Latest Cruise News
Even lipstick can't help
Royal Caribbean good and bad news.
Royal Caribbean good and bad news.
A dash of lipstick might look appealing but it didn't help the Aida Nova a 168,000 tonne German cruise ship when adverse weather prevented her from docking in Southampton on Monday 6th January. Instead after sailing in circles off the South coast of the Isle of Wight her 5,200 passengers enjoyed an unscheduled day at sea before getting back on course for Cherbourg on Tuesday. The ship was on a 7 day round trip from Hamburg visiting Northern Europe.
AIDAnova was supposed to arrive in Southampton from Hamburg, Germany but once reaching Cowes, the vessel suddenly turned back due to encountering bad weather.
The ship, which was stuck moving in circles off Bonchurch in the English Channel before turning around in the Solent, was scheduled to be in Southampton until 8:30pm Monday.
Royal Caribbean good and bad news.
Royal Caribbean good and bad news.
Royal Caribbean good and bad news.
Good news and bad news, but what first? Lets get the bad out of the way. As of the 1st November Royal Caribbean have increased their automatic gratuities (tips in English) from $18.00 USD per person, per day for guests in non-suites staterooms and Junior Suite to $18.50 and from $20.50 to $21.00 for suite guests....and yes that is all guests including children.
The charge is automatic and is added to your onboard account to be paid at the end of the cruise.
The very good news! Do I have to pay gratuities on Royal Caribbean?
No, no and no!
The gratuities although charged automatically are not compulsory. You can reduce, increase or even remove totally the gratuities charge but you have to do this onboard at the Guest Services Desk.
Hitting The Headlines
Popcorn Ready
Some of you might not realise we have a YouTube Channel ;) . We love to share our cruising adventures often with family and friends. Our cruise on Royal Caribbean Anthem of The Seas took us from Southampton on a 12 night cruise around the Canaries. With a beer bike tour in Lisbon this is going to get messy.
Can you take us with you!
You might need a bigger suitcase if you book this cruise. If you have 108 nights spare between January and the end of April 2025 you and a partner can travel in ultimate luxury onboard Cunards Queen Mary 2. Starting and finishing at Southampton there no need to worry about air fare but the car parking ticket could be expensive. Including a cruise down the Panama Canal this world cruise would tick just about every port on your bucket list. Choose the highest grade Queens Grille Grand Duplex and get they even through in a luxury bathrobe and slippers. The cost? - it’s a very reasonable £147,049 oh and that’s the per person price.
New Ship Arriving 2025
New Ship Arriving 2025
Royal Caribbeans next big thing Star of The Seas is well under construction and set to launch in August 2025. With 20 decks and a passenger capacity of 5,610 she is huge. You might just need a 14 night cruise just to get around the 19 bars and 28 dining areas.