Untitled - World of Cruising

GARY BUCHANAN is one of cruising's most distinguished writers published regularly in national newspapers. He is the author of three books on the QE2 and was winner of the

Best River Cruise Feature category in 2014’s CLIA cruise journalism awards for his World of Cruising article on the Zambezi Queen.

JO FOLEY is a renowned author and journalist as well as our World of Spas editor, having previously edited Woman, Options, and The Observer magazine. She travels worldwide

in search of the latest spa and beauty news and reports back on the most blissful hideaways to enjoy.

DAVID FISKE is World of Cruising’s Digital Content Editor. A website developer with a passion for cruising, he took his first holiday at sea in 2009 and was hooked immediately. He

lives in South Wales with his wife and toddler son.

GREG BARBER likes to think of himself as an international man of mystery. He has Italian roots – some of which were once heavily tinted – and now spends most of his time jet-setting around the world, trying to shake off his paymasters and creditors.

LESLEY BELLEW got hooked on adventure cruising in 2008 and now travels the globe chasing stories and sunshine. She is an award-winning journalist with more than 30 years’

experience contributing to national, international and regional publications.

ANDREW MACLEAR started working with a camera when he was 16, and has been involved in documentary film-making and screen and TV writing, working in England and the USA developing and formatting drama series.

LAURA-JANE PARKER was shortlisted in the 2015 CLIA Cruise Journalism Awards for her Christmas Cruise feature published in World of Cruising and has been nominated in the 2016

awards for her feature and video blogs on Anthem of the Seas.

SUSAN PARKER has been writing about cruise shipping for 20 years, for much of that time as editor of Lloyd’s Cruise International. She has visited many of today’s latest ships

both on the water and while they were under construction.

CONTRIBUTORS

This is a sad moment for me. The last time I will write the editor’s welcome letter at the front of World of Cruising magazine. After almost two years in the job – which has

provided me with some of the most enjoyable and rewarding moments in my career so far – I am handing command to a

new editor.Louise Robinson is the first female editor in the history of

World of Cruising, and she is well qualified for the role. Editor of the Sunday Express magazine for 12 years, she says: “I

love cruising and I love magazines, so this is my dream job. It is such an exciting time in the cruise industry and I can’t wait to get started on continuing to develop the magazine and

build on our dramatically increasing circulation.”I’m proud to say that magazine subscriptions are up 35

per cent year-on-year and total circulation has grown from 10,000 when Real Response Media took over ownership almost three years ago to close to 30,000 today, so I am

handing over a publication in a very strong position. Louise has big plans to develop the magazine’s presence

online and as a mobile-friendly app, so watch this space (or should I say cyberspace?).

I’m not disappearing from the scene. Just stepping aside. I shall continue to contribute to World of Cruising as Editor at

Large. (And yes, I’ve heard all the jokes, thank you very much).Thank you to everyone at World of Cruising, all the cruise

industry who have supported us, and you, the readers. I look forward to meeting you on board a cruise ship very soon. I

might even buy you a drink.

JOHN HONEYWELLEDITOR

Welcome

EDITOR'S LETTER

MAR/APR 2016 l WORLD OF CRUISING 5

P5_Welcome.indd 5 15/02/2016 09:26

EDITORJohn Honeywell

EDITOR-DESIGNATELouise [email protected]

WORLD OF SPAS EDITOR Jo Foley

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Gary Buchanan

DIGITAL CONTENT EDITORDavid [email protected]

CRE ATIVE DIRECTORDarren Heatley

SALES DIRECTOR Chris [email protected]

SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTORPeter [email protected]

CL ASSIFIED ADVERTISINGMichelle [email protected]

MANAGING DIRECTORChris [email protected]

FOR SUBSCRIPTIONSTel. +44 (0) 208 444 2554 [email protected]

Reproduction not permitted without the express written consent of The Editor.

All efforts are made to ensure factual accuracy is correct at the time of publication.

World of Cruising magazine © 2015 (ISSN 1477-2175). Trade distribution by Marketforce (UK) Ltd.

Marketforce, 2nd Floor, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU

All additional photography: Shutterstock

5 Welcome aboard

News12 Royal Caribbean’s $5 million deal with

WWF 14 Cunard’s spectacular heritage

Features26 FAMILY CRUISING to the Bahamas on DISNEY Dream32 FAMILY CRUISING to the Caribbean on CARNIVAL Breeze38 ADVENTURE CRUISE to the Gulf of California on AZAMARA Quest46 UNDER SAIL in the Mediterranean with STAR CLIPPERS58 SHORT BREAK CRUISE to Belgium with P&O CRUISES62 RIVER CRUISE on the upper Amazon with HAIMARK68 RIVER CRUISE on the Rhine with

AMAWATERWAYS AmaSerena84 TAKE COVER Advice on travel insurance

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BRINGING YOUR HOLIDAYS TO LIFE

CORTEZ THE THRILLER

Cruising in the Gulf of California

FROM ANTIGUA TO TRINIDAD - THE BEST THAT PARADISE HAS TO OFFER

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MAKE THE MOST OF

ABU DHABIRising star is the

hottest spot for winter

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Islands in the sun Contents

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Promotions8 WIN a river cruise with SHEARINGS36 WIN a Mediterranean cruise with MSC24 EXCLUSIVE OFFER from Swan Hellenic44 EXCLUSIVE OFFER from Voyages of

Discovery

World of Spas93 Relax and get into shape94 HOT AND COLD therapy with VIKING OCEAN CRUISES

Regulars10 BEING THERE The Seychelles16 TOP 10 Caribbean island destinations78 3 OF A KIND Italian ports and their food80 LIFE ON BOARD with CARNIVAL Brand

Ambassador John Heald86 CUISINE With a legend in the WINDSTAR kitchen100 CAPTAIN GREYBEARD asks ‘Why is cruising under attack?’102 WHERE NEXT What ABU DHABI has to offer the cruise visitor106 OPINION Edwina Lonsdale always gets

you talking

COVER STORY

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BEING THERE

The Seychelles are home to some of the most luxurious and isolated hotels in the world – good enough for Prince William and his bride, who spent 10 days of their honeymoon there in 2012. The 115 islands – which also boast many of the world’s most beautiful beaches – are sprinkled

around the middle of the Indian Ocean, about 1,500 km (930 miles) from the east coast of Africa. Vallee de Mai nature reserve on Praslin lays claim to being the original Garden of Eden,

and produces the fabled coco de mer, a nut the size and shape of a woman’s buttocks.The gin-clear waters around The Seychelles are rarely visited by cruise ships, but this winter

they have been welcoming Crystal Cruises’ luxury yacht, Crystal Esprit, which can offer its 62 passengers underwater exploration – and even weddings – in a three-man submarine.

www.seychelles.travel, www.crystalcruises.co.uk


SEYCHELLESTHE

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keep up to date with all the latest from the world of cruising


Royal Caribbean Cruises has launched a $5 million partnership with the World Wildlife Fund to cement the cruise line’s commitment to ocean conservation.

The five-year deal was announced at a special event in the remote village of Donsol, in the Philippines, where WWF supports the local tourist industry’s major attraction – swimming with whale sharks, the largest fish in the world.

Royal Caribbean chose the venue partly in tribute to its 11,000 Filipino crew, who form the biggest single national group among the company’s worldwide employees.

RCL and the WWF hoped to give an international group of journalists the chance to swim with the whale sharks, which are longer than a London bus. Inauspiciously, on an untypically cool and cloudy day, the giant creatures were reluctant to co-operate and stayed away.

The partnership’s first visible effect is the placing of WWF publications in the passenger cabins of all Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, and Azamara Club Cruises’ ships.

Soon there will be a dedicated WWF channel on the in-cabin TV, and the charity will be working with the cruise lines to develop eco-friendly shore excursions.

In return, Royal Caribbean has pledged to meet a number of targets aimed to reduce the company’s environmental footprint and ensure the long-term health of the oceans.

Greenhouse gas emissions will reduce by 35 per cent by 2020, and the cruise line will source 90 per cent of the fish consumed on its ships from sustainable fisheries.

In addition, Royal Caribbean and WWF have agreed to develop and announce new targets by June 30 that will address destination stewardship. As part of this, WWF and RCL will collaborate to strengthen RCL’s destination sustainability assessment and selection process.

Royal Caribbean will support WWF’s global ocean conservation work through a $5 million philanthropic contribution during the partnership, and will collaborate with WWF to build global awareness about ocean conservation issues among its five million passengers a year.

Royal Caribbean chairman and CEO Richard Fain said: “Our mantra at Royal Caribbean is ‘continuous improvement,’ and this partnership with WWF represents a great opportunity to make a big step forward in meeting our special responsibility to protect the oceans.

“It is also gratifying to see that our determination to make a meaningful difference is shared by our employees and our guests. This new partnership aligns all of us at RCL with WWF’s mission to conserve the world’s oceans. Together we are setting aggressive goals and together we will start implementing them right away.”

The Philippines event coincided with the announcement of Royal Caribbean’s new manning and hiring centre in Manila, the nation’s capital.

NewsROYAL SUPPORT FOR WWF AND GREEN INITIATIVES

12_14_News V2.indd 12 14/02/2016 22:04


NCL RETURNS TO THE UKNorwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Jade will sail from Southampton in 2017, seven years after the cruise line last offered regular itineraries departing from the UK.

Fresh out of dry dock, the ship will make the UK its base from 12 May 2017. A series of seven-night Western Europe itineraries calling at Hamburg, Amsterdam, Zeebrugge (for Brussels/Bruges) and Le Havre will be offered from 12 to 26 May and from 17 August to 21 September.

A nine-night Western Europe itinerary will depart on 28 September and 7 October, with additional stops in St. Malo and Brest.

Two nine-night cruises to the Norwegian Fjords will depart on 2 and 11 June with calls to Hamburg, Ålesund, Hellesylt, Geiranger, Flåm and Bergen. A 10-night Norwegian Fjords cruise on 7 August will also include a visit to the Orkney Islands.

Christian Boell, Managing Director Europe, said: “We’re clearly demonstrating our commitment to our European customers, especially cruisers in the UK, with these exciting summer itineraries. We are bringing one of our newest and most innovative ships back to Europe. We’re convinced that this will encourage continued growth in the UK market, where we have just seen record breaking guest numbers in 2015.”

Norwegian will have five ships in European waters next summer - Epic, Getaway, Jade, Spirit, and Star .

BAKE OFF CHAMPION AT SEANancy Birtwhistle, 2014 winner of TV’s The Great British Bake Off, will be sharing her enthusiasm – and her recipes – on a Fred Olsen cruise this summer.

She joins an 11-night round-Britain cruise on Braemar, which sets out from Southampton on 8 August. Self-taught baker Nancy will board in Cardiff and stay on board until the ship reaches Rosyth.

She said: “We will enjoy the best that the British Isles has to offer and I look forward to sharing some of my Bake Off stories, along with some very special cooking and baking secrets.”

HARMONY'S ENTERTAINMENT LINE-UP REVEALEDA Spamalot-style show about Marvin Columbus, a down-on-his-luck distant cousin of explorer Christopher Columbus, will be one of the headline shows on board Harmony of the Seas.

Columbus – The Musical will share the stage of the 1,380-seat Royal Theatre with West End musical Grease.

The biggest cruise ship in the world makes a brief visit to Southampton in May before a summer season in the Mediterranean.

The ships thrill-packed AquaTheatre – an open-air pool at the stern – will host two new stunt shows, The Fire Line, and Hideaway Heist, with performers diving from 10-metre-high platforms as part of the heart-in-mouth excitement.

A quirky Stowaway Pianist – like the one who debuted on Anthem of the Seas last year – will be popping up all over the ship, and Harmony’s cavernous Royal Promenade will be the setting for theme nights and parades, including the resident DreamWorks characters.

Nick Weir, Royal Caribbean’s vice president of entertainment, said: “The level of innovation that has gone into our latest line-up is truly mind-blowing.”

“Together we are setting aggressive

goals and together we

will start implementing

them right away.”

12_14_News V2.indd 13 14/02/2016 22:04


CUNARD ON DISPLAYA spectacular set of architectural photographs is to become part of a display of Cunard history to be installed on flagship Queen Mary 2 during her forthcoming re-fit.

The pictures – commissioned from architectural photographer Paul Ward – will be on show in the ship’s suites and staterooms from June.

Ward started work in December at the Cunard Building in Liverpool – celebrating its centenary this year. He then captured striking images – including the one shown here – at

the Cunard Building at 25 Broadway, in New York. The third building included in the set is Cunard’s former office at South Western House in Southampton.

He said: “This has been an incredible assignment. In Liverpool, the Cunard Building is still a dominant façade on the famous waterfront. Everywhere I turned, from the old luggage areas in the basement to the former First Class Lounge on the top floor, I was spoilt for choice.

“In New York, the inside of the Broadway building is simply breath-taking.

News

REGENT REFURBRegent Seven Seas Cruises, whose newest ship Seven Seas Explorer launches this summer, is to spend £88m upgrading its earlier vessels - Navigator, Mariner, and Voyager – over the next 14 months.

Navigator will be in dry dock in Marseille for two weeks this April, to be fitted with re-designed lounges, library, casino, and reception area. The ship’s Compass Rose and La Veranda restaurants will also be given a makeover.

Voyager’s work will take place later this year and Mariner next spring.

PIRAEUS PLANSPassengers starting or finishing their cruises at the Athens port of Piraeus can look forward to improved facilities soon as a result of a €135 million (£105 million) deal with the Chinese-owned company which already operates the port’s container terminals.

Cosco Pacific bought the Greek government’s majority share of the port and says it will consult the major cruise lines about what they need before starting work on the project.

A total of 1,854,000 passengers from 49 different cruise lines – aboard 606 separate cruise calls – passed through Piraeus in 2014.

CRYSTAL TO THE RESCUENot content with launching a luxury yacht brand, an airline, a river cruise line, and commissioning a trio of new builds, Crystal Cruises plans to restore the historic liner SS United States, transforming her into a modern luxury cruise ship.

Working with the SS United States Conservancy, Crystal hopes to save ‘America’s Flagship’, the SS United States, the largest passenger ship ever designed and built in America, and holder of the Blue Riband for the fastest Transatlantic crossing since its maiden voyage in 1952.

While the ship captivated travellers, its origin was intriguing. United States was designed to be quickly converted from a luxury liner into a 15,000-capacity troopship in the event of a war.

An enormous amount of work will be required to return the ship to ocean-going service while meeting modern demands and adhering to current regulations.

The modern United States will become an 800 passenger vessel, with 400 luxurious suites, dining venues, entertainment options, a spa and other luxury guest amenities that are true to the ship’s history.

Crystal President and CEO Edie Rodriguez said: “It will be a very challenging undertaking, but we are determined to apply the dedication and innovation that has always been the ship’s hallmark."

CONGRATULATIONS … TO THE WINNERS OF THE COMPETITIONS IN OUR JANUARY ISSUE.

Carole Longman, from Chertsey in Surrey, wins a short-break cruise to

Bruges on P&O Cruises’ Britannia, courtesy of

Planet Cruise.

Louise Rodgers, from Edinburgh, is the winner

of a luxury hotel stay and a £500 cruise

voucher, courtesy of CrispWhiteSheets.com

and SixStarCruises.co.uk

And to Joe Jennings, from Brough, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, who wins a 10-night Oceania cruise in our subscriber

competition that ran throughout 2015.

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Paradise islands


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A cruise is the best way to discover the Caribbean islands. On some itineraries you could catch as many

as 10 in one voyage. Florida and Barbados are popular embarkation points, but there are also round-trip

cruises from the UK for those who prefer not to fly

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AntiguaJoin an afternoon yoga class on Darkwood Beach, go

snorkelling at Stingray City or lay back on any of Antigua’s 365 beaches to watch flotillas of sailing boats in this winter

capital of the yachting world. A trip to Nelson’s Dockyard is a treat for maritime history

lovers; this cultural heritage site and marina in English Harbour is the world’s only continuously working Georgian

dockyard. It has been restored to its 19th century splendour and features a delightful museum in the Naval Clerk’s House.

Try it: Take a helicopter ride over Montserrat to see the former capital Plymouth, now a modern-day Pompeii after

the eruption of the Soufrière Hills volcano in 1995.

BOOK ITNorwegian Cruise Line 15 nights from £1,180 or fly cruise £2,294

departing New York to San Juan on October 15, 2016 ncl.co.uk 0845 201 8900

Celebrity Reflection 10 nights fly-cruise from £1,841 or £761 cruise only, departing Ft Lauderdale, Florida, on December 8, 2016

celebritycruises.co.uk 0800 441 4054 Sea Cloud II 13 nights fly-cruise from £6,895 departing London

Heathrow to Barbados on January 12, 2017 noble-caledonia.co.uk 020 7752 0000

BarbadosBarbados celebrates the 50th anniversary of its

independence this year so expect an even greater party atmosphere in 2016! To enjoy the buzzing nightlife visit St Lawrence Gap, near Bridgetown, for excellent Bajan

restaurants and lively open-air Margarita bars. The island has 700 miles of beaches so hire a car and drive on the left to explore the rugged east coast where surfers

ride 15ft Atlantic waves. For calmer seas and celebrity-spotting go west to the Platinum Coast where A-listers fly

in on their private jets to lap up the life of luxury in the Sandy Lane resort.

Concorde was once the jet-set’s preferred choice on the 4,250-mile route in three hours from London and the island celebrates its supersonic history at the Concorde Museum,

near Grantley Arms Airport. Don’t Miss: Bajans love the sport of kings and the Garrison Savannah racetrack is one of the oldest in the Americas. At nearby Pebbles Beach, about two miles from Bridgetown,

grooms take their horses down to the sea for a swim at dawn.

