Captain Greybeard - Travel Advice - Mirror.co.uk

Not such a great triumph, John

2009-11-10T01:03:43Z

I hate to say it, but cruise director and cruise blogger extraordinaire John Heald has shot himself in the foot with his latest daily report.

As a loyal employee of Carnival Cruises, he never misses an opportunity to take a swipe at their biggest rivals, Royal Caribbean.

Today he has a go at Oasis of the Seas, which was delayed by storms while crossing the Atlantic, and will be two days late arriving in Fort Lauderdale.

"There are lots of ships making the transition from Europe to North America at the moment and all without incident despite some typical Atlantic weather. And while I wish her and her crew nothing but the best of luck and calm seas I do find it fascinating that the Oasis of the Seas has found the crossing difficult and from what I hear she is delayed and some damage has been reported.

"Anyway, I hope they make it to Port Everglades soon and maybe they have to look at the design. I mean, the Queen Mary and the little Seabourn Odyssey are all able to cross without incident, yet the Oasis, well, she hasn't.

"Maybe it's been really bad weather and maybe I am talking out of my bottom, or maybe it's because the world's largest cruise ship is as top heavy and as stable as Pamela Andersen with two water melons shoved down her T-shirt, standing one leg."

All very amusing John, but hang on a minute, what's this, a little further into the same blog?

John posts a Carnival Press release announcing that the Carnival Triumph's first departure from New Orleans has been delayed by tropical storm Ida, and the same weather system has caused Carnival Triumph's first departure from Mobile, Alabama to be put back by a day.

"It couldn't happen at a worse time," he writes, "for the Carnival Fantasy and Carnival Triumph were going to be giving a big dollop of pomp and circumstance to as they head for their new home ports."

Come on John, what do they say about people in glass houses?

I'll have to have a word with him when I join him on board Carnival Dream in New York on Thursday for a naming ceremony to be carried out by Oscar-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden. Or perhaps he'll make me walk the plank . . .

Arcadia to sail from UK to Alaska

2009-11-09T13:28:45Z

Porters at Southampton's cruise terminal had better start getting into training - they'll be doing some particularly heavy lifting come April 2011 when P&O's Arcadia sets out on a 72-night voyage to Alaska and back.

With ports of call as far apart as New York and Los Angeles, and as diverse as St Lucia and Skagway, passengers making the full round-trip will need to pack a double wardrobe of clothes each - and that means a whole lot of suitcases.

The grand voyage will be the first time since 1970 that it has been possible to sail from the UK to Alaska by cruise ship. The ice-bound wilderness is a popular cruise destination, but getting there usually involves a flight to Vancouver or Seattle, and it does not normally take in the chance to see a Broadway show or go shopping on Rodeo Drive.

Carol Marlow, P&O's managing director, said today: "Alaska is one of life's 'must see' destinations and Arcadia will not only be visiting the classic Alaskan ports but also some lesser known ports for our passengers to explore.

"P&O Cruises is the only cruise line offering Alaska as an ex UK option and combining it with the East and West coasts of the US makes a contrasting and enticing itinerary."

The voyage begins on April 12, 2011 and the full 72-night cruise is available from £6,999 per person in an inside cabin. A 44-night cruise sailing from Southampton to Los Angeles costs from £4,399 per person, and a 45-night cruise from Francisco to Southampton is available for £4,599. The voyages will go on sail on December 1.

FULL ITINERARY:

April 12: Southampton
April 15: Madeira
April 21: Antigua
April 22: Tortola
April 23: St. Maarten
April 24: St. Lucia
April 25: Barbados
April 27: Aruba
April 29: Transit Panama Canal
May 1: Puntarenas
May 3: Huatulco
May 4: Acapulco
May 8: San Francisco (two full days)
May 11: Vancouver (full day and evening)
May 12: Victoria
May 14: Juneau
May 15: Skagway
May 16: Yakutat Bay
May 17: College Fjord
May 18: Whittier
May 20: Tracy Arm
May 21: Ketchikan
May 23: Seattle
May 26: Los Angeles
June 2: Transit Panama Canal
June 3: Limon
June 5: Roatan
June 6: Cozumel
June 8: Port Everglades
June 9: Port Canaveral
June 10: Charleston
June 12: New York
June 14: Newport
June 15: Boston
June 20: Ponta Delgada, Azores
June 23: Southampton

Dubai debut for Deliziosa

2009-11-09T13:28:45Z

How delicious is this? At a press conference to be held at World Travel Market in London later today, Costa Cruises will announce that their newest ship, Costa Deliziosa, will be named at a ceremony in Dubai on February 23.

