…States, UK, Germany and so on, they could not get any state bailouts like airlines and other travel groups have had to tide them over. So that is the bad news! What is the good news? The good news is that to date only a handful of around 5 smaller lines have disappeared, like Cruise & Maritime out of the UK and Pullmantur (a Spanish joint venture with Royal Caribbean). And the really good news is that all the major lines are very well-placed to s…
…be some added perks. Cunard Queen Elizabeth Loyalty Remember, that as with airlines, the cruise lines will tend to give upgrade priority to their frequent travellers. If you like a line and sail often you will have more leverage. But, check if the loyalty programme for that line offers fare discounts as you progress up the tiers. Many tend to offer booking discounts or free nights as you move up tiers, which you can then use to effectively upgrade…
…ing. Looser dress codes also mean less packing, which makes it easier with airlines and their strict baggage policies. That said, I do wish that one or two lines could keep the formal requirements to stand apart. It was magical going on Cunard transatlantic crossings, with multiple formal nights and everyone in tuxedos and ball gowns, but even they have reduced the number of those nights on their cruises. Overall, though, the relaxation of dress c…
…his one is a hot favourite of scammers right now, and I’m getting them for airlines and hotels too. It all sounds so easy. Scammers send out emails, or post on social media, inviting us to answer some simple survey questions, or give feedback on a cruise line. In return they will get a “free cruise” or be entered into a draw for one. However, once you do the survey, you’ll then need to speak to someone to get the cruise. And they will manipulate y…
…calls and watching videos without earphones is a no-no. Even in the Japan Airlines lounge phone calls were not permitted other than in specific booths. There’s a real expectation to be polite and respectful. Never drop litter. People are likely to tap you on the shoulder if they see litter, as happened to me, as they assumed as the only Westerner around, I must have discarded it on the floor. I also found that tipping is not a thing in Japan. I f…
…y have less appealing routings, I assume from the deals they have with the airlines. For example, the next cruise I am going on as I type this, is a Silversea South Africa cruise out of Cape Town. Their routing would have had me flying from London Gatwick, not Heathrow, the airport closest to me, to Istanbul, onto Johannesburg, then onto Cape Town. But there is a direct flight which goes from Heathrow and would take me almost half the amount of ti…
…tourism company and the largest such company in the world. It owns hotels, airlines, travel stores, and has a Joint Venture with Royal Caribbean, running ocean cruise lines like Hapag Lloyd, Mein Schiff and Marella. They too are a value river cruise line covering many of the major European rivers with 4 ships. The main reason for their lower scores recently is the reliability and quality of the ships themselves. With complaints about various aspec…
…e UK and a combination of charter (Thompson and Thomas Cook) and low price airlines like EasyJet and RyanAir. There are very regular flights and lots of options in the main season from May to September. Cruise. Kefalonia has a cruise ship dock in Argostoli and is appearing on various major cruise line routes. While we were there, for example, Cunard’s Queen Victoria paid a visit. One option is to see Kefalonia as part of a cruise. Yachting. Anothe…
…the cruise or crossing. Look at the total package. Cruise lines are, like airlines, under competitive pressure to cut the headline fare to encourage bookings. However, they then will need to and be looking to recoup and improve margins in other ways. Look at the total deal. The most common ways that the deal can be better can be achieved by: On Board Credit. This has become very popular way to improve the overall price. Cunard will offer OBC quit…
…we would have re-booked everyone onto other flights with us, or with other airlines, but there were only a handful of spaces available. We arranged hotel rooms in New Jersey as there weren’t enough in the New York area, and five coaches to take everyone there. A combination of bad weather and confusion over the correct route meant that this was a verylong journey too. We accept that this wasn’t handled very well and we took this up with the bus co…
…west London, this funny video with her as a new BA cabin crew on her first flight is a scream.. Click here to watch on YouTube, or on the blog posting: Pam Ann ad spoofing Virgin Atlantic airlines 25th anniversary TV ad, announcing her TV show Click here to watch on YouTube, or on the blog posting: Pam Ann channel on YouTube: click here…
