Boost for Greenock Cruise Terminal

Cunard Line's Queen Mary 2 at Greenock Ocean Terminal

Greenock Ocean Terminal is predicted to handle 108,866 passengers during the course of 2015, making it the first Scottish port to handle in excess of 100,000 passengers. This is a dramatic increase from the 20,253 passengers that passed through the port back in 2007.

The port benefits from a convenient location in western Scotland. It offers easy access to Glasgow city centre and can be found on many itineraries calling into ports around the British Isles and Northern Ireland.

A total of 56 cruise ship calls have been scheduled in for the port between May and September 2015. Princess Cruises, MSC Cruises, Cunard Line, Oceania Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Holland America Line, Azamara Club Cruises, P&O Cruises, CDF Croisières de France, TUI Cruises, Saga Cruises, AIDA and Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines all have vessels scheduled to call into the port during the year.

Notable larger vessels scheduled to visit the port include Royal Princess, Queen Mary 2, Celebrity Silhouette, Britannia and Regal Princess.

It is also set to be a busy year for English ports too with ABP Southampton currently expecting at least 117 cruise ship calls, Liverpool Cruise Terminal expecting 54 cruise ship calls and Portsmouth International Port expecting 38 cruise ship calls throughout the year.

In Wales, Holyhead Port in Anglesey is also expecting a bumper year with 23 cruise ship calls totalling in excess of 14,000 passengers. Celebrity Silhouette will be the largest passenger cruise ship expected in the port this year, standing at 122,210 gross tons.

(Photo credit to Peel Ports)

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£6m investment in Southampton terminal as UK ports prepare for a busy 2015

An artist's impression of the re-designed Mayflower Cruise Terminal

The Mayflower Cruise Terminal in Southampton is to get a £6 million regeneration in preparation for the arrival of P&O Cruises' Britannia and Princess Cruises' Royal Princess next year.

The work includes a complete re-design of the departure, check-in, security and passenger lounges as well as drop-off and pick-up areas.  The construction work will see 100 tonnes of block-work walls and floors removed and 500 tonnes of new steelwork frames installed. A team of 200 will be involved in the project and it is scheduled to be completed in April

Nick Ridehalgh, director of ABP Southampton, said: “The benefits of the improvements will affect a much wider group than just those heading off on cruises. Businesses across the city, such as taxis, hotels and restaurants for examples, all benefit from the cruise industry. We must ensure we continue to work with the cruise lines and their guests to ensure Southampton remains the UK cruise port of choice.” According to ABP each cruise ship turnaround is worth £2 million to the local economy.

Liverpool Cruise Terminal is preparing itself for a busy 2015 with 54 cruise ship visits planned, welcoming in excess of 80,000 international visitors to the city over the year. The port will also host two landmark events to celebrate Cunard Line’s 175th anniversary. All three Cunard Line vessels – Queen Elizabeth, Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria – are scheduled to call at Liverpool on 25 May and on 4 July Queen Mary 2 will return to the city to commemorate the transatlantic departure of RMS Britannia from the port exactly 175 years ago.

Portsmouth International Port is also preparing for the new year with 38 ship visits scheduled so far between March and November. The first cruise liner to call into the port next year will be Voyages of Discovery’s Voyager on March 1. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ luxury vessel Europa 2 will also be calling into the port in June. Europa 2 is one of the most modern vessels to dock at the port and at 225 metres is also one of the longest. The visit has been made possible by investment in new berthing facilities.

(Photo credit to Associated British Ports)

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Why Indy was down on power for three years

Independence of the Seas' three azipod propulsion units

Cruise ship Independence of the Seas was powered by only two of its three propellers for much of the time the ship was sailing from Southampton, it has been revealed.

A bearing failure on one of its three azipod propulsion units left the 3,600-passenger vessel dependent on the remaining two pods – electric motors attached to the outside of the hull replacing conventional shaft-driven propellers. Its top speed was restricted to 19.5 knots instead of the design maximum of 21.6 knots.

The unit’s failure came to light in a posting on the Facebook Cruise Lovers’ page. A contributor said the unit’s propellers were removed to prevent vibration, and that they were eventually replaced in visit to dry dock. The post added: “Three years of going forward and back over the Bay of Biscay with only two azipods is quite a feat.”

Royal Caribbean marketing and PR director Jo Briody confirmed the failure. She said: “Independence of the Seas has two azipods and one fixipod. Due to bearing failure, the blades of the fixipod were removed as a temporary measure to prevent further damage. The only resulting outcome was that the vessel was not able to reach its top speed.