The naming ceremony will take place during the ship's inaugural cruise which leaves Savona, in Italy, on February 5. Deliziosa will be in Dubai from February 23 to 26 and passengers on the first leg of the maiden cruise will be able to attend the christening ceremony.

The Costa Deliziosa, carrying up to 2,826 passengers is currently being fitted out at Fincantieri's Marghera shipyard near Venice and will be delivered on January 29. She will become the 15th ship in the Costa fleet, which is already the biggest in Europe.

Costa has pioneered cruises in the Gulf, and Deliziosa, sister ship Costa Luminosa, and Costa Europa will sail a total of 32 cruises in the region next year, bringing 140,000 passengers to Dubai.

This week's top cruise deals

2009-11-07T00:52:27Z

Oasis of the Seas has been grabbing the headlines this week, as the largest cruise ship in the world made a brief visit to the UK en route to Florida, from where it will be sailing year-round to the Caribbean.

The 220,000-ton ship - 40 per cent bigger than its nearest rival - will be named at a lavish ceremony in Fort Lauderdale on November 30. Surprisingly, there are still cabins available for the maiden four-day cruise sailing on December 1 and calling at Royal Caribbean's private resort of Labadee, on the island of Haiti.

Whether it's because of the state of the economy, or simply because there are 2,704 cabins to fill every week, there are still some bargains to be had - how about a balcony cabin for £499 (flights extra). Go to www.gillscruise.com or call 08454 606056 quoting cruise code: 27330

Plenty of deals available this week for no-fly cruises departing from UK ports in December.

For a short break, try a four-night cruise on board Cunard's Queen Victoria leaving Southampton on December 5, and calling at Cherbourg, Rotterdam and Zeebrugge. Fares from £559. Go to www.sailfromuk.com or call 0808 202 6104.

Or take 10 nights on P&O's Arcadia sailing from Southampton to Hamburg, Oslo, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Zeebrugge. The cruise departs on December 8, and fares start at £699. Go to www.sailfromuk.com or call 0808 202 6104.

Heading in the same direction, Fred Olsen's Balmoral leaves Dover on December 12, sails to Copenhagen, Hamburg and Amsterdam, and also transits the Kiel Canal - always a surreal experience. Fares from £729. Go to www.sailfromuk.com or call 0808 202 6104.

Further afield, the luxurious Celebrity Summit sails on a seven-night voyage in the southern Caribbean - from San Juan, Puerto Rico to St Maarten, Dominica, the Grenadines, Tobago and Barbados. Fly from Manchester on December 11, with inclusive fares starting at £963. Go to www.thelca.com or call 0870 122 5115

For a special treat, how about Christmas sailing through the Caribbean on board the casual cruise ship Ocean Village. Special family treats include a Top deck Winter Wonderland where children can visit Santa's grotto and get presents on Christmas day, a Caribbean carol service - those traditional tunes played on steel drums no doubt - and a chance for kids to meet Paddington Bear and Bagpuss.

Mums and dads can sit back and enjoy a debut stand-up comedy performance by Auf Widersehen Pet's Tim Healy.

Fares for the 14-night holiday start at £1,199 when booked through Thomas Cook and prices include return flights, transfers, buffet dining, nursery facilities and all the onboard entertainment. Departing December 16, the itinerary includes Barbados, Tortola, St Maarten, St Kitts, Antigua, Dominica, Barbados, Tobago, Isla Margarita, St Lucia, Grenada and St Vincent. Go to www.oceanvillageholidays.co.uk or call 0845 358 5000.

Vegas legends on Epic stage

2009-11-07T00:39:57Z

Entertainment on board the cruise ship Norwegian Epic, scheduled to debut next summer, will have a Las Vegas flavour.

Elvis Presley, Madonna, Tina Turner, Cher, Tom Jones, Dolly Parton, and the Blues Brothers will be among the acts making regular appearances - in the shape of impersonators from the Legends in Concert team.

Three celebrity tribute performers will take to the stage in the ship's 685-seat Epic Theater for six 45-minute shows during each seven-day cruise.

