Viking Neptune - a cruise ship in a class of its own

Quite simply the Viking Neptune is a wonderful all balcony ship with spacious Explorer suites. Once sailed on, you will not be able to judge other ships by the high standards it sets. Viking has a style, and it is not based on budget. It is not a ship that you look at for a budget or bargain cruise, it is a cruise that is a wonderful holiday and there is no finer way to travel, if there is, we haven't done that yet. They may suggest that once you add in the free drinks with meals, the free fast WIFI, the free additional fine dining restaurants and a free tour at most stops, what you have to lay out saves to the point of making it a very reasonable holiday with the beautifully designed in the understated elegance for which Viking is known.

Technically it is a small ship, and although there seems far too many facilities for a small ship it has under 1000 guests so hits the title. Just as its eight sister ships (the number is growing), she is about 47,800 tons, 465 cabins with accommodation for 930 passengers.

The Neptune marks a quantum leap in the longstanding cooperation between Viking and Fincantieri for designing, delivering and operating sustainable and eco-friendly cruise vessels. It embodies the first result of the experimental hydrogen fuel cell module, with a nominal power of 100 kW. There appears to be, at any given time, at least one, but many more than one new ship being built for Viking.

The difference the guest sees starts in the way they are approached. The daily events paper is just that, it is not trying to sell things. There is no pressure to buy anything. There is no pressure. The quality of food is comparable to a top restaurant. Quite simply, you are in a top city hotel and not a motel. The staff dress and address you in a way you would expect if entering a Park Lane Hotel.

We have two versions of the film, and on both we use the music of the very talented Laurence Murray. His song Nothing More To Say/Red Thread of Fate should be a hit. Laurence's own Spotify page is here. The Red Thread of Fate is a love song, and is inspired by the Red Thread of Marriage, joining, and other variants of togetherness even when apart. It is an East Asian belief originating from Chinese mythology.

The shorter 6 minute long version of the filmed tour on our channel.

HMS Murder

 A new TV show for Channel 5 and Paramount+ is set on a cruise ship and shot in Malta. In HMS Murder, Cabaret singer, Jack Grayling, who was previously a detective, discovers sinister elements onboard a cruise ship when a passenger is found murdered.

In Cruise Ship Crime Investigators book series guest speaker on a cruise ship, Kieron Philips is thrust back into his investigator past. He was previously in the British special forces.

In HMS Murder the ambitious First Officer Kate Woods has her desire to be captain thrown into jeopardy by this turn of events.

In the Cruise Ship Crime Investigators series started in 2015, book 2 - Cruise Ship Serial Killer, the ambitious head of security Officer Ruby Jenkins discovers a murder on the long Pacific Ocean crossing and sees this as an opportunity for a career bump. Then there is another murder, then another.

In HMS Murder a wave of murder mysteries follows, and each is set against the backdrop of a different stunning coastal destination. Scenes were shot in 20 different locations in Malta and used it to represent ports in other countries such as Casablanca. Malta is known as the Hollywood of the Mediterranean with film studios and the Popeye Village. See our Malta pages

In CSCI, all the books are based on ships and in cruise ports. Cruise Ship Heist starts in Port Limon, Costa Rica then takes Kieron Philips, the guest speaker through the Panama Canal. On discovering millions of drug money onboard he is thrust back into his detective role to figure out how he is being used. The ship then goes to Cartagena in South America, across to Bequia and the story ends drastically in Madeira. The series is serialised on YouTube and you can start listening here.

https://youtu.be/-90fO5qyaCg

The UK based indie TV company Clapperboard has made this in association with Endeavour Content. It is being billed as “Murder She Wrote meets Below Deck.”

The team is Paul Testar, Commissioning Executive, Drama for Channel 5 and Paramount+. Executive producers for Clapperboard are Mike Benson and lead writer Paul Matthew Thompson. Sandra MacIver is producing, and Gordon Anderson is directing.

Channel 5 has shown a number of cruise shows, not least the popular Cruising with Jane McDonald. Strange they then use the term HMS when cruise ships are all MS and the remaining single liner at see the RMS Queen Mary II is the only RMS. They have underestimated the proud knowledge of ship lovers and cruisers with the Carry On term.

Paul Testar said: “I’m really happy to work once more with the talented team at Clapperboard Studios to bring HMS Murder to screens. With a variety of gloriously sunny locations added to the classic murder mystery genre, and with a splash of music on top, Channel 5 viewers are in for a treat.”

Clapperboard Managing Director Mike Benson added: “We’ve seen a lot of murder mystery shows in recent years – but not many featuring murder, mystery and a cruise ship cabaret singer solving crimes. HMS Murder is probably our most ambitious series to date, filmed across 8 different countries as well as a 6000 cabin luxury cruise liner sailing the med.”

Prentis Fraser, EVP of Television Distribution at Endeavor Content said: “As soon as we heard this pitch we were completely on board – this series is a genius combination of elements, a Murder She Wrote meets Below Deck with the p

erfect mix of glamour, charm and intrigue taking place in an abundance of gorgeous, glossy locations. With the accessibility of a procedural and a playlist of iconic tracks, HMS Murder is ideally designed to be a fan favourite returnable series.”

See the CSCI Cruise Ship Crime Investigators page here on Amazon.

Cruise Crime series Amazon page

and here on this website. We also list the other cruise authors.

See all the books here

We recently went on our first SAGA cruise

 The SAGA ocean-going cruise ship, the Spirit of Adventure, is one of the newest ships at sea.

SAGA refers to itself as a boutique cruise line. We looked up the meaning of 'boutique' and the phrase that fits is a small company that offers highly specialized services or products. Its product is for those 50 or above, but it specialises in the great care of those who may need a little more help, some maybe a little older. On our cruise, with them, the average age was said to be 77, and we are not sure if that included the crew but it probably included guest artists like the 19-year-old drummer and the rest of the musicians and acts, because they are full guests whereas the resident hosts and musicians are crew and wear badges.

There is normally a Chaplin on board, the menu is traditional and the speciality restaurant should be informed if you like spice when you order. After our first meal, we asked for a spice level of 10/10 and it was great. 

