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The Cruise Room UK

Welcome onboard The Cruise Room, the only high street cruising specialist in the U.K.! Vincent Place Glasgow G1 2ER. Our ABTA P8302 & ATOL 5346

The Cruise Room is fully licenced and protected by operating under the Brilliant Travel Group. This means that The Cruise Room is a trading division of Barrhead Travel Service Ltd, a company incorporated & registered in Scotland, company number SC057208 whose registered office is at Libertas House,5th Floor, 39 St.

16/08/2025

𝐖𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐍'𝐓 𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐒... 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐑 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐄 𝐁𝐘 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃𝐒 𝐀𝐓 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐍!

We saw so much at the CLIA - Cruise Lines International Association Conference in Svalbard but Polar Bears eluded us... we'll just have to go back so we can see if we can have a moment like this...! Don't forget we can help you have yours too...

Thank you Quark Expeditions for sharing! Extraordinary!

15/08/2025

𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒 𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐔𝐏 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐔𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆!

As we’ve come to expect, the team at Stratus Imagery were up early this morning to capture the arrival of Cunard Queen Anne as she made her way into port at Princes Parade - one of the finest ports in the world!

The ship will be in town all day and is currently set to depart at 19.30! So get down to see her if you can and if you take any pictures we’d really love to see them!!

Happy Friday everyone and amazing work again Stratus! Thanks for sharing with us all! (Go follow them if you’re not already!!!)

CLIA Europe Peel Ports

13/08/2025

𝐂𝐔𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐃'𝐒 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐙𝐀𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐇 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐀 𝐖𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐄𝐍𝐃 & 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐃𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐅𝐄𝐄𝐋 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐃!

Great news from Cunard recently when they revealed a musical theatre flavour to their Queen Elizabeth season in the Caribbean this Winter!

The big news is that the the multi-Olivier and Tony Award-winning Come From Away will feature on every voyage! Exclusive to Cunard, you'll enjoy both matinee and evening shows in the Royal Court Theatre - now this really is a reason to enjoy the performance from the comfort of a private theatre box, complete with champagne and chocolates. If you've not seen Come From Away (Book, Music and Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein) then you're in for an absolute treat.

This is an astonishing show which we've already had the pleasure to see! Come From Away is the true story of the 6,579 air passengers grounded in a small Canadian town in the wake of 9/11, and the Newfoundland community that invited these ‘come from aways’ into their lives with open hearts.

Further to this Cunard have announced that guests will enjoy stars of Broadway & West End on every Queen Elizabeth voyage. From Come From Away and Wicked Star Rachel Tucker to David Shannon who has played The Phantom & Raoul in Her Majesty's Theatre, London & Jean Valjean in Queens Theatre!

Every voyage will have a different star to enjoy in venues across the ship like the Royal Court Theatre ! Don't forget that Queen Elizabeth has recently undergone something of a refresh for this Caribbean season so there really is a lot to love!

One final thing to love? We have some incredible exclusive rates on Queen Elizabeth this Winter so reach out to us and we'll build the flights, stay and cruise to suit your requirements!

08/08/2025

𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐓𝐀𝐗 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 - 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐆, 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐍𝐎𝐓... 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐒 & 𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐓 𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔!

In case you didn't hear, authorities in Greece have implemented a cruise tax which means for popular ports such as Mykonos & Santorini guests were faced with the possibility of a €20pp fee in peak season if they stepped off the ship...

This Greek Tax is now fully operational and cruise lines have decided to handle it differently with many just absorbing the cost or stating that they had factored it into your fare anyway... others are charging which can really rack up for a family for example. We've rounded up a lot of cruise lines approaches below... here we go:

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐱 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐨𝐮:
Cunard, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, Marella Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn, P&O Cruises, Silversea, Virgin Voyages, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Oceania Cruises and Azamara are all covering the taxes for you as their guest. They have either already included these taxes in their fare calculations or they have decided to just cover any impact. You will not therefore be expected to pay anything further. Great news!!

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐎𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭:
MSC Cruises, Celestyal Cruises and perhaps more surprisingly Explora Journeys have all stated they will be charging the tax to guests by adding the cost to your onboard account. It varies slightly as to how this is being done... some cruise lines will charge once you disembark, others will charge you before arrival into port and then credit you back if you don't step off...

