Port Of Tyne On The Map

We like to include Ports here too at World of Cruising!Passengers can expect a fantastic welcome at the Port of Tyne, according to the latest news out of the ambitious north-east port, which is enjoying something of a cruise boom in recent years with the growth of round-Britain cruises.  

Acclaimed the UK’s Best Port of Call, and ‘One of Europe's Secret Capitals', feedback from visitors coming into this historic port and experiencing what North East England has to offer is beyond expectation.

And it is no wonder, with the iconic world heritage sites of Durham Cathedral and Hadrian’s Wall, Harry Potter’s Alnwick Castle, Holy Island (the cradle of Christianity), outstanding coast and countryside, all alongside some of the liveliest city centres with great shopping and cultural attractions.

At the same time, the market for turnaround cruises at Port of Tyne is ever growing as it can draw upon the markets of Scotland, the North West and the Midlands with excellent connectivity by rail, road and air.

Last year, more than over 623,000 cruise and ferry passengers passed through the Port’s International Passenger Terminal, with more expected during 2014.

Cruise and Maritime Voyages, Fred. Olsen and Thomson Cruises will all operate turnaround calls from the Port of Tyne in 2014, with two new companies coming in the shape of the new Portuscale Cruises with the Azores and V-Ships with the Artania.   German cruise line Peter Deilmann is returning on a transit call with Deutschland, along with Hapag-Lloyd’s inaugural call of Hanseatic and Swan Hellenic revisiting with exclusive cruise ship Minerva.

In total, 31 cruise calls will be welcomed during the year, including ten transit calls and 21 turnarounds. 

More info: visit www.portoftyne.com.

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A Day On MV Discovery

Recently,  I had the pleasure of spending a few hours on the Cruise & Maritime Voyages ship MV Discovery - and what a most pleasant time it was!

We met as usual in the passenger terminal at Port of Tyne and were escorted on board at around 11am. The gangway was located at the aft of the ship, literally straight on to her open deck. I have never boarded a ship in this way before but have seen it done on many of the smaller vessels. It was a much nicer way to board and far more relaxed than the hustle-bustle you sometimes get from the larger ships.

I really could imagine myself boarding after having spent a long day ashore on a wonderful tropical island. I am met within a few moments by a chair and the bar, where I can grab a nice chilled Diet Coke, drop everything at my feet and relax. This is what I am beginning to fall in love with when it comes to smaller ships.

Daydream over, back to the blog…

We had a short welcome introduction and a brief 'Hello' from the Captain in the Discovery Lounge before heading to one of her show lounges for a small treat from the singers and dancers on board. I have never come across an ‘entertainment preview’ on any other day ship visits so it was something nice to add to the tour. It lasted around 20 minutes and was a flash preview of various songs they do throughout Discovery’s cruises. I was allowed to video the performance, so have added a section to YouTube. Go on, have a look - just be sure to come back and read the rest!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PmIi3KSPWM&feature=share&list=UUlE0Qt5FUNCdhMYOL2HMfOA

After the show, it was time to tour the ship. She is relatively small, only 168 metres in length and just 20,186 tons, but she is pleasantly spacious. We explored numerous areas, including her bars and other lounges, the buffet area, which also has a swimming pool at one end and a retractable roof.

 

We passed through the small gym and then landed the Spa area, where I took one of the 'menus’ with to see what is usually on offer. 

 

They do Honey Massage, Shiatsu, Exfoliating Body Polish, Mineral Mud Wrap, Teen Facial, Swedish Classic Massage and more, with prices quite reasonable. For example, a 45-minute Exfoliating Body Polish is just £45, as I am sure I have seen the same treatment on other vessels for £60.

After peeking into a few other areas, we doubled back through the Discovery Lounge and out on to the sun deck. I absolutely adored this space. I am a huge fan of the open decks on any ship, as this is where I spend the majority of my time whilst cruising, so I always go in for a closer inspection. On offer was a deck the width of the ship with a small bar on the port side and a swimming pool in the middle. What a swimming pool, too! The one midships was just under 6ft in depth but this one must have easily been 8 or 9 feet deep. I have never seen such a pool on a ship before and, had it been filled with water, I would have been tempted to jump in. This was my kind of chill-out area.

