The ACE Allure Adventure - November 2010

ALLURE OF THE SEAS

Having dreamt since last year of seeing the biggest ship in the world, can you imagine how thrilled we were getting our invitations to sail on Allure of the Seas?! Last year Flo, Penny and Bill were lucky enough to attend the festivities onboard Oasis of the Seas, this year it was the turn of myself, Natalie and Kat...............’here come the girls!’

After a couple of action filled and very entertaining days in Fort Lauderdale we boarded the ship on November 23rd. Check in was a dream, I was so impressed with the cruise terminal at Port Everglades and with so many check in desks we were through and onto the ship in no time.

See Picture 1 Allure of the Seas

We located our lovely stateroom with balcony on deck 12, with the help of one of my favourite features on the ship. It’s a very small (in comparison to the rest of the ship) but, fabulous idea. On each deck, outside each group of lifts was a large touch screen which enabled the customer to look for directions to a specific cabin, entertainment venue, restaurant or bar etc. These systems also gave information on what was going on around the ship at any given time and where it was being held, an amazing addition to the service on board.

When our unpacking was completed, it was time to explore. First stop was the Boardwalk with the only carousel at sea and beautiful it was too. The Boardwalk was also host to Jonny Rockets, Rita’s Cantina Mexican restaurant, Candy Store, Boardwalk Dog House, gift store, leisure wear shop, donut station and even an ice cream parlour. The most impressive part of the Boardwalk though was the awe-inspiring Oceanside seating of the AquaTheatre. Sitting eating an ice cream Sunday in the beautiful Miami sunshine looking out over the port and the divers practising for the Aqua Show later in the week...BLISS!#

After attending the Muster later that evening, we were invited to dine in the opulently designed main Adagio Dining Room along with our fellow British and Irish colleagues. Not before a pre dinner cocktail on the main promenade. The Schooner Bar, Boleros, the Champagne Bar or Bow and Stern Pub all provided ample pre dinner drinks opportunities. Dinner was delicious and the service, second to none, as is always the case with Royal Caribbean. As an super organised individual, along with my ACE and PSA pals, I pre booked the evening entertainment before boarding and was lucky enough to attend Headliner Showtime on the first night, starring Ronn Lucas. Ronn Lucas has been entertaining fans for more than a decade with his incredible and unique talent, he mixed stand up comedy, improvisation, audience interaction and astonishing voice gymnastics as a professional ventriloquist, such fun!

Day 2 was a welcome day at sea, a time for relaxing and taking advantage of all there is to do onboard the ship. Natalie and Kat were up with the larks, had seen the sunrise, conquered the rock climbing wall, had breakfast at Jonny Rockets and sampled the Flowrider* surf simulator. That was all before 10am! Next came the Move It Move It Parade in the Royal Parade, one of the most colourful and entertaining (daytime) activities. Everyone loves a parade, but a parade with all the characters from DreamWorks* movies was certainly like no other parade I had ever seen! I am delighted to have been in the audience of such an amazing spectacle. After the magical mayhem of the last hour I attended the UK and Ireland agent update, looking at the current market and getting some insight into the very exciting future of Royal Caribbean.

See Picture 2 Move It Move It Parade

The self service Windjammer Marketplace was an incredible place to have lunch, so much choice and delicious delights to tempt anyone. The area itself was large and spacious, but never impersonal as the service was as incredible as in any eating place on the ship. Now was the time I really wanted to explore this fabulous ship, Royal Caribbean had kindly opened around twenty staterooms for viewing, these ranges from Interior Staterooms to the Presidential and Royal Loft Suites. With such a range of staterooms there will definitely be something for everyone.

My next stop, was one of my favourite places on the ship and a place that is unique to the Oasis class of Royal Caribbean ship, Central Park. This tranquil area in the middle of the ship, open to the elements was breathtaking. Just sitting amidst the trees and plants, taking in the atmosphere with a cold glass of wine was heavenly. The perfect place to relax and get away from it all. Tucked into this oasis was the Park Cafe, Vintages alternative restaurant, Chops Grill, Photo Studio and The first Britto store at sea where guests enjoyed a new cultural onboard experience, filled with colour, innovation and spirit.

See Picture 3 Photo of Central Park

After tearing myself away from the delights of Central Park we hit the pool deck. Having been spoilt for choice as to where to soak up the sun, we went for sun beds at the back of the ship in the solarium. A lovely sedate area with plenty of sun beds, cabanas, whirl pools, bar and a small plunge pool for the comfort of guests in this area and here we stayed until it was time to change for dinner.

After a fabulous cocktail party thrown by Royal Caribbean for all our UK and Irish agents, dinner was again served in the main Adagio Dining Room, a delicious dinner was had by all and joyously concluded by the waiting staff singing Happy Birthday to our very own Natalie who was 29 today! After dinner we had booked to see the Ice Games Ice Show which was in the style of the classic board game Monopoly. A spin of the giant dice took us all on an ice adventure that was created exclusively for Allure of the Seas. The show included original costumes, scenery and lighting. The international cast of world class skaters totally amazed the audience with their artistry, phenomenal skill, athleticism and precision.

Happy Thanksgiving day three. Having started out with a leisurely breakfast on the balcony and as it was our last full day onboard this fabulous ship, we all decided to go out with a bang! Being in one of the most exciting places in the Caribbean (on board Allure of the Seas), inspired us to have a go. Looking to challenge ourselves at the Rock Climbing wall, take a leap of faith on the zip wire or surfing USA on the FlowRider, I am pleased to say Natalie and Kat did all three! Unfortunately my shoes were unsuitable therefore I had politely decline all physical activity. I did spectate though and was the official photographer that morning.

See Picture 4 FlowRider
See Picture 5 Rock Climbing
See Picture 6 Zip Line

Having watched all that excursion, exhausting it was too, I took the opportunity of lying down for the rest of the afternoon on the pool deck. Ordering daiquiris, being entertained by the resident Calypso Band and soaking up some rays by two of the pools on the ship, was blissful! The pools were spacious and occupied by adults only as the children were being wonderfully catered for in the H2O Zone, one of the ‘funest’ and most colourful places on the ship.

After a relaxing afternoon, we were invited to watch a fabulous taster show in the Aquatheatre, including acrobats, synchronised swimmers, divers and an amazing soundtrack. A wonderful introduction to how incredible the whole show will be in full. The spectacular AquaTheater in the Boardwalk on featured an awe inspiring athletic and artistic masterpiece. Where we witnessed the discovery of an ancient underwater civilisation that gracefully navigates the water, flies high above it and dives to its depths. This AquaTheater extravaganza included fountains and orchestral music that swell and dip with the song of the sea.

See Picture 7 Aqua Show

To celebrate Thanksgiving a dinner was held in the Adagio dining room. Turkey anyone? This evening’s entertainment took the shape of a west end show, not just parts of a show, but the whole shebang. Allure of the Seas delivered that whole stage production of Chicago, WOW indeed! This was one of the highlights of the cruise for me, being a huge stage musical buff, the acting, staging, musician and singers were absolutely top notch. I really did forget I was onboard a ship and was transported to the West End.