BOOK IT: Bridgetown is Thomson Discovery’s home port for winter 2016-

17. Choose from three itineraries plus cruise/stay options at resorts such as the Radisson Aquatica 4T. Cruise/stay price example from £1,832 departing Birmingham on a Dreamliner 787 on January 8,

2017. Thomson.co.uk 0203 451 2688. Seadream I 10 days from £3,666 departing Bridgetown (round-trip) on

December 17, 2016 Voyager 16 days from £999, departing Bridgetown to Gran Canaria on

April 25, 2016 voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk or call 01858 898421

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CubaNobel Prize winner and author Ernest Hemingway loved Cuba

and made it his home for 20 years. With most cruise ships offering overnighters, passengers can visit his old haunts and immerse themselves in the culture of Havana, catching the waft of cigar smoke in cafés and bars

which pulsate with Cuban music. Visit La Terraza de Cojimar which serves the Don Gregorio

cocktail, a blend of blue curaçao and maraschino liqueur which Hemingway enjoyed as much as his Daiquiris, or put on your party best at the Tropicana nightclub and cabaret where the

sensual Cuban rhythms get everyone dancing under the stars.Don’t miss: The historic Bay of Pigs, where Fidel Castro’s

revolutionary regime saw off the 1961 invasion which was at the core of the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 or

Varadero, the final resting place of Che Guevara.

BOOK IT: Pre and post cruise extensions are worth considering as there’s so much to see. The Cuban Tourist Board has a good website at travel2cuba.co.uk

Havana is MSC Opera’s home port this winter, offering seven-night sailings on a choice of departure dates during February-March 2016 from £549

cruise only or £1,019 with flight. msccruises.co.uk 0203 426 3010 Star Flyer Seven and 10 nights from £1,225 and £1,795 respectively with departure during February-March 2016 and January-February 2017 with ports of call including Cienfuegos, Casilda, Cayo Largo and Arch. De Los Canarreos. starclippers.com or call 0845 200 6145 or for packages visit

theluxurycruisecompany.co.uk or call 0800 612 3354Thomson Dream Seven nights from £1,074 departing Montego Bay on a choice of dates in November-December 2016 and January-March 2017

www.thomson.co.uk 0203 451 2682

BequiaThis little piece of paradise has been protected from mass

tourism because it is not that easy to reach – unless you arrive by cruise ship. Smaller vessels anchor near the island

for guests to take a tender ashore but most cruise ships dock at St Vincent. Here friends and families can share the cost of a speedboat for the nine-mile ride over the 6,000ft deep rolling sea and they can expect a glistening guard of

flying fish to race alongside to Admiralty Bay on the edge of the capital-cum-village of Port Elizabeth.

HRH Princess Margaret used to take a yacht from Mustique to this heavenly hideaway, hence the palm-fringed beach

that bears her name. Recline on the ribbon of white sand, swim in the turquoise waters or dive into Bequia’s underwater jewel box of tropical fish with PADI-certified

instructors who take boats to the coral reefs.Try it: Eat lobster pizza on the deck at Mac’s Pizzeria while midnight blue hummingbirds hover within arm’s reach.

BOOK IT:Seabourn Odyssey12 nights from £4,299 departing Ft Lauderdale to Barbados, on February 20, 2017seabourn.com or call 0843 3732000

Thomson Discovery Seven nights from £1,156 departing Barbados, on February 5, 2017 www.thomson.co.uk 0203 451 2682

Windstar Seven days from $1,899 (£1,300) departing Barbados, on November 25, 2016 windstarcruise.co.uk 0800 852 7248

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St KittsOttley’s Plantation Inn is an elegant 35-acre estate at the

foot of Mount Liamuiga, just 15-minutes’ drive from the port. The sunshine yellow Great House has been restored to its 18th century glory while the former sugar factory is now a

top-class restaurant with views to the sister island of Nevis. Dine by the poolside and work off a sumptuous lunch with a

walk around this dreamboat estate.For those who want to venture further, many cruise ship tours include the UNESCO-listed Brimstone Hill Fortress

and the scenic railway, once the sugar train which transported cane to the mills. The island’s sugar trade came

to an end in 2005 when the EU halted preferential pricing arrangements between Britain and St Kitts.

Don’t forget: Azamara Quest includes an overnight stay in St Kitts and a further mooring to visit to nearby Nevis.

BOOK IT:Queen Mary 2 26 nights from £2,699 departing Southampton (round-

trip) on November 19, 2016 cunard.co.uk 0843 374 2224 Anthem of the Seas 12 nights from £2,286 fly-cruise departing New Jersey, USA on January 2, 2017 royalcaribbean.co.uk 0844 493 4005 Azamara Quest Eight nights from £1,343 departing Miami to Puerto

Rico on March 9, 2018 azamaraclubcruises.co.uk 0844 493 4016

Grenada Head to Grand Anse Beach! This long, long curve of

powder-white sand, shaded by palms and almond trees, is a showstopper and it’s only a 15-minute cab or boat ride

from the cruise port. Better still, the beachfront Umbrellas Bar serves rum cocktails that pack a serious punch (don’t

drink and swim!).Just along the coast, take a kayak from Moilinere Beach

to snorkel over artist Jason deCaires Taylor's underwater sculptures. Exploring the 65 pieces of art on the seabed is all the more memorable for the company – shoals of

colourful fish which prove a delightful distraction.Don’t Miss: A tour of the capital St George's with its mini

San Francisco hills and tuna-fishing port which give an insight into every day life on this charming island.

BOOK IT:P&0 Aurora 24 nights from £2,649 departing Southampton (round-

trip) on December 16, 2016 pocruises.com 0843 374 0111 Marco Polo 39 nights from £2,629, departing Bristol Avonmouth on

January 5, 2017cruiseandmaritime.com 0844 998 3809 Royal Princess 10 days from £928 departing Ft Lauderdale on

February 28, 2017 princess.com 0843 374 4444

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St LuciaMarigot Bay, a picture-postcard cove where filming of the

Dr Dolittle movie took place, is a favourite meeting place for the yachting set but cruise passengers can also enjoy this idyllic resort that is a 25-minute drive south from Castries.

On arrival, jump aboard Captain Bravo’s Marigot Ferry (a small boat and a small fee) which takes visitors to the palm-

fringed beach and waterfront restaurants.For active cruise tours in St Lucia, consider an aerial tram

ride through the rainforest canopy to look for wildlife or splash out on a private speedboat to see the volcano, take a

mud bath, snorkel and enjoy the beach.Try it: St Lucia still has working cocoa plantations where

guests can make their own chocolate

BOOK IT:Saga Pearl II 42 nights all-inclusive from £6,022 departing Southampton

on November 8, 2016 travel.saga.co.uk/ocean-cruises 0800 096 0079 MSC Poesia 14 nights from £1,899 (including flights) departing Bridgetown,

Barbados on January 10, 2017 msccruises.co.uk 0203 426 3010 Regent Seven Seas Explorer 10 nights from £4,299 departing Miami

(roundtrip) on February 24, 2017 rssc.com or call 02380 682 280

TrinidadHome of the carnival and steel bands, do not forget

Trinidad also has tropical rainforests and wetlands which are home to 2,300 plant species and 470 bird species, including the island’s national emblem the Scarlet Ibis.

Watch the sky turn red when hundreds of Scarlet Ibis fly in to roost at the Caroni Swamp and Bird Sanctuary; like

clockwork every evening, the birds cover the mangroves where cruise tour guests sit on flat-bottomed boats to

watch the spectacle.Don’t Miss: The Trinidad & Tobago Carnival, an explosion

of music and colour.

BOOK IT:Serenissima 16 nights from £5,795 departing London to Antigua on

December 9, 2016 noble-caledonia.co.uk 020 7752 0000 Braemar 14 nights from £1,199 fly-cruise departing Bridgetown, Barbados (round-trip) on January 5, 2017 fredolsencruises.com

0845 314 2688 MSC Poesia 14 nights from £1,899 fly-cruise departing Bridgetown (round-trip) on January 10, 2017 msccruises.co.uk 0203 426 3010

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MartiniqueChristopher Columbus sailed to Martinique in 1508 and declared it ‘the most beautiful country in the world'. The island now has a very French feel; most people speak

French and the currency is euros so when walking along the streets of the capital Fort de France visitors can be

forgiven for thinking they are in Paris. Boats near the harbour make snorkelling tours an easy

option and guests can swim with colourful fish, turtles and if they are lucky, dolphins.

Two-thirds of the island is protected parkland and cruise tours include air-conditioned all-terrain vehicle rides to

explore the island, driving past miles of banana and sugar-cane fields and into a tropical rainforest.

Don’t forget: Buy fresh vanilla and nutmeg in Fort-de-France’s spice market

BOOK IT: MS Koningsdam 21 nights from £1,898.82 departing Ft. Lauderdale

(round-trip) on November 13, 2016 hollandamerica.com 0843 374 2300

Pacific Princess 14 days from £1,778 departing Ft. Lauderdale (round-trip) on December 20, 2016 princess.com 0843 374 4444 Braemar 14 nights from £1,399 fly-cruise departing Bridgetown,

Barbados on December 22, 2016 fredolsencruises.com 0845 314 2688

St MaartenSun-kissed St Maarten is the smallest island in the world to be shared by two nations, the Netherlands and France, so

visitors enjoy a European-vibe twinned with Caribbean flair.Cruise passengers who dream of sailing a racing yacht can

do so on a ‘12-metre challenge’ shore excursion; guests are assigned a crew position and receive training before

heading off to the racecourse to grind a winch and trim a sail on the cool tradewinds.

Thrill-seekers also head to Maho Beach where planes landing at the Princess Juliana airport skim the waves, and jets taking off blast holidaymakers foolhardy enough to get

too close.Did you know? St Maarten is the Caribbean’s culinary capital and boasts more than 350 restaurants. Try the

conch and dumplings.

BOOK IT:Arcadia 24 nights from £2,070, departing Southampton on November

25, 2016 pocruises.com 0843 374 0111 Oceania Riviera 10 days from £2,329, departing New York (round-trip)

on December 5, 2016 oceaniacruises.com 0345 505 1920 Saga Pearl II 31 nights from £4,953 departing Southampton on January

28, 2017 travel.saga.co.uk/ocean-cruises 0800 096 0079

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TOP TEN

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warm welcome is waiting for you on board our small, intimate ship Minerva – a charming and elegant vessel from which you can discover

some of the world’s most spectacular destinations. You will travel in country-house style, where an elegant ambience is matched by a host of superb facilities and the services of our dedicated onboard team for whom nothing is too much trouble. Each cruise is enhanced by eminent guest speakers who revel in delivering engaging and informative talks, together with an excellent programme of included tailor-made shore excursions.

Our summer 2016 cruises are overflowing with highlights as Minerva heads back to Portsmouth after leaving Bermuda and sailing across the Atlantic via the stunning Azores archipelago. She will journey to close-to-home destinations in France and right here in the British Isles, before heading to Arctic Norway, Russia and into the Mediterranean, with shore excursions encompassing a host of wonderful summer events.

There is the unique opportunity to savour splendid scenery along three rivers in France as Minerva combines coastal cruising with relaxing journeys along the Loire, Seine and Garonne. Admire 18th century architecture and inviting gardens as you sail into the heart of UNESCO-listed Bordeaux, home to lush vineyards and acclaimed wine towns. Two full days in port offer plenty of time to discover the picturesque Medoc region, famed for its fine, elegant red wines.

Minerva embarks on another one-off voyage as she sails the Thames in May.

EXPERIENCE THE Swan Hellenic

distinctionTHIS SUMMER

A


EDITORIAL promotion

This journey echoes the first such sailing 20 years ago when she was launched by Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester in London’s Docklands, and provides a wonderful spectacle for passenger and onlookers alike as the ship navigates each bend and twist from Greenwich to Tower Bridge. You will disembark for a two-night stay in the capital, from where you can visit the Chelsea Flower Show. Not only is entry to this highlight on the British social calendar included, but also RHS membership for one year, allowing access to a host of UK gardens.

Equally renowned is the Edinburgh Military Tattoo, a grand event which attracts an audience from around the world. If you sail with Swan Hellenic in August you will enjoy this spectacle from the amphitheatre on Edinburgh Castle’s esplanade.

As the summer season draws to a close you have the chance to experience a transit of the narrow, steep-sided Corinth Canal, impassable to most modern ships due to their size but not to Minerva. This feat of modern engineering connects the Gulf of Corinth with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea, and although completed in the late 19th century, the idea for this passage dates back more than 2,000 years. Be sure to head up on deck to enjoy exceptional views.

Every Swan Hellenic cruise offers unrivalled inclusive value and the voyage of a lifetime. Your fare includes all meals on board the ship, an excellent shore excursions programme, guest speaker talks and all gratuities. To see our full range of cruises, find out about our superb offers and discover the Swan Hellenic distinction, Please call 0800 567 7364 and quote ‘WOC’ or visit www.swanhellenic.com

Elegant evening entertainment

Edinburgh'sMilitary Tattoo

Minerva squeezes through the Corinth Canal

Shackleton Bar

EXCLUSIVE WORLD OF CRUISING

READER OFFER!Complementary £50 on-board bar credit when you book any

Swan Hellenic cruise by 30th April 2016Call 0800 567 7364

and quote ‘WOC’ today!

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Disney Dream at Castaway Cay

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I

FAMILY CRUISE

’m standing on the deck of a cruise ship, watching the best part of 4,000 passengers dressed in swashbuckling finery, cavorting around the pool deck, cheering and shouting as Jack Sparrow thwarts a gang of wayward pirates.

Suddenly, they are stunned into an awed hush as a spectacular fireworks display shoots through the warm breeze. As the last embers fall to the sea a pirate-attired DJ spins a Justin Bieber track, and everyone dances as if their life depends on it.

From tiny toddlers, pre-teens and moody teenagers, to exhausted mums and dads, even giddy grandparents – everyone is joining in, high on life (presumably), sugar (probably) but most definitely, indisputably high on Disney.

From what I can tell, perceptions of setting sail on a Disney cruise are largely split into two camps; either you expect it to be full-on, dialled-up Disney (The. Best. Thing. Ever.), or you expect it to be full-on, dialled-up Disney and therefore your idea of a living hell. In the interests of full disclosure, I’m definitely more in the former camp. However, I can appreciate that it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, so I was curious to see whether either of those perceptions lived up to the reality of being on a Disney cruise ship. A four-night cruise from Florida to the Bahamas on Disney Dream provided the perfect opportunity.

First, though, came a couple of nights in Orlando as part of a ‘cruise and stay’ package. Disney manages the logistics of this from the moment you step off the plane, so the process of going from airport to resort to ship and back to the airport is a completely smooth transition. All you have to do is remember to pack up your bags at the right time!

The time in DisneyWorld before getting on the ship was a fantastic way to ease into the Disney way of life on board. Even a small stay at the resort is enough to turn up the Disney dial gradually and actually, when compared to the hectic nature of the theme parks, the ship immediately feels more relaxed in comparison.

Once aboard, it becomes immediately clear that this is cruising but not as you know it.

It’s not all about Mickey Mouse and the kids – this cruise to the Bahamas has something for every member of the family

DISNEYREAMLiving the

BY LAURA - JANE PARKER



From the greeting announcements made by the crew for every single family as they board the ship, to being waved off with Mickey hands as you disembark, it is clear that every crew member has one goal, and that is to make sure you have the best time possible.

Disney has developed a rotational dining system which assigns passengers to a different restaurant each night of your cruise, so that everyone can experience all three main dining rooms. Your service team follow you to each in turn; they get to know your likes and dislikes and you can build up an understanding. It didn’t take long for Linval and Ora to know exactly what to recommend to me from the wine and food options available based on what they had learnt of my taste, and I completely trusted their suggestions. This simple touch makes all the difference, not only for the guest experience, but also for the crew as they become more invested in looking after you as they get to know you.

Each of the main dining options included in the fare – all of an extremely high standard – has its own style, both in cuisine and in terms of themed concept. The surprise interactive elements delight adults more than the kids in some cases!

There are two additional adult-only dining options – Palo and Remy - which can be experienced for an extra cost. I’m a huge fan of Italian food, and I have to say Palo was amongst the best I have experienced outside Italy, together with wonderful service in an intimate restaurant setting.

As with everything else on board, Disney pays enormous attention to detail, and to the demographics of its passengers. I had assumed most, if not all, of the facilities would be squarely aimed at families. I don’t have kids, so I was prepared to accept I might be left out. However, while the ship has several areas designed for families to spend time together – like the main pool deck – a lot of thought has been put into providing facilities to appeal to each age group separately.

There are four kids’ clubs, each segregated by age group and tailored to that age group's needs. The Oceaneers club for 3-12 year olds comes complete with a full replica of the Millennium Falcon and Andy’s room from Toy Story, the only oversight being not predicting the enthusiastic reactions that adults also have to these spaces. But I was firmly told they are strictly for kids only.

Over at the teens club, Vibe – with its own sun deck and pool – adults are locked out and have to knock to be allowed entry, something I could only have dreamed of during family holidays in the 90s! If desired, Your kids can spend all day and evening there as the clubs close between midnight and 2am, depending on the age group.

To compliment the kids’ facilities, there are many adult-only spaces – an extremely relaxing spa area, adult-only sun decks, pools, bars and restaurants. In short, you have the option of dialling your Disney up and down as you wish. If it all gets a bit much, there are plenty of lovely areas to spend time in that won’t grate, but still executed with Disney’s attention to detail and service. And of course, if you do have kids, you feel you can trust Disney to look after and entertain your children so you can all spend as much (or as little!) time together as you like – giving everyone the chance to truly relax.

On our four-night cruise we visited two ports of call, Nassau and Disney’s own

“As with everything else on board, Disney pays enormous attention to detail, and to the demographics of its passengers”

FAMILY CRUISE

Dome 1: on the ship Dome 2: at Disney World's Epcot



“Disney has the ability to appeal to all ages, because every living generation remembers Disney as part of their childhood”

FAMILY CRUISE

private island, Castaway Cay. Both ports offer a wide choice of Port Adventure excursions for an extra cost. At Nassau, many of these are based at the Atlantis Hotel, famed for its aquariums and waterpark. While this was a fun day, it just wasn’t to the same standard I had become accustomed to with Disney.

It really paled in comparison to Castaway Cay, the real gem of the Disney Bahamas experience. The island resort is completely controlled by Disney, which brings the same attention to detail from the ship onto the island, replicating the thought behind family, kids and adult-only spaces. We spent most of the day at the adult-only beach, swimming in turquoise waters, sipping cocktails on hammocks and having a massage in a private cabana. When I was ready to wander back to the ship, I met Olaf the snowman on the way (I told him I liked warm hugs too)!

