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The early days of 2018 will see the start of more grand voyages for Cunard ships. The World Voyages provide a uniquely convenient way to explore the opposite side of the globe, and to discover two countries or even two continents during one adventure.

Each itinerary is filled with a sense of adventure and the thrill of exploring the unknown – from bustling markets in world cities to local delights off the beaten track - enhanced by the comfort in which you arrive. What’s more, the attention Cunard ships frequently receive creates an extra sense of occasion, right around the globe, with you right at the centre of the excitement.

No matter where you choose to explore, you can be sure of an experience like no other, where pampering and luxury await after a busy day exploring and where your favourite cocktail or bottle of wine is waiting for you at dinner.

Whether you choose to start your journey in Southampton, San Francisco or Fort Lauderdale your Cunard World Voyage promises to be spectacular.

Queen Victoria World Cruise :

Visiting : Southampton > Hamilton, USA > Fort Lauderdale > Philipsburg, St Maarten > Dominica > Bridgetown > Fortaleza > Salvador > Buzios > Rio de Janeiro > Montevideo > Buenos Aires > Puerto Madryn > Ushuaia > Cape Horn > Punta Arenas, Chile > Puerto Montt > Santiago > Coquimbo > Arica > Callao, Peru > Manta > Panama Canal > Montego Bay > Belize > Costa Maya > Fort Lauderdale > Port Canaveral > Charleston > Praia di Vitoria, Azores > Southampton >

Interior prices from €10299 for 75 nights per person.

