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The Cruise Blogger | Cruise Blog

Unpacking the myths about cruise holidays. Tried and tested cruising advice from a thirty-something former officer's wife.

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The Cruise Blogger | Cruise Blog

Latest Posts

Cruise Advice Meet the Officer

An officer’s world cruise diary: Part 5

9 June 2018 Guest Post 0

Join P&O Cruises Port Presenter Sam Whiteside as he shares the fifth instalment of his Arcadia world cruise diary. Friday 16th March 2018 – Nha Trang, Vietnam A beautiful start to the weekend was in store for us as we sailed serenely up to our anchorage position off our next

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Alastair Smith
Meet the Officer

Officer Q&A: My role as an engineer on board Cunard’s Queen Mary 2

1 June 2018 Anna 0

I am really pleased to bring you my latest interview with Cunard Ship Services Engineer Alastair Smith. Alastair was one of the first people I met when I began working at sea on Ventura back in 2009. Since then, my husband and I have had the pleasure of sailing with

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Iona
Cruise Lines and Ship Reviews

P&O Cruises name their newest flagship Iona (updated)

24 May 2018 Anna 1

Iona will be the name of the newest P&O Cruises flagship due to launch in 2020. At 180,000 tons she will be the biggest cruise ship ever built for the British market, with a capacity for 5,200 guests. P&O Cruises launched a competition to name the new cruise ship last

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Harmony of the Seas
Cruise Lines and Ship Reviews

Cruise ship review: Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas

14 May 2018 Guest Post 1

This is a guest post about Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas by my dad, maritime historian and owner of Cobwebs Ocean Liner Memorabilia – Peter Boyd-Smith. Dad has been on over 100 cruises over the years, as a passenger and guest lecturer. Both Mum and Dad have sailed on

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Cruise Advice Port Guides

Top attractions close to Southampton cruise port

11 May 2018 Anna 0

As some of my readers will know, I am a Southampton native and know the city and its surrounding areas very well. In a previous post, I covered things to do, places to stay and eating out in Southampton. In this post I wanted to highlight some of the great attractions

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Ventura
Cruise Lines and Ship Reviews

Cruise ship review: P&O Cruises Ventura post 2018 refit

2 May 2018 Anna 20

P&O Cruises’ mighty Ventura is special to me for a number of reasons. She was the first cruise ship I ever worked on back in 2009, and I spent much of 2015 and 2016 cruising on her for long periods with my husband. It’s safe to say that she, alongside

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Cruise Advice Meet the Officer

An officer’s world cruise diary: Part 4

27 April 2018 Guest Post 0

Join P&O Cruises Port Presenter Sam Whiteside as he shares the fourth instalment of his Arcadia world cruise diary. On Thursday 19thApril 2018, Arcadia arrived back in Southampton after her 99 Day Western Circumnavigation of the world. In total the ship covered 33,940 nautical miles, visiting 30 ports in 22

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Brae mar
Cruise Lines and Ship Reviews

Cruise ship review: Braemar, Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines

24 April 2018 Anna 1

A few months ago I was fortunate enough to have a look around the Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines ship Balmoral. I was impressed by the ship and keen to learn more about the rest of the fleet. When the opportunity arose to visit another Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines ship –

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Cruise ships Meet the Officer

Officer Q&A: Behind the scenes of a cruise ship Shore Excursions team

16 April 2018 Anna 4

Some of you may already know this, but I spent three years working on board P&O Cruises ships in the Shore Excursions Department (2009-2012). In my opinion it was one of the best jobs on board, partly because you got to go ashore and experience the ports on a daily

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Harmony of the Seas
Cruise Lines and Ship Reviews

Cruising with a family on Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas

6 April 2018 Guest Post 0

This is a guest post by James Allen a thirty-something Senior Naval Engineer from Bath, who cruises regularly with his wife and two young children. James and his family have sailed on board Harmony of the Seas, their first Royal Caribbean experience. He has kindly shared his thoughts on the

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Cruise Advice Meet the Officer

An officer’s world cruise diary: Part 3

31 March 2018 Guest Post 2

Join P&O Cruises Port Presenter Sam Whiteside as he shares the third instalment of his world cruise diary, written on board Arcadia.  Tuesday 13th February 2018 – Pago Pago, American Samoa In the 4 days sailing from Hawaii towards American Samoa, Cyclone Gita had formed in the South Pacific and

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Port Guides

A cruise travel guide to Malta

25 March 2018 Anna 1

One of the things I love most about cruising is the opportunity to visit a new port every few days. I really enjoy hopping ashore, jumping on a tour or exploring a place independently. But sometimes I want to spend longer than one day in a port, which was the

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Header image photo credit: Andrew Sassoli-Walker

About me

Hi I'm Anna, a content creator and mum of two from the UK. I've spent many years working and travelling on cruise ships as a seafarer, passenger and as an officer's wife. I originally set up this blog to document my travels cruising on ships with my husband, but now I write about all things cruise related. Whether you are a new or experienced cruiser, I hope you find my advice a useful aid when planning your next holiday. Read more...

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AIDA Cruises Australia Canary Islands Caribbean Cruise and stay: Hotel reviews Cruising A-Z Cruising at Christmas and New Year Cruising when pregnant Cunard Disney Cruise Line Dressing and packing for a cruise Europe Expedition cruises Family cruising Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines Guest post Iceland Marella Cruises Miscellaneous MSC Cruises My cruising tips News North America Norwegian Cruise Line P&O Cruises Passenger Q&A Picking the right cruise for you Portsmouth Princess Cruises Royal Caribbean Russia Saga Cruises Scandinavia Star Clippers Themed cruises Things to do in Southampton UK Viking Cruises Virgin Voyages World cruising

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