Posts by Charmaine Hallmark

UP CLOSE, PERSONAL, SMALL AND INTIMATE THAT’S FRED OLSEN Size is everything, and bigger is not always better especially in the Cruise World – the race is on for the largest cruise ship at sea, floating hotels have become floating resorts. Fred. Olsen is one company bucking the trend with three ships from their fleet…

CHOOSING YOUR CRUISE Earlier this year I had the pleasure of visiting three very different cruise ships (and being royally entertained on two of them!) prior to their inaugural cruises. ‘HEBRIDEAN SPIRIT’ is small at only 4,200 tons and typically accommodates only 70 passengers. It does so, however, in luxurious comfort with fabulous cuisine and unstinting standards…

FAMILY LIFE ON THE OCEAN WAVE Although I’ve been on several cruises, the last was a bit of an experiment. It was the first time we had cruised with our two children aged 2 and 5. To the uninitiated this may sound something of an extravagance, but you might be surprised to learn that it need…

TALES OF THE RIVER BANK If the big ships leave you cold, but you still want that ship board feeling – River Cruising could be just the thing for you! Smaller and more intimate than ocean going  cruise ships this experience is something new and different on some of the most famous rivers in the…

A VISIT TO THE QUEEN, THE QUEEN MARY …and she is magnificent! Standing taller than the Statue of Liberty and as long as 41 London buses end to end, I am of course talking about Cunard’s latest addition to their fleet, Queen Mary 2 or QM2 as she is known for short. To see the ship…

  CRUISING: DISPELLING THE MYTHS An increasing number of people are broadening their horizons. They want to see more of the world, enjoy new experiences, and demand a better standard of hotels and service. Today’s cruise ships can meet these needs, offering resort-style facilities, entertainment, cuisine, and service that are second to none. At the…

THE NILE EGYPT AND THE LAND OF THE PHARAOHS If you had a top ten list of places to visit, I bet a cruise on the Nile would feature somewhere in that list. Everyone knows a little bit about Egypt – Tutankhamun, the Pyramids, and Cleopatra… but suddenly when you visit, it all falls into…