Picking a holiday normally involves either contacting your travel agent or taking a look at a destination you may have thought of during the year. Then sizing up - who's going? I.e. yourself, family, a couple etc. You'll then Google some hotels etc and away you go.
Picking a cruise, begins along the same path, where do you want to go? and whom with? Plus chances are you've budgets to consider, time of year etc.
Now, you may have heard of some brands for cruise lines, and whilst the brand will follow many criteria perfectly there are variations. Variations within each cruise line's fleet include size, design, age . Some ships were designed more than twenty year ago, and whilst they've been updated, very often are smaller. Now small can indeed be beautiful so worry not. But the smaller ships may not boast the same facilities as the large ones......but they may also not host the same clientele! So here's our quick reference guide to cruising:
Best for Families - this breaks into two - little kids and .......well teens!
A number of cruise lines do cover this subject very well.
Carnival, Royal Caribbean, MSC, Norwegian and Disney. The previous four, Carnival etc are somewhat more generic in appeal. However we feel Disney should get special mention. Recently we were with Disney and as an adult we had goose bumps as the ship reminded us of our childhood! And so we'd hope both your younger and older children, plus yourselves, will feel "Disney".
From here on in though, the cruise lines change, the main four have something for everyone. You'll go to the adult themed areas. And then the "Clubs" will consume your children and use the facilities created on board for them -
Beginning with Royal Caribbean - the popularity of DreamWorks movies (Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda etc), has become a whole integrated entertainment package on Royal Caribbean ships. So you can dine with the stars of these movies, meet them during the day etc. Now Royal Caribbean have been busy adding playschools onto their already brilliant child minding facilities (charge applies). Now, teens are tackled on a whole different level - from flow riders, rock climbing wall, teenage discos (Don't worry about booze - everyone carries a card with your age firmly planted on it). The levels of entertainment are simply incredible. You will need to check - which ships have which facilities however. One ship does not fit all! For instance Quantum of the Seas has the new Ripcord by IFly which is an amazing parachute simulator........it is also on the Anthem and the upcoming Ovation of the Seas.
Norwegian - Norwegian are on a similar bend to Royal Caribbean. Cracking good themed zones for both younger children and teens. The newer members of the fleet such as EPIC, Breeze, and Escape have added fantastic water parks at sea.
Norwegian innovated "Freestyle Dining" which added a whole new level of dining - dine when you want is perhaps the simplest way of breaking it down. It really suits families who are working with tummies that appear to have no regulation! (teens?) Norwegian have tied in with Nickelodeon channel to produce "Nickelodeon at Sea" programme. In a similar way to Royal Caribbean, kids can have breakfast with characters such as Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob Square pants! Norwegians Splash Academy covers children from the ages of 3 to 5, 6 to 9 and 10 to 12. And teens from here on in.
MSC - MSC will win hands down on value. Whilst the line has developed programmes for children from the small to the elders. Water parks to the same level as Norwegian and Royal Caribbean have not featured yet. However, if you are planning a first time cruise - MSC will keep your family entertained, and leave you a few quid in your pocket. So don't skip past MSC in making your plans. One note here - MSC Preziosa currently has the largest slides at sea!
Carnival - rarely seen in European waters. Carnivals home turf is the United States, with the Caribbean been is preserve. Carnival will have sneaked into your home before you'll have realised. The Food Network features "Diners, Drives In's and Dives" hosted by "Guy Fieri". And Carnival has set up "Guys Burger Joints". So chances are you kids will already know little of Carnival. Carnival are the fun ships and this they do very well. Slides aplenty on this fleet along with fun kids clubs spanning all ages. Carnival will also feature very well on budget decisions, so, if you are planning to sail in the Caribbean - they are worth a look.
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Best for Couples -
Oh heck this is where things really hot up!
Ok, budget might be the first place to narrow things down. MSC will most likely come in as the best value dollar for dollar. They have fantastic value drinks packages, generally sailing in the Mediterranean (MSC are the Mediterranean Shipping Company), however they have branched out into Cuba, Caribbean and are soon heading for China! MSC offer perhaps one of the simplest pricing structures.
1: Your cabin price. 2: Gratuities : 3 Drinks packages. And that's more or less the end of conversation.
MSC are also straight forward on board : breakfast will be either in the dining room or buffet as you wish. Lunch and dinner similar.
Entertainment : a day programme of everything from yoga classes to quizzes. Nothing too taxing that's for sure. Evenings tend to follow the normal of main show plus individual groups in the bars. One lovely aspect of MSC - they wine bars onboard the Fantasia class ships very often have either pianists or quartets playing whilst you enjoy a glass of vino. MSC also have perhaps one of the most entertaining dinner menus. Italian flair might be how we best describe food onboard.
After MSC, you perhaps could split the cruise fleet into the following:
Ultra Premium : Occupied by Silversea, Oceania, Regent, Seaborne, Azamara
The above brands are more inclusive, smaller ships with more content rich itineraries.
Premium : Cunard, Holland America , Princess, and Celebrity occupy this ground. Here we see larger ships mainly, excellent food, large ship facilities. Programmes are mainly centred around adults with adult enrichment programmes. Cunard for instance have seminars at sea whereby special guests are invited to guest lecture - FW de Clerk being a recent visitor.
Celebrity have a very modern take and thus the tagline "Modern Luxury". Essentially Celebrity have taken the mainstream cruise line themes and refined them. Dining, entertainment, making ships which are plusher! We love the Solstice fleet!!!
Holland America - Holland America unlike Celebrity are still working on attracting younger clientele. Celebrity have already reached out to "all cruisers". Holland America are getting there! Just not yet. However, don't let this stop you. Holland America (HAL), offer a very refined operation, with little touches around the ship - fresh cut flowers, to new ultra comfy bedding. Onboard service is attentive, and overall Holland America are well worth a look at.
Sister brand of Cunard and Holland America - PRINCESS Cruises recently impressed us with the two newest ships in the fleet, Regal Princess and Royal Princess. Service on board was to the point of excellent. Reminding us of how "It should be done". Ships are bright, modern, and to a point glitzy. Again Princess don't show on many radars in Ireland - but are well worth a look at. Princess are very strong in Alaska, and Asia. Again though research is required on the actual fleet member!
The above lines are just the beginning of cruising to us. There are so many additional caveats to add, such as stateroom size, stateroom locations, your destinations, what you wish to experience whilst on land. So please feel free to contact us about your planned cruise and we'll be happy to assist further.

