European Cruise Advisor

Getting Wed in the middle of a perfect blue ocean is as about as romantic as it gets. Lots of passengers celebrate their big day in this way and they chose P&O Cruises to do it with! Last Year, 124 couples tied the knot on board Ventura last year. Even the littlest P&O ship, Artemis, saw seventeen fantastic weddings on board in 2009 alone.

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

One of the highlights on board our latest ship, Azura, is sure to be the wine, thanks to Oily Smith, who you may recognise from his regular appearances on shows such as Saturday Kitchen. BBC Breakfast, Great Food Live and Richards, Judy Wine Club. With a handsomely stocked wine cellar and mouthwatering menus.

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.

Arcadia’s Grand Alaska Voyage will combine the beautiful beaches of the Caribbean, the bright lights of some of America’s greatest cities, and unforgettable Alaskan adventures. Excitingly, we are offering passengers 11 ways to join this incredible voyage, so you can pick and choose the elements that appeal to you the most.

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