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An evening with P&O Cruises' new brand ambassador Gary Barlow

An evening with P&O Cruises’ new brand ambassador Gary Barlow

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I’ve had a super secret save the date in my diary for weeks now - an invitation to a very special evening with P&O Cruises, and yesterday we finally got to head to the beautiful LSO St Luke’s in London - a stunning old Hawksmoor church - to find out what all this cloak and dagger stuff was all about. The big reveal turned out to be an evening with P&O Cruises’ new brand ambassador Gary Barlow, someone that I think is a brilliant fit for P&O Cruises. And what a night it was!

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What are the different staterooms like on AmaMagna

What are the different staterooms like on AmaMagna?

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Last time, I told you all about our gorgeous Christmas markets Danube cruise on board AmaWaterways’ revolutionary, double-width AmaMagna river ship. I thought I’d take the time to write a separate post about all the different AmaMagna stateroom categories, as there’s so much to tell you and I was conscious that the post was getting very long! So what are the different staterooms like on AmaMagna? Well, because there’s so much space, most of the staterooms (apart from a handful on deck 1) are suite class cabins. We explored the different stateroom categories so you can have a good look at all of them.

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A guided tour of AmaMagna in pictures

A guided tour of AmaMagna in pictures

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If you follow me on any of my social channels, you’ll know that I was away last week on the most beautiful river ship I think I’ve ever seen. You know I love a river cruise, and AmaWaterways’ new AmaMagna is spectacular - she’s a double-width river ship, but without double the passengers. I loved the feeling of space this creates, as well as the luxurious boutique hotel feel on board. So what’s it like to take a cruise on this delightful - and rather extraordinary - new river vessel? I thought the best way to show you around would be to create a guided tour of AmaMagna in pictures, to really give you a feel for this clever, and truly luxurious new ship Read more

Which P&O Cruises will have the Food Heroes on board

Which P&O Cruises will have the Food Heroes on board?

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You already know that I’m a huge fan of P&O Cruises. From attending the naming ceremony of Britannia back in 2015, to a foodie cruise with my pal Erica in 2016 and our gorgeous relaxing break on board elegant Oceana last year, I’ve always loved the cruise line’s effortless knack of making a cruiseholiday seem both glam and unstuffy all at the same time. The food on board is always a highlight, and P&O Cruises’ continued partnership with their brilliant Food Heroes means that as well as tasting their food and drinking the wine they choose, you can even get to set sail with them. I absolutely can’t wait to get on board brand new ship, Iona (especially because I love a bit of Scandi chic), and P&O Cruises have just released details of when the Food Heroes will be sailing, so if you fancy combining your holiday of a lifetime with learning a few tricks from your very own favourite wine expert or master pâtissier, here’s your chance: I’ve got a full list of which P&O Cruises will have the Food Heroes on board.

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A look at TUI's new river cruises

TUI’s new river cruises: everything we know so far

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You all know I’m addicted to cruise travel, and one of my favourite cruise lines is TUI’s Marella Cruises. I love the bright, colourful ships, the warm and friendly staff and the fabulous itineraries (you can read all about what I thought of Marella Explorer here), so I was delighted to hear the news that TUI are moving into river cruising with a fleet of three gorgeous river ships that will be setting sail in the summer of 2020. As with their ocean vessels and land-based holidays, TUI does river cruising a bit differently, so I thought I’d take a look at TUI’s new river cruises and check out the ships, cabins, restaurants and itineraries to give you a bit of an idea of what to expect. At the moment, we only have artists’ impressions, but they’re looking pretty spectacular already.

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Naming ceremony of Saga Spirit of Discovery

The naming ceremony of Saga Spirit of Discovery

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Well, what a gorgeous day we had on Friday! You might have seen that I was in Dover for Cruise International to cover the naming ceremony of Saga’s beautiful new boutique cruise ship, Spirit of Discovery (read all about it here), and I thought you might be interested to find out what happens during these ship christenings, so I grabbed my camera and nabbed you a few behind the scenes photos of the frankly beautiful party and naming ceremony of Saga Spirit of Discovery. Here goes, then!