When MSC Fantasia arrived in 2008 we all thought we understood MSC......On paper MSC's Fantasia looked almost 6 star, and in many ways it still does. In the central area the ship shimmers!

In early June a pair of us from the office took off on what can only be described and a manic run around the Mediterranean.
We travel to the Mediterranean an amount....but this time we chose not to follow the shore excursion guides.

So on arriving, our bags were taken away from us at check-in which was magic. And I have to say check-in was a doddle! MSC have a number of ports on each cruise to which they pick up and drop off and Genoa was one of them.
From the Port of Genoa we took off on the train for the afternoon. Our end goal was Portofino. And by god did we make it......Portofino is simply so stylish and charming two hotels - 1 in Japan and 1 in Orlando have been styled after the town.

Now back to the ship.......

Cabins - we had a Balcony Cabin - Forward on Deck 13. Not a squeak from a church mouse did we hear. Only the hoovering of the corridor around 10am .......when we should have been up and moving.....I know you are on holidays.....but there's a world outside your stateroom too.
Now, the cabins on MSC - certainly on the Fantasia class (Divina, Preziosa and Splendida) are pretty spacious. No issues with locker space .......and don't worry we'll tell you how to make the best of the spaces left. In my case I had the office within the stateroom and I was able to spread laptop's, IPads etc around pretty easily. There's ton's of space for cosmetics etc. So simply put - staterooms have enough room to accommodate 2 to 3 persons without pressure. Family bunk staterooms are more intimate.

Food - well, last year we had two calls to tell us there was no food at breakfast! The breakfast buffet is extensive. We took pictures of the "fruit wall" at the front of the buffet. But most people don't realise, the buffet does everything twice. So if the front half is full, go to the back half. There are cereals, fries, fruit - all available, all fresh and all ample. Coffee I must admit was pretty good too! My partner in crime brought Barry's tea bags (sealed in a bag.......) but for the rest of us you had a choice of all sorts of teas from Peppermint to breakfast to Early Grey.
Outside of breakfast, the buffet took a breather from about 11am until 12noon when lunch kicked off. And again you had roast of the day, a world of sandwiches, burgers, and perhaps the best pizza at sea. In addition we had the "ethnic" corner which was mainly Indian and Chinese.
The offering on an evening was slightly reduced but still excellent.
Now if you have dinner/lunch in the main dining room - the menu was extensive. Again we were pre warned the courses were small. But there are 7 courses for dinner if you really get stuck in. But to be fair, I generally had 3 courses, it was ample.
On offer also is the Tex Mex which doubles as a steakhouse..now seriously, it was excellent. It was always quiet which was odd but then maybe everyone was watching penny's. But the steak was superb and running around €20.00. In addition, the tex mex food was reasonable and tasty. So I must admit I found myself in there a number of times for lunch and just chilling with a cold beer. Staff were super......honestly I don't know how they do it. I did see one guy loose the plot over a ginger beer and I was shocked in a nice way how calmly the waiter batted it off.
If you like your vino, there is a list of "snacks" to have with your wine and they also do a really good value "wine" tasting for just under €8.00 which was super value. I did have the drinks package, but, I do like my wines.......so I had to colour outside the lines.......alot! My liver is still recovering.
If you are on the drinks package - draft beer is excellent, and the cocktails were wicked! They really sneaker up on you quieter than an elephant in brothel creepers and a silk pyjamas. Dangerous might be a term.....in a good way! (Paracetamol is available in the shop on board).
Also - the sports bar has an entertaining fast food sort of menu which fitted nicely with the beer menu in there. So if you fancy something alittle less formal but fun........try the sports bar.
Ice creams are available also up between the buffet and the pool area.

Etoile the premium french restaurant was full all week.......not for diamonds could we get in.....we even offer the Swarovski crystal staircase....but nope!