Being the last night on board, I thought it only polite to see as many of the night venues on the ship as possible therefore we had drinks in the Schooner Bar, Mojitos in Boleros, a martini in the fabulous Casino, 90s dancing in Dazzles and finished off the evening with DJ Drag@n in Blaze night club, at least that’s what I think he was called anyway! I stumbled off to bed at around 2.30am. Zzzzzzzz

Rudely awoken by my alarm on day 4, not long after getting into bed, we decided that a lazy breakfast in the Windjammer Cafe was just what the doctor ordered. After breakfast it was time to collect our belongings and disembark, one last walk through Central Park later, we had our luggage and were disembarking Allure of the Seas.

As a new citizen of Royal Caribbean’s floating nation, we embarked on a journey like no other, an unforgettable cruise to nowhere (the captains words not mine). As the ship is split into different neighbour hoods, not one individual place felt too big or over facing. Size does matter in a lot of respects but, this ship is not just about being the biggest in the world, but is all about the onboard experience and the unique products it has to offer.

Adele Fitzpatrick-Foster
Head of Membership Services, ACE

Cruising in Hawaii - Brendan O'Connor

I was so very fortunate to “live” in Hawaii for 2 months and have firsthand knowledge of cruising the Hawaiian Islands.

I was based in Honolulu and worked for Royal Caribbean International as a Guest Services Purser, the only cruise line then that offered inter-island cruises to all 4 Hawaiian Islands.

Honolulu is the port for the Island of Oahu, and the other 3 Islands are Hilo (otherwise known as The Big Island), Kauai and Maui (known as the flower island).

Maui was my favourite island and I did not like Honolulu that much as I felt it was over commercialised, however, I would certainly recommend that your clients take a Hawaiian Cruise as no two islands are the same.

The Hawaiian Islands are a cluster of Islands in the North Pacific Ocean and you can visit Hawaii anytime of the year. Summer is between April and November when it is warmer and drier while winter is between December and March and is a bit cooler. The weather however, can be quite unpredictable with rain at anytime in short, sharp bursts!

Golfing enthusiasts will be impressed by the quality of the golf courses on all 4 islands and others will want to be driven along the 11 mile crater rim of the 5,000 ft high Kilauea Volcano near Hilo.

Shore excursions are a plenty, passengers can take a journey to the Waimea Canyon, Waikiki Beach, or to the Volcano National Park. Surfing and Scuba Diving are very popular here too.

I would suggest selling a Balcony Stateroom to your clients as the views are breathtaking and the Aloha Welcome is very friendly and courteous. Sailaways are special too.

Today NCL are the only cruise line that offer round-trip cruises from Honolulu with the Pride of America based there throughout the year. NCL also offer stopovers in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco or New York. The Pride of America offers a 10 night fly/cruise “freestyle” package for 2010, 2011 and 2012.

Other cruise lines that feature Hawaii are Holland America Line and MSC Cruises.

Warm Regards
Brendan O’Connor, Belfast.
ACE Ambassador of the Year 2010

ACE Team on #Allure - tweeting

Monday 22nd November 2011

ACE team members Adele and Natalie are in Miami, leaving the rest of ACE behind in freezing Blighty. First tweets:

'Morning! In Miami - fabulous beach, wonderful art deco architecture, great restaurants and superb people watching!'

'Bubba Gump Shrimp company for lunch then off to board Allure of the Seas in an hour. So exciting!.'

'OMG! It's more incredible than I imagined! Biggest ship in the world, WOW indeed!'

Tuesday 23rd November 2011 - Natalie's Birthday

'I've got a fabulous outside stateroom with a balcony. It was so beautiful lying in bed watching the sunrise over the ocean this morning.'

'It's only 10.15 and I've already watched a beautiful sunrise over the sea, had brekkie at Johnny Rockets and Zip-lined. Now waiting to watch the Dreamworks parade. What a great way to spend my birthday!'

'Move-it, move-it Madagascar parade on the Royal Parade - INCREDIBLE! Allure of the Seas really knows how to put on a show!'

'Central Park on the Allure - can't believe this is really on a ship! Just amazing!'

'The Dreamworks parade was so amazing, we had a boogie with the penguins and then headed up to the rock climbing wall - made it to the top - WOO HOO! Now chilling out in the gorgeous Florida sun out on deck'.

'I've found possibly the most relaxing place on the ship - chilling out in the whirlpool overhanging the ocean, admiring the beautiful Miami coastline.'

'All that relaxing has made me hungry - off to Sorrentos for a slice of pizza and a coke - there are hundreds of flavours to choose from!'

'As the sun sets on my birthday I'm enjoying a birthday cupcake and cup of tea on my balcony - how very British!'

Wednesday 24th November - do you think they like the ship?!

'Great UK & Ireland Sales meeting, Royal Caribbean have launched their turn-of-the-year 2011 campaign. "What you see is what you get" - no inflated prices, no early booking discounts, no confusion! Just an amazing, stunning, incredible product.'

'Lunch in the windjammer cafe was around the work in your lunch time! Amazing choice, delicious dishes and wonderful service!'.

'Ice games skating show last night was unbelievable! Costumes were fantastic and the skating was breaktaking!'.

Thursday 25th November - enjoying themselves much?

'Just waiting for breakfast on the balcony in the sunshine! Going to see some other staterooms this morning, can't wait to see the Royal Loft Suite!'.

There will be more before they leave - to keep up follow us on www.twitter.com/ACEtweeting.

For more information on the Allure visit http://www.allureoftheseas.com/.

Brendan’s Alaskan Experience

I was so very fortunate to “live” in Alaska for 4.5 months and have firsthand knowledge of this breathtaking cruise region.

Alaska is an ideal area for exploring by ship - forested islands, waterfalls and glaciers mainly situated on the narrow coastal strip between mountains and sea.

The Alaskan cruise season is typically from mid May to September with July and August the most popular months. Temperatures in May, June and September range from 10C to 18C while in August it can reach the low 20Cs but it can change on a daily basis. It can also rain at any time and quite often does but May and June are the driest months.
I worked for Royal Caribbean International as a Guest Services Purser for 3 years and our voyages were seven day cruises to the Inside Passage that started and finished in Vancouver and where passengers got to explore the twisting and sheltered waterways between the coast and the offshore islands. I visited ports as far north as Skagway and Haines (twin ports) and southern ports such as Juneau and Ketchikan. Sitka has been added to most cruise itineraries now but I have not been there.

As a purser we had to sell the shore excursions when the team were taking the excursions. Passengers were often disappointed when the excursion they wanted to go on was full when they could have pre-booked this prior to travel. It is widely known that Alaskan excursions sell out faster than any other region and I always advise clients of this at booking stage, they will thank-you for letting them know.

I did a lot of excursions from whale watching in Juneau to flying in a helicopter onto glaciers but my favourite excursion was to sail up Misty Fjords and experience its “noisy” silence!

My favourite Glacier is Glacier Bay, and I also experienced Hubbard Glacier. Most cruise lines have a lecturer making announcements as you sail in and out of port giving passengers the detailed history of each port and glacier. Holland America Line has a high percentage of the permits to visit Glacier Bay than any other cruise line.

An outside stateroom with a Balcony is a must for an Alaskan Cruise because those passengers that don’t have one will be sandwiched between other passengers on the open decks trying to take photos! Your clients will thank-you (again) for this advice.

