Yet another year is coming to an end...

Well, its my first Christmas this year, and i am looking forward to being spoilt rotten, and I promise my faithful followers, I will NOT be getting drunk and embarrassing myself, unlike some of my family members (names withheld to protect the guilty)

So, that's another year been and almost gone, and as usual, the reviews of the year's news are full of doom and gloom, but we must take the positives with us into 2012, and build on them...  The biggest positive of 2011???   ME!!! (Mummy and Daddy think so)

We are heading into the peak season for cruise holiday buying, and I want to take this chance to remind you that at Cruise Holidays, we are working with all the cruise lines to bring our customers some sensational offers, visit the website (www.cruisingexpert.co.uk) to see some of our selected offers, or call daddy on 0800 6123 203 if you see an offer ANYWHERE ( even if it is not on the website), and he will work to make sure that you get not only the best prices, but more importantly the sensational service that our customers enjoy from Cruise Holidays.

We have a couple last minute offers on river cruising, with the sale ending on 27th December, and savings of up to £1500 per couple. Visit www.cruisingexpert.co.uk/river-cruising.aspx for more details.

We are finalising the details of a couple of fantastic theme based cruises for you, including.

Cruising With Parrish (www.cruisingexpert.co.uk/cruising-with-parrish.aspx)
Steve Parrish (MotoGP commentator, truck and motorcycle racer and king of practical jokes), has enough stories of the stars up his sleeve to keep you entertained for months and his personal knowledge of the motorcycle and truck racing world is unsurpassed.
Steve will be escorting a cruise to the Canary Islands in February 2013, with his partner Michelle, and on this cruise, you will be able to get away from the freezing February weather, and cruise down to the Canaries, socialising with  your fellow guests, and joining Steve as he invites you to reminisce over his career since the mid 70s, and talk about the future of motorcycle and truck racing and much, much more..

Spirituality Cruise
Spirituality is such a huge subject, including Angels , the spirit world, star beings, quantum theory, enhanced consciousness...
The details of this are still to be confirmed, but the cruise will feature experienced healers, readers and teachers, with classes including readings, meditation, healings and crystals. We will be running group sessions throughout the cruise, and sessions for smaller groups and even individuals may be available on various subjects

Anyway, I've got to take the dog out now, so I will wish you a Merry Christmas now, and I will post again next week

Who are Cruise Holidays UK?

This is a question that I have been asked many times over the last few months.

Cruise Holidays UK is part of the Travel Leaders Group.

With approximately 1,500 travel agency locations in the United States, Canada & the UK, Travel Leaders Group serves millions of individual leisure travellers, as well as select corporate clients and destinations. Travel Leaders Group also manages numerous leisure and franchise travel operations throughout the United States, the UK & Europe under a variety of diversified brands.

Founded in 1984, Cruise Holidays is North America's oldest and largest cruise-speciality retail franchise with locations and home-based cruise professionals throughout the United States and Canada. As our name suggests, our cruise experts specialise in cruise travel, providing unparalleled expertise in matching clients with the cruise ships and destinations that are right for them.

In 2010 Global Cruising Ltd took on the Master Franchise for the UK and the brand became
Cruise Holidays UK.

In the UK Cruise Holidays operates under the protective umbrella of the Co-Operative Travel Group (via Freedom Group). All client funds are paid directly to the Co-Operative Travel bonded bank account and are therefore never at risk.

                     

All bookings made with Cruise Holidays UK are fully covered and protected by both ABTA & ATOL meaning your funds are safe and you are also fully protected should anything go wrong whilst you are away.

 
The Cruising Expert franchise of Cruise Holidays UK is owned and Run by Alex O'Sullivan, who has been a dedicated cruise consultant since 2009, and is an accredited 'ACE Master'. This is the highest level of accreditation available from the Association of Cruise Experts (ACE) 

CRUISE HOLIDAYS – RELAX....YOU'RE WITH US

The Cruising Expert franchise of Cruise Holidays UK is owned and operated by Alex O'Sullivan, who has been working on cruise holidays since 2009. He has achieved accreditation as an ACE Master, which is the highest level of qualification currently available from the Association of Cruise Experts (ACE). This qualification is gained through training, product knowledge, promotion and service.

