Cunard Line has announced that the world’s most famous ship, its magnificent Queen Mary 2, will be based in Australia as part of her World Voyage in 2012 for a history-making circumnavigation which will see her visit five states and the Northern Territory.

Queen Mary 2’s “Royal Circumnavigation of Australia” is a first for Cunard.

The largest ship ever to visit Australia, Queen Mary 2 will call at eight Australian ports during her time Down Under including Sydney, Fremantle, Adelaide and the Whitsundays as well as maiden visits to Cairns (Yorkey’s Knob), Darwin, Melbourne and Brisbane. Her circumnavigation will also include a call at Bali.

Customers will be able to choose from three circumnavigation options – a 22-night voyage departing Sydney on February 14, 2012, a 20-night voyage departing Fremantle on February 8, 2012 and a 21-night voyage departing Adelaide on February 11, 2012.

In all, Queen Mary 2 will spend 28 nights in Australian waters, as she sails from Cape Town to Sydney via Fremantle and Adelaide, and then circumnavigates the country. As a result, Fremantle, Adelaide and Sydney will each enjoy two visits from the liner during her Australian season.

The Australian deployment will be the longest Queen Mary 2 has been based in one country outside of her northern hemisphere home ports of Southampton and New York.

Cunard President and Managing Director Peter Shanks said Cunard had strong and proud links with Australia, going back many years.

“Recognising the strong growth of cruising in the Australian market and increased demand from Australians for the unique Cunard Line experience, we are delighted to base the most famous ship in the world, Queen Mary 2, in Australia in 2012,” he said.

Shanks said he expected very strong demand for the voyage from Australian and international markets. It will also be an attractive option for those UK guests who want to go around the world and during the voyage take a few weeks out to visit friends and family in Australia. The voyage will go on sale at the same time as the 2012 World Voyage in the Summer.

I will be taking pre registrations for these Voyages so please let me know if you are interested.

***STOP PRESS*** I have just managed to get my hands on a limited number of balcony staterooms for the popular short cruises departing this April and May. When they are gone they are gone! They are brilliant prices for a fantastic brand new ship. So what are you waiting for?!
 

26th April 2010

3 nights

Southampton Le Havre Southampton

Balcony Guarantee Stateroom £346 per person

29th April 2010

4 nights

29th April 2010

Southampton Overnight in Cobh (Cork) Southampton

Balcony Guaurantee stateroom £388

3rd May 2010

4 nights

3rd May 2010

Southampton Overnight in Cobh (Cork) Southampton

Balcony Guaurantee stateroom £375

DO NOT DELAY – If you want one of these cabins contact me ASAP!

To witness the next solar eclipse, you have to wait until July 11, 2010. But if you’re in the area of Papenburg, Germany, you can see Celebrity Eclipse right now.

The third in Celebrity Cruises’ stylish, $3.7-billion Solstice Class fleet, Celebrity Eclipse showed off her sleek profile Sunday as she emerged for the first time from the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Celebrity Eclipse will enter service April 26 and, following two “short break” cruises, will offer a series of Canary Islands, Scandinavia/Russia and Spanish Mediterranean sailings roundtrip from Southampton, England. The new vessel will present Caribbean cruises roundtrip from Miami beginning in November.

Celebrity Cruises is designed for discerning cruisers, with modern, sophisticated environments, impeccable service, enriching and inspiring onboard programs, and world-class cuisine. The ultimate in premium cruising, Celebrity sails in Alaska, California, Canada/New England, Europe, the Pacific Coast, Panama Canal, South America, and year-round in the Caribbean and the Galapagos Islands. Celebrity also offers immersive cruisetour experiences in Alaska, Canada, Europe and South America. Celebrity’s mega-series of honors include being named the top mega-ship line in Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards (November 2009). Celebrity’s fleet currently consists of nine ships. Its $3.7-billion investment in building five stylish Solstice Class ships between 2008-2012 represents the largest five-year investment in premium cruising.

You can view my photos of  her sister ship Celebrity Equinox in my photo albums, and read my review in the Review section. The solstice Class ships really are beautifuul ships, and only last week I was alongside Celebrity Solsitce (another sister in the same class as Eclipse) in st Kitts. It really was a breathtaking sight.

Eclipse will be sailing out of the UK and there are still some great deals to be had.

Why not indulge in a pre-dinner glass of wine whilst soaking up the sunset ?Enjoy a sumptuous breakfast whilst sailing through the Mediterranean?And why not read that bestseller you’ve been meaning to all year?

This is not just any ordinary stateroom, this is your very own Balcony stateroom designed for you!

They won’t be at these prices for long so make sure you don’t miss out!!

Celebrity Eclipse 24th July 2010 – ex Southampton

14 Night Spanish Mediterranean Cruise

£1759 –  Balcony Stateroom! PLUS $50 OBC

£1607 – Interior Stateroom PLUS $50 OBC

Celebrity Solstice 12th September 2010 – ex Heathrow

9 nights Eastern Caribbean Fly Cruise

£1009pp – Balcony Stateroom Free Upgrade from Oceanview to Balcony !

£957pp – Interior Stateroom

Celebrity Eclipse 20th October 2010 – ex Southampton

11 nights Canary Islands Cruise

£1335pp – Balcony Stateroom – FREE Upgrade from oceanview to Balcony!!

£1089pp – Interior Stateroom

For these and more great offers – Contact me now!

Today is Go Cruise with Janes Birthday everybody. I wont say how old she is, i’m almost certinly going to get into a lot of trouble as it is for breaking into her website .

please  leave your birthday wishes below or by clicking here it would really help me out and hopefully I wont get in to much trouble

Lee (Janes son)

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

Celebrity line-up unveiled for Azura maiden cruise

  Opera singer Russell Watson is among celebrities lined up to perform on the maiden voyage of P&O Cruises’ new ship Azura.

