Love the idea of cruising – or simply hate it?

There are those who are hooked on cruising and others willing to give it a try but, at the other end of the scale, there are those who would not dream of setting foot on a cruise ship even if you paid them. The reasons they give for not giving cruising a chance include fears …

Anthem: ‘Bad luck’ but not ‘cursed’ as media says

‘Storm-battered’, ‘bad luck’ and even ‘cursed’ are just three of the epithets applied by the media to Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas cruise ship after the early return to port after its latest voyage was curtailed. And, although the shipping line said that the ship was turned around to avoid another storm, passengers have said …

Across the Atlantic on Anthem of the Seas

Many of you seem to have enjoyed reading my two recent blogs about sailing on a cruise to the Norwegian Fjords aboard Crown Princess back in 2013. Well, that was my very first cruise, though not for my wife Lisa who had cruised before during her previous marriage. Our most recent cruise was on Royal …

Cruise crew couldn’t do enough

A couple of days ago, I posted a blog that was the first part of a story about a cruise aboard Crown Princess to the Norwegian Fjords thanks to a grant received from the UK’s MS Society back in 2013. It was a much-needed holiday courtesy of the society’s short breaks fund. I promised more …

A ‘short break’ cruise to Norway thanks to MS Society

It seems a long time ago now but in spring of 2013 I had not had a holiday for a number of years and, living on disability benefits, we could not afford much – so our regional MS Society staff member recommended that I apply to the society for a grant from its short breaks …

Royal Caribbean cruise ship Anthem caught in storm but don’t panic, Captain Claus is so cool in command

News that Royal Caribbean’s cruise ship Anthem of the Seas was hit by a bad storm with hurricane force winds and huge waves on its current trip took me back to Lisa’s and my time aboard that very ship last year. We sailed from Southampton in late October and docked in Bayonne in early November, …

Calmer weather is good news for all

With better weather and much more settled sea conditions since reaching the western Atlantic, certain entertainments that had to be postponed have now all caught up, much to the delight of Anthem of the Seas cruise director Luke Aerosmith. His smile has changed from the fixed one he sported through the bad weather to a …

Day of celebration for Halloween and anniversary

Day 6, November 1st. Awoke this morning to find Anthem of the Seas has left low pressure, high pressure and hurricane force winds behind and moved into calmer seas and, wow, we saw the sun. Just after lunch, ship’s time, we were really close to where the Titanic sank. It was strange to think of …

Not all ‘progress’ is an improvement

Has the golden age of cruising gone forever? Undoubtedly, the answer has to be in the affirmative if you hanker after the grandeur for which the liners of years gone by were noted. Being aboard the world’s newest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Anthem of the Seas, you cannot help but acknowledge that it is a …

Rough seas don’t phase restaurant and cooking teams

Day 4 of our transatlantic crossing aboard Anthem of the Seas. Sea conditions are now the roughest of the entire trip, according to our captain’s reading of the weather forecasts. Our speed has been reduced to minimise the side to side rolling motion and the course has been changed slightly for the same reason. Talking …