We specialize in theme based cruises, and bespoke voyages, turning normal cruise holidays into experiences, by adding pre and post cruise stays, hotels and tours.

Visit http://www.cruisingexpert.co.uk/ for more information, and visit our Theme and Special Offer pages for more information on offers available.

If you cannot find the cruise you are looking for listed on our site, call us FREE on 0800 6123 203 and we will be able to organise this for you.

A guide for fist time cruisers

Some of your friends or your neighbours have probably taken cruises, and perhaps they have talked you into thinking about one but you remain to be convinced. Will you enjoy it? How do you go about it? Which ship do you pick? What exactly is a cruise?

A cruise is basically a prepaid holiday where the hassle of choosing the individual components of your trip is taken care of and wrapped up in one neat package: the scenery will constantly change as you could wake up in a different port each day, yet you only have to pack and unpack once.

Understanding what is and what is not included is important, and it will allow you to budget accordingly. The basics (accommodation, food, entertainment, facilities, toiletries and transport) are included; drinks, spa treatments, excursions, gratuities and other items are often not. When you look through brochures, watch out for the words “available” or “optional”.

There are more than 70 cruise lines and some 350 ships, ranging from large resort ships to small, boutique vessels. How do you go about choosing a ship to ensure you have the best possible experience?

It is important to match your personality and needs with the type of cruise, cruise line and ship. Are you travelling as a family, with a group of friends, as a couple or alone? Do you like to dress for dinner or relax and be ultra-casual on holiday? Are you an active person or do you want to relax by reading a book on deck or having spa treatments?

If you like lots of music, entertainment and activities, choose one of the larger resort ships. If you want a ship with more modest facilities and entertainment, choose a mid-size ship. If you want to go to smaller, out-of-the-way ports, then one of the smaller ships would suit you; and if you want a cosy ship, an expedition vessel or even a tall ship may be the way to go.

Some cruises have themes and with experts on board, they are certainly worth considering.

Make the right pre-cruise decisions and the rest of your holiday will be a breeze. Nine out of 10 people who cruise say they will go again.

Cruising from close to home

One big advantage of a cruise from a British port is that you won’t have to deal with the hassle of going through airport security lines. Most cruises depart from Dover or Southampton, but ships also sail occasionally from other British and Irish ports, including Aberdeen, Dublin, Falmouth, Greenock, Liverpool, London (Greenwich, Tower Bridge or Tilbury), Newcastle, Oban, Portsmouth and Swansea.

From Britain, it will take a couple of days to reach the sunnier climes of the Mediterranean. But that’s when you can simply relax and enjoy the ship’s facilities.

Cruising from abroad

You will generally need to fly to get to your ship. Some cruise lines have specially chartered flights, and transfers (at the other end, to get to your ship) may be included.

You also need to consider the seasons. The Caribbean is good all year round, as are most parts of the Mediterranean region. For Alaska or northern Europe, the season is between May and September; for expedition cruises to Antarctica, it’s November until February; for south-east Asia and South America, it’s during the winter in Britain.

Taster cruises

The standard length of cruise is seven days. If you’re concerned that that might be too long to spend on your first holiday afloat, try a short, or “taster” cruise of two to five nights. These have become extremely popular, so it’s best to book early. Cunard, Fred Olsen, P&O, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises all offer them between March and December.

Families

Large resort ships provide a safe, hassle-free environment, with lots of activities and specialised staff to look after children. Indeed, family cruising is the largest growth sector in the cruising market. Many ships have babysitting services, allowing parents to have time to themselves. A cruise can also be educational, allowing children to interact with others, and visit destinations in comfortable, familiar surroundings.