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝟐 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮...
So, it appears that Celebrity Cruises & Royal Caribbean International might be a little more complicated and it will depend on when you booked your cruise. It would seem that if you booked your cruise before 20th September 2024 then you will be charged onboard if you step ashore in a Greek port. However if you booked after the 20th September 2024 then the taxes were included in your fare (whether you knew it or not) so not only have you paid for them BUT both cruise lines are suggesting that if you don't get off then... they'll refund you!!!

We'll wait to see exactly how that is going to work...

Our advice is if you're on a cruise line where they have suggested they'll charge your account (or even credit your account) is to have a little patience. This is obviously all quite new and working out who of 4000 guests did and didn't get off and who to charge is a little bit of a logistical headache... what about those that stepped off, realised they forget their hat, phone, sun lotion whatever and ran back on... to run back off again.... will they be charged twice??

As always the best advice is to keep a close eye on your account, no matter where in the world you are as mistakes can happen. Don't leave it until the last morning to check! ;-)

We hope this helps...

CLIA Europe

07/08/2025

𝐒𝐎 𝐌𝐔𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒; 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐔𝐑! 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄’𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂 𝐑𝐈𝐌!

It’s fair to say a lot has been packed in in recent months. We’re sitting here with our sausage toasties looking back on all the footage we still need to cover… like the incredible venues we experienced on Regent Seven Seas Cruises Grandeur with 9 of our loyal guests.

This is Pacific Rim, a beautiful Pan Asian dining venue which is of course included for every guest! The food images are provided by Regent but the other images are ours…

So what’s on the menu? How about grilled Korean barbecue lamb chops? Sushi platters? Crispy Soft Shell Crab Tempura? Gigantic Pink Tiger Prawns with sriracha, garlic & kaffir lime butter…

Or perhaps you prefer Chinese Barbecue Pork Ribs, Thai Red Chicken Curry with coconut, eggplant, straw mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, lime leaves, thai basil and Don Papa Rum Cake or the Chinese Five Spice Chocolate Indulgence…

Just bring it all we say… world class food in a stunning setting ! For now though, we’ll have to settle for the toasties!! 😛

CLIA

06/08/2025

𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀, 𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐀, 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐍, 𝐀𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀… 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐖𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐂 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒𝐍’𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐃…

We’ll talk a lot in coming days about Expedition cruising introducing you to all of the expedition cruise lines we had the privilege to experience at the first ever CLIA Expedition Conference in Svalbard! Of course a lot is focused on Polar but expedition doesn’t have to be cold and with Swan Hellenic the world is your expedition playground!

🔷 Do I recognise the name?
We’re sure you do! Swan Hellenic was a British brand back in the 1950’s! British Travel Agent Swan Tours organised a trip, a groundbreaking trip for the Hellenic Society… 70+ years later they are very much back doing similar things … unique itineraries, exclusive inspirational speakers and sophisticated onboard comfort!

🔷 How many ships?
Swan Hellenic this week took possession of SH Minerva again which means they are back to 3 ships - SH Vega, SH Diana & SH Minerva.

🔷 How big are the ships?
SH Minerva and SH Vega have a Gross Tonnage of just 10,600 with 158 guests taken care of by 122 crew! SH Diana is a little bigger with a Gross Tonnage of just over 12,000 with 192 Guests taken care of by 127 crew!

🔷 Where can I go?
Yes you can do the classic Arctic and Antarctic voyages in 5* style, you can explore Greenland, the Canadian Northwest Passage with Northern lights! Incredible stuff !

BUT for us the absolute stand out itineraries are the warmer expedition cruises … Africa… how about Mombassa to Cape Town including Madagascar? Or The Slavery Coast from Accra to Dakar?

How about Seychelles where you’ll visit and can snorkel off private islands as part of your voyage…

What about South Pacific or Indonesia or Japan?

You’ll still zodiac, you’ll still explore, you’ll still spot the most incredible wildlife all escorted by incredible Geologists, Ornithologists, Naturalists, Marine Biologists, Historians and more…

🔷 What can I expect onboard?
5* luxury but no butlers, no big Owners Suite, no huge range of speciality dining venues but smaller ships, beautiful settings, fantastic expedition crew, English speaking, great guest to crew ratio and all on purpose built ships with ice strengthened hulls!

