What are the opening hours?

Monday 8:30am - 8pm Tuesday 8:30am - 8pm Wednesday 8:30am - 8pm Thursday 8:30am - 8pm Friday 8:30am - 8pm Saturday 9am - 5pm Sunday 10am - 5pm

http://www.gocruiseandtravel/rochester, https://fjordscruise.co.uk/

GoCruise and Travel with Rich Rochester, Hedge End, Southampton (2026)

05/06/2026

🌎IMPORTANT TRAVEL ALERT – USA ESTA HOLDERS, PLEASE READ!

If you're planning a trip to the USA and already have an ESTA approved, please check it is still valid before you travel. ✈️

There has been a significant change to the ESTA application rules around photos and it's catching thousands of travellers off guard.

What's changed?

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has clarified that when applying for an ESTA, you must upload a fresh, original photograph of your face, taken specifically for the application. This means a clear, recent selfie-style photo with a plain light background, no glasses, no filters, and good even lighting.

What was the problem?

Many people were uploading a scan or photo of the passport photo page from their passport. This is no longer acceptable and CBP has been cancelling previously approved ESTAs as a result, even ones that were granted a while ago. Reports from travel agents and cruise lines have flagged dozens of people being denied boarding because their ESTA showed as cancelled. 😬

What should you do RIGHT NOW?

✅ Go to the official ESTA website: esta.cbp.dhs.gov
✅ Check the status of your ESTA
✅ If it has been cancelled, you'll need to reapply with a correct, original photo
✅ Allow up to 72 hours for a new application to be processed
✅ Do NOT leave this until the day before you fly!

This is especially important for:

🚢 Cruise passengers (you can be denied boarding)
✈️ Anyone flying into the US
🛳️ Those joining a cruise that calls at a US port

An ESTA is valid for 2 years or until your passport expires (whichever comes first), but with these new rules, validity is no longer a guarantee if your original photo didn't meet the requirements.

Spread the word and share this post so friends and family with US trips planned don't get caught out at the airport! 🙏

04/06/2026

I'm heading to the CLIA Conference in Southampton for the next 3 days and I genuinely cannot wait. For me, this is what it's all about - deepening knowledge, getting under the skin of new products, and building real relationships with the operators. Those connections are everything when it comes to finding the perfect cruise for my clients.

Being part of CLIA isn't just a certification, it's a commitment to being a true expert in the cruise field, and something my clients really value when they're trusting me with their holiday.

And to top it all off... I've just found out I've been shortlisted for CLIA Master of the Year at the Travel Weekly Agent Achievement Awards 2026 in July 🏆

28/05/2026

Fantastic price for an 11 night cruise in October. Flights can be added if required.

Set sail from Civitavecchia and explore the delights of the Mediterranean with Cunard's Queen Victoria. Enjoy days at sea, and stops in Palma de Mallorca, Cartagena and more to soak in the sun and culture.

📆 5 October 2026
😴 11 nights
🛳️ V620
✨ from £899pp, cruise fare only
⌛ Low deposit from £50pp when booked before 23 June 2026 (T&Cs apply)
🚢 Civitavecchia (tours to Rome), Italy > Sea day > Palma De Mallorca, Spain > Sea day > Cartagena, Spain > Malaga, Spain > Sea day > Lisbon, Portugal > Sea day > La Coruna, Spain > Sea day > Southampton

24/05/2026

Enchanted Princess sailing from Kotor yesterday.

Does anyone recognise the tune from her horn 🎶 🥰

24/05/2026

Day 6 - Kotor and home

I woke shortly before the alarm and headed out onto the balcony. We’d already entered the Bay of Kotor. There was an eerie calm as the ship glided through the water. If you’ve ever been on a Norwegian Fjords cruise then it wasn’t too dissimilar to cruising through a fjord. It was a special sail in and I was pleased I woke up and witnessed it. Kotor is a tender port and a fairly long journey to the pier.

We had some last minute packing to do as our cases needed to be outside our stateroom by 9am. We were still in time to head down to the Amalfi dining room for our final breakfast.

We had a meeting time of 11:30 to meet the rest of the group to disembark the ship and meet our transfer coach. Our luggage was already on the tender for us and after the 10+ minute tender to the pier we collected our luggage and passports and boarded the coach after saying goodbye to those of the group either extending their stay in Kotor or travelling back to Dubrovnik for regional flights to the UK.