The all-inclusive tours normally have space as they tend to be panoramic type tours. That buzz word panoramic on all cruises tends to mean a coach journey seeing the sights, with one or two photo stops. Of the three we took, one was just that with the toilet stop longer than the photo stop, the second was a museum with lifts plus a coach tour (Ephesus), and the third would have been tough for anyone with walking difficulties and they clearly said that. That tour also included a museum and was by far the best for us. (Troy). Our film of the three comparing the tours is here.  SAGA WEB PAGE

Back to the ship. The TV is great, very modern, with biographies, loads of movies and talks from the captain and crew plus menus and other information, the daily paper and events. I guess these will soon be on an app as they have gone this far. There are very set dining times, breakfast ends at 10 am. Lunch ends at 2 pm, and dining is over early. Often both salad options on the menu had meat in (see menu above), and sliced turkey will have pork sausages and bacon laying on it in the serving bowl.

There is room service which many who rarely venture from their rooms take advantage of, and the waiters are dressed butler-like. There is only one show, then the ship goes very quiet. The upstairs Britannia lounge will have a small gathering and the guest entertainers are normally there and the hosts have to dance until 11.30 which is similar to Cunard. A trio backs the cabaret act, and the house band is a trio with a singer. There are some sail-away events, either a duo, the house band or the hosts. 

The ship is very new in design and has many new features. These include the five vertical fire and flood zones (unlike other ships they number their zones with Zone 1 starting at the back, zone 5 being the front and a helicopter rescue area that was used during our cruise. (film). Having two separate power generator plants, each with two generators (nine-cylinder diesel) and them being away from each other means a fire or flood in one area allows the ship to function. They can produce up to 6900 volts!  SAGA WEB PAGE

] click the picture for reviews[/caption]

Right down to USB sockets to charge your device not just in your cabin and in the library but in other places on the ship, it is a ship designed to meet the future of cruising. The use of an electronic device to read or listen to an audiobook is definitely a nod to the future too, as there are no real books in the library (apart from the book swap pile). We can confirm that is where the market is because our own books are read mainly in the Kindle library and sell more on Audiobook than in paperback. If you are new to our cruise crime series, start at the beginning and get to know the characters. Cruise Ship Heist is book 1 although each is a separate story and can be read as a stand-alone novel.

The fins or stabilisers are side fins that are pushed out hydraulically and operated independently by a computer driver sensor to stop the ship from having a bad rolling motion when the sea is rough. The Captain suggested even with a side wind the tilt was expected to be no more than ten or eleven degrees. Being a small ship, and the smallest we have been on for some time, they do move more with the sea than bigger ships. The pitch front to back, or up and down is noticeable so if you suffer from sea-sickness choose to stay in the middle and low down. Also, pack the wristbands. There is a tiny shop on board and small jewellers, but this all-inclusive ship does not work on the need to sell. You are not chased by the waiters like you are on ships that have to meet targets. There are also two bow propellers in tunnels through the ship to help side manoeuvres and parking at the birth (the modern version of side thrusters).

The manoeuvrability of the ship is fantastic. It has 2 x Siemens SISHIP SiPODs that can swivel a full 360 degrees (on a large cog driven by 4 x internal motors) meaning the ship can pirouette. The electric motor that drives the high skew propellor (that pulls the ship rather than pushes) is in the pod (one in each), not the ship, which means no shaft and less vibration.

The small ship is not actually small, and it dwarfed the R-class Azamara ship next to it in Lisbon. At 236 m long it keeps at 999 guests to be referred to as a small ship. However, it is roomy and spacious, though the speciality restaurants get busy as people look to sample the more adventurous food.

The top speed of 18 knots was beaten by a run at 19 knots during our stay

During our 4-week cruise, the ship was half full. 524 guests and 535 crew were on board. The following amounts were consumed.

• 
  
• 
  
•  
• Lobster main coarse on formal night[/caption]

  
  

• nearly 0.5 tonnes of Lobster
• 5 tonnes of chicken
• 85,000 eggs
• 3,000 ltrs of ice cream
• 15,000 bottles of wine
• 1,500 bottles of liquor

Incineration and waste are done at least 12 nautical miles out, and they have the latest ecosystems and incinerators inside. There are three SLCE water makers and each can produce 10 tonnes per hour. There is a storage capacity of 1,400 tonnes of water. The fire-fighting system is also the newer vapourised water approach. This means a mist of vapourised water is used to consume the fire, but uses less water and gives less of a flooding problem than when fighting fire with sprayed water. There are two fixed pump areas, each with 14 pumps, ready to be used for fire fighting. Hot steam is also pumped around the ship from a couple of boilers, to heat the water. But the ship also uses exhaust fumes to reheat.

To keep you cool there are 4 x chillers, each with 6 compressors. These are used for cooling and air-conditioning. The ship still uses external seawater to cool the engines, and this is via scrubbers (filters) in the 'sea chest'. 

It is very heartening to know that the ship can remain afloat with two of the five watertight sections flooded. That it uses two types of fuel (14,500 tonnes fuel capacity) so carries the cleaner gas oil when a port demands, meaning better access to destinations. At full speed it uses 70 tonnes of fuel a day, and 40 tonnes when cruising. On a port-day (8am to 5pm) it will use 6 to 7 tonnes.

The air rescue area at the front of the bow is only overlooked by 4 master suites. This deck is normally a crew relaxation deck on most cruise ships, so on these ships, the crew get the court area on deck 14, which means no ball games, no walking football. Cabin Video here.

987 Guests | 6 Lifts | 540 Crew | 236m or 774.3ft length | 102.4ft beam | 58,250 GT | speed 18kn | Built Meyer Werft | Launched 2021  SAGA WEB PAGE for OCEAN CRUISING

This is our own film of the ship, showing what it has to offer. Please share and embed.

Please subscribe to the Doris Visits YouTube cruise port guide channel here

Please follow the Doris Visits Facebook page

SAGA CHAT GROUP - all the ships

Cunard next then back to P&O.

Looking back at 2021; I cheated death, had major brain surgery, didn't cruise. I end with a simple message.

