Portsmouth’s The New Southampton
Portsmouth International Port is readying itself for the arrival of an impressive 18 cruise ships this May, in what will be a record month for the south-coast dock.
Cruise vessels including Cruise Maritime’s Marco Polo and Noble Caledonian’s Caledonian Sky are set to sail from the city in the coming weeks, as the passenger terminal celebrates the first anniversary of its opening.
The season is scheduled to begin on May 11th, with two ships docking at the port on the same day.
This facility was constructed as part of a £16.5 million investment in the port’s infrastructure, with authorities from the region seemingly eager to attract bigger and better cruise ships.
It looks to have paid dividends too with the Voyages of Discovery’s vessel the Discovery set to operate from the port throughout autumn alongside Noble Caledonian’s Island Sky cruise ship.
Martin Putman, who manages the port, revealed that they had witnessed a notable “growth in our cruise business” since the investment.
“With an extension to one of our berths we now have more flexibility too, so a greater range of ships can dock allowing more passengers to enjoy the benefits of using our historic port” he added.
The cruise holiday season in Portsmouth will begin this Friday.
Titanic’s Back
I really think I am getting obsessed with Titanic. I seem to be writing blog after blog about the famous ship however I saw a brilliant article in the paper the other day. A new Titanic ships will set sail in 2016. Get me a place now! The creaters of the ship have said that this time the ocean liner will be unsinkable!
Clive Palmer had the fantastic idea of building a replica of the ship that sank in 1912 which took the lives of 1,514 lives. Originally names Titanic II will sail from Southampton to New York. The ship will be an exact replica even down to its four funnels.
Clive Palmer is Australia’s fifth richest man and has said that it has been specifically designed so that it doesn’t sink. He added the only way to sink it would be to put a hole in the middle! The ship will incorporate all of the latest technology to ensure it doesnt sink.
The new liner will be 885ft long, 173ft high and will weigh 40,999 tons. There will be 840 rooms and over 9 decks!
The ship will not be built in Belfast but in a Chinese work yard! Not too sure about that one!
Would you go on the Titanic?
Double Dip Recession
No I am not talking anything to do with sherbet fountains or sweets but what is happening in the economy at the moment and how it is affecting cruise lines. I was listening to the radio this morning, once again doom and gloom for Great Britain with the recession coming back in full force. Just after we all thought that we were coming out of it, it looks as though it is happening all over again.
It has got me thinking about how this will affect the cruise industry. Recently I have not noticed the recession as I have been so busy working all the hours under the sun however I think that the news is going to put people into “panic” mode.
Has the recession hit you and your holidays? More and more people are now opting for inside cabins rather than the luxurious balconies. There was once a day when balcony cabins would book up faster than anything else however now people are looking to spend as little as possible.
The cruise lines have obviously taken this on board recently with inside to balcony upgrades as well as very low priced inside cabins. I think that the cruise lines are dropping the prices so low as they cannot fill the ships. Now ships are bigger than ever and trying to fill 3,000 people on one during a recession has to be hard.
Also have people started to cut down their spending on cruises? By not having cash on board it can be quite easy to get carried away in the bar one night but now I have clients who are looking to cut corners in all ways. Very regularly I get asked “can you take alcohol on board?” I try and dodge this question as much as possible. Clients are also booking shore excursions with external companies rather through the cruise lines.
Times are hard now and people are trying their hardest not to part with their cash. I don’t think that people have to panic now as the cruise lines are the ones who are cutting back now rather than the customers.
What do you think?
CCS Pricing A Year On
Well I can’t believe that it has been a year since my last CCS launch and what a year it has been! This time last year there was uproar over CCS changing their pricing system. CCS slashed all commissions so that every agent across the country would be at the same price. Why? To get you to choose an agent that you trust.
So has anyone stuck to this? I have strictly stuck to the CCS pricing structure for the past year and it really is frustrating when you have other agents that have discounted the price or added more on board credit. I would love to offer this out straight away to my clients however I would not put our company licence under jeopardy.
People ask if there is anything further that I can offer and for my regular clients I will always try and do something. However when they speak to another agent who has taken £10’s off a cruise I ask the question…Is my service worth £10? After one of my recent blogs about customer service I had a client phone me and said they agreed that even though some agents were discounting they were happy to book with me as they have confidence in Cruise.co.uk.
