The cruise ship Artemis, able to carry 1200 passengers was berthed between the piers of South Shields today. The Artemis was welcomed into the Port on the Tyne which is a 230metres in length,  P&O cruiser, scheduled to arrive on the Tyne at 7am precisely.

The European cruise ship was to be docked at Northumbrian Quay in North Shields until about 5pm, which would give passengers some time to disembark and have the chance to visit the tourist attractions in the region.

This is the second time in less than a week that the river Tyne has had the please of a large cruise vessel.

Only last Thursday the Westerdam arrived on the river with 2000 passengers, who were mostly from the United States.

The latest figures are showing that there is a mini-boom in cruise liner visits, to the North East, which is giving a multi-million pound boost to the areas economy.

The Artemis made history, in April by being Captained by Sarah Breton as she set sail with P&O Cruises’, being the first female captain.

Sarah is only the second female in the world to captain a major cruise liner.

Today its passengers, mainly Britons, were to take tours of local attractions, which include Hadrian’s Wall, Newcastle, Bamburgh Castle, Durham, Bowes Museum and Alnwick Garden.

The Port will be giving a taster of Northumberland hospitality at which passengers can try local produce, while serenaded by Northumbrian pipes.

A spokesperson for the Port of Tyne said: “The UK cruise market has doubled in size during the last decade, and is predicted to double again over the next 10 years – to three million passengers annually.” As large cruise operators look to expand into new markets, the Tyne is fast becoming an attractive port of call for Northern European cruises. “The Port of Tyne cruise and ferries business has a positive economic impact on the region.

There are 25 cruise calls due this year(2010), so European Cruise operations on the Tyne continue to perform well.

Of course, seniors are no longer people who have retired at 65 and are now looking ahead to a few years of retirement bliss. They may be only fifty years old and may still be employed in regular work, with a yearning for travel and adventure. Also, they might be people who like to cruise with plenty of activities to keep them interested, both off and on the ship. They may also prefer peace and quiet and a more relaxing, cruise environment.

Of course, each has their own personal favourites, and that means that there is a whole load reasons seniors will choose certain cruise itineraries and ships.

“The definition of seniors is changing. Now they are more active, more daring,” said Carolyn Brown, who is the editor of Cruise Critic, which is an independent online magazine.

That is just one reason, for example, that Seabourn, which is a luxury line long a popular choice with older passengers who favour a more traditional  European Cruises, is putting more emphasis on active itineraries on its three newest ships.

“Seniors are looking for more things to do, to explore,” Nancy Parode,  senior travel guide for About.com, was quoted to say.

If you are looking for a great seniors choice cruise, Holland America and Celebrity are renowned as the best premium lines offering excellent choices, Royal Caribbean and Princess are best for active seniors, Cunard are great for ocean crossings, with Carnival for seniors on a tighter budget, Disney for inter-generational family cruises at sea, or Cruise West for best light adventure programmes and finally Silversea as best luxury small ship cruise operator for seniors.

It has only been a short while since the rival company NCL – despite figures showing increasing expansion in the numbers of passengers sailing cruises-only from United Kingdom ports, had decided to stop using Dover for their European Cruises and use the Port or Copenhagen instead to base its Baltic cruises from instead.

They stated that their passengers would rather save the time spent travelling over the North Sea, however the more likely truth is that the company’s choice was partly made to save fuel and to meet the requirement for 9-night cruises instead of much longer itineraries.

Now, Costa are taking a different position. On May 29th, next year the 2,700 passenger Costa Magica will be sailing  from Harwich on an itinerary which will take in 7 European capitals in total, not stopping in all 7 though so you need to include some long travel times by coach to include them all.

As well as London, the cities are Amsterdam, Berlin (from Hamburg), Paris (from Le Havre), Oslo , Copenhagen and Edinburgh.

Departures dates are on June 8, 18 and 28; July 8, 18 and 28, and August 7 and 17 leaving from Dover, and the final 2 cruises of the season, on August 27 and September 6, departing from Harwich.

The sailings leaving on May 29, July 18 and August 7 will visit Invergordon which is in the north-east of Scotland, this is to replace Edinburgh.

There is also an very interesting chance at the end of the season to leave port from Harwich to Savona, which will call at Amsterdam, Hamburg, Vigo, Lisbon, Cadiz and Marseille.

The Marriages at Sea experience will allow lucky couples to celebrate the most special day of their lives in style and start their honeymoon immediately on a very romantic and extremely unforgettable cruise. The experience begins with flowers and champagne in your stateroom and continues on with the services of a personal wedding arranger.