Major brain surgery got in the way of me achieving my goal this year, but I escaped the grim reaper.

So, how did my head get covered in glue and end up on fire? That's not as important as how incredible the NHS were. Broadcast news would have you believe that every non-COVID patient is sidelined. 

My tale can hardly be more different!

My big blog is here.  https://www.dorisvisits.com/my2021/

Happy holidays. I intend to have a better year next year.

Stuart St Paul

COZY CRUISE MYSTERY - Good cruise reads, good Christmas tree presents

 Our Christmas special to our cruisers - all 6 novels in a Kindle Box set for the price of two. That's a deal we fought to get.

Cozy mystery thrillers with private detectives have always scored well as novels and as TV shows. From Columbo, through the gentle Midsomer Murders to the increased octane shows like Law and Order. To find a show on your doorstep is always exciting, especially if without the inconvenience of trucks parked in your street and film crews in your house for years and years as a show hits season after season.

Cruise mysteries are based around crimes that need to be solved, but as crime is rare on any ship then it has to be special. These are big crimes, not just the go-to murder, but drug smuggling, people smuggling, and criminals themselves trying to move country undetected, which, is how it all starts. All 6 books in one box set deal.

CRUISE SHIP HEIST

Commander Kieron Philips first civilian job is to commentate on the Panama Canal transit and be in uniform at a commemoration service on a cruise ship his sponsored refugee has grown to become a dancer on. Now a civilian, Kieron's quasi-adopted daughter wants him to find romance but his highly tuned instincts sense serious trouble. Money appears and people go missing as the ship sails between South American ports. With no protective kit, no backup and not armed he avoids ruthless gang appointed assassins on the ship, looking for money he should not have to guard.  Worse still, after a career serving his country with no family to make him vulnerable, he has skin in the game; Auli'i, who now calls him dad. Nothing is worth putting her at risk but as the deathly game escalates, he figures his presence is more than a coincidence. But how? She arranged his visit.

Ports in which action takes place in the novel - Panama.

START AN AUDIO BOOK SUBSCRIPTION - OR GIVE ONE AS A PRESENT WITH THIS COZY CRUISE MYSTERY WHERE THE ROMANCE IS ALWAYS DOOMED

CRUISE SHIP SERIA KILLER

Hunter and Witowski have just started their Miami based cruise crime investigation unit when the three guests are killed on a cruise ship that is out of helicopter assistance range. The Panama to Tahiti crossing is all ocean. Eleven lonely, isolated days of romance at sea that can bleed no more. They board a long-range coast guard plane for a night jump into the Pacific as near to the ship as is possible. Another body is found before they change clothes, and another murder happens each night. The ship's security officer Ruby Jenkins soon develops ideas a taste to join what she sees as a more exciting future, but it is Prisha from data wrangling in the ship’s office who is seconded to help CSCI. If they can stay alive long enough to find the killer. 

CRUISE SHIP LAUNDRY WARS

When asked to investigate a simple problem at sea, Hunter avoids too much information. He has a newborn baby at home and knows cruise operators never call CSCI for simple. Still recovering from an almost fatal head injury, his partner Kieron must leave the beach-front Caribbean villa he bought with Georgie. They had a strange fling, thrown together by discovered millions they had to spend then and there, as Keiron solved the heist that launched CSCI. Her partner, ex KGB agent Bedrîska is living there with Georgie but leaves with Kieron to be his undercover wife as he goes from one awkward triangle to the one three ships repeat in the Mediterranean. Bedi and Kieron discover the ships are picking up women in the Adriatic and selling them against their will on the Spanish coast, in trade the mafia has no intention of losing. Has Bedriska got Kieron's back or is he what she needs to settle?

CRUISE SHIP ART THEFT

Art is being systematically stolen from the collection on the most luxurious cruise ship at sea. The collective value is way beyond the sum people kill for. CSCI is approached to work invisibly because unlike INTERPOL or any other international crime unit, art police, valuers, insurance investigators, or experts, they are unknown to the thieves. They must remain unseen or the crime will stop, the thieves will vanish and the art lost for good. The ace CSCI play is their intern Macey who can be on the ship as the star guest. It is an opportunity that can make this young unknown artist a star. It is exploitation that puts her at risk, but it is a chance her talent deserves; a chance a girl from the Miami projects never gets to have. All she has to do is survive and make it work.

DISASTROUS (COVID 19) CRUISE ROMANCE

Romance can be harsh, it can be violent, it can be a crime. Violet has never had the chance of romance, nor has she experienced life and time is running out. As the world comes out of a major virus lockdown the media's resurgence for life sells her the need to venture out before it is too late. Her care-at-home medical team disagree but before she can be interned again for her own safety, she takes a cruise and vanishes without a trace. Now she is not only a danger to herself, but to others.
Possessing refined skills cunning, wit and acting that were essential to survive a lifetime of institutionalisation, she uses her charm on the ship's crew and guests.
Georgie, head of entertainment senses the problem early on after an unfortunate incident where she overstepped. Rather than admit the incident to her superior officer, the hotel manager, she shares her worry with her partner, Bedriska. The Russian is still in lockdown in Miami where she works for CSCI, from where she tells Georgie to involve Kieron who is on her ship as the guest speaker. He is taking a long look at life and more rehabilitation time as his head injury continues to prove a problem, but the relationship between him and Georgie is frosty as that triangle becomes evermore complicated.
CSCI honours her wishes and doesn't involve the ex-special services man who has been single all his life. They start to investigate Violet from Miami and find the woman is dangerous. Very dangerous. By the time Kieron finds out, it is too late, he and Violet are friends.

START AN AUDIO BOOK SUBSCRIPTION - OR GIVE ONE AS A PRESENT WITH THIS COZY CRUISE MYSTERY WHERE THE ROMANCE IS ALWAYS DOOMED
 

(Cruise ship) BLOOD DIAMONDS

A storeroom gem safe on the cruise ship MS Aerwyna is open and a whistleblower reports it on a tip line. It is the third out-off-service ship, anchored in international waters off the Bahamas, to be refitted. If the heist involves each of the anchored three ships, it is well-organised crime with a purse large enough to kill for.

