Visit St Just on your Cornwall Holiday

Posted on February 14, 2011 by Gerard

There are plenty of places that people want to visit whilst staying in their Cornish cottages, but only so many you can actually reach in the time your holiday allows. Of course, you could take a longer holiday, but that just means you’ll see more of what you want to. You have to realise that you can’t see everything.

Once you have come to terms with this, you can begin to make your holiday time efficient, guaranteeing you see as much as possible. This shouldn’t be a reason to rush through your holiday though. In fact, planning your time and using it efficiently will mean you can have a much more relaxed holiday, spending your time as you want to and not having any regrets about not making it to any attractions.

One of the best ways to maximise your time is booking out a holiday cottage near or in one of the places you want to visit. St Just is a great example of this. There’s plenty for holiday makers to see there like Geevor mine, the Merry Maidens (a stone circle), or the ancient churches of the area.

Staying it St Just cottages also means you can easily reach plenty of other attractions in West Cornwall. Land’s End is only a few miles away and the village of St Ives is just up the coast. Penzance and St Michael’s Mount are a short drive away too, and the world famous Eden Project is less than an hour and a half away.

There are plenty of other locations to stay, but booking a cottage in a spot like St Just means you can get to everything you want to.

Cunard celebrates with a broken bell.

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Dave

This month certainly has been an extravaganza for the cruise industry; Cunard the cruise company who are renowned for offering everything from great Mediterranean Cruises to Caribbean adventures celebrated the maiden voyage of their latest liner in New York in style. Events ranging from fireworks and parties were just a small part of the celebrations.

As you can see in this video the New York stock exchange even had a visit from the original Queen Elizabeth Liner’s bell. The 85 year old bell was being rung to mark the close of the exchange but the highly energetic commodore seemed to break the beater off in the process!

2011, a great year to cruise

Posted on January 26, 2011 by Dave

As we enter a new year its time to start deciding upon your next holiday choice. With so many different options it really can be tough and time consuming to try and find the very best deal and get the best value for money in whichever you choose.

People searching for 2011 Cruise deals such as Royal Caribbean Cruise deals will be pleased to know that there are many great offers available all year around. From even a quick scout through the internet can show a huge amount of amazing cruising package deals that cruisers could find themselves partaking in throughout the year.

If you are new to cruising then 2011 could certainly be then ideal year to try out this wonderful and highly popular form of holidaying. Depending on what type of cruise you are seeking you could try out anything from an adventure based cruise that contains many shore excursions to a Disney cruise which would cater for all of the family.

Now is the ideal time to start thinking about a summer cruise, you could easily be cruising around the Mediterranean or Caribbean at a fraction of the price you might think a cruise would cost. Already some cruise companies are compiling special offers for cruse breaks including free onboard credit and differing room size reductions, with these types of offers it really can be difficult to wonder why any other holiday bar a cruise could give you value for money in 2011.

Cruising is expected to rise in popularity once again in 2011 and with so much choice and value it is sure to be set to continue for many years to come.

Almost a Saga for Saga

Posted on January 25, 2011 by Dave

Earlier this month passengers aboard a cruise ship found themselves in the middle of a chase scene between suspected pirates and their cruise ship. The Spirit of Adventure was carrying 350 passengers on their Saga cruise holidays during the incident which happened on the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Zanzibar.

It was reported that guests aboard the boat where enjoying a black tie dinner when staff were informed via a codeword on the tannoy. The guests (many of whom were elderly) were helped by staff and moved to the middle of the liner for their own safety with their heads bowed.

The company released a statement telling the public that the ship was being followed by a vessel that was suspected to have been operated by pirates. Once the captain was sure that all guests were in a safe location aboard the ship he ordered the liner to full speed and outran the following boat. Moments later the ship disappeared and the black tie dinner continued. It was thought that the pirates were scouting the ship as they are not interested usually in passenger ships but in container and cargo ships which have a much higher value to them.

Passengers had 3 days previously been given a lecture on what to do should pirates be spotted whilst on their voyage. This is normal protocol for any passengers travelling on the Indian Ocean and passengers reported no panic during the incident and even gave the captain of the liner a Standing ovation.

