Travel / Cruise
All hail the new Queen Anne
QUEEN Anne’s reign may have lasted only 12 years in the early 18th century but Cunard still felt she was worthy of having a ship named after her.
Escape – Cruise
The children all want to cross the sea like Vikings
Why I love cruising... Dan Snow, Broadcaster
Holidays – Cruise
Meandering in the Med - on a ship to suit ALL ages
COCKTAIL hour in the Explorer’s Lounge of Viking Sea and there’s a buzz of chatter and piano music.
The small ship that takes you to Dalmatia’s top spots
LADIES! Please! This is an Elegance cruise!’ cries Vedran, our young tour manager, rolling his eyes playfully as eight members of a Californian women’s swimming club drop their bathing suits and dive into the sea.
I’ve adored the ocean since my pirate DJ days
(even if the ship did reek of diesel)
What’s new on the high seas
BE AMONG the first aboard the swish 700-passenger Silver Ray this summer. Its asymmetric design gives the pool sweeping sea views. A seven-night cruise from Lisbon to Barcelona on June 15 calls at Cadiz, Valencia and Majorca. The all-inclusive cruise is from £6,600pp. Flights are extra. silversea.com
Glitz ahoy!
CRUISING is the fastest growing sector of the travel industry, so perhaps it’s no wonder that some of the world’s most exclusive hotel groups are gunning for a piece of the action.
Cava fizz… and a whizz round historic Cadiz
ON A cruise around the coast of Spain I was expecting historic cathedrals, tiny chapels, even the occasional remains of a Roman temple. What I wasn’t expecting was the chance to worship at a cathedral of wine.
I love dressing for dinner - but you won’t see me in a boring tuxedo
MR MOTIVATOR
Whales, glaciers and a real Bear in Alaska
OUTSIDE, in breezy sunshine, there’s the mighty Hubbard Glacier in a fjord off Alaska’s Inside Passage. Forbidding snow-tipped mountains line the mainland on one side, craggy islands the other.
Is bigger really better on the world’s largest cruise ship?
THIS is it. The lumbering, slavering, glowering apex predator of the cruising industry, weighing nearly 260,000 tons and 1,198 ft long — Royal Caribbean’s Icon Of The Seas is the largest cruise ship in history.
Great Lakes are worth the plunge
AS the hatch shuts above our heads and the pilot prepares to descend, I’m wondering if a submarine dive is perhaps too far from my comfort zone.
Stay on land either before or after your voyage- and linger for longer
CRUISE lines have upped their game by creating imaginative itineraries for passengers that fly out early or stay on to go to festivals, visit white-knuckle theme parks, explore cultural cities, hike in national parks or just laze by a pool. Here’s our guide to the best on offer.
Cruise into 2024 with a flotila of new ships and destinations
WHEN a gleaming new cruise ship comes over the horizon, it is always something to celebrate. And there’ll be no shortage of them in 2024, including the world’s biggest. It’s been a record-breaking year for cruising, with more than 31.5 million passengers, and bookings for 2024 are expected to top that again. Here’s a pick of the most exciting new ships to book now.
Sailing into pole position for the Formula 1 in Miami
Qualifying session and race day grandstand tickets are included in this ‘Miami F1 With Ultimate Caribbean’ holiday. Spend a night in Miami before a ten-night Caribbean cruise on Emerald Princess, followed by a six-night stay in Fort Lauderdale for the Grand Prix. Costs from £3,499pp, departing Heathrow on April 19 ( cruise.co.uk ).
Avoid the masses... and enjoy some Saar quality
THINKING of taking a river cruise in Germany? Of course there’s the Rhine, with Cologne and Bonn on its banks, or the Danube, flowing from the Black Forest through Bavaria to Vienna. But these teem with tourists and hundreds of ships jostling for space.
Indulge in culture and cuisine on luxury cruises from the UK
WHICHEVER corner of the globe beckons, discovering it from a small, luxurious cruise ship means that after a day spent exploring you’ll feel like you’re coming home to the warmth of family.
Mesmerised by Malta’s myriad mix of cultures
WHATEVER the weather, I am never seasick and can sleep through any storm, but I do respect the sea, its tides and currents.
Corsica’s plain sailing - if you arrive by ship
THERE are no signs of life as we leave the train station and walk into the village. But then we see the jolly red awning of Bar des Amis - and it’s open.
My parents first brought me to Venice when I was 14 - and I’ve been in love with it ever since
In this series, household names revisit their favourite childhood holiday destinations. This week, River Cafe co-founder and podcast host RUTH ROGERS returns to Venice.
Norway’s majestic fjords are always a winner
SAILING transatlantic aboard Queen Elizabeth II in the late 1990s with the family was my first voyage. The ship was wonderful.
Santorini was fun - but my biggest thrill was getting close to Antarctica’s penguins
MOST of my last cruise is a blur. Four days after leaving Southampton aboard Cunard’s Queen Victoria, my phone started going bonkers with messages.
All Aboard: Upgrade with Oceania Cruises
The rock stars of the Douro Valley
THINK of the Douro Valley, and its ruby red wines and vertiginous vineyards spring to mind. But tucked away on the banks of one if its tributaries in northeastern Portugal is an extraordinary open-air gallery of prehistoric rock art.
A rebirth at sea
AS STEFFAN the Welsh tenor belts out Con Te Partiro (Time To Say Goodbye), Crystal Serenity eases out of Venice. There are cheers on the pool deck, anticipation in the air.
All Aboard: Michel Roux's gala menu
TWO Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux is working with Cunard to create a gala menu for the Queens Grill on new ship Queen Anne. Launching in May next year, a 14-night British Isles cruise departs from Southampton on May 24 from £1,899pp ( cunard.com , 0344 3388 641).
