Does size matter? Does big mean better?

As you are probably aware the launch of the new Royal Caribbean ship The Oasis Of The Seas is now upon us and now as the the world’s biggest passenger liner it is making me think is bigger any better? Royal Caribbean have really gone to town on the oasis which is 220 tonnes and carries over 5,500 passengers it has its own outdoor shopping area with a park, all the restaurants and bars and much more family entertainment.

I think it is amazing seeing something this big floating on our seas but being so big will it compromise it's standards and services? I speak to a lot of people who will argue for both sides and I am sure that some people will love the ship and some will hate it but I do think it is a great advertisement for the cruise industry and I think it looks brilliant and cant want to give it a try but I would love to know what you think.

We are top of the league yeah we are top of the league!

Everyone has different opinions on who is the best cruiseline or what is the best ship but i want to know yours so we can find out who is top of the league!

The early bird catches the worm!!!

In my view it is always best to book your cruise as early as possible in order to get the cabin you want. I am always speaking to people who are always trying to wait to get a cheaper price or any other extra's but that does not always work and I have had a lot of people that have been left disappointed as the cruise has sold out or the cabin they wanted is no longer available.

Where I would love to cruise.

The world is such a big place and there are so many country's I am yet to visit and thats why I really like the concept of cruising because you get to visit lots of places on one holiday. A few of the places i would like to see are Alaska and Aisa as they are not the normal holiday that you would normally go on and i think you would get a unique view of these places on a cruise holiday.

Are speciality restaurants really that special?

Cruiselines are always looking to do something different on board there ships and make your holiday that little bit more special and one of the ways they do that is the specialty restaurants. A lot of customers I speak to ask me about these and I always say it gives you something different whilst on board than just eating in the main and buffet restaurants and you could also use these for a special occasion or a nice romantic meal.

What is becoming a bit of a trend now is we are starting to get well known culinary names opening restaurants on the ships we have names such as Marco Pierre White, James Martin and Garry Rhodes to name a few there are also all different types of eateries with such a diverse selection from Chinese, French, Italian to steak houses and burger bars.

The specialty restaurants do come with a charge depending on which cruiseline and what restaurants you choose will depend on the amount. The prices can range from £10-£25 per person but you would get your full meal for that price now considering some of the names and the quality of the food I think this is a very reasonable price. On some ships there will be quite a few to choose from but I would defiantly recommend trying at least one of them either for a change or a special occasion I think they are worth a try.

Should all cruises go all inclusive?

One of the most asked questions i get on a daily basis is can we go all inclusive? Now there are cruiselines out there that are all inclusive and some that offer drinks packages on to your cruise price. Cruises are as most are probably aware are full board so you receive all your food and entertainment free but most named soft drinks and alcoholic drinks are charged and depending on which cruiseline you go on depends how much you will pay.


The cruiselines that offer all inclusive are mainly 6 star cruises and lets be honest they are not in everybody's price range and may not have the facilities that appeal to all. So would it be a good idea for other cruise companies to maybe offer this service maybe on top of the cruise price or include it in the price?


There are cruises out there that do offer drinks packages such as MSC & Costa, with these companies they offer free drinks at meal times both alcoholic and of the soft variety but they can only be consumed when you have your meals and not any other time. Thomson and Island cruises are probably the only non 6 star cruiseline that does offer an all inclusive drinks package which is well received by is customers and the people that like to have a drink whilst on holiday.


I wonder if other cruise companies will start to look at this? I think that this would be good not just for the people that drink alcohol but also people that don't and enjoy there soft drinks and non alcoholic cocktails etc. I wonder if we will see this come in to play in the next few years for other cruises?

And the winner is.....The Celebrity Equinox.