When I go back to Alaska I want to go with Crystal Cruises!

Brendan O'Connor
Travelmax

Crystal Symphony & Serenity - Barcelona
Peter Ruck, Baldwins Travel
5th June 2010

Those charming people at Crystal, Andy, Elaine and Bob offered agents the chance to win a trip to Barcelona to view their fleet. Being one of the fortunate winners, they accompanied me and four other discerning agents from Gatwick to Barcelona on Saturday to have a look over both the Symphony and Serenity and view the $25m worth of refurbishments on Symphony. Flying into Barcelona Airport we were afforded a great aerial view of the ships berthed nose to nose - almost kissing!

Crystal took 900 workers and over 5 days brought the not really old standard Symphony up to brand new. They have removed one of the pools and converted the area into an open but coverable space with gorgeously designed and coloured seating. Although slightly smaller than its sister, I believe the feeling now is of much more space. The public areas are fabulous on both ships but I think Symphony shines even more now. The meals on board are varied from the Crystal Dining Room or the speciality restaurants, Preggo – Italian, or Silk Road – Oriental Japanese ( from Los Angeles based chef Nobu Matsuhisa) – both available without a supplement. Preggo arguably offers one of the nicest dining at sea experiences. We were treated to an excellent lunch on board Symphony in the Crystal Dining room – main course choice of beef tenderloin or black cod – both delicious! They offer 1st and 2nd sittings but also a new Open Dining By Reservation too, allowing you to dine where, when and with whom you like in the main restaurant. The array of desserts offered in the open seating buffet restaurants are both creatively attractive and mouth-watering. Coffees and a great selection of pastries are on offer at The Bistro. For a more unusual dining experience, guests may pay a supplement and dine in The Vintage Room for up to seven course wine-themed, gourmet dinners. And of course all soft drinks are included throughout in the cost of your cruise.

Lead in cabins on both vessels are of a good size and include choices of bathrobes or kimonos, slippers, his and hers vanity basins and pillow menus.

Rather than being All-inclusive, Crystal offer their All Inclusive As You Wish – a good on board credit is offered with their cruises so that guests may spend it where they wish. Be it on spa treatments, excursions alcoholic beverages. Many guests prefer this system rather than feeling that they are otherwise subsidizing fellow travellers alcoholic beverage requirements.

There are varied entertainment programmes, including the option to learn a language, play the Yamaha keyboard or polish up your golfing skills with a PGA golf pro.

We spent a good a few hours exploring the ships – unfortunately for us, Symphony was sold out – so no cabin viewings.

After lunch and tours of the ships we caught the complimentary shuttle bus into Barcelona and walked the length of the Ramblas before going back to the airport for our flight home. Crystal provide complimentary shuttles in all ports where they are not moored adjacent to the port centre.

A thoroughly enjoyable (albeit whistle-stop) opportunity to view Crystal’s ships in a destination port.

I Name This Ship Queen Elizabeth... May God Bless Her and All Who Sail In Her.

Queen Elizabeth Naming Ceremony
Monday October 11th 2010 - Southampton

Adele and I arrived in plenty of time at Southampton train station at 1.20pm both extremely excited to get to the naming ceremony of Cunard's latest ship; Queen Elizabeth. Not only were we desperate to have a nose around this hotly anticipated arrival but we had been told that HRH Queen Elizabeth herself would be in attendance to officially name the ship... after herself.

What we weren't expecting was the attendance of so many celebs at the ceremony, starting with Judith Chalmers (former 'Wish You Were Here?' presenter and UK Cruise Convention 2010 moderator) who we bumped into at the train station! We took the shuttle service to the shiny new Ocean Terminal, handed over our luggage and were directed by friendly marshalls to the check-in desks. Check-in took about 1 minute each and before we knew it we had a glass of champagne and were busily celeb spotting with our agent friends at the reception! We spotted Jimmy Saville, Esther Ranson, Robert Powell, Jenny Bond, Ben Kingsley, Alan Titchmarsh, Vera Duckworth actress from Corrie, Alan Wicker, Terry Waite and I'm sure there were more!!

We were called in groups to go through security to a marquee set-up for the ceremony alongside the ship. Luckily the sun was shining as everybody filed in and were handed their programmes by cute uniformed page boys and girls.

The ceremony kicked off with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, followed by the Band and Pipers of the Coldstream Guards, then bagpipers before we were all told to turn our phones off and be upstanding for The Queen! She kept us waiting as she visited the ship, but we got to see her on the big screen, pressing the horn button, viewing her portrait and being clapped by all the ships crew as she came down the stairs looking beautiful in blue, before getting into her Rolls Royce and gracing us with her presence. Lesley Garrett came on stage (looking gorgeous) and we all joined in for 'God Save The Queen'.

Peter Shanks, MD of Cunard, made a lovely speech about the traditional nature of the Cunard brand, its links with Royalty and its wonderful new addition and how delighted he was that HRH had attended in person. Then we had a rousing rendition of Amazing Grace from Lesley Garrett and the prayers of blessing by the Lord Bishop of Winchester before finally HRH got to the stage and said the words we had all been waiting for: 'I name this ship Queen Elizabeth. May God bless her and all who sail in her'. The bottle was smashed at the side of the ship, loads of streamers were unleashed and everybody clapped!

We were then allowed to board the ship, Adele and I rushed immediately to our cabin to discover we had an outside balcony which was a lovely surprise! We then ran around taking photos before heading back, getting changed and rushing off to the champagne reception in the Queens Room where we quickly got separated as we chatted to the wonderful industry colleagues all sipping champers and claiming it was the best naming ceremony they had ever been to!

Then it was off to dinner in the Britannia restaurant where we had a delightful 5-course menu including the best soup I've ever eaten (artichoke and truffle mushrooms) before heading off to the bar for more chatting and drinking. We also took in the theatre production 'a slice of saturday night' then headed to our extremely comfortable beds.

Morning brekkie was delicious and not a little surreal as I was waiting at the buffet alongside Jimmy Saville and Jenny Bond!

All in all, a once-in-a-lifetime event which was clearly painstakingly organised with military precision, a beautifully elegant, comfortable and grand cruise ship some fantastic food, lovely company and a great night had by all!

Well done to Cunard and all their colleagues who helped pull this together and thank you for the invite!

Flo Powell, Director, ACE

Crystal Serenity, Voyage 0319 – Gaudi to Gondolas

Crystal Serenity, Voyage 0319 – Gaudi to Gondolas
12th – 24th August 2010.
I won our Crystal Cruise at an event hosted by Andy Harmer and his team in October 2009. We chose voyage 0319 as I had not been to quite a few of the ports on the itinerary and so we began our trip in style from Barcelona ending up in Venice.
After our very early flight from Belfast Intl on the 11th August we arrived at The Hotel Arts in Barcelona. We were only staying for 1 night and had an awful experience at this hotel, the room and service was deplorable for a 5 Star Property.

Prior to flying, I visited and completed Crystals’ “Priority Check-in & Planning Center” (PCPC), your clients will love you when you tell them what night you can get them a table in the speciality restaurants, Spa Appointments, Shore Excursions and much more.