At main dining also, a bottle of wine starts around €20.00 Euro and works it's way up from there. Being Mediterranean based there were a good selection of Italians and especially good value Châteauneuf-du-Pape if that's your thing.

Relaxation : Starting in the spa which is pretty extensive and alluring. There were some good value treatments on offer. The spa leading the gym which had a panoramic view to the front of the ship. It's well equipped and there are ample classes on board (some have a fee) but, you might need them if you are chomping through 7 courses each night.
From the spa you are led into the indoor pool area. Before about 08.30am the pool is pretty empty and you'll get in lengths. After that it's free for all. There are a couple of jacuzzi's dotted around here also and of course a bar!
Once outside you arrive into the main pool area which again is busy once the day get's going. If you want a bit of quiet, there is a small pool right in the tail of the ship with a couple of Jacuzzi's and a fine bar........very easy to spend time down there I can assure you.

Entertainment - we loved the pianists, violinists which were dotted around inside the ship, they simply brought spots such as the wine bar to life. Really relaxing or rousing depending on what they were playing! But all good.
Shows each night were good, fun, and got people going. I didn't think they would, but they did.
Good mood sort of stuff, light too!

Our ports - Genoa we zoomed to Portofino, Naples we hit Sorrento, Capri and Pompeii. There were some stunning sunrises and sunsets!
Malta - it's just a stroll into Valletta. Palma was a late evening arrival but Palma Cathedral at night it stunning. And if you are game ball there are some absolutely amazing bars near the cathedral.
Barcelona........well.....there are volumes written about this stunning city and it's just so easy to scoot around.
Marseille - downtown and the tourist train or in my case Aix En Provence was alittle adventure and well worth the spin.

Overall an excellent trip and fantastic value.

Hmm,

So you've had a perfect cruise - you've made the plane, now you've the spin home. How do you sleep? Or do you sleep.

Well we've been on a mission to figure "Natural ways" of sleeping in this Alien environment.

As a frequent transatlantic passenger I've found staying away from alcohol to be a charm. As per when you are at home, it does disrupt "proper" sleep and then you've the hangover to get over.
Also, if you give it socks on your last night onboard - you'll be tired tired on the way home. This is also a good trick on the way out and when you arrive to get over jetlag - stay awake when you arrive as long as possible. Then at least when you eventually fall asleep you really need it.

This might sound odd, but make the environment you are in as cozy as possible. ie make sure you are warm enough. Go for a window seat, then at least you are not disturbed by either the trolley or other passengers.

If you've some travel tips - why not post them on our Facebook page? http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cruise-Paradise/354017435044

Cheerio for now.
Captain sleepy

Hello,

Our website contains pretty much the full of itinerary of every cruise ship and cruise company out there.
If you are looking for a Caribbean Cruise, Mediterranean Cruise, Alaskan Cruise, South American Cruise, Indian Ocean or Chinese Cruise - they are all in there.......including Balkan and Russian Cruises too. At cruiseparadise.ie we have them all.

Simply go into the "Search for Cruise", and the basic area of the world you'd like to cruise. If you know your dates, all the better. From here the system will suggest the cruise ships and the cruise line.

If you'd like information on a particular ship or a particular cruise line then click on the "The Ships" tag at the top and it will lead you into the cruiseparadise.ie ships area.

Perhaps you'd like to keep an eye on our specials offers - if so, please join our weekly newsletter for updates on cruise deals.

In the meantime if you have any questions on cruise - please don't hesitate to contact one of our cruise team on 0818 333901.

Cheerio for now
cruiseparadise.ie

Hello there,

While our pursuit of great value is relentless and indeed holidays in general. One thing which completely seperates cruising from most normal holiday stops is the entertainement for families and we don't just mean the shows at night.

