2015 is going to be a BIG year.

2015 is really shaping up to be a MASSIVE year in Southampton.

After the recession allot of the cruise lines are now investing in new ships to cater for the rising demand in cruises.
There are allot of new ships sailing in 2015 - most are heading to Southampton.

We've got

P&O's New Britannia - Arriving March 2015 - 3600 passenger

the (near identical) Royal Princess Arrives in May - 3600 passenger.

Royal Caribbean's Anthem of the seas - May - 4180 passenger. 

And there is the returning ships
Celebrity Eclipse  - 2850 passengers
Royal Caribbean's Explorer O.T.S -  3110 passengers.
P&O Aurora, Azura, Ventura, Adonia & Arcadia (10596 passengers)
Cunard Queen Elizabeth 2092
Caribbean Princess - 3114
Fred Olsen & Saga - not counted.

Luckily they don't all sail on the same day, looking at the calendar there don't seem to be more than 4 ships at once. even 4 ships at once is the equivalent of 10 thousand people.
so Southampton is a major test for the cruise lines biggest and best in 2015.

Which ship do you want to go on?
Which one would you like to visit but not stay on?
Which one do you think will be the most popular?

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Which Cruise-line is for me?

Doing this job one of the most common questions I get asked is "which cruise line should I go with"
so I thought it was time to put pen to paper (electronically) and give my honest views.
I'll go in alphabetical order (so there is no order of preference)

+Azamara Club Cruises
+ Small ship cruising, lovely sized ships, lots for your money, small ports of call that other ships cant do.
- Regional (non London) flights can be very messy, you do pay more but get allot included.
Best for  = Couples & Singles

+Carnival
+ Amazing ships with lots to do on board, plenty of fun & entertainment.
- not too many exiting ports of call,
+/- very American if you like that kind of thing  (or not)
Best for = Families

+Celebrity Cruises
+ Beautiful ships, first class service, modern contemporary decor & plenty of space on board
- can be costly on board
Best for = Couples & First timers

+Costa Cruises
+ Excellent prices, modern ships with plenty to do, nice itineraries & great single traveller prices.
- Automatic gratuities, Majority Italian/European customers,
Best for = Everyone
- Personally I like the European cuisine & people but I understand that some do not.

+Cunard Line
+ Cruising as it used to be, timeless elegance, white glove service, afternoon high tea spectacular ships.
- very formal attire and approach, this may be off-putting for some.
Best for = couples

+Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines
+ Small ship cruising for mainly British guests, wide variety of itineraries all over the world. great single prices
- tends to have a high percentage of "senior" clients.
Best for Couples + Singles

+Holland America Line
+ Modern decor and high service, very loyal customers is always a good sign of excellent quality on board
- the ships are just standard no real wow features on board. itineraries are very repetitive.
Best for couples

+MSC Cruises UK & Ireland
+ Beautifully appointed ships, exceptional prices, a great returning guest discount & single traveller rates
- my customers give me allot of feedback about poor service on board.
Best for All

+Norwegian Cruise Line
+ The original freestyle cruise line, flexible dining, dress codes and approach. innovative modern ships.
- If you like a formal environment & socialising over dinner might not be best for you.
Best for families, couples, singles and First time cruisers.

+P&O Cruises
+ British cruises, departing from Southampton, or from your local airport, best drinks & tips prices at sea.
- Same itineraries every year. Very British on board!
+/- Britishness is great for some (but not for all.)
Best for All / first time cruisers.

+Princess Cruises
+ American can-do service, excellent food, casually formal, beautiful ships & decor.
-  In recent years seems to have forgotten about the UK market. Ships are not very ("wow")
Best for Couples

+Royal Caribbean International
+ a great mid-range cruise line with the most innovative ships afloat, always improving their product.
- a family cruise line that can charge hefty prices for children to go.
Best for - Families & Couples
This is a general guide, personally I would go with any cruise line if the date and itinerary was right for me!
Like and comment if you agree - id love to know what your thoughts and favourite cruise lines are !

Bye for now
- The Cap'n

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When is the right time to book?

A question I'm asked constantly is when is the right time to book my cruise.

Should you book now, or wait until a couple of weeks before.
to be absolutely honest I don't know, but I can give you some advice.

Case for booking early.
1) Pick of the cabins - the cabin you want / where you want
2) Early booking discounts / free drinks / money off / on-board credit
3) The pick of the route - chose any itinerary you want  from the 1000's on offer
4) Pick your date - tied to work / childcare, you can have the date you want.

Case against booking early
1) Money - people round the pool "I paid £56 for this cruise"
(I'm joking but you know what I mean)

Case for booking late
1) Saving money - distressed stock on ships can have the prices slashed closer to departure.
2) Upgrades - paying for inside cabins & getting balconies !!

Case against booking late
1) You don't get to pick & choose your itinerary - you get what is left.
2) You don't get the free drinks / credits etc.
3) Flights can be very EXPENSIVE at the last minute.
4) You get the cabin you're given (under the nightclub / obstructed view)

These days the cruise lines want people to book as early as they can, there are attractive early booking perks. recently celebrity cruise gave drinks packages and tips to people who had booked early - meaning they overall cost was as good as a late booking price (by the time you had accounted for the freebies)

So overall there is no definite answer (as I said) but if you know where you want to go or have a particular date when you have to go, book early.

If you don't mind where you go / when you go or what cabin you have - wait and get a deal.

If you're in doubt - ask a professional, they know what the trends are & will give you honest advice.

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That's a new way to dock.

Its not a cruise ship.

Its a ferry arriving at a scrap yard in Turkey.

(arriving dramatically)

#cruise #abitoffun #interesting

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Hot dogs - yes please.

Cant wait to have a nice cold beer, a dog from the dog house truck & watch the world go by.

Coming soon on Anthem & Quantum of the seas.

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Curious Cabins

Right let’s get blogging.

Throughout my years (not too many!) of selling cruises I've always been impressed with the unusual cabins on offer. I'm talking about getting more for your money & trusting the sales person's knowledge to get you something spectacular at a bargain price.

Something like Celebrity Millennium class's sweet 16 balconies.

You pay the rock bottom price of an obstructed view stateroom - but get a bigger balcony than people who've paid for suites!

As you can see those cabins have huge balconies & are payable as obstructed views.

Not just that, how about the "cove balconies" on Carnival.

For little more ££ than an Oceanview & allot less than a balcony, these balconies are low down (under the lifeboats) have a clear view and are close to the water.

..... Yes you're banned from using it in stormy weather, they've got MASSIVE drains incase of waves.

But the view of the sea from deck3 is second to none!!

I'd take it anyday.

Some cabins have more balcony than the deck plans say they have -

Some inside cabins have views (I’ll cover that another day)

Some.... have hidden flaws.

Every ship has quirky cabins - you just have to know where to look.

That’s why in this age of internet / DIY holidays I would always recommend using an expert.

The cruise costs the same - but the Knowledge is free.

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FIRST POST !!

Welcome to my blog.
If you can see this it means I've managed to get it working. as the title suggests I'm Captain Cookson and i'll be talking cruises here.

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