We managed to have a peek inside two cabins during the visit. Both outside but one was a disabled cabin. They were both spacious considering the size of the ship. Nicely furnished and the disabled cabin offered three lovely little port holes. I did notice the cabin doors are the good old key-in-the-lock-system. No electronic door cards on this ship! Not sure how I would cope with that as I’m so used to a card.

Once the tour ended, we made our way to the Seven Continents Restaurant for lunch. It is a good-sized restaurant, airy and with all tables spaced perfectly.

 

I dislike nothing more than feeling like people are sitting on top of me whilst I am eating but the space worked well. The lunch selection was quite good. I opted for chicken tikka to start as I was intrigued to see how they could make such a dish into a starter. It was delicious. 

 

For the main course, I decided on the vegetarian option, which was oven baked Cannelloni. I have to say it was possibly the nicest Cannelloni I have ever tasted and I’m pretty fussy with pasta. Dessert came in the shape of a Strawberry Gateaux, which was light but just a little too moist for my liking. Sadly, lunch marked the end of our visit but what a pleasant one it had been.

MV Discovery was something new for me, the oldest ship by far I have ever explored and, in some areas, she was showing her age. But would she be a ship I would cruise on? Without question. She offered everything I would look for in a cruise experience, plus there’s the added bonus of boarding like she were a grand yacht.

I can now also say I have visited one of the ships featured in The Love Boat TV series, although then she was known as Island Princess.

See more on my photo album on this link: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.657308720963332.1073741836.342074555820085&type=3&uploaded=74

Love, Danielle

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When Bloggers Meet!!

It was a surprise for two of our regular bloggers when our arch-contributor Steve Newman met guest blogger Danielle Fear, aka Cruise Miss, for lunch on Cruise and Maritime Voyages' MV Discovery yesterday when the ship was berthed at Newcastle-upon-Tyne prior to leaving on her latest cruise to Norway and the North Cape.

That's the joy of cruising - you never know who you're going to meet and where. Steve and Danielle seem to be gripping on the stairway, even though the ship is docked. Only Lisa Donohoe from the  Port of Tyne Cruise Terminal seems to have her sea legs!

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Cruise Miss Takes A Day Visit To 'Norway'

Our special guest blogger Danielle Fear, aka Cruise Miss, provides a fascinating look at the MS Fram of one of our favourite cruise lines, Norway's Hurtigruten, during a day visit at Port of Tyne.

I knew she was small but, as we drove towards the terminal, I couldn’t see anything that resembled a ship. Finally, she peeked out from behind the apartment building that sits directly in front of the dock and I could breathe a sigh of relief.

At just 11,647 tons and taking only 318 passengers, MS Fram may well be small but she is the perfect sized explorer vessel in my eyes.

The chief purser introduced himself and said if I needed anything to make my way back to the front desk where they would assist me, otherwise I was free to explore as I wished. Perfect! I do like guided ship tours but sometimes, especially on a vessel this size, it’s nice to break free and explore at your own pace.

The front desk was located on Deck 4 and offered a rather pleasant seating area. The space was open but the seating was arranged in such a manner as to make it feel like you had your own square living room. One of the sections even had a TV imitating a burning fire on the wall which created a lovely feel - only to be outshone by the floor-to-ceiling windows and an unspoilt view across the ocean.

To the left there was a bistro, small shop and buffet area and to the right a small internet section and some function rooms.

As I made my way back to the other end of the ship I found the Imaq Dining Room, right aft and offering beautiful panoramic views. The tables were prepared and there was a large buffet station in the centre of the room. I was told they do a mixture of buffet dining and waiter service, varying per evening.

On Deck 7 the first door I came across led directly into the gym where I was  greeted by a space larger than anticipated. It was still small, of course, but it felt generous for the ship's size. There was more than enough equipment to keep fitness enthusiasts happy, including treadmills, exercise bikes, ping-pong table, weights and a rowing machine. The door at the back led out on to a small deck area which was home to two bubbling hot tubs.

