We’ve reported this year on small cruise line takeovers by the big boys (Royal Caribbean & Silversea), big ships that are just plain ugly (Norwegian Cruise Line, and others), and when big is just TOO big (last week’s missive centred on MSC’s newest) in cruising terms. So we thought it was time to redress the […]
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Cruise Ships: When is Big TOO Big?
By Simon & Susan Veness We all know that cruise ships have increased in size in the last 20 years or so, dramatically in many cases. Where 100,000 tons was once considered gargantuan, it is now merely ‘mid-size’ to some cruise lines. This point came home loud and clear this week as the busy Meyer […]
5 New Cruises For 2019
By Simon & Susan Veness If like us, you already have one eye on next year in sea-going terms, you might like to consider some of the intriguing new options for cruises in 2019, as there are an array of really original voyages on offer. With so many high-quality ships to choose from these days, […]
South Pacific Cruise Guide
Some call it the ultimate paradise, others merely insist it is heaven on earth. It has attracted authors like James A Michener, and artists like Paul Gauguin. It is more prosaically called the South Pacific, but it is a vast cruise region of true scenic beauty and pristine, natural splendours. The South Seas are typically […]
A Silversea Takeover? Never Fear!
It’s commonplace in many businesses that the takeover of a small, boutique company by a larger conglomerate often rings the death-knell for the original operator, and that fans of the original business end up in mourning for a ‘lost’ star. Therefore, devotees of Silversea Cruises may well have been more than a touch apprehensive […]
5 Up-And-Coming Cruise Destinations
It’s a common enough phrase, and it’s increasingly in usage in the travel business. “It’s a small world,” has applied ever since Mr Boeing and his jet-plane friends sent ever-larger numbers of people flying around the world with greater and greater rapidity. The world has, indeed, become distinctly ‘small’ in many senses as travel has […]
Best Cruises for First-timers
Everyone can remember their first time. It’s that wide-eyed moment of startling realisation, a wonderful curtain-raising revelation of new frontiers and excitement. There is simply nothing like that first-time cruise experience. *Muttering from the audience* Cruising – we’re talking about cruising, madam. What did you think we were on about? Really. Elevate your thinking, please. […]
Seabourn Take The Expedition Route
Suddenly, it’s the hot ticket in Cruise Town. We’ve seen it develop steadily in the past 15 years, but now expedition cruising is taking off like one of Elon Musk’s Falcon Heavy rockets at the Kennedy Space Center. Originally, there were companies like Lindblad Travel in the US (1966), Canada’s G Adventures (1990), Seattle-based Quark […]
Ten Things We Loved About Wind Surf
After a full week aboard Wind Surf, the gorgeous flagship of Windstar Cruises, it is only fair that we sum up the experience by highlighting our Top 10 aspects of this unique cruise vessel. It may be almost 30 years old, but Wind Surf provides a timeless definition of classic cruising, a refined, gracious and […]
Wind Surf Live! Day Seven: Le Lavandou
Cruise log – Le Lavandou, France It’s the last full day of our Wind Surf experience, and we’re determined to make the most of it before we have to disembark for the flight home in Nice tomorrow. Unusually, we remained at anchor off St Tropez until 7am, and then set sail for the cute little […]
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A Saintly Surprise (or, How We Got St Tropez Completely Wrong)
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Five Small-Ship Lines You Need To Know About
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Cruise Ships: When is Big TOO Big?
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Malta – A Most Civilising Experience
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5 New Cruises For 2019
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South Pacific Cruise Guide
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Marina, you’ve gotta see her!
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Small Ship Cruising
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SeaDream Yacht Club Blog
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EUROPA 2 – Try it, you WILL love it!
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Baby Love – Tips For Cruising With Infants
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MS Europa 2 Review
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Simon Veness: Hi Amanda. Thanks for your comment and yes, we can...
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AmandaB: I am a huge fan of Silverseas, my next trip, in 20...
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David Smith: Glad you enjoyed the post, Mr Peel. One of our Voy...
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Tom Peel: We've used The Cruise line for several cruises on...
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Simon Veness: It was a great boarding experience and got the tri...
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Sans Spinks: Seems as though they have boarding down to a T ins...