How do I fly to.......Malaga

Malaga airport (AGP) is just 15-30 minutes from the cruise terminal in a taxi. You can fly from a number of local airports as follows:


Belfast International (BFS) - Easyjet
Birmingham (BHX) - bmibaby, Ryanair
Blackpool (BLK) - Jet2
Bristol (BRS) - Easyjet, Ryanair
Bournemouth (BOH) - Ryanair
Cardiff (CWL) - bmibaby
Cork -(ORK) - Aerlingus
Dublin (DUB) - Aerlingus, Ryanair
East Midlands (EMA) -  bmibaby, Ryanair
Edinburgh (EDI) - Ryanair,
Exeter (EXT) - fFybe
Glasgow (GLA) - Easyjet,
Glasgow (Prestwick PIK) - Ryanair
Leeds Bradford (LBA) - Jet2, Ryanair
Liverpool - (LPL) - Easyjet, Ryanair
London Gatwick (LGW) - Easyjet
London Heathrow (LHR) - British Airways
Luton (LTN) - Easyjet
Manchester (MAN) - bmibaby, Jet2, Easyjet
Newcastle (NCL) - Easyjet, Jet2
Stansted (STN) - Easyjet, Ryanair
Southampton (SOU) - Flybe

How do I fly to......Majorca

Palma is another easy airport to do your own flights for. Just 5 miles from the port 20 minutes in a taxi. My top tip for your return journey is that Palma is a much bigger airport than you imagine and you need to allow 30mins to reach your gate. So make sure you check in with plenty of time.



Belfast International (BFS) - Easyjet
Birmingham (BHX) - Ryanair. Monarch
Blackpool (BLK) - Jet2
Bristol (BRS) - Easyjet, Ryanair
Bournemouth (BOH) - Ryanair
Cardiff (CWL) - bmibaby
Dublin (DUB) - Aerlingus, Ryanair
East Midlands (EMA) -  bmibaby, Ryanair
Edinburgh (EDI) - Ryanair,  Easyjet
Exeter (EXT) - Fybe
Glasgow (GLA) - Easyjet,
Glasgow (Prestwick PIK) - Ryanair
Leeds Bradford (LBA) - Jet2, Ryanair
Liverpool (LPL) - Easyjet, Ryanair
London Gatwick (LGW) - Easyjet
Luton (LTN) - Easyjet, Monarch
Manchester (MAN) - bmibaby, Jet2, Monarch
Newcastle (NCL) - Easyjet, Jet2
Stansted (STN) - Easyjet, Ryanair
Southampton (SOU) - Flybe

How do I fly to.......Rome

Making your own way to Rome looks fairly straight forward, but beware the airports are not close to the port so when comparing costs between your own flights and cruiseline flights you need to factor in quite a high charge for taxi's/transport to and from the port.

There are two airports to choose from Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumicino FCO) which is the one used by most cruise lines. This is closer to the centre of Rome and 1 - 1.5hours from the port. Or Ciampino (CIA) which is a smaller airport 1.5 to 2 hours away. The port is not that easy to do via public transport from Ciampino either.
Flights to Fiumicino
Cork (ORK) - Aerlingus
Dublin (DUB) - Aerlingus
Leeds Bradford (LBA) - Jet2
London Gatwick (LGW) - Easyjet, British Airways
London Heathrow (LHR) - British Airways
Manchester (MAN) - Jet2

Flights to Ciampino
Bristol (BRS) - Easyjet
Dublin (DUB) - Ryanair
East Midlands (EMA) - Ryanair
Edinburgh (EDI) - Ryanair
Glasgow - Prestwick (PIK) - Ryanair
Liverpool - (LPL) - Ryanair
London Gatwick (LGW) Easyjet
Newcastle (NCL) Easyjet
Stansted (STN) - Ryanair

How do I fly to...Barcelona

Barcelona is just about the easiest place to arrange your own flights to for a cruise holiday. You need to fly to Barcelona International (BCN), which is just 25 minutes from the cruise terminal. Just click on read more for a full list of which airports you can fly from and which airlines offer cheap flights to Barcelona