Disney has the ability to appeal to all ages, because every living generation remembers Disney as part of their childhood. There is an unparalleled body of work to draw on to take anyone back to being a kid. And Disney will leverage this whenever possible, particularly during the live Broadway-standard entertainment shows, using top-notch performances, special effects and their characters in a way designed to speak to the kid in everyone.

No nook or cranny is left bare of a Disney touch, no opportunity missed to provide moments of delight for every age at every turn. Even the most cynical become swept away with the magic in the end, as was evident as I watched from Deck 11, at the mass of Jack Sparrow wannabes. Young and old, cynics and believers alike, everyone had their Disney dialled up to infinity and beyond.

The AquaDuck water coaster

Tranquility in the spa Animator's Palatedining room



SHIP FACTSLENGTH1,114 FT

TONNAGE 129,690

DECKS14

PASSENGERS 2,500

(Lower beds only)4,000

(maximum)

CREW1,458

THE BASICSCappuccino: $2.95

Speciality tea: $4.50Draught beer

Budweiser $5.50, Stella Artois $6,

Newcastle Brown Ale $6.50, Guinness $7.50

WineCalifornian Chardonnay $8.50,

Californian Merlot, $8.25Cocktail of the Day $8.50

Laundry: Shirt/blouse $3.

Dry cleaning: Evening dress $8

Spa treatments: Chocolate Indulgence

body treatment (75 minutes) $141 24 karat gold facial (75 minutes) $325

men’s grooming and shave (50 minutes) $125

Palo cover charge $30pp

($59 with wine pairing). Remy cover charge

$85 ($105 with wine pairing)

Internet access is charged by the megabyte.

Pay-as-you go:$0.25 per mb; 100mb $19, 300mb $39, 1000mb $89

Fares10 nights in Orlando with

Walt Disney Travel Company, including return economy flights with British Airways

from Gatwick direct to Orlando, accommodation at Disney’s

All-Star Movies Resort, Disney’s 14-Day Ultimate Ticket for the

price of a 7-Day Ticket and a 4-night cruise on Disney

Dream, from £1,546 per person. (Price is based on two adults

and two children travelling on 9 September and sharing a standard room at Disney’s

All-Star Movies and an inside cabin on a full-board basis on board Disney Dream. Includes transfer to and from Orlando

International Airport as well as all applicable taxes and fuel

surcharges which are subject to change.

Bookwww.disneyholidays.co.uk

0800 16 90 730.

4-Night Bahamian Cruise From Port Canaveral - Disney Dream

Day 1: Port Canaveral – FloridaDay 2: Nassau

Day 3: Castaway CayDay 4: Day At Sea

Day 5: Port Canaveral

Cinderella's Castle at Disney World



Transatlantic travels

Oceans of fun in Carnival Breeze'sWaterWorks splash park

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FAMILY CRUISE

ood luck”. I had lost count of how many times these two seemingly innocent words were muttered in the lead-up

to the big day. Suddenly we were there, at the entrance to Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5 about to board a nine-hour flight to Miami. Two dishevelled parents and one over-excited 22-month-old boy.

The problem with flying on the world's largest passenger airliner is that there are potentially more people to annoy, especially on such a quiet aircraft. Foreseeing trouble in the skies I reserved a row of three seats tucked away at the very rear of the British Airways Airbus A380.

Piercing screams began as soon as we sat down as we discovered he disliked wearing a seatbelt. Our hearts sank further when we were gifted an unwanted extra hour sitting on the tarmac, thanks to a mechanical fault with a tug truck.

The 10 hours were incredibly long, as if time had slowed to a snail’s pace.

Opting to buy a seat for him instead of having him sitting on our laps the entire journey paid dividends when sporadic bursts of energy led to races between Mum and Dad. The roomy aircraft interior meant he could stand up on our laps and observe the crew and our surprisingly sympathetic fellow passengers without causing a nuisance.

Carnival’s marketing slogan is ‘Switch on Fun’ and by the time we reached the Port of Miami we were desperate to find the big red switch. Sadly, the loud music resonating around the check-in hall could not mask the sombre mood of a sea of passengers waiting for an agent. The hour-long

Modern cruise ships provide unrivalled facilities for families with young children, making them the perfect choice for over-stressed parents. Getting

there is not always so straightforwardBY DAVID FISKE

Transatlantic travels

G


34

FAMILY CRUISE

experience with a cranky toddler was as far removed from fun as could be.

But once registered, a swipe of our Sail & Sign cards changed the mood instantly and we stepped aboard Carnival Breeze. The shackles of daily life fell off at the quayside as we slipped into ‘vacation’ mode. Carnival is an American-style cruise line and the Americans certainly know how to relax and have fun en route to the tropical Eastern Caribbean.

Britain was never far away with the exuberant Scotsman Wee Jimmy in charge of the entertainment. We Brits love a good queue but even we weren’t prepared for the 50-deep lines that formed at peak times for two of the ship’s most popular dining outlets: Fat Jimmy’s C-Side BBQ and American celebrity chef Guy Fieri’s Guy's Burger Joint.

It was very clear to see that Carnival is geared towards families, with more than 700,000 children carried each year. Our cabin stewards, both with their own infants at home, adopted our son for the voyage, always taking time out to interact with him, as did the restaurant waiters.

The Dr Seuss-themed entertainment aboard was enjoyed by kids and adults alike. While Carnival Breeze lacked a Seuss-themed Bookville library it did boast a themed parade, storytelling event, and a wacky character breakfast where vivid coloured food was served while the familiar characters posed for photographs.

There was much for a curious boy to explore around the ship. He was two months too young to enrol at the Camp Carnival kids club, but the team hosted parent-accompanied play sessions where he could tire himself out. US Department of Health regulations forbid infants in swim nappies to use the pool and the Waterworks splash park but he still enjoyed watching the older kids play around, no doubt dreaming about the fun he can have when he next sails with Carnival. The promenade became a giant race track for little legs and

spotting the many cruise and cargo ships ships that sailed in close proximity became an addictive game. He won.

Carnival offers plenty of fun shore excursions for families in the Caribbean but most of those suitable for a two-year-old were sightseeing coach tours or ‘private’ beach transfers. We opted to go it alone; living on toddler time with bite-sized chunks of exploration interweaved with downtime in the cool shade aboard the ship.

The picture-perfect paradise of Grand Turk greeted us to the Caribbean along with cloudless skies and temperatures of 30°C. The cruise pier cut through a golden sandy beach so within minutes we were paddling in the shimmering turquoise tinted waters.

In San Juan, Puerto Rico, we unpacked the pushchair and toured the Spanish colonial buildings and imposing fortresses of the old city. Basseterre in St Kitts was a disappointment, plagued with pressure-selling diamond merchants and tacky gift shops. In hindsight a shore excursion would have been the best way explore this island.

In St Maarten there was only one sensible option open to a family with a boy obsessed with aircraft – a visit to the Maho Beach, nestled at the end of the runway at Princess Juliana International Airport. The exhilaration of seeing aircraft of all shapes and sizes pass overhead every 15 minutes

relaxing on deck with a cocktail

Open-air movies by the pool

Emerging from a waterslide

SHIP FACTSLENGTH

1,0004 FT

TONNAGE 130,000

PASSENGERS 3,690 CREW1.386



was only surpassed by the deep roar of the jet engines on a Boeing 737 during take-off.

Relaxation on a family holiday with a toddler was difficult to find but the sanctuary of the cabin’s balcony helped facilitate downtime, even if only in short bursts. The Cloud 9 Spa was serene and its bubbling Thalassotherapy Pool was inviting. Babysitting services were available after 10pm for a fee but we found the long hot days together with plenty of exercise tired him out enough that he fell asleep during the glitzy evening production shows.

The flights may have been long, tiring and stressful but our Carnival Caribbean cruise was the perfect antidote. The great value, fun loving American cruise line perfectly caters for families with children of all ages, including infants and toddlers. Friendly crew, plentiful food, Seuss-themed activities and quality entertainment together with mostly fabulous ports of call easily masked the ordeal of getting to Miami.

“Carnival is geared towards families... the cabin stewards and restaurant waiters adopted our son for the voyage”

Tread carefully onthe SkyCourseadventure ropes

Carnival Breeze at sea


THE BASICSEspresso: $1.95

Bottled beer: $4.95Coca Cola: $1.95

Soda package: $6 p day adults, $4.50 kids

Cheers drinks package: $49.95 p day

Restaurants: Steakhouse $35, Cucina del Capitano $15

50-minute couples full body massage $249

BOOK ITDepart Miami and sail to Grand

Turk, San Juan, Puerto Rico, St Kitts, and St. Maarten. From £601 per person based on two

sharing on a 26 March 2016 departure.

Depart Miami and sail to Grand Turk; La Romana, Dominican

Republic, Curacao, and Aruba. From £646 per person based

on two sharing on a 9 April 2016 departure.



THE SECRET OF WHAT MAKES MSC CRUISES

LIKE NO OTHERew to cruise or a seasoned high-seas drifter - the one thing that’s certain is you’ll always

find plenty to discover in the Mediterranean.

Tempting culinary treats, fascinating cultural sites and the comforting warmth of sun on skin are all key to the enduring British love affair with our favourite holiday hotspot.

MSC Cruises is the number one cruise line in the Mediterranean – something the business says is in its DNA as well as its name. And with a seafaring heritage that stretches back over 300 years – plus more ships in the region than any other line – the operator can justly lay claim to being the real Med specialist.

The MSC Cruises fleet is made up of 12 ships, ideal for all types of cruise - from busy and active family holidays to relaxing getaways for couples. Life on board an MSC ship can be as active or as sedate as you want it to be; sip a cocktail by the pool while the children go wild in one of the five Kids' Clubs on board, or treat yourself to a massage in the award-winning MSC Aurea Spa.

Broadway-style entertainment is always on the menu. With a rich mix of nationalities on board, MSC Cruises’ theatre shows are big on visual razzamatazz

to ensure all guests can share in the fun, with six shows typically scheduled for a seven-night cruise. Expect vibrant and energetic dancing, mesmerising acrobatics and spectacular singing in the theatre and dancing ‘til dawn in the ships’ nightclubs.

With some Mediterranean itineraries featuring seven ports of call in seven days, MSC Cruises offers amazing opportunities to see Europe’s most famous and beautiful places. To make the most of every call, there’s a wide variety of excursions, all accompanied by knowledgeable multi-lingual guides. For example, take a tour around the archaeological wonder of Pompeii, the quirky architecture of Barcelona – or even aim for a sky-high delight with an exclusive helicopter flight.

Passengers worried that their children might not enjoy the

time ashore can be reassured that MSC Cruises’ family-friendly shore excursions offer a real point of difference from rivals. In many ports, members of the entertainment team accompany families ashore and keep the youngest group members busy with fun learning and treasure hunt games so they are entertained while mum and dad concentrate on sightseeing.

As a family-owned company, MSC Cruises knows how important it is for everyone to have a good time on holiday. Swimming pools, waterslides and spray parks allow children to splash around in the sunshine but there is plenty more on offer.

Exclusive big-brand partnerships include family-favourite Lego and leading Italian childcare company Chicco. MSC Cruises is the only line with

dedicated Lego play areas at sea, and kids of all ages now have the chance to play with these iconic building bricks and become a ‘Junior Lego Master Builder’ by completing Lego-themed activities on board.

When it comes to dining, MSC Cruises really has got it all. More than 140 different recipes are served on board every day across the different restaurants. There is fine dining and excellent service in the main restaurant, casual dining available 20 hours a day in the buffet and speciality dining in the themed restaurants. Dinnertime with the children has also been taken care of with Fun Time Dinners, Happy Dinners and Teens Dinners where children are able to dine with the entertainment team before heading back to the Kids' Clubs for more fun and games.

Themed restaurants on board include sushi, Tex Mex and Mediterranean fusion. MSC Divina and MSC Preziosa play host to the Galaxy Lounge Restaurant, serving up Mediterranean fusion cuisine with the option of a 7-course tasting menu chosen by the chef, allowing your clients to sample a wide range of dishes from the menu. The Fantasia-class ships (MSC Fantasia, MSC Splendida, MSC Divina and MSC Preziosa) also feature the first Eataly restaurants at sea, offering stylish, minimalist

WIN A CRUISE

Ajaccio waterfront

N

p40/41. MSC COMP.indd 40 14/02/2016 19:34

COMPETITION

dining serving high quality Italian food.

All of the pizza, pasta, bread and pastries are made fresh on board daily, along with the line’s signature Mediterranean dishes.

Best of all, guests love the unique MSC Cruises pricing. Bella, Fantastica and Aurea levels offer different benefits on board to best suit each guest’s pocket and preferences. Or really push the boat out and opt for MSC Yacht Club – the ultimate in VIP luxury that is recognised as the original and best ‘ship within a ship’ area of any mainstream cruise line.

NEWLY-STRETCHED MSC ARMONIA HAS MORE TO OFFERYou have probably heard lots about the incredible SEVEN ships – worth more than €5bn – that MSC Cruises has on order, but the business is not all about the latest megaships.

Its four smallest, Lirica-class vessels are perfect for guests who prefer a more intimate cruising experience but still want the best in on-board luxury and facilities.

MSC Armonia was the first of the four to recently undergo a £40 million ‘renaissance’, which saw ship stretched with the inserting of a 24-metre section. The impressive project took just 10 weeks, and saw the addition of 93 new balcony cabins, an enlarged MSC Aurea Spa and a complete refit of the ship’s public areas.

It also introduced children’s brands Lego and Chicco to the MSC Cruises fleet. Dedicated Lego-themed kids areas bring the world’s favourite toy to life, while a Chicco baby room is packed with educational toys and equipment for tiny guests. A new interactive spray park adds to the fun and ensures kids can make the most of the sunny weather on deck.

All of MSC Armonia’s well-appointed cabins were refreshed too, bringing the ship right up to the latest level of comfort.

This summer, MSC Armonia offers a destination-rich Western Med itinerary which features major cities and islands. Making the most of its nimble size, the ship’s calls include smaller ports such as Messina, Valletta, Cagliari and Mahon as well as Genoa, Civitavecchia and Marseille.

WIN! A cruise on board

MSC Armonia!

NOW IS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN SEVEN-NIGHT A CRUISE ON MSC

ARMONIA, STAYING IN A BALCONY

CABIN. The cruise leaves

Genoa on 15 October 2016 and samples

the Best of the Med, calling at Messina, Valletta, Cagliari,

Mahon, Civitavecchia and Marseille.

To submit your FREE entry, go to www.worldofcruising.co.uk/win-msc-cruise and tell us why YOU deserve to win the cruise.

Don’t forget to leave your name, address, and telephone number.

Alternatively, you can send your entry by email

to [email protected]

Or enter by post, addressed to: FreePost Plus,

RTHB-XTHS-KBUT, 115 Sydney Road, London N10 2ND.

Only one entry per household will be accepted

Terms & ConditionsCompetition is based on two people

sharing a balcony cabin with a Fantastica Experience package and is subject to the

most up to date terms and conditions. The prize is cruise-only and excludes all flights and transfers, which can be

added by our reservations team at the time of redemption. Travel insurance,

drinks, gratuities and items of a personal nature are not included. This prize is non-transferrable and cannot be exchanged

for cash or any other departure apart from 15 October 2016. Closing date

for receipt of entries is 15 March 2016. Participants must be over the age of 18.

Winners will be selected based upon the best entry judged by a special MSC panel and announced on 6 June 2016.

The winner must be willing to participate in any reasonable press or PR activity as

presented at the time of winning.

Barcelona's Park Guell

Pool deck

Aurea Spa treatment room

Spacious suite

Kids' water park


p40/41. MSC COMP.indd 41 14/02/2016 19:34

John Steinbeck wrote engagingly about the Gulf of California in his travel narrative, The Log From The Sea Of Cortez. Neil Young’s Cortez The Killer is a power-chord tour de force that has earned a place among the eight records I would take to a desert island.

Those two facts alone are enough to have made the Gulf of California a bucket list destination for me. You can add to them the aerial shots of mighty blue whales on David Attenborough TV documentaries, and spectacular images of flying manta rays leaping from the water to fly like Stealth bombers.

Not to mention a desire to emulate Steinbeck, and write my very own Blog From The Sea Of Cortez. I just had to go there.

But was not until I had booked a cruise to the region that I discovered one of the highlights might not be the sea itself or any of its creatures but an all-day journey to inland Mexico, mostly by train, to a mighty complex of mountains and gorges that is bigger and deeper than America’s Grand Canyon.

I had never heard of Copper Canyon before, and even when I discovered it was on the list of excursions from cruise ship Azamara Quest, I half expected it to be nothing more than a two-bit mining town with nothing more to show than a few rusting relics and possibly a rip-off rodeo.

How wrong could I be?It might have been one of the longest one-day

excursions I have ever taken from a ship, with possibly the highest-ever ratio of time spent travelling to time at the actual destination, but it was worth every minute and every cent – largely because the journey itself, or at least the daylight section, was a thrill in themselves.

It hardly seems right to refer to it simply as Copper Canyon – because this vast region of north-west Mexico is riven apart by green and red gorges cutting so far into the earth’s crust that it’s impossible to see the bottom in most cases.

There are realistically only two ways to get there; by horse or by train. As we had only a day rather than a fortnight, we chose the train.

The excursion cost $599 per person booked on the ship, and attracted almost 200 participants from the

700 passengers on board. Azamara Quest was berthed in Topolobampo and we were walking down the gangway at 5.00 in the morning for a two-hour drive by coach to the town of El Fuertes, where our chartered train in the livery of Chihuahua al Pacifico was waiting.

With all aboard by 7.15 am we began a six-hour climb into the mountains, the scenery growing more impressive as every mile sped by.

Through tunnel after tunnel, and over precarious bridges crossing arroyos, the track snaked its way alongside rushing rivers and past craggy cliffs. Carlos, our guide, did his best to keep us informed about the occasional villages and stations en route, and about what we could expect when we reached our destination.

A small army of train staff kept us fed and watered, and an assiduous carriage porter in double-breasted jacket, bow tie and peaked cap walked up and down the carriage to collect our empties and keep everything tidy.

At Temoris, about halfway through the journey, the track took two horseshoe bends, one of them in a mile-long tunnel, to gain height from the valley floor, climbing about 3,000 feet to the plateau above.

Eventually we reached Posada Barrancas station. All change!