Tivat airport is only about a 15 minute transfer away and it’s such small airport - we were too early to check in so everyone ended up in the one and only cafe/bar which was pleasant in the sun. Once we’d checked in and passed security the departure lounge was very basic, not many seats, a duty free shop and that’s about it. No where to get a drink or something to eat (other than a bottle of something and some crisps).

Flight was on time and we boarded swiftly. After take off we were treated to some amazing views and able to see the Enchanted Princess.

Back at Heathrow we collected our luggage and called the meet and greet company for our car as instructed and by the time we got to level 4 in the short stay car park our car was arriving all shiny after a valet. I’d certainly recommend the ParkAir service for parking at Heathrow. Nothing to do with them but the near 40 minutes it took to exits the car park - I think purely down to volume of traffic wasn’t the best.

Final thoughts…… we’ve had a great time sampling a new cruise line. I’d have no hesitation in recommending a Princess cruise to anyone. The food selection was varied especially in the buffet restaurant with so much choice. We loved the Princess Plus package which is so much more than just a drinks package (costing £50 per person per day) which gave us the drinks, the crew appreciation (gratuities), Wi-Fi and also 4 casual dining meals. I think next time we’d have the Premier package for an extra £25 as it does give you a lot more including unlimited access to the speciality dining venues (normally around $55 each).

For me personally it was lovely to spend time with my fellow GoCruise and Travel colleagues and sharing our experiences and best practice tips. I’ve strengthened relationships that will help me going forward. I’ve not really mention too much about our Brand Ambassadors but we were lucky to spend a fair bit of time especially yesterday on our way home with Cathie Rowe (winners of season 3 of Race Across the World) and she is such a fascinating lady with some wonderful stories.

23/05/2026

Day 5 - Dubrovnik

This morning we arrived early into Dubrovnik, we appear to be the only ship in port today which is nice.

We had room service breakfast again this morning as I had to be up in the Wedding Chapel early to take part in a podcast, talking all things GoCruise and Travel and what it’s like owning your own travel business. It all went very smooth and once it was done we headed off the ship and ventured into the centre. Princess offer a transfer at a cost of $23 per person return, whilst this appears to be expensive on the face of it, when there’s just the two of us it was comparable to a taxi. Some of the group caught taxis, others Ubers (slightly cheaper) and heard of one couple catching the local bus at a fraction of the cost, but they did say it was very squashed and hot. We were happy with the transfer as we hopped on it at the bottom of the gangway which was convenient. If there were the four of us we would catch a cab for sure.

We last visited Dubrovnik 15 years ago, and if I’m honest not a lot has changed. It probably has but it seemed very familiar. We didn’t want to pay to walk the walls, instead we had a lovely walk around the side streets and along the harbour wall. We bumped into members of our group and stopped and had a chat. On our walk back to the shuttle we picked up a very tasty ice cream as the sun was belting down on us today.

As we are only on Enchanted Princess for part of its 7 night itinerary and disembarking tomorrow we were required to take our passports to the immigration officer in the terminal building to go through the EES formalities. Sad times having to think about leaving as we’ve started to feel relaxed.

After a lunch in the buffet we decided to go back to the stateroom to start the packing and sit on the balcony as the sun was on our side of the ship. Well that was the intention….. we ordered some drinks to be delivered and I laid on the bed with a film on and then woke up a couple of hours later - these late nights catching up on me. Katy said the balcony was so hot, so she kept flitting in between the coolness of the stateroom and the balcony.

Our pre-dinner drinks this evening were in a sectioned off area of the Wake Bar. What a perfect setting as we sailed out of Dubrovnik to reflect on what has been a successful GoCruise and Travel group trip.

Dinner this evening was in The Crown Grill, we were on a table of 6 and the time flew by with good food and company. I over indulged though as I had the Porter House steak and no word of a lie it was the size of the plate.

Popped in to the Vista Lounge to see the 80’s party night which was in full swing but knowing we have an early start in the morning as we’ve been told the sail into Kotor is something to watch - alarm set for 5:30.

22/05/2026

Day 4 - Corfu

This morning we wanted to try the main dining room for breakfast. This is something that we’ve adopted over the last few years and generally don’t go to the buffet. We find it’s very much the same food but served to you. It was a very nice breakfast in a very quiet dining room. Service was as you’d expect and we were sat at the aft of the ship so could watch Seven Seas Grandeur coming into dock alongside.

