The Cruise Room Ireland

The Cruise Room Ireland Welcome to The Cruise Room Ireland! Now a multi award winning agency with an office in Belfast (launching November 2024) alongside our Merseyside store!
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Recent winners of Best Independent Cruise Agency at prestigious WAVE awards! Not your average agency! This is an independent page not affiliated to any travel agency, tour operator or cruise line and all opinions posted by the page are strictly our own. But that does allow us to tell it like we see it... :-)

𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑 & 𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 - 𝐂𝐀𝐍'𝐓 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐀 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐄? 𝐃𝐎 𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 ...
23/08/2025

𝐀𝐍 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐔𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐘 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑 & 𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 - 𝐂𝐀𝐍'𝐓 𝐃𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐃𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐀 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐑 𝐀𝐍 𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐄? 𝐃𝐎 𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐇 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 & 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐍!

We can't tell you how much we love this idea - an industry first collaboration of 2 of our favourite cruise lines, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises & Seabourn (we're not allowed favourites but...)

There are so many of you who have wondered about a river cruise but not quite yet been brave enough to step onboard. River cruising is the ultimate city break and with pre-post cruise stays, some incredible land packages around some of the worlds most incredible rivers, this is so much more than sitting sedately watching the world go by (though we sometimes like that too!!)

This unique collaboration between these 2 luxury brands will see you board S.S. La Venezia in Venice with privileged access to hidden gems, then continue in ultra-luxury on Seabourn Quest to the stunning Croatia, Montenegro and the Greek Isles. All seamlessly integrated. The very best of both. So if you're unsure whether to do a river or an ocean next Summer then this makes the decision easy... you can do both!

𝐒.𝐒. 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐳𝐢𝐚:
Every Uniworld ship is designed with influence from the region it will be cruising in. So on S.S. Venezia you'll enjoy Fortuny fabrics, Murano glass, gilded accents, art from Italian artists and more all inspired by Northern Italy. There are just 126 guests taken care of by 43 crew and you'll start with an overnight in the Venice Lagoon, making S.S. Venezia one of the most incredible 'hotels' in Venice, before taking in Mazzorbo, Burano, Chioggia before a last night in Venice!

𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭:
Seabourn offer intimate ships with a relaxed yacht like experience onboard and Seabourn Quest will take just 458 guests at full occupancy visiting some of the worlds most beautiful and interesting ports. Like Uniworld, it's not formal, not stuffy, just relaxed small ship luxury. This beautiful itinerary will see you embark in Fusina before visiting Vodice (For Sibenik), Kotor, Corfu, Sami in Cephalonia and Nafplion before finishing in Athens.

𝐒𝐨 𝐌𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐝:
Where to start? Deep breath... flights, transfers, award winning dining, unlimited beverages, gratuities, Wi-Fi, onboard lectures, entertainment and enrichment, personal service and on Uniworld you'll even enjoy immersive daily shore excursions AND VIP evening experiences ... how about a private after-hours lighting ceremony inside St. Mark’s Basilica? Yes, that sort of VIP experience!

𝐀𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝟓𝟎% 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐝!
Despite launching just days ago these initial 2 sailings on the 5th July 2026 & 30th August 2026 are now 50% sold already! Bearing in mind that the Uniworld ship takes just 126 guests it doesn't leave a huge amount of time before this sells out.

More information and pricing can be found over on our private offers only group The Cruise Room Ireland - Future Cruise and of course if we can help you get onboard, please just step onboard!

What do you think about the idea? Would you like to do a river cruise and an ocean cruise back to back? Which cruise lines would you like to see collaborating? Let us know in the comments...

𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃! 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒.𝐒.𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐄 & 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄!Although I (Robbie he...
22/08/2025

𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃! 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒.𝐒.𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐈𝐄 & 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄!

Although I (Robbie here) was on a very quick family visit in Dublin yesterday, I couldn't miss taking the opportunity to meet with Brian from Uniworld Boutique River Cruises. We sat in the lovely Hilton Kilmainham and it is a great hotel though somehow it would have been more fitting to sit in the unique, iconic, historic The Shelbourne, as that would have been more slightly more aligned to the Uniworld fittings, fixtures, ambience and experience you'll receive!

Anyway we enjoyed a brilliant meeting talking all things Uniworld; their Spectacular Journeys Collection, their brand new ships and all the very exciting things happening across the river cruise industry right now.

One thing is clear - a journey with Uniworld is so much more than a river cruise with so many incredible experiences possible in and around your river cruise... talk to us about the pre and post stays possible in Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi and Siem Reap around a Mekong river cruise! Ask us about the incredible Golden Triangle itinerary in India with a Ganges River cruise... you can even include the iconic Maharajas Express Train journey. Or how about Peru where you can cruise the Ucayali and Marañón Rivers in the Amazon before taking a land trip to Machu Picchu! We'll share about River Cruise Expeditions in further posts (because a river cruise can be an expedition too!)

