Strictly Come Cruising

For all you Strictly fans out there and I am definitely one of them, no need to wait until the end of next year
as I have some special news in store for you.

P&O are launching 2 special cruises where you can see the legendary.....Mr Nasty Craig Revel Horwood.. famous for his it was a disaaaaaassssster.. darling sayings and four of the shows dancers for a very special treat.

On each cruise Strictly judge Craig Revel Horwood will be joined by four of the show's professional dancers they will not only be performing but will be on hand to give you hints and tips and of course you will be able to hear first hand what goes on and what it is like to be part of such a popular and entertaining show.
Also they will be bringing with them a selection of dresses worn by the dancers on the show.

At the moment the dancers that are attending are to be confirmed.

The two cruises on offer for all you strictly fans who love to cruise are as follows:

Oriana 28th May (my birthday) whoo hoo... Canary Islands Cruise
Oriana 14th July- Norway/Fjords cruise.

I am sure that when word gets out these two cruises will fill very quickly as there are so many strictly lovers
out there who would love the opportunity to see the dancers and of course Craig...

So dont leave it long if you want to book for more information then of course from one strictly fan to another
call me now on 0800 408 6115....

Joyeux Noël

Un Noël Fantastique

I would like to wish all my work colleagues and clients a fanatastic Christmas

and a Happy Healthy and Prosperous 2012

As most of my clients know I now live and work from France and Christmas here is just the same as it is

back in the UK really apart from they are not big on turkey and bread sauce.

Christmas is a family occasion wherever you are in the world and of course the French are big

on their family traditions and families come together more than most of us can or do in the UK.

I am looking forward to my first Christmas here in France to see the real differences if any than being back

in the UK.

Have a great Christmas

Chocaholics beware....Price of choc to go up as shortage looms

I was reading an article today about cocoa and apparently there is a shortage looming that is putting our
favoutite treat in danger. shortages of cocoa could send the cost of our sins soaring.


With all the doom and gloom around the world at the moment, the one thing we all like to treat ourselves
with as a bit of comfort is the occasional bar of chocolate or for some many bars of chocolate or even a
big box.

Christmas is traditionally the time when someone in your family or circle of friends will indulge you with a
festive treat of a box of your favourite sin or whether it be chocolates or biscuits and we all look forward to
this treat whether we are a big lover of chocolate or not.

Of course if you are on a cruise holiday we all love the added touch of a choc on our pillow before we go to bed,
or chocs with our coffee after a meal, or even the wonderful choc puds on offer with our evening meal.

Then of course when we go on shore excursions there are always places we visit where we like to sample
the countries choc foods or sweeties...Take Belgium for instance renowned for its chocs and last year I certainly came home with some choc treats for the family when we were on our Christmas cruise and I am sure that my work colleagues will do the same this year too.

So please growers of the world keep the cocoa coming so we can continue to enjoy our little treats without
them costing a fortune... we want to keep our chocs as an affordable luxury not something to drool at but
cannot buy..

Euro Crisis - Nevermind the Euro what about the water

While the whole world seems to be talking about the state of the Euro and Euro member states and what
they should or shouldnt do or could have done Europe has been suffering a different crisis one that has been
affecting our travellers taking River Cruises...

We all think of lack of water as hosepipe bans during the summer months and dont consider for one minute
the effect that European dry summers have had on the waterways.

The Rhine and Moselle have suffered terribly and now the low water levels mean that there could be
uncertainty as to whether some of the river cruise lines will be able to operate fully their end of year cruises.

Fingers crossed maybe plenty of rain will fall and feed into these rivers so that passengers can continue
with their plans without any disruptions or cancellations. For river cruises of course ships cannot just divert
to another port as ocean cruises can. Their only options are to cancel or arrange for passengers to visit certain places by coach which of course sort of defeats the idea of a River Cruise.

Of course not only have the river cruise lines had the worry of the water levels but we all saw on the television
that Koblenz had to evacuate half of its population while two world war 2 bombs were diffused in the Rhine.

