During the 33-year lifespan of this book, I have been privileged to enjoy some wonderful experiences aboard cruise ships. Here, in no particular order, are 33 wonderful cruise experiences – plus 33 ways to upgrade your cruise experience.
Fingal’s Cave
Passing within an arm’s distance of Fingal’s Cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa (one of Scotland’s Inner Hebridean Islands), as Felix Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture (inspired by the real molten lava rock cavern) was played on the open back deck of the pocket-sized Hebridean Princess. At the time – late one chilly morning in spring– I was sitting wrapped in a tartan blanket under a grey, foreboding sky, enjoying a single malt whisky.
Slice of ice
Watching from the observation deck above the bridge of Hanseatic, as the ship sliced slowly through the pack-ice in the incredibly scenic, steep-sided Lemaire Channel in the Antarctic Peninsula.
Douglas Ward at Shackleton’s grave, South Georgia.
Douglas Ward
‘Europa’s Best’
Tasting some beautiful artisan cuisine prepared by chefs whose restaurants had three Michelin three stars aboard Europa for the annual Europa’s Best event in Antwerp. Some of the finest cheese and wine producers from Austria, France, Germany, and Switzerland displayed their wares, too. This culinary heaven can be enjoyed by anyone with a ticket.
The Royal Box
Having breakfast in a ‘Royal Box’ on deck aboard the boutique ships SeaDream I or SeaDream II while at sea.
Culinary tour de force
Enjoying freshly sliced tuna and yellowtail sashimi at Nobu Matsuhisa’s Silk Road Sushi Bar aboard Crystal Serenity. Not only was this a culinary tour de force, but watching the Japanese chefs was entertaining, too.
Amalfi magic
Sitting on the corner balcony of a Club Suite aboard Azamara Quest, admiring the beautiful scenery of Sorrento, Italy, with the ship at anchor off the famed coastline and a Limoncello to hand.
Candles in the wind
Dining by candlelight at the aft terrace café of Aegean Odyssey while watching the mesmerising patterns created on the water by a full, seemingly orange moon in Southeast Asia.
Noodles in Alaska
Sitting on my balcony, breathing in the fresh air and enjoying room-service steaming hot udon noodles, while transiting Alaska’s Inside Passage aboard Nippon Maru.
Sydney sights
Being outside on deck watching as Queen Mary 2 turned majestically in Sydney Harbour and sidled up to Circular Quay, close to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House. All this with hundreds of spectators.
Blue lagoon nights
Lying down in the padded ‘Blue Lagoon’ seating area at the stern of the Sea Cloud, watching the sails directing this wonderful tall ship and seeing a shooting star pass quickly overhead – a most serene experience.
Shackleton’s grave
One Christmas Day, paying homage in Grytviken – the former Norwegian whaling station in South Georgia – with passengers from the expedition ships Bremen and Hanseatic. We toasted the explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton with Aquavit at his grave.
The green flash
Cruising aboard a Hurtigruten ship, near Hammerfest or Honningsvag on the northern coast of Norway in October, and seeing the ‘green flash’ of the northern lights appear on the horizon, as the sun dipped and disappeared.
Under the stars
Standing on deck at the front of the ship, just before bedtime, in one of the wonderfully comfortable cotton sleep suits provided aboard SeaDream I and SeaDream II. The rhythm of the ship was lulling me to sleep as it sailed to its next destination.
Spiderman
Sitting in the netting hanging at the bowsprit (front) of the sail-cruise ship (tall ship) Star Flyer – an exhilarating experience. On this occasion, the ship was gliding gracefully through the water on a perfect, sun-filled day in the azure blue Caribbean Sea.
Misty morning
Standing on the foredeck of a cruise ship entering Ha Long Bay, a Unesco-protected World Heritage site in the Gulf of Tonkin in Quang Ninh Province in north-eastern Vietnam. Go in the early morning, when the mist is heavy, for an ethereal feeling of calmness. The dramatic limestone karsts (stone islands) surrounding the ship loom up from the sea-level cloud of heavy air.
The Blue Lagoon thermal hot spring, Iceland.