While most passengers headed straight for lunch at the Mirador Hotel, perched on the rim of the canyon, about 50 of us paid a further $45 to take an exhilarating trip by cable car to a stumpy outcrop

THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA WAS MY BUCKET-LIST DESTINATION AND THE HIGHLIGHT OF THIS CRUISE WITH AZAMARA WAS A

MARATHON EXCURSION BY TRAIN TO SEE THE SPECTACULAR COPPER CANYON

CORTEZ the

Land's End, Cabo San Lucas

BY JOHN HONEYWELL


p40/45. AZAMARA V2.indd 38 14/02/2016 19:39

XXXXXXX

further into the canyon and providing breathtaking views of not only Copper Canyon but also Urique and Trararecua Canyons.

At the cable car station there were girls from the indigenous Tarahumara Indian tribe – each with a baby carried on the hip – selling souvenirs; they were a refreshingly un-pushy bunch and did not even demand tips when they were photographed.

The views from the top were stupendous. If only more people knew about it, Copper Canyon would surely be in the running for inclusion in any list of the Top 10 natural wonders of the world.

Every chasm and cliff, peak and plateau is enormous and it’s almost impossible to appreciate just how vast the canyon complex is. Four of its arms are 1,000 feet deeper than anything in Colorado.

From valley floor to mountain top there are three distinct climatic zones, each with its own vegetation; in

QUEST FOR PERFECTIONAzamara Quest and sister ship Azamara Journey are boutique-sized vessels carrying 686 passengers each. They were built in 2007 for the now-defunct Renaissance Cruises.

They may be small, but they have big aspirations.

Service is exceptional and the open-seating main dining room is supplemented by a buffet restaurant with ample choice, and (for an additional fee) a top-class steakhouse and an Italian restaurant.

Wine and beer are included with lunch and

dinner, as are house spirits and cocktails. Bottled water, coffee and tea are all complimentary.

Both ships are receiving multi-million dollar makeovers this year. Journey’s was completed in February in the Bahamas, and Quest will get the treatment in Singapore in April.

Under veteran boss Larry Pimentel, Azamara has pioneered “destination immersion” cruising with longer stays in port and a spectacular ‘Azamazing Evening’ on every voyage. In Mexico, this was a blend of myth, mystery, ballet and fire-eating under the stars.


ADVENTURE CRUISE

p40/45. AZAMARA V2.indd 39 14/02/2016 19:39

ADVENTURE CRUISE

total there are believed to be 23 species of pine, 200 of oak, plus alder and poplar trees. Wild flowers blossom everywhere and the pipe organ cacti of the lower levels are replaced higher up by star-shaped sotol and yucca which the Indians use to make everything from alcoholic drinks to baskets.

The colour palette of the rocks, rivers and sky contains a million shades, and erosion of the volcanic deposits laid down over a period of 15 million years exposes rocks of every hue.

There are gold and silver mines, but little copper – the name is derived from the colour rather than deposits of the actual metal.

From our cable car eyrie, we re-joined our travelling companions at the Mirador Hotel. A quick lunch, more photo opportunities, more souvenirs, a display of traditional dancing and a brief example of the marathon running for which the Indians are famous, then it was time to return to the train.

The downhill journey was a little quicker, but the final two hours on the bus seemed to take for ever.

Back at the quayside, Quest’s crew were quick to provide a restorative cup of hot chocolate and rum, but even that could not instil enough energy for me to join the stay-at-home passengers dancing at an impromptu disco on the dock-side. It had been 17½ hours on the go – and all that travel can be exhausting.

Besides, I had to be ready for much more on this action-packed cruise. I had already been enthralled by daring cliff-divers in Mazatlán, and enchanted by amateur dancers on the Malecón, or seafront promenade, in La Paz.

In Loreto – once the haunt of Hollywood starlets – I took a boat trip with local fishermen to nearby islands. No whales to be seen, unfortunately, but there were dolphins by the score, sea lions basking on the rocks, and I was able to tick off blue footed boobies in my Smutty Guide to Birdwatching.

Today’s Hollywood stars who come to Mexico for some away-from-it-all R&R now head to Cabo San Lucas, which has become

Our Chihuahua al Pacifico train climbs into the mountains

“Back at the quayside, Quest’s crew were quick to provide a restorative cup of hot chocolate and rum”


Humpback whale breaching

p40/45. AZAMARA V2.indd 40 15/02/2016 12:29


an over-developed collection of condos and high-end hotels, mixed in with an infinite number of bars knocking out tequila shots at bargain basement prices.

Away from its seedy streets, however, it has possibly the most dramatic Land’s End scenery in the world. One beach almost at the tip of the promontory is washed by the Sea of Cortez on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other. And there’s a natural rock arch that completely dwarfs anything our own dear Lulworth Cove has to offer.

It was on an excursion from here that we finally saw the humpback whales we had been looking for all week. Our tour boat was escorted in and out of the harbour by friendly sea lions, and we were fuelled with an unlimited supply of Margaritas so there was a moment when I thought I might be hallucinating.

But they were real enough. Mother and calf together with their dorsal fins breaking the water before the tail flukes appeared, signifying a deep dive. And then another specimen leaping spectacularly from the waves before crashing back in an avalanche of spray.

Back in the haven of our cabin on Azamara Quest, we had to shut the balcony doors to keep out the din from half a mile away as two club DJs competed to see whose party crowd could make the most noise.

That’s the great thing about cruises. I saw the wildlife I had hoped for. I had my Copper Canyon surprise. And I could get peace when I wanted it.

Cliff divers in Maxatlan

p40/45. AZAMARA V2.indd 42 14/02/2016 19:40

SHIP FACTS

SIZE30,277 GRT

LENGTH592 FT

DECKS9

PASSENGERS 686

CREW408

ON - BOARD CURRENCY

US$

THE BASICSDrinks:

House spirits, beers and wines: Included

Premium drinks package: $15.95 pp per day.

Connoisseur’s 7-bottle wine package $415 (saving $110)Bottled water, soft drinks,

speciality teas and coffees: Included

Gratuities: Included

Launderette: Included

Shuttle service from port: Included

WiFi: $62.95 for 200 minutes

In addition, suite guests have English butler service, 235

free internet minutes, one free bag of laundry per seven days,

complimentary dining in the speciality restaurants, afternoon

tea service in the suite.

BOOK ITCruises to the Sea of Cortez on mainstream ships (as opposed

to adventure cruises with more rudimentary facilities)

are rare and usually book up well in advance. Azamara Quest will return in 2017 for a 12 night voyage departing

from San Diego on February 9 and visiting Mazatlan, La Paz,

Topolobampo (for Copper Canyon), Guaymas, Loreto (overnight), and Cabo San

Lucas. Fares from £3,359 pp (based on 2 sharing) for a Club Interior cabin, including flights

from London and transfers. Cruise-only fare, £2,189 ppazamaraclubcruises.co.uk

0844 493 4016.

The spectacular Copper Canyon

Rocky islet off Loreto


Pelican at Loreto

ADVENTURE CRUISE

ALL

PIC

TUR

ES B

Y JO

HN

HO

NEY

WEL

L

p40/45. AZAMARA V2.indd 43 14/02/2016 19:40

elcome to Voyages of Discovery and our relaxed style of cruising. Our comfortable small ship Voyager sails straight into ports that mega-liners have

to pass by, taking you right to the heart of fascinating destinations all over the world.

There's a friendly atmosphere on board, with just 540 like-minded passengers joining you, and great facilities, including two restaurants, four bars, a library, fitness centre and spa.

During days at sea there’s an array of activities to keep you entertained and our lively Guest Speakers will share their knowledge to complement our exciting, but always optional shore excursions.

With all onboard meals, entertainment, flights and transfers included in your fare, our inviting range of cruises also offers exceptional value.

Our 2016 season features a host of amazing cruises to fabulous places, with Voyager navigating far-flung ports of call in South America and the Caribbean before making her way back to waters closer to home. From May to October she will stop at many wonderful ports dotted around the shores of the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Adriatic and Aegean Seas, giving passengers the opportunity to explore a wealth of historic and cultural sites thanks to our varied optional shore excursions programme.

A stunning highlight on our South American itineraries is a transit of the Panama Canal.

From a man-made marvel to one of nature’s finest creations – Iceland is a destination that delivers some of the most striking scenery ever seen on Earth. This ‘land of ice and fire’ just below the Arctic

WCircle offers visitors the chance to explore dramatic lava fields and volcanic craters, plunge into geothermal spas, and ascend towering mountains; to marvel at cascading waterfalls and look out for an array of wildlife species, from charismatic puffins to majestic whales.

Many of Europe’s must-see cities are also within easy reach of small ship Voyager, so step ashore to discover the sights on every traveller’s wish list. In Venice, a two-day stay means you can take the time to absorb its innumerable treasures. St Mark’s Square, with its ancient basilica, the lavish Doge’s Palace and the Rialto Bridge, which spans the Grand Canal, are just some of the sights certain to leave lasting memories.

Another unique destination with exceptional sights at every turn is Istanbul. Not only can you admire glittering Ottoman Palaces, ancient mosques and spice-filled bazaars but you can also say you have visited two continents in one day as this mystical city straddles Europe and Asia.

A characterful city spread across seven steep hills, Lisbon was once home to some of the world’s greatest explorers, including Vasco da Gama and Prince Henry the Navigator. It is here that Portugal’s ‘Age of Discoveries’ is celebrated in the form of the exceptional Monument to the Discoveries, erected in honour of seafaring pioneers.

Wherever in the world you long to visit why not let Voyages of Discovery take you there. With so much included in your fare, your holiday on board Voyager promises to be a journey to remember.For details of all our cruises, right through to spring 2017, please call 0800 043 9417 and quote ‘WOC’ or visit www.voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk

Istanbul souvenirs

Venice's Rialto Bridge

Lisbon's Monumentto the Discoveries


EDITORIAL promotion

Iceland

ENJOY THE

DIFFERENCEEXCLUSIVE WORLD OF CRUISING

READER OFFER!FREE Bon Voyage

Gold Package per cabin on embarkation when you book any

Voyages of Discovery cruise by 31st March 2016

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today!

p26. VOD ADVERTORIAL copy 4.indd 44 11/02/2016 18:07


Star Flyer (right) and 'big sister' Royal Clipper

SEVEN DAYS

BEFORE THE

MAST

p46/51. STARFLYER copy.indd 46 11/02/2016 18:19

UNDER SAIL

Tall ship Star Flyer evokes the era of

Onedin Line and Cutty Sark, but is not short of modern-day comforts

BY GARY BUCHANAN

SEVEN DAYS

BEFORE THE

MAST


UNDER SAIL

under sail, two small salt-water pools on Sun Deck, and a host of watersports facilities.

Built in the Langerbrugge Shipyard of Ghent in Belgium in 1991, the four-masted 2,556-tonne Star Flyer is a faithful recreation of the barquentines that battled around Cape Horn more than a century ago. It is from these unforgettable ‘greyhounds of the sea’ - as the glorious clipper ships of the mid-19th century were known - that Mikael Krafft, a passionate and dedicated Swedish yachtsman, drew his inspiration.

Clipper ships, so named because they ‘clipped’ the waves, were defined by sharp bows, narrow hulls and tall masts. Their speed of up to 20 knots greatly contributed to the profitability of their owners’ trading companies during the prosperous ‘golden age of sail’. Passengers were carried from London to the Far East and Australia via Cape Horn, usually on one-way tickets. The ships would then race home with cargoes of tea from India, spices and silks from Southeast Asia, or Australian wool and grain. Cutty Sark, now a museum piece in Greenwich, is one of the most famous of the old clippers..

Krafft believes that sailing on a true tall ship represents the heart and soul of his cruise concept. Rather than resorting to ‘sail-assisted’ cruising where the canvas is unfurled and trimmed under the control of a computer, Star Flyer’s Indian and Ukrainian deck crew


AAs a young man living on the Fife coast in the 1970s, The Onedin line was the highlight of my Sunday night television viewing. Inspired by the power of Khachaturian’s emotive music and the exhilarating scenes of the Charlotte Rhodes slicing through the ocean waves with her billowing sails set, I dreamed of escaping to sea on a tall ship.

I had to wait 40 years for the dream to become reality, but last summer I got the opportunity to be a character in my own period drama.

Star Flyer delights the eye and refreshes the spirit. The polar opposite of today’s modern cruise ships brimful of casinos and chic restaurants, this four-masted barquentine is the real protagonist; 360 feet of sheer poetry. Anchored in the Bay of Cannes and rolling seductively in the glinting sun, she inspired me to recite a memorable line from John Masefield’s poem Sea Fever: “And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by.”

The prospect of spending the next seven days before the mast filled me with anticipation. As I boarded, there were no officious security guards demanding I place my goods and chattels in a plastic tray; my body was not irradiated; and no photographer insisted on capturing the moment for posterity. Instead, the administrative formalities were completed in the vessel’s teak and mahogany-panelled library and within minutes I had been presented with a cabin key complete with tassel – a reminder that I was on board a ship where traditions matter.

Tall ship it may be, but there’s plenty of room to swing a cat on Star Flyer. My mid-priced cabin on Commodore Deck wasn’t overly large, but it had a comfortable double bed with a handsome clipper print above it, ample and ingeniously designed storage space, thoughtfully-placed reading lamps and a television. The shower had a good supply of unguents and the water pressure was excellent. There are seven categories of accommodation ranging from inside cabins with bunks to an owner’s cabin, complete with whirlpool bath.

From bowsprit to transom, the ship has roomy decks and elegant public spaces designed to approximate a vision of ocean travel largely unseen since the turn of the 20th century. There’s a plush Piano Bar but the outdoor Tropical Bar is the centre of activity both day and night.

The dining room, dressed in with an elegant creams and golds, has an Edwardian ambiance and can accommodate all passengers at one sitting. Most meals are offered buffet-style. Amidships there’s a Purser’s Office and ‘Sloop Shop’ which sells Star Clippers logo clothing. Modern attributes include air-conditioning

A crew memberunfurls the sails

Iˮ COULD SOON TELL A SPANKER FROM A JIGGER BUT I DECLINED AN INVITATION TO CLIMB ALOFTˮ

THE BASICSBombay Sapphire gin

and tonic: €6.50Becks: €3.50

Glass of champagne: €7.50

Coffee and tea station

complimentaryCappuccino: €2.75

Californian Chardonnay:

€18.50 per bottleSouth African

Cabernet Sauvignon: €20.50

Laundry: Shirt €4.50,

dress €6.Internet: 240 minutes

€18Asian massage

on deck: €56

Gratuities: €8 per person per day

3-hour tour to Sant’ Antonio & Pigna in

Corsica: €55

Fares: A 7-night cruise departing Cannes on 24 September

2016 and visiting L’Île Rousse; Figari Beach;

Bonifacio; Ajaccio; Porquerolles; Sanary-

sur-Mer; St Tropez (overnight), from

£1,829 pp including flights.

Book: www.starclippers.co.uk

0845 200 6145


perform every task on electrically-operated winches and capstans which enable them to hoist all 16 sails in just two minutes.

I didn’t have to wait long to see this nautical spectacle. Shortly after 10pm, under a tranquil three-quarter moon, Captain Yuriy Slastenin shouted a series of commands and 36,000 square feet of gently billowing clouds of canvas were set to catch every last breath of wind. As at every sailaway, the sight was accompanied by Vangelis’ sensuous theme music to the film ‘1492: The Conquest of Paradise’ and it brought a tear to my eye, I must confess.

The compass was set on a southerly course as the Côte d’Azur, fringed with a mantle of twinkling lights, disappeared in our wake. Early next morning I stood on deck watching Corsica loom ever larger on the horizon. The air was heady with the whiff of pines and wild herbs; this is the maquis, a scent by which Napoleon vowed he would recognise his distinctive homeland even if he were blindfolded.

I signed up for an excursion to the island’s hinterland from the seaport citadel of Calvi. After a journey twisting agonizingly over mountain switchbacks, I arrived at the 12th century mountaintop monastery at Sant’ Antonio, Corsica’s oldest village. A pungent cheesecake and local Moscato wine provided perfect sustenance.

Back on board, a dip in the pool preceded a nap on deck. All too soon it was cocktail hour and the Tropical Bar assumed a more challenging persona as a squall suddenly turned the placid sea into a white-capped mêlée the colour of hammered steel.

During dinner the winds intensified and the ship began to rise and fall with shuddering spasms. While it proved challenging for the Filipino waiters, only a handful of passengers retired early. Fortified by a generous single malt, I headed to the Sun Deck where the crew were trimming the sails in a strategic tack into the howling westerly, the lattice-work of yardarms braced with a tempo of their own.

I slept like a babe in a giant rocking cradle and next morning clambered back up top and drank coffee as the white sails bellied and breakers crashed on the steel hull. The sun was shining by the time we reached Figari Beach but I decided the tender ride to shore would be too challenging even for this old salt.

Next morning was spent exploring the Sun Deck with its polished brass and varnished hardwoods as well as chatting to Chief Officer Andreas Slowik about the comparative function of the staysails on the jib, the square-rigged sails on the foremast and the rigged sails on the three aft masts. Within an hour I

became proficient at differentiating a spanker from a jigger, but I declined an invitation to climb aloft and assist the sailors adjusting the rigging.

With lighter winds and calmer seas we cautiously navigated around a narrow headland before nudging into harbour at Bonifacio in the shadow of sheer limestone cliffs. After a pleasant dinner of deliciously creamy asparagus soup and perfectly cooked fillet of halibut, finished off with a tangy Gorgonzola, I took advantage of the overnight stay and strolled along the marina to one of several trendy bars where I joined some of my shipmates.

During the next few sun-kissed days I alternated between lying in the ‘widow’s net’ slung beneath the bowsprit, looking down at dolphins gambolling in the emerald sea; and lotus-eating on a beach at Costa Smeralda; leisurely walks around the sleepy town of Portferraio on Elba, indulging in a superb Italian lunch in Santa Margherita Ligure, and sipping overpriced cappuccinos in Monte Carlo.

Captivated by the creaking of the rigging, the sigh of the wind in the sails and the sibilant murmur of the waves along the hull, I had fallen in love with the mercurial, enduring and glamorous anachronism that is Star Flyer. As I headed home I began to realise the characters in the Onedin Line never had it so good.