Further cabaret-style shows will be performed for diners in the Manhattan Room, the Epic's New York-inspired supper club.

Also taking to the sea is Howl at the Moon, a show in which duelling pianists encourage the audience to sing along. A feature of clubs in Las Vegas and many other American cities, it will be a regular in the ship's comedy club. Sounds like community karaoke to me, and no doubt will be fuelled by industrial quantities of alcohol.

The new shows are in addition to regular performances by The Blue Man Group, another feature of Vegas theatreland, announced some weeks ago.

The 153,000-ton Norwegian Epic, currently being built in France, will carry up to 4,200 passengers and is scheduled to sail year-round seven and 14-night cruises from Miami to the Caribbean.

Black Prince sale is completed

2009-11-06T23:36:55Z

When I was on board the veteran cruise ship Black Prince for a farewell lunch three weeks ago, workmen were painting out the Fred Olsen name and colours and stripping out the artwork which belongs to the Olsen family.

After sailing under the Olsen colours since 1966, the ship was leaving the fleet because the cost of work needed to make it comply with the latest safety regulations was prohibitively high.

It was expected to leave Southampton within days to start a new life in Venezuela, but instead it remained in port for day after day as rumours grew that the deal had fallen through.

Today, however, Fred Olsen confirmed that the sale to Saveca was completed on Wednesday. The ship will be sailing Venezuelan waters as Ola Esmeralda, operating three and four day cruises from La Guaira to the islands of La Tortuga, Isle Margarita and Los Roques.

Managing Director, Mike Rodwell, said: "Black Prince has served us well over her 43 year life, and has certainly contributed to expanding our market of British cruise passengers; her small size, friendly staff, and convenient regional departure programme have all made her a firm favourite for cruising from the UK."

Wild storms delay Oasis crossing

2009-11-06T18:04:53Z

Even the biggest cruise ship in the world is not immune to the weather, and Royal Caribbean have announced today that Oasis of the Seas is going to be arriving in its Florida home port two days behind schedule, thanks to storms in the Atlantic.

The 220,000-ton vessel is on its way from Finland and chairman and CEO Richard Fain reported earlier this week that his new pride and joy had encountered winds of up to 70 mph (anything above 74mph is hurricane-force) and 40-foot waves.

He struck a confident note, however, saying the ship was riding the seas well, and that crew training and entertainment rehearsals were continuing as planned.

Somewhere along the way, though, Captain William Wright took the decision to slow down - the ship was making only six knots into the teeth of the gale - and to steer a more southerly course away from worst of the weather. The Oasis will now be arriving in Fort Lauderdale on November 13th - that's next Friday by the way, I hope it's not an omen.

Website CruiseCritic.co.uk also reported that the weather had caused minor damage to two of Oasis's lifeboats, which are of a new design.

Royal Caribbean says the delay will not have any impact on the plans for inaugural celebrations. The first two days in port are due to be spent loading thousands of plants on board for the ship's Central Park, and Rihanna is due to perform her brand-new single, Russian Roulette, in the open-air Aqua Theatre on November 16.

Oasis is not the only new ship heading west across the Atlantic this week. Carnival Dream is on its way to New York for a naming ceremony which I will be reporting from on Thursday. No delays are reported for the Dream's crossing.

Welsh flavour for Saga's new Pearl

2009-11-04T11:18:53Z

It's not often these days that a British shipyard gets involved in work on a cruise ship - the glory days of Swan Hunter, John Brown, and Harland & Wolff are long gone.

But today it was announced that Swansea Dry Dock has won a £20 million deal to refit Saga Cruises' new ship, converting the Astoria into Saga Pearl II, and providing 300 jobs during the three-month contract.

The ship has been in the Welsh port since arriving from Gibraltar some weeks ago. Saga bought the 18,500-ton vessel at auction to replace the Saga Rose, which is currently sailing the Mediterranean on her farewell voyage before being retired.

The work on Saga Pearl II will include the addition of cabin balconies and the installation of a library and cinema. Behind the scenes a new galley will be installed to cater for the upgraded restaurants, and there will also be a new sports deck with a short tennis court.

The ship's hull will be cleaned and repainted with a new slippery coating to reduce fuel consumption and improve the vessel's carbon footprint.

Welsh firm Harris Pye is being used for the main engineering work and Saga is planning to place a number of other major contracts with UK-based contractors.