Ming Tang-Evans/Apa Publications
Queen and country
Taking a bath in Cabin 1066 of the Queen Elizabeth 2 one evening during a transatlantic crossing, listening to Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance on the in-cabin broadcast system and thinking: how incredibly British.
Canal move
Watching as steel-wired electric mules (each costing over $2 million) pull your cruise ship into position in one of the lock chambers at Miraflores Locks, in the Panama Canal.
Bird’s-eye view
Being aboard a cruise ship sailing into or out of Venice, gliding past St Mark’s Square. It’s a view of Venice you only get from the deck (or balcony – if yours is on the correct side) of a waterborne vessel.
Steps away
Being aboard a small cruise ship moored alongside the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. This takes you literally just a few steps away from the iconic building – one of the largest and oldest museums in the world, with over 3 million items in its collection, including some stunning Fabergé eggs.
Titanic pose
Standing with outstretched arms, just like Kate Winslet in the movie Titanic, at the front of Braemar, as the ship glided slowly through the Swedish archipelago towards Stockholm.
On top of the world
Standing at 90 degrees north – the geographic North Pole (it’s actually an ice flow) – literally looking down the world (the first human set foot there in 1948). I reached the North Pole in 2016 aboard the stunning Russian nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Years of Victory.
Bathtub cruising
Staring at the horizon while lying in the bathtub in the ‘wet room’ (with heated floor) in one of the two Deck 10 Crystal Penthouse suites aboard Crystal Symphony, as the ship glided through open water.
Paw power
Being pulled by a team of huskies in Juneau, Alaska, as we sped past glaciers and ice peaks (taken in combination with a flight to Mendenhall Glacier).
Slipping away
Sitting on the deck of a pocket-sized cruise ship in Glacier Bay, Alaska, watching the blue glacial ice calving, making you rock and roll as it slipped, slid, and crashed into the water within inches of your body.
Melting away
Sitting in a pool of silica- and sulphur-rich geo-thermal water in Iceland’s Blue Lagoon – a man-made outlet close to the Svartsengi Power Station and part of the lava field located on the Reykjanes Peninsula. This is offered as part of a tour from your cruise ship.
Surprise, surprise
Meeting someone you never expected to, or thought possible to meet. On cruises over the years, I have been fortunate enough to meet, talk to, and have a drink with some well-known film stars and other personalities including Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Tippi Hedren, Dame Margot Fonteyn, and the great conductor Leopold Stokowski.
Photo opportunity
Being aboard a photo tender arranged by the cruise line (in my case, this was aboard a tall ship) and taking photographs as the tall ship was under full sail and not slowing down. An exhilarating experience that you can still enjoy.
Passing the lava
Being aboard a cruise ship off the north coast of Sicily, where you pass close to Stromboli in action. The almost constantly erupting volcano bursts into life and emits incandescent lava.
Three-star Michelin chef Dieter Müller plating up.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises
Michelin dining
Dining in the intimate Dieter Müller At Sea restaurant aboard Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Europa. Müller sold his own restaurant – which had three Michelin stars – and now operates his own seagoing dining venue for six months each year.
Natural wonders
I was on deck aboard an expedition cruise ship in Antarctic waters when a number of killer whales (orcas) began splashing in the water just off the starboard side aft, making the ship roll. They were so close that I could have touched one of their dorsal fins. A spectacular show of nature.
New Year’s Eve pyrotechnics
Being aboard ship supping Champagne while enjoying the magnificently colorful New Year’s Eve fireworks display in Funchal, Madeira. A cruise ship offers the very best vantage point for this fantastic display, which lasts around 10 minutes or so and is considered to be one of the most spectacular in the world.
Zip-a-dee-doo-dah
Careening along the zip line strung between rows of cabins high above the deck of Allure of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, or Oasis of the Seas. Quite a surprise to the occupants of some of the interior promenade balcony cabins!
Maiden cruise
Enjoying the anticipation and excitement of a maiden voyage aboard a brand new ship – an experience highly prized among cruise collectors. Just be prepared for the fact that it might not all be smooth sailing, and there might be teething troubles.