Day 1 – Embarkation Day
When I say it took us 2 minutes to check-in, I mean it really did. We arrived at Barcelona Port at 12 noon and we were both onboard by 12:10, cruise cards in hand with our pretty pictures on the front! We were greeted by a friendly line of crew members wearing white gloves and asked to take a seat in The Bistro on deck 6. Before we knew it Champagne was thrusted towards us (and it would’ve been rude to refuse!). We were informed that our rooms would be ready at 3pm and to enjoy the public areas and lunch.

We moved up to The Trident Grill on deck 12 for lunch and after this we proceeded to our Stateroom 109 – AA Grade on Penthouse Deck 10. Our luggage was placed on our bed, it was a good size stateroom measuring 269 square foot with private verandah. Our Stewardess greeted us, her name was Maiza, a lovely lady, very pleasant and eager to assist with any wee issue we may have throughout our voyage.

Our stateroom could not have been better positioned, we were near the elevators, laundry room with ironing board (both complimentary), the Lido Café was two decks up and above it on the next deck was the fitness center & Spa, we were truly at home!

We unpacked and walked around this marvellous ship before showering and changing for dinner. We stopped off at the Crystal Cove Bar on deck 5 (every night) and had a cocktail there before we joined our 2nd seating table in the Crystal Dining Room for Bon Voyage Dinner (casual night). At our table were two U.S. Ladies (both travel agents), a Mother & Daughter from the U.S. a Single Lady from Canada (Julie – we loved her) and a single gentleman from the U.S.

Day 2 – Day at Sea
After breakfast in the Lido we got two sunbeds on Lido deck 12, I went for my body Composition Analysis treatment, we had lunch and then lay in the sun all day. We took advantage of Crystal’s complimentary bottled water and speciality coffees throughout the day and this really does save you a lot of money over the course of your cruise. It was formal night tonight so we got suited and booted and met the Captain prior to his Gala Dinner. Waiting for us in our stateroom was a complimentary bottle of wine from Andy and the Team at Cruise Portfolio in London – Thank you for that.

The Captain’s name was Glenn Edvardsen and he has been Master of the Serenity since August 2003. After a fantastic dinner we visited the Avenue Saloon for drinks. Colin Salter was playing the piano and we all sang along!

Day 3 – Monaco, “Where Fairy Tales Really Do Come True”
It was a dull day (weather wise) to begin with and the forecast was for rain, however we never got any! We took the short tender boat ride from the ship to the shore and walked around the famous Casino Square, stopping to have a coffee along the way. Crystal provided a complimentary coach to take passengers from the pier to the town square. We went back for lunch and lounged by the pool for the rest of the afternoon. It was Casual night tonight and we arranged with our fellow diners to meet with us at the Crystal Cove for Cocktails. After dinner we went to see West End Singing Star Petrina Johnson, she was excellent.

Day 4 – Livorno, “Gateway to Florence”
After our Lido breakfast Gerry decided to get off the ship and walk into the town centre. It was a Sunday and most if not all of the shops were closed. I chose to have a Spa day availing of Crystals complimentary Sauna, Steam Rooms and hot tub. Feeling refreshed and relaxed I had lunch in the lido with the adorable Asian Servers who never forgot our names, amazing when you think they meet so many people of a fortnightly basis! They just want to do everything for you, make your tea, carry your tray, and find you a table. We had confirmed reservations at Silk Road this evening and some of the other diners decided they wanted to join us, it was no problem for the Head Waiter he changed the table for us on arrival at the dining room. The dining experience here was simply amazing.

Day 5 – Porto Venere, (Italy) “The Gulf of Poets”
The Crystal Serenity dropped anchor at 8am, I had never heard of this port and it was most exquisite and charming. After our Lido Breakfast we took the tender over to the port and walked through the maize of tiny street that meandered up the cliff, spectacular views from high up. It was very hot and after 4 hours of walking we ventured back to the ship for lunch. The ship sailed at 5pm, however a family of 4 were not onboard and the Captain made announcements for them. It was lucky for them that the pilot was able to bring them out to sea to join the ship some 15 minutes after sailing. After cocktails in the Crystal Cove we had dinner and made our way to the Galaxy Lounge to enjoy legendary arranger, musical director, performer and composer – Marvin Hamlisch. He was quite comical and told tales of working with the likes of Barbara Streisand.

Day 6 – Civitavecchia, Rome “The Eternal City & Italy’s Masterpiece”
After a comfortable night’s sleep it was Lido Breakfast and then the complimentary shuttle from the ship to the port entrance and the short walk to the train station at Civitavecchia. We were heading to Termini Station and the short walk from there to the 5 Star Westin Excelsior Hotel where I was surprising a client of mine (celebrating her 60th birthday) who was staying there prior to her Holland America Cruise. We entered the massive, grand lobby of this fantastic hotel, the couple treated us to lunch and guided us around this amazing hotel. It was in the 30 degree temperatures and we walked back to termini which resembled Spaghetti Junction! We were never so glad to see the ship on our return and as it was casual night we chilled with a few scoops (cocktails), had dinner and went to bed.

Day 7 – Serene Sorrento “Jewel of the Amalfi Coast”
We took our breakfast outside on the lido, as there is so much choice on Crystal I have to say we were pretty good, me with my freshly made omelette and 1 slice of toast, Gerry with the fresh fruit and bagel. It is so easy to over eat with the delicious spread they lay out every morning. We had visited Sorrento before (onboard the Symphony) and after the short tender to the pier we took the complimentary shuttle bus up to the top of Piazza Tasso. It is a very steep climb and we kept thinking we were going to go over the cliff after every nail biting turn! It was so lovely to sit in the square, have a beer and watch the crowds going about their day, shopping and enjoying each other’s company.
Dinner this evening was on Lido Deck “Italian Dinner Buffet" and it was simply amazing.

Day 8 – Serene Sorrento “Jewel of the Amalfi Coast”
We were staying overnight in Sorrento and Crystal Cruises laid on a continuous tender service from 8am to 3 am and this resumed at 7.30 am on day 8 until we departed at 6pm. Gerry and I just enjoyed the ship, he visited the gym and slept in the Sun most of the time and I wandered around taking photos of the public areas which was great to do when most people were ashore. It was also great to have the pool area almost to ourselves and we chatted with passengers from as far as Australia, New Zealand and the usual European’s. I think I was the only passenger onboard with an Irish passport, apart from the Lady Golf Pro who was regarded as crew. I never tried the golf, all that swinging! At 6pm, the Captain sounded that it was time to leave. “What a wonderful world” instrumental was played on the Lido Deck and you could hear people mumbling the words and trying to remember them, it was so very romantic!

We were in Prego tonight – it was great! For those of you who have ever experienced this fantastic dining option (only $7.00 per person) and have had the mushroom soup in the soup bowl made from bread – OMG it’s better than sex, really!

Day 9 – Day at Sea
Another glorious day in the sun, so after breakfast we secured the best sun loungers and just relaxed by the pool. I went for an Elemis Spa Shave & Facial Treatment which was glorious, this was not a normal facial, it was a collagen treatment and I needed all the collagen I could get! We took lunch in Tastes by the Neptune Pool, the sweet potato fries were fantastic but not an everyday occurrence. Dinner in the evening was informal so we suited up and met up with our gang for cocktails and indulged in our French Dinner. It was up to the Avenue Saloon for drinks and Colin Salter playing the tunes on the piano. We loved most of the Crystal Crew, they really do make the cruise for you. Jon in the Avenue Saloon is from Scotland and had a very dry sense of humour!

