Merry Xmas & Happy New Year!

Hello Everyone

I hope you all enjoyed christmas and are looking forward to a very merry new year, I had a very nice time with my family and friends back in my home town of Oswestry. I would like to thank my lovely mum for the scumptious dinner she made YUM!

It's nearly new year therefore I have been looking back at 2010, which was a year of big changes for me and I am hoping that 2011 will bring a lot more laughter, love, success and good health and I hope it brings you all these things as well. Here's to Cruise.co.uk

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Everyone Dreams Of New York

I listen to many clients everyday talking about how it's there life long dream to cruise into/out of New York past the Statue of Liberty and of course it has to be done on Cunards Queen Mary 2, one of the most famous ocean liners in the world.

Well it's ok dreaming about sailing into New York but when you think about it that really only lasts for half an hour or so, what about the six or seven days on the cruise ship before or after that moment? Well I got thinking about it.

The Southampton to New York crossing has become a timeless classic filled with Cunard glamour, you will get lost in another world, it's enduring appeal that lies in those elegant black tie balls, the impeccable hospitality and mouth-watering dining options. Not to mention the indulgent spa, largest libary afloat and if you dare try your hand in the casino.

Of course there is no point in going to New York and not having a bite of the apple. Spend a few days in the city before or after your cruise to make it the vacation of a lifetime. Everyone knows New York's attractions - Broadway, shopping, museums, Central Park, restaurants, nightclubs and more sophisticated fun than you can imagine.

Tips when choosing your Transatlantic Crossing

Southampton to New York
Pro - If you cruise from Southampton to New York you gain time along the way, so there will be 25 hours in your day (WOW)
Con - You actually arrive into New York at 06.30am so you will need to be up bright and early to catch a glimpse of the big city.
Con - If you are flying back from New York you will have luggage weight restrictions so beware when spending that well earned cash shopping.

New York To Southampton
Pro - If you fly to New York and cruise back to Southampton the moment you step off your flight you will have no luggage weight restrictions onboard the ship so you can shop till you drop and not have to worry.
Pro - You depart New York at 17.30pm so you won't have to be up early and can just sit back with a cocktail taking in the amazing city view.

For more details or for prices call me today on 0800 408 6091

Chapter 3 of My Travels, Singapore

I arrived in Singapore late evening quite tired from spending all day on a flight from Dubai not really knowing what to expect. I had been told that Singapore is a lovely city very clean and safe and thats exactly true.

As we had arrived late about 10pm and had spent 8 1/2 hours on the flight (delayed) we needed to venture out and find somewhere to eat and most importantly get a glass of wine (or 2). Our hotel was in the area Little India not far from the main attractions of the city centre about 15 minutes walk from the shopping district Orchards Road and Clarke Quay one of the main late night areas to visit, so we had a quick wash and change and made our way using the free map from the airport to guide us. I was very nervous about walking around at night as the girl I travelled with a good friend Nicola and myself are not the most street wise people as we grew up in a little market town. We didn't really have a clue where we were going, but about 5 minutes in I just felt so safe. It was a very strange feeling but I actually felt safer walking around Singapore a country I have never been to before late at night than where I live at the moment in Birmingham. And the streets were spotless not a piece of litter in sight not even cigarette buds and then I found out that if you are caught littering there is a $300 instant fine. That explains it!


A great way and probably the best way to see the city of Singapore is to hop on the red open top bus it's around 33SGD (£18) for a 2 day pass. There are 2 different routes around the city that you can do and it also includes the river cruise. So it is fairly good value for money considering Singapore is very expensive.

I can't say that we did that much sight seeing to be honest just hopped on and off the bus, but we did make the most of the fantastic nightlife the city has to offer. Of course we went to Raffles for a very famous Singapore Sling, which went down very well. The people are very friendly and we made friends with two ladies that actually worked for Singapore Airlines who told us the best places to go for drinks and in fact the nightlife was so great that we ended up stayin out until 6am (oops) and missed our excursion to Sentosa Island the next day, which I was very disappointed about but sure I will get to see it one day.

 

Over all Singapore is a fantastic city, lots of fun and well worth a visit. P.S take lot of money



Regent 2011, It's All Included !!