There is certainly nothing to worry about when taking Mini Cruises or Mediterranean Cruises as incidents like this are very rare and without a doubt cruising is certainly one of the safest forms of holidaying.

Coming soon! the world’s most spacious ship ever

Posted on January 23, 2011 by Dave

A good amount of space is one of the most important things that we look for when buying a house or car, and certainly something we should consider when going on holiday! When booking a holiday we want me to make sure we get the best room possible and more often then not that’s a spacious room.

Cruise ships are designed to be as spacious as possible but of course they have restraints but certainly make the best use out of their space as possible. Now cruise ships are getting even larger and spacious, offering travellers the ultimate in luxury during their mini cruises and Late Cruise Deals.

The cruise Line Company Hapag Lloyd has just announced that they will be building what is billed as the most spacious ship ever the ‘Europa 2’. The liner is set to have it major voyage in the spring of 2013 and promises to have the most space per passenger ration of all existing cruise ships.

Plans have shown that it will feature 11 decks and only carry 516 people and contain only 256 suites, an exciting feature of the ships design is that all cabins will come complete with verandas and be of at least 28 metres in size. The ‘Europa 2’ will be complete with many other great features such as health and Spa zones, seven restaurants throughout, four bars and lounges. Large selections of Sport and wellbeing facilities have been planned by the company that in its own words “do justice to the current trend for active holidays and wellbeing.”

2011, another Good Year for Cruise Holidays?

Posted on January 22, 2011 by Dave

Did you take a holiday last year? If so was it a cruise? With cruises becoming more and more popular the answer to these questions are frequently and at a huge rate becoming yes! Last year saw resurgence in people taking a cruise holiday with figures showing that potential passengers are seeking the best value for money they can possibly get my taking advantage of the many cruise offers and cheap cruise deals that many companies are offering.

This upward motion in sales and popularity regarding the cruise industry has just recently been echoed by the world’s largest organisation that represents many cruise ship companies. The Cruise Lines International Association has released its predictions for 2011 stating that cruise holidays will increase this year by over 6% bringing the figure to around 16 million passengers. This prediction is very exciting for the cruise industry and something that will keep many involved in the tourism and in particular the cruise industry in great spirits throughout the year. The organisations have also concluded that the years cruising hotspots will be Europe, Asia, South America and the Caribbean.

The Cruise Lines International Association (Clia) was set up with the premise to promote the cruise industry in 1975 and since then has joined forces with 25 of the world’s largest cruise line companies.

This announcement was also made on a very special day for cruising, as three of the worlds newest cruise ships visited the same port in New York. Cunard lines Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria ships were all in port to mark the maiden voyage of the Queen Elizabeth.

Certainly an exciting time for cruise passengers and owners alike!

Cunard scoop more awards!

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Dave

Following a recent survey by one of the UK’s top cruise websites the Cruise Line operator Cunard has picked up the top award for best cruise line of 2010. The website Cruise.co.uk contains many reviews by passengers and information regarding the cruise industry and each year helps to give the public a great idea of the best choices in cruising.

The survey called ‘the cruise passenger ratings survey’ has been compiled by the websites visitors, with eight categories in total ranging from Best cruise line, best cruise ship and best shore excursion it is looked upon as very important within the industry..

Cunard are by no means strangers to receiving rewards from the website, they have retained the title of Best cruise line for three years running now. The cruise line also scooped several other awards this year, based on its yearly performance and feedback from the public, such as:

Best Cruise ship: Queen Victoria

Best Cruise ship food: Queen Victoria

Best Shore excursion: Queen Victoria

This is certainly great news for the British-American owned cruise line company, based in Southampton the company has been at the forefront of cruising since its formation in 1839. The cruise line already offer great cruise deals and discount cruises throughout the year making them one of the first and most popular choices when it comes to holidays.

The survey has also shown something quite unusual this year, the newly launched liner the Celebrity Eclipse was ranked within the top ten for all categories. Usually a newly launched ship along with its typical teething problems can take up to two years before it begins to rank highly.