How about solo guests?
There are no dedicated solo staterooms onboard but there are some very good solo supplements to the point where occasionally there are no solo supplements at all… 👀

See! Expedition cruising … it’s going to surprise you…

CLIA - Cruise Lines International Association

03/08/2025

𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐓𝐎 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐃. 𝐎𝐋𝐒𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐋𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐏𝐎𝐎𝐋? 𝐖𝐄’𝐕𝐄 𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐎𝐘𝐋𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝟗𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐄𝐏𝐓! 𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐍𝐎𝐖!

Our recent events in our ‘Insider Series’ have been a huge success so let’s keep them going… after all we’re Not Your Average Agency!

Have you wondered about cruising with Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines but you’re not sure if they are for you? Perhaps you’ve always wanted to experience the joy and ease of cruising from Liverpool? Then this event may be perfect for you!

We’re joining forces with Fred. Olsen and Popsy’s Licensed Coffee Shop and Bistro to offer you the chance to learn all the reasons why we love Fred. Olsen, how they continue to do the things that other cruise lines have stopped, how they are elevating their offering in 2026 with more inclusions than ever before … and much more!

The event will start at 4pm and finish at approximately 7pm! There will be some refreshments of course and you know us, we don’t do ‘salesy’ - it’s just a relaxed information evening!

Spaces are limited so we are taking registrations of interest now via this link (or step onboard the store from Monday at 10am if you prefer to register your interest):

🔷 https://form.jotform.com/252142593915055

It will take just 2 minutes to complete although all we would ask is if you could please ensure that you are free on that date before registering. This will ensure we don’t start offering spaces to guests who have to pull out last minute which denies others the opportunity. Thank you so much!

Once you’ve registered your interest then stand by! We’ll be back as soon as possible to let you know if you’ve been successful!

We just want to keep creating opportunities for our guests to get a little bit closer and more immersed in cruising - that’s the whole point of our ‘Insider Series! We also love collaborating with incredible local businesses too so thank you to Popsy’s and Hoylake Parade Community Centre !

30/07/2025

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐅𝐄 𝐀𝐓 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐑𝐑𝐔𝐏 𝐂𝐀𝐘! 𝐍𝐎𝐑𝐖𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐈𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃!

Did you know Norwegian Cruise Line were the very first cruise line to develop and offer a private island? Great Stirrup Cay has been on NCL itineraries since 1977!

Of course many cruise lines now have private islands as they push to create new and unique destinations for guests and reasons for guests to book a specific cruise line! Private islands have of course developed hugely with Perfect Day at Cococay a real gamechanger when it was opened in May 2019!

However, ever the innovators, NCL have announced huge and incredibly exciting upgrades to Great Stirrup Cay, creating 'The Great Life' ! So what's happening?

Later this year NCL guests will experience the first enhancements starting with the brand new multi ship pier which means you'll get into Great Stirrup Cay every time. That cannot be underestimated. There'll be the scenic welcome plaza and an island-wide tram service that will make it easier than ever to get around the island.

The expansive 1.4-acre pool area will be complete with private ocean and pool view cabanas and villas, there'll be an an abundance of complimentary loungers and two swim-up bars; Reef Bar & Waves Bar. There'll also be Splash Harbor, a splash pad steps away from the brand-new heated pool, with interactive water fountains, aquatic features and a shaded bar and lounge for the parents to relax while the kids are at play!

𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬, 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐟 𝐉𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐬 & 𝐃𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐑𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬...
What else is coming? Great Tides Waterpark will open in Summer 2026 with 19 Waterslides, an 800 foot dynamic river, a 9000 square foot splash zone, and even... wait for it... the industry's first cliffside jumps! Yes, you heard that right... Cliffside Cove will be the home of two different cliff jumps standing at 10 and 15 feet high! Of the many waterslides there'll be the Caribbean's first family slide where four guests can slide down simultaneously! There's even a hidden Cave Bar in this area too!

There's so many little touches and they are thinking of everything - For example to make things easier on select slides there will be a convenient conveyer belt to lift your rafts to the top of the tower... saves you the effort of carrying them up yourself! The dynamic river also sounds great - a little bit faster than a lazy river, you can enter at different points and a highlight of it will be an illuminated grotto tunnel featuring a "dreamlike bioluminescent scene for the ultimate multi-sensory experience" (so NCL tell us!!)!

