Cruise

The river Nile, the longest in the world, provides one of the most enjoyable and interesting holidays.

Cruising between Aswan and Luxor on one of A&K’s vessels is the best and most comfortable way to see the land of one of the world’s oldest civilisations.

In May this year we were virtually the only visitors to the awesome temples en route, the locals welcoming us back with open arms and the children playing in the river, as they have for centuries, waved happily, delighted to see our boat sail by.

Beautiful public rooms and cabins were a welcome haven from the heat, the delicious food providing well earned sustenance after our strenuous day’s sightseeing accompanied by one of the countries’ top Egyptologist – a truly wonderful experience.

A&K have 3 ships and a new dahabiyya – a traditional yet truly funky vessel – with just 6 cabins this is a great way to travel for friends, family and small groups….

Offer: exclusive hire of the Zein Nile dahabiyyas for just £18,100 full board (almost 50% reduction) until October. OR 2 nights luxury Cairo, 4 nights Sunboat IV from £1795 with free children accommodation (max 3 children under 12).

Departing from Southampton on a windy day in mid July that required 2 tugs to get Fred Olsen’s Black Watch underway, Andrew and Di set off on what turned out to be a memorable and spectacularly beautiful journey to the land of the Midnight Sun

Not that the weather was always that wonderful, this was nevertheless a journey that will remain in the memory for ever, with fjords and glaciers, mooses and reindeer, Sami tribesmen, stunning midnight sunscapes with the sun never actually going down, and the beautiful light glimmering on the snow capped mountains and off shore islands.

The itinerary included visits to Molde, who were hosting their 50th Annual Jazz Festival, crossing the Arctic Circle before arriving in Tromso, famous for the Arctic Cathedral and the site of the sinking of the German battleship Tirpitz in 1944, Honningsvag the northernmost town in Europe and near to the North Cape at 71/10/21 degrees northern latitude, Alta with it’s fascinating museum of rock paintings and relics of Norway’s past history, the Lofoten Islands and beautiful Trollfjord, Narvik, the stunning lakeside village of Olden, with the nearby glaciers at Geirangerfjord and the beautiful seaside city of Bergen, before sailing back to Southampton.

An extra special attraction of this particular cruise was the presence of some of the cast of THE ARCHERS, who were on board to celebrate the 60th anniversary of this famous long running radio show. James Coverdale, Kathy Perks, Lillian Bellamy, Matt Crawford and Eddie Grundy supported by Sue Wilson, The Producer and Louise Wilcox, the Senior Audio Producer shared a glimpse behind the scenes of the world’s longest running radio drama, gave a virtual tour of the studios, and a special soap bubble edition written for the cruise; the cast even took part in a special Call My Bluff show against the Ships Crew, as well as entertaining the passengers throughout the cruise.

Many cruise ships visit the Norwegian Fjords, from the Norwegian Coastal Vessels of Hurtigruten, which can be picked from Bergen, Trondheim or Kirkenes, to many others of all sizes, with departures from Southampton, Dover, Newcastle and Rosyth, with some carrying on to Spitsbergen and Iceland.

For further details on this cruise please call Di or Andrew on 01428 658 777 or ask for terry – our Cruise EXPERT!

Maureen (our admin angel) is an avid fan of the Oceania Cruise line and for her 2010 trip chose to go a little further afield than the usual European destination.

Maureen and her companions chose the ‘Caribbean Pearls’ itinerary and visited the BVI’s, St Barts, Dominica, St Lucia, Antigua and Turks & Caicos – all in 12 days, departing and returning to Miami.

Flying directly into Miami and staying the first night at the Marriott Biscayne Bay Hotel, Maureen and her friends were transported to the port where they were welcomed on board in true Oceania style, by many familiar faces from previous cruises.

Turks & Caicos was the first port of call with its salt pans and windmills. The bird life on the islands is phenomenal with pelican and flamingos in abundance and plenty of snorkelling opportunities at Gibbs Cay where you can swim with the stingrays and other Caribbean underwater life.

The stunning white beaches with palm trees dipping down to the sea were the back drop of the next island – the Dominican Republic. While sailing in Samana bay it is not uncommon to see Hump Back Whales!

The British Virgin Islands (BVI’s) feature twice on the itinerary but the first taste of these quaint islands was Tortola, the largest of the BVI’s. Christopher Columbus first spotted the islands in 1493. These islands and their waters are extremely popular with those who love to sail and have numerous yacht clubs and sailing regattas.