Day 10 – Trogir (Croatia) “Pirates of the Adriatic”
I had never heard of this port before so I was most intrigued. Trogir is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and after our breakfast we took the tender ashore to the centre of town. Crystal had arranged for cold drinks for passengers getting on and off at the pier, a nice touch. It took us 5 minutes to walk into the Old Town and we stopped for a coffee paying in Euros but receiving the change in Croatian Kuna? We headed back to the Serenity for Lunch and lay by the pool for a few hours before the Cocktail Sail-Away Party began. The servers kept coming by with cocktails as the Captain played the instrumental of wonderful world and everyone started to sing – it must have been what was in those cocktails? It was casual dinner this evening.

Day 11 – Trieste, (Italy) “Cultural Crossroads”
The ship docked right in the heart of the City. The pointy end looked as if it was half way across the street! It was Sunday and almost everywhere was closed bar one or two coffee shops. We had an excursion booked “Discover Trieste by Foot” but we cancelled this and did our own discovery. It was amazingly hot and the streets were crowded owing to Silversea also having a ship in port. It was Formal night tonight so we headed back, had some lunch and pressed our suits for our Gala Farewell dinner.

The laundry service is excellent on both Crystal Ships, they have 4 washing machines twinned with dryers and 2 ironing boards with iron, and there is a room on every deck. We sailed from Trieste at 4 pm, but our main highlight of this day was the Mozart Afternoon Tea in the Palm Court. We took lots of photos of this special hour and the costumed servers were tortured by each passenger for a photo with them. The buffet was a breathtaking display and the Crystal String Quartet played beautifully in the background.

Gala dinner was a fine dining experience (as was every evening); with all this food you wonder how you are still hungry at 8.30 pm? It was an early night for us as we wanted to be on deck at 6am for the scenic sail in to Venice the next morning.

Day 12 – Venice, “You’re The Tops”
We were up on deck at 6am for the fantastic sail in to Venice. Crystal had arranged for Tea & Coffee along with Danish Pastries in the Palm Court. The sun rise was spectacular as we meandered up the Grand Canal and docked at berth 18. After many photos and breakfast we caught the 1st Complimentary shuttle boat from the pier to Monumento (in front of the Londra Palace Hotel) and we did our own tour around Venice. There really is so much I can say about Venice and so I will just mention St. Marks Square, the Rialto Bridge and Palazzo Ducale. The main square was packed as there were 5 or 6 ships in port and the weather temperature was 29 degrees centigrade. We walked everywhere, ducking and diving for shade where we could. We were going to try the Gondolas but it really looked like wacky races so we opted for coffee and cakes along the canal and with the heat getting to us we decided to walk no more and headed back to the ship. We collected our passports from the Pursers Desk and locked these away in our safe.

There is always so much taking place on a Crystal Cruise and the Daytime Activities Sheet enclosed in the daily copy of reflections keeps you in the know! As we were disembarking tomorrow it was that dreaded time to start packing so we had a few hours on deck before dinner and bid our farewells to our fellow diners, the waiting team who did a wonderful job and our favourite people in the Crystal Cove.

Day 13 – Disembarkation

After breakfast we said our goodbye’s to Maiza (we wanted to take her home but they would not let us) and the fabulous Asian waiters in the Lido Café. We swiped our card and collected our luggage from the holding area, jumped into a taxi and made our way to Marco Polo Airport. It was all very smooth and operated very well by the Ground Handlers. The taxi journey cost us €46.00 and took only 20 minutes.

There were three negatives to our Crystal Cruise:

• The TV. was the old boxed TV and the remote control was antiquated (I am sure this will all change with the Serenity due to have a major refit in May 2011.

• The glass shelving in the bathroom above the wash hand basin was very low, Gerry kept hitting his head on it (hopefully this will also change with the refit)

• We found the Pursers on the front desk unapproachable, unhappy and “stuffy”

A few plus points (there are lots!) of cruising with Crystal Cruises are:

• The best dining options at sea (10 in total and much more than most cruise lines)
• The best speciality restaurant’s at sea – and for such a very low supplement
• The service from the crew is second to none.
• The cleanliness standard is extremely high
• The Port information “At a Glance” that was available each morning at the front desk
• Crystals’ Priority Check-in & Planning Center (PCPC), Amazing – your clients will be very impressed.
• Crystal Cruises are returning to Alaska in 2011 with the Symphony offering 9 sailings from San Francisco, I would dearly love to do this cruise.

Warm Regards

Brendan (O’Connor)

ACE Cruise Expo on Norwegian Sun, Belfast 01st October 2010.

Flo Powell (Director at ACE) greeted me onboard the Norwegian Sun at 09:45 am. Accompanied by Flo were a small team from Norwegian Cruise Lines who would later give us a guided tour of the ship.

We were taken into The Atrium (Atlantic Deck 5) and had to wait a short time before our Conference Room was free (Promenade Deck 5). Waiting for us there was Debbee Dale (Debbee Dale Development, and has compiled Training and Development for ACE) who outlined what our session would entail.

Debbee covered the vast cruise statistics (1.65 million ex UK Cruisers, the fact that 59% of cruisers come from America and 28% from Europe – to name just a few). Debbee also “touched” upon National Cruise Week and Flo informed us of a few facts like, Fred. Olsen said that this was their best National Cruise week, CCS also fared well and details about the cruise offers that all the cruise lines promoted during that week.

Debbee then captivated us with the various ways of selling, be it rational or emotional! We also covered ideosensory trancing, the 4 P’s (Product, People, Process and Physical) and Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats Analysis. We all whispered to each other how wonderful Debbee is, and she really is.

As Martin (our NCL Rep) was unable to make the visit we were played a DVD from him welcoming us onboard, we just could not figure out if he was on the right or the left in the video?

Jude was our guide for our ship tour, we came out of the conference area and we took a right towards the Stardust Lounge, passing the Photo Gallery on the way. We then made our way to Pool Deck 11 and viewed the Great Outdoors Café, Garden Café, Pacific Heights Restaurant (and we were all starving just looking at all the food), then on to the Sun Deck, the Beauty Salon, Gym, Spa, Sports Bar and Video Zone. Then up to Sports Deck 12 to see the speciality restaurants, (we were advised of their cover charges) and then down to International Deck 7 to see the Casino, the Shopping Arcade, various Bars and into the Stardust Lounge (Balcony) to see and entertainer practising for that evenings’ show.

Some facts and figures about NCL and the Norwegian Sun:
• The Ship was built in 2001

• It is one of two Sun Class Ships (the Norwegian Sky being the other) and the first ships ever designed and built for Freestyle Cruising.

• At double occupancy this ship can carry 1936 passengers

• It has 13 Decks

• It has 12 Dining Options

• 10 Bars & Lounges

• Norwegian Cruise Lines sail to over 150 ports of call on five continents. You will find cruises to the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, South America, Bermuda and Hawaii. With 11 cruise ships and over 50 itineraries to choose from, it's easy to find a cruise that's right for everyone.