So lets forget the money Euro crisis and hope that the cruising crisis doesnt happen, I dont like to say it but
let plenty of rain fall now to save these cruises but stop just after Christmas so that high water levels dont cause a problem either.

Cruise The Beautiful Adriatic Coast from Dubrovnik

I have been investigating some cruises for one of my clients who was interested in taking a cruise from
Dubrovnik visiting Mijet, Korcula,Sibernik, Split, Hvar, Kotor and then back to Dubrovnik.

Discover Dubrovnik, 'Pearl of the Adriatic', where you can enjoy spectacular views from the ancient ramparts, visiting some of the most beautiful islands and the spectacular cascading Krka Falls. Take in Split, Croatia's second largest city, with a wealth of fascinating historical sites to explore. 

Optional excursions:

Monastery Visit, Mljet

Guided tour of Korcula

Sibenik and the Krka Falls

Guided tour of Kotor

Sights of Split

Now the cruise ship that operates these cruises is called the Belle de l'Adriatique and is a French owned
ship, however they are used to having UK visitors on board.

We can book this as a package with flights for you from either Gatwick or Manchester if you want direct flights and you can even choose to have a stay in a hotel if you wish.

On selected dates they also sail from Dubrovnik around Greece and Turkey.

This ship is ideal for someone who likes a smaller ship as there are only 100 cabins and the beauty of this cruise is that as well as visiting beautiful scenery  all your locally produced wine/beer and tea/coffee and fruit juice is all included in the cost.

Prices including flights/transfers for a 7 night cruise start at about £1350 per person based on two sharing.

So if you fancy something just a little bit different then give me a call 0800 408 6115

The Frozen Planet - make your dream a reality

Not only is David Attenborough's Frozen planet a must for anyone to see on a Wednesday night.It is an educational and fascinating treat into the seasons that our Arctic and Antarctic endure for good and bad..

BUT- It is giving a boost to the cruise industry, with so many people like myself taking an avid interest in looking for a holiday where you can experience the sights that we love to watch, snuggled up on our sofas every Wednesday evening.

There have always been cruises that visit these areas, but programs such as this bring to the fore those fabulous places around the world that you do not always consider when thinking about your next holiday.

For 2012 though Hurtigruten will be offering itineraries around Spitzbergen where you will get chance to see the fabulous wildlife and scenery of the Arctic and they offer fabulous Antarctic Cruises too.

If you want to travel further then Silversea offer cruises to Antarctica during the early part of the year and at the end of the year .

So for a glimpse of the Penguins, Whales and of course that magnificent scenery you too can visit your own frozen planet.

Give me a call and let me find that dream cruise holiday for you.

Armistice Day in France

Over the last week and on the run up to Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday our news and television has been full of stories from both the World Wars, giving us an in sight to the bravery and suffering that so many people had to endure none of which we could possibly imagine.

Being in France over this time I wanted to share with you the way that they remember as of course life in France was so much harder as they were an occupied Country.

Firstly Armistice Day is a public holiday in France, through the day there was music playing by their Cenotaph in the small village where we are, I do not know the French tune that was playing but they also played Land of Hope and Glory which I found quite strange. Many people visited the village during the day and paid their respects at the Cenotaph.

Now in the Cemetry in the village there are graves of 6 brave airmen who sadly lost their lives in the second world war, when their aircraft were shot down, the villagers risked their own lives by hiding  their bodies so that their bodies would not be taken by the Germans and then buried them. In May they fly both the British and Canadian flags over their graves to honour these brave men. We have also been told stories of how the French resistance hid away in some of the old barns around the village. I am sure all around this area and many areas of France there are many similar stories told.

40 minutes drive from where we are there is a memorial town  at Oradour sur Glane where 642 people were massacred during the Second World War and this village has been left exactly as it was on the day of this atrocity and I would strongly recommend anyone of any age visiting this site as you cannot help but be moved by what you see and read. This truly makes anyone appreciate what our relatives in the UK fought for and what our neighbours in France endured to make Europe the place we all live in relatively peacefully now.

Of course for anyone interested in World War history from many of the cruises that visit Northern France you can always get the opportunity of taking a tour to the Normandy Beaches too