Another island famous for its sailing affiliations is Antigua – English Harbour and Nelson’s Dockyard are very interesting sights to visit. The naval base was built in 1725 for ships patrolling the West Indies to maintain England’s sea power. Shirley Heights is one of the tallest points on the island and offers spectacular panoramic views of the island. On a clear day you can see as far as Montserrat, some 28 miles away.

The volcanic island of St Lucia came next on the trip and a fantastic catamaran cruise from the capital, Castries, journeyed to the South of the island and docked in the cove of Anse Cochon where some were tempted by the bath like temperatures of the water. Locals will stop by the boat in hope of selling shells and handicrafts. The scenery is truly breath-taking with the Grand and Petit piton towering above and a visit to the still active sulphur springs and botanical gardens ended a wonderful day on this lush island.

More botanical gardens with exotic trees, rare birds and Jaco Parrots were seen on the island of Dominica before sailing north to the celebrity ‘hang-out’ island of St Barth’s. A very chic island with French influence offering wonderful boutiques and jewellery shops. A submarine trip will take you underwater to laze with the brightly coloured fish, green sea turtles and the wreck of the freighter Marigan which sank during Hurricane Luis in 1995.

12 days passed extremely quickly and soon the cruise was returning to Miami having sailed 3,080 nautical miles of West Indian waters. Once again Oceania and her crew excelled themselves with the high level of service and attention to details – where to next?????

To chat to Maureen about her tip or make an enquiry, please call us on 01428 658 777.

Oceania’s Ship Nautica was built in 2000 and recently refurbished in 2007. With a 1.7:1 guests to staff ratio (684 guests and 400 staff) and 9 passenger decks there is ample space and attention to detail for even the most discerning cruiser.

If you have travelled with Oceania Cruises before on Regatta or Insignia then you will be well acquainted with the style and layout of these fantastic vessels. Nautica resembles the other two ships in every way. Once aboard the ship following an exceptionally warm welcome, the International staff are on hand to cater for your every need.

The 12 day voyage embarked from Athens and made a stop in Crete before cruising the Ionian Sea and onto Dubrovnik, Croatia. In 1979, the city of Dubrovnik joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. The walled city is beautiful to walk around and admire the architecture. From Dubrovnik we sailed on to Corfu, Greece and the following day onto Katakolon where we disembarked for a shore excursion to Olympia – the original site of the Olympics in 776BC. We were able to walk around the impressive ruins, including the Temple of Zeus and the Temple of Hera. The Temple of Hera is the location where the torch of the Olympic flame is lit, by focusing the rays of the sun.

The next islands on the itinerary were Santorini and Mykonos. Both very attractive islands with many blue domed chapels and churches, busy streets with lots of blue balconies and an abundance of tempting jewellery shops – if you haggle you can get a great deal.

Delos and Rhodes were the next islands we stopped at; Rhodes has some wonderful castles and palaces to visit. Kusadarsi, Turkey is the penultimate port on our journey and a short ride from the ship takes you to Ephesus, an unbelievable site of past civilisation with stunning Roman architecture. The city was famed for the Temple of Artemis (completed around 550 BCE), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Our final destination was Istanbul, the largest city in Turkey. There is an abundance of attractions to visit in this wonderful city; however the National Mosque of Turkey, more commonly known as the Blue Mosque, because of the blue tiles adorning the walls of its interiors, is worth seeing, as is Topkapi Palace. The spice market, grand bazaar Turkey’s largest and oldest covered market (with over 4,000 shops) are the best place to barter for a bargain.

Unfortunately the trip comes to an end all too quickly – 12 days has flown by!

In addition to the many shore excursions in each port there is a full program of activities on-board during the day and additionally evening entertainment for all guests to enjoy. Cabins are extremely comfortable and food delicious at every eatery.

This was once again a fantastic trip on Oceania Cruises, so much so that our reservations have already been made for next years cruise to the Caribbean – watch this space for future reports.

Cruises with lecturers from the Smithsonian Institute or Wine and food festivals with some of the world’s leading chefs are just some of the exceptional opportunities aboard either of the two ships, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity.

A cruise around the Mediterranean on board a Crystal ship brings a whole new meaning to life on board. The very comfortable cabins offer the very best of linens, more than ample wardrobe space and a marble bathroom with two basins, full bath and shower. The majority of cabins have their own decking area giving you that extra space to enjoy the sea breezes.