By the afternoon, Cruise Ship Crime Investigators CSCI are onboard under a cover of system testers. The mastermind and digital expert required to break into the cruise operator’s main system, produce movement orders, and open doors, maybe remotely working from anywhere. However, at least one from the gang must be on board the ship to open the mechanical lock and physically carry the bounty away. Whilst false COVID test results are used to immediately lock the ship down, CSCI know time is limited before the trapped bandits realise the crime has been discovered and they need to escape.

Our page on cruise insurance & antigen testing: click> INSURANCE & TESTING

CHAT GROUPS - a fantastic way to help others and a place to find answers. We run a Facebook Group for each of the ships. For example, P&O IONA group  P&O Ventura MARELLA EXPLORER Disney & Family cruise chatSAGA Ocean & River cruise chat group Viking Ocean & River Cruising chatCunard Chat - Premium cruise liners Find the complete list of chat groups here

Rhodes Guide

Our first visit to Rhodes and what a pleasant surprise, it is an excellent cruise shop. You can walk to the town, walk around it hassle-free, and it is not expensive. An example of how easy they make this visit, the tourist's authority normally deliver maps to the ship to be taken at the reception. Fridge magnet one Euro compared with ten dollars in Bora Bora ... so bonus. It is a find. Great food, great art, nice people, fantastic wine. We stopped there with P&O, and we were followed around by the Norwegian Spirit. We have guides of Athens, Malta, Crete and other Med cities.

DORIS VISITS EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN MENU OF PORT GUIDES   DORIS VISITS WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN MENU OF PORT GUIDES

ATHENS METRO ATHENS ICE CREAM ATHENS GUIDE ATHENS HORSE+CARRIAGE ATHENS PLAKA

Well, we did end the day with an incredible bottle of rose wine with some grilled sardines and a Greek salad just away from the oldest square in the town, in a restaurant where we were not hassled to go inside. The town is an old walled city, whilst there is a new part with designer shops that we looked at quickly at the end, it is, without doubt, the charm of the old town that wins.

The cotton and art are not expensive and we were not over hassled. It was hot and whilst you feel protected suncream and a stop for liquid is recommended. The ship is very close and you can enter at any gate. The maps handed out are very clear. There is no need to prep this site or spend a lot of money, the film may help.

There are options to visit, inside the buildings with or without guides.

In brief, Rhodes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a well-preserved city with about 10,000 residents. The streets inside the wall are flat, the roads up to the back of the city have a gradient which is a nice climb. Sensible shoes. Castles, narrow streets, mosques, fountains, squares, vines draping, wine, fresh fish, and more. The old city wall is thick, it has been a strategic island for the Knights Templars and many others for centuries. Mussolini wanted to use the old Palace of the Grand Masters as his holiday home. It was originally a Byzantine fortress in the 7th century, then the administrative centre of the Knights after they conquered the island. To find it, walk up the cobblestone alley, the Avenue of the Knights. You will see the Knights of St John's palace on the right at the top. There are explanatory boards to read.

The knights had a hospital to deal with the wounded and then the plague that developed because of mounting dead bodies.

Take a look at the maps and help hereHere you will find this map of the old town

SHOPS  - The shop where we saw jewellery being made belonged to Nikoz. It can be found at the back of the town if you are walking around. These streets are quiet and the shops less commercial. His brother's boat is here if you want to book something small and local before you arrive.

SHIP TOURS help you choose your next ship Aurora Ship Tour Marella Discovery 2 Azura Ship Tour Cunard Queen Victoria Britannia Ship Tour Virgin Scarlet Lady Arcadia Ship Tour Ventura Ship Tour SUITE on P&O Every cruise ship and every fleet listed here

PORT GUIDES filmed by Doris Visits are a great way to research, remember your cruise and share your memories with your friends.   ATHENS GUIDE ANTIGUA CRETE GUIDE RHODES ST PETERSBURG ROME DUBROVNIK KEY WEST STATUE OF LIBERTY TOUR STAVANGER

You may have seen cruise thriller author & movie maker Stuart St Paul - click here on a ship giving an after-dinner speech or a talk with a book signing. Crime novels are a whole new experience. You may not have been to the ports in the novels, you certainly won't have been to the parts of the ship they use but they take you there. Stuart's page is here. The cheapest way to buy his cruise thrillers is the KINDLE BOX SET, all six cruise thrillers for the price of two.

CHAT GROUPS - is a fantastic way to help others and a place to find answers. We run a Facebook Group for each of the ships. For example, P&O IONA group  P&O Ventura MARELLA EXPLORER Disney & Family cruise chatSAGA Ocean & River cruise chat group Viking Ocean & River Cruising chatCunard Chat - Premium cruise liners Find the complete list of chat groups here

Doris Visits revamp

As a result of user feedback - I have been experimenting with a fact-table design for the ships and fleets on the main Doris Visits website. I have started with Iona and SAGA (both) .. and tried to get deck plans as well as the current position in there with links to the site pages. Take a look.

https://www.dorisvisits.com/saga-spirit-of-adventure/

I am sure I will mess with the design, and by the time all the ships at sea are done, sometime next year they will have been bought sold and changed again. I will do the British market first as these are the ones I get to visit as a guest author. The others will not get done until next year.

To save you clicking across, I will post the content here, and will try and post more regularly again now... having been sidelined by health for a while now... I am back.

SAGA is interesting because it junked its old ships and decided to make a power move. Out with the old, in with the new. And in with upmarket, style, all-inclusive and lots more. This is now a luxury cruise brand where even the speciality dining is included and if Virgin Voyages shout, 'but we stay up all night!'... so can SAGA cruisers.

Two ships, both with nightclubs, and Jouls Holland well into a five-year deal to be the name to them, they offer cabaret dining.