SHIP FACTSLENGTH379 FT

TONNAGE 2,298

DECKS4

PASSENGERS 170

on my cruise, mostly German,

French and British

CREW72

The ship's mighty wheel is dwarfed by the towering

foremast

Relaxing in the widows' net beneath the bowsprit


UNDER SAIL

p51.indd 51 23/02/2016 09:39


MINI CRUISE

A tranquil scene in Bruges

p58.indd 58 23/02/2016 09:42

S

SHORT BREAK


Do the best things come in small packages? A New Year mini-cruise on P&O’s Ventura was the perfect chance to find out

hort cruises can be the perfect introduction to the wonderful world of cruising and old salts would argue that getting the first cruise right can mean either a lifelong addiction or a total aversion.

The short-break voyage provides companies like P&O – which this year has 28 mini-cruises in its schedules – with the opportunity to showcase their ships to first-timers reluctant to splash out on a fortnight in the Mediterranean. They are a great way to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries – or in my case, to welcome the New Year.

Bored with the incessant Hogmanay hoopla brought to our television screens by die-hard presenters who seem to be resurrected solely for this annual shindig, I was drawn to the prospect of joining 3,000 other voices on board a ship to sing Auld Lang Syne together.

Less than a fortnight before the New Year bells rang out and cities around the world vied to put on the most spectacular – and expensive – firework display, I was clutching my electronic ticket in anticipation of renewing my acquaintance with P&O Cruises’ Ventura.

It had been been eight years since I last stepped aboard this towering ship during her christening celebrations. On that day, to spare any blushes in case the champagne bottle failed to smash, godmother Dame Helen Mirren was assisted by a team of Royal Marine Commandos who abseiled down the side of the ship to ensure that the bottle disintegrated.

During a quiet moment before dinner I enquired how the Dame Helen felt about her new role and she coyly responded that she would do her best to offer her ship “spiritual guidance”.

I arrived at Southampton’s Mayflower Cruise Terminal in high spirits as the old year was drawing to a close. I was unsure what to expect but a quick glace around the check-in desks allayed any fears that this was going to be a wingding for stag and hen parties. Nor did it appear to be a seaborne escapade for people who don’t ‘do’ cruises; most passengers seemed to be part of jovial multi-generational groups.

Maritime historians often cite the era of Prohibition as the origins of

Americans’ passion for escaping to sea. Short ‘booze cruises’, when ships headed out to sea from New York to enable them to serve real liquor in vast quantities, were all the rage in the 1920s.

On my first night on board I visited the most popular watering holes. While Metropolis, Tamarind Club and The Exchange were doing a brisk trade, there were no rat-packs of soaks.

“With the ship pitching gently, I enjoyed dinner in the Glass House - the popular ‘gastro-pub’ under the direction of wine connoisseur Olly Smith. For £5.25, I savoured three ‘small plates’ of Chorizo Sausage,

Pork Belly and Butter Bean Cassoulet; Chicken Liver and Brandy Parfait; and Tempura King Prawns. There was no need

to order any large plates as the ‘small’ portions were generous, however I did enjoy the array of British

Cheeses and Raisin Bread at £4.00.” The following morning we docked in the

industrial, windswept port of Zeebrugge, gateway to the charming city of Bruges. Rather than signing up for a seven-hour ‘Bruges on your own’ ship’s tour at £38, I took the complimentary shuttle bus to Blankenberge - a 10 minute drive away - then jumped on a train to Bruges – the

return ticket costing just €6. The crowded carriages showed I was not alone in this option.

Having made a saving during the day I splashed out on dinner at The Epicurean at the White Room

where the cover charge is £40. In one of the most elegant restaurants at sea I enjoyed fresh, seasonal British ingredients presented to achieve maximum flavour. With a nod to molecular cuisine, the P&O Cruises’ team of executive chefs has come up with a menu that can be understood without a degree in pretension and food that is unsullied by unsuitable marriages between incompatible cuisines.

The Bloody Mary Lollipop with Tabasco centre set the tone for an evening of unadulterated treats. I loved the texture of the Devonshire White Crab, Langoustine and Caviar Cocktail; Fillet of Wild Caught English Turbot St Clement’s was worthy of Scotts in Mayfair; while the Crêpe Suzette Flambé was a novel twist on a cruising favourite.

On my last night I also enjoyed dining in Sindhu, where the

SHOWCASEBY GARY BUCHANAN

“ WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RELISH THE VOYAGE AND

NOT THE DESTINATION ”

p58/60. SHORT BREAK P&O.indd 59 11/02/2016 18:46


fusion of Indian and British cuisine created by Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar debunks the myth that Indian cuisine is endless variations of Chicken Tikka Masala. The cover charge of £20 is a steal.

It’s true to say that much of the difference between cruising and travelling is that we have the opportunity to relish the voyage and not the destination.

Thanks to winter storm Frank, Ventura’s passengers were greeted on the morning of the last day of the year by an announcement from Captain Derek Gray that winds gusting up to Force 8 made navigation of the locks at Ijmuiden unsafe. Consequently our visit to the port of Amsterdam – and our planned overnight stay - were cancelled.

With no option other than to relish the voyage, I consulted Horizon, the daily programme. Just as I was considering heading to The Exchange for a Music Challenge, Hughie, the ebullient Entertainment Director made an announcement that line-dancing, guess-the-tune, syndicate quizzes and recently-released movies were being added to the daily schedule. It was a perfect opportunity to see ‘A Royal Night Out’ with Rupert Everett and Emily Watson in the Arena Theatre. As I ambled through the Atrium it became obvious that the Oasis Spa, boutiques and casino were in overdrive, transforming a folded hand into a royal flush of capricious consumerism.

I should not have been surprised by the proclivities of the northern European winter, but nature’s tough deal at such a festive time seemed cruel. The mood was not enhanced by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs regulating that VAT was payable on items purchased in the gift shops, photo gallery and spa as Ventura was not calling at a port outside the European Union.

Mercifully this levy was not applied to wine and drinks and bottles of Lanson Black Label champagne were offered at £10 discount. New Year’s Eve dinner was a lavish affair. I settled down to ‘The Chieftain Royal Highland Haggis’ served with Champit Tatties ‘n Bashed Neeps and a Wee Drap o’ the Cratur; Jerusalem Artichoke and Sweet Apple Velouté; Roast Highland Grouse Breast with Blackberries; followed by Cranachan Coupe with All Butter Shortbread.

The formal dress code was adhered to throughout the ship. Merriment had now overtaken the disappointment and revellers headed to their preferred venues. Singer Karl Lewis, who had earlier in the cruise been a superb Olly Murs tribute act, sang toe-tapping songs in Havana; ‘Sounds Serious’ ensured the Tamarind Club was packed; while the pub night in The Exchange was packed to the gunwales with party-goers of all ages.

Hughie announced the countdown to midnight throughout the ship as the sound of champagne corks popping and balloons bursting reverberated amongst the carefree Hogmanay throng. 2016 had arrived and I was enjoying Dame Helen’s “spiritual guidance” in a glass.

FACT BOXOn-board drinks prices:

Pint of John Smiths £3.95Bottle of Old Speckled Hen

£3.75250ml glass of Australian

Chardonnay £6.50250ml glass of Chilean Merlot

£5.50125ml glass of Lanson Black

Label champagne £7.25Dry Martini cocktail £5.50

25ml Glenfiddich single malt £3.25

Four bottle wine package from £72.50

Wines by bottle: Stone Barn California Chardonnay £16.50, Spanish Crianza Rioja £17.50

DinnnerEpicurean dinner cover charge

£40.00Sindhu dinner cover charge

£20.00, Asian lunch cover charge £7.50

Room service charges for certain items including:

chicken and bacon sandwich £1.50, multi-deck burger £3.95,

croque monsieur £1.50

Laundry ladies dress £4.40, men’s shirt £3.85

Gratuities£5.00 per person per day

(automatically added to on-board account)

Internet250 minutes, £62.50; 100 minutes £35.00 or 50p per

minute.

Spa: Elemis Oxydermy facial, 50

minute £104 plus 10% gratuity; shampoo and set £30 plus 10%

gratuity.

Excursions: 4.5hr ‘Bruges At Your Own Pace’ tour £36, 2hr tour of

Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam £57

SHIP FACTS

TONNAGE116,017 GRT

PASSENGERS 3,092

CREW1,239

FARESA 4-night cruise

to Zeebrugge and Amsterdam

departing 29 December 2016,

from £749.

BOOKwww.pocruises.com

0843 374 0111 Ventura in her new livery

Ventura's atrium dressed for the festive season

There were Christmas trees throughout the ship

MINI CRUISE

p58/60. SHORT BREAK P&O.indd 60 11/02/2016 18:46


RIVER ADVENTURE

Discovering the Amazon

Susan joins the tribal chief and his family in Boras

p62/66. RIVER CRUISE AMAZON.indd 62 14/02/2016 20:43

63

Discovering the AmazonInto the rainforest to swim with pink dolphins and catch

piranha fish, and go on expeditions to meet macaws and monkeys

and dance with the local shaman

BY SUSAN PARKER

At the point where three rivers intersect, we swam in the Amazon: a river that accounts for 20 per cent of all the fresh water in the world. Floating free, listening to the sounds of the jungle…One of those moments that remain imprinted in the memory for ever.

Here, 2,500 miles upstream from the Atlantic, life takes on a different perspective. Haimark Line began sailing its Amazon Discovery in October 2015. I was on the second voyage. Inevitably there were teething problems but comments were acted upon swiftly and more recent reports are that the product has improved tenfold.

There were 34 crew taking care of 42 passengers, making for attentive service. The three naturalists on board - Adonay, Anselmo and Denis - one for each skiff, together with the eagle-eyed boatmen made every trip an education. They don’t provide dull tour-speak commentaries, their involvement comes from a real love of the jungle, the country and the job. To a man and woman they were happy to be working on this ship.

Embarkation in Iquitos sets the tone of the six-night voyage to come. There was a rough-and-ready entrance and a set of uneven steps down to the tender but once on board I found Amazon Discovery to be simply but well-appointed.

There is a large air-conditioned lounge with bar as well as outside space for those wanting fresh air but it’s wise to be wary of mosquitos. Deet is the best defence and



advisable, especially when ashore.This trip doesn’t leave too much time for

relaxation but there’s a sundeck complete with Jacuzzi. There is a tiny gym but a trip to Patricia for a rainforest tender touch massage and bora facial was more to my liking.

The itinerary has been rejigged since I was on board and now promises a better mix of skiff trips, onboard demonstrations and activities. With immersion being today’s buzzword when it comes to travelling, the first trip off the ship offers that in abundance in the form of swimming combined with spotting pink dolphins. These creatures are quite extraordinary but very shy so it’s all eyes on the river and you have to be quick.

To help with orientation there’s a pre-lunch map presentation and introduction to the Amazon which is followed later in the day by a demonstration of how to mix pisco sours, the national cocktail of Peru. There’s also a skiff exploration trip, one of two, which is a great way to see the abundance of birds along the river banks.

With binoculars in hand, I became quite the little twitcher and have to confess to being thrilled both by what I saw as well as the joy that came with my newfound knowledge. From the green Amazon kingfisher to the yellow-breasted flycatcher and the scarlet macaw the array of colours, sizes and birdsong was extraordinary. We were also lucky enough to see a red-capped cardinal with chicks that Anselmo said he had not seen in all the years he has been guiding.

After breakfast the next day we set off at for the town of San Francisco to visit both

the community and the school. This is one of three opportunities to meet locals, learn about their lives and also buy local crafts. Make sure that you have Peruvian nuevos soles with you although our guides mostly had change for dollars (but not pounds). I managed to come home with a myriad of Christmas gifts from peashooters to bead belts, all handcrafted from jungle products.

The afternoon brought a chance to go on a jungle hike where we were introduced to flora and fauna, including squirrel monkeys, a huge and hairy brown tarantula, a boa constrictor and the super-poisonous dart frog. None seemed particularly fazed by our presence, allowing for some startling pictures.

On the last full day there is a visit to Monkey Island rescue centre with a variety of species including spider monkey, howler and red uakari running free.

Another highlight was the night safari together with piranha fishing. To my dismay I didn’t manage to hook one but most of my fellow passengers did. There was much excitement as these snappy little creatures took the bait and were landed for photo opportunities before being returned to the river.

In Santa Ana we were ‘blessed’ by an elderly shaman and asked to join in the dancing following a display by some in the community. In Boras we met the tribal chief and his wife who, together with their family,

ZIKA VIRUSAs World of Cruising went to

press, there had been only one case of Zika virus reported in Peru

– a Venezuelan man who had recently travelled through Colombia. The Foreign

Office advice to travellers in affected regions is to use mosquito repellent and

wear long sleeves and trousers. Pregnant women should consider avoiding travel

to countries with the Zika virus or seek travel health advice from

their GP or a travel clinic.

Tendering ashore at sunset

Red uakari - almost extinct Amazonia suite

Pink river dolphin

RIVER ADVENTURE


told stories through dance as we sat on logs inside a ceremonial hut.

There were presentations from the tour guides every morning, with talks on local cultures and one on legends of the Amazon as well as a cooking lesson. After-dinner entertainment consisted of a couple of films – including Werner Herzog’s visually stunning Fitzcarraldo - as well as music and dancing from the crew who were pretty skilled in both and only too happy to coach those of us prepared to give salsa a go. They also performed on the last night when we were tendered to a floating restaurant in Iquitos for the farewell dinner.

Breakfast and lunch on the ship are buffet style with a simple menu available at lunch for those wanting full service. A big plus was the array of local fruits available both in natural form and as juices.

Every evening saw a different menu with three choices of main course which tended to be chicken, beef and local fish. Aptly our first night was Amazonian fare with offerings such as hearts of palm salad (chonta), river fish (paiche) and a spicy Peruvian sauce. Even the bread was unusual being purple potato ciabatta.

It’s a long way to go for six nights so I strongly recommend taking the land tour organised by Haimark. It's been on my wish list for more than 40 years and I was not disappointed by a visit to Machu Picchu combined with the Sacred Valley of the Incas, Cusco and Lima. My only suggestion would be to add a few extra days just to chill out as it’s a pretty full-on two weeks.

THE BASICSDrinks

Cappuccino/espresso: $5 Cerveza Amazonica local beer:

complimentary or Cusquena Gold $5, Heineken $8Tabernero local wine:

complimentary lunch and dinner or $11 per cl175 glass

Complimentary soft drinks: tonic water, ginger ale, coffee, teas, coke, coke zero, inca kolaor, eg Pepsi $4, Evian $8, San

Luis water $2Complimentary cocktail: Pisco

sour. Cocona sour $10, Margarita

$10, Bloody Mary $10, Campari and orange $9, G&T $9

LaundryBlouse $5, trousers $7

CommunicationsInternet on board

NoneMobile signal:

Unreliable/patchyShip’s satellite phone:

$5 per minute

Spa treatmentsMassage $50 for 45 minutes;

facial $40 for 45 minutes; manicure $15, shampoo/blow

dry $20

Gratuities$13.50 crew members and

$6.00 tour manager per person per day

FaresUS$3,799 (£2,531.65 at

December 2015) to $5,499 (£3,664.53) based on double occupancy (without flights).

British Airways launches direct flights to Lima later this year with return flights from about £650.Return flights Lima-Iquitas from

about £250.

Bookwww.haimarkline.com

SHIP FACTS

PASSENGERS42

CREW34

SHIP’S LENGTH

51M

DON’T FORGET

sun block, bug spray, hat, walking shoes,

binocularsVaccinations: check

with doctor

VISAnot required for Brits

LOCAL CURRENCYNuevos soles (US$ accepted in some

tourist-oriented business)

CURRENCY ON BOARD

US$ (cashless)


The Illinois set at Machu Picchu

The Amazon Discovery

RIVER ADVENTURE



RIVER CRUISE

A quiet corner ofmedieval Strasbourg

p68/72. RIVER CRUISE RHINE.indd 68 14/02/2016 20:53

69

A luxury voyage from Switzerland, through

Germany, France and the Netherlands,

complete with tastings on board and ashore.

Cheers!

BY GREG BARBER

on the

Feeling

Drinking

For anyone with a taste for wine, a cruise on the Rhine with a winemaker on board to offer daily tastings, and more opportunities to sample the stuff ashore, is pretty much a dream come true.

As I travelled downstream from Basel to Amsterdam, there was Old World and New, red and white, rosé and sparkling. And that was just in the mornings!

On board the AmaSerena, one of the most modern boats in Europe, I was in the lap of luxury, enjoying the freedom of all-inclusive drinks with lunch and dinner, and – when weather allowed (it was November, after all) – watching the world go by from the comfort of my own private balcony.

There was a choice of restaurants, a pool with a swim-up bar, and my in-cabin


interactive TV was a 27-inch iMac with movies on demand.

Ashore, I could make the most of what’s on offer in Switzerland, Germany’s Black Forest, the Alsace region of France, quaint towns like Rudesheim, and bustling cities such as Cologne.

And there was the wine. Travelling with us was Christopher Silva, president and CEO of the St Francis Winery and Vineyards in California’s Sonoma County. He brought cases of his own products and his enthusiastic lectures were a feature of three mornings on board.

Passengers were eager to learn about the varieties of grape that go into Bordeaux wines, how to assemble the best Zinfandel blends, and what to look expect from a Gewurtztraminer or a Chardonnay.

American guests –they were in the majority – could order his products and have them delivered to their homes.

The drinking and the tasting started soon after breakfast, and it didn’t end there. In Riquewihr, a showcase medieval village which is officially one of the prettiest in France, we descended into an ancient cellar to sample Alsatian wines produced in a single vineyard on a nearby hillside.

The Restaurant Gruber, round the corner from Strasbourg’s impressive cathedral (sixth-tallest church in the world), threw its doors open for an afternoon tasting session. Sunday morning began with

AmaWaterways has nine 7-night wine-themed

cruises on the Rhine in 2016. From £1,599pp inc UK flights; cruise & stay (7-night sailing plus 2 nights in

Lucerne, 2 nights Zurich) from £2,399pp. No single supplement on selected

departure dates. Wine-themed cruises will also sail the Seine, Rhone, Danube, Douro

and Bordeaux rivers.www.amawaterways.co.uk

0808 256 8422www.stfranciswinery.com

The 14th Century Burg Katz

St Francis Winery

Chef's Table restaurant

A tasting overlooking the Rhine

“Passengerswere eagerto learnhow toassembleZinfandelblends”

RIVER CRUISE

Rudesheimer Coffee – ferociously fortified with Ansbach brandy – and another tasting at a local winery, leaving little time for a cable car ride to the Niederwald monument built in the late 19th century to mark the creation of the German empire.

