Helen’s Home-port

January is well and truly here with the rain pouring and cold winds blowing…..Here in Preston we’ve escaped any snow as yet but apparently its on its way ….brrrrrr……
What better way to escape the weather is there than to plan a cruise in the sun ?
There’s deals galore to be had .
P&O have some fantastic sailings reduced on a saver fare and you can cruise to the Canaries from Southampton for just £749.00 per person or grab a deal on the Caribbean Transatlantic cruises returning to Southampton in March .
Royal Caribbean are still All Inclusive , hurry before you lose out on your free drinks and free gratuities .
We have an exclusive offer on Thomson cruises where we can match the internet prices so not only do you get the best price you also get a human to book it for you and guide you along the way till you sail rather than dealing with a computer ….even your local Thomson travel agent cant do that!
Don’t get to February and miss out on these deals , call me on my direct line 0330 303 8287

New Year , new plans……now’s the best time to start planning your getaways for 2015.
The deals are amazing , Royal Caribbean are offering All Inclusive cruises, Celebrity offering the 123 Go promotion with choice of on board credit, free gratuities or drinks package.
NCL are offering on board credit…..

I hope you’ve all enjoyed Christmas , the celebrations are nearly over and 2015 is just round the corner.
How are you bringing the New Year in?
I shall be having a lovely meal with my better half then seeing the festivities in with friends and family.
Are you sailing this year?
Will you be seeing the amazing fireworks in Tenerife, the best display in the Canary Islands or being wowed in Dubai?

Aurora is flying the flag……. she is now dressed in her new Union Jack livery , blue funnel and sun logo, she is the first ship of the fleet to sail with the new branding Aurora has set sail from Southampton following her £32 million refit that took nearly 3 weeks.

Liverpool will be welcoming the New year in for 2015 with the celebrations that the Port of Liverpool is now firmly back in the world of cruising as a successful, historic and vibrant port of call .

We all have our favourite cruise lines, mine is P&O , whats yours?
The best cruise lines as chosen by readers in the Telegraph Travel Awards 2014, the world’s biggest reader travel awards been announced and its good to see that my choice is in the top 3 for large cruise lines…… The joint winners are Cunard and Celebrity
with P&O as runner up.
All the winners have got exciting times ahead……
Cunard is celebrating, 175 years ago there first ship set sail for the bright lights of America and on 25th may 2015 all three ships will be in Liverpool at the same time, I will be there to see this spectacular.
Celebrity have just announced two new ships have been ordered.
P&O launch Britannia in 2015 with the largest ship ever built for the UK market .
Small cruise line winners are Seabourn with Hurtigruten and Saga as runners up.

I’ve always been a home bird at Christmas and New Year till a couple of years ago when I fancied seeing New Year in whilst relaxing in warmer weather , I have to say I loved it and will certainly be doing it again in the future.
Are you plans organised for this year?
There are still spaces on board some sailings to sail away and enjoy Christmas and New Year and let someone else cook the dinner, put up the decs and you just sit back and watch the world sail by.

This week I took a call from clients who had previously looked at our shore excursions on offer for there cruise prior to sailing but had decided against pre booking any.

As a proud Liverpudlian its great news to hear that Liverpool Cruise Terminal has just been announced ‘Best UK Port of Call’ for the second year running by Cruise Critic. I have seen how over the years the city has transformed itself and is now a fantastic place and I’m proud to say its my hometown

Saver Fares, Select Price, late deals…which did you book?
How much did you pay?
How much on board credit?
Free parking or a coach?
All popular topics of conversation on board a ship!
Different fares bring with them different benefits, so while a late deal might be considerably cheaper than a Select Price fare, it may not always offer the best value.
If your flexible with your cabin location and happy to be advised of your dining on board then the early Saver and Saver fares will work and save you lots of pounds but occasionally it can still work out cheaper to opt for the free parking and take the on board credit and choose your own dining with P&O it’s always worth checking all the pricing options available.
I last sailed in April on board Azura on a saver fare, we got allocated anytime dining which was perfect and we couldn’t of asked for a better balcony cabin if we’d chosen it ourselves so the saver fare worked well for us but i have clients who need to eat at set times, need to be positioned near a lift or stairs so sometimes it not always about the money.
MSC offer different ‘experiences’ and with these come different benefits, if your looking for a great deal and wouldn’t mind being allocated the buffet restaurant as your main dining option then the ‘Bella Experience’ will work for you but if you’d like to be guaranteed the main dining room then I always recommend that you book the ‘Fantastica Experience’ .
Its all about knowing the options that are available to you and choosing what suits you best , its not always about getting the cheapest cost .
I’m always happy to spend time explaining all the different options and benefits as the pricing structures can be a minefield.