Saga Group's chairman, Andrew Goodsell, said: "The multi-million pound refit will ensure that Saga Pearl II is splendid throughout. With 446 passengers she will have an intimate atmosphere and the quality of service our passengers have come to expect.

"I am delighted that we are able to support a British yard, and that in doing so we will help with the regeneration of the Swansea docks."

The work is expected to be completed in time for sea trials in February, and Saga Pearl II is scheduled to leave on her inaugural voyage on March 15.

Only one thing worries me. It's Wales, it's a ship - hope there are no leeks. Sorry, couldn't resist it. I'll go now.

Go cruising in an enchanted castle

2009-11-03T14:18:28Z

Fabulous . . . and fascinating: that's what the 16th and 17th cruise ships in the Costa fleet will be. Costa Favolosa and Costa Fascinosa are the names chosen after travel agents and passengers were asked to suggest "a sea of names".

Today's announcement comes just in time for the keel-laying ceremony for Favolosa at the Fincantieri shipyard near Venice on Thursday.

The two ships, each of 114,500 tons and carrying 3,3780 passengers, will enter service in summer 2011 and spring 2012.

Before then the Costa Deliziosa will be launched next February, confirming Costa's place as the biggest cruise line in Europe.

Costa say the Costa Favolosa "is intended to be the epitome of ship interior design, interpreting the excitement and emotion of people who view the cruise as a magical voyage in a 'contemporary enchanted castle', and the Costa Fascinosa is designed to express that unique glamour of a cruise ship and her capacity to evoke strong emotion and passion."

Can't hide my disappointment that they didn't choose my suggestions, though: Costa Living and Costa Packet.

First - and last - chance to see Oasis of the Seas in the UK

2009-11-02T19:29:36Z

Oasis of the Seas was the largest moving object in the English Channel yesterday, and the biggest cruise ship in the world made a brief visit to The Solent - the first, and probably last, time it will be seen from our shores.

The 220,000-ton vessel is on its way to its home port of Fort Lauderdale, in Miami, and called to drop off about 300 shipyard workers not needed on the Transatlantic voyage.

The light was fading when the ship arrived in the channel between Lee-on-the-Solent and Ryde, on the Isle of Wight - that's my excuse for the poor quality of the photos.

Despite the fact that Royal Caribbean had given few details of the exact timing or location, there were a few hardy souls there to greet her - including one couple booked on the maiden voyage in December.

At least when they next see the ship, it will be under warm sunny skies rather than a grey autumn evening in Britain.

Royal Navy protection for OV2

2009-11-02T12:19:25Z

Passengers on board a British cruise ship have seen at first hand how the Royal Navy is protecting shipping from Somali pirates.

Ocean Village Two is on a farewell voyage under its present colours, sailing from the Mediterranean to a new life as Pacific Jewel in the P&O Australia fleet.

The five days at sea between Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt and Muscat, the capital of Oman, were interrupted by a visit from HMS Cornwall, the flagship co-ordinating the multi-national task force off the coast of Somalia.

Passengers packed the open decks at sunrise to greet the Type 22 frigate, which sent up a Lynx helicopter to circle the cruise ship, as entertainment manager Paul Wright describes in his blog.

Tight squeeze under the bridge

2009-11-01T15:53:01Z

Before it could leave the Baltic Sea and head towards the open ocean, the world's largest cruise ship had to clear one final obstacle last night.

The Great Belt bridge, which links two Danish islands, stood between Oasis of the Seas as it sailed from the shipyard in Finland to its new homeport in Florida.

Even with its smokestacks retracted telescopically into the funnels, there was a mere two feet clearance between the highest point of the ship and the bridge deck, and the ship was powered through at a scary 20 knots to make sure it was sitting deeper in the water.

Briudge traffic was halted and hundreds of people gathered on the shore to watch the event. Project manager Toivo Ilvonen, project manager for the builders STX Europe reported that "nothing fell off" which must be a relief to owners Royal Caribbean.

The £1 billion vessel is 40 per cent larger than the next biggest cruise ship. If it had not been for the Great Belt Bridge, who knows how much bigger it could have been.

Oasis of the Seas is expected to be in Southampton Water tomorrow to off-load 300 workmen before setting out across the Atlantic to Fort Lauderdale.