Belfast International (BFS) - Easyjet
Birmingham (BHX) - BMIbaby
Bristol (BRS) - Easyjet
Cardiff (CWL) - bmibaby
Cork -(ORK) - Airlingus
Dublin (DUB) - Airlingus
East Midlands - BMIbaby
Leeds Bradford (LBA) - Jet2
Liverpool - (LPL) - Easyjet
London Gatwick (LGW) - Easyjet
London Heathrow (LHR) - British Airways
Luton (LTN) - Easyjet
Manchester (MAN) - Monarch
Newcastle (NCL) - Easyjet
Stansted (STN) - Easyjet

How do I fly to....Venice

There are two airports to fly to in Venice, and both give easy access to the port. The main airport is Marco Polo (MCO) and this is about 20 - 30 mins to the port in a taxi. Alternatively you can fly into Treviso (TSF) with Ryan Air, which is 40 -60 mins from the port dependant on traffic. British Airways only fly direct to Venice from London so if using a cruiselines air you may well be allocated a low cost airline or indirect flight.
Click read more for full details

Marco Polo Airport  (VCE)
Bristol - Easyjet
Dublin - Aerlingus
East Midlands - BMIbaby
Edinburgh - Jet 2
Leeds Bradford - Jet 2
London Heathrow - British Airways
London Gatwick - Easyjet
Manchestar - Jet 2

Treviso (TSF)
Ryan Air fly from the following airports
Bristol
Dublin
Leeds Bradford
Liverpool
Stansted

Savings not working....buy a cruise

 P&O cruises are offering customers a fantastic way to make more of their money this January.
On selected cruises if you book and pay for your cruise in full they will give you an additional 5% discount. On a £1500 cruise this equates to a £75 saving.

You'd expect this to be on sailings for next year but it includes cruises going this spring and summer too.

And don't forget on top of P&O's discount I'll give you extra discounts too. If you're looking at a P&O cruise currently and can afford to pay in full then I suggest you call or mail and see how much you can save.

Silversea just out of interest have offered additional discounts for years to customers paying in full 6 months in advance.

Are Royal Caribbean really after the family market?

Having worked in the industry a long time I have seen cruise grow and grow, with selected cruise lines wanting to expand into the family market. Royal Caribbean are doing a fantastic job with flow riders, rock climbing walls kids clubs etc. But when it come to pricing the cruises I think they are either missing a trick or seriously taking the michael (to put it politely)


I have just priced a Christmas cruise on Independance of the Seas for 2 adults and a 13mth baby - the adult price was fantastic at £1800 for an 18night cruise in a high grade balcony cabin. But Royal's price for the baby meanwhile came in at around £800, the same price as a 3rd adult would have paid. This is ridiculous, what is the baby going to get for this? A free babysitter every night? 18 nights supply of nappies? I doubt it, in fact I doubt she'll even get a chocolate in her cot every night. Plus they have the cheek to charge her the full £117 gratuities for the cruise.

Maybe it's a ploy to discourage babies, and I quite understand this kind of pricing from cruiseslines that are not family orientated. But if they are trying to expand and take the family market from the likes of Thomas Cook and Thomson then they definitely need to address this.

Help..get me out of here

One of my customers had a shock when he came back to his cabin on Oasis of the Seas. A man was stuck in his toilet. Thanks for sending this is in Jhetin

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Just a quick note to wish you all a very Happy New Year. I hope 2010 is a happier and easier year than 2009 for everyone.

Hopefully you are all feeling fresh after a great New Years Eve, I spent it having dinner at a friends house with my family and their kids. Actually made midnight and feel good today, both of which are amazing for me.

Am looking forward to 2010, my son starts school and I'll be getting back on my snowboard after 4 years. I can't wait to see him learning to snow plough.

The cruise industry is picking up again, we have taken on new staff and are expanding again.

All in all I think it's going to be a good year.