It is a small ship model, both the Spirit of Adventure and the Spirit of Discovery have a maximum capacity of 999 guests. Some cruises sell out very fast. Both SAGA new ships offer the highest standards in every respect: The Saga sisters are characterised by their eco-friendly and resource-saving design and their appropriate facilities for a discerning cruiser. With 20% of cabins for solo cruisers, the ship is spacious as well as stylish. They offer a familiar classic style, but with modern facilities from a USB charger in the room to an online system (which at the time of writing only works if you book direct and online). CLICK TO GO DIRECT If you go for the current position - see the button in the table. The SoA should be centre screen when the advert is dismissed.

The buttons in the table don't translate, so any of the book direct highlights take you to the SAGA site which will show the ship and deck plans. This is the chat group link https://www.facebook.com/groups/saga.cruise.chat.group

Dining. Spirit of Adventure has a fantastic choice of restaurants. The Dining Room and The Grill, also offers alfresco dining on the adjoining Verandah. There are 3 speciality restaurants; Amalfi, Italian; Khukuri, Napalese; The Supper Club, is a cabaret-style club where you can stay all night. But these fill so be sure to reserve your table once on board. These and the complimentary drinks served throughout your cruise are all-inclusive. Look around, there is so much the SAGA website can do a fuller job. While you are there, book direct with them, online.

Small ships have many advantages, but the main one is the ports and islands it is capable of getting to stop at. SAGA in particular has some very special routes with exciting stops. On any cruise ship, many of the guests can be said to be older, but SAGA states adult only. 40 years of age is the youngest guest, but they can only travel if with someone over 50; 50 being the main threshold. This is a typical year for the Spirit of Adventure, and in October of 2021 at least one cruise, the 32-night Ancient Wonders of the Black Sea on May 22nd, 2022 was sold out. SAGA's change to new modern, luxury all-inclusive ships has been a great success.

January 5, 2022 - Classic Canaries - 15 nights

January 20, 2022 - Canary Island Adventure - 16 nights

February 5, 2022 - Under the Glow of the Northern Lights - 17 nights

February 22, 2022 - A Caribbean Spring - 35 nights

March 29, 2022 - The Glorious Canary Islands - 15 nights

April 13, 2022 - In the Footsteps of St James - 11 nights

April 24, 2022 - Croatia and Cities of the Central Mediterranean - 22 nts

May 16, 2022 - An Irish Interlude - 5 nights

June 21, 2022 - Ancient Wonders of the Black Sea – 32 nts

June 22, 2022 - An Exhibition of the Baltic - 16 nights

July 8, 2022 - Melodies of Ireland - 11 nights

July 19, 2022 - Spitzbergen’s Arctic Landscape - 18 nights

August 6, 2022 - Croatia & Cities of the Central Mediterranean -22 nts

August 28, 2022 - Britain’s Celtic Fringe - 13 nights

September 10, 2022 - Secrets of the Emerald Isle - 9 nights

September 19, 2022 - Majestic Fjordland - 9 nights

September 28, 2022 - Spain and the French Riviera -15 nights

October 13, 2022 - Classical Islands of Greece - 22 nights

November 4, 2022 - The Glorious Canary Islands - 15 nights

November 19, 2022 - Archipelagos of the Atlantic - 19 nights

December 8, 2022 - Grand Caribbean Christmas - 35 nights

If a holiday is sold out, it is often removed from selling on the SAGA website, whereas, annoyingly, it will still be being sold at some agents who are behind the curve.

This is meant to be no more than a quick and helpful reference.

To research these, click above in the main box and it will take you directly to the SAGA site where the information will be accurate. Booking direct with SAGA has its benefits.

 

I am sometimes on the ships talking about my novels and career in film. Come and say hi. Stuart St Paul.

 

Boston Harbour Walk, Massachusetts Bay

The Harborwalk connects over forty parks, a dozen museums, seven beaches and hundreds of restaurants and stores and stretches 43 miles along the Bay of what is officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is the most populated state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. The variety the walk offers ranges from maritime industrial areas and working port operations to areas for swimming or fishing. You are never going to walk it all, not in a day, certainly not in a cruise stop, but it is interesting to know that it links so much. Mayor Raymond Flynn began this project in 1984 as a commitment to protect public access as the waterfront was redeveloped. Since then the Harborwalk has emerged piece-by-piece and is nearing completion. Where possible it is a 12-foot pathway with public amenities such as parks, restaurants, stores, cultural institutions and importantly bathrooms. There is also a water transportation infrastructure.
So, if you are dropped at Quincy market by your cruise shuttle, or come into Aquarium Metro, the Wharf is right there and both ways have interesting things to see. We take you right to the Tea Party Museum and left to Joe's and other restaurants. There is an app in the usual stores under 'Welcome to Boston Harbour', or plan your visit here with the Ferry schedule to one of the Islands.

If you are on a New England Cruise we have many films that might help you plan or excite you about your forthcoming trip, or if you are undecided they might just sway you to this route. They include, Boston Cheers, Boston Harbour Walk, Boston Clough House, New York Statue of Liberty and Island trip, NY Ellis Island, NY Empire State Building by Night, NY Big Bus Blue Route, NY Big Bus Purple Route, NY Big Bus Red Route, New York Library, New York Grand Central Station, Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, Baltimore Guide, Charleston Guide and Bermuda.

SEE THE CRUISE BEFORE YOU CRUISE THE SEA. Check out some of the great Cruise Routes, our concise films of what a ship offers when it takes a specific route. These are typical routes but we do have films to help cruisers on every popular cruise destination in the world.  Baltic Route - Canary Islands Cruise - New England Cruise - Caribbean Cruise (from Barbados) - Norwegian Fjords - Mediterranean Routes

• P&O Cruises - Book your cruise to Boston direct with P&O  - Click here
• or for the Late P&O deals click here to see the fleet click here
• Fred Olsen - Book your cruise to Boston with Fred Olsen  - Click here
• or for the late Fred Olsen deals click here to see the fleet click here
• Thomson Cruises - Thomson Cruises
• or for the late Thomson Cruise deals click here to see the fleet click here
• Saga Cruises  - Search, check availability and book - Click here
• or for the late SAGA CRUISE deals click here to see the fleet click here
• Holiday Extras, car parks and Cruise Insurance

This ambitious build in Midtown Manhattan between 48th and 55th streets is historic as it was taken on by one man. It was declared an American National Historic Landmark in 1987. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. leased the 22 acres from Columbia University in 1928, the development began in 1930 without the originally planned opera house as his plans changed following the stockmarket crash of 1929 and the Metropolitan Opera's continual delays to hold out for a more favourable lease. Rockefeller decided to move forward without them stating, "It was clear that there were only two courses open to me. One was to abandon the entire development. The other to go forward with it in the definite knowledge that I myself would have to build it and finance it alone." As the sole financier, on a 27-year lease with options for three 21 year renewals, from Columbia, he negotiated a line of credit with the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company and covered other expenses through the sale of his oil company stock. The initial costs were estimated at $250 million. It was the largest private building project ever undertaken in modern times. Now the building attracts approximately 350,000 visitors and tenants daily!!!