The private wedding ceremony is conducted by the Captain, or if the Captain is unavailable the Staff Captain will step in,  in one of a number of indoor wedding venues, which are able to accommodate all types of wedding party sizes, small or large . The wine, champagne, music, cake, flowers and photography can all be choosen to suit individual needs and are also offered reception options for groups of all sizes too – from intimate meals to more grandiose affairs.

This means you can enjoy all the variety but have none of the stress to endure! The added luxury is that you will not have to choose between a honeymoon in Venice or Rome – you could see both wonderful cities, as well as many more! Whatever way an on board wedding is arranged, this is for sure, it will most definitely be an occasion to remember forever.

How better a way can you think of to start off married life? The most basic wedding package starts from £1,050 (applicable from April 2010 to April 2011).  More details, see www.pocruises.co.uk/wedding

Olly’s latest venture, the Class House on Azura, will be a relaxed and informal haven of good food and fine wine. Thanks to Olly’s dedication, passengers will be able to appreciate a selection of his hand-picked fine wines, which represent every major wine growing region in the world, as well as wines specifically chosen to match each course of The Class House’s signature menu.

Olly’s commitment to providing exclusive fine wines for our passengers has already taken him all over the globe – most recently to Sicily in search of the perfect house wine for Azura. Oily spent his time at the award-winning Settesoli vineyard putting together unique Porta Palo blends, which were named after the charming harbour where they were lovingly created. The results have been so impressive that we have decided to roll out the range of wines fleet-wide after they have debuted on Azura. Settesoli’s winemaker, Owen Bird, explained: “We took input from the motivated P&O Cruises team, who wanted to deliver something special to their patrons, and harnessed that with stylistic guidance from their wine guru Oily Smith. After my initial discussions with Oily we specifically produced wines to hit his flavour profiles. When we got together to assemble the blends at the winery everything just clicked into place. We are very happy with the results.”

Many of Olly’s chosen vintages will be available by the glass using an Enomatic system which dispenses wine directly from the bottle using a revolutionary inert gas preservation method. Expert wine waiters will advise you on the perfect accompaniment for your palate, whether it’s a mellow merlot or a seductive sauvignon the favourite wine buff has also put together wine flights – groups complementary wines- which can be purchased together enabling passengers to enjoy their very own mini wine-tasting session. The exuberant wine buff will also be found on selected cruises on board our latest and most sophisticated ship, Azura, where will be imparting his unsurpassable knowledge by hosting wine tastings-in The Glass House and answering questions in entertaining interviews. We look forward to welcoming him on board.

Those looking for a touch of paradise can opt for the Caribbean leg of this journey (cruise JIvIR). Departing from Southampton, you will call at Madeira before continuing on to Caribbean islands including Antigua, Aruba and St Lucia, where you could spend your days relaxing on sandy shores.

You’ll enjoy the wonder of the Panama Canal and ports in Costa Rica and Mexico before disembarking in San Francisco. If it’s the bright lights of America that appeal the most, you could choose to see some of the all-time great American cities on cruise JPX, where you will call at such fantastic destinations as Miami, Orlando, Charleston, New York and Boston, before journeying back to Southampton. Or, if the Alaskan section of Arcadia’s voyage is what’s calling to you, you could enjoy the unexplored landscapes and vast wilderness of this beautiful state before enjoying ports as varied as Vancouver, Mexico and Los Angeles on cruise JRX.

Passengers on this cruise will get to enjoy the classic Alaskan ports of Ketchikan and Juneau plus some of the lesser-known but equally fascinating destinations Alaska offers. There are lots more ways to enjoy Arcadia’s Grand Alaska Voyage but, whichever one you choose, it’s sure to be the trip of a lifetime. www.pocruises.co.uk

Private Excursions, Easy Tours and Family Activities

With its recent successes in Russia, Royal Caribbean International is now allowing it’s guests the chance to arrangement their own private shore excursions to explore Mediterranean and European destinations from thirteen ports-of-call including Greece, Israel, Egypt, Finland, Italy and Sweden. Passengers who do not wish to be limited by a fixed itinerary can now have the cruise line arrange programs and allow access to a private bus for each tour that can provide for up to ten people and at the same time enjoying stress free sightseeing.

Royal Caribbean has also designed a selection of new half day shore excursions specifically designed for families and multi-generational groups. Some of these activities include a Pizza Making experience in Sorrento, Italy. Here visitors are given a city tour which is then followed by a professional pizza making class and lunch to enjoy their cooking, also a Sea Kayaking adventure in Dubrovnik, Croatia, to take in a different perspective of the beautiful city and its historic architecture.

