No pressure 2017……..

2016 has been a miserable year in many ways what with celebrity deaths by the dozen and some awful tragedies around the world and I have seen many posts on social media saying that people cannot wait to see the back of it and hoping that 2017 is a much better year all round. If ever a year was under pressure to perform, 2017 is that year. It has to deliver, end of, and I certainly hope it does.

It has certainly started off on a high note for my youngest, Tom, who set off on the trip of a lifetime on Friday, a trip that includes destinations that are right at the top of my Bucket List. He flew out to Bangkok where he starts a 45 day trip taking in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar (Burma). Highlights of his trip include watching sunrise over Angkor Wat temple complex, Halong Bay cruise, Mekong cruise, Phnom Penh, Hanoi, Yangon, Bagan sunset temple tour and so much more. Lucky lad! Vietnam and Cambodia are right at the top of my ‘to do’ list so I cannot wait to hear what he thought. It feels as though he is going to be away for ages but I am sure it will fly by for him. I don’t even have to wait until he gets home to hear about his adventures of course thanks to modern technology. He has already face-timed me from Siem Reap with an update. I think he was a little below par after celebrating New Years Eve out and about in Bangkok !

Meanwhile back in the cruise industry, the New Years sale’s are already in full swing with cruiser’s making the most of the great deals on offer. For full details on your favourite cruise lines offers give me a call on my freephone 0800 408 6084 or email me at [email protected] and I will be happy to talk you through them. Cabins are selling well and ships are filling up so don’t risk missing the boat, book now while the good deals are about. I booked a client on P&O Britannia yesterday, sailing over Christmas and New Year 2017, and could not believe how few cabins are left. People are thinking ahead this year.

We also have quite a few new ships to look forward to in 2017. April see’s the launch of the new Princess ship, Majestic Princess. The build is already so far ahead of schedule that the original Maiden Voyage has been replaced by another one 4 days earlier. Hot on it’s heels come the launch o NCL’s Norwegian Joy, custom built for the Chinese market she will spend her life in the Far East. Silversea also launch their new Silver Muse in the Spring which will be the largest ship in their fleet to date.  In May MSC will knock Royal Caribbean’s Oasis and Allure off their ‘largest ship in the World’ pedestal with the launch of their new vessel, the new largest ship in the World, Meraviglia. This is an exciting development for MSC whose success goes from strength to strength.

Plenty to look forward to in 2017 right from the off then. Let’s hope it really is a good year all round folks. I wish all of you a happy and prosperous year ahead and look forward to speaking to many of you over the coming months.

Happy cruising Folks!