Brad’s On Board

So, on Saturday the 22nd July the Smobbs clan shall be setting off on our eagerly anticipated family holiday. Aside from the 2 nights we spent on Celebrity Eclipse and 3 nights in Disneyland Paris we haven't had a family break for over 2 years, so needless to say, it…

Having just had a lovely chat with one of my customer who has recently returned from an Alaskan cruise with NCL on the Norwegian Jewel, we got on to the subject of mid-sized ships and the fact they seem to be a dying breed. At 93,000 tonnes and carrying just…

Having worked for Thomson for nearly a decade before coming to Cruise.co.uk, I saw the company change dramatically over the years. From the airline purchasing brand new Dreamliner planes from Boeing, to the introduction of exclusive properties to cater for every type of holiday maker. Whilst working there I saw…

Last week officially saw MSC Cruises take delivery of MSC Meraviglia. The handover of the super ship was attended by Mr Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic and other high-level dignitaries from the French government. A few colleagues were lucky enough to get on board on her first sailing from the port…

So, yesterday I disembarked the glorious Celebrity Eclipse after spending 2 nights on her on a short cruise over to Le Harve. Not only was this trip my first on the Eclipse, it was my children's first ever cruise. No pressure Dad! Well, I'm glad to report back, that we…

Royal Caribbean have announced they are launching the Quantum Ultra Class and the new ship is due to be launched in Spring 2019 joining her (half) sisters Ovation, Quantum and Anthem of the Seas. Like many of the larger cruise lines, Royal Caribbean are planning on basing the new ship in…

MSC have launched a new incentive to attract new customers and reward existing clients with an offer of matching customers loyalty level with competitors. Rather that just stop at matching cruise line loyalty levels, they have gone as far as matching loyalty levels for hotel chains and tour operators too.…

Norwegian Cruise Line have gone fully inclusive, so all guests will receive their drinks package including the service charge that gets added on to each order. All guests will also have their gratuities included in their cruise fare, rather than having them added daily, or having them paid up front.…

Norwegian cruise lines' "Norwegian Joy" is due for its completion very shortly and will be the 4th biggest cruise ship in the world. The NCL ship is the first in its fleet purpose-built for the Chinese market and can only be booked through their Chinese travel partners. The 4,200-passenger boat will be based out…

Cunard have announced a new home for one of their beloved ships, the Queen Elizabeth. They have taken the decision to move her to Australia for her 2019 deployment after noticing a huge increase in popularity in sailings down under. This deployment will replace the Queen Elizabeth's annual World Cruise,…