• The NCL Youth Programme will certainly keep kids of all ages entertained. There are four complimentary programmes: Juniors (Ages 2-5), First Mates (Ages 6-9), Navigators (Ages 10-12), and Teens (Ages 13-17)

• Mandara Spa operate the Spas on all NCL Ships, there is jogging and walking tracks, basketball courts and a fitness center that is open 24 hours with televisions, treadmills, and elliptical, free weights, special classes, and more.

• NCL have a fantastic online training programme called NCLU (U=University) for more information on this cruise line or if you would like to increase your knowledge register today at www.nclu.co.uk

• The Sun sails from Belfast to Dublin (where ACE have another Cruise Expo) then back to Dover. From there the ship will reposition to Port Canaveral for its 14 night Eastern and Western Caribbean Cruises.

• In 2011 this ship will remain in the Caribbean based out of Port Canaveral until April 2011.

Jude finally stopped at the Four Seasons Restaurant at 1pm where we were wined and dined and I was quite lucky to be sat beside Flo and Debbee. I had the Salmon for my main course, it was excellent. The crew were very friendly and attentive.

After lunch it was time to kiss and say goodbye to all the lovely people onboard the Norwegian Sun and once we had our passports we left the ship.

I have to say I really liked this ship, and the only negative on the day was not being able to view any staterooms.

To be honest, I think I prefer this ship to the Epic or the Jewel Class Ships.
NCL have recently informed us of the direct flight from Belfast Intl (BFS) to Reus to coincide with the Epic’s sailings’ from Barcelona in 2011, however, I feel their prices are not competitive (more expensive) than with their competitors offering like-for-like!

A very big thank-you to Natalie at ACE for confirming my place and especially to Flo for hosting the day.

Warm Regards
Brendan
Travelmax Worldwide, Belfast - Tele: 02890 799 775 or 07817 406 234.

Azamara Journey - Ian Warren GoCruise

AZAMARA JOURNEY

As part of my runner’s up prize in the ACE 2009 National Cruise Week poster competition, I won a weekend break in the Malmaison Hotel in Liverpool. I decided to hold off booking the weekend until I knew that there would be a ship in port I wanted to visit.

We arrived in Liverpool on the morning of the 20th August, and I managed to get soaked through carrying the luggage from the car to the hotel, but luckily the weather improved from then on, and stayed dry for the rest of the weekend. I have to say that the Malmaison is a really good hotel, with excellent furnishings and high quality food. The only small moan would be that everywhere within the hotel is so dark.

The sun was shining brightly on the Sunday morning, and as I looked out of the bedroom window I could see Azamara Journey berthed behind a few hundred yards away. So after breakfast we strolled over to meet everyone else for the ship visit. I think there were about 50 agents in total, and it was nice to see a good number from GoCruise among them.

Azamara Journey looked good against the backdrop of the Mersey, and I was looking forward to seeing inside. When we boarded we went to the Looking Glass lounge, which is situated forward on deck 10, and has fantastic views all around. With comfortable furniture it is a popular venue by day, for relaxing and watching the world go by, and by night for listening to music and dancing.

We then headed off for a tour of the ship, which took in all of the main public areas and a selection of staterooms. For a ship which carries around 700 guests, everywhere seemed very spacious. I had to say though that the ship was almost deserted, as the majority of the passengers were American and they had gone on the Beatles tour. We did chat to one couple though who told us how impressed they were with the service onboard, and having been on several cruise lines before, said “this is the cruise line to be on”.

Due to the size of the ship, the main suites obviously can’t be as large as those on some of the massive new ships, they were still very spacious. The quality of the furnishings, and attention to detail, was excellent throughout the different stateroom grades, all of which were a good size.

When it comes to dining, which is always an important point for cruisers; no-one should be disappointed. The spacious and bright Windows Café is situated aft on deck 9, and has a section outside for those who wish to dine al fresco. Discoveries Restaurant and Lounge is situated aft on deck 5 and is the main restaurant, with open seating dining, so guests can dine at whatever time they choose, and with who they want. There are no formal nights and the dress code is Country Club smart casual. For those who are celebrating a special occasion, or who just want to dine in a smaller venue, then head to Prime C or Aqualina, both situated aft on deck 10. There is a small cover charge of just $15 per person (free for suite guests), but well worth it for the quality of the food offered. We had lunch in Aqualina, and enjoyed a wonderful Filet Mignon. Of course the wine was free flowing, as selected house wines are included in the cruise price with Azamara Club Cruises.

Other areas on the ship worthy of mention include the Mosaic Café, the Cabaret lounge and of course the Astral Spa situated forward on deck 9. As well as the hairdresser and gym, and all the normal things you would expect, they also have an acupuncture clinic, where they can help you with pain management, sea sickness, weight loss and quitting smoking. They also have a thalassotherapy pool outside, on a sheltered area of deck. There is a charge for this (free to those in the top 2 levels of suites).

Overall I can thoroughly recommend Azamara Club Cruises, based on what we saw today. When you consider that the price includes free flowing quality house wines with lunch and dinner, speciality teas and coffers, bottled water and soda drinks, stateroom and dining gratuities, and local shuttle buses, it represents excellent value for money.

Many thanks must go to Ruth Gardiner and Leon Hand, for their warm and friendly hospitality during our visit.

Ballymena Travel Agent wins ACE Ambassador of the Year Award 2010

Top performing Ballymena travel agent, Brendan O’Connor of Travelmax has been awarded status as an ACE Ambassador by the world’s leading cruise lines. The award was made at a glittering ceremony in front of hundreds of travel agents at the annual conference of the Association of Cruise Experts in Southampton. The accreditation is only bestowed on those travel agents whose knowledge of cruise ships has reached the very highest level.

Brendan was delighted with the recognition. He said “I am passionate about the cruise industry and always seeking to expand my knowledge about cruise lines, new ships, routes, the latest news and improved facilities.”

Most travel agents have experienced cruising first hand, but for Brendan it was his job too. His love of cruising started many years ago when he worked for Cunard aboard the QEII after which he spent three years working with leading cruise line Royal Caribbean International.

While the award is a great personal honour for Brendan he is determined to help to raise the profile of cruising within Northern Ireland. He said “During my time in the travel industry I have seen the cruise sector grow from strength to strength locally and there is a steadily growing core of regular customers who now take a cruise as their main holiday of choice. While some people jet off to join a ship in the Caribbean, with cruise ships regularly calling into Belfast, Cork and Dublin the opportunity to board a ship locally has never been better.”

Recognising Brendan’s achievement, Flo Powell, Director of the Association of Cruise Experts said “ACE Ambassador Agents are those that have achieved the pinnacle of cruise expertise, with advanced knowledge and experience gained through visits to ships and in-depth destination training. It is the highest level of recognition we ever give to a travel agent.”

Brendan is shown receiving his award at the 2010 ACE Cruise Convention in Southampton – with Debbee Dale of training specialists Debbee Dale Development and Flo Powell, Director of ACE.

The Association of Cruise Experts (ACE) is supported by 36 leading cruise lines and gives three different levels of recognition to travel agents depending on their product knowledge. The top level of achievement is that of an ACE Ambassador. Brendan was the only travel specialist to receive this top accolade at this year’s ACE Conference.