We had to be back on board by 1.00pm ready for one of the highlights of the week,

cruising through the Rhine Gorge, past an imposing collection of cliff-top castles, carefully avoiding the looming Lorelei rock where sirens drew sailors to their deaths.

Our captain, the indefatigable Jan de Brujin, has made the passage countless times and was unlikely to be seduced off course. Besides, he had his hands full navigating the river’s unusually shallow waters. An exceptionally dry

summer had left many of Europe’s rivers un-navigable and even with a shallower draft than almost any other passenger vessel on the Rhine, we had to dump ballast and drain the fresh-water tanks before making the passage.

We did not see another river cruise vessel all afternoon, and many of the cargo barges we passed were travelling half-empty in order to ride higher in the water.


Navigating theRhine Gorge

Shopping in Riquewihr

But back to our excursions – all are included in the cruise fare – and a return to the subject of drink. At the impressively enormous and rambling Heidelberg Castle, we encountered what is claimed to be the largest wine vat in the world. Mentioned several times in literature – from Les Miserables to Moby Dick – its construction required the wood from 130 oak trees and it is capable of holding 220,000 litres (48,400 gallons) – or it would be if it didn’t leak.

In Cologne most passengers chose to have dinner ashore, at the Gilden in Zims restaurant where a hearty meal of potato fritters AND meatballs AND giant Bratwurst (OR beef with red cabbage and dumplings) AND apple strudel was washed down with unlimited quantities of local wheat beer served in traditional straight-sided glasses.

I swear the AmaSerena rode lower in the water on the final night’s journey to Amsterdam after that blow-out.

It was an exceptional end to a memorable week. I can’t wait to go back and do it all again. There’s just one thing I would change. If I had travelled just a couple of weeks later in the year the Christmas markets would have been open and I could have spent evenings drinking my (rapidly-increasing) bodyweight in warming Gluhwein.

“The drinking

and the tasting started

soon after breakfast,

and it didn’t end

there”

RIVER CRUISE

p68/72. RIVER CRUISE RHINE.indd 72 14/02/2016 20:54


THOMSON CELEBRATION

FULL OF EASTERN PROMISE

The Grand Mosque at Muscat

p74/76. Thompson advertorial.indd 74 14/02/2016 21:16

EDITORIAL PROMOTION


THOMSON CELEBRATION

FULL OF EASTERN PROMISE

ubai will be the new home port for Thomson Celebration this winter as the ship operates a selection of exciting

itineraries in the Arabian Gulf.The region is the hottest destination

of choice for holidaymakers seeking winter sun combined with exciting sight-seeing and world-class shopping.

The ports of call on a Gulf cruise are close enough together to allow passengers to spend more time ashore – where there is lots to see.

Flying time from London to Dubai is a comfortable 7 hours or so – shorter than the time to get to that other winter favourite, the Caribbean.

From Dubai, Thomson Celebration will sail a choice of two different seven night cruises. Arabian Nights visits Doha, Qatar; Muscat, Oman; Khor Fakkan, UAE, and Abu Dhabi. The Cities of Gold itinerary includes Manama, Bahrain; Muscat, Oman; Khasab, Oman; and Abu Dhabi. There’s an unmissable selection of shore excursions in each port.

Dubai is a city that needs no introduction. It does it’s own thing, and does it big. Case in point, the ear-popping spire that is the 829-metre high Burj Khalifa, tallest building in the world. At the Palm, it has created a series of man-made islands which are home to luxury hotels such as Atlantis, and The One And Only, plus a collection of extravagant homes – many owned by Premiership footballers.

There are 1,200 stores in the sprawling Dubai Mall, which is also home to a ski slope which brought snow to the desert for the first time. Taste of Modern Dubai: This excursion includes the most opulent hotels and landmarks that Dubai is famous for. Visit Palm Island, the ultra-luxurious “seven star” Burj al Arab, and Burj Khalifa where you will be whisked to the viewing platform on the 124th floor for the most spectacular views of city, desert, and seaClassical Dubai: Perfect for an all-round taste of the city. Explore the Museum at Al Fahidi Fort, wander through the souks and experience the flashy Sheikh Zayed Road.Dune Dinner Safari: Head to the deep desert dunes for a magical evening watching the sunset.

Abu Dhabi is in head-on competition with Dubai for the flashiest skyscrapers, although it has yet to build anything as high as Burj Khalifa.

The most popular Abu Dhabi shore excursion is to Ferrari World, the largest indoor theme park on the planet, with the world’s fastest rollercoaster. If the adrenaline thrills are too much, there are more sedate rides available, and a host of

Drestaurant options. Formula 1 fans can also visit the Yas Marina Circuit next door.

Muscat is a much more laid-back city than its neighbours, and has banned the construction of high-rise buildings. At the Muttrah Souk, a gentle stroll from the port, visitors can wander among the silks and spices, T-shirts and baseball caps, completely unhindered by the frantic hard sell that is an irritating fact of life in most markets.

The souk is one of the stops on the Fascinating Oman shore excursion, which also visits the Barkha fish market, the Al Thowarah hot springs, and Nakhi Fort, an enormous castle on a rocky outcrop. Highlight of the tour is a stop at the gleaming white Grand Mosque.

The other destinations on Thomson’s itineraries are among the lesser-visited ports in the region with another selection of exciting

WHY CHOOSE THOMSON CRUISES?

ALL TIPS AND SERVICE CHARGES ARE INCLUDED:

Unlike most cruise lines, Thomson doesn't think that tips and service charges should cost

extra, so they are included in the price. That means you’re not expected to tip any of the crew –

unless of course, you want to.

JET OFF FROM YOUR DOORSTEP:

Thomson is the only cruise company to offer flights from

21 regional UK airports. Nearly all of them come courtesy of Thomson’s airline, Thomson Airways. Thomson makes it really easy at the other end

too, by taking care of all your transfers.

UNBEATABLE CHOICE OF CRUISE & STAY HOLIDAYS:

Sometimes it’s nice to have the best of both worlds. That’s why Thomson offers Cruise & Stay

holidays that let you pair time on board with a stay in a hotel.

MORE THAN 120 DESTINATIONS:

From Abu Dhabi to Vigo, Thomson takes its customers to more than 120 destinations

every year. Almost all our cruises sail at night, meaning fewer days

are spent at sea and you can maximise your time ashore.


BOOK NOW, FROM £799 pp

BOOK IT. FARES FOR BOTH THE ARABIAN NIGHTS AND THE CITIES OF

GOLD CRUISES START AT £799 PER PERSON.

SAMPLE DEPARTURESArabian Nights from £799 per person

based on 2 adults sharing an inside cabin on decks 1/2 for 7 nights on board

Thomson Celebration on a full board basis. Flight departing 2 January 2017

from Birmingham or London Gatwick to sail on 3 January 2017. Free All Inclusive

upgrades are available.

Cities of Gold from £799 price is per person based on 2 adults sharing an

inside cabin on decks 1/2 for 7 nights on board Thomson Celebration on

a full board basis. Flight departing 7 February 2017 from London Gatwick

or Manchester to set sail on 8 February 2017. Free All Inclusive upgrades are

available.

TO BOOKPlease see www.thomson.co.uk or the relevant brochure for full booking terms and conditions.

Described by cruising’s bible, the Berlitz Guide, as a “modern but not glitzy ship” for passengers looking for a “middle-of-the-road experience” Thomson Celebration carries 1,264 passengers and 520 crew.

A refurbishment in 2012 brightened cabin décor and added contemporary furnishings throughout the public areas. A year later, in came The Coffee Port café, together with the addition of balconies to 20 cabins on Deck 9. Five new de luxe cabins were

created on Deck 5.Meals are served in the

Meridian Restaurant and in there’s buffet service for breakfast and lunch in the Terrace Grill, which is transformed into a hot stones steakhouse for dinner. There’s also a new Asian restaurant, Kora La, and the a la carte Mistral’s Restaurant for luxury specialities such as lobster Thermidor. (Cover charge and reservations required for speciality restaurants).

Kids get their own club, for three to 11-year-olds, and there’s a

separate kids’ pool where they can let off steam. The main pool is the heart of the ship during days at sea, with live entertainment and a bar and grill close by. There’s another, adults-only, pool on Deck 8

The Oceans Gym is fully equipped for passengers who want to keep in trim, and there’s a lively casino and separate card room.

Thomson’s lavish production shows are presented in the two-deck-high Broadway Show Lounge, which also hosts visiting guest artists and comedians.

excursions.From Khasab, take a 4x4 safari drive

into the dunes: Venture out on a drive to the top of Jebel Harim to explore the natural beauty and the panoramic views of Khawr Najid.

Or book a half-day Khasab & Bukha tour which introduces you to Oman’s Musandam Peninsula.

In Manama, a panoramic city tour ticks off some of the most photogenic spots in Bahrain. Al Fateh Grand Mosque, Manama Souk, and a photo-stop outside the Bahrain World Trade Centre.

Bahrain Ancient and Modern showcases the fascinating contrast of Manama’s old and new with skyscrapers, hotels and busy roads intertwined with the old town and traditional way of life.

There’s another 4x4 safari available at Khor Fakkan, this time into the Masafi mountainsand the lush Wadi Shawkah oasis.

Fujairah’s east coast tour takes in in the Fujairah Museum and Fort, Khor Fakkan Heritage Village & Al Badiya, which is the oldest mosque in the UAE.

From Doha, the Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim museum is packed with artefacts collected from all over the world. The day concludes with a visit to a camel racing track

The Doha express city tour: A whistle-stop excursion of the city’s highlights, including the bustling labyrinthine streets of the Souk Waqif and the Katara Cultural Centre.

LAUNCHED1984

TONNAGE33,930

LENGTH215M

BEAM27.2M

DECKS10

BARS6

CABINS632

THOMSON CELEBRATION

SHIP FACTS

Ferrari World at Abu Dhabi

4x4 adventure Doha's Museum of Islamic Art


EDITORIAL PROMOTION



3 of a KINDBY S

USAN

PAR

KER

GENOA and pesto

Pesto alla genovese is the queen of pestos and, like Champagne and Naples' pizza, it is also protected by law. The basic ingredients are basil from Genoa, pine kernels, sea salt, Parmesan and Sardinian pecorino cheese, garlic from Vassalico, and extra virgin olive oil from the Italian Riviera. Sample some of the best at Antica Osteria del Bai.

Focaccia also has a long history in this city, thought to date back to the 11th century. Today it is Genoa’s typical finger-food, with each bakery making its own variety.

Genoa’s waterfront has been given a major facelift and is packed with cafes, shops, a maritime museum, aquarium, movie complex and a cultural centre for children. It’s worth strolling further to the covered food market, Mercato Orientale, on Via XX Settembre.

The historic centre was added to Unesco’s world heritage list in 2006. Here 42 palaces built between the 16th and 18th centuries, and now fully restored, constitute the first example in Europe of urban planning. More hidden gems include Palazzo Spinola di Pellicceria, Albergo dei Poveri and Chiesa delle Vigne.

NAPLES and pizza

Naples is the home of pizza, which is protected by European law. According to the bureaucrats in Brussels, the perfect Margherita is 33cm (13 inches) across, with a 2-3 cm (1 in) crust, topped with San Marzano tomatoes, cow's milk mozzarella from the region of Campania and olive oil, all cooked in a wood oven after the dough has risen for nine hours.

Armed with this new-found knowledge I head for the area around Piazza dei Martiri where residents hang out in the numerous bars and restaurants. The oldest pizzeria in the city, Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, was established in 1738 and was a meeting place for artists and writers. Pizzeria da Attilo is the place to try carnevale which looks like a star and whose crust is stuffed with ricotta. If you have any room left ask to taste the bacetti – the Neapolitan version of a choc ice.

There is more to Naples than pizza; popular shore excursions are to Pompeii and Herculaneum destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. Stretch your legs with an ascent to the volcano’s crater, or give those sealegs another turn with a boat trip to Capri.

Within easier reach are such treasures as the second-century catacombs of San Gennaro and nearby basilica which is a rare example of early Christian architecture.

NEED TO KNOWPOPULATION

1m

CURRENCYEuro

PROXIMITY TO CITY CENTRE

100m

TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICE

cruise terminal

TOURIST WEBSITEwww.napolicentrale.it;

www.inaples.it

PIZZA RESTAURANT OPTIONS

Pizzeria da Attilio, Umberto, Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba, Ciro

a Santa Brigida, Ristorante Pizzeria Mattozzi

SHORE EXCURSION OPTIONS

Pompei, Capri, historical city centre, Herculanum, Naples

underground, Mount Vesuvius

p78/79. 3 of a kind.indd 78 14/02/2016 21:14


MESSINAand arancini

Introduced to Sicily by Arab invaders who brought rice to the island in the 10th century, arancini are stuffed rice balls coated with breadcrumbs and fried. Saffron is part of the mix.

Historically this was a way of preserving food and making it portable for hunting and travelling in the court of Frederick II. One popular filling is a mix of ragu, Mozzarella and peas; another is diced ham and Mozarella. South of Messina in Catania the arancino norma with eggplant and pistachio is also a winner.

Downtown Messina is minutes walk from the port so it’s not far to go to taste this local delicacy.

Many cruise excursions head for Taormina, with its Greco-Roman [check] theatre framing a spectacular view of Mt Etna, and its shops selling another delicacy – the sweet confection cannoli

Further afield and less well-known is Tindari, a former Greek settlement and place of pilgrimage. For something more rugged there’s a four by four option to the Peloritani Mountains.

Back in Messina, restaurants such as Famulari, Porta Messina or L’Ancora will not disappoint if you want to try arancini. For the sweet tooth try the patisserie De Grazia, for drinks Irrera or Ragusa and for a full meal, Cucchiara. All of these are more local authentic than typical tourist haunts.


138,352

CURRENCYEuro

PROXIMITY TO CITY CENTRE:

10 minutes walk

TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICE

At the port

TOURIST WEBSITEwww.visitgenoa.it

PESTO RESTAURANT OPTIONS

Antica Osteria del Bai, Ristorante Capo Santa Chiara,

Da Rina,


Cinque Terre and Portovenere; Portofino and

San Fruttuoso by boat; Genoa walking tour


243,000

CURRENCYEuro

PROXIMITY TO CITY CENTREMinutes

TOURIST INFORMATION OFFICES

Provincia Regionale, Corso Cavour; Palazzo della Cultura,

Viale Boccetta

TOURIST WEBSITEwww.italia.it/en/discover-italy/

sicily.html

ARANCINI RESTAURANT OPTIONS

Famulari, Porta Messina, L’Ancora


Taormina, Etna, city tour, Thyndaris, Peloritani

Mountains

Italian food trioThree popular resorts and the delicacies for which they are famous

p78/79. 3 of a kind.indd 79 15/02/2016 10:46

p80_83_LIFE ON BOARD.indd 80 15/02/2016 11:08


Hello. My name is John Heald and for 29 years and counting I have proudly worked for Carnival Cruise Lines as a bar waiter, assistant cruise director, cruise director and now the company’s brand ambassador.

When my friend Captain Greybeard (aka John Honeywell) asked me to write about ship life I thought about boring you all with tales of my own career, but then I decided that I would talk to you about the crew instead, those never in the spotlight. I want to take you behind the ‘crew only’ door, because that's where ship's life really comes to the fore.

Ketut is my regular cabin steward and a true friend. The poor man is currently in rehab after spending the last three months having to wash my underpants – by hand. A while ago, while he was on vacation, his replacement was Ariel from the Philippines, who really is a wonderful guy, full of life.

He always sings when he is cleaning my cabin but one day I noticed he wasn’t singing. I asked him why. Life on a ship can be lonely, very lonely and sometimes the crew keep their troubles to themselves or they are too busy in their work to find time to talk about what’s on their minds. They are encouraged to always to talk to someone whether it is their department head or someone from our human resources department but the fact is many do not. It’s hard to explain why, it’s just ship life.

I realised that the always-singing, always-happy Ariel was not himself and I asked what was wrong. The answer, a bastard called Rammasun, or Typhoon Rammasun to be exact. This huge storm passed to the south of Manila with winds at an unbelievable 200 mph. While Ariel’s family were uninjured, his home, the home he shared with his sister and mother and his two-year-old son, was totally destroyed from the foundations up, completely devastated.

It was a home that Ariel had helped to pay for with his hard work for five years on Costa Cruises before joining Carnival. His son was injured, not seriously but enough to have him in a hospital for a couple of days, during which time Ariel had been cleaning the senior officers’ cabins and making sure I had my 20 bananas a day.

Had Ariel mentioned this to someone, we would have arranged a flight home but he knew that what he needed to do was to keep working, to keep sending money home, to start again, to help his family who needed the dollars now more than ever.

Uncle Google tells me that 200,000 homes in Manila were destroyed or badly damaged by Rammasun, so that got me thinking. How many of our Filipino crew received similar news from home after the typhoon struck? How many more are cleaning, serving, cooking, entertaining, photographing guests and being the brilliant crew you all know they are?

Most won’t say anything, it will be head down, do the work, smile in guest areas and get that salary and those gratuities home as quickly as possible despite inside, hurting like hell. Why don’t they say anything? It’s hard to explain; you have to work on board, it’s just a fact of ship life.

You will hear the term “ship life,” every day, over and over again. It covers a big dollop of subjects. One of those is loneliness and the results that this brings. The crew are away from their families and their loved ones and, while it’s not something that I condone or accept as an excuse it is fact that “ship life” brings people together in relationships which might never come about if they worked together on land.

Some keep it secret or as secret as they can but the gossip drums beat very loudly on a ship. And it’s not like they need to tell anyone who they are dating

LIFE ON BOARD

John HealdBrand Ambassador, Carnival Cruise Lines


because it’s as obvious as me posting five photos of naked bottoms on my blog, four being Megan Fox’s and one being mine and asking you to pick the one does not belong to the screen goddess.

They might as well skip down the Promenade Deck naked holding signs that say, “We are together, hey, that’s ship life.” They’ll think no one notices that in a darkened corner of the crew lounge after work they accidentally always manage to sit next to each other, legs touching under the table. But behind their backs other crewmembers are pretending to vomit, grinning at each other because … they know.