The pleasant sun deck aft was equipped with numerous tables and chairs and, to my surprise, two huge chimney BBQ’s. Going up to the observation deck, I can only imagine what cruising through the Polar Regions on this ship must be like. It truly is designed for exploring and not missing a thing - rarely is your view obstructed from anywhere on board.

Now it was time to view some cabins and I entered number 539, the Thorvald Nilsen cabin. And what a cabin it was - everything was fitted with a dark wood yet with enough light from the huge window to avoid making it feel small, while the bathroom was one of the nicest I have seen on any ship. There was a large wardrobe space and then a small seating area with TV. This clearly was a high grade of cabin. I did view another, an inside, and the décor contrast was quite different, but it was still spacious and comfortable.

My visit to MS Fram was certainly something different; after all, she is an expedition ship built to explore not entertain with numerous bars, clubs and lounges. She was extremely modern and every crew member I had the pleasure of passing greeted me with a genuine smile and a hearty hello. I chatted with a few passengers and all seemed very happy on board; one couple even said it was their fourth time on the ship, so they clearly enjoy what she has to offer.

She certainly left me hoping I can also experience an expedition voyage one, so, in that sense, she has certainly done her job!

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Cruising To Amsterdam!

Guest blogger Danielle Fear, aka Cruise Miss, starts a cruise-with-a-difference. She is sailing aboard MSC Cruises' MSC Magnifica this week from Amsterdam. But first she had to get there... 

Yesterday was the start of another exciting adventure but this time with a twist. There is a cruise involved but I actually started my journey aboard DFDS Seaways' Princess Seaways (above). She sailed me overnight to Amsterdam, where I am staying until tomorrow morning.

I checked-in at 3.30pm and was soon on board enjoying the atmosphere and experience of being on a ferry. I honestly can’t remember the last time I took a ferry journey. I know it was to France but that’s it. I must also say I experienced the fastest check-in of my life. Between the drop off point and boarding the ferry it took exactly 7 minutes!
 

My friends and relatives sail with DFDS quite regularly to and from Amsterdam as the mini-cruise option is not only cost effective but makes a nice break. I have said for years I wanted to try it and, although I am not getting the full mini-cruise experience, I am definitely doing a good portion of it. It’s convenient too - Port of Tyne is literally just 5 minutes from my house, so it’s extremely easy to get to.

Princess Seaways is clean and very modern. I believe she first entered service in 1986, which makes her almost as old as me, but she is in much better condition! There is a good selection of bars on board, including the Compass Bar, Sports Bar, Columbus lounge and a wine, beer and whiskey tasting bar. There were a lot of German and Dutch passengers on board so conversation proved something of a challenge with the language barrier, but that’s what travel is all about, right?

I didn’t get the chance to explore all the entertainment venues but there was a cinema on board and a casino. Regular readers of my own blog will know I like a flutter now and then when at sea, but I was on my best behaviour and told myself no gambling just yet! I also made the interesting discovery that wildlife watching is offered on the Newcastle to Amsterdam routes on King Seaways between April and September, hosted by an ORCA wildlife officer.

For the kids, there was the Pirates Club on board, and it was notable that throughout the vessel there is signage at children’s eye level. I like this touch because it’s not something you see too often and it stops them nagging mum and dad all the time about where on the ship they are going!

The dining choice on board really was far better than I imagined. The most popular was the buffet-style 7 Seas Restaurant, but you could also opt for the Explorer’s Steakhouse or Blue Riband, both of which are waiter service. Within just a few minutes I heard several different people chatting about the ‘world famous steaks’ they serve on board, so I guess word gets around fast! I opted for the slightly lighter option of fish and chips in the Lighthouse Café, a fresh, inviting option that feels like you have your own space. There's nothing worse than feeling like people are sitting right on top of you, but that certainly isn't the case here.

As we sailed away from Newcastle, I was excited to be back on a ship. The feeling for me is like no other and, although the ferry experience is definitely different from a cruise ship, I do like it. It was also the first time I'd sailed out of my home port, so that was very much appreciated.

Next - Exploring Amsterdam

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

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