“This does not provide any limitations as the ship sails in the Bay of Biscay. In fact, speeds of 19.5 knots were still attainable. The removal did not cause any delays or missed ports during Independence of the Seas' cruises.”

She added that full power was restored during a dry dock overhaul in April 2013.

Independence of the Seas left Southampton for the last time on November 1 and will spend the winter sailing in the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. From April 2015, it will be replaced on ex-UK sailings by brand new ship Anthem of the Seas.

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Winter Cruises from Broadway Travel from £299pp

Set sail with Broadway Travel this winter. They are offering a Belgium Christmas Market cruise from £299pp and a 12 night Atlantic Coast Cruise from £539pp.

£299pp - Five-Star Queen Victoria Belgium Christmas Market Cruise with Balcony Cabin

Bruges, Belgium: Spend three nights, full board, exploring Belgium this Christmas.

The Queen Victoria offers a range of dining options to suit every guest and also offers two swimming pools, a spa and four whirlpools. Guests can explore the cities of Bruges and Ghent – perhaps the best preserved medieval cities of Northern Europe with their cobbled streets, medieval edifices, glassy canals and of course their magical Christmas markets.

Ship departs and returns from Southampton from 16 December 2014.

Prices based on two sharing.

P&O Oriana, Iberian Cruise

£539pp - Four-Star 12 Night Atlantic Coast Cruise 

Spain & Portugal:  Beat the post-Christmas blues with a 12 day full-board winter cruise. Relax on board the P&O Oriana around one of the pools or the ships own spa. The ship will set sail to destinations across the Atlantic including Casablanca, Malaga, Cadiz and Lisbon (above).

Ship departs and returns from Southampton on  11 January 2015.

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Pizzas the size of a small country and the best steaks ever - all together on board Emerald Princess

Steak selection in the Crown Grill on Emerald Princess

Day Two of our guest blog by CruiseMiss Danielle Fear. Today she turns her attention to the food on board Emerald Princess

Food is a big deal with Princess Cruises, that was evident within just a few minutes of stepping aboard and wandering through the buffet, and I visited the Pizzeria several times during the cruise. The Pepperoni was by far my favourite and the slices were HUGE, but I did make the mistake on day one of asking for a “Margarita pizza” and wondered why the chef looked at me oddly, I then leaned over the counter and realised that an entire pizza was in fact the size of a small country – his reaction was truly warranted! 

I can also highly recommend the Crown Grill and Sabatini’s, both of which incur an additional charge of $25 per person, but they are worth every single cent! 

The Crown Grill was superb and the choice of meat and seafood was second to none – the lobster looked delicious, although in the end I opted for a 12-ounce New York strip steak. It was cooked perfectly and was incredibly juicy; the vegetables to accompany it were also very good (I could have easily eaten more of the creamed spinach) and dessert was a filling affair. 

Sabatini’s offers a wonderful selection of Italian dishes and during my visit I tried calamari for the first time and I finally got my lobster, which was cooked three ways. I have to say that although both restaurants were very good indeed, Crown Grill was my favourite and I wish now that I had visited more than once.

TOMORROW: Coming and going the Princess way.

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Cross the Atlantic on Anthem of the Seas for £799

Quantum of the Seas arrives in the UK today for the first – and possibly only – time, ready for a weekend being shown off to and being tested by some of the world’s media and travel trade partners.

Sister ship Anthem of the Seas (above) comes to Southampton in April 2015, and there are already deals on offer for her Transatlantic crossing to New York departing on 27 October.

Fares start at £799 pp for the nine-night cruise (including return flight to the UK) and an additional £299 secures a two-night stay in New York. The lead-in fare is for an inside cabin complete with virtual balcony – a wall-sized screen showing the view outside in real time. Outside cabins start at £899 pp and balconies are from £999.

Some of the other itineraries Anthem will be sailing during summer 2015 include a three-night cruise to Bruges and Le Havre departing 30 April from  £499 pp (ocean view) or £549 (balcony). An eight-night cruise to France and Spain, visiting Vigo, Gijon, Bilbao and Le Havre, departing 22 April, starts at £999 pp. A 13-night cruise to Vigo, Funchal, Lanzarote, Las Palmas and Tenerife, departing 15 September, from £1,699 (ocean view) and £1,899 (balcony).

The Quantum-class vessels are among the most technologically advanced cruise ships in the world, with first-of-a-kind features including dodgem cars, the NorthStar observation pod, a RipCord by iFLY skydiving simulator, and robotic bartenders. The ships have also banished traditional main dining rooms and feature so-called Dynamic Dining in a number of themed restaurants.