So looking at companies that have been discounting CCS I ask the question why they would put their licence under threat. My opinion… desperate!! Gills were discounting prices for a long time and I must admit I did lose a few clients to them but what a surprise they went bust! Recently we have had some major competition from a large high street company. It has been on the news that they are really struggling financially and now Fred Olsen cruise lines have pulled from them. I think this just proves the point of desperation.
I think people need to be careful of who they are booking through and maybe look at the bigger picture rather than the £10 savings. I would rather spend an extra £10 in a reputable company and know that my holiday is safe!
What are your thoughts?
Are TV Programmes Putting You Off Sailing?
Cruising is more popular than ever. Everywhere you look on the tv there are cruise ships. P&O and Royal Caribbean have spent thousands of pounds advertising on the TV. I was sat with my friends at home and an advert came on for Royal Caribbean. I think it was for either Independence or Oasis of the Seas and they went “wow that looks amazing, I would love to go on that!” Well done…the advert did exactly what it said on the tin. Cruise ships are now getting bigger and better. There is something for everyone and that’s why more people are doing it.
I went to watch Jack and Jill (Adam Sandler) a few weeks ago and guess what a ship was in it! Then I watched Alvin and the Chipmunks….guess what another one! All of the cruise lines are getting bigger and better however what about when it all goes wrong?
Costa Concordia was a horrific accident which will go down in the history of ships. To this day we still do not know what happened on board however there is a program tonight giving exclusive footage on the ship.
Last week I watched a really good program called “Why ships sink.” I was a bit annoyed watching the program as they put sailing in a bad light. Over the past 20 years there have only been 3 or 4 ships which have sunk. How many aeroplanes have crashed over this time? The program did put fear in to the viewer making out that the large ocean liners that are out there are not safe enough to carry that many passengers. I would like to point out they only focused on a couple of ships and one of them was an Oil Carrier!!!
A few of my clients have said “I am slightly put off by cruising after those programs” I can understand why as they do put the fear factor in. All I am saying is take it all with a pinch of salt and you have more chance of being in a car accident…. Are you scared to go in your car?!
After watching Titanic 3D I have come to conclusion that you don’t let go of cruising Jack!
Happy Easter Sales
Well the cruise lines have released some fantastic fares for this weekend. It looks as though all of the cruise lines are desperate to fill their ships and are attempting to do so by slashing their prices. I have never seen cruise prices this low! Make sure you take advantage of this bank holiday 
After an absolutely hectic month on the sales floor I need some time off to recuperate so I shall be returning to the office on 10th April 2012 . If you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to call one of my colleagues on 0800 408 6074.
So the next few days I shall be decorating, watching Titanic 3D, seeing friends & family and gorging on plenty of chocolate! I gave up chocolate for Lent (like I do every year!) and will certainly be doing some baking.
Have a lovely Easter and I shall see you all shortly
:0)
Car Parking Nightmares? I Have A Solution
Getting to and from airports and ports can be a nightmare. I much prefer getting in my car and finding my own way there rather than relying on someone else. The majority of my clients are in exactly the same boat and would prefer to go as they please.
Normally when booking a client I ask what their plans are for car parking when they are going to the airport/port. I have heard a few horror stories from clients who are a little dubious about leaving there cars somewhere. I completely agree and we have found a company which I believe can take all the hassle away.
We deal with a company called Looking4Parking and they deal with a variety of parking options throughout the country. When I went on a holiday last year I used them for the airport parking and all I can say was it was a breeze.
With contracts set up throughout all UK airports you can choose to have meet and greet, shuttle bus, onsite parking and lots more. The good news is that you can even have a clean car to come back to with a variety of valet services.
All car parks are under surveillance 24 hours a day and are patrolled regularly. Whether you have a clapped out banger or a Rolls Royce they ensure that your car is safe.
Many people now opt to depart from Southampton rather than go through with the bother of airports and again what do people do for parking? The cruise lines are cutting down on their parking more and more so for all those last minute deals that are out there clients are forking out as much for the cruise just to park their car. Don’t worry!! I have been using this company for quite a while now for my clients and all of them have come back to me saying how good they are.