When you see the prices of Luxury Cruises you tend to automatically think that its too expensive, please take a closer look as with cruise lines such as Regent of the Seas...It's ALL included!

New for all 2011 sailings, Return flights
FREE Shore Excursions
FREE beverages, including fine wines, beer and premium spirits, soft drinks, bottled water, specialty coffees and tea served throughout the cruise ship
FREE in-suite mini-bar replenished daily with soft drinks, beer and bottled water
All staff gratuities
Welcome bottle of Regent champagne and fresh fruit in your suite
Up to four gourmet restaurants including the iconic new steakhouse Prime 7 and Signatures, featuring Le Cordon Bleu®-inspired cuisine, Compass Rose, La Veranda plus the al fresco Pool Grill
In-suite dining, served course-by-course during restaurant hours
Butler service in Penthouse Suites and higher, including complimentary in-suite mini-bar setup and iPod® docking station
Complimentary 24-hour room service
Fitness programs, sauna and steam rooms in the spa
Onboard activities including expert guest lectures, theatre performance and day time entertainment
Interactive television with extensive media library and complimentary movies on demand

And There is More.....
The world's only all-balcony, all-suite vessels with the highest percentage of private balconies of any cruise line on smaller, more intimate ships
Itineraries to more than 300 ports on all seven continents, with the ability to visit more intimate ports that cannot be accessed by larger vessels
One of the best staff-to-guest service ratios in the cruise industry, exemplified by personal, intuitive service
World-renowned Canyon Ranch SpaClub®
Small-group enrichment and excursion opportunities, specifically designed to experience destinations at a more authentic level

On The Red Carpet With Simon Cowell

Well as I won VIP red carpet tickets to see One Direction and Simon Cowell last night in Wolverhampton, I thought I would let you know how it all went.

It was cold, actually that is an understatement it was absolutely freezing. I had to stand outside for an hour and a half waiting for them to show up (I wasn't impressed). Finally just as I had lost all feeling in my toes Simon's Rolls Royce rocked up and a people carrier behind with the boys in and all hell broke loose as they stepped out of the cars. As you can imagine there was lots of young girls there so excited to see their new idols, I was more interested in seeing Simon Cowell really as secretly I would like Matt to win.

Overall it was a good experience ITV's X Factor camera crew were there, I did my best to get in front of the camera when they were filming the crowd so who knows you may see me on Saturday or Sunday night waving vigorously (Sad I know). One Direction sang live and were very good, Simon did a little speech for votes and below is a piccy as promised

I Am Going In One Direction, X Factor Red Carpet

Well after another standard day I get in the car to face a miserable drive home in this awful weather and just as I am setting off I get a text message from Beacon Radio, I have won VIP Red Carpet Tickets to see X Factors One Direction at the Civic in Wolverhampton tomorrow night! and if that's not good enough Simon Cowell himself will be there. hopefully I will get some good piccy's to show you all.

So I think it's safe to say my day has ended well and also thank god it wasn't Wagner ha ha

My Travels, Chapter 2 More Dubai

Day 2 in Dubai was just as amazing as the first day. Up bright and early and picked up for our morning desert safari.

The excursion included a very bumpy ride across the desert sand dunes in a 4x4, quad biking and sand skiing, which I had no idea what that was. It basically turned out to be snowboarding down a sand dune, it was lots off fun but I soon realised I needed to get to the gym when trying to get myself back up the dune to do it all again. I would defiantly recommend doing this excursion if you go to Dubai.

Well since our hotel did not serve alcohol we decided to go somewhere that did, so we hoped in a taxi down to the Madinat Resort at Jumeirah Beach. The Arabian resort of Dubai, is a magnificent tribute to Dubai's heritage and is styled to resemble an ancient Arabian citadel. Luxurious and ornate, combining the height of opulence with an overwhelming sense of tradition. Meandering waterways transport guests to all parts of this intricate city of senses.

This bustling complex has 75 retail souks, 26 shops and 44 restaurants, cafés and bars offering an array of international cuisine.

