WHAT’S NEW: ON BOARD
1. CULINARY SCHOOLS
ON CRUISE SHIPS GUESTS CAN REIGNITE THEIR PASSION FOR COOKING AND LEARN FROM THE EXPERTS IN SMART PURPOSE
BUILT COOKERY SCHOOLS. P&O CRUISES’ (POCRUISES.COM) “FOOD HEROES” WILL BE ON BOARD BRITANNIA IN 2017, WHERE YOU CAN LEARN FROM TOP CHEFS MARCO PIERRE WHITE, TWICE MICHELIN-STARRED CHEF ATUL KOCHHAR OR BAKE TASTY TREATS WITH MASTER PATISSIER ERIC LANLARD. CHARGE APPLIES.
GUESTS ON OCEANIA CRUISES (OCEANIACRUISES.COM) CAN ALSO IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN THE JOY OF GOURMET COOKING AT THE CULINARY CENTER, WHERE MASTER CHEFS SHARE COOKING TECHNIQUES AND THEIR FAVOURITE RECIPES. EACH
CLASS OF UP TO 24 GUESTS CATERS FOR EVERYONE – FROM BEGINNER TO ACCOMPLISHED COOK. CHARGE APPLIES.
2. FAMILY SUITES
DEMAND FOR MULTI-GENERATIONAL
CRUISES HAS PROMPTED CRUISE LINES TO BUILD SHIPS WITH PURPOSE-BUILT FAMILY ACCOMMODATION AS WELL AS UPPING FAMILY TOURS AND CHILDREN’S CLUBS. HOLLAND AMERICA LINE’S NEW SHIP MS KONINGSDAM (HOLLANDAMERICA.COM, 0843 374 2300) IS THE FIRST TO INCORPORATE PURPOSE-BUILT FAMILY STATEROOMS. THE LUXURY SHIP’S 32
FAMILY STATEROOMS SLEEP FIVE PEOPLE AND EACH HAS TWO BATHROOMS.
HAPAG-LLOYD’S UBER-COOL EUROPA 2 CRUISE SHIP (HL-CRUISES.COM) WORKS CLOSELY WITH TOY COMPANY STEIFF, AND
THE FAMILY CRUISE MASCOT, CAP’N KNOPF, IS A GENUINE STEIFF BEAR WHO MEETS AND GREETS CHILDREN, AND TAKES THEM ON TOURS OF THE BRIDGE TO MEET THE CAPTAIN!
EUROPA 2 HAS EIGHT FAMILY APARTMENTS THAT COMPRISE TWO SEPARATE AREAS WITH AN INTERCONNECTING DOOR TO THEMED CHILDREN’S ROOMS, WHICH HAVE BUNK BEDS, A SEPARATE BATHROOM AND SPACES TO PLAY, PLUS A PLAYSTATION4.
3. WAKE UP TO WELLNESS
FORGET THE 24-HOUR BUFFET – IT’S NOW POSSIBLE TO FINISH A CRUISE LIGHTER
AND HEALTHIER THAN WHEN YOU STARTED. NUTRITION TALKS, LIFESTYLE CONSULTATIONS, YOGA AND PILATES CLASSES ARE ALL AVAILABLE AT SEA, AND EVEN THE SMALLEST CRUISE SHIPS HAVE A SPA.
OCEANIA (OCEANIACRUISES.COM) AND REGENT SHIPS (RSSC.COM) FEATURE THE CANYON RANCH SPACLUB TREATMENTS, WHILE CUNARD OFFERS MYRIAD EXPERIENCES IN THE ROYAL BATH HOUSE, INCLUDING
A CLAY CHAKRA RASUL CLEANSING THERAPY FOR TWO.
WELL-EQUIPPED GYMS WITH SEA VIEWS ALSO MAKE FOR AN EASIER WORKOUT, AND EXPECT TO SEE PLENTY OF PASSENGERS DOING A MORNING LAP OF THE RUNNING
TRACK WITH THEIR PEDOMETERS. FIVE LAPS OF AN AVERAGE SHIP IS ABOUT A MILE.