Travelmax is an independent travel agent based in the Ballymena Business Centre in
Fenaghy Road in Galgorm. With 25 years of valuable experience the company specialises in finding exactly the right holiday or flight to suit customers’ needs.
Travelmax is a member of the Travel Trust Association which provides complete financial protection for money paid for travel arrangements. In addition to its shop, Travelmax also operates three travel websites: travelmax.co.uk, cruiseholidaysdirect.com and 12ski.co.uk.

Disney Magic - Chris Roberts, Go Cruise

This is my second cruise with Disney, both on the Disney Magic. The first was with Yvonne in the Caribbean and this one was with my two daughters in their 20’s. This cruise was from Barcelona to Dover over 7 nights.

We travelled to Barcelona by train, taking the Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord and then the overnight Spanish train –hotel from Gare Austerlitz to Barcelona Franca. We were only able to get reclining seats for the trip, not the most comfortable, but roomy and they do recline back over 60 degrees. Would go again but in a sleeper berth.

Check in at Barcelona was very straightforward and we were on the ship by 11.30. For parents with children Disney have Mickey and Minnie mouse making appearances in the terminal.

On boarding through the main atrium you are greeted and announced ( The Roberts family) to the waiting staff with rounds of applause.

The rooms were not ready until 1.30pm so we went to Parrot Cay Restaurant for the buffet lunch. It was very tasty and featured a hot carvery, soups, cold meats, fish and assorted salads and various of sweets to follow. There is a buffet, The Topsider, aft on the pool deck, that is small by to-days standard.

We had booked a Cat12 inside on deck 2 but were upgraded to a Cat11 inside on deck 6. During the second night on board a strange noise started in the cabin at 4am, mentioned it to our excellent steward and later that day we were moved to a Balcony cabin. The cabins are very spacious with plenty of storage and have a seperate toilet and washbasin from the main bath/shower and washbasin.

Disney does dining a little different in that you eat in three different dining rooms during your cruise. You do this in a rotation. The dining rotation is shown on your cruise card. Ours was PLAPLAP. We began in Parrot Cay, then Lumière's, which is a French inspired restaurant that used a theme based around The Beauty and Beast story. The third night was at Animator’s Pallet. Then you restart the rotation. Your waiters move with you and were excellent and made the dining a pleasurable experience, the food was to a very high standard.

One morning there is a Character Breakfast where all the Disney characters come around to every table and the Disney escort with the character will take your picture with your camera, hilarious!

Characters appear in the main atrium throughout the day and also around the ship, on embarkation day prior to sailing after swimming in the adult fresh water pool I was drying myself off when the towel was pinched by Goofy who proceeded to dry my bald patch to everyones amusement.

The Topsider buffet is open for all meals and a restaurant is also open for breakfast and lunch, which I prefer, I like my Eggs Benedict for breakfast.
On deck by the pools there are three food outlets, Goofy’s Galley, Pluto’s Dog House and Pinocchio’s Pizzaria. There is also free ice cream machines and free soft drinks, all Coca Cola products, no paying for a drinks container to obtain a soft drink 24/7.!

The entertainment is certainly the best at sea, a show every night, elaborate and very good and the stage sets quite amazing. The cruise director Brent from Aussie and his staff were fantastic. The cruise entertainment staff really kept everything moving from quizzes, to bingo to cooking demonstrations, wine tastings to cocktail mixing lessons to lectures.

There is a separate Cinema where they show the latest Disney Films in 2D and 3D. Films are also shown in the main theatre. The in cabin flat screen TV has a wide range of programmes and plenty of films to watch.

The pool deck has three fresh water pools, Childrens pool, Family pool with large screen showing feature films to football and an adults only pool, spent every day here and most of the time had the pool to myself. The adult area included a good-sized pool and two relatively large whirlpools. The area is only for passengers over 18 and Disney seems to do a good job of policing it and keeping it that way. By this pool there is Signals Bar and Cove Cafe which has a selection of books and magazines to read.

Adults are well taken care of with their own areas to relax. There is also an adult only restaurant Palo’s where they serve brunch and evening meals for a small fee, highly recommended.

The childrens clubs are without doubt the best in the industry and I was informed that other cruise lines send staff on board to see how children are looked after .
Disney is also the only cruise line to have fireworks at sea, this was spectacular and followed on from a “Pirates in the Caribbean” party on deck.

Obviously if your clients are not Disney fans this may not be the cruise for them.
Yvonne and I may be biased as we are Disneyholics have been going to Disney since staying in Disney World in Florida for a week on our 5 week honeymoon 26 years ago and having owned a villa in Orlando 3 miles from Disney for the last 9 years.
We are booked on the Disney Magic Transatlantic this September, says it all!!!!

Azamara Club Cruises - Seminar at Sea - 2-6 June 2010

I was one of the fortunate and privileged travel agents to be given the opportunity to attend this, the first seminar at sea, by Azamara Club Cruises. When I received the call from ACE inviting me I got very excited as I missed this wonderful ship (Azamara Journey) when it was in Belfast a few years ago. I have tried to keep it as brief as possible and welcome any questions you may have in relation to this fantastic cruise line.

A brief outline of my itinerary:
02nd June - overnight onboard the Azamara Journey in London (Greenwich)
03rd June – set sail @ 5.30 am from London (and I did attend the sailaway!)
04th June – Ijmuiden (Amsterdam)
05th June – Kiel Canal (Germany)
06th June – Copenhagen – Disembark and complimentary B.A. flight to London.

Once I received my cruise confirmation number I completed my online check-in and printed my Xpress Pass in order to speed things up at check-in (I will be happy to complete this for you).

Day 1 (London).
I confirmed my return flight with BMI from Belfast City and arrived at 1.30 pm on the 02nd June.

I was not looking forward to the Camel Hike from Heathrow to Greenwich and managed to do this via 3 tubes and Dockland Light Rail in 1 hour 20 minutes (I was very impressed and on a very hot day)

On arrival at Greenwich Pier I met 4 other travel agents and we took the short tender service to the ship. Once onboard we made our way to the Guest Relations desk on deck 4 for check-in and the lovely Nikki (Purser) greeted us with champagne cocktails served by the equally lovely Elena. A very quick and efficient check-in followed and we were handed our Cruise Card in a small leather wallet with our stateroom numbers on a separate welcome aboard card (So that your stateroom number is not visible on your cruise card)

We were directed to our staterooms and I was allocated a Club Oceanview Stateroom (Category 04, number 4017). It was very spacious, comfortable and had a queen size bed, flat screen television, in-room safe, hairdryer (not that I need one) and Elemis products in the bathroom (I need those). Other amenities include cotton bathrobe and slippers, fresh fruit basket, fresh flowers, the list goes on (please ask me for the full list).

On my bed was my copy of Pursuits (Daily Programme) informing me of a list of events taking place, dining options (both Culinary & Signature) and the bar hours with deck locations for all. A few of us made our way to the Pool Grill for a quick snack as we had to meet our hosts at 7pm for cocktails and the rest of the group. My Stateroom Steward was called Bartoleme, a lovely gentleman whom I only met twice in the 5 days purely because I was rarely in the room and we kept missing each other.