Next stop Singapore...... To be continued

Home From My Travels, Chapter 1 Dubai

Well I have been off on my holidays for the last 3 weeks with my good friend Nicola and I am now home and back to work, it has gone so quick it feels like it was all a dream.

I had an amazing time globe trotting first stop was Dubai for 2 nights. Emirates Airline were fantastic apart from making you walk through Business Class to get to Economy :-( teasers! We landed at at 7am the sun was beaming the sky's completely clear it certainly woke us up. As Dubai was a stopover I decided to save some pennies and stay in the main city district Bur Dubai in a standard 4 star hotel called the Winchester Grand Deluxe, it was £40 a night per room and included dinner (I found a special rate online) and it was exceptional. The service was great the room gorgeous an absolute bargain. I would most definitely recommend staying in hotels in the city areas rather than the beach areas as basically you have to get a taxi where ever you stay anyway to get to all the different sights and taxis are very cheap. I know what your thinking why go all the way to Dubai and stay in an average hotel not by the beach...... well you can cheat! I booked us a day out at The Atlantis Hotel on The Palm it was £35 per person and we spent the whole day there using the facilities, the water park and the hotels stunning private white sand beach overlooking the whole city and the Burj (so why would you pay £500 per night per room????)

The whole of Dubai just overwhelms you it is so grand, luxurious an Arabian Adventure you never want to end, the skyscrapers are like nothing you expect the detail and thought is spectacular. Truely a superb destination.

Well that's just for starters there is plenty more to come from me, more info about my travels and tips soon.

Holiday Time!

I am so excited to say that in 1 day I will be boarding an Emirates flight to Dubai for 2 nights then on to Singapore for 3 nights and then.... on to Thailand (Phuket, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Bangkok) for 15 nights. WOW, this really is a trip of a lifetime for me and I have been counting down the days for the last 6 months.

I will most certainly been writing a full review when I get back about the places I visit especially where cruise ships dock i.e Dubai, Singapore, Phuket, Koh Samui. Also an excursion guide as I have already booked up or planned most of the excursions I want to do whilst there.

I will be back in the office on 30th November, If you require any assistance in the mean time please call 08004086200.

Malta, It's Like Marmite ??? You Either Love It Or Hate It!

Now you may be wondering why I have chosen to write about Malta, well half of my family are Maltese. My grandmother was Maltese and Lateu was her maiden name hence my Lateu-Dalton surname. The Maltese side of the family can be traced back to 1432 during the time of the Knights of Malta.

When I started off in the travel industry I was surprised by the love/hate relationship between customers and Malta, it was either 'oh no i am not going there again' or 'Malta absolutely lovely place been several times'.

People either love the history with all the UK connections (English being spoken) and the rocky coast line, (there are very few sandy beaches) or hate it as it’s not a beach resort in Spain! I guess that it normally follows that younger people tend not to like it so much, however Paceville near Slima is a lively place and it is where the young head for a wild night out!, but if you have family links like me then Malta takes on a different dimension and it’s about the culture, the history and of course my family.

Malta's 16^th Century Grand Harbour in the capital of Valletta is one of the most spectacular ports in the Med, it is simply breath taking as you can see from some of my pictures. Malta's principal maritime gateway is a very popular port-of-call for ships that are cruising the Med these days. The harbour has been a hive of activity for over two thousand years.

Valletta is a world heritage site, and is nothing short of an open-air museum. Take a stroll to admire the magic of the fortified capital and after that the city itself boasts a good choice of restaurants and number of cafes for convenient open air dining. Also Valletta is Malta's main shopping centre you will find a vast array of shops especially Goldsmiths down Republic Street.

Try visiting the silent city of Media, it’s located at the top of a hill in the centre of the Island, has narrow streets and loads of history, a bus ride from Valletta will take only 30 mins and the views are spectacular. If the cruise has a tour, this is one not to miss!

Another great adventure is the Blue Grotto on the opposite side of the Island, but remember nothing is far as the Island is 26 miles long and 13 miles wide – take a boat ride into the Grotto’s and see the sea turn different colours against the rock formations.