The Rockefeller Centre is the most recognised commercial property in the world. The Rockefeller Centre houses art, pieces, sculptures and wall paintings. There are some restaurants and bars, much commercial office space and roof gardens. NBC runs 21 floors, then there is the combined ticket Top of the Rock and Museum of Modern Art. The centre building stands 70 floors and reaches 872 ft less than half the size of the Burj Khalifa showing how times have changed in so many respects. The address is 30 Rockefeller Centre and it gave its name to the TV show. It is situated in midtown Manhattan between Fifth and Sixth Avenue. The first building completed was the Radio City Music Hall, in December 1932. At the time, it was said to be the largest and most opulent theater in the world. As well as being famous for the Christmas Tree and Ice Skating there are other family events throughout the year. It has Bill's Burger Bar, Ben & Jerry's, Harry's Italian Pizza and other eateries. The shops include the NBC shop and a Lego shop.

SEE THE CRUISE BEFORE YOU CRUISE THE SEA. Check out some of the great Cruise Routes, our concise films of what a ship offers when it takes a specific route. These are typical routes but we do have films to help cruisers on every popular cruise destination in the world.  Baltic Route - Canary Islands Cruise - New England Cruise - Caribbean Cruise (from Barbados) - Norwegian Fjords - Mediterranean Routes

• P&O Cruises - Book your cruise to Boston direct with P&O  - Click here
• or for the Late P&O deals click here to see the fleet click here
• Fred Olsen - Book your cruise to Boston with Fred Olsen  - Click here
• or for the late Fred Olsen deals click here to see the fleet click here
• Thomson Cruises - Thomson Cruises
• or for the late Thomson Cruise deals click here to see the fleet click here
• Saga Cruises  - Search, check availability and book - Click here
• or for the late SAGA CRUISE deals click here to see the fleet click here
• Holiday Extras, car parks and Cruise Insurance

P&O cruise ship Azura, ship tour all passenger areas

The Cruise Ship from P&O Azura has a 3100 passenger capacity but doesn't feel like a big ship which is why it has its fans and such a high returning customer base to its 14/19 passenger decks.

With some bigger ships having over 6800 passengers and the P&O flagship Britannia having approx 3640 passengers, maybe, the Azura will soon no longer be referred to as large. It no longer makes the top 30 biggest cruise ships. However, it is three sets of corridors long as opposed to the Arcadia's or the even slightly smaller but spacious Aurora's two sets, so it is larger. It is the sister ship to the Ruby Princess and the Ventura.

It is said to be the ship that the raunchy romantic novel Her Virgin Voyage was written on during a Canary Islands cruise, but not the ship in the second book which predicted P&O's venture into the first same sex marriages at sea in the second book The Perfect Storm. The Azura is an easy ship to navigate, it offers a lot in the way of fine dining options and entertainment with three large venues as well as quiet areas and a library, so it has the best of both worlds. It also has a pub and casino on the lower decks if you wish to avoid dressing on formal nights. Take a look at our film of all passenger areas first. Please subscribe to us on You Tube and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Check out some of the great Cruise Routes, our concise films of what a ship offers when it takes a specific route. These are typical routes but we do have films to help cruisers on every popular cruise destination in the world.                                                          

 Baltic Route - Canary Islands Cruise - New England Cruise - Caribbean Cruise (from Barbados) - Norwegian Fjords - Mediterranean Routes

If you are new to Doris Visits Cruise TV then welcome, we invite you to comment at the end of our blogs, and ask you for follow us on here on www.DorisVisits.com and like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our YouTube Channel to get the best from us. We are always looking for presenters and social media activists to help us expand so drop us a line anytime with ideas at press@DorisVisits.co.uk  PLEASE SHARE

SEE THE CRUISE BEFORE YOU CRUISE THE SEA. Worldwide destination films for cruisers; New York to Barbados, Rome to Stavanger, Bora Bora to Tallinn, Tenerife to Cork.

A cruisers guide to Boston, Massachusetts

Boston harbour was a mess a generation ago, and the docks like all docks have changed from the warehouses to containers. That means the old warehouses are now offices and apartments and the seafront is totally different, the water cleaned up. In order to save public access, the Boston Harbour Walk was developed and is 43 miles of a 12 foot wide boardwalk along the seafront. It links parks, harbours, working boat and dock areas, ferry and parks, amenities and toilets, bars and restaurants. Boston has become a fun young city with much to offer. Inland there is another path, a brick line as Dorothy might follow in the Wizard or Freedom, because it is the Freedom Trail with many stops of interest from the Boston Massacre, to the Tea Party. From the real Cheers bar to the one at Quincy Market, from Museums to lectures and information by Park Rangers, Boston is a city you can walk around, will walk around, the question that remains is which way? That is where Doris Visits comes in. Here is our overview film. The guide to Boston.

Check out some of the great Cruise Routes, our concise films of what a ship offers when it takes a specific route. These are typical routes but we do have films to help cruisers on every popular cruise destination in the world.           