Adults only

If you don’t like crowds, noise, games or children, try a mid-size or smaller ship – or even a sail-cruise ship. One Company with adults-only ships sailing from Britain is P&O Cruises (Arcadia, Adonia, Oriana)

Solo travellers

Like hotels, almost all cruise lines base their rates on double occupancy, and single travellers will be expected to pay a supplement. Even so, a cruise holiday is a good option if you are travelling alone because it is easy to meet other people in a safe environment. Some cruise lines have reduced add-on rates for single occupancy of double cabins, and some can even find a cabin mate for you to share with. While almost all new ships are built with cabins for double occupancy, there are exceptions, among them NCL’s Norwegian Epic and P & O Cruises’ Azura.

Experts tips

Choose an outside-view cabin and if you are concerned about motion sickness (it’s not common, but it can happen), choose a cabin in the midsection of the ship.

Book early and you could get various perks (discounts, on-board credit, free transfers, cabin upgrade and a choice of cabins).

If you choose a transatlantic crossing and you sail from Southampton to New York, book a balcony cabin on the port side of Queen Mary 2 and you will be able to see the Statue of Liberty in the early-morning light (or starboard side when sailing home).

Some people try to book Caribbean and Alaskan cruises through US-based internet travel agencies, because the rates quoted appear to be lower than those in Britain. However, internet pricing may not include port taxes, government fees and other costs.

Several ships offer similar “tried and tested” itineraries. Narrow the choice by noting the time spent at each port (few offer overnight stays), and whether the ship actually docks in port or lies at anchor. Then compare the size of each vessel and its facilities, and choose the one that is best suited to your needs.

And Finally

The easiest way to get the cruise best suited to you is to speak to a travel professional. We know the lines and the ships, and a good cruise agent will not just put you on the next available ship, the will ask questions to determine your personality and what you are looking for in your holiday, and try to guide you to the ship that best meets your requirements. Your holiday is our business, so it is in our interest to get you the best package, available, and to give you reason to return to us and recommend us to your friends.

Visit us at http://www.cruisingespert.co.uk/ or call 0800 6123 203

No-Flying Epic Mediterranean Cruise

Norwegian Cruise Line are allowing customers to embark their flagship Norwegian Epic at multiple ports this summer, allowing for better flight options, and therefore potential cost savings, but also, a fantastic No-Fly option has now become available.

If you would like to cruise the Med, but do not like flying, and do not have the time to enjoy a 14+ night cruise from Southampton aboard the likes of Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas, P&O's  Aurora, Cunard's Queen Victoria, Celebrity Eclipse or the Grand Princess, then, finally, you have a realistic alternative.

NCL Epic can now be boarded from Barcelona, Civitavecchia (Rome) or Marseille. The final option of Marseille will allow customers to use the high-speed, Eurostar & TGV trains from London, a total travel time of around 7 hours, with a single easy change at Lille.

You do still have to take the full 7 night cruise option, but this option does allow you more options on your start date, and also allows you to extend your stay with pre or post cruise hotels, without being limited to Barcelona.

Call us FREE today on 0800 6123 203 for more information on these fantastic cruise options. Also, we have fantastic prices available on NCL voyages throughout 2012/13, click the links below for more details.

NCL Jade - Canary Islands

NCL Europe Sale

When should I book a cruise?

This is a question that many of my customers ask me when they call – they are listening to the doom and gloom on the TV and assume that no one is booking holidays anymore!

This couldn’t further from the truth. There are always customers to call, email quotes to reply to, phones ringing!!

If you have been watching X Factor you may have noticed that Thomson’s have been showing an advert at this peak time - I think I read that it had cost them 8 million pounds for this premium slot!! It is very unusual to be advertising holidays, on the approach up to Xmas because as everyone knows as soon as Boxing Day is here, traditionally, the holiday adverts start.

This had me thinking.... Why would you leave booking your holiday until January when there are so many good early booking offers around NOW?  As far as cruising goes I don't believe it is necessarily true that you get anything better in January than you can get now. If anything, you will be left with less choice. I have been quoting cruises today for next summer where there are only a couple of family cabins left!

I don’t think you can ever really predict when it is going to be busy and when is less busy. The travel market is affected by cruise operators launching new brochures or new campaigns and so many outside influences, economic factors, weather, world events……… that it is very difficult to try and identify when is the best time to book a holiday, even for us cruise consultants!