We decided to walk into Corfu Old Town from the port, we had a few ships in today with us so expected it to be fairly busy. The walk from the dock gate to the Old Town was no more than 30 minutes. We arrived fairly early as many shops were still opening. Our plan had been to find the Starbucks to purchase the obligatory mug for my collection then find somewhere in the shade for a drink. We always like to support the local economy and find having a few drinks whilst out and about is a good way to do this. However, today it seemed a little odd that we passed a number of bars/restaurants that were closed, the more we walked round the old town it was apparent that there were none open. The shops were though. Coincidently as we’d been walking round we’d seen a large police presence and people in army uniform etc and wondered if the two were connected. It turns out it was a national holiday to celebrate the unification of the Ionion Islands to Greece and it was decided that all the hospitality establishments would use the day to strike! Later in the day we saw a bit of an airshow from the deck - something you don’t see every day.

We headed back to the ship and in search of an iced coffee! I must say getting on and off the ship in the ports has been very efficient and we’ve not encountered any queuing, which is always a bonus.

For lunch we decided to try the buffet restaurant on deck 16. It had not long opened for lunch and what was on offer meant we were spoilt for choice.

The next couple of hours we spent between the subbed, pool and hot tubs. Plenty of liquid refreshment to keep us hydrated too. We had been invited to a tour of the galley this afternoon and this was very interesting. The galley we looked round was the one that caters for the Amalfi and Capri Restaurants and is the largest on board. It’s amazing to see what is produced in relatively small space.

I was planning on heading back to the stateroom for a little nap but got waylaid in O’Malley’s listening to the music whilst having a couple of Guinness’s.

Dinner was in Amalfi’s this evening and was another good meal, I love the French Onion soup on here.

After dinner we came across the silent disco in the Piazza and everyone had fun singing and dancing along, this was followed by a Beatles tribute performance which kept the dance floor full.

Tomorrow we will be in Dubrovnik…..

21/05/2026

Day 3 - At Sea

Room service breakfast this morning, I’d say the selection for breakfast isn’t as good as some other cruise lines but as long as there’s coffee on the tray I’m happy. We ate out on the balcony in glorious sunshine before 8am.

This morning I had some business sessions to attend with GoCruise and Travel and of course Princess. Once they were completed we were privileged to be taken on a tour of the backstage of the theatre. Wow, the amount of organisation that goes on backstage is amazing, not only did we stand in the wings and on the stage we also ventured into the dressing rooms which are located over 3 levels. It’s always interesting being on these tours and the production manager and team answered lots of questions from the group.

Lunch was at Gigi’s Pizzeria by Alfredo, it was very pleasant looking out as we passed through the Messina Strait. The Calzone was delicious. This is a casual dining venue which is chargeable but as we have the Princess Plus package we get 4 visits to the casual dining venues included.

A quick visit back to the stateroom to change and then up on deck for a bit of sun and relaxation. We found some sunbeds overlooking the wake of the ship and we had the perfect view of Mount Etna as we sailed past.

I’d been invited on a tour of the bridge this afternoon so I left Katy soaking up the sun and reading her book and went along to our meeting point. We were very lucky to be granted access to the bridge and a tour was conducted by Sophie, the deck cadet. It’s a very small world as she is one of Barney’s friends from his course - and she was blown away when I said to her who I was and so we had to of course take a selfie and send it to him.

It’s non stop today as then it was back to the stateroom to get ready for the formal night as we had a cocktail party at 6pm in Crooners off the Piazza. Our group was split into two this evening with half dining in Sabatini’s and the other in The Catch by Rudi. We were at the latter, it’s a speciality seafood restaurant. Anyone that knows me will know I’m not the biggest fan of seafood lovers but wow, this was an experience and the presentation of some of the dishes was so impressive. I started with the Ole’ Prawns, then the Sea and Shore (surf n turf) and finished with Pavlova - all first class. We also had a visit at the table from the Captain and a couple of his senior officers which was unexpected.

After dinner we found a quiet spot in the Crown Grill bar and joined by one of our brand ambassadors Cathie - winner of Race Across the World (series 3). Unfortunately her travelling partner Trish was meant to be with us too but she had to remain in the UK at the last minute. Cathie kept us entertained with stories of her time of the show and some behind the scenes stories too. You wouldn’t believe what goes on behind the camera when making the series.