For now we touched on the new ships that Uniworld are delivering in the next couple of years - S.S. Emilie will arrive in 2026 with a further 3 ships set to arrive in 2027 as Uniworld set about modernising the fleet. What was really important and we discussed was how important it was for Uniworld to not lose what makes their ships unique - each ship is individually designed with materials to reflect the river they are cruising on.... we've been assured this will definitely be the case and when you look at these images of the new S.S. Emilie then you'll be assured! There is no desire to churn out replica after replica - each Uniworld ship is different, does immerse you in the region and that's part of the attraction for us!

S.S. Emilie will be inspired by master Viennese painter Gustav Klimt. In his honor, they are naming the vessel after his beloved muse, Emilie Flöge. The vessel will see 57 crew cater for 154 guests as you cruise the Danube but what we also love is that there are some different itineraries - in particular Vienna to Belgrade with an overnight in Belgrade as well as calls at Novi Sad in Serbia & Batina, Ilok in Croatia!

Lots more Uniworld to share but for now take a look at these new renders for S.S. Emilie and please just reach out so that we can help you on your first or next river cruise experience... oh and as ever we love to hear what you think in the comments...

𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐋𝐔𝐗𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐒 𝐔𝐒 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝟒 𝐋𝐔𝐗𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐔𝐊 & 𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃! ...
19/08/2025

𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐀𝐒𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄 𝐋𝐔𝐗𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐒 𝐔𝐒 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝟒 𝐋𝐔𝐗𝐔𝐑𝐘 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐔𝐊 & 𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐃!

We’ve had a very exciting and proud day here at The Cruise Room! For the very first time we’ve been shortlisted in the prestigious Aspire Luxury Awards …

We’ve been shortlisted as one of U.K. & Irelands Top 4 Luxury Cruise Agencies…

This is an awards programme we have been working towards for over a year so this is a big day for us!

These awards are the pinnacle of luxury travel and we’re proud to be in this company, amongst companies at the top of this industry for decades…

This is the FIFTEENTH time we’ve shortlisted for a U.K. & Ireland travel award… in just over 4 years… which is just mindblowing for us… we’ll never get our heads around it!

We’ll stop talking … but thank you thank you thank you all for supporting and trusting us! We appreciate you more than you’ll ever know!

Robbie, Jonathan & The Crew

Aspire Travel Weekly

𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐀 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 - 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐎 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒! We experienced 6 different c...
19/08/2025

𝐂𝐋𝐈𝐀 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐄 - 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐎 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒!

We experienced 6 different cruise ships at the first ever CLIA - Cruise Lines International Association Expedition Conference and it was incredibly valuable! We actually experienced 1 existing Quark Expeditions ship (Ocean Explorer) and 1 future Quark Expeditions ship (World Explorer) as they are taking a cruise ship from another cruise line (Atlas Ocean Voyages) and Quarkify it! (Yes that is now a word... we're not sure Susie Dent would agree but lets run with it!

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐃𝐎 𝐖𝐄 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒?
Quark Expeditions were born in 1991 and are focused only on the Polar Regions! Some would even say that Quark Expeditions "invented consumer polar expedition travel" when it visited the North Pole in that year!

𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐈 𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒?
Quark are focused on the Polar Regions, that's where they specialise so you'll find itineraries in:

🔹 The Arctic - Svalbard, Greenland, Iceland & The Canadian Arctic
🔹 The Antarctic - Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia, Falkland Islands, Snow Hill & Patagonia

𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐘 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏𝐒 𝐃𝐎 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄?
Quark have 3 ships... they have a 4th joining but 1 is leaving - details as follows....

𝐔𝐋𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐄
Our newest and most advanced ship
Dual helicopters, 20 quick-deploy Zodiacs, and luxurious onboard amenities
Capacity: 199 passengers
Ice Class: PC6

𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐑
Capacity: 138 guests
Features: State-of-the-art technology, expansive suites, forward-facing observation lounges
Great for: Premium comfort and wildlife viewing
Ice Class 1A PC6

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐑 (LEAVING THE FLEET AFTER THE 2025/2026 ANTARCTIC SEASON)
Capacity: 172 guests
Features: Every suite has either a private walk-out or French balcony for direct ocean views
Ice Class: 1B

𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃 𝐕𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐆𝐄𝐑 (JOINING THE FLEET FOR THE 26/27 ANTARCTIC SEASON)
Capacity:168
Features: World Voyager—the newest addition to our fleet— is a modern expedition ship built for science and discovery. We would also add to this - this ship has a slightly more traditional cruise ship feel about it so may be a nice way to balance 'expeditioning' with the cruise ship experience you may be more familiar with!
Ice Class:1B

𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐖𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐈 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐒𝐄 𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐊 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒?
Quark Expeditions would point to several reasons. For example there's the quality and experience of it's Expedition Team stating "Our team of polar experts is made up of the most seasoned, passionate and respected guides in the industry."

