The installation of a ground-breaking solar and battery system at Portsmouth Cruise Port has reached a major milestone. The scheme, managed by Portsmouth City Council’s in-house energy services team and installed by Custom Solar, has seen 2660 solar panels installed ready for the next stage of the project. The project began in February 2022 and incorporates roof-mounted solar panels across a number of buildings, a large battery and solar canopies. The project has broken new ground for the council and in the national context. It is the first UK port to have solar canopies, and will have a meg ..read more

  Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines will return to Dover this month, offering a selection of late summer cruises to destinations including Norway, France, Spain and the Adriatic. Flagship Bolette will sail from Dover in August, September and October, offering the chance to take in the vistas and volcanoes of the Azores and Madeira, sail into the heart of the Norwegian fjords and explore three Scandinavian cities on a six-night break. The eight-night ‘Scenic Isles and Lochs of Scotland’ cruise will be Bolette’s first cruise from Dover in 2022, where guests can enjoy a scenic s ..read more

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines will be welcoming war veteran Simon Weston CBE aboard Balmoral in 2023, when the ship visits the Falkland Islands as part of its epic 78-night voyage to South America and the Antarctic. Simon Weston CBE will join guests onboard for 14-nights during the call into Port Stanley, and will share his experiences of his time in the Falklands. Simon is well-known in the United Kingdom and abroad for his charity work, as a motivational speaker and broadcaster after he sustained serious burns to over 46% of his body during the Falklands War in 1982. He is currently t ..read more

Ambassador Cruise Line has partnered with marine conservation charity, ORCA as part of the cruise line’s continued investment into sustainable cruising. The partnership includes the launch of the first ever cruise line “Anti-Whaling Campaign”. The pledge includes ORCA placing two Ocean Conservationists onboard Ambience in 2022 and 2023, on 11 sailings totalling over 200 days. Two of the 11 cruises will be Ambassador’s multi-generational cruises in summer 2022 ORCA will work with families to teach them about the marine environment and involve them in conservation projects on the shi ..read more

​ With the start of summer, scooping up one of Italy’s most famous desserts from Gelato onboard Discovery Princess, Enchanted Princess and Sky Princess just got a little sweeter. The Princess Cruises gelato shops have been designated as ‘Ospitalità Italiana’ and are the first and only locations to offer an authentic Italian gelato experience outside of Italy. The prestigious Ospitalità Italiana designation is issued by the Italian Chamber of Commerce committee, an organisation of the Italian government, and confirms that every step of the gelato-making process meets ..read more

  P&O Cruises has announced dates for exclusive new performances by Gary Barlow on board Iona in the Headliner’s Theatre. He will appear on the Spain and Portugal cruise (G236) departing Southampton on October 29, 2022 and the Spain, Portugal and Canary Islands cruise (G237) departing Southampton on November 12, 2022. All proceeds from ticket sales for the shows will be donated to Child Bereavement UK and Teenage Cancer Trust. Gary’s pioneering partnership with P&O Cruises as music director of The 710 Club on Iona has already delivered a number of unique musical moments on board ..read more

  Ambassador Cruise Line has today announced the launch of its 2023/24 sailing programme which will see the cruise line’s first ship Ambience return for her second season with new itineraries as well as Ambassador’s latest edition to the fleet, Ambition. Ambition will set sail on her inaugural season on 4 March 2023 with capacity for 1,200 guests. Together the two ships will be sailing to six continents and 58 countries, calling at 165 ports and cruising over 176,195 nautical miles. For 2023/24, Ambience will be sailing a brand new 120-night ‘Grand Round th ..read more

  To celebrate Her Majesty’s seventieth year as our monarch, Ambassador Cruise Line is about to take you to the farthest-flung corners of her kingdom. With their lush landscapes, diverse cultures and unrivalled tranquillity, Britain’s offshore islands are set like pearls around the mainland, gleaming in the bright blue sea. From sun-drenched Scilly to the chilly beauty of Orkney, from the capital of St. Peter Port, where Britain meets France in one of the wealthiest enclaves on earth, to the pretty pastel houses of unpretentious Tobermory in Mull, this cruise will bring the British isla ..read more

  Princess Cruises’ Enchanted Princess arrived at the Port of Southampton yesterday, marking the ship’s inaugural visit to the city. A traditional plaque and key ceremony was held onboard in celebration of the maiden call, which was attended by Enchanted Princess’ staff captain Raffaele Di Martino and ABP’s port director Alastair Welch. A tradition for vessels making their maiden call to a port, the plaque and key ceremony has its roots in the medieval history of Southampton, when visiting ships bringing business to the city were given the keys to the city walls. As one of the line ..read more

  Luxury cruise line Cunard is so confident with guest demand for their Britannia Club staterooms on new ship Queen Anne, that they have increased their volume of this accommodation category by more than 200% versus other ships in the fleet. The accommodation and dining on board Queen Anne offer upgraded levels of luxury, whatever type guests choose, from Britannia staterooms through to Princess and Queens Grill Suites. Britannia Club, which is an experience unique to Cunard, offers exclusive benefits above those in the Britannia category, and is often considered a ‘taste’ of the Grill ..read more