Happy ever after
Looking for a partner? I met my future wife aboard a Japanese cruise ship some years ago, and we married several years later. You too, could meet the person of your dreams aboard a cruise ship – it happens all the time.
33 ways to upgrade your cruise experience
There are many ways to enhance your cruise and vacation – some of which will add little or no cost, and some may cost more, but add value and comfort. Your cruise booking agent may also be able to obtain additional ‘perks’ at no additional cost to you. Here are some 33 suggestions for you to consider.
1. Take a digital detox cruise – turn off your mobile phone for a whole cruise, or at least a few days.
2. Go farther afield – take a cruise to an area of the world you haven’t yet been to.
3. If you need to fly to get to your ship, consider upgrading from Economy (Coach) Class to Business or First Class.
4. Upgrade your accommodation (if the ship is not full) by paying extra when on board.
5. Be the first to sleep in a brand new bed by booking a maiden voyage aboard a brand new ship.
6. Upgrade your accommodation, if the budget allows. Consider upgrading from an interior (no-view) cabin to one with a window, or a ‘virtual’ balcony.
7. Consider upgrading from a ‘standard’ cabin with a window to one with a balcony.
8. If possible, upgrade from a balcony cabin to a suite, as you’ll get more ‘perks’ and better service.
9. Consider upgrading from a ‘suite’ with just a shower enclosure to a suite, with both a bathtub and a separate shower enclosure.
10. And think about upgrading from standard suite to a grand suite, a penthouse suite, or an ‘owner’s suite’ for even more recognition and more ‘perks.’
11. For a more intimate dining experience, reserve a table in one of the extra-cost (à la carte) restaurants.
12. Upgrade your fitness level – have a ‘no elevator’ day (or two, or more).
13. Upgrade your health by eating lighter, ‘heart-healthy’ options.
14. If you are a meat eater, have a meat-free day (numerous non-meat choices are available aboard any cruise ship).
15. For a special day, have breakfast in bed – with Champagne.
16. Try a higher-quality wine or Champagne on a special day (birthday, anniversary, or other celebration).
17. Book a culinary lesson aboard a ship with built-in cooking stations, so you can experience ‘hands-on’ with a professional.
18. Upgrade your drinks package from ‘standard’ to ‘premium’ and taste better brands, drinks, and wines.
19. Take a look at your ship at arm’s length in a ‘glass capsule’ aboard Anthem of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas, or Quantum of the Seas.
20. Try a new activity – sign-up for something you’d never considered doing before.
21. Learn something new: for example, how to play a keyboard instrument. You can take part in free hands-on classes aboard Crystal Serenity or Crystal Symphony.
22. For a better body, book a session or two with a personal trainer.
23. If you’ve never had one, try a body-pampering treatment (suggestions: a full body massage, a facial, or, if you are traveling with a partner, a couples massage).
24. Book a private (extra-cost) deck night aboard Azamara Journey or Azamara Quest. The experience involves drinks, a hot tub, and sleeping on deck.
25. If you’re married, why not think about renewing your commitment in a Renewal of Vows ceremony?
26. Take a social dance lesson – learn how to do the waltz, foxtrot, quickstep, samba, or tango.
27. Reserve a ‘Royal Box’ (Champagne and chocolates included) in the Royal Court Theater for the show aboard Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth or Queen Victoria.
28. Take a transatlantic crossing aboard a real ocean liner. Queen Mary 2 is the only ship built for all weather conditions in the North Atlantic. It’s one of the best ways to arrive in a different continent without jet lag.
29. If you are traveling with a baby, take advantage of a night nursery (free aboard Cunard and P&O Cruises ships, but at extra cost aboard most others), so you can have some ‘me’ time in the evening – and some decent sleep.
30. When you come back from a morning excursion, instead of heading to the self-serve buffet, have a calm room-service lunch.
31. Get real insight into a place you want to visit by booking a private tour with a local guide.
32. Book a post-cruise stay, so that disembarkation day becomes less frenetic and gives you time to adjust to ‘normality.’
33. Close up the house and take an around-the-world cruise.