Baltic Route - Canary Islands Cruise - New England Cruise - Caribbean Cruise (from Barbados) - Norwegian Fjords - Mediterranean Routes

If you are new to Doris Visits Cruise TV then welcome, we invite you to comment at the end of our blogs, and ask you for follow us on here on www.DorisVisits.com and like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our YouTube Channel to get the best from us. We are always looking for presenters and social media activists to help us expand so drop us a line anytime with ideas at press@DorisVisits.co.uk  PLEASE SHARE

SEE THE CRUISE BEFORE YOU CRUISE THE SEA. Worldwide destination films for cruisers; New York to Barbados, Rome to Stavanger, Bora Bora to Tallinn, Tenerife to Cork.

The New England Cruise Route

Nothing is as impressive as autumn on the east coast of North America, a perfect time of year to witness the superb spectacle of colour in the Fall or Autumn - whichever.

These New England cruises offer a contrast between some of the most British of American harbours with the familiar colours of leaf fall, and the rugged Cornish-like sea coast. Boston is many people's favourite American city with its huge park and "Cheers" bar. Our films there take in the Parks and Freedom trail as Boston is an easy city to explore on foot although there are trolly buses for tourists.

Bar Harbour is a port that is a tender port and often missed due to bad weather so the dreamed of ''lobster roll' was missed - it has been for us every time. One day we will get there.

New York’s wonderful Statue of Liberty against an instantly recognisable skyline is an amazing sight as the ship cruises along the Hudson River. Then the ships start to creep further south to Baltimore, then to Charleston and Bermuda before taking in the Azores on the way home. All these are featured on our East Coast menu, so if you have not cruised there yet, take a look at this route. Our destinations are split into route sections to make it easy for you, have a look around and let us know your thoughts. This was the main section of the Aurora 715 Boston down and back to the Azores.

A cruise route is like a road trip at sea, if you have missed our previous blog on the road movie film The Last Flag Flying, please take a look. Great movie.

Check out some of the great Cruise Routes, our concise films of what a ship offers when it takes a specific route. These are typical routes but we do have films to help cruisers on every popular cruise destination in the world.              Baltic Route - Canary Islands Cruise - New England Cruise - Caribbean Cruise (from Barbados) - Norwegian Fjords - Mediterranean Routes

Strictly Come Dancing - tickets to the adventure

Have you applied for Strictly tickets. Do you know the chances? - about the same as the Lottery. Elstree studio holds 600, Blackpool at best 900, and there are guests and relatives who have to be looked after, so the ticket allocation is really a lottery. But, you can get up close and personal at the shows, or See more than a show at Sea.... It has stared, it looks like the final is a forgone conclusion already but who knows. What we do know is there will be a great show on board ship. The dates for the 2018 Strictly Come Dancing cruises are released and many passengers have already booked. Though P&O do suggest they are subject to change that is probably more to cover an eventuality they cannot control because the system all fits into a calendar year as we will explain. There will be two on the Azura, one on the Britannia and one on the Ventura. The dates normally sit in the summer because the show itself has a timetable. There is the TV show until Christmas, the live shows, then the dancers take their own shows on tour. They finish and they come straight to the Cruise shows, and when they finish that they begin rehearsing for the main TV show in the run up to Christmas. Here is exactly what happens on ship.

This year it is

• AZURA A808 13th April    -   click here for room availability Spain, France, Italy. (Med) and at the moment Atul Kochhar is meant to be on board this.
• VENTURA N809 11th May    -   click here for room availability Spain, France, Italy. (Med)
• BRITANNIA B816 3rd June   -   click here for room availability Spain, France, Italy. (Med)
• AZURA A819 21st July   -   click here for room availability Spain, Monaco, Italy. (Med)

As the main presenter for the online and Opera TV cruise show Doris Visits I get to cruise a lot, but I was keenly looking forward to Strictly Come Dancing at sea last year. You may wonder why they are all on a similar route and all on the Med, I can only suggest, knowing the routine and how timed to the minute the crammed entertainment programme is, that the access to airports on the days the stars change over is well worked on this route. So, what happens? What can you expect? They suggested there would be more this year as if there wasn't more than enough last year.
Here is what happened last year. I normally work at every port stop filming from the moment the ship docks until the moment it leaves, and I try and see every entertainment act so I thought this might be a busy cruise for me. I had no idea just how busy and exhausting, I have never been on a cruise with so much on offer! If you have never cruised take a look at the ten-minute film of our blow by blow of ports, the ship and what was on. It is an education. Here is last year in the Med. Actually, as this blog is content heavy you might want to read it then come back to the links. This is a day by day or what happens.

Day one, a Sunday the Britannia left Southampton and quite a few of the three and a half thousand passengers were finding their way round the ship for the first time. The tone of the cruise was set as we found costumes from Strictly, soon to be known as SCD on mannequins around the ship. SCD is now very organised on board, so if you are worried that such an event filled cruise might be a battle to see things I cannot stress enough that is not the case. Britannia holds 3600 passengers and the Headliners Theatre holds 950. Each special SCD act performs four times and they are ticketed to ensure that everyone gets to see the show, almost always when they want. Now it is down to you, the passenger to plan how you will get round the event filled day and find time to eat! With choir, other entertainers and port visits the list of events looked daunting.