All in all this is incredibly exciting and as guests ourselves who missed out on Great Stirrup Cay on Christmas Day of all days back in 2019...we now definitely need to go back to experience it all ourselves... !!

Norwegian Cruise Line Ncl Cruise Blog

29/07/2025

𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓 - 𝐖𝐄’𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐃𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐔𝐒𝐓!

Here at The Cruise Room we’re always reviewing and thinking how we can get even better for our guests! How do we cater better for you all whether you’re an instore guest or a guest further afield? How do we further improve the instore experience, how can we get new quotation requests back to you consistently more quickly, how do we add even more value to you with more and more guests trusting us to take care of them which we hugely appreciate!

We know many guests like to have appointments so how do we make that experience even better?

So, we’re going to tweak things in August on a trial basis! Monday - Friday will remain our usual walk in service however on Saturdays we will be available only on an appointment basis for anyone with a new enquiry or those making a booking!

We’re going to have more crew in Monday to Friday in August which will mean more crew to take care of you, more crew to work on enquiries getting them back to you even more quickly, more crew to look after everyone needing support on their existing bookings.

Then on Saturday we’ll only be in store if we have an appointment with no more than 2 appointments at any one time and in many cases an exclusive appointment so you’re the only guests in store. This will ensure even more time to take care of you in a calmer environment - important for all of you first time cruisers or those looking at building that bucket list trip with lots of complication! When not working with our guests in store at those appointments we can be working off site to ensure we’re on top of everything else including some exciting new projects… more to be revealed … 👀

Don’t worry… we’re still here when you need us! We’ll remain connected to support you at all hours. However if Saturday is best for you during August then just reach out and get yourself booked in for an appointment to avoid disappointment.

Oh and don’t forget we’re recruiting for experienced crew so we can continue to grow to meet demand! See our post pinned on this page if you think you might want to join us!

Let’s see how we go in August … thank you for your understanding and support as we strive to be even better for you! 💙

Thank you!

Robbie, Jonathan & The Crew

27/07/2025

𝐈𝐓'𝐒 𝐒𝐎 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐃, 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐋𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐋𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐈𝐓, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐁𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐂 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐘𝐓𝐇𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆!

Our recent conference in Svalbard with CLIA - Cruise Lines International Association really brought Expedition cruising to life for us. In talking to guests in the days leading up to the conference and since we returned we have come across these common misconceptions - so lets rip them up for you straight away!

𝐌𝐲𝐭𝐡 - 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐬 𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫!
We totally get this - the iconic images are always Polar Bears in the Arctic and Penguins in the Antarctica and we absolutely want and need to do both! However we already knew our Jonathan is more of a warm weather person... so what does this mean? It means that warm weather expeditions such as Galapagos (mid to high twenties this week), the Kimberley in Australia, French Polynesia from Tahiti, South Africa, Costa Rica with Panama and many more are all warm weather destinations for Expedition Cruising! You can even River Expedition Cruise to places like the Magdalena River or the Mekong River!

𝐌𝐲𝐭𝐡 - 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐎𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐅𝐢𝐭 𝐓𝐨 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐞!
Another common one - we were surprised at just how easy it was getting on and off the zodiacs for example and if you can manage that then Expedition cruising is for you! The crew are very helpful to and support you on and off so as long as you can take a step, as long as you can sit on a zodiac (you can) then you can Expedition Cruise! If you want to snorkel, if you want to climb, if you want to kayak then all these things are possible but you do not have to and you'll have an incredible immersive experience just heading out on zodiacs. We heard stories of a lady of 90 doing a polar plunge... another lady of similar age just staying on zodiacs, another guest in a wheelchair taking in the incredible sights.

𝐌𝐲𝐭𝐡 - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜...
Like all forms of cruising - you can have as much or as little as you wish! If you want Butler Service, All inclusive premium drinks, world class dining experiences then you absolutely can have that and more... if you don't want that then there are cruise lines and ships for you! On this conference all the ships we stepped onboard were great, all different, lots to love on them all but they were all at slightly different levels. Swan Hellenic for example was wonderfully luxurious, we've experienced Silversea Ocean ships before and even been onboard Seabourn Venture overnight - all ultra luxury experiences! However, you can't tell us that the other ships we were on were basic in any way... Quark Expeditions, Aurora Expeditions ships were fantastic with even more focus on the expedition and the expedition crew! There's something for everyone... we can tailor to what you want...!