Cut a dash around the Med
AVOIDING airports has become all-important, which is why no-fly cruises have become so popular. This one comes with a twist because rather than heading for Portsmouth or Southampton, I take the Eurostar, change trains in Paris and arrive in Cannes in the South of France for a pre-cruise night in a hotel.
The entertainers were so brilliant I gave them a 10!
I’VE been cruising for decades and took my son David on four or five Disney cruises when he was young. He loved it and would always take his guitar to play to the audience.
My narrow escape (at 4mph) on the Oxford canal
WE had fallen asleep to the distant hoo-hooing of an owl and woken to the contented cooing of wood pigeons. Mist rising from the water, dew on the bow and a family of swans, seeing signs of life, paddling towards our narrowboat.
I first went on the QE2 in the Falklands War… my next sail on her was more of a pleasure
WHEN I left the Falkland Islands in 1982, I was flat on my back.
The beauty of the Baltics
ONE day I stand on a station platform, another in the middle of a bog and the next among the shelves of a public library. All places you wouldn’t expect to find on a cruise.
Sailing past Lady Liberty at dawn is a lifetime memory
IT’S wonderful unpacking my suitcase once, and that’s it until the end of the cruise. Then I am free to enjoy all the good food on offer.
The art of cruising
Hopping on board a river cruise ship can be like stepping into a fully-fledged art gallery… and their destinations are a pretty picture too
A rescue drama off Cape Verde - in my tuxedo
NO-FLY cruising out of Southampton or Portsmouth is always a winner for me, as my home is only a 20 minute-drive from the ports.
Alaska’s icy waters will melt your heart
WITHIN 24 hours of sailing out of Vancouver bound for Alaska, I’m watching fog retreat towards the Inside Passage’s forested coastline.
A new Queen is getting ready to rule the waves
IN just over a year, Queen Anne will join Cunard’s three other great monarchs of the seas: Queen Mary 2, Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth. To whet your appetite for its debut, visit an exhibition celebrating the line’s best advertising, or grab an early deal aboard the new ship.
Meet chef Michel Roux on a cruise of the Seine
PARIS, the City of Light, is the start and end point for this fabulous cruise on Europe’s most romantic river. The eight-day break also calls at several charming spots along the Seine including Rouen and Versailles, and the beaches of Normandy on France’s northern coast.
Relax on a sunshine break or a long, slow ride into autumn
WHAT nicer way to celebrate the warmer weather than by booking a cruise? Whether you fancy a spring mini-break, a summer river cruise or a long voyage for autumn, check out my pick of the best here.
All aboard: The latest news for your next cruise
IF VALENTINE’S Day leaves you with the question of a wedding venue, many cruise lines feature harbourside, island and onboard ceremonies. They include Princess Cruises’ packages with optional live broadcasting of the ceremony ( princess.com , 0344 338 8663), while MSC has a dedicated wedding planner and nuptials can be arranged at sea or on private island Ocean Cay in the Bahamas ( msccruises.co.uk , 0203 426 3010).
Schooner trek that eclipses all others
A NEW year brings new opportunities to see more of the world on once-in-a-lifetime holidays. Here’s my pick of cruises in 2023.
Take the first steps to a walking holiday
EVERY week our Holiday Hero NEIL SIMPSON takes an in-depth look at a brilliant holiday topic, doing all the legwork so you don’t have to. This week: walking holidays for first-timers.
Choose an adventure by sail, rail or scooter
WITH the heat of summer like a long-forgotten memory, now is the time to book cheering cruises to look forward to next year and even into 2024. Here’s the pick of the best.
Try a chocolate themed cruise
SAGA’S chocolate-themed cruise led by TV Bake Off Crème de la Crème winner Mark Tilling features a chocolate-making class, a chocolate afternoon tea and a patisserie demonstration. The five-night Capitals of the Emerald from Portsmouth to Dublin and Belfast departs on April 4, 2023, from £1,466 pp. ( travel.saga.co.uk , 0808 258 2477).
Snap up a bear hunt bargain... with Bear!
IF YOU’RE planning an escape for Christmas or an expedition next year, there are deals to be had on luxury cruises with an element of daring. Spot whales in the wild, stare in wonder at the Northern Lights or learn survival from adventurer Bear Grylls in my picks below.
Book now for the Christmas sails
WHETHER you’d love one last getaway this year or wish to plan a holiday for next year or 2024, there are some great cruises to book now. Here are CAROLINE HENDRIE’S pick of the best.
Catch four Canaries ...with just one cruise
YOU fancy a tour of the Canaries, taking in several islands, but you have only a week’s holiday - so how do you fit them all in? Look no further than boutique line Azamara’s latest ship, Azamara Onward, and its fabulous whirlwind Canaries round trip. This mid-size ship carries fewer than 700 passengers, leaving plenty of room for bars and lounges, from the airy, glass-walled Living Room overlooking the bow to the cosy, book-lined Drawing Room. Or simply chill around the pool with drinks (included in the fare) from the Sunset Bar.
All aboard to the fjords
You won’t lift a finger on Saga’s epic voyage through Norway’s great outdoors
An autumn cruise on the Seine will take you to Monet’s garden at Giverny
Cruise News
A getaway that will give you a rosé glow
WITH winter round the corner, what better time to plan a cruise to sail away from it all. Here’s my pick of the end-of-year getaways.
Ibiza, perfect for a (luxury) hippy shippy break ashore
INSIDE Es Tragon, a former finca-turned-restaurant, plate after plate of exquisite little dishes are placed before us to collective gasps. We pause, fixated on the tiny works of art. The menu, we are told, is a trip around the Mediterranean that draws on the ingredients of ancient civilisations.
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