At this point I am going to give you a very brief overview of Azamara Club Cruises.
Lots and lots of information can be found on their website: www.azamaraclubcruises.com

They have two ships: The Azamara Quest & The Azamara Journey, they are sister ships and carry the same amount of passengers: 694. Their ships are categorised as Boutique, sophisticated and relaxed.

They visit 140 ports in 50 countries with their two ships and because of the smaller size of these ships they can visit unique worldwide destination ports. Their motto is “you’ll love where we take you” and you really will. The officers and crew are International and speak many languages. I found them all to be very pleasant and helpful yet unobtrusive. Electrical outlets in all staterooms and suites are 110 Voltage.

Currency onboard is $US, all your entertainment is Free and the dress code is smart/casual attire.

They have three different Club Suites and four different Club Staterooms. The Suites offer much more amenities such Priority Check-in, Priority Luggage, Dry Cleaning to mention a few. (Also see below)

Gratuities are included in all Suite & Stateroom categories and additional gratuities are at your own discretion.

Since April 2010 the new Azamara Club Cruises now offer more inclusive amenities:
• Preferred vintage red & white wine with lunch & dinner
• Bottled water, sodas, speciality coffees & teas on the house
• Housekeeping, dining & bar gratuities all included
• All meals and room service with speciality dining complimentary for suite guests
• Destination-influenced entertainment & enrichment programmes
• Shuttle service to/from port communities, complimentary where available
• Complimentary self-service laundry
• Butler service for Suite guests

Day 1 (London….Continued)
At 7pm we all met for cocktail’s and were greeted by the UK & Ireland Sales team of Michael English, Cindy Tamblyn and later by Ruth Gardiner (who was hosting an agent’s show around) and the rest of our group.

After a brief hello and introduction we split into two groups and one half dined in the Aqualina and the other in the Prime C – Signature Restaurants. (We then swapped around for the following evening)

The food was to die for in both of these Restaurants, the service was excellent and the “House” wine was the best house wine I have ever drank (not that I drink that much as you know!!!) We all gathered afterwards for drinks and then retired as it had been a long day travelling.

Day 2 (Sea Day).
After a very comfort night’s sleep, most of us met (as requested) at 5.00 am the following morning (have photos to prove it) and we set sail at 5.15 am. The skyline was wonderful and almost everyone was in good spirits. It was back to bed for a couple of hours and then we had our travel agent’s seminar which went on until 5.15 pm after our wine tasting session with Boris, Elena & Laurentia.
I had a fabulous steak for dinner at Prime C this evening and we all met up again later for cocktails.

The clocks went forward one hour at 2am the following morning.

Day 3 (Amsterdam).
We arrived into Amsterdam’s Ijmuiden Cruise Port and I did not get off as I had been to Amsterdam before so spent the day with a few of the agent’s by the pool. Azamara Club Cruises offer extensive Shore Excursions in all of the ports they visit at competitive prices and can be pre-booked prior to sailing or onboard (the issue with booking onboard can lead to excursions being full and you - very disappointed).
I had lunch at the Pool Grill and the crew were very generous with the complimentary wines at both lunch and evening meals.
This evening we had a choice of either dining in the Cova Café di Milano or Discoveries Dining Room. I chose the latter as this is the main dining room and the menu choices are extensive over all courses.

Day 4 (Kiel Canal).
After another great night’s sleep we entered the Kiel Canal at 10:00 am. This canal is the first connection between the North & Baltic Seas and the transit of the canal take approximately eight hours. While this may appear a sea day to some, Azamara Club Cruises offer a City Tour of Hamburg – additional cost.

We all decided to meet at the Martini Bar on deck 5 and the lovely Michael (Barman) looked after us so well while Jacqueline Dolan (The Harpist from Ireland) entertained us with some ABBA tunes. She was excellent.

Dinner this evening was in the Discoveries Dining Room for everyone. It was our last night and the great group of people I had met were all up for a long night. And a long night it was……

Day 5 (Copenhagen).
We were leaving today and all very sad. We docked at Pier 245 in Copenhagen and an air conditioned coach was waiting for us to take us to the Airport for our B.A. flight to Heathrow.
We all went our separate ways from there and I caught the BMI flight back to Belfast City.

Just one or two things to point out to you:
• Azamara Club Cruises will not serve alcoholic drinks to anyone under 21 years of age.
• While both ships appear to cater for adults only, they do allow children, however you must be aware that there are no children facilities onboard, but they are most welcome.
• They have an excellent Fitness Centre and Spa facility.
• 13 laps around the jogging track on deck 10 = One nautical mile.

I have to say I loved my short cruise on Azamara Club Cruises and think that you will enjoy it too.

I have crammed as much as I could into these three pages and if there is anything else you would like to know then please contact me and I will be happy to talk to you in more detail and provide any future quotes for you. I would sincerely like to thank Cindy, Ruth, and Michael from Azamara for their generous trip, friendly and professional training and also the lovely group of people I met for their company too.

Warm Regards

Brendan O’Connor

Celebrity Eclipse showcase voyage to Cork - Review

Review by Jason Peters (Director Creative Cruises)

The sparkling new jewel in the crown of the Celebrity Cruises fleet, the Eclipse arrived in Southampton, to not only a fanfare for its arrival but also on a mission to rescue from the clutches of the Ash Cloud stranded Brits in Spain. This was followed by a lavish naming ceremony in the port of Southampton where the Great and Good of the Cruise industry celebrated another addition to the Fleet of the finest cruise line afloat.

So once the day for the launch Voyage came, the Eclipse had already made her mark on the expectant passengers about to board her, to marvel at its grand interiors and enjoy the elegant and attentive service of its officers and crew.

The 4-day Cork cruise offers agents the chance to not only introduce new to cruise clients to cruising, but also new to brand for those hardy cruisers used to sailing with the other major lines from Southampton. With the finest ship afloat, a task easily achieved.

Our group aboard consisted of 68 clients some new to cruise and with this in mind I set about a ships tour to familiarize all with the vessel. There were gasps of pleasure followed with abject amazement of the standard of the vessel!

We sailed at 5pm and then the true nature of the vessel came to life, with all its array of entertainment and dining options tempting the fellow cruiser. The one thing that strikes me with this vessel is the varied array of live music aboard with jazz bands and Lounge singers, to classical groups and a great Orchestra to accompany the excellent loud and proud production shows in the theatre.

Dining has further been enhanced with the addition of a new eatery Qsine; a stunning fusion of tastes served in a very unique way and a must for all fellow cruisers.

The usual array of staterooms are provided with attention to detail that the finest land-based hotels would find hard to match.

Our arrival into Cork provided a great backdrop to the ship in the town of Cohb for our overnight stay.

The overall impression from our clients was of just amazement of the vessel and its service standard, and the real need to re-book on the product again for longer voyages.

This above all else is a message for agents really, as although revenue can be small on these showcase voyages, the future sales that are generated can be great, especially if you take the time to escort the trip yourself, as you have a captive audience and can provide that personal touch to your clients experience aboard with parties and a contact for new to cruise passengers to feel comfortable with..

Eclipse will be wowing guests from Southampton this season and returns next year for another season, so I would encourage all agents to look at the brand and enjoy!