In my opinion although it maybe a little biased, Malta is a truly unique destination, with plenty to do and see and makes a great port choice on any Med itinerary. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Bye Bye Package Holiday! Cruise Is The Future!

Cruise business across the world is set to grow by 20-30% in next four years WOW !!!, Figures from US trade body Cruise Line International Association show that the body's 25 member lines are set to add an extra 32 vessels and 57,000 beds by 2014.


Everybody wants to cruise they just don't know it yet!


Take a look at just some of the fantastic cruise ships we will be seeing in the not so distant future from our most popular Cruise Ship Companies:


Oceania Cruises new ship is the Marina to be launched in January 2011. Marina remains comfortably mid-size, utilizing the additional space for even greater amenities. She rewards guests with the “finest cuisine at sea” in six restaurants, including two new gourmet venues.


Royal Caribbeans new Oasis-class ship, which is actually bigger than the Spectacular Oasis of the seas launched in November 2009, it's 16 decks, 225,000 tons and named the Allure of the seas debuting in 2011.


Below is a sneaky preview of how the promenade is set to look inside the Allure of the seas

P&O Cruises new cruise ship Adonia,

Will join the fleet in June of 2011. It is expected that Adonia will feature an adult-only environment and will be P&O's smallest ship therefore will do itineraries that include smaller ports that larger cruise ships can’t access.

Carnival are going to very busy indeed as they are set to unveil a fantastic brand new ship called Carnival Magic in less than 7 months time and in spring 2012 the Carnival Breeze. They also signed a memorandum of agreement with Italian shipbuilder Fincantierii for two 139,000-ton, 3,600-passenger ships for Princess Cruises,the ships would enter service in spring 2013 and spring 2014.

Celebrity cruises have already launched one ship this year, which was the Eclipse in April and are set to launch the Celebrity Silhouette in the fall of 2011 and wait for it ...... another 5* amazing new cruise ship in 2012, which is yet to be named.

Below is a another sneaky preview I found of how the staterooms will look on the Celebrity Silhouette

MSC are targeting the British market as we speak with the Opera now sailing out of Southampton (some very good deals with them around at the moment), their new ship is the Fantastica joining us next year.

And finally Costa Cruise of course are launching another two new ships the Costa Favolosa in 2011 and the Costa Fasicinosa in 2012.

Well what can I say apart from if you have not cruised yet start thinking about it as it is the future! and also I hope I am lucky enough to go on all the launches he he :-)

Once In A Life Time, Aboard The Queen Elizabeth Before The Queen

What a complete surprise and a total honour it was to receive an invitation to spend the night aboard the Queen Elizabeth on the 9th October 2010, it is the newest ship to join Cunard's glorious fleet, which are the most famous ocean liners in the world.


I am sure you all saw her arrive into Southampton on the news and thought what a beautiful, elegant, sophisticated ship as i did, and I can certainly vouch that inside just gets better and better.


Take a look at just some of the pictures I took :

The Queen Elizabeth herself from the Cruise Terminal (Exciting stuff)

Balcony Cabin A4 grade, Fantastic beds very comfortable (and the first to sleep in them WOW !!!)

The Shower room, lovely marble surfaces (very luxurious indeed)

The balcony with a glorious view of Southampton port (wish it was somewhere a bit more exotic but hey can't be too picky under the circumstances)

The Lido Deck pool, plenty of space

The very famous Grand Lobby, lived up to every ones expectations it was spectacular

The stunning Library where you could hide away for hours with your head in a good book

The fabulous Queens Ballroom with amazing chandeliers

The Garden Lounge with conservatory style roof, so elegant

Lido Buffet Restaurant with more food options than you could ever imagine

The Britannia Restaurant menu, which we had (best food I have ever tasted) and White Star Service impeccable

The ultimate relaxation hideaway the tranquil Royal Spa

The Yacht Club Disco (plenty of drinks following)

My favourite picture me and my great colleagues

I can honestly say it was one of the best experiences in my life, I did not really know what to expect something similar to the Titanic I suppose, but this turned out to be every thing I dreamed of and much much more. The cruise ship gives you a sense of purpose and most defiantly makes you feel special, I would even go as far as to say you feel like the queen!