Many new ships are showstoppers, but Norwegian Bliss has groundbreaking features never before seen at sea. The wow-factor stretches across all 20 decks of this 4,004 passenger titan. This ship takes all the best elements of Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet and presents them in one amazing seaborne experience. For the young at heart it’s possibly... Many new ships are showstoppers, but Norwegian Bliss has groundbreaking features never before seen at sea. The wow-factor stretches across all 20 decks of this 4,004 passenger titan. This ship takes all the best elements of Norwegian Cruise Line’s fleet and presents them in one amazing seaborne experience. For the young at heart it’s possibly...
A true British favourite, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is one of the longest-established cruise lines in the world and has been refining the cruise experience for more than a century and a half. As a family-operated company, it is justly proud of its lineage and heritage as much as its success. The present Olsen & Company businesses began with...
Ever since the Pilgrim Fathers set sail aboard the Mayflower in 1620 bound for the New World, the importance of Southampton has been assured. This thousand year old city is situated on a peninsula where the Itchen and Test rivers flow into an inlet from the Solent known as Southampton Water - reputedly where King...
Fought over by invaders ranging from the Carthaginians to Napoleon, Malta’s strategic role in the Mediterranean has been a meeting point and melting pot for the three continents that surround it. As you sail into the sandstone-hewn Grand Harbour in the capital Valletta, its magnificence and significance unfolds – little wonder this became the headquarters...
The magical isles that arc across 1,500 miles of the Pacific Ocean are sensuous and surreal. Each Hawaiian island is unique, but all are stirred by trade winds and scented by frangipani, illuminated by flaming sunsets and caressed by silvery moonrises. Nature has bestowed a romantic bounty; but it is the charismatic islanders who have...
Flamboyantly retro yet state of the art, Celebrity Cruises’ Millennium-class and Solstice-class ships raised the bar by offering oodles of space. They appeal to a broad range of passengers who revel in the company’s unique take on luxury, as well as those seeking a cruise with lots of activities. One feature that immediately sets Solstice-class...
In over two decades of cruising, I’ve seen several people fall ill and be taken off the ship in a foreign port or even evacuated at sea by helicopter. While I have always hoped for their speedy recovery, I have also wondered if they had purchased travel insurance. It’s certainly tempting not to. How many...
Several cruise ships feature calls at the Azores during their repositioning cruises between the Caribbean and Europe in the spring and in the other direction in the autumn. This remote archipelago west of Portugal is a legendary staging post for sailing ships attempting to cross the Atlantic. White-washed houses plus 17th and 18th century convents...
Volcanic rock The Azores are often referred to as the ‘Hawaii of the Atlantic’ - and it is easy to see why as this archipelago of nine volcanic islands appears to rise up from the sea like mountaintops of a drowned continent. Lying 812 miles west of Portugal, the Azores are the farthest flung outpost...
More cruise lines than ever are focussing on solo cruises. More and more companies are waiving single supplements while others are increasing the number of cabins available for those choosing to sail on their own. Cruise ships certainly offer a safe haven, with pastimes for lone voyagers of all ages. If you take a cruise...