These are cruise lines operating cruises available to British passengers, or 'guests' as the cruise industry prefers to call us. |
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| Azamara Cruises |
+1 877 999 9553 |
New (spring 2007) luxury brand from Celebrity Cruises offering worldwide cruises on two 710-berth ships Azamara Journey & Azamara Quest. |
| Carnival Cruise Lines |
020 7729 1929 |
Carnival is the biggest kid on the block and many of the well-known big players in the cruise industry are wholly or partly-owned Carnival brands (eg Cunard, P&O, Princess, etc). The Carnival fleet of 19 'Fun ships' are aimed squarely at the US market. Their latest ships in the 2,900-Passenger/110,000-ton Conquest-class, Carnival Conquest and Carnival Glory, will be joined by Carnival Valor in Dec 04, Carnival Liberty in July 2005, and Carnival Freedom in spring 2007. |
| Celebrity Cruises |
0800 018 2525 |
Celebrity operates at the top end of the mainstream large ship cruise lines. Renowned for good service, high-quality catering and facilities, they have a fleet of ten ships: Two in 13-1500 passenger bracket, three carrying around 1800 passengers and their latest ships (Millennium, Infinity, Summit & Constellation) carrying 2100 passengers. The tenth and latest ship, Celebrity Xpedition, is a new departure for Celebrity. At under 3,000 tons and carrying only 100 passengers, she is designed for exclusive small ship expeditionary cruises to Galapagos islands. |
| Club Med Cruises |
08453 67 67 67 |
Club Med's own single ship cruise line. The Club Med 2 is a modern five-masted sailing ship carrying up to 392 passengers, whose stern opens up to create a small dock for water activities. Itineraries for 04/05 included the Grenadines, French West Indies, and the US Virgin Islands during the winter months, and Corsica, the French Riviera, the Italian coast, Turkey and Croatia during the summer. |
| Costa Cruises |
020 7940 5398 |
With their new flagships Costa Luminosa and Costa Pacifica joining in spring 2009, the fleet will soon be 14 strong. Their 2009 season includes new itineraries in the Far East, the Amazon River, U.S.A. & Canada and the Mediterranean. |
| Crystal Cruises |
020 7287 9040 |
Stylish top-end of the market (Crystal describe it as 6-star cruising) on three modern ships: Crystal Harmony (940-passengers, built 1995, refitted 2000), Crystal Symphony (940-passengers, built 1995), and now the largest and latest, Crystal Serenity (1008-passengers, built 2003). |
| Cunard |
0845 071 0300 |
Cunard's QE2, and Queen Mary 2 are to be joined in Dec 2007 by a brand new ship, Queen Victoria (1,968 passengers). QM2 has replaced QE2 as the primary transatlantic passage-maker. QV is designed for worldwide cruising. She'll start her career with cruises to Northern Europe and the Canaries before setting out a 106-night World Cruise which will call at 37 cities in 23 countries. |
| Disney Cruise Line |
0990 200 605 |
Disney have two large (2500-passenger) modern ships, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder catering for high-quality family holidays. The ships follow a regular pattern of short cruises sailing from Florida to the Bahamas and the Caribbean where they stop off at Disney's unique private island resort. |
| easyCruise |
0871 210 00 01 |
Low-cost cruising. easyCruise started out running fixed itineraries along the French & Italian Rivieras and the Caribbean. Now (May 07)they've switched their attention to the Aegean (Athens, Mykonos, Paros and Ios plus the less well known islands of Milos, Amorgos, Naxos, Folegandros, Sifnos and Serifos), and canal boat cruises in Holland. |
| Fred Olsen Cruise Lines |
01473 292 222 |