When a lady crewmember starts wearing short skirts and one of those push-up bra thingies to work, instead of her usual long black pants and a blouse buttoned all the way to the top, then she has definitely found a new friend. A man will wear new cologne and if he is Italian he will walk down the Promenade Deck like a peacock, thinking to himself, “I am the man!”

And then, suddenly, just as the relationship started it will end. One crewmember will go on vacation or transfer to another ship and there are goodbyes and then the cycle starts over again because yep, you guessed it, that’s “ship life.”

Don’t get me wrong. There are many relationships between the crew that are meaningful and full of love and many end in marriage. There are countless stories of people from all corners of the world marrying but there are others that are founded on loneliness to a certain degree and the need to have someone to spend time with.

Relationships happen with “ship life” in rapid time because there is no break, no “I will call you and maybe we can get together next week,” because you work, play, eat and, yes, sleep in the

same places seven days a week for months at a time. Break-ups happen as quickly on ships as relationships do. People date for a time and then break up and the worst part is that you have to continue to live and work with these people no matter what because that is also part of “ship life.”

There are times where the loneliness manifests itself in ways that I simply can’t condone. Some crewmembers sail with their significant other and I absolutely hate having to pretend that I don’t know what is going on when I really do. And I should say that there are many who, like me, agree and are faithful and would not do this but there are some who do, it’s just a fact. Of course, even if I wanted to have some rumpy pumpy on the side that would not be possible because I have a face like a bag of smashed oysters and - despite my diet - I still have a small planet under my shirt. Oh, and the most important reason, I love my wife, unconditionally.

It’s a good life. It’s a very good life. It’s a life that provides families with an excellent standard of living, one that these men and women could probably not provide if they worked in their home countries. They do such a great job, don’t they?

When you are watching the television news reporting on the latest disaster or world event that you may not be able to point to on a map, remember that among the united nations you find on the Carnival ships there is probably a crewmember from that place.

He or she will still be serving and still entertaining and still working so hard to exceed our guests’ expectations and will do so with a massive smile on their face. Behind that smile, there is worry and there is hurt. But they won’t let that worry and hurt show though because, hey, that’s “ship life.”

Splashdown: John (right) withformer Carnival boss Gerry Cahill

John gets his credit cards out to buy

pictures of Megan Fox

LIFE ON BOARD



I want to leave you with a quick note about something very special, Carnival’s new ship, Carnival Vista.The man who first said that all men are created equal was talking nonsense. You could give me the same ingredients our celebrity chef Guy Fieri uses and put me in the same kitchen with the same equipment and even though we have exactly the same number of hands, fingers and dangly bits, I can absolutely guarantee that I’d end up with a plateful of inedible crap that

even a yak that hasn’t eaten in 17 days would turn his nose up at.

It’s the same story with DIY – as my wife Heidi would tell you. My wonderful and much missed father could create an Edwardian cabinet out of two bits of wood and a rusty nail, while anytime I have attempted to build anything, it ends up broken and on the floor.

So with just two months or so to go before the Carnival Vista is ours and, indeed, yours, I salute the men and women who have and will

continue to use their brains and their talents to design the ship.

Regular readers of my Facebook page and blog will know that I don’t like to get all “corporate” and yet I have to tell you this: Carnival Vista will be our best ship yet. Everyone from our President Christine Duffy down feels that this is the case. There is a certain something that tells us she will be.

This ship and her sparkling new features check all the right boxes and when you’ve finished

your cruise around the Med or the Caribbean and are back on dry land, you can look back and think to yourself, “That is the most brilliant fun I have ever had.”

So I invite all my fellow Brits to come and experience a kind of fun you have never had before, Carnival fun.

Thanks for spending some time with me here today and I hope to see you soon.Read more from John on his Facebook page.

WHY CARNIVAL VISTA WILL BE SOMETHING SPECIAL

Coming soon... Carnival Vista



TAKE COVER

N

ADVICE

obody thinks they will need travel insurance. It’s only when something unexpected happens that you either feel fortunate to have taken it out, or you’re left counting the cost because

you didn’t.It should be an essential part of any holiday

budget, whether it’s offered as part of a holiday package or bought separately.

Frequent travellers have no hesitation in buying an annual policy. If your holidays are only occasional, then the economic option is to buy cover only when it’s needed.

If you’re booking well in advance of travel, then that might be the best time to take out cover – it can protect you from losing money if

unforeseen circumstances – a family illness or bereavement for example – force you

to cancel.Although a cruise ship is most

definitely the safest place to have a medical emergency – where else apart from an actual hospital are you likely to be as near to doctors and nurses with their own fully-staffed and equipped clinic? – the cost of treatment could be substantial.

You want to be covered in case you lose or damage an

expensive piece of equipment like a phone, tablet or laptop.And you need insurance in case

you lose luggage, or if – heaven forbid – you are responsible for causing injury to someone

else.Travel insurance may be offered through your

cruise operator or travel agent. If it comes with the package, ask for a discount if you are already covered through an annual policy. (Travel agents are breaking the law if they try to charge you more if you don’t want to accept their insurance). And check what the package policy covers – you might get superior cover

at a cheaper cost elsewhere.Some bank accounts and credit cards offer travel

insurance; again, it’s worth checking on the cover provided to make sure it is sufficient for your needs.

The cost of travel insurance is dependent on a number of factors. Travel to the US, for example, involves higher medical costs. Age is a factor, and there are specialist companies that offer affordable policies to pensioners. Check for exclusions – some policies will want increased fees to cover activities such as scuba diving.

The Citizens’ Advice Bureau suggests that a travel insurance policy should always cover:

♦ Medical expenses and cover for getting you home if you're injured or fall ill abroad♦ Personal injury and cover for accidents or damage caused by you♦ Lost or damaged items♦ Lost or delayed baggage♦ Cancellation or missed departure.

Be aware that the cheapest policy may not offer the best value for money – this is not an area where economies always pay off.

Neil Muldoon is Operations Director of Insurance Choice, a UK broker specialising in travel insurance. He says: “Buying insurance might not be top of your ‘to-do’ list after you’ve booked a cruise, but it is important. While no one wants to think of what might go wrong, things do occasionally happen that will impact your holiday and this is where having the right cover is vital.

“When looking for insurance, securing a policy designed specifically for cruise travel and talking to specialists who can arrange the right product to suit your individual requirements is important.

“Good cover should provide peace of mind that you are adequately protected against missed port departures and cabin confinement due to illness, as well as cruise itinerary changes and cancellations. If you suffer from any pre-existing medical conditions, we would also urge you to check these are covered.”

Why travel insurance should be an essential

part of your holiday planning

TOP TIPEven if you have a comprehensive

travel insurance policy, it’s worthwhile obtaining a European Health Insurance

Card (EHIC) which guarantees your right to state-provided healthcare in European

Economic Area countries and Switzerland. The size of a credit card or driving licence, it should

be carried on all your travels – and most importantly, it’s free to obtain as long as you

avoid any websites that try to charge you for making an application.

Just go to www.ehic.org.uk to start the process.

p84_INSURANCE.indd 84 14/02/2016 22:18


BY ROBIN MACLEAR

A legend IN THE KITCHEN

Chef Eddy Barretto has moved from supervising 9,000 meals a day on the biggest cruise ships in the world to catering for just 160 passengers on one of Windstar's luxury motor yachts

S

86

tar Legend was built in 1990 and designed by Peter Yran and Bjorn Storbraataen, whose prolific Oslo-based design group has produced 30 headline cruise ships. Originally operated by Seabourn, the vessel has all the signatures of the small, luxury cruise vessel.

Just seven decks, 100 cabins, and a mere 440 feet of diesel-powered steel and teak, this is an intimate and elegant ship. One can circumnavigate the vessel at a leisurely stroll in a few minutes and, standing on deck seven, see from bow to stern.

Rolling through the night in the Straits of Gibraltar, the ship sways comfortably with the swell, carpentry creaking quietly and reassuringly. Star Legend, refitted in May 2015, increased the Windstar fleet to six vessels, including the company’s three original sailing yachts.

A standard deck four stateroom is a generous 277 square feet and is creatively arranged to make the most of the space. Tied curtains lend the living and sleeping areas the aura of being separate zones. A big picture window provides a focal point for the room, amplifying light and space. Balcony suites have French verandas, which open to admit fresh air but offer no outside access.

A full-size sofa and two armchairs complete the living area, along with flat screen TV and Bose speakers. The bathroom is large and well lit, with every corner used for mirrored stowage space. All have generous tubs as well as shower, towelling robes and L’Occitane amenities.

Lighting throughout the room is subtle and discreet, and a large walk-in closet adds the mood of a small apartment. With 24-hour room service you might be tempted never to leave.

The ship has two principal restaurants: Amphora, with open seating on deck three, and Veranda, situated at the aft of the ship on deck seven. At night this becomes Candles and provides an inside/outside grill and skewers venue, by reservation. A robust breakfast buffet is presented here. On the top deck is the Yacht Club, another inside/outside venue providing coffee, drinks and creative sandwiches throughout the day.

Non-alcoholic beverages are complimentary throughout the ship, wines and spirits are charged to your account. Wines tend to be California orientated but there’s a limited selection from French

CUISINE

p102/103 CUISINE copy.indd 86 14/02/2016 20:31

BY ROBIN MACLEAR



and Italian vineyards.The heart of any cruise ship is its kitchen and at the heart of the

kitchen is its executive chef. After two years with Royal Caribbean’s Allure of The Seas, preceded by six months on Oasis of the Seas, Executive Chef Eddy Barretto had all but turned his back on the high octane world of industrial cruise catering. Michael Sabourin, corporate executive chef for Windstar, and an old friend of Mr Barretto, seduced him aboard Windstar´s newly reformed Star Legend. Here he remains. Mr Barretto's career has taken him from his native Goa, where he underwent his apprenticeship, to the Taj Group of luxury hotels, to his Royal Caribbean experiences. Both his father and grandfather were cooks and Eddy considered no other profession.

Surveying Malaga´s market on a late autumn Saturday morning, he is scouting ingredients for the 160 guests aboard. Followed by a dozen or so Windstar guests, Eddy and his executive sous chef, Nilesh Kavinde, scrupulously examine fresh fish at several vendors before negotiating with one supplier. Barretto buys squid, mussels, fresh hake and dorado.

Scouring deeper into the market the expedition enlarges to embrace boxes of fresh herbs, olives, local cheeses, black truffles, chorizo and dried fruit. All these items were loaded onto a rickety supermarket trolley, property of Windstar, and rolled back to the ship.

In Windstar´s relatively intimate kitchen Mr Barretto has 15 chefs under his command, including patisserie chef Jerome Bancho who, with one assistant, quietly produces all manner of puddings and pastries in a corner of the galley.

The brigade at the hot side respond with a loud and affirmative ¨yes¨ as Barretto announces the incoming orders. Brisk and efficient floor staff enter and depart, moving deftly around the kitchen activity. The largely American audience on Windstar Legend dine early, so peak time is around eight to eight-thirty. Aware that presentation is crucial, Barretto supervises each dish as it leaves the pass for the dining table.

“BOXES OF FRESH HERBS, LOCAL CHEESES, TRUFFLES

AND DRIED FRUIT ARE LOADED ONTO A RICKETY

TROLLEY AND ROLLED BACK TO THE SHIP”


CUISINE


We asked Eddy Barretto to produce a few dishes for photography. During what would have been his rest period, he presented as first courses a smoked bison salad, a Vietnamese beef roll and a baked buffalo mozarella. Main courses were marinated lamb cutlets with turmeric mashed potato, and a chicken breast stuffed with ricotta cream cheese, and a gnocchi salad. The strawberry panacotta, produced by Jerome Bancho’s patisserie section, was photographed in situ, as he made them.

At six o’clock each evening all chefs and senior floor staff are present in the main kitchen. Dishes and sauces are tested for taste and balance to ensure the menus are on target. Daily amendments are checked and re-checked, Mr Barretto leading the brigade through the procedure, armed with a fistful of plastic spoons. Any deviations from fleet executive chef Michael Sabourin’s concept and Chef Barretto’s instructions are corrected. As the evening progresses, the choreographed rhythm of the kitchen tells its own story. There is no pressure or tension here, merely careful attention to the work at hand.

Any chef, landside or ocean-going, will tell you it’s hard work; that it starts early and ends late. At seven thirty in the morning Eddy Barretto can be seen casting his eye over the breakfast buffet on The Veranda. Throughout the day he is shuttling around the vessel, delivering cooking classes and checking matters with Star Legend’s Hotel Manager. By six in the evening he is back in the main galley – ready for evening service.

In his Royal Caribbean days Eddy Barretto might have been responsible for 9,000 meals a day. Here his hands-on involvement might involve just several hundred. Clearly he is at ease with his small brigade and hands on cooking style. Eddy Barretto smiles. “Yes, I can feel what I am doing here,” he says. windstarcruise.co.uk 0800 852 7248

THROUGHOUT THE DAY, CHEF BARRETTO IS SHUTTLING AROUND

THE VESSEL. “YES, I CAN FEEL WHAT I AM DOING HERE,” HE SAYS

90 WORLD OF CRUISING l MAR/APR 2016

CUISINE


METHOD

1 Mix the garlic paste and whole milk with 3 tbsp. mayonnaise to make garlic mayonnaise. Refrigerate.

2 Take a mixing bowl and prepare a salad by adding diced tomatoes, shredded cabbage, corn kernels, and snow peas,

tomato juice, 1 tbsp. lemon juice, minced jalapenos, chopped cilantro, olive oil, vinegar, salt & pepper. Toss all the ingredients well with fingertips carefully. Keep refrigerated.

3 Heat a sauté pan, add ½ tbsp. vegetable oil and sauté the shallots and peppers until the shallots are translucent.

Remove from the pan and allow to cool.

4 Drain the crabmeat and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add the sautéed onion and pepper mixture, Dijon mustard, remaining

mayonnaise, remaining lemon juice, whole egg, chopped parsley, 1tbsp bread crumb and season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix all ingredients very carefully by hand, trying to keep crab pieces in nice sized chunks. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.

5 Divide the crab cake mixture into four equal portions. Coat well with the remaining breadcrumbs, shaping mixture into

disks ¾” thick and about 2.5” in diameter. Put the crab cakes on a baking tray sprinkled with left-over breadcrumbs. Cover and chill thoroughly. Add the vegetable oil to a pan and shallow fry the cakes evenly till golden or until centre temperature reaches 150°F.

6 Take four small serving bowls and arrange the salad. Place the cooked crab cakes on top and garnish with one tbsp. of garlic

mayonnaise and a sprig of parsley.

RecipeDUNGENESS CRAB CAKE

INGREDIENTS◆ 3 oz. Dungeness crab meat◆ 1 tbsp. chopped shallots◆ ½ tbsp. brunoise red pepper◆ ½ tbsp. brunoise green pepper◆ 1 tsp. chopped parsley◆ 1 tsp. Dijon mustard◆ 4 tbsp. mayonnaise◆ 4 tbsp. Panko Japanese breadcrumbs◆ 1 ½ tbsp. lemon juice◆ Salt and pepper to taste◆ 1 egg◆ 4 fl oz vegetable oil◆ 3 oz. shredded green cabbage◆ 2 oz. sweetcorn (canned)◆ 1 oz. small diced tomato (seeds removed)◆ 1oz. tomato juice◆ ½ oz. diced snow peas◆ ½ oz. chopped coriander◆ ½ piece of jalapeno pepper, minced◆ 1tbsp. olive oil◆ 1/2 tbsp. white vinegar◆ ½ tsp. garlic paste◆ 1 tbsp. whole milk◆ 1 sprig parsley



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WELLNESS FOR ALL Wellbeing is all about comfort and care and is especially vital when we are unwell, battling a disease, or recovering from a medical procedure. It is even more important when dealing with cancer sufferers which is why the Spa at Ramside Hall Hotel in County Durham deserves plaudits for joining forces with the American-based Wellness for Cancer, the world’s first accredited programme for the spa industry. All the therapists have been specially trained and it has already received the backing of the Macmillan Cancer support nurses to help ensure guests dealing with cancer will enjoy a treatment that is right for them.www.ramsidespa.co.uk

WHAT’S NEW AND HAPPENING IN THE WORLD OF SPAS. JO FOLEY REPORTS

Spa treatments are all about helping you relax and enjoy the moment with the use of soft music, scented oils and healing hands. So how

annoying is it when the therapist begins to talk to you? Even worse when he or she tries to sell you the product they are using on your body or face. Just

imagine you are lying there – naked as the day you were born (apart from a ridiculous pair of disposable knickers)

– and you are suddenly subjected to a sales pitch. We all recognise that it is

part of a therapist’s role to alert you to the efficacy of whatever brand is in use,

but the traditional method is to hand you a card with the products listed on it at the

end of your treatment. NOT half way through it. Should

this happen to you, I suggest you immediately request

silence, and then ask to see the spa manager as you exit. This unforgivable and unfair practice must be stopped.

JO FOLEY

YOGA CRUISE

Yoga is not just good for the body, helping to make it flexible and stronger, it is also good for the mind,

helping it focus and relax. How relaxing then, can a yoga cruise along the Turkish coastline

be? Turkish gulet specialists DayDreams offer week-long cruises with two yoga

sessions a day, suitable for beginners and intermediate levels. Further details from

www.daydreams-travel.com. From £915 per person full board but

excluding flights.

Sister supportWhen is a face cream more than a moisturiser? When it does good in the world as well as on your face. This is what is happening with Elemis’s hero product Pro-Collagen Marine Cream (a pot of which is sold every 10 seconds). The company has joined forces with Women for Women International to highlight the plight of women survivors of war and has set up a year-long course for a group in Afghanistan helping them become self-sufficient. Plus they are using the launch of the Ultra Rich version of the cream to give further publicity to the cause and to raise more funds, and they will be donating 10 per cent of sales around International Women’s Day (they have already donated £16,200). You can help too to highlight the work and spread the word by nominating the women who inspire you by going online #SHEINSPIRESME@ELEMISLTD@WOMENFORWOMENUK

Spasworld ofIN ASSOCIATION WITH


p93_95_WORLD OF SPAS.indd 93 14/02/2016 22:09

suppose when your cruise brand is called Viking, a word synonymous with action and vigour, any on-board spa must also adhere to these concepts

while still incorporating the pampering and comfort that such institutions offer.

