before.

Now, I don’t know about you but i am a huge Disney fan and this is very exciting news! Having travelled to the Disney parks in Florida and Los Angeles, i know exactly what this company are capable of and blowing your mind is certainly one thing they do very well.

Did you know here at Cruise Club UK we have a Loyalty Bonus Scheme. Book your chosen cabin type and you can receive up to 50 Bonus Points (1 Point = £1). That’s a saving of up to £50 off your next cruise booked with us.  

If you would like assistance with your next cruise booking, or have any questions, please contact me on 0161 798 2512 or email me Michellehaslam@cruiseclubuk.com – I am always happy to help.

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The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company have announced they are going to offer yacht cruising from 2019.

We all know and Love the brand, The Ritz-Carlton. They are well known across the globe for their stunning hotels and unbelievable service in all of their hotels. Founded in 1983, the Ritz-Carlton have a wonderful collection of 91 hotels across the world in 30 countries. All offering a memorable stay.

Set to debut in 2019 the Ritz-Carlton Yacht collection have three ships currently on order. The first will arrive in 2019, with the other two currently set to launch in 2021 and 2022. Names are yet to be confirmed. This announcement is said to be one of the most exiting things on the Horizon for the Luxury Cruise Industry.

All three ships will have occupancy for 298 guests in 149 Balcony suites. Two of the suites will be duplex penthouse suites.

There will be no buffet venue on board, just open seating at all restaurants on board. They will offer passengers a restaurant by Sven Elverfeld who is the man behind The Ritz-Carlton three-Michelin-starred restaurant, Aqua.

Design and service will be offered to passengers at the most highest level.

Drawings of the new luxury ships show a stunning Infinity pool at the back of the ship with a helicopter pad also!! To keep in competition with the other luxury yachts currently sailing, they will have a marina platform with kayaks and a speed boat for special occasions with guests on board.

The design of the ships makes them look like a very high-end traditional private yacht.

Did you know here at Cruise Club UK we have a Loyalty Bonus Scheme. Book your chosen cabin type and you can receive up to 50 Bonus Points (1 Point = £1). That’s a saving of up to £50 off your next cruise booked with us.  

If you would like assistance with your next cruise booking, or have any questions, please contact me on 0161 798 2512 or email me Michellehaslam@cruiseclubuk.com – I am always happy to help.

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What is the first thing you do when you embark a cruise ship?

When I embark my cruise, the first thing I do is head straight up to the top deck by the pool and grab a cocktail. I will generally sit and stay here for an hour or so, taking in the new surroundings and people on board. In this time my husband has usually made his way to the buffet restaurant to get a head start on the “eating” week ahead. After an hour or so relaxing and checking out what the top deck has to offer, we make our way down the ship, deck-by-deck. This gives us a chance to see some of the ship before the rest of the passengers are on board.

When we are finished with having a walk around, if our cabin is ready we will go and check it out. Then we will head back up to the top deck to soak up more sun and cocktails.

I am sure most of you agree, one thing I hate to have to do when I embark is go to the muster drill. I feel as though my holiday has just got going and then It is put on hold for a very short while for the drill. Sitting there waiting for the other passengers to arrive at the drill is almost as annoying! I try to be the last one there, so I am the first out. And, lets be honest, the Drill is not the most entertaining to keep your attention.

This is why I think Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd are brilliant to have introduced an eight-minute video for their muster drill, which is designed to bring some fun to the dreaded drill on board!

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All three brands; Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruise Line & Royal Caribbean Cruise Line will all be introducing the new video across their fleets. Azamara Club Cruises and Celebrity Cruise Line have already been showing the video on their ships, RCCL will introduce on their ships this month.

Named as “Operation: Little Bear” – The new muster video is a short film following the adventures of a secret agent who has been sent on board a cruise ship to intercept a gold teddy before it gets in to the hands of the wrong person. The agent on board has an off ship partner who supports her and helps her navigate around the ship and all of the safety procedures she will need to follow along the way.

According to the Cruise Company, the film will dramatize the do’s and don’ts of the safety on board in an entertaining way and promote the recall of safety messages.

So, lets hope the muster drill is no longer dreaded and is more welcomed by passengers.

If you would like assistance with your next cruise booking, or have any questions, please contact me on 0161 798 2512 or email me Michellehaslam@cruiseclubuk.com – I am always happy to help.

 

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