Long-term favourite with British cruise passengers operating the 450-passenger Black Prince since 1966 (cabins have portholes!) from UK ports to the Mediterranean, Canaries & Scandinavia/Baltic. In 1996 they added Black Watch and Braemar in 2001, both carrying around 800-passengers, and their latest ship, Boudicca, will join the fleet in Feb 2006. |
| Holland America Line |
020 7613 3300 |
A twelve-strong fleet of five-star, premium ships sailing from 15 North American home ports, including new departures from Norfolk, Virginia; Baltimore, Maryland; and Boston, Massachusetts. |
| Indian Ocean Cruises |
0800 032 70 20 |
Indian cruise line launched in autumn 2006 operating a refurbished 4-star 250-passenger ship, MS Ocean Odyssey (formerly MTS Jason) from Goa with an Indian Ocean programme visiting Cochin, Mangalore, Trivandrum, Tuticorum, Colombo and the previously 'off-limits' protected islands of Lakshadweep in the Arabian Sea. |
| Island Cruises |
08707 500414 |
This single-ship (Island Escape) cruise line was launched in the spring of 2002 as a joint venture between First Choice and Royal Caribbean International. With flexible dining and familiar 'brands' onboard like a Costa coffee shop, Oddbins wines, and Holmes Place gyms, it was aimed firmly at younger passengers who may have been put off cruising by the stuffy old image of traditional cruise lines. For the 04/05 season they re-jigged their approach to attract first-time cruisers and families, operating Mediterranean cruises during the summer and cruises from Brazil in the winter. They seem confident that it is working because they have invested in a second ship to be named Island Star. It currently sails as Celebrity Cruises' Horizon (1,354 passengers) but after a refurbishment which includes adding 100 cabins, she'll carry 1700 passengers when she joins them in November 05. |
| Louis Cruise Lines |
0800 183 883 |
Louis Cruise Lines are based in Cyprus. Until recently they owned nine cruise ships and managed one other, operating two and three-day cruises from Limassol to Egypt, Rhodes, Beirut and Syria, as well as five and seven-day cruises from Cyprus to the Greek Islands, and some cruises from Malta. However in April 04, MyTravel announced it was closing its cruise division (Sun Cruises) and selling its four ship fleet to Louis who will continue to operate the Sun Cruises itinerary for the 2004 summer season. |
| MSC Cruises |
020 7637 2525 |
Italian cruise line with a 7-ship fleet. Although they were refurbished in the late 90s, some of their ships are getting a little 'worn around the propshaft', notably ms Melody built in 1982, ms Rhapsody built in 1977 and the much-loved ms Monteray built in 1952! Together with ms Sinfonia, ms Opera, ms Armonia and ms Lirica, they operate year round cruises to the Mediterranean, plus North Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, South America and South Africa. The MSC Cruises fleet will increase to eight ships in 2006 with the arrival of ms Musica and then again, to nine ships in 2007 with ms Orchestra. They keep changing their name. They used to be called 'Mediterranean Shipping Cruises', and last year they were MSC Italian Cruises. |
| Norwegian Coastal Voyage |
020 7559 6666 |
There are ferries that make 'mini-cruises' out of long-distance crossings, but only a few, such as the 'Hurtigruten' really straddle the dividing line between being a ferry company and being a cruise line. The Hurtigruten fleet of 14 ships has been serving the coastal and offshore communities of Norway for decades. The nine larger and more modern ships of the fleet offer cruise line standards on voyages up to 11-days along the spectacular fjords (Bergen - Kirkenes and back).