 Also appearing on the 3,100-passenger ship will be musical theatre performers Gary Wilmot and Mike Alexander.

 TV personality and cruise ship favourite Claire Sweeney will be also joining the cruise

 Further acts are still to be confirmed for the 16-night sailing which departs from Southampton on April 12, two days after its naming ceremony by ballet star Darcey Bussell.

 P&O Cruises’ managing director Carol Marlow said: “Azura will offer the classic service, quality and entertainment associated with cruising at its best.

 “Those of us travelling on her maiden cruise will be treated to an array of excellent British entertainment to start Azura’s inaugural season in style.”

 The 16-night maiden voyage calls at Malaga, Katakolon, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Venice, Korcula and Gibraltar.

SEA PRINCESS ~ Panama Marvel

Barbados to San Francisco

22 Nights From Only £1399 per person

1st May 2010

Fly UK to Barbados, Grenada, bonaire, aruba, Fort Lauderdale, Aruba, Cartegena, Panama Canal (full transit), Puerto Amador, Puntarenas, Huatulco, Acapulco, San Francisco, Fly back to UK

This is a fantastic offer with limited availability so dont delay!

Contact me now on 02476 742135 or email janechadwick@gocruise.co.uk

I have some fantastic ‘Exculsive’ offers for you with added onboard credit to help with your onboard spends. These are just a sample of some of the offers availble.

Thank you for all your kind comments regarding my newly published films from ‘Cruising in the 60’s’ I hope it at least provides an insight into what my early days of cruising was really like. Cruising really has come a very long way!!

I am very honoured this week to be chosen as one of the Top 5 Travel Agents in the prestigious Travel Weekly Agent Excellence Awards. These awards are our Golden Globes of the industry so I am very proud to be voted among the top agents in the UK.

As alway, I look forward to hearing from you. Contact me now for any of the great offers listed below, or any others that you would like more information on.

P&O

AURORA 18th June 2010 ~ Greenland & Iceland 18 nights

Southampton, Cobh, Julianehab, Nuuk, Reykjavik, Akureyri, Alesund, Geiranger, cruise in Geirangerfjord, Bergen. Stravanger. Southampton

From £1599 per person PLUS £150pp OBC

ARCADIA 3rd September 2010 ~ Western Mediterranean 14 nights

Southampton, Barcelona, Villefranche, Calvi, Civitavecchia, Naples, Cartagena, Gibraltar, Southampton

From £1355 per person PLUS £100pp OBC

Princess Cruises

GRAND PRINCESS 4th September 2010 ~ Mediterranean 14 nights

Southampton, Malaga, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Civitavecchia, Naples, Ajaccio, gibraltar, Southampton

From £1399 per person PLUS $100 per person OBC PLUS Free Parking or Coach transfer

SEA PRINCESS 21st February 2011 ~ Grand Caribbean Islander 15 nights

Barbados, Tobago, Grenada, Bonaire, Aruba, Grand Cayman, Ocho Rios, Tortola, Antigua, St Kitts, Dominica, Barbados

From £1355 per person PLUS $175 per person OBC

Cunard

QUEEN VICTORIA 25th September 2010 ~ Ancient Wonders 12 nights

Fly to Civitavecchia, Naples, Santorini, Kusadasi, Istanbul (overnight), samos, Athens, Zakinthos, Venice (overnight) Fly to UK

From £1499 per person PLUS $120 per person OBC

DOUBLE OBC when you book Queens Grill!!

QUEEN MARY 2 19th December 2010 ~ Festive Caribbean 16 nights

Fly to New York, Grand Turk, Tortola, St Maarten, Curacao, Grenada, Bridgetown, St Lucia, St Kitts, St Thomas, New York, Fly to UK

From £2669 per person PLUS $200 per person OBC

DOUBLE OBC when you book Queens Grill!!

Following on from the success of last weeks film footage of life as a child onboard a Mediterranean cruise on on Orcades in 1968, I bring to you part two…..

Looks like most of my time onboard was spent either in the playroom or around the pool area, which I dont suppose would be to different from a child of today, apart from the fact that a wooden playhouse and a orange see saw seemed to be the main toys of the day! You might recall me telling you that we didnt have shallow pools for children to swim and play in, so at around 3.00pm the depth of the main pool would be lowered and we were allowed in for ‘childrens swim’. I remember that it always seemed a very long way down that vertical ladder inside the pool until you got to the icy, freezing cold salt water! I look pretty pleased to have made the descent down to the water though. Those P&O issue ‘rubber rings’ really did have a rubber smell to them. The pool water would be lowered for about an hour before it was refilled back upto its normal level, which would bring us nicely upto childrens tea time. But before that it was upto the changing rooms to run the swimsuits through the mangle!! I used to love putting my swimsuit through the big iron mangle, but that bit of fun soon stopped when they introduced electric spinning machines in there.

I would guess that this was also my first visit to see the famous apes on the Rock of Gibraltar, and I see that one of the cheeky apes has taken a ladys pink chiffon scarf, which Im sure would have caused me to have one of my cheeky little giggles.

Footage of Cunards Queen Elizabeth’s float out ceremony in Italy where she was blessed and met with water for the first time.

79 year old Florence (Dennie) Farmer was guest of honour at the ‘Float out’ ceremony  of Queen Elizabeth as the hull touched the water for the first time. Dennie’s husband , willie Farmer, joined Cunard in 1938 and served as Chief Engineer on both Queen Elizabeth  and Queen Elizabeth 2 until his retirement in 1979. Cunard bestowed on Dennie the honour, in Italian  tradition, of being the ‘Mandrina’ to the third Queen Elizabeth.