That 27 October departure could be the last time we see Anthem in the UK - at present there are no plans for the ship to return to Europe. Details from Iglu Cruise  0208 544 6620.

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It's the little touches that make a big difference on CruiseMiss's Emerald Princess voyage to the Canaries

Sunset seen from Emerald Princess's top deck

Enjoy the first part of a guest blog from World of Cruising contributor Danielle Fear, aka CruiseMiss, who has just cruised from Southampton to the Canaries on board Emerald Princess

I embarked my first voyage with Princess Cruises aboard the stunning Emerald Princess. Our itinerary lined us up for 12 days sailing from Southampton to Madeira, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and finally, Vigo. It was a great excuse to head off for some last minute sunshine, although we did get our fair share of torrential rain too.

My first impressions of Emerald Princess were very good. Her atrium was absolutely stunning and led off in numerous directions, calling at several different public spaces including the International Café, Wine and Tapas Bar, Crooner’s Lounge, Boutiques, Reception and a pretty impressive Casino and Cigar Lounge.

The outer decks were ideal, lots of space and lots of sun loungers. I particularly liked the fact that for every pair of sun loungers there was a table, so you would have two beds, then a table, then two beds and so on. Perfect use of the space in my opinion and it was echoed across the entire ship.

Other public areas included Skywalkers, Lotus Spa and The Sanctuary, Wheelhouse Pub, Crown Grill, Sabatini’s, Explorer’s Lounge and of course a whole aft deck on which you could leave the kids! Music to every parent’s ears, I am sure!

I am a big fan of the small touches and Princess Cruises are full of them. Every passenger received a lightweight branded Princess bag – ideal for the beach - and I also had added benefits of being an Elite member of the Princess Cruises Captain’s Circle (my points were transferred across from P&O Cruises). Having experienced the Elite benefits first hand, I have to say Princess Cruises offer one of the BEST loyalty programmes at sea! Complimentary internet minutes, complimentary laundry services, canapés on formal evenings, complimentary wine tasting, and one free mini-bar set up, priority embarkation and a dedicated lounge for disembarkation - these were just some of the benefits available to me!

To extend on my mention of small touches, I also liked the free popcorn which was available even to passengers not watching the movie on the big screen over the pool. The sandwiches and cakes in the International Café on deck 5 were all free of charge as were the tapas plates in the Wine Bar – both being features many other cruise lines charge for.

The drinks measures were also larger than they are on some other cruise ships (had to squeeze the important bit in there!) and I was NEVER charged extra for a “splash” of Diet Coke with my Southern Comfort. As I said, the little things can often make the biggest difference and in this case, they certainly did.

TOMORROW: Danielle turns her attention to the food on board Emerald Princess

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Quantum of the Seas heading for the UK

Richard Fain (right) and Bernard Meyer at the handover of Quantum of the Seas

The most eagerly awaited new cruise ship of the year has been handed over by its builders and will soon be arriving in the UK.

Royal Caribbean chairman and CEO Richard Fain took delivery of Quantum of the Seas from Bernard Meyer, the managing partner of Germany’s Meyer-Werft shipyard. With Capt Srecko “Felix” Ban at the helm, the ship is heading for Southampton. After a weekend being shown off to media and trade partners from around the world, the ship will welcome its first paying guests on Sunday before setting out to cross the Atlantic to its home port In New Jersey.

The ship, carrying 4,180 passengers, will sail from New York harbour to the Bahamas and the Caribbean throughout the winter; next May it will relocate to Shanghai, China. Sister ship Anthem of the Seas, currently under construction at Meyer-Werft, will debut in Southampton in April 2015 and spend the summer cruising to the Mediterranean.

The ships are among the most technically-advanced in the world, with a micro-bubble air “lubrication” system claimed to make their passage through the water more efficient.  They also have advanced internet capability with 500 times more bandwidth than any other cruise ship.

Visibly spectacular are Quantum’s Ripcord by iFLY sky-diving simulator, the NorthStar observation pod – looking like a capsule from the London Eye on a giant arm – and the world’s first dodgem cars at sea.

Passengers can expect to be served cocktails by a pair of robot bartenders, and inside cabins have wall-sized flat screens creating “virtual balconies” by showing real-time pictures of the view outside the ship.

World of Cruising editor John Honeywell will be among the guests aboard Quantum this weekend. Check out this blog and our Facebook page for updates.

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