NCV have further blurred the lines by introducing cruises in Scotland, the Seychelles, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. |
| Norwegian Cruise Line |
0845 658 8010 |
Long-standing 3-5 star cruise line with 14 ships in service or under construction. Their latest ships are Pride of America and Norwegian Jewel (2005), Pride of Hawaii (2006), and they have two new ships on order for 2007. A few years ago they introduced a popular 'freestyle' method of dining throughout the fleet, replacing the traditional 1st & 2nd sittings. Now their ships have lots of dining venues which you can book or stroll into in the same way you would with a choice of restaurants on land. NCL are owned by Star Cruises. |
| Oceania Cruises |
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American 5-star cruise line launched July 2003. They have two 30,000-ton, 684-passenger ships, Regatta and Insignia (formerly Rennaissance Cruises). Both ships will operate in the Med & Scandinavia during the summer before moving to the Americas for the winter season. They started operations with Regatta and Insignia joined the 'fleet' in April 04. |
| Ocean Village |
0845 358 5000 |
A Carnival cruise brand created in May 2003 offering 'informal cruising' aimed at 35-55 year olds - no formal dress codes, no fixed restaurant times, lots of gym facilities, coffee shops and alternative entertainment. It's proved a successful formula. Nearly 60% of their passengers to date have never cruised before. Their first ship Ocean Village (formerly P&O's Arcadia) is being joined by Ocean Village Two (formerly AidaBlu from German sister line, Aida Cruises). |
| Orient Lines |
020 7591 8200 |
Orient Lines is a two-ship brand (part of NCL/Star Cruises) that specialises in upmarket crusing to destinations that bigger ships don't visit. Their flagship, Marco Polo (826 passengers), is ice-strengthened and operates a series of Antarctic cruises Dec - Feb alternating with cruises around South America & up the Amazon. During the summer she moves to Scandinavia & Russia. Her sister ship, Crown Odyssey (1,026 passengers), covers the Far East during the winter and moves to the Mediterranean for the summer. They also trade on being 'singles-friendly' with singles supplements from 25% above the twin rate and a cabin share programme. |
| P & O Cruises |
0845 3 555 333 |
Undeniably British cruising. Sail from a cold damp day in Southampton and find yourself days later soaking up the Caribbean or Mediterranean rays. No aeroplanes involved, at least not for most of their cruises. P&O now have five ships around the 2000-passenger mark, each with their own style summed up by P&O marketing in two words. The new Arcadia and Oceana offer ‘contemporary and innovative’ cruising; Aurora and Oriana are ‘original and authentic’ whilst a ‘traditional and intimate’ experience can be found on Artemis. In 2006 they'll be offering 130 different cruise holidays to 181 ports in 72 countries, ranging from two to 25 nights in duration, plus one 80-night world cruise. They will also be offering Weddings at Sea on Arcadia, Artemis and Oceana. |
| Peter Deilmann Ocean Cruises |
020 7436 2931 |
Single ship German cruise line. The Deilmann name is well-known for luxury river cruises; this is the 5-star ultra-luxury ocean brand. The 520-passenger/80-cabin Ms Deutschland is designed in 1920's style decor, furnishings and fittings. Her programme for 06/07 covers the East & West Mediterranean; Scandinavia, the Baltic, Greenland, Spitsbergen & Iceland; Caribbean & Central America; South America (Atlantic & Pacific coasts); Indian Ocean, South Africa, Namibia & Kenya. |
| Princess Cruises |
020 7800 2468 |
The American part of the P & O/Princess partnership - although it's all owned by Carnival Cruises these days. There are 11 ships in the Princess fleet, mostly mid to upper market. They range from the giant 2700-passenger Grand Princess, Golden Princess & Star Princess, to the pair of 670-passenger Pacific Princess & Tahitian Princess (formerly Rennaissance Cruises). |
| Regent Cruises |
020 7287 9060 |
Regent (formerly Radisson Seven Seas Cruises) have a mix & match fleet of 4 ships. The latest is the 700-guest Seven Seas Voyager which went into service in 2003, her sister-ship is Seven Seas Mariner built in 2001. All cabins on both ships have balconies, while the smaller, 490-guest, Seven Seas Navigator (1999) has balconies for most cabins, and the Explorer II (formerly Swan Hellenic's Minerva), used for antarctic cruises carries 198 guests, though designed for 300. (Regent still integrate the 'Seven Seas' brand name in their title but its use is irregular. We reckon it'll be dropped soon.) |
| Royal Caribbean International |
0800 018 2020 |
Middle-market cruising, strong for families. An enormous fleet of eighteen large ships (1800-3100 passengers) offers a huge range of global cruising opportunities and value-for-money, quality cruising. RCI's next generation of cruise ships, called the Genesis project, will dwarf the current mega-cruise liners. Due for completion in 2009, the first will be 220,000 gross tons carrying 5,400 passengers. |