All you have to do is drive to the short stay car park in the terminal you are departing from, call the chauffeur and before you know it you are there. In fact you have a shorter distance to walk to the terminal than if you parked your car in the terminal itself! They take your car to the local depot where it is looked after. When disembarking the ship it is just as easy! Phone the chauffeur 10 minutes before you leave the ship and they will be in the short stay car park waiting for you!
How do you book? Easy… call 0800 408 6074
Why Book With Me?
Do you use the same travel agent every time you book? When you look through our website and visit “our consultants” what do you look for? A friendly face? Experience? Well I am about to make it a whole lot easier.
I have been working in the travel industry for just over a year and I know it is not a huge amount of experience but the amount that I have learnt is phenomenal. I never thought that you could learn so much in one year. I absolutely love my job and really enjoy learning about all cruise lines.
Luckily I have managed to see a vast amount of ships over a year and have plenty of photos which are not on my blog which I am happy to send to clients. Whether it is Silversea or MSC I have seen the majority of them and would love to give you an honest opinion, rather than the sales spiel for that is going to make us more money.
I pride myself on my customer service and would much prefer a happy client to come back from their cruise. If you are looking at destinations I have travelled vast amounts of Asia and Europe whilst I was playing golf. Asia has a special place in my heart and booking a cruise around here is the best way to see all of it.
Recently I won cruise consultant of the week for CCS (P&O, Princess and Cunard). I book a large amount of CCS and have plenty of clients who come back to me time and time again for a great deal. I have been on a variety of ships including: Adonia, Arcadia and Queen Victoria so CCS is one of my specialities. If all of these clients are booking with me I must be doing something right. 
I must admit I am a work-o-holic and work most of my days off so getting in contact with me cannot be easier. With the CCS 2013/14 launch I have all of the latest prices so why not pre-register to make sure you a fantastic deal.
Want an agent you can trust? Call 0800 408 6074
Lets Play a Game…on Carnival Glory
I happened to be browsing Facebook recently and saw an advert for a cruise however this one was for all horror film fans. The cruise is dedicated to the hugely popular Saw films. Now I am a huge fan of all of the Saw films and this cruise is something special for hard core fans.
The Carnival Glory will be hosting the event which has celebrities from the films. The 5 night cruise departs from New York and goes to beautiful ports in Canada. Passengers will be able to meet Saw stars and meet other fans.
By the looks of it this will be a party cruise and there are plenty of adverts for pool and dance parties! Passengers can get autographs and photos with the stars and attend free movie screenings. Stars include Costas Manylor (“Hoffman”), Ned Bellamy (“Jeff” the drill chair man), Anne Greene (“Diana” in the opening scene of Saw 3D) and Rebecca Marshall (“Suzanne” the lawyer who gets killed in the eye and mouth trap).
Not to excite you too much but Jigsaw’s legendary puppet will be onboard which has been used in the movies! Apparently there are more celebrities to be added to the list.
The carnival glory has 22 lounges and bars, night clubs, a casino, spa, gym, jogging track and much more. There really is lots to do on board the ship. You can take a ride on the 214 foot waterslide.
Now I know this is all fun and games however do you not think this would be a perfect story line for the next Saw fim? Saw at Sea…dun dun duuuun.
Would you go on a cruise like this?
The Only Way is Up!
It’s proven…cruising is on the way up. After some horror stories recently in the news you would think that people are put off from cruising. Well how wrong we were! Cruises are becoming more and more popular.
Last year 1.7 million Brits took an Ocean cruise. 700,00 of them were first time cruisers and I was one of them! The PSA (passenger shipping association) confirmed that more people are cruising from the UK as it rose from 100,00 in 2011 to 753,000. Generally the reason for this has been the rise in air fares over the past few years.
Numbers are set to rise even higher as Royal Caribbean will be bringing another ship to Southampton for 2012. With Royal being one of the most popular cruise lines out there I can see massive increase in sales for them.
1 in 8 holidays booked in the UK are now cruises which is fantastic compared nine years ago when it was one in 25. The top destination is, surprisingly, Mediterranean which has had a massive 10% increase. Northern Europe is following closely behind in second place. I am surprised that the Canary islands are not higher!
River cruising is also on the up with an increase of 7%. Now is the best time to be booking cruises with some fantastic fares around!
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