THE SCOTTISH ADVENTURES OF A CRUISE SHIP ADDICT

At 143,000 tons, P and O's Britannia will be the second largest ship I've travelled on. The first being Queen Mary 2. Over the years of travelling on and visiting ships, there is an art to finding your way around a ship. Also, it depends how much time you have. On a ship visit : Start at the top. Most people on a ship visit will start at the bottom, i.e. restaurants, lounges, etc, and work their way up. If you start at the top, chances are you will get the whole deck to yourself. Then you can walk over the deck area and see the facilities. Then work your way down. It's much better to walk down a flight of stairs than go up. Check the deck plan. Is there anything on this floor you need to see? Ship layout today is fairly simple, it does (from the top): Outside space, floors of rooms, entertainment areas and restaurants, crew quarters. Most ships tend to follow this layout. While most people are huffing and puffing upstairs, you can be gliding down to the next level (or get...

Years ago, when standing on the stern of Saga Rose in Madeira, I had a very interesting discussion with Captain Rentell of Saga Rose, and my mum. Behind us was an Aida ship, much bigger than us (it made us look like a tug boat). Almost dwarfing our stern was the bow of the Aida ship, complete with bow art. My mum was of the opinion that she hated it because the eyes kept following her. She was convinced there was something evil about the eyes!! I defended it by saying I thought the artwork was cute and it gave the ship personality. Back in the Noughties, it was fairly unusual to see ships with bow art. Most shipping lines had their own company coloured hulls and funnels, and were very distinctive. The bow art of the Aida ship just stood out with its stary eyes and big lips. I actually like the bow art. It gives the ship some character. I feel it gives it life, in a playful way. However, it has become so accepted that the ships have lost the characteristics of the line. Prince...

Saturday 8 November - At Sea By this time, we have got into a routine. Breakfast, Evie goes to nursery, I have some free time, lunch, sleep, swimming, dinner, drinks, get Evie, bed. I tried to do some University work this morning, but it was impossible to find a table to work from. I eventually shared a table outside the library with a lady compiling lists about dogs. Don't ask! I find this really peculiar about QE2. You don't take a cruise on QE2, you take a voyage. They have planned entertainment, but not to the same extent that you find on cruise lines such as P and O or Princess. This is because they assume that as a Cunard customer, you do not leave your brain at the dockside when you board, and that you will find something constructive to do, such as reading a book or just relaxing. They don't feel the need to keep you entertained all the time. My favourite joke was from the Captain: He was referring to Royal Caribbean's Navigator of the Seas, which was docked wit...

The 1st International Cruise Conference took place on 26/27 September 2008 at the University of Applied Sciences in Bremerhaven, Germany. I presented a paper at the conference on 'establishing the need of a standardised rating system for cruise ships' - part of my undergraduate dissertation at University. I was a bit overawed, as the speakers either had PhDs or worked in the cruise industry. But what I lacked in experience and academia, I hoped I made up for in enthusiasm about the cruising. As a passionate cruise traveller and cruise ship lecturer, I come across people who are so confused by the variety of different cruise lines and ships that they do not know which one to pick. I'm hoping my little piece of research might just highlight the need for a proper rating system which is easily understood and accessible. Other speakers at the conference included Brian Johnson, Director of Fleet Training and Employee Relations at Princess Cruises, who spoke fascinatingly on ...

(Sung to the music of "My Favourite Things" from the Sound of Music) Raindrops on cruise ships and docking bays on liners, Snowflakes that fall on my lifeboats and lashes, Brown paper packages that end up in kitchens, These are a few of my favourite ship things... When the winds blow, When the waves lash, When I'm feeling scared, I simply remember my favourite ships, Then I don't feel so bad... After that really bad song, I thought I'd share with you my favourite ships: 1 The original QUEEN MARY: The Mary has always been my favourite ship since I visited her as a 7 year old, and the one who got me started on all this ocean liner stuff. Clyde-built. An art deco masterpiece. 2 The QUEEN ELIZABETH 2 (QE2): She's like cuddling up in your favourite armchair with your favourite book and favourite glass of wine. A real old dowanger Countess. She has character and style. Clyde-built. 3 KUNGSHOLM/SEA PRINCESS/VICTORIA/MONA LISA/SCHOLARSHIP: This was the first ship I to...