| Royal Olympia Cruises |
0800 358 3535 |
The Greek shipping line Royal Olympic changed its name in Jan 03 to Royal 'Olympia', and dropped its website. The agent, Royal Olympic Cruises, acts as a sales agent. |
| Seabourn Cruise Line |
0800 052 3841 |
Three ship fleet of small luxury all-suite ships carrying just over 200 passengers (Seabourn Legend, Seabourn Pride & Seabourn Spirit). Seabourne have been upgrading their ships recently by adding balconies to 36 suites on each ship, introducing a complimentary bar service of wines and spirits throughout the ship, complimentary "Massage Moments" for guests as they lounge on deck, and "Movies Under the Stars" on deck. They've also been upgrading their food and shore excursions. Seabourne is a Carnival Corp brand. |
| SeaDream Yacht Club |
020 8248 2355 |
Two 55-cabin luxury cruise yachts (SeaDream I & SeaDream II). They call themselves a 'yacht club' rather than a cruise line because in between the start & finish date their cruises have flexible itineraries. The Berlitz guide - one of the top two guides to cruising - gives them top rating. In fact they've now created a special category, 'Utterly Exclusive' just for Seadream. |
| Silversea Cruises |
0870 333 7030 |
Medium sized all-inclusive stylish and luxurious ships with a high ratio of both space and crew for each passenger. Most cabins have balconies. Silver Cloud and Silver Wind carry 300 passengers, Silver Shadow & Silver Whisper carry 400. |
| St. Helena Line |
01326 211 466 |
One-ship cruise line that 'reaches parts other lines cannot reach'. The Royal Mail Ship (RMS) St Helena, takes freight, mail and passengers to two of the remotest islands in the world, St Helena and Ascension. |
| Star Clippers |
01473 292 029 |
A fleet of three stunning fully-rigged traditional clipper sailing ships comprising two barquetines - the original Star Clipper and her sister ship, Star Flyer, both carrying 110 passengers - and the 228-passenger flagship, Royal Clipper, the first five-masted sailing ship to be built in nearly a hundred years and the world's largest sailing ship. Informal luxury cruising under sail. |
| Star Cruises |
01293 422 244 |
Only 12 years old (in 2005) and already the world's third largest cruise company. Star Cruises tapped into the cruise potential of the Asian Pacific region and has since aquired Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) and Orient Lines. Star cruise has eight ships operating in Asia Pacific, two of which - Superstar Virgo and Superstar Leo - are sold through UK tour operators/agencies. |
| Swan Hellenic |
020 7800 2200 |
SH have been operating upmarket cruises focusing on the arts, culture and history of destinations from the Arctic Circle to South America, backed up with on board lecturers and experts, for over 50 years. Their current ship Minerva II replace their old Minerva April 2003, unfortunately three years later their parent company, Carnival UK, has decided Minerva II can be run more cost-effectively under one of their sister-brands, Princess Cruises. So as of April 2007 Swan Hellenic will be without a ship, and without a future, although Carnival keep suggesting they may yet do something with the brand or sell it to an operator who wants to keep the culture cruise concept going (see notes below). |
| Thomson Cruises |
0990 502 562 |
Thomsons (part of TUI) have four ships operating summer cruises in the Mediterranean. Emerald was their first and was joined by Thomson Spirit (formerly Holland America Line's Nieuw Amsterdam) in the Spring 03. In Nov 04 Nieuw Amsterdam's former sister-ship, Noordam, joined the fleet as Thomson Celebration, and in Jan 05 the former MyTravel ship Sunbird joined as Thomson Destiny (MyTravel's Sun Cruises division closed in 2004). |
| Voyages of Discovery |
01444 462 150 |
Single ship cruise line operating mv Discovery, formerly Island Princess. She was extensively refurbished for VoD in 2003 and cruises from the UK to Scandinavia, the Baltic, the Mediterranean, the Black Sea and the Red Sea. Actually VoD is not really a cruise line, they are an agency that charters the Discovery for much of the year. When she's not with them she becomes the only ship of an American "cruise line" called Discovery World Cruises. |
| Windjammer Barefoot Cruises |
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The the largest operator of tall ships in the world. The fleet of five classic sailing ships and lone freighter/passenger vessel sails year-round in the Caribbean region on 6 & 13-day voyages. |
| Windstar Cruises |
020 7739 5414 |
A fleet of three luxury sailing ships operating Caribbean and European itineraries in the winter and summer. The give-away is the enormous V-shaped funnel among the masts, these ships may have sails but neither the passengers nor the crew do any ropework. It's all controlled by computers (purists look elsewhere for the romance of sail). Wind Star and Wind Spirit are sister ships carrying 150 passengers. The 308-passenger Wind Surf was originally Club Med I and was acquired by Windstar in 1990. |
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