The following are a quick list of things you should consider when looking at a family cruise and comparing:

Does your cruise :

Have special menus for children?
Activities for children - Royal Caribbean are perhaps the leaders in this field, however, the competitions is moving swiftly, NCL have introduced the EPIC, Carnival have the Magic and the Dream. Disney - the home of all things children have brilliant ships too. Now you have waterparks, the rock climbing walls, ice skating rinks, fabulous gyms and childrens clubs which are better slip age wise.

Rooms - (staterooms), family rooms begin with interior's - they can be tight on space! But then you've to decide on budget and how much time you'll spend in the room. The newest shake on rooms are family suites. MSC have a few on their newest ship the Magnifica, Royal Caribbean have show stoppers on the Allure and Oasis. NCL have "villas".

NCL's Epic, Carnivals Dream/Magic and Royal Caribbeans - Freedom, Voyager and Oasis class ships are pretty much top of the heap. Between crazy golf, the walls, skating etc. You just can't be bored - surely?????

But, if you are in trouble - and can't make up your mind - call us at cruiseparadise and we'll discuss the options with you. We'll help you plan your route - be it a mediterranean cruise, a caribbean cruise, even perhaps a Baltic or Alaskan cruise?

ta ta for now.

As we cruise into the peak summer travel time and begin to look at winter cruises, here are some notes which might help you plan.

1: One question we are asked allot is - what's included? Or is it all inclusive?

Cruising is an excellent value holiday - but you need to anticipate costs such as beverages. Both alcoholic and non alcoholic most likely will be charged. Shore excursions depending on how you tackle them. Spa treatments, internet use, laundry and internet all clock up charges.
There are all inclusive cruises however, a good general rule of thumb is - the bigger the ship and less you've paid to start the chances are your onboard spend will be higher.

2: Onboard tips - we've already discussed this in a previous blog spot. But you need to account for them one way or another.

3: Packing - Pack light - 2 reasons - 1: You don't want to be paying extra money at the airport for overweight baggage. And secondly, cruise ship staterooms are not that big. Wardrobe space is usually ok, but you don't want this monster case taking up space which ultimately is valuable to you. Medium size cases usually will tuck under a bed or slide nicely into the closet.

4: If you don't need the tux and ball gown - leave them behind. Depending on which cruise company you are with - some are dressier and others less so. Royal Caribbean/Celebrity and Holland America usually have 2 formal nights as NCL has opted for Freestyle cruising - so it's up to you!

5: There are no tea bags in your room! Remember most cruise ships are American so very often electrical items need US adaptors. Some ships will be fitted with a European plug. But do check. On the tea front - most ships don't have kettles in the room. Oh but they do generally have hair dryers so you can leave them at home.

6: Cosmetics - most cruise ships provide shampoo, soap and beach towels in your room. They don't have ironing boards (health and safety). But you can usually get your clothes ironed on board if you wish. Outside of the above - take your own to be safe.

7: Make a list - it's amazing how many people forget flip flops or sport shoes and it's expensive to buy them onboard. Simple stuff, sunscreen, bug repellent etc. Things you'll pick up in a pharmacy or supermarket can develop a price of their own at sea! So save yourself some money, make a list and pick up your items here or if you've the luxury of having a few days pre cruise grab them when you get there!

8: Bedding - depending on your ship - some ships have beds which are nailed to the floor. So if you want a double specify it at the time of booking - as you could end up in a twin. Most new ships have 2 singles which convert to doubles - but be safe - double check it.

9: Make sure your passport is up to date. You will be most likely on a US ship and you don't want to be denied boarding because your passport is out of date!

10: Check your tickets - with the best of intentions mistakes can happen! Check your name is correct - first and last names as per passports. If you've bought a fly cruise - check that your flights are into the correct airport for the city you are going to and are from the airport you are supposed to be flying from. It is staggering how many people twig things late, which it’s difficult to change.

Have a good one folks.

PS - NEVER pack an idiot - you'll always meet one there.

As this is the first chapter in our cruise blog - the title holds a number of values. One being our first meander on "T'internet" and secondly I'll try to explain cruising from the sea upwards!