P & O’s Oriana to go Child free in 2011

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Dave

The cruise line P & O have confirmed that their ship the Oriana is set to become child free. The cruise company has announced that from November 2011 the 69,000 ton cruise ship that can hold upto 1,818 passengers will be replacing one of its current adult’s only ships the Artemis due to its relocation. The decision has delighted many people who are very excited to have even more choice regarding P & O’s selection of adult’s only cruise deals including its Caribbean and Mediterranean cruises.

P & O are quoted as saying “We feel we can do this as Azura, the most recent ship to be added to our fleet provides additional holidays for families. We are totally committed to satisfying the holiday needs of both families and those travelling without children”.

The Oriana is renowned as being an elegant and attractive ship; she has been specially styled to suit British tastes with many unique features. Aboard the Oriana you will find Gary Rhodes signature restaurant Oriana Rhodes as well as many other luxury features.

The Oriana boasts a stunning atrium with a Tiffany glass ceiling and even a wood panelled library which gives passengers an overwhelming feeling of luxury during their stay. The ship includes all of the regular features and amenities you would come to expect from it belonging to one of the largest cruise companies such as a theatre, cinema, nightclub and casino.

P&O currently have seven ships in their fleet and four will offer family cruises (Aurora, Azura, Oceana and Ventura) and three will offer adults only cruise holidays Adonia, Arcadia and Oriana.

How to save money on booking a cruise holiday

Posted on December 6, 2010 by Greg

Cruising is one of the most popular holiday types available, many people still think that cruising is a very expensive way of taking a holiday. With some thought and careful planning you can find some great cruise deals that include all of the features that make a perfect holiday for a great price.

Firstly when booking a Cruise holiday ,check with your travel agent to make sure you aren’t missing out on any fabulous cruise deals available. Cruise agents will be happy to give information regarding any future promotions should they know of any coming up.

Depending on what cruise line you book through, you can sometimes get any price difference refunded to you should the price drop lower then what you have paid. This depends very much on the cruise company and you should ask before buying a cruise holiday if you are thinking of trying this.

A large part of deciding upon your holiday is making sure that you know exactly what is included in your package price. In general most cruise packages cover accommodation, port changes and some food and drink. Should you want to take other activities be prepared to pay extra for them. Many ships have famous chef owned restaurants, these are not free and guests if wanting to dine in them will have to pay a cover fee.

Be sure to understand tipping and gratuities aboard your chosen cruise liner, some cruise companies add a daily fee to cover these charges and add a fee each and every time you buy an alcoholic drink.

Be wise and careful and you can pick up a great deal on a cruise holiday such as a Last Minute Cruise Deal, making sure you know exactly what you are paying for can help immensely to budget yourself.

Theme cruises

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Greg

Millions of people each year take a cruise holiday, these can include some of the more popular destinations such as Mediterranean cruises and Caribbean cruises right through to Alaskan cruises.

Along with the more traditional cruise holidays there is another type of cruise that is becoming popular. Theme cruises have taken off very well within the past twenty years along with the large growth that the cruise industry has been experiencing.

Theme cruises are primarily like the more traditional cruise holiday but include a much more in-depth theme regarding its onboard events. For many people these themed cruises offer the best of both worlds with all of the luxury and excitement of a holiday but with the added enjoyment of being able to immerse yourself in one of your interests or hobbies.

Both cruise lines and private chartered vessels host theme cruises, but with the larger lines reputations and known value for money they are by far the best choice when deciding on booking. There are countless different types of themed cruises that cover many interests such as: – Art, Antiques, poker, mystery themed, dancing and music of all styles.

An example of a special interest cruise would be an astronomical cruise; these cruises often take place in Norway as it provides an excellent view of many astral sights and phenomena such as the northern and lights. These cruises boast a wonderful viewing of the aurora and also offer excursions to many of the best museums regarding astronomy. A professor of astronomy is on hand to give guided tours of the stars and throughout the voyage will give seminars and talks on various astronomical subjects.

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