On Board With Alison

We are now at that time of year where most of us have spent way too many days eating and drinking unhealthy options and are starting to crave a return to normality. My yuletide celebrations started on 23rd November at a Christmas ball and have continued ever since with numerous…

It's that time of year again for our annual  Christmas conference. For those of you who kindly spend time reading my blogs, this will be my sixth time attending this event. For most people, the company Yuletide party is maybe an evening at a local restaurant possibly followed by a…

Everyone has a favourite chocolate. I like the nutty ones but I also consider it an unwritten rule that you must eat a chocolate orange whilst wrapping presents It's that time of year again when the big (although not nearly as big as they used to be) tubs of sweets…

When I was eighteen, my friend at school went on a skiing holiday to Switzerland with her brother. On the way to the ski resort, their hired car was in an accident resulting in them receiving very serious injuries and a lengthy stay in hospital. This was horrendous for them…

Last year we flew to Auckland for a two week cruise around New Zealand and ending in Sydney. As this was our first visit to New Zealand and as it is a long way from the UK, we decided to spend three nights in the city. Dominating the skyline is…

On the same day as Harry and Meghan announced their happy news about their new arrival due next spring, my niece gave birth to a beautiful (and eye-watering rather large) baby boy. With these little darlings being the hot topic of conversation, I thought it would be fitting to blog…

The day has finally come round and your first cruise that you have been looking forward to, and have been planning for possibly a couple of years, is happening. So, what happens on embarkation? You will have received an allocated time slot to arrive at the port. If you are…

Have you heard of Azamara Club Cruises? Azamara is a sister company of Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises but is quite different. The fleet of three ships, Journey, Quest and the new to fleet Pursuit each take less than 1000 passengers. Smaller ships can reach more ports than larger ones…

Over the years whilst working in the cruise industry, I seem to have spent more time discussing tipping than I have discussing cabins. No, I'm not talking about the ships tilting! I'm talking about the one point that seems to cause most controversy and that is tips, service charge or…

This week, the papers have been full of the story of the British woman who fell off a cruise ship. Fortunately, this tale had a happy ending as, after ten hours in the water, she was successfully rescued unharmed. This truly is a happy ending for this person but not…