This is exactly what has happened on Viking Star with LIV Nordic Spa – a cool, elegant and spacious area with eight treatment rooms each with their own private shower and one especially for couples; a large changing area and relaxation space and – the jewel in the crown – a Nordic bathing experience complete with snow room.

The whole experience is based on the effects of both hot and cold on the body; no-one has more experience and history in this than the Nordic countries.

Swedish spa experts at Raison d’Etre were engaged to provide this authentic experience at sea. Called Nordic Liv (which translates as Nordic life) it uses the traditional ways of using hot and cold to effect recuperation and relaxation to aching joints, sore limbs and tired muscles.

First you need heat – and what could be more Nordic than the sauna, which relaxes the whole body – which must then be jolted into cold. Extreme cold.

Back home, this could be a quick roll in the snow outside but in the luxury environs of the Viking Star, the real-but-artificial snow has its own room where the precipitation is created in exactly the same way as the extra snow that occasionally has to be produced for balding ski-slopes.


SPA PRICES

MASSAGE$150 for 50

minutes, $215 for 80

minutes

CLASSIC MANICURE

$65 for 50 minutes

NORDIC HAIR RITUAL

$95 for 50 minutes

MEN’S SHAVE$75 for

50 minutes

From sauna to snow room

the Vikings have it covered

STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN AT SEA, BUT FEW ARE STRANGER THAN FINDING YOURSELF IN THE MIDDLE OF A

SNOWBALL FIGHT WEARING JUST A SWIMSUIT. JO FOLEY INVESTIGATES THE FIRST OF THE NORDIC SPAS

Strangely enough, even if you are only sporting a swimsuit, it takes a little time for the body to feel the cold. When it does, the blood rushes to the surface bringing oxygen and energy in its wake. After a few minutes it’s back to the sauna with a few birch twigs with which to stroke the body much like a dry brushing, and then into the thermal pools with their massage jets.

Anyone looking for further exhilaration (or punishment) can opt for a cold bucket of water to be dumped over them! It’s the Nordic take on speciality showers.

While the bathing experience is at the heart of the spa, it does also have many more conventional spa treatments such as massages, facials and

I


Spasworld of

Pool perfection

The snow room

IN ASSOCIATION WITH



manicures. The massages on offer are all based on the traditional world-renowned Swedish type – there is a detox version which works on the lymph glands to help release blockages and toxins, the deep tissue which relaxes taut and tired muscles, and the Northern Stillness version which helps soothe body and mind.

Also on offer are a number of beauty treatments using the newest in skin technology – there is Form (shaping with low impact light technology) Fin (bespoke anti-ageing elements) and Vakkler (which uses light technology to help hydrate). All treatments are offered to both men and women and there is a separate men’s section where offerings include a classic shave (no open razors!) and beard trim.

Each changing room – one male and one female – has its own private sauna and cold plunge pool, while the main thermal suite not only has a co-ed main pool heated to approx. 35C,

complete with underwater jets to massage and stimulate backs, legs and shoulders; and a hot tub which is approximately 38C. A session in this, before and after the sauna and snow room, is the most popular activity in the spa.

For guests who are wary of frolicking in the snow and having ice-cold showers the spa team offer sauna evenings where a small group are introduced to the joys of hot and cold therapies.

These take place on two or three evenings during a cruise and are limited to 10 people, so booking is advisable. Each begins in the sauna for about 10 minutes, and each visit is accompanied by a member of staff, after which the group is moved to the snow room amid much hilarity.

Some simply pop their heads inside while the braver stay for a few minutes. Once they see how easily their fellow guests take to the experience they are encouraged to return after a second sauna. - during which the birch leaves are

introduced. Then it is time for a return to the snow room

for up to four more minutes, and onto the final sauna.

Snow balls are brought into play to end the session in laughter and fun and herbal teas are served before guests head for the main pool, a massage or to get ready for dinner.

To underline the clean Nordic philosophy of the spa all the products used are organic – Organic Pharmacy for body and beauty and Rahua ( a natural cleansing product based on coconut oil) for hair.

Adjacent to the spa is a fully equipped fitness area with the very latest equipment from Technogym, a TRX exerciser and a kinesis wall. Also on offer are a variety of classes from yoga to Zumba. Little wonder that LIV Nordic is already winning accolades for both fun and fitness.


Peaceful relaxation



p100_101_GREYBEARD.indd 100 14/02/2016 22:26

COMMENT


Cruising is under attack from all sides.How is it that companies can spend billions

on building the latest ships – with facilities far superior to any land resort and staffed by crew who put even the finest hotel staff to shame – and yet they have an image problem that deters the vast majority of travellers from even considering a holiday at sea?

Really, it’s a mystery to me, and to the fortunate band who have discovered cruising heaven.

If it’s not one thing, it’s another.Storms, such as the one that recently

battered Anthem of the Seas, forcing the captain to order passengers to remain in their cabins until it subsided, and resulting in the ship cutting short a week-long cruise and returning to port early, are just one.

Plainly events like that, reported widely on the television news and in newspapers around the world, are likely to put off the unwary and the ill-informed.

It’s not the only deterrentTerrorism and political unrest are keeping

cruise ships out of large areas of the Eastern Mediterranean and North Africa, the Black Sea and the Red Sea. Even if the operators were bold enough to carry on regardless, their customers would vote with their feet and refuse to book. For some Americans, one outrage in a country that borders a country on the Med is enough to deter them from taking a vacation anywhere in Europe – ignoring the fact that they are far more at risk of attack at home from a fellow-American carrying a legal weapon.

Crazy, but it’s true, and at least there’s an advantage for British holidaymakers – all those

cruise ship berths have got to be filled somehow so there’s going to be no shortage of bargain fares this summer. Longer-term, however, those ships will be moved to where their customers feel more comfortable, so we will lose out in the end.

However, even places closer to home for the vast American market are coming under threat. Parts of the Caribbean, central and South America, are at risk from the mosquito-borne Zika virus which carries a threat to expectant mothers.

For some onlookers, there’s another threat – from terrorists.

One senior Royal Navy officer believes the so-called Islamic State in Iraq, and Libya’s Isil have ambitions to mount an attack. Vice-Admiral Clive Johnstone says that while he does not believe groups are deliberately targeting shipping, “there is a horrible opportunity in the future that a misdirected, untargeted round of a very high-quality weapons system will just happen to target a cruise liner, or an oil platform, or a container ship.”

Realistically, put like that, it’s a bit of a long-shot (pardon the insensitive pun) and I must say that I’m not sure the Vice-Admiral has worked out how a weapon that is untargeted could actually target something.

Doing his research, he might also have come across a terrorist hi-jack of a cruise ship

– when the Palestine Liberation Front boarded the Achille Lauro in 1987. Thankfully, that’s an incident that has not been repeated.

All this goes to show that however many millions the cruise lines spend on advertising and marketing campaigns, whatever stunts they dream up to appeal to those who have not cruised before, there are still forces beyond their

control ready to get in their way.Nor am I convinced that

the tactic favoured by Lynn Narraway, UK chair

of CLIA and boss of Holland America and Seabourn is the way forward though. She wants us to forget the word cruise altogether.

Dropping references to port and

starboard, and avoiding mention of technical

terms like tonnage are the way forward for her. Old salts

like me feel that approach rather misses the point, and that we should be

emphasising all the strengths of cruising, all the things that ships can provide that are simply unavailable and unattainable on land.

Maybe I’m wrong.Even if I am, I still believe cruising is the

best-value holiday you can buy, and I plan to continue taking cruises for as long as I am able. If others remain unconvinced, then there will be all the more room for me, possibly at bargain-basement fares.

NO DRINKS HEADACHE FOR

CRUISERSNews that the Government is considering

a reduction in the drink-drive limits to no more than one pint of beer reminded me that there is

no risk of being breathalysed on the way back to your cabin after a night in a cruise ship bar.

No need to come to an arrangement for a designated driver, and no chance of an

expensive taxi ride, either.And if you’re on an all-inclusive

cruise, or you’ve bought an all-in drinks package, no crippling

bar bill. Cheers!

WHY DOES CRUISING HAVE

SUCH AN IMAGE PROBLEM?

p100_101_GREYBEARD.indd 101 14/02/2016 22:31


Abu Dhabi

The Etihad Towers and Emirates Palace Hotel

Sponsored by

p102/105. ABU DHABI.indd 102 14/02/2016 19:50


he battle lines are being drawn among the friendly United Arab Emirates. With the opening of its cruise terminal Abu Dhabi is ready to take on neighbouring Dubai as a turnaround port, and it is building attractions to rival the souks and simple pleasures of Oman.

The Arabian Gulf is becoming a popular winter sun destination for holidaying Brits. A cruise provides options to see three or four destinations in a week, and with all-inclusive meals and entertainment is much more affordable than booking into some of the ultra-luxury hotels in the region.

Perhaps the best way to make the most of a winter break in the Gulf is to combine the two in a cruise-and-stay holiday. Until now, the easiest option was by flying to Dubai, where most cruises start and finish. Now Abu Dhabi is becoming a contender.

Flying into either destination is a bit like dropping in on a game

WHERE NEXT

Abu Dhabi

T

BY JOHN HONEYWELL

p102/105. ABU DHABI.indd 103 14/02/2016 19:50

WHERE NEXT

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque at sunset


of SimCity in the sand. From the air, territories are divided into neat blocks intersected by broad boulevards, but despite a shared love of shiny tower blocks the two cities are very different in character. If Dubai is frantic Vegas-by-the-sea, then Abu Dhabi is laid-back South Beach, Miami, without the Art Deco.

On the ground, Abu Dhabi airport feels as big as Wales; its centre is dominated by a construction site that by 2017 will become a new terminal – rather like Heathrow’s Terminal 5 on steroids. The feeling of spaciousness continues on the drive to downtown, passing filling stations the size of football pitches. If Joey Essex were to arrive he might feel at home jumping on a bus to Reem Island, although intellectually he’s likely to be outshone by the pupils of Repton School, which has an outpost among its multi-billion pound residential and commercial developments

Depending on the route, visitors might see Abu Dhabi’s own leaning tower – a modern skyscraper built with a gravity-defying overhang – and almost every road offers glimpses of the magnificent Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, completed in 2007 at a cost of about £375 million, and with a capacity of more than 40,000 worshippers.

For evening arrivals – and in this part of the world it’s starting to get dark by about 6.30 – the mosque’s illumination changes to match the phases of the moon.

Daytime cruise visitors are ferried to the mosque by coach on whistle-stop tours that might also include visits to the Falcon Hospital and a Heritage Centre. The world’s largest indoor theme park, Ferrari World on Yas Island, now has a vast shopping mall for a neighbour and is handy for visits to the Grand Prix circuit and Waterworld theme park.

Visitors to the Corniche might recognise the Etihad Towers from the Vin Diesel film Fast & Furious 7, or the Emirates Palace from Sex and the City 2. The latest Star Wars episode, The Force Awakens, use Abu Dhabi’s endless deserts as a location.

More cultured tourists will have to wait for the opening – hopefully this year – of the long-promised Louvre Gallery; its latticed-domed roof is now nearing completion. The wait for the

opening of the National Museum, designed by Sir Norman Foster to echo the shape of a falcon’s feathers, and a Guggenheim Museum spectacularly imagined by Frank Gehry, may be rather longer. The venues exist on paper and as maquettes, but the current low price of oil might be one of the reasons the ground at their sites on Saadiyat Island remains unbroken.

“If Dubai is frantic Vegas-

by-the-sea, then Abu Dhabi is

laid-back South Beach, Miami,

without the Art Deco”

I flew to Abu Dhabi with Etihad, which operates direct flights from Heathrow,

Manchester and Edinburgh. I stayed at the St Regis Hotel, which occupies the Nation Towers on the Corniche, and has a

luxury suite occupying the skybridge between the two on floors 30 to 54. At 665-ft from the

ground, it is higher than the sky bridge at Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Towers. Just before I

visited, Will Smith’s 17-year-old son Jaden was in residence.

www.stregisabudhabi.com www.etihad.com

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Further afield, the Abu Dhabi tourist authority is keen to encourage visits to Al Ain, the emirate’s second city and birthplace of founding father Sheik Zayed. Its oases, now palm groves still producing dates, first saw civilisation 4,000 years ago.

The 90-minute drive to the city shows off another feature Abu Dhabi can be proud of – trees and shrubs lining every inch of the highway. On the road to Dubai there’s no need for a border sign; the transition from green to unbroken desert is immediate.

A different 90-minute drive, by 4x4, takes visitors to an Arabian Nights adventure deep in the rose-red dunes, for a spot of very uncomfortable camel riding and an allegedly authentic Arabian barbecue.

MSC Cruises is the first mainstream operator to use Abu Dhabi for embarkation and disembarkation – its MSC Musica was centre stage when the new terminal was officially opened. Guests flying by partner airline Etihad can check in for their flights before leaving the cruise terminal, dropping off luggage that they need not see again until it arrives on the baggage carousels at Heathrow, Manchester or Edinburgh.

Giles Hawke, executive director for UK and Ireland, says: “We certainly see great potential in the Arabian Sea. The area offers the guarantee of sunshine, which is a big attraction for the UK

market. As well as appealing to seasoned cruisers, we are seeing strong bookings from first-timers who are using the cruise as a taster of what the Gulf offers before they would consider a land-based holiday. Some guests may find the region a little daunting, so it works for them to have a familiar environment on board.”

Celebrity Cruises will be following MSC’s example before the end of the year. UK and Ireland managing director Jo Rzymowska says: “I’m excited about our new cruises sailing from

Abu Dhabi for the first time during the winter of 2016-17. Celebrity Constellation, sailing from Abu Dhabi, will offer a choice of itineraries from nine to 15 nights.”

Peter Shanks, development director at Imagine Cruising, believes there are further possibilities in the region, for ships to include Bahrain in their itineraries, and for the development of an island resort along the lines of those that have proved popular in the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

In fact Abu Dhabi is doing just that, at Sir Bani Yas Island, a wildlife sanctuary which is currently home to just three exclusive hotels, but which is about to blossom as a beach resort for visiting cruise ships.

Ahead of the pack, Noble Caledonia’s small vessel, Island Sky, and boutique cruise ship Seabourn Sojourn have already visited the island.visitabudhabi.ae

SAMPLE CRUISES

MSC Fantasia, 7-night cruise from Abu Dhabi departing 4 December 2016, visiting Sir Bani Yas Island, Doha, Bahrain and Dubai, from

£499pp.www.msccruises.co.uk

Celebrity Constellation, 9-night cruise from Abu

Dhabi departing 10 December 2016, visiting Dubai (2 nights), Muscat

(overnight), and Khasab, from £609pp.

www.celebritycruises.co.uk

Thomson Celebration, 7-night cruise from Dubai departing 20 December

2016, visiting Doha, Muscat, Khor Fakkan, Abu Dhabi,

from £1,320pp. www.thomson.co.uk/cruise

Royal Caribbean Vision of the Seas, 7-night cruise from Dubai departing 12

December 2016 and visiting Khasab, Abu Dhabi, Muscat,

from £985pp.www.royalcaribbean.co.uk

The new cruiseterminal

Sponsored by

WWW.VOYAGESOFDISCOVERY.CO.UK 0800 987 5163 - QUOTE WOC

SMALL SHIP DISCOVERY CRUISING

STRIP AD.indd 1 04/06/2015 16:05

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am a great believer in ‘things to look forward to’ – as soon as the last string of fairy lights is coiled away, and the last box of chocolates devoured, I try to

counter the New Year gloom with exciting stuff. It’s fun, but it’s not an obsession… For some, though, it really is.

I recently had lunch with an old friend who told me that the minute her husband goes back to work after the Christmas break, his focus is on the next trip – how many weeks until we go ski-ing, or fly off to the sun? Her job is to plan ahead, to fuel the excitement, and to give him the best possible goals to help him through the weeks of hard work until the next holiday. And then she told me about an unfortunate side effect of that – in direct proportion to his fixation on how great the next trip is going to be, so rises her anxiety level about whether she has booked the right thing.

Worse still, as her children grow older, they too lay their burdens of expectation on her – and of course their needs are quite different. Everything is going to have to be perfect, and if it isn’t, she is the one who will get the blame.

Now you read a lot about anxiety and stress levels in the modern world, and this, that or the other guru has the latest theory about how to manage it. But what gets me is, the implication that there is no reason to be stressed or anxious. Believe me, though, there is! Organising a holiday is a masterpiece of compromise, and to get the best out of your budget, a major organisational feat.

Yes, I am slowly getting to the point. If YOU are the one with the responsibility for booking the perfect holiday, you need a partner in crime – and that’s where your professional cruise agent comes in. It’s all very well reading reviews on the internet, but how do they help

THE SECRET OF FINDING

SOMEONE TO RELY ON

you? Do you know these people? Do they know you? Do they understand your weird family dynamics? And when everything falls apart, will they be there to pick up the pieces? I don’t think so.

What you need is someone who will take the time to listen to you – understand your foibles, the things you passionately hate, and the things that make the difference between a success and a disaster for your particular family. And who, having gone through that process with you and helped you choose the perfect itinerary, ship and departure date, will then start work on enhancing the trip with better flight options, hotel stays, pre-organised excursions, dinner reservations and more. What’s more, they will then reassure you that you have made the best choice, and calm your anxieties. If, God forbid, anything should go wrong, they will be there to sort it out. And the best thing is – it won’t cost you a penny!

Rather than depending on Mr Google for high levels of advice, and instead of spending hours trawling through websites of dubious quality and blogs written by people whose tastes are quite different to your own, invest your time in reading a reliable source of information (such as World of Cruising magazine) and then finding the perfect expert cruise agent, one who is prepared to engage in an extensive conversation about your needs, rather than book you something off the shelf you could just as easily have done yourself.

So if you need an advisor, listener and therapist with a world of experience in travel arrangements who can get you the best price and has your interests at heart, find yourself a great agent – it’s the best investment you can make. Edwina Lonsdale is managing director of Mundy Cruising, the UK's oldest cruise-only retailer, selling luxury cruises since 1970

I

COMMENT

EDWINA LONSDALE

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