Scary Greybeard at Halloween

2009-10-31T10:46:29Z

Here's a Halloween special - Captain Greybeard becomes Captain Redbeard. I was dressed up for dinner on board Sea Princess a couple of years ago during a cruise down the eastern seaboard of north America.

Strangely enough, everyone ran away screaming when I took the mask off. The outfit was a bargain buy from a shop in Sydney, Nova Scotia and I wish I still had it now, but I gave it to a waitress so she could wear it at the crew party.

The week's top cruise deals

2009-10-31T00:00:01Z

Book a Caribbean cruise with Ocean Village this weekend and receive £150 per couple on-board credit to spend on excursions, spa treatments, or just to top up the bar tab.

Between November and March the original Ocean Village ship will sail from Barbados to a mix of classic and off the beaten track islands including St Lucia, Antigua and the British Virgin islands. Prices for two week sailings start from just £1,249pp including flights, transfers, on-board dining and evening entertainment.

OV - billed as the cruise line for people who don't do cruises - has a new Caribbean Action Ashore programme featuring more than 140 activities including zip-wiring in St Kitts, Harley Davison rides around St Maarten, river tubing in Grenada, kayaking in St Vincent and swimming with dolphins in Isla Margarita.
Go to www.oceanvillageholidays.co.uk or call 0845 358.

Fly to Barcelona on November 29 for a 13 night Transatlantic crossing on board Norwegian Gem. Ports of call include, Cannes, Livorno (for Florence and Pisa), Civitavecchia (for Rome), Corsica and Malaga before sailing through the Straits of Gibraltar and on to New York. Fares, from £899 per person, include return flights from London Gatwick, full board, and transfers.
Go to www.thelca.com or call 0870 122 5115.

Another Transatlantic option is a 14-night crossing on the the Celebrity Solstice, flying to Rome on November 20 to join the ship at Civitavecchia and calling at Livorno, Villefranche, Barcelona, Cartagena and Madeira before heading for Fort Lauderdale. Balcony cabins from £999 pp including return flights.
Go to www.gillscruise.com or call 08456 58 23 23

A National Geographic poll has just named the Norwegian fjords as the best tourist destination in the world. Visit 30 ports from Bergen in the south to Kirkenes in the north with Hurtigruten from just £795 per person for departures during November and December. Price includes return flights from Gatwick and transfers, and six days full-board accommodation on the ship. You can even make the return voyage for just £95 extra.
Go to www.hurtigruten.co.uk or call 020 8846 2666.

Fly to Barbados on November 12 for a two-week cruise on Fred Olsen's Braemar with fares starting at £65 per night. The voyage visits Trinidad, Tobago, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Tortola, St Kitts, Antigua, and Dominica. Cost from £975 pp based on two sharing.
Go to www.oceanworldtravel.com or call 0844 225 2025.

Oasis is coming to Southampton

2009-10-29T10:49:02Z

Want to catch a glimpse of the biggest cruise ship in the world as it travels from Europe to its new home in Miami? Oasis of the Seas will be making a brief stop in Southampton on Monday November 2 - despite repeated assurances that there was no chance the 220,000-ton vessel would be visiting the UK.

The huge ship (seen above leaving the shipyard) cost £800 million to build and will carry as many as 6,300 passengers at full capacity - or just 5,408 with only two people per cabin - plus 2,165 crew. It will dwarf every other vessel in the Solent - ship spotters who are likely to turn up in their thousands should get a good view from most points along Southampton Water .

Owners Royal Caribbean International had been reluctant to arrange a visit to our shores because they did not feel that a misty November day would be the best way to show off the ship, which will spend most of its life in the warmer waters of the Caribbean.

Today RCI disclosed that on Monday Oasis will sail into Southampton "to make a brief technical stop to debark approximately 300 workers who do not need to be on board for the full Transatlantic crossing."

They added that there will be no onboard access provided during her stay in The Solent - in fact it seems likely the ship will not go alongside, but will disembark the departing crew into tenders for the trip ashore.

Exact timings have not been announced, but Oasis is expected in the Solent by mid-afternoon, and the disembarkation will take place before dusk.

Oasis is so vast that it has been designated with seven separate themed areas to give passengers the choice of experiences. There's the open-air Central Park - a cruise ship first - Boardwalk, the Royal Promenade, Pool and Sports Zone, Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness Center, Entertainment Place and Youth Zone.

Each of the seven zones will have its own godmother at the naming ceremony on Fort Lauderdale on November 30.