Almost 20 years my personal love affair with cruise ships began with smaller P&O ships which have now - almost retired. Little did I realise 20 years ago how much there was to cruising. Infact it's getting more interesting by the day. In the early days I believed cruising was like Noah’s Ark - "you got on a ship, were fed, and watered, hopped off and had a look about at your destination". And perhaps Noah's Ark still applies but now ships are tailored for you the cruiser. You can have all inclusive, full board, semi all inclusive - this is usually related to drinks! Anyways, because cruising is so broad a travel term I'm going to try and explain just some of the simple terms of cruising.

Aft: The back of the ship - for booking cabins, some argue it's better as others prefer the bow!
Bow: Yes - the front of the ship! Again preference.

Bridge: Nothing to do with Brunel. The bridge is the command centre of a modern day cruise ship. Equipped with GPS for Navigation, "fly by wire" technology" to allow the captain steer his vessel into spaces tighter than a mini needs.

Cabin - Also known as your stateroom - there are various types of staterooms, Interior - which have no windows: Exterior where you may have a window and others portholes. Balcony or Verandah - not always larger than interiors but the Verandah certainly makes the room feel like the world is your oyster.

Decks - these are the "floors" on a cruise ship. Deck 1 being the closest to the water and then building upwards.

Departure Port - where it all begins!

Embarkation Port - where the cruise finishes and your stories grow legs!

Formal Night - most cruises have one or two formal nights. Depending on the cruise line - 5*s you'll generally want the little black dress and the tux for the lads. On less formal ships smart casual may suffice.

Galley - the kitchen! Where all those delightful, mouthwatering food creations are cooked.
Gangway - the little bridge taking you from land to ship.
Lido - this is often used as a term to describe where the ships pool deck is!!
Maitre D - the dining orchestra master. This person is a restaurant manager par excellence. Try sitting 2000 to dinner night after night and doing is successfully.
Muster Station - Hopefully the only time you'll worry about this place is at the beginning of your cruise. On Day 1 you'll practice an emergency drill - nothing wild - but you'll gather here in case of an emergency - and it's normally also shown on the inside of your "Cabin" door.
Port - the left hand side of the ship - I always remember "Port" because it has 4 letters the same as left.
Purser - key client relations officer.
Starboard - the right hand side of the ship.
Stateroom - see cabin!
Steward - the person who minds your room - keeps it tidy and lets you get on with your holiday.
Tender - tenders are smaller boats which come and collect you at ports where your ship is simply too big to enter that port fully - Villefranche on the Cote d’Azur comes to mind.

Tired reading yet? OK - that's today’s lesson over - but I'll be back! Have a good one and thanks for reading.

Chow

Irish people are generally known as good tippers. However, not a day goes by but the question arises when quoting cruise prices. Some cruise companies include the tips in their prices - others don't. Some you can add on pre booking - others you do on board.

In a nutshell - somewhere along the lines you have to pay them. Personally I find you usually end up giving a good tip as the staff is normally superb. To this end last year whilst out cruising with Carnival I had certain preconceptions - well - best cruise I've done - certainly from a service point of view. To be fair though - with only one exception have I felt that "tips" were great value for money - the service is usually brilliant to be mild about it.

MSC offer a lower tip (gratuity) for children which is fair-err. My logic on this is simple - the 3 people you are generally tipping are - 1 - stateroom attendant, and 2 your deputy and head waiters! Now chances are - your children have been to Jonnie Rockets or the pizza buffet and they don't see the waiters! They'll already have tipped in Rockets or have managed to feed themselves in the buffet. So to my mind children should pay lower tips. For the remainder of you - I think you'll agree after you've cruised they are good value for money.
The other one to watch is the 15% Service charge on each drink you purchase. Again generally the service is swift and you are well minded - so simply when you price a drink just add 15% in your mind and you'll have the true cost of your drink.

Overall - how you tip is upto yourself - it very much is a personal item and we'll be happy to explain each cruise lines tipping policy to you.

Cheerio for now.