Cunard Free Kids for 2011 ...includes school holidays

I have been asked several times which cruises include free kids prices for 2011 so here is a list for you.

Queen Mary 2 - Round trip Transatlantics 12nts
M106B 10 May
M109B 03 June
M116A 15 Aug
M121 A 29 Aug
M128A 16 Oct

Queen Victoria
V119 12nt Baltic 20 July
V113 7nt Ireland and Ibiera 22 May

Queen Elizabeth
Q113 12nt Western Meditteranean 02 Aug
Q114 14nts Baltic 14 Aug.

On all of the other sailings Cunard are offering child reductions with prices from about £200 per child upwards.

Tickled Pink

One of my customers was lucky enough to be on board Queen Victoria when she was recently all lit up in pink in Sydney's Circular Quay. He sent me the photo's and I thought they were worth sharing with you all.

She was illuminated to support Australia's National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), which officially launched its 2010 fundraising target at an event onboard.

Cunard Christmas Cracker?

Cunard's Queen Victoria is sailing a 16 nights canaries cruise departing on the 19th December. Taking in Christmas and New Year and cruising to one of the warmer destinations, she should be the ideal choice. Yet this Christmas cruise still has availability when nearly all other cruises sold out months ago.

Maybe it's the recession - although P&O, Ocean Village and NCL all appear unaffected. Maybe she's too expensive, but with free upgrades, on board credit and keen discounting I think she offers an attractive proposition. I'm stumped, I can see no reason why she hasn't sold - can you?

The first time is the best time....

I'm not convinced - my first day at school, first day in a new job, first kiss are all events that didn't quite live up to expectation and that I can't remember now. So would I spend a fortune to go on the first voyage of a new ship?

I have been on maiden voyages twice and both haven't been quite as they should have been. Silversea's Prince Albert had workmen painting the decking as we walked along and in-suite flat screens not yet installed and MSC's Poesia whilst fully completed had a crew that really hadn't gelled and didn't know where everything was situated.

A maiden voyage should be viewed as a dress rehearsal, don't expect everything to perfect, know that your crew probably only met each other  the week before and that men in tool belts might be lurking around corners. If you go with this attitude  and have had a good deal you won't be disappointed. However if you're someone who expects the best, my advice would be to wait for the 3rd or 4th voyage. Like a new hairstyle a ship needs a bit of time to bed in.

All that remains to be seen in how Queen Elizabeth's maiden voyage goes. Selling out in just 29 minutes and with customers paying well over the odds, I just hope they get everything right.

Read some Cunard Cruise Reviews at Cruise.co.uk.