Another idea – what about booking a Christmas Markets cruise, to get some unusual presents, or book a cruise for a loved one as a Xmas present?!

So don’t delay booking your 2012 cruise until after Xmas contact me now and let me find you the perfect cruise! alex@cruisingexpert.co.uk or call FREE on 0800 6123 203

Also, see our fantastic Canaries offer for March – www.cruisingexpert.co.uk/canarian-jade.aspx

Themed Cruises

I have got daddy working on a range of theme based cruises. He is currently working on securing services of celebrities for cruises based around a selection of topics.

MotoGP based theme, with Steve Parrish, 500cc Champion, Truck Racing Champion, Team Manager and World Class practical joker, with enough stories to keep you entertained for years to come.

Horror Writers Cruise, with a world famous author of horror classics who will talk about his inspiration, and methods for his writing.

Runner & Inspirational Cruise, with one of Britain's most famous Olympians who will talk about his heart-tugging story of triumph and tragedy, and his fellow athletes. He will also be giving motivational talks and giving advice on running and fitness techniques.

These are three of the themes that we are working on at present, but if you have any ideas on cruises you would like to go on, give me a call or comment on this blog, and i will crack the whip and get daddy looking into the possibilities.

Anyway, cartoons are looking great, so I'm off to take over the TV for a while..

Nighty night...

Cruising wtih Foggy

I'm taking mummy and daddy on a cruise in March, when we join World Superbike Legend Carl 'Foggy' Fogarty and his wife Michaela onboard NCL Jade.

The cruise package, starting from £799pp, (IF grade inside cabin) includes your flights, transfers and 9 night full-board Canary Islands cruise from Barcelona. While on this fantastic cruise you will be able to meet Me, Mummy & Daddy, and more importantly, Carl and Michaela for three Exclusive events.

Firstly, you will join us for a cocktail party, where you will have a chance to chat with Carl & Michaela.

Secondly, you will be invited to a closed session, for invited guests only, where Carl will be interviewed by Michaela, and talk about his life, from his professional debut, aged 14, through his 7 World Championships, and his time as team owner of Foggy Petronas Racing, and on to life after racing, and their trip to New Zealand.

Finally, you will be invited to a meal, hosted by me and Carl, in Jade's specialty French restaurant, 'Le Bistro', with after dinner Q&A session.

Your package also includes $50 onboard credit, for you to spend as you please during the voyage.

For more information, visit http://www.foggycruise.co.uk/, or call me on 0800 6123 203.

I'd love to see you there, so book your cabin before places sell out. Cabins are strictly limited.

Nighty night...

Cruising with the stars...

My daddy has been working on setting up some great themed cruises, and has put them onto our website for everyone to see, we have two cruises with Stars of the motorcycle world, Carl 'Foggy' Fogarty (March 2012), and Steve Parrish (February 2013) aboard, and we have a 'Music & Laughter' package featuring a range of musical and comedy names aboard (January to May 2012)

My Nanny Jill wants to go to see the Osmonds on one of the Music & Laughter cruises, in May, where Wayne, Jay and Jimmy will be performing for passengers pleasure on two cruises, one three night and one 14 nights.

for more information on these great themed cruises, click the links below.

Music & Laughter - http://cruisingexpert.co.uk/music-and-laughter.aspx

Steve Parrish - http://cruisingexpert.co.uk/cruising-with-parrish.aspx

Carl 'Foggy' Fogarty - http://www.foggycruise.co.uk

Anyway, I'm off with mummy to get weighed now, as I am getting on for 9 1/2 weeks!! I feel OLD!!!

To Guarantee, or not to Guarantee

I have been learning about cabin types today, and mummy mentioned 'Guarantee' cabins, but we were not sure what this meant, so we asked daddy, and as usual, i am sharing this new knowledge with you.

He told us that a 'Guarantee' cabin becomes available when a certain grade is nearly sold out. This enables the cruise line to carry on selling a particular grade, even though the actual number in that particular grade has been exceeded.

In selling you a 'guarantee' cabin, the cruise line promises to allocate you a cabin of at least the grade you have bought (you will NOT get a lower grade, whatever happens), however, you could well get upgraded, sometimes by several grades.