The cruise line is also extending its offering of what it calls “Easy” tours for passengers with difficulty standing for large amounts of time or walking, as well as adding fourteen new programs meaning that there is now thirty three in total. Guests can explore the old town of Trogir or sample Sardinia’s finest wines or perhaps take in the views of the many artistic and historical landmarks in the area from the comfort of their own transport, which has been modified with lifts and access ramps where possible.

Royal Caribbean International is currently focussing on the European cruise market, with eight ships currently sailing in Europe this year. The cruise operator is set to further extend its presence in 2011, when it will have a record breaking eleven ships in and around Europe waters.

European Cruises on ocean waters aboard a luxury liner can really make your vacation time special by allowing you access amenities that are not usually found with other holidaying options, for example at hotel resorts. Don’t you think that the opportunity to see watch fantastic sunrises and sunsets without the usual blockage of city skylines sound attractive? What about the chance to really relax, as you listen to the enjoyable and relaxing sounds of the rolling ocean sea?

A luxury can offer you this and much more as well, for your vacation time. Sailing the seas aboard a luxury liner is a hassle free way for European travellers to visit the different ports of the world. Let the Ship travel to different countries of interest while you can spend your time exploring the different cultures found at each new port as you journey.

A Luxury cruise can give you a differing range of services that will definitely appeal to the myriad of tastes and interests that its passengers might have. Everything from relaxing at the poolside, or experiencing the exciting sighting a group of whales, or perhaps taking advantage of all of the onboard activities and entertainment, from fine dining, to exploring spectacular and interesting destinations.

European cruising vacations are attractive to an enormous variety of people because of the many European countries on offer. A number of different luxury cruise liners are available, with all sorts of itineraries that are designed to meet the specific requirements and interests of passengers.

On a Europe cruise the focus is much more on what is not on the ship itself but whats going on ashore. You will normally be going  ashore at roughly 8:30 a.m in the morning and you are driving or walking until late afternoon. In the Caribbean though,  there are many more days spent at sea and the focuses are on the ship and all its activities, facilities and entertainment. On European cruises, many passengers simply miss the floor shows and head for bed earlier, tired out and in need of rest for the next early morning start.

Here are three very important criteria in choosing the right ship for a European cruise:  1) Itinerary, 2) Time in spent port and 3) dress policy.

When comparing boats, check the length of stay in each port — you will want as much time as possible in sightseeing-orientated destinations, after all how many times in your life will you visit cities like Rome and Florence?

On a Baltic cruise, the two best ports are St. Petersburg and Stockholm.  In the first city, aim for a ship that stays in port three days instead of two.  Believe me, there is so much to see that you’ll want a longer visit to get the most out of the city!

These days, however more and more cruise lines are removing or greatly reducing nights when formal wear is necessary.  If you don’t want to bring along a suitcase full of nice clothes, check the suggested dress codes of ships.

On a European cruise, you may want to not choose the extra cost of a balcony cabin since the ship is in port nearly every day. It is much better to spend the money you will save on shore excursions and shopping. Another critical area is shore excursions.  Princess is the pick for the best excursions available at the moment. They just have the edge over other cruise lines because of the volume of passengers they carry every year.  They have first shot at the best guides, and can demand special treatment and have the ground arrangements perfected.

To conclude; the perfect European ship will offer casual dining in the Lido restaurant at night, important when you are worn out from sightseeing to get dressed up and dine for several hours. Oceania, Princess and Norwegian Cruise Line offer the best casual dining options.

The MSC Club, which is the cruise lines reward programme being complimentary, allows MSC passengers the opportunity to earn points for every night that they sail for and also for any purchases that they make whilst onboard the cruise ship.

The MSC Cruises membership levels are staggered at; Classic (0-21 points), Silver (22-42 points) and finally Gold (43 points and above).

Passengers travelling with MSC can now expect, as holders of Gold and Silver membership levels, complimentary dinners for two in the their speciality restaurants, a complimentary one hour session in either sauna or Turkish baths in MSC’s luxury massage and spa treatment centres. Also available are discounts on many services including massages, manicures and pedicures.

As well as all this MSC Club members will also be in receipt of complimentary laundry service for ten items of clothing per cruise, this free service is also available to Classic members. Also, fresh fruit will be delivered twice weekly to the passengers staterooms and access to internet services and MSC items are also included.

As to be expected, depending on the guest’s level of membership e.g. Classic, Silver or Gold, the available discounts for facilities like the spa treatments and Internet access will vary. This means that Gold members will get the most benefits and greater discounts will be available to them, however Classic and Silvers members won’t miss out as there is still plenty available for the guest who is at these Club levels.

All guests can find on board when they first start cruising with MSC, application forms that they can fill out to apply for MSC Club membership. Once the forms are filled out, guests can immediately start collecting points and discounts.