𝐌𝐲𝐭𝐡 - 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐌𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐓𝐨 𝐃𝐨 𝐎𝐧𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝...
So this is where having a good conversation about how you like to cruise is important and then we can match the experience! Cruise lines like Swan Hellenic, Ponant, Atlas Ocean Voyages have a more 'ocean cruise' slant so all the features you know and love will be there such as show lounges, entertainers, pools and more. Atlas Ocean Voyages have fantastic culinary expedition cruises in the Mediterranean where you'll get guest chefs giving demonstrations onboard. However across most ships you're going to have access to things like saunas and steam rooms, gyms, fascinating talks and lectures with your expedition crew members and of course depending on the itineraries you're going to be experiencing incredible ice landings, beautiful islands, the worlds nature, cultural experiences in local communities and much much more... A lot of the ships have open Bridge policies too and being in the Bridge, talking to the crew was incredibly interesting!

𝐌𝐲𝐭𝐡 - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐁𝐞 𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲, 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬, 𝐇𝐮𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 & 𝐖𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐅𝐢𝐭 𝐈𝐧...
We often hear worries like this about all types of cruising and it really is a myth. Expedition Cruising is really attracting a huge range of guests and guess what you'll all be there with the same interests and motivations - so already you'll have lots in common and lots to bond over. We're seeing a range of ages, a range of backgrounds booking expedition cruising but all want something a little deeper, something with a little more connection, something a little more educational... and all of you will make memories to last a lifetime together! There's also a huge number of solo cruisers taking expeditions and cruise lines such as AE Expeditions have recognised this - 10 staterooms on every expedition have zero single supplement! Extraordinary!

𝐌𝐲𝐭𝐡 - 𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐨 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐎𝐟 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠...
Ok, we worried over this and we'll do something on this in a different post! The reality is no, you don't! It of course depends where you're going and how long you're going for but many cruise lines will provide a jacket for example, you'll be allocated boots too onboard so that's taken care of! You don't need to go and buy lots and lots of new clothing... unless you wish to of course in which case... go and enjoy!!! Lots of guests love booking a cruise as they want to go and get a new wardrobe!! Part of the fun!! 🙂 We're not here to stop you however cruise lines will also guide you as to what is and what isn't required ... layers are always good for cold weather itineraries! Don't let it overwhelm you or make it feel daunting, it really doesn't need to be!

𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐓𝐨 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤...
Talk to us... that's the advice! It's really important to get a sense of what you want to get from your experience, how you like to holiday, what preconceptions you have and lets work through them!

Important to note that we have guests who would strongly feel they are not cruisers... and will never go on bigger ships... but do take Expeditions as it's the best way to experience the parts of the world they want to see...

We hope this helps! Attached is a small selection of images from our recent conference across various cruise lines and Svalbard... much more to come this week as we focus on the cruise lines we experience in Svalbard!

CLIA Europe

25/07/2025

BREAKING - PRINCESS CRUISES ROW BACK SLIGHTLY ON PLUS PACKAGES - NOW TO INCLUDE UNLIMITED SPECIALITY COFFEE & TEA!

We’re going to recap exactly what is and what isn’t in the Princess Cruises Plus & Premier packages again tomorrow including what’s been removed as it’s all got very complicated hasn’t it?

If a package is SOOO complicated we personally think that’s a problem!

Anyway this evening Princess have confirmed that the Plus package which was capped at 15 drinks (except water) will still be capped at 15 drinks but speciality coffees and teas will now be unlimited…

So… unlimited speciality teas and coffees… 12 still or sparkling waters a day… and 15 other drinks a day (alcoholic and nonalcoholic) except cans of soda for reasons that remain unknown!!

There you go… that’s the news! Better than we were an hour ago so it’s good news but if you’re constantly having to count what you’ve had to stay under limits then that’s … not ideal! The obvious of course is to upgrade to Princess Premier at £75pp / £80pp per day but does that mean pricing becomes the levels of other premium and even luxury cruise lines with other reasons to book them? Perhaps… 😉

On the flip side it’s still extraordinary value compared to other cruise lines that are just offering drinks or drinks and wi-fi for similar price points…

Food for thought! 🤔

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