Only on Cunard! The boys from the Princess Grill spent the afternoon in the snow of the Courtyard building us a snowman to look through the Princess Grill Restaruant window. They didnt even have their white gloves on!

This is a very short clip showing the creation of the Cunard Snowman and some of the snow that fell on Queen Victoria’s decks.

Full review, and photos to follow!

The first version of the site went live back in 2006 and I wanted to offer something different to the other cruise websites.  At the time I was quite happy with it, but it’s like seeing a picture of yourself from your teenage years, you cant help but think “Oooh was that really me!?” But like all things, changes have to be made as we move with the times. So what has changed?

As far as the content, i.e. all the posts, news, reviews etc, nothing, it’s all there as it was and I’ll be continuing with bringing you the most up to date news and offers. What has changed is the look and structure of the site, with the previous version it could be a little tricky to find exactly what you were looking for. You can find my contact info on every page on the site, it will appear at the bottom of every post, in the side bar to the right on every page and there is a link to the contact page in the top menu.

There are also links to my facebook pages and twitter. Make sure you become a “fan” of my Facebook page, as useful snippets of info are always being posted on there, and if you are a “fan” you could be in with the chance of winning some exclusive cruise line prizes – but you have got to be a fan to win it!!

The contact form on the ‘Contact Jane’ page has also received an update and if there is ever anything that I can help you with please get in touch, as always you can email or phone anytime too.

My reviews page has been given a huge overhaul and they are now sorted in date order, if you are looking for a review of a certain ship just type it in the search box found at the top of every page eg. review ventura and all of my Ventura reviews will pop to the top.

The My Photos page has also received a revamp with all of my flickr albums in the one place so that when you click on one the album will open in a new window.

The Cruise Lines page currently has everything you need to know about P&O and over the next few weeks I’ll be adding more info from Cunard, Princess Cruises, Celebrity and many more.

The Offers page will now keep track of the most recent offers I post so now when you visit it you shouldn’t receive the oldest offers first, what you see on the offers page is not all that there is available, even i cant keep up with all the cruise lines offers at the moment! So if you are looking for something particular please contact me.

All of the usual features like ‘Cruising in the Past‘ and ‘cruise news‘ is also there, and if you don’t see them instantly you can always find them in the archives menu at the foot of the page.

At the bottom of every post you’ll also see some share buttons clicking any of these will take you to your facebook, twitter page etc and share a link back to the post you were just reading.

I really hope you enjoy looking around my new updated website. Feedback is always welcome

Hundreds of nautical miles out at sea, lisa Hatful experiences, first hand. A personal and beautiful romantic wedding ceremony conducted by the ships Caprtain.

What first inspired you to consider getting married on a cruise ship?

We always wanted to have a romantic, simple wedding with just the tow of us and after seeing our travel agent GoCruisewithJane’s photographs of her wedding blessing onboard Oriana we knew a wedding at sea would be perfect.

Why did you choose P&O Cruises?

Having sailed with P&O Cruises previously we knew we would have a fantastic wedding and honeymoon.

What was a real ‘WOW’ for you?

Being treated like VIP’s for the whole cruise, not just the wedding. We were bought drinks and sent flowers and cards from passengers and staff who we had only just met! And we were even applauded as we entered and left the restaurant on the day of our wedding. It was tropical night that night so there was a real party atmosphere on board. It was like having a huge wedding reception! We felt like celebrities. The staff were amazing, as always, but just went that extra mile for the whole cruise to make it truly special.

Who conducted the ceremony?

Captain David Pembridge conducted the ceremony and our witnesses were Natalie Brady, loyalty & Cruise Sales Manager and Hannah Page, assistant Food & Beverage Manager/Wedding Coordinator. Our best man was our mascot bear, Vince!

What were the advantages of a wedding at Sea?

It was so easy! All I had to do was choose a dress and turn up. All the planning and preparation was completed for us and as soon as the ceremony was finished we were on our honeymoon.

What was your favourite moment?

Having our wedding photographs taken. It was fantastic, we had such fun parading around the ship!

How do you think it compared in terms of cost to a land based wedding?

Excellent value for money. I don’t think anyone could ever have a wedding like ours ashore for the money we spent.

Who looked after your wedding plans for you onboard?

Hannah Page. It was her first post as a wedding coordinator and she was lovely. We met before the ceremony to run through the vows and music. She also offered to book and appointments that I wanted in the salon and spa.

What did you do in the run up to your wedding day?

Our ceremony was at 3.00pm so after having a leisurely breakfast on our balcony we relaxed on deck until it was time to start getting ready.

What ‘extra touches’ did you have?

I had a tropical hand-tied bouquet which was gorgeous and we opted for the ultimate photography collection, which was an amazing momento of the day.

Would you recommend a P&O Cruises Wedding?

Most definitely! I cannot recommend it enough.

What top tips do you have for other couples considering a wedding at sea?

Book it! You will definitely not be disappointed. If you want a stress free wedding day, stunning wedding photographs, VIP treatment and amazing honeymoon destinations, a wedding at sea will be a perfect wedding for you!

Lisa and Steves wedding was incredibly personal, so they decided that it would be just the two of them (with witnesses)at their wedding. Other wedding parties have been made up of families and friends. If you wish to travel as a group you can take advantage of P&O Wedding Savers, offering and additional 5% discount on the adult brochure fare of your chosen itinerary for groups of ten adults or more.