4. DO A THEMED CRUISE
WHETHER IT’S ART, ARCHITECTURE, PAINTING OR SINGING THAT FLOATS YOUR BOAT, THERE’S A SHIP YOU CAN INDULGE IT ON. PERRYGOLF (PERRYGOLF.COM) HAS PARTNERED WITH AZAMARA CLUB CRUISES TO OFFER GUESTS A CRUISE AROUND THE BRITISH ISLES, WHICH INCLUDES WATCHING THE FINAL ROUND OF
THE 2017 BRITISH OPEN AT ROYAL BIRKDALE AND PLAYING SIX ROUNDS OF GOLF AT
A MIX OF ROYAL CLUBS AND OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP AND RYDER CUP VENUES. THE 13-NIGHT SAILING STARTS FROM £7,181PP DEPARTING ON 19 JULY 2017.
GARDEN CRUISES ARE POPULAR AND INCLUDE THE 11-DAY TAPESTRY OF FRANCE CRUISE ON SWAN HELLENIC’S MINERVA (SWANHELLENIC.COM). THE SAILING ON 17 MAY 2017 INCLUDES VISITS TO GIVERNY, LES JARDINS DU MONTMARIN, JARDIN DES PLANTES DE NANTES, PARC ORIENTAL DE MAULÉVRIER AND CHÂTEAU DE TRÉVAREZ IN FRANCE, AS WELL AS MOORING BY LONDON’S TOWER BRIDGE FOR A VISIT TO
THE RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW. PRICE FROM £1,079PP.
HOW ABOUT SINGING AT SEA? VOYAGES TO ANTIQUITY’S (VOYAGESTOANTIQUITY.COM 01865 302550) TWO MUSICAL SAILINGS
FOR 2017 WILL BE LED BY CHOIRMASTER AND CONDUCTOR BOB PORTER, THE FOUNDER OF LONDON’S BRANDENBURG CHORAL FESTIVAL. EXPERIENCED VOCALISTS AND ENTHUSIASTIC AMATEURS CAN JOIN HIM ON BOARD MV AEGEAN ODYSSEY DURING THE 11-DAY RENAISSANCE & RIVIERAS CRUISE FROM CIVITAVECCHIA, ROME ON 27 MAY 2017, OR THE 12-DAY CLASSICAL GREECE & AEGEAN ISLANDS CRUISE FROM PIRAEUS, ATHENS ON 7 OCTOBER 2017. BOTH
START FROM £2,195PP AND INCLUDE RETURN FLIGHTS PLUS TEN SHORE EXCURSIONS.
5. CRUISE WITH A CELEBRITY
THE STARS OF BBC’S Strictly Come Dancing WILL BE ON BOARD P&O SHIPS (POCRUISES.COM, 0843 3740111) NEXT YEAR, THE 14-NIGHT SAILINGS WILL BE ON AZURA, 2 APRIL; VENTURA, 30 APRIL, AND BRITANNIA, ON 4 AND 25 JUNE.
ACTOR ROBERT POWELL, WHO IS STARRING IN THE BBC DRAMA Holby City, WILL BE ABOARD QUEEN ELIZABETH FOR CUNARD’S (CUNARD.CO.UK, 0843 374 2224) ARTS & LITERARY TOUR OF THE BRITISH ISLES NEXT SUMMER. THE 13-NIGHT CRUISE DEPARTS FROM SOUTHAMPTON ON 1 JULY 2017.
RADIO AND TV BROADCASTER “DIDDY” DAVID HAMILTON WILL BE SHARING BEHIND-THE-SCENES STORIES ABOUT THE BEATLES, CLIFF RICHARD, THE ROLLING STONES AND DAVID CASSIDY, AS WELL AS PRESENTING HIS History of Radio SHOW DURING SAGA SAPPHIRE’S (SAGA. CO.UK/CRUISES, 0800 50 50 30) ALLINCLUSIVE CANARIES TO CASABLANCA CRUISE FROM SOUTHAMPTON ON 1 DECEMBER 2016. PRICE FROM £1,959PP, INCLUDING VIP DOOR-TO-DOOR SERVICE. >>