The disadvantage of buying a 'guarantee' cabin, is if you like a particular position on the ship (Port or Starboard side / Midships / Fore or Aft), as you will get the whichever cabin that the cruise line allocates you. 'Guarantee' cabins are probably also not a good idea for people travelling in groups, as you could be separated all around the ship, and in larger ships, you could be quite a way apart from the rest of your party.

I hope this has cleared that up for you. Anyway, I am hungry and tired now, so speak soon.

Nighty night.

Email Offers

Hi Everybody,

Only a short blog today as i am so tired, mummy and daddy took me ice skating today, and although i could not go on the ice, watching all those people going round and round and falling down makes me feel sore and tired...

Anyway, daddy has just sent our our first great re-designed email today, so i thought i would share a link with my faithful followers, and also remind you that if you are not already receiving them, visit www.cruisingexpert.co.uk and click the subscribe link. We will be sharing some of our most fantastic offers, unique theme cruises and some sensational late offers that you will not find anywhere else, so is it well worth signing up.

To see the current email, click the link. http://cm.cruiseholidaysuk.co.uk/t/r-C916B01BB83D8326

Anyway, that's it for me, Nighty night.

Choosing and Cruising

I think that for people new to cruise, then it is a very daunting prospect choosing your cruise, so it is definitely best to talk to a cruising expert, preferably daddy, but if you want to have a look for yourself, here is a guide to what to look for...

Wide-ranging itineraries, staterooms, amenities, ship sizes, dining and activities are just part of a large list of preferences that need to be considered. Differences between cruise lines can be vast and the last place to discover that the cruise does not suit your style is when you're miles out at sea. As travel experts who specialize in breaking down and simplifying the cruise process mummy and daddy are here to help you select the cruise that best suits your requirements and personality

 Choosing a Cruise Line   
There are a number of excellent cruise lines from which to choose. Each offers a variety of ships and itineraries to cater to a specific market niche or lifestyle. This is why it's so important to know what you're looking for in a holiday, what kinds of activities you'll enjoy, and the types of ship mates you'll be spending time with.

 Choosing a Ship
Whether you're an introvert, extrovert, adrenaline seeker or laid-back observer, the holidays you take are usually closely aligned with your personality. When it comes to cruise holidays, sometimes determining what kind of cruise ship is best for you can be confusing. At one end of the spectrum are the sleek mega-liners, at the other, the small vessels, but which will best match your personality?

 Choosing a Cabin or Stateroom
Inside Cabin: Staterooms are nicely appointed, however is no outside view or porthole.
Outside Cabin: Features a picture window or porthole, providing added ambience and views
Balcony Cabin: Staterooms offer the elegance of a balcony with patio furniture.
Suites: Depending on the cruise line, suites can be very spacious ranging anywhere from 1,000 to 9,000 square feet, ideal for families and/or a group of friends sailing together.

*Staterooms for those physically disabled are also available

 Choosing a Destination & Duration
First time cruisers are typically drawn to the 3-4 day ex UK or Mediterranean  cruise whereas more experienced cruisers tend to venture off to more exotic destinations. But that doesn't mean, whether you're new or experienced to cruising, you have to follow any guidelines to where you should cruise.  Lay out a world map and nearly all major cities that sit on major sea shores are accessible by cruise ship; it all comes down to defining your travel preferences and sense of adventure.

You can choose a quick three or four day cruise to get your feet wet to a 180 odyssey that will take you around the world. However, most cruises are in the 7-14 day range. Also, when you go might matter to you based on your level of enjoyment of crowds and/or weather. For example, the Mediterranean can be crowded and sultry in the summer, yet cooler and less crowded in the spring or autumn.

As you can see, choosing the best cruise for your circumstances is a complex process, so it is definitely worth consulting daddy, to help you make the right choice.

Click on the blue links above for more information on each of the sections.
Anyway, i hope this helps..  Mummy says I need to get off the computer and get some sleep now, so I'm going to get my bottle, and then go to bed.

Night night.