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What to expect from Saga's new Spirit of Discovery

What to expect from Saga’s new Spirit of Discovery

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A few weeks ago I headed to lovely London in the sunshine to a special event at Peter Layton’s London Glassblowing studios to find out about Saga Cruises’ brand new cruise ship. I’ve actually been on a Saga cruise before. I sailed on Saga Pearl II with my Mum for a Cruise International feature a few years ago, and I was impressed with how elegant the ship was, even though she was… let’s just say in her twilight years (the ship, not my Mum). Saga Cruises’ first purpose-built cruise ship, Spirit of Discovery - one of two currently being constructed for the cruise line - will replace Saga Pearl II in July this year (I can’t wait to attend the christening ceremony) with the second ship, Spirit of Adventure, planned to set sail in August 2020. Here’s what to expect from Saga’s new Spirit of Discovery.

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Everything you need to know about sailing the Danube with Viking River Cruises

Everything you need to know about sailing the Danube with Viking River Cruises

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I’ve just come back from a Viking River cruise from Passau in Germany to Budapest in Hungary. It’s pretty different to my usual ocean cruise and I didn’t really know what to expect before I went, so I thought it might be useful to give you an overview of everything, from the accommodation and food on board, to what to expect from the excursions and destinations. Spoiler: I absolutely loved it. I never thought I was really a city break person but it’s such an easy (and luxurious) way to tick off several different cities all in one trip. Here’s everything you need to know about sailing the Danube with Viking River Cruises.

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What to wear in the evening on a cruise

What to wear in the evening on a cruise

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I’ve been meaning to write this post for soooo long, as it’s one of the questions I get asked an awful lot. Quite a few cruise lines have a ‘formal night’ or some version of it (see also, ‘cruise elegant’, ‘chic night’, ‘evening chic’, ‘gala night’). If you love dressing up, and already have a wide selection of evening dresses and heels, well, you’re good to go, just pack your faves. If, however, you’re a serial down dresser like me, eternally happier in joggers or jeans, and the words ‘cocktail dress’ strike doom into your very heart, the thought of choosing stuff to wear for formal night can be a bit daunting. Happily, there are several ways to approach it without having to buy a ton of new clothes that you probably won’t wear anymore anyway. Here are my thoughts on what to wear in the evening on a cruise that won’t leave you awkwardly pulling at your outfit like it’s your first day at school.

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The brand new MSC Bellissima in pictures. Pic (c) MSC Cruises

The brand new MSC Bellissima in pictures

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Wow, what an exciting weekend! On Friday, I was invited down to Southampton to join a panel discussion on family cruising at CLIA‘s mini family cruising conference. I’m a bit scared of public speaking but I think it’s a good thing to do stuff that scares you so I accepted. I also accepted because the conference was to be held on board the brand new, utterly beautiful MSC Bellissima, in port at Southampton all ready for her glittering christening ceremony on Saturday night - I mean, who would turn down the chance for a sneaky night on a brand new ship before the bottle’s even been smashed?! Certainly not me, and I thought you might like a little guided tour of beautiful MSC Bellissima in pictures too - especially while she was fresh out of the box - I love that new ship smell!

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Disney Cruise Line to Sail from New Orleans in 2020

Breaking: Disney cruises from New Orleans announced!

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It’s all going on at Disney Cruise Line recently! Quite apart from the fact that they have three new ships in the pipeline, this week has seen a ton of announcements from DCL about some cracking new itineraries for 2020 and there are some BIG surprises when it comes to ports, including the wonderful news that Disney cruises from New Orleans will commence in early 2020, and that Disney Cruise Line will also be returning to Hawaii!