Importantly, with the largest Expedition Team in the industry Quark Expeditions would say that they get you off the ship more than other cruise line and more quickly which is of course critical when nature sightings may be so fleeting!

Finally with Quark you can see these regions in many different ways - in a helicopter, Zodiac or kayak, biking, camping, hiking... all designed to truly immerse yourself in the regions.

𝐖𝐄'𝐑𝐄 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍...
There's obviously a lot to consider when it comes to Expedition Cruising but that's equally true of Ocean Cruising or River Cruising ... but that's why we are here to help as a dedicated cruise specialist, that's why we work with the worlds cruise lines, that's part of what makes us unique !! Just step onboard if we can help you with your first (or next) Expedition experience...

𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐓𝐎 𝐍𝐈 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐋 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐕𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐘! 𝐖𝐄’𝐑𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓! The Cruise Ro...
18/08/2025

𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐊 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐓𝐎 𝐍𝐈 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐋 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐕𝐀𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐘! 𝐖𝐄’𝐑𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓!

The Cruise Room Ireland is recruiting an experienced cruise loving agent to join our award winning crew on a part time basis … we’re looking for someone who may be looking to step out of the shadows in their current agency to lead our growth in Northern Ireland based in our Cruise Lounge in Titanic Quarter! 👀

A huge thank you to NI Travel Trade News for sharing our news today… click on the link for more information!

https://nitravelnews.com/jobs/join-the-crew-the-cruise-room/

It’s time to step onboard…

CLIA Europe CLIA - Cruise Lines International Association NI Travel Trade News & Events

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!

𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍? 𝐀 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐁𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐏 ...
11/08/2025

𝐖𝐇𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐂𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍? 𝐀 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐁𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 𝐒𝐔𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐒 𝐑𝐎𝐘𝐀𝐋 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐍 𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐏 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐍!

Way back in 2018 & 2019 Celebrity Cruises home ported out of Dublin Port Company in what was a major advance for the Irish Cruise Industry! Then in 2019 Dublin Port decided to change direction suddenly after significant investment, Covid happened and the rest is history!

However we are now seeing ships call into Dublin Port again along with Dun Laoghaire as well as many great ports across the country like Port of Cork, Belfast and even Killybegs, Waterford, Galway and more...!We are very lucky to have such a big cruise season in Ireland although of course why wouldn't guests want to visit here? They absolutely do!

For us here though who want to cruise from Ireland things are a lot more limited! Ambassador Cruise Line / JMG Cruise have a handful of sailings from Belfast and we would urge you all to look at these - a super smaller ship with some brilliant pricing. There are other occasional sailings, maybe from Silversea, maybe from Azamara, they do exist but are few and far between!

So, this interview with Royal Caribbean's Gerard Nolan, vice president of EMEA at Royal Caribbean, really caught our attention - Mr Nolan stating that the Royal Caribbean group would like to home port in the Irish capital again. Celebrity Cruises of course are part of the Royal Caribbean group along with Silversea and Royal Caribbean themselves...

Now, we don't suddenly expect Icon of the Seas in Dublin sailing to the Mediterranean next Summer... that sort of thing is just not going to happen in our lifetime...! Cruises are also planned 2 to 3 years ahead so that also has to be remembered. BUT the fact it's on a radar is something that should give us all hope... any options, even another handful of sailings will make such a difference to cruising in Ireland and lead to real growth... interesting times ahead perhaps...

You can read the The Business Post article here (you just need to do a free sign up to access!):

💚 https://www.businesspost.ie/companies/royal-caribbean-targets-return-of-cruise-liners-to-dublin-port/

Excursions Ireland

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

𝐒𝐎 𝐌𝐔𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒; 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐎𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐔𝐑, 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄’𝐒 𝐏𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐔𝐄 𝐏𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐅𝐈𝐂 𝐑𝐈𝐌! It’...
07/08/2025

𝐒𝐎 𝐌𝐔𝐂𝐇 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐒; 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐃𝐀𝐘 𝐎𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐓 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 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!! 😛

𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀, 𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐀, 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐁𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐍, 𝐀𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀… 𝐁𝐄𝐂𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐒𝐖𝐀𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐂 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒𝐍’𝐓 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐃… We’ll talk a lot ...
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

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

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