My cruise finally found dry ground and blueish skies in Port Vila. For more photos, check Instagram and Twitter. Words will follow soon.
Category: Cruises
Feeding the multitudes
Watching a cooking demonstration onboard Pacific Aria reminded me what an amazing effort it is for cruise ship kitchens to prepare thousands of meals every day.
And getting a slightly dodgy dish one night reminded me that it’s impossible to get it right all the time.
Cruise update
I’m having a little trouble posting to this blog from the middle of the South Pacific. I am, however, updating Instagram and Twitter (see the menu at left for links). There are also new cruise-ship-related articles by me here and here.
Meanwhile, on the Pacific Aria, bad weather has meant the cancellation of stops in Noumea and Mare, so we’re steaming towards Port Vila. It’s a bit bumpy ..
Pacific Aria: first impressions
I’ve arrived onboard P&O Cruises Australia’s Pacific Aria for a seven-day journey from Brisbane to New Caledonia and back.
I’ll be blogging when I can, and posting updates on social media. In the meantime, I’ve undertaken a reconnaissance mission and here are some pictures of the ship and the port.
Weather watch
As I write, my seven-day cruise on the Pacific Aria is due to set sail in eight hours. It’s been raining all night in my departure port, Brisbane, and here’s the forecast for Noumea, New Caledonia, where I will arrive on Sunday.
Wish me luck! And stay tuned for updates here and on social media.
River of dreams
Last year, river cruise specialist Viking entered the competitive ocean cruising market, launching its luxurious Viking Star.
Now the much-loved British cruise line Fred. Olsen is moving into the river cruise market. Continue reading River of dreams
I’m sold on this sailing deal
On a whim, I’ve booked a week-long cruise starting in four days — on Friday, May 19. I nearly booked it yesterday, but by waiting a day I saved about US$75 (A$100) on what was already a bargain price.
Last-minute deals are fantastic if you are at a loose end — on holiday with no firm plans (as I am), retired, or otherwise flexible with your time — and you don’t mind missing out if it’s already sold out. Continue reading I’m sold on this sailing deal
It takes a village …
The northern Italian village of Bormida has hit the headlines because its council is offering €2,000 to anybody who wants to come and live there.
The idea is to boost the population of the village, where rents can be as low as €50 a month. I, for one, am tempted — particularly given Bormida’s close proximity to the borders with Monaco and France, and to the beautiful port of Savona, where Costa Cruises has a terminal.
Extras. Read all about them
We’ve all been asked if we “want fries with that” or otherwise been enticed to buy something more than we originally planned.
It’s no different in the travel business, but sometimes what’s part of the package and what’s extra isn’t quite as easy to understand as an upsized Big Mac meal deal.
Is your attire ship-shape?
Frequent cruisers will be familiar with formal night. It happens at least once on every voyage: the night where you either dress up in your finest to enjoy silver service in the dining room or you slum it in your shorts and sloppy joes at the buffet.
Even in this egalitarian age, most cruise ships still have a dress code for their restaurants — especially on the formal nights — and some people think that the code sometimes goes too far.
Baggage handling blues
Imagine being stuck on a cruise ship with nothing but the clothes you’re wearing. That’s what happened to an Englishwoman when a company hired to load her luggage put the bag on the wrong ship.
While I empathise with the woman concerned, I think the story has wider implications.
The best cabin at sea
I’ve been busy on Quora.com again, thanks to a question about which deck is the best to be on a cruise ship.
I’ve adapted the answer I gave there, because the deck level isn’t the only or even the best criterion when choosing a good cabin.
Enchanting Venice
Venice is many things to many people. A city of romance, music, history, intrigue and artistic treasures.
Oh, and it’s also sinking. So, if you’ve not been, it’s probably a good time to go.
Suite dreams at sea
My motto for all travel is to do what you can comfortably afford to do. As I’ve written, if you want to fly business- or first-class, and you have the money to do it, don’t let anybody persuade you otherwise.
The difference between business and economy class on a plane — especially on long-haul flights — is painfully obvious. That is, the ever-more-cramped economy-class seats will induce pain; the lie-flat options up front will not. Continue reading Suite dreams at sea
Cruise ships: bigger, better, best?
In both aircraft and cruise-ship manufacturing, there’s a debate: is bigger always better? In aviation, the largest commercial plane, the Airbus A380, is popular only with airlines, notably Emirates, that are staking the future on carrying a lot of people over long distances to and from big airports.
With cruise ships, there has been greater investment by those who believe bigger is better, although niche operators beg to differ.
What to do about post-holiday blues
On my most recent holiday, aboard the Vision of the Seas, the cruise director gave a little speech at the end of the show on the night before we arrived at our final port.
She said, essentially, that a vacation isn’t truly over even when it ends.
Sober on the high seas
A Twitter follower recently posed me an interesting question that went a little like this: “I am a non-drinker, and I have always shied away from cruises because everybody on board seems to be drinking all the time.
“Is there anything to do on a cruise if you don’t drink?”
Are cruises too expensive?
Over at Quora recently, I weighed in on the question: Why are cruises so expensive?
Here’s what I said:
You’re never alone at sea
If you follow this blog, you might be aware the I’m a fan of Quora, the site that crowdsources answers to interesting questions, including many about travel.
I’m not just an avid reader of the site, I’ve recently become a contributor, with a few posts and a couple of thousand views to my name. My latest answer relates to something I’m reasonably well informed about: cruising alone.
Jamaica: I went of my own accord
OK, so the headline on this piece is a lazy reference to an old joke, but don’t let that put you off a visit to Jamaica, one of the jewels of the Caribbean.
I visited Falmouth as part of a cruise itinerary, and I’m keen to see more. The people, from the local tour guide to the people we met on the streets, were friendly and the weather was superb.