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What to expect on board P&O Cruises' newest ship, Iona

What to expect on board P&O Cruises’ newest ship, Iona

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Last week, I was really lucky to be invited to a very clever virtual ‘day on board’ P&O Cruises’ exciting new ship, Iona, arriving May 2020. Sadly, there were no phones allowed so I don’t have any pics, but it was a wonderful evening, hosted by the adorable Olly Smith, and I have a ton of information to share with you. Iona is going to be an absolute beauty: the largest ship built for the UK market, holding 5000 guests, accommodated in 7 different cabin types (including the exciting new conservatory cabins - an industry first) across 17 decks, with a breathtaking new glass SkyDome, and a chic, Scandinavian feel. Read on to find out what to expect on board P&O Cruises’ newest ship, Iona.

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Which cruise is right for you

Which cruise is right for you?

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As an award winning *cough* cruise writer and blogger and after spending many years of hard work and dedication trying out a huge variety of different cruise holidays (I do the research so you don’t have to - you’re welcome), I’d say I’m as qualified as anyone to give a bit of a rundown on the huge variety of cruises, as well as giving you a few tips about choosing your ideal cruise holiday. As I pointed out in my guide for first time cruisers, there really is a cruise for everyone - you just need to find the one for you. This depends mostly on the cruise line you choose and the kind of itinerary that you plump for. To be honest, researching a cruise holiday can be a bit overwhelming, with so much information available online and with so many cruise travel agents all with their own advice to give, so I thought I’d take a bit of time to break it all down for you, so you can see which cruise is right for you.

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Cruising with friends: our P&O Cruises Oceana adventure

Cruising with friends: our P&O Cruises Oceana adventure

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I’ve known my friend Erica since we met on our first ever Disney trip together back in 2009. We’ve always stayed in contact and, along with most of the original members of the Disney 7 (our group of mummy bloggers from way back who met on our very first Disney trip), chat pretty regularly. Erica lives in Edinburgh (where she runs the hugely successful Edinburgh food blog, Foodinburgh), so we don’t get to see each other that much. Every so often the opportunity comes up for us to take a trip together, and this time as we were both so busy, we wanted to choose a holiday where we could kick back and relax. We wanted lovely, chic surroundings for a few days of quiet contemplation and catching up, with a bit of light exploration thrown in. As you probably know, I’m a bit in love with cruising: I love the glamour, the gorgeous surroundings, the delicious food, cocktails on the deck and waking up in a new port with all the fresh possibilities of exploring a new destination, so we chose a Greek islands trip from Malta on board P&O Oceana - a beautiful not-too-big, not-too-small ship, with a bit of old-world glamour thrown in. And although you might not immediately think of taking a cruise with friends as a grown up holiday option, we absolutely loved it. Here’s why we think cruising with friends is fabulous:

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A guided tour of Marella Explorer in pictures

A guided tour of Marella Explorer in pictures

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I’ve had a bit of a travel flurry over the last few weeks, and after our fab few days on Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas, Mr E dropped me off at Gatwick to spend the night at the gorgeous BLOC Hotel before setting off to Palma to join Marella Cruises for a lovely weekend to celebrate the launch of the latest edition to their fleet: Marella Explorer. So what’s it like to cruise on board this brand new ship? I thought it would be fun to give you a guided tour of Marella Explorer in pictures!

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Independence of the Seas' multi-million pound makeover

Independence of the Seas’ multi-million dollar makeover

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Many, many moons ago, back when my children occasionally did anything I asked and I was a fully fledged ‘mummy blogger’, I was really proud to be asked by Royal Caribbean Cruises to be an Official Family Ambassador or ‘Royal Mum’. It was a fab time and I really enjoyed my role: as part of my ambassadorship, I wrote about family cruising on the Royal Caribbean blog as well as in newspapers like The Times, and was lucky enough, along with my lovely fellow Royal Mums, to experience wonderful trips like a Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas, and a family cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas. Another wonderful memory was when we all got together at Southampton for a sunny day on board Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas. I’ve always been hugely proud of my long-running association with Royal Caribbean: I love the quality of the brand, the wonderful people who have a genuine love and enthusiasm for creating incredible experiences, and all their beautiful, innovative ships, so when Mr E and I were invited along to experience the shakedown cruise following Independence of the Seas’ multi-million dollar makeover, we were all over it. Here’s how we got on.

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