Cutting Edge Cruises

Thousands of years ago, the ancient Egyptians built beautiful luxury barges to carry their royalty and its wealthy supporters up and down the rivers. These trips were for inspection of distant regions and image building as well as relaxation, recreation and pleasure. While Cunard cruises may not be carrying kings and queens these days, they still provide the same opulence to their passengers as they travel around the world to exotic locations. At around the same time as the Egyptians were building the first luxury liners, the Accadians in what is now Syria were perfecting the process which led to the development of Damascus steel, sharper, stronger and more flexible than anything of its day. Produced via a revolutionary process this metal is still used in the finest knives available in the 21st century. Culinary tools of this superior quality are used in many kitchens where the world's best chefs prepare their gourmet creations. It is again this kind of excellence that is incorporated into today's Caribbean cruises. By blending the earliest abilities with the latest science and technology our lives have improved to the heights of comfort from which we benefit today. This unification of arts, crafts, and technology make these sea trips the most opulent vacation option available. They offer the advantage of being able to take your hotel with you wherever you decide to go. Fred Olsen cruises eliminate the aggravation of arranging travel between vacation locations, dragging your luggage around or getting lost in unfamiliar cities.

"This would have to be one of the most memorable cruises we have ever done ( we have cruised on many different cruiselines) with the highlight being Christmas in Antarctica and the wonderful new friends we have made." - Swann, Jindabyne NSW Australia on 16th Jun 2009 (Holland America Cruises)

Steel Getting Better

A thousand years after the creation of Damascus steel, the Japanese were improving the methodologies of steel forging, adding the innovation of folding and layering the steel. This resulted in the legendary Samurai swords which to this day have never been surpassed. There is a good chance that at least some of this technology is used in the galleys aboard MSC cruises. Their chefs are famous for the creativity they exhibit in the amazing dining experiences they present to passengers on their ocean liners. They use the best tools available and this includes the finest knives for cutting and chopping the ingredients in their meals. The choice of cuisine is extensive, French food, Japanese food, Italian food, Indian food, Chinese food and pretty much any other you might crave. Whatever you order you will find that it is more delicious than anything you have ever eaten before. There are many different places to eat on NCL cruises. Sometimes you might feel like a quick meal because you've got something exciting scheduled for after lunch so you can choose a snack bar or coffee shop type of venue. Order a sandwich thinking it will be like something at a fast food joint on land and you will be pleasantly surprised. Even what sounds like a simple and ordinary meal on the Princess cruises menu will astound you with the freshness of its components and the exquisite flavours they deliver to your palate. Every food serving becomes a banquet for your satisfaction.

"Overall an excellent 8 day cruise from Barcelona to Rome on the Navigator of the Seas (RCI)." - Clark, Northampton on 16th Jun 2009 (Royal Caribbean Cruises)

Quality Pays for Itself

Many people are under the impression that taking a sea voyage on a luxurious ship is an expensive holiday out of their price range. This couldn't be further from the truth. The first proof is a simple comparison of what one spends on a typical hotel package tour and what is included in any of the many cruises from Southampton . On your package tour you will pay for round trip airfare, airport transfers, hotel accommodation, restaurant meals, daytime recreational activities, night time entertainment and probably a lot of ground transport costs like taxi, trains and buses. This doesn't even include the exhaustion, inconvenience and other annoyances you might experience. When you take one of the stupendous Royal Caribbean cruises, all of these are either on board or eliminated completely. You board the ship, and have an easy stroll to your cabin where your luggage is already waiting for you. When you are ready, you can explore the boat and all of the wonders it offers, no taxis, no buses, no confusion. When you are hungry, you choose from a variety of venues each with their own mood, ambiance and menu. Your recreational facilities are all there at hand as are the evening's entertainment theatres, casinos and night clubs. Everything is of the highest quality which is what we all want with everything we use. And this is especially true of our choice of kitchen knives where quality is paramount and trying to scrimp by cutting corners is a very foolish move.

"Our second cruise with cunard (as might be expected) was a most enjoyable experience." - Clements, Chigwell on 16th Jun 2009 (Cunard Cruises)

Who Goes There?

When you enjoy a vacation aboard an ocean liner, you will meet people from every walk of life and many countries of the world. It is easy to make new friends because there are many organised activities both during the days and at night. There are on-board competitions in a variety of sports like squash, shuffleboard, quoits and races at the running track on P&O cruises. In the evenings there are amateur nights where passengers can sing or dance and compete for prizes. And there are costume parties and cocktail parties and birthday parties to make it easy to find new friends. There are also cooking classes teaching the proper preparation of the cuisine of the country to which you are travelling. Not only does the ship provide all the necessary ingredients, they will supply all the tools from their own galley like stainless steel bowls and high quality steel knives in a variety of sizes. Having the right tools is important not only because they make your job easier but because sharp knives are safe knives so that the higher the quality the safer they will be. Like everything else on Celebrity cruises whatever you use in the cooking classes will be the best money can buy. Any of the classes you take will be this way, so when you take boxing lessons, yoga classes, or Pilates classes all of the equipment you use will be in perfect condition so you can spend the class learning everything you want.

"Over many years I have experienced sailing both as an officer and passenger in many cruise ships of all sizes but my preference would always be for smaller ships which have real character, although I must confess my greatest affection will always be for the beautiful QE2." - Bamford, Sherborne on 16th Jun 2009 (P&O Cruises)