MSC Bellissima, the new flagship for MSC Cruises, was launched at a star-studded ceremony in Southampton in March. Screen siren Sophia Loren did the honours as godmother, Holly Willoughby officiated at the ceremony and performers included opera star Andrea Bocelli and his son, Matteo, as well as cast members from the Cirque du Soleil. As... MSC Bellissima, the new flagship for MSC Cruises, was launched at a star-studded ceremony in Southampton in March. Screen siren Sophia Loren did the honours as godmother, Holly Willoughby officiated at the ceremony and performers included opera star Andrea Bocelli and his son, Matteo, as well as cast members from the Cirque du Soleil. As...
Nieuw Statendam is Holland America Line’s second Pinnacle-class ship, similar to its sister, Koningsdam, but with a few modifications. Built in Venice, launched in December 2018 and named in February 2019 by godmother Oprah Winfrey, the 2,666-passenger ship is aimed, the line claims, at ‘modern explorers, food lovers and music lovers’. This sums it up...
The new Celebrity Edge is without doubt the most talked-about ship of 2018 in cruising circles, and for good reason. As well as being packed with high-tech features that have never been seen before at sea, Edge is exceptionally beautiful, epitomising Celebrity’s quest to embody ‘modern luxury’. Edge is a big ship, with a capacity...
You may have heard the old adage about boarding the ship as a passenger and being winched off as freight. Stories of weight gain on cruises are alarming; without wanting to put you off, a pound a day is easily attainable if you go for the full fried breakfast, hoover up the buffet at lunch,...
Cunard’s flagship is a grand ocean liner in the classic sense: elegant and formal, her art deco flourishes, glittering chandeliers and elegant ballroom harking back to the golden age of ocean travel. Queen Mary 2 was built specifically to operate a transatlantic service and for much of the year, sails between New York and Southampton,...
The Costa del Sol, Spain’s sunniest corner, stretches out along the southern coastline of Andalucia. For centuries, the whole region was under Moorish occupation, the legacy of which remains today in glorious mosques, palaces, gardens and fortresses. As such, some of Spain’s biggest attractions are accessed from ports along the Costa del Sol. The Alhambra...
Fresh out of the shipyard following a £34m refit in spring 2017, Cunard’s Queen Victoria is looking stunning, sporting redesigned staterooms and suites, a beautiful new restaurant, new bars and a vast expanse of enlarged teak deck. Yet the ship retains a real traditional elegance with a plush Victoriana theme throughout – glittering chandeliers, a...
Although it is best known for its year-round service up and down the Norwegian coast, Hurtigruten is also a growing force in the world of expedition cruises. MS Finnmarken in Geirangerfjord The company has been in business since 1893, operating ships between Bergen and Kirkenes, carrying passengers, cars and freight and stopping at every tiny...
Celebrity Cruises acquired petite Celebrity Xperience in 2016. She joined its biggest Galapagos cruise ship, Celebrity Xpedition, which takes 98 passengers, and an even smaller sister, Celebrity Xploration, carrying just 16 guests. With a capacity of 48, Xperience is the perfect size for the Galapagos, with just the right number of guests to encourage a...
The remote, volcanic Galapagos has to be the ultimate bucket list destination. Scattered across the equator, two hours’ flight from Quito, this is a place like nowhere else on earth, teeming with birds, reptiles and mammals that have absolutely no fear of humans, all somehow coexisting on a string of stark volcanoes and jagged shorelines....