…is forget Downton Abbey, forget Carson, forget all the imagery of the posh English Butler. You’ll find the Butlers are both male and female, you’ll find that they come from all around the world. I’ve had Butlers from Italy. the Philippines, from Indonesia and from India. The other kind of myth about Butlers is, unlike again like Downton Abbey, unfortunately your Butler will be looking after a number of people. They don’t just look after you. It’s…
…to Dijon in North Eastern France. It flows through Paris on its way to the English Channel, where it enters at the cruise and freight port city of Le Havre. Paris emerged and developed along the banks of the Seine, spreading deeper inland. As its importance and history evolved, magnificent and significant buildings were constructed along or close to the banks. This is what makes a river cruise the most glorious way to see and appreciate the grande…
…a discussion with Silversea first. The expeditions are managed and run in English, however on the various expeditions I have been on they have been other language passengers. They normally come as a group. For example, on the cruise I’ve just done, there was a sizeable Russian group and they’d bought a Russian translator along. If you want to come and do it another language, you need to come as part of an organised group. The groups are organisin…
…s that are spoken so far operating on the European rivers tend to be quite English centric and they tend to have mostly American, British and Australian travellers on them. If you want something different, take a look at CroisiEurope. CroisiEurope is very interesting because they are, I believe, the river cruising company that’s been operating for the longest across the rivers of Europe. They’ve been going since the mid 1970s. It’s a family-owned…
…ext-door cabin to try and find it they had the problem. They did not speak English and just shrugged at me. I stayed awake late until I was so exhausted and eventually, I did go to sleep. This cruise was turning into a nightmare. As I lay awake at 2am, I realised I had to find a way to get this fixed. It then came to me that I couldn’t be the only one to have suffered from this in this cabin, and wondered if there are “dud” and “problem” cabins on…
…he ship faced glaciers when we stopped for viewing. All the signs had both English and Chinese. There was the Harmony Restaurant instead of Sabatini’s, the Italian, which I was excited about because I love Asian food. The food I felt was average though. I’d booked to go more than once but cancelled my repeat trip. They had a noodle bar, the casino was huge, and they had a VIP casino area, which for us was operating as a lounge. The Hollywood Conse…
…e period of your cruise, you will be refused boarding. This happened to an English couple, Andrew and Sandra Sutherland. When they went to check in for a cruise to Spain and Portugal aboard Cunard’s Queen Victoria they were denied. the line would not refund anything. Name Changes Another thing to bear in mind is that your reservation info must be the same as on your government issued identification, to avoid being denied boarding. And, if your nam…
…European guests. I have been on CroisiEurope where there’s just two other English speakers. They serve good French food but have smaller menus than the other lines that cost more, but overall, it is a really good value option. Cruise Critic agree with my assessment as they ranked CroisiEurope as the Best River Line for Unique Itineraries The next line in the ranking is almost the opposite of CroisiEurope. Uniworld Boutique River Cruises And tha…
…relatively poorly, with just 3.3 out of 5 by past recent travellers. Past English-speaking travellers that is! I have only been looking at what travellers from countries like the USA, UK, Canada and Australia are saying, and the biggest reason for low scores is that the line does not cater much for non-German speakers. With challenges obvious on every aspect from crew, menus, announcements and so on. It is a pity, as this line is the most forward…
…on Tea’s At Sea Several times a year, my Mum and I would seek out the best English afternoon teas on land, places like Fortnum & Masons. These would cost us up to a £75/ $100 per person. On my travels, I always seek out renowned afternoon teas, like at the Old Cataract Hotel in Luxor, Egypt and at the Oyster Box in South Africa. Again, costing a lot. But, my happiest time is when I’m at sea, because there are some incredible afternoon tea options…
…the online reviews and ratings of 25 of the biggest cruise lines aimed at English-speaking cruisers over the last nine months. A staggering 20 of them are being rated lower than ever before, with just two being rated higher. I’m going reveal the current best and worst rated lines right now in each of the 5 categories the cruise industry uses: Mass Resort lines, Premium Lines, Small Ship Luxury Lines, Ultra-Luxury Lines and Local-focused Lines. Le…