Food is an important element of any cruise and on Crystal it is no exception: as well as superb international food in the main restaurant you can book, at no extra cost, a table for dinner at Nobu Matsuhisa’s Japanese restaurant, or if Italian food is your passion a night at Prego with regionally inspired dishes by Valentino restaurateur Piero Selvaggio. For the ultimate gourmet inspired dining paired with exceptional wines there is the Vintage Room for small parties. And of course there is always in-stateroom dining for those evenings you wish to be alone.

The list of onboard entertainment and recreational activities is endless: from the creative learning institute programmes as diverse as keyboard lessons with Yamaha, introduction to Tai Chi and wine tasting. The enrichment programme focuses on destinations and cultures, the computer university@sea offers complimentary instruction from digital photo finishing to website construction. Or why not spend a few hours in the wonderful Spa, or take part in pilates and yoga instruction whilst for the golfers there is a qualified golf instructor or PGA pro on most sailings.

In 1902 a fully rigged cargo ship with five masts was launched and deemed to be the largest and fastest sailing vessel ever built. In 2000, the Royal Clipper set sail in the inspiration of the legendary Preussen, but with all the modern conveniences for passenger comfort rather than cargo carry.

At 134m in length the Royal Clipper is by far the largest true sailing vessel afloat in the world. Accommodating 228 passengers over 4 decks, with three pools, a marina platform, spa and dining room. Everything on board is designed so that all passengers can feel the power of the sails as they capture the energy of the wind. The ship usually sails totally under sail power, without engines and no computers are used for sail handling – this is left to the skilled sailors who use power winches and hand controlled power furling.

For connoisseurs of sail cruising, the 134 metre Royal Clipper offers the ultimate sea-going experience, balancing the grandeur, adventure and tradition of sailing with the superb service, amenities and accommodations of the finest modern yacht.

Find your secret hideaway on one of the hidden balconies on either side of the bow. Or climb the mast (with safety harness provided) to one of the passenger look out ‘crow’s-nests’, where you’ll have the grandest view of all!

Inside the ship you will find a 3-deck atrium that funnels sunlight into the elegantly-appointed dining room, featuring deliciously prepared cuisine and a no-tie dress code. A convenient marina platform lowers from the stern for watersports and diving.

And the ultimate unique Royal Clipper experience, the one-of-a-kind Captain Nemo Lounge, is the site of the spa and health club, with underwater glass portholes.

The Royal Clipper sails throughout the Caribbean from November to April. It takes two main routes, either capturing the delights of Barbados, St Lucia, Dominica, Antigua, St Kitts, Iles des Saintes, Martinique and returning to Barbados OR Barbados, The Grenadines, Grenada, Tobago Cays, St Vincent & Bequia, Martinique, St Lucia and returning again to Barbados.

From early May to the beginning of October, the Royal Clipper has a number of routes through the Western Meditteranean, taking in Sicily, Malta, Croatia, Portugal and Morocco.

Oceania Cruises sail to more than 180 ports in Europe, China, the Far East, Australia, New Zealand, South America, Central America and the Caribbean.

Featuring three intimate and elegant mid sized ships – Regatta, Insignia & Nautica, the line is looking to expand their fleet in 2010 and 2011 to include two more vessels.

The ships afford incomparable luxury, including cuisine that is simply the finest at sea. With only 684 guests to pamper, the 400 staff members cater to every whim, with highly personalized service. There’s a sense of warmth and intimacy throughout, so the ambiance resembles that of a private country club – casual, yet elegant.

Insignia, the ship that Maureen has now sailed on twice, is truly elegant and if you take a cabin on their concierge level the staterooms are of a very high standard and good size with lounge area plus your own teak veranda.

Insignia, the ship that Maureen has now sailed on twice, is truly elegant and if you take a cabin on their concierge level the staterooms are of a very high standard and good size with lounge area plus your own teak veranda.

On board there are four open seating restaurants, all offering gourmet food. The main dining room, The Grand, has tables of varying sizes and serves a variety of food with a French emphasis. The Polo Grill specialises in fish and steaks whilst the Toscana, as its name suggests, is Italian – tables at these two restaurants have to be pre-booked. The Tapas Bar and Terrace Café is self service and where breakfast is usually taken as well as lunch and even dinner: you can eat out on deck (weather permitting) or inside with its floor to ceiling windows so you don’t miss any of the passing scenery. The service at all the restaurants is excellent with courteous and helpful staff.

At each port of call a wide range of full and half day excursions are offered, but if you prefer to stay on board you can relax by the pool, enjoy a few hours in the spa or work out in the fitness centre or take part in the on board entertainment.

A really relaxing and luxurious way to visit a variety of islands and cities.