My own ‘Wedding blessing at sea’ consisted of 30 guests. I chose to ask everyone to adhere to a formal dress code on an ‘informal’ evening. We had a champagne reception, followed by a pre dinner drinks reception and speaches, followed by a wonderful evening meal for all 30 guests seated together in a sectioned off part of Le Jardin Bistro onboard Oriana. As Lisa said, the crew were wonderful. Nothing was too much trouble and we had everything exactly how we wanted it for our special day. You can read more about my own Wedding Blessing at Sea on the Celebrate at Sea page and watch a short video clip.

A P&O wedding at Sea package includes everything you could need for the perfect day

• an attractive wedding ceremony venue
• special VIP treatment
• two fresh floral arrangements
• traditional wedding music or your own choice of music
• a romantic wedding ceremony at sea conducted by the Captain
• a commemorative wedding certificate
• a bottle of champagne
• an onboard wedding coordinator
• invitations and thankyou notes
• unlimited baggae on cruises sailing roundtrip from the UK and an additional 5kg luggage allowance for both bride and groom if travelling on a P&O charter flight
• 5% discount for parties of 10 or more

For more information and assistance with booking your Wedding or Renewal of vows at sea, contact me now for my personal assistance in arranging one of the most important days in your life!

If there is one thing I love about stepping onboard a P&O Cruise its the welcoming smile and Hello of the crew onboard.
How many familiar faces can you spot in this happy film of the crew of the new P&O Cruises Azura?
Makes you want to step onboard, doesn’t it?

The new, white gleaming hull of P&O Azura arrived into southampton this morning to a wlecome of water cannons and many smaller boats.

So, Southampton has a brand new ship, and one that is registered in Southampton too! Over the next few days many will get the opportunity to get onboard and have a look round and explore this exciting new superliner. Im very much looking forward to my night onboard ….stand by for lots of photos and FaceBook updates. Make sure you become a Fan of the GoCruisewithJane FaceBook page so that you are kept upto date with all the latest cruise news.

I have just been informed of some of the Celebritys that have been invited to the Naming Ceremony on Saturday evening.

Darcey Bussell will officially name the ship on Saturday evening infront of 1200 invited guests. Among those invited guests will be stars from stage and screen including tom Chambers, Camilla Dallerup and Craig Revel Horwood from Strictly Come Dancing. Angela Griffin from Coronation street, Lisa Maxwell from The Bill, Shelly Conn from Mistresses, Emma Crosby from GMTV and comedian Johnny Vegas. Celebrity chef Atul Kochur and Wine Expert Olly smith, will also be onboard.

Im sure it will be a star studded spectacular event. There is also the ‘Voyage into the Blue’ event taking place in the Mayflower Park with big screens showing the live naming ceremony, followed by a firework display.

P&O Azura has left Italy and is commencing her voyage across the Adriatic to come to her new home of Southampton. Azura will be named by Darcey Bussell on Saturday 10th April 2010. The event onboard promises to be a glittering occassion, but for those of you not onboard as in invited guests you can still join in the festivities from Mayflower Park, Southampton.

You can watch the sparkling naming ceremony on a big screen in Mayflower Park, followed by a spectacular firework display. Ceremoniosly blessing a ship before she sails out to sea is a time honoured tradition and Ballerina Darcey Bussell will lead the celebrations by becoming Azura’s Godmother.

The Nuffield theatre will perform ‘Journey to the Edge of the World’ A lunatic pythonesque story packed full of humour, danger, singing,and waterfalls featuring jaw dropping human catapults and bouncing stilts.

Programme of Activities in Mayflower Park

From 5.00pm Dance performances, funfair and live music

6.30pm Journey to the Edge of the World

8.00pm the Naming of Azura, shown live on theBig Screen

8.20 Firework Finale

All timings approximate

I will try and keep you all updated with little snippets of information throughout the day …. dont want you getting bored at work, when you could be daydreaming about a cruise!

There is a sneak preview of  a few photos from my latest cruise onboard P&O Cruises Ventura  over on facebook and its the only place you can see them so become a fan and go have a look!

P.S….. Yes the Ventura Caribbean review will be posted shortly so keep checking back for updates

There’s also a iPhone version of the site now available all you need to do is visit www.gocruisewithjane.co.uk on your iphone or ipod touch.
and you can also follow me on twitter which is a great way to find out what I’ve been upto

Greetings from Ventura in a very hot and sunny Caribbean.

I hear you are all suffering, frost, ice and even some more snow back in the UK? Maybe you should start thinking about booking Caribbean cruise for next winter? (I should have some very good offers for Caribbean cruises at the end of the month – watch this space!)

From the moment we set foot off the plane in Barbados it has been glorious Caribbean sunshine.

A lovely day at Mullins Bay in Barbados. A lazy day, not moving far from Breakers Bar on deck 16 for most of the day in St Lucia. Grenada what a fantastic day on stunning Grande Anse Beach. Curacoa and Aruba were new ports to me and didn’t disappoint. And so much more yet to come. Evenings onboard just leave me spoilt for choice, but I would like to bet that non of you were lying on a sunlounger under the stars, sipping champagne and listening to a steel band last night? or woke up to breakfast on your balcony this morning? It could be you this time next year maybe?

Full report of the cruise from start to finish will be published on my return

GoCruisewithJane Ofice has been very busy since christmas and there are some great offers out there at the moment, so if you are considering a cruise for 2010, or even early 2011, now might be the best time to book.

I would just like to take this opportunity to wish you all A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy 2010!

There promises to be some great offers for 2010 cruises so keep checking back soon after christmas for more info, or email me with your cruise details and I will source the best deal for you.

Happy christmas everyone!!

Jane x