Tomorrow is Corfu, and it’s a relatively short visit as we need to be back onboard by 15:30 so want to get a decent sleep as all this socialising and having fun is tiring 😂

20/05/2026

Day 2 - Rome to Civitavecchia

After what felt like a short sleep the alarm was going off. That feeling when you wake and realise that it’s cruise day.

We had an Executive room at the Hilton and this meant that we had access to the Executive Lounge where tea and coffee was served from 7am. Also included was breakfast in the main restaurant so we joined a fellow franchisee and enjoyed a very leisurely breakfast - there was so much choice I was overwhelmed and kept it simple with a bacon roll and some fruit - knowing the next few days there’s going to be lots of food to try.

We had a private taxi booked from the hotel to the port with ROMA CAB and our driver was waiting outside to pick us up - we felt very special as we had an executive vehicle, the only thing missing was a glass of fizz 😂 If you’re looking for a transfer company from Rome to Civitavecchia then I can recommend this one. Something to bear in mind with the port is that only taxis with a permit can enter the dock area (others have to drop you at the port gate), Fabio pulled up alongside a fairly quiet terminal and we were out of the car, luggage collected by a porter and directed through security in the blink of an eye. We were onboard the Enchanted Princess well within 10 minutes of stepping out of the taxi.

We were onboard just after 10:30 and before we could register at our muster station! So straight up to deck 16 in search of our first drink of the day! It was a glorious day, sun was shining and we were onboard and in chill mode. More of our GoCruise group started to arrive and it was great to catch up with them.

A nice lunch from the Salty Dog grill before we got a message from Barney saying that they had just let go lines and leaving for Valencia, so we went up on deck and managed to see his ship leave the harbour. Weird feeling being so close to him but not able to see him.

We had a chilled afternoon of unpacking and exploring the ship. A good mix of nationalities onboard and it’s interesting to see the difference in how people ‘holiday’. On a British ship it seems like everyone has the same plan but here it seems less like that and people are all doing their own things.

We had a private cocktail party at sailaway, we caught up with everyone. The thing with running your own franchise is it’s quite isolating at times and so events like this are great for coming together and meeting new people and building or strengthening relationships.

Dinner in the Amalfi dining room was very good, plenty of laughs. Unfortunately my selection of crème brute for dessert was sold out but the waiters recommendation of a pistachio little number was a great substitute - alongside the obligatory cheese plate 🤣

Everyone was tired and most headed off for a relatively early night as tomorrow morning we have our business sessions. A couple of us managed another hour or so and had a nightcap in one of the bars adjacent to the Piazza.

Sea day tomorrow and looking forward to experiencing what Princess has to offer.

19/05/2026

So we’ve made it to Rome.

Our flight flight from Heathrow was early evening so we were at the airport a bit too early really, but it’s better to be there and relaxed as opposed to be being stuck on the M25!

This time we used Parkair for our parking and very impressed. Instructions were very clear for drop off, had a message the night before with more details and someone was there waiting for us.

Through bag drop and security extremely quickly and sat having a drink in less than 20 minutes from leaving the car.

Terminal 5 at Heathrow has a good selection of restaurants to choose from and we had an enjoyable meal before having a mooch round the duty free shops.

Our flight was a little late pushing back. Good flight with British Airways and we only landed 10 minutes after our scheduled arrival time.

A bonus for us was that on approach into Rome we had a view of Civitavecchia port and could see our son Barney’s ship anchored outside the port ready to dock. We won’t get to see him as he’s got a quick turnaround, but will be able to wave to him when he sails 😊

Straight through passport control but that’s when the fun started. Katy’s case was on the carousel very quickly, mine over an hour later!! Thankfully having AirTags I knew the case was at the airport with us but it seems it took a sightseeing tour of Rome on its journey from plane to carousel 😂

We booked the Hilton Rome Airport hotel which is about a 10 minute walk from arrivals by covered walkway. Straight to sleep as tomorrow we are up for our transfer to to the port to join Enchanted Princess.

GoCruise and Travel with Rich Rochester

05/06/2026

04/06/2026

28/05/2026

24/05/2026

24/05/2026

23/05/2026

22/05/2026

21/05/2026

20/05/2026

19/05/2026

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Monday	8:30am - 8pm
Tuesday	8:30am - 8pm
Wednesday	8:30am - 8pm
Thursday	8:30am - 8pm
Friday	8:30am - 8pm
Saturday	9am - 5pm
Sunday	10am - 5pm