Monday 26^th morning it started early with the opportunity to book private lessons with Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec in the Atrium where passengers were also encouraged to book to compete for the final grand passenger dance off. There was an SCD help desk set up in the Atrium. At 2pm there was a Masterclass with Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec in the Crystal Ballroom, this was busy but people were in good spirits. Then at 4pm Janette and Aljaz were in the packed 950 seat Headliners theatre. The charming couple were introduced by Tracy Clegg and Aljaz told the story of how the last question two years ago on the same cruise was ‘when are you going to propose?’ He said he went straight to the on board jewellers and bought the ring, he told how he proposed and they then revealed their wedding plans which are to take place just a couple of weeks after they disembark the ship. Three weddings, London, Cuba and Slovenia. They also announced that they have both been confirmed back on this year’s Strictly with three new female dancers and a new female judge. We were off to a great start. Black Tie evening I was spoilt with an early treat at Michelin star chef Atul Kochhar’s Sindhu Restaurant.
10am on Tuesday 27^th there was the first of a hosted wardrobe tour of the SCD costumes. On board at midday Janette ran a Master Class in the Crystal room. Later in the Limelight Janette and Aljaz ran a dance class for youths in the more private area of the Limelight Club. Everything worked like a well-oiled machine with Eric Lanlard doing both a Master Cookery Class in the morning and an 'Audience with' in the Headliners in the afternoon. Because some of the events are ticketed, there was a Strictly help desk established in the Atrium from 9am to 10.45 daily.
Wednesday  28^th June the costume tours repeated but there was the additional live fashion show at 4pm from the resident ship’s show cast. Janette and Aljaz did a 'meet and greet' session, signing and having photographs with guests at midday. Film director Stuart St Paul who did many of the 1980's pop videos like Wild Boys with Arlene Phillips, revealed the secrets to filming on location and spilt the beans on how little of Angels and Demons was shot in Rome. (that is a fun way to see Rome, see the blog) (He also reveals the best way to shoot the Trevi Fountains in the Rome blog)
The black tie evening was quite special and very full so we ate early. I had the lobster main course and the two of us shared the suggested wine. Delicious! Janette and Aljax did the first of their evening shows and we were there. This was a ticketed event, not because there was a cost, but because everyone wanted to see them and it was the perfect way to ensure everyone did. There were two shows that night in the Headliners, 8.30 and 10.30, then two more to follow tomorrow. That meant four chances to see the show. The Headliners theatre is bigger than most West End theatres, it has an LED back wall for effects and backdrops but that was not used. The whole stage was a dance area and they performed. It was a joy to watch such master talent close up and personal and I have not seen such great dancing since Patrick Swayze danced with his wife at the Oscars. The specialist dance instructors on board for the two weeks were also in the show. They were also magnificent dancers, but, the sheer excellence of the stars was obvious. The show was funny and engaging and mixed clips with anecdotes as well as dances including the Russian Tango, the American Smooth and a Jive. The ‘Evening With’ event at the Headliners felt like a longer very full show and one can see why the dancers need to eat well because the energy they must use twice a night plus their day time training, as well as dance classes must burn huge amounts of calories. Opposite them in the live lounge at the other end of the ship Kai McKenzie was Michael Bublé, a tribute act even Michael says is the best. We left the theatre having been spoilt with a great show and managed to find seats to watch another hugely talented individual.

Thursday 29^th June was our first stop in Alicante and I was off filming one of our usual films for Doris Visits. In the evening were the next two shows for Janette and Aljax to ensure the whole ship had seen them.

Later the same evening we went to see the very funny comedian Tucker, who we have seen many times before but he had new material and even the ones we had heard before made us laugh out loud.

Friday we were in Barcelona. Janette and Aljaz left the ship and Karen and Kevin Clifton got on. Eric and Ern, the Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise tribute who we also play golf with back home in The Stage Association, the next small world phenomenon happened. Another of the golfer's partners was on board to sing. This was a real treat because we have heard about her for a long time as one of the top female West End stars but had never seen her, Jenna Lee-James. She had just finished playing the lead in Mamma Mia and had previously been in We Will Rock you for nearly six years. She sang everything from Streisand to Freddie Mercury and we were in the presence of greatness once again.

Saturday 1^st July. A cruise ship does make the world a small place because although it was too windy for the Britannia to pull into Cannes, plans were made for us to detour to Corsica. Having missed Cannes, film director and Cannes veteran Stuart St Paul was on board to explain the Cannes Film Festival and what goes on there. In the evening Tucker held a late night comedy session. The entertainment kept coming day and night and it was exhausting reporting on all of them. Tucker was a treat.

Sunday was La Spezia and we took the train to Pisa and filmed the leaning tower, cathedral and town for Doris Visits. On the way back we did a short film on La Spezia for the many who like to see the local town and never venture further. Back on board was an audience with Karen and Kevin.

Monday 3^rd we arrived in Civitavecchia and we travelled into Rome where I presented an Angels and Demons film made for Doris Visits. Kevin and Karen performed the first two of their shows in the evening. Or there was a cookery club dinner at the chef's table in the Cookery Club on deck 17. Bucks Fizz star Cheryl Baker started her four nights in the Limelight.
Tue 4^th July Black Tie - Peter Andre performed the first of his four shows and in the live lounge was Rieta Austin one of the Strictly singers performing her show. Film and action director Stuart St Paul was in the Headliners theatre in the afternoon talking about his years of Pop Videos like Wild Boys with Strictly’s Arlene Phillips and Elton John Videos with Strictly’s Bruno adding the action, the fire and the somersaulting gymnasts into the routines.
Wed 5^th July we stopped at Cartagena, a regular stop but I had not been there since a very early Britannia cruise and noted that since then they have hidden the entrance to the amphitheatre that was accidently found in 1980. Now you have to accidently find it again, though the best views of it are still from above it, the castle and the park.
Peter Andre did the last two of his four shows and Jayne Middleton was in the Live Lounge as Annie Lennox.
Thur 6^th saw Craig Revel Horwood start the first of his four shows in the headliners and soul legend Jimmy James played in the Live Lounge. Darren Day started his run in the Limelight.
Friday 7^th was a Black Tie night, and Strictly’s Natalie Lowe hosted a chat session at midday then judged the passenger dance finals with Craig and Executive producer Richard Curwen. Lven Johnson played the live lounge as Whitney Houston while we watched Darren Day in the Limelight perform an incredible show.

Saturday 8^th, the last sea day saw things wind down with Exec Producer Richard Curwen talk about the 'behind the scenes'. Natalie Lowe did a signing session and then the ships company of inhouse entertainers did the second of the Strictly fashion shows. Director Stuart St Paul did his final talk about directing on Petra and the Wadi Rum as an introduction to the Arcadia's 99 day circumnavigation next year. That night I had dinner in the Sindhu, feeling totally spoilt and exhausted and needing a holiday to get over the busiest and most entertainment filled cruise I have ever been on. Even Richard Curwen said it was the biggest Strictly Cruise show ever and that talks were ongoing for next year to be even bigger. It is a good job I am boarding the Azura for the Fjords in two weeks time as I need a break! Click the picture or here to get to the ten minute fast cut  blow by blow film of the cruise.