In recognition of its measurable efforts to reduce its environmental footprint both at sea and in port, HAL is selected as the 2010 Marine Environmental Business of the Year by the Port of Seattle and the Seattle Propeller Club. More

By Peter Shanks

On Friday 27 April I awoke with an extra spring in my step. It was a normal English Friday in many senses. It was raining – despite the fact that we are officially in a ‘drought’. It was an early start as I jumped into the car at 0545 – and I managed to escape the house without waking our Labrador up which was a promising start to the day. The early morning radio news was still banging on about how tough the economy is. More

We took the St. John's on Your own shore excursion to get the ferry from the ship straight to St. John’s. We decided to take the mature trail to get to Caneel Bay beach so we got our exercise. It was a lovely day to snorkel and relax without the crowds of St. Thomas. More

John Heald

There are many ways in which you can tell you are getting old. The forest of hair in your nose and ears for example or those weird noises I make now as I get out of a chair or off a sofa ………. aggghoooo. However, these past few days I have experienced two situations that make me think that 47 is the new 73. Firstly, while at home last week a friend called me at 9:30pm and asked: “I didn’t wake you, did I?”  More

One busy evening in Seattle, our manager of Culinary Operations, Bjoern Wassmuth, was stuck in a major traffic jam on his way home. He and his carpooling colleagues were not moving at all, so instead of sitting idly in the car, they went to a local pizza restaurant to wait for the traffic to ease. It was a charming mom-and-pop restaurant and according to Bjoern, it served some of the best pizza he’s ever had! More

How do you react to catastrophic news? We were reeling when my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Our thoughts galloped…in his 60s, Bob was too young for this! Then, after the operation, the doctor delivered the knockout blow:  A few cancer cells had settled in the lymph nodes leaving Bob with only one to five years left to live. More

By Keith Maynard: Entertainment Director - Queen Elizabeth

It was day four of our passage though the internationally recommended transit corridor into the Red Sea and whilst the crew and guests of Queen Elizabeth began to prepare for an exciting day visiting the Valley of the Kings and Luxor  all minds in the Royal Court Theatre were focussed on one result – who would win the Maritime Mastermind Final.  More

It is again one of those nice sunny days in Puerto Vallarta. However the winter highseason has come to an end. Most “snowbirds” are returning home or are home again. It was busy today with much security since the World Forum 2012 started with visits by some head of states. Today also was the last call this season of Statendam in port. Nice to see they lowered the tenders and were sailing briefly with them in the port. Looking forward to next winter and seeing Statendam again. More

Seabourn Legend guests enjoy a private, classical concert at the beautiful Celsus Library in Ephesus, Turkey. Gorgeous, isn’t it? Destinations Services Manager Francisco Parró sent us this stunning photo and described the evening as “amazing, truly unique, and simply extraordinary!”  More

John Heald

I remember when the mail used to be fun. Not email, not the offer of a larger thingy which, by the way, I decided to apply for and for my $45 I received a magnifying glass…..no, I mean real mail, the stuff the mailman brings. You know, back before e-mail, when I would receive a birthday card and check. Or even better, a birthday card with a check. There was nothing better than opening that white square envelope knowing that inside there would be money. More

By Peter Shanks

Hello All

As we approach 15 April, we will all read and hear much about the 100^th Anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.  It was a sad and terrible tragedy and I hope that in all the excitement to remember the story people apply a sense of dignity and respect for those who lost their lives.  More

It began, innocently enough, as a light snow, transforming the landscape around our rural Kentucky home into a transcendent holiday card. Then came eight days of intermittent freezing rain, more snow and finally, a brutal pummeling of skin-searing, sub-zero, 20-mile-per-hour wind gusts hurling around more snow and freezing rain. More

 Our staff strives to deliver as many special “Seabourn moments” as possible to guests on board. They take pride in delighting our guests and putting a smile on their faces. Recently on board Seabourn Quest, the team organized two special events for our World Cruise guests to create even more exceptional memories for them.  More

Have you ever said to yourself that you wished you had asked your parents or grandparents more about what it was like for them growing up? Several years ago, my husband and I asked my parents to go on a trip with us. We thought that going on a cruise would be a perfect opportunity to get away for a few days, spend some quality time together and learn about our family ancestry. More

The intimate, all-suite ships of Seabourn deliver accommodations, service, cuisine and attention to detail that place it among the elite in the global hospitality industry, according to the American Academy of Hospitality Sciences. For 2012, the prestigious organization has invited the small-ship cruise specialist into the rarified ranks of its Six Star Diamond honorees, comprising a roster of the world’s finest hotels, resorts, spas, luxury transportation providers and others who cater to the most discerning clientele around the world.  More

On Monday, March 19, Captain Darin Bowland, Chief Engineer Frank de Vries and myself attended the 50th anniversary of the splashdown by John Glenn in the waters off Grand Turk at the Grand Turk Cruise Center. The cruise center pays tribute to The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) space program Project Mercury and the historic 1962 splashdown of the Friendship 7 capsule off the island’s coast. More

Shortly before my mother died, she asked me if I could take a cruise anywhere in the world, where would I go. I could not answer her immediately. Her question had uncorked a train of thought, an internal debate that I had avoided confronting for years.

I am a veteran of the Vietnam War. Over our 17 years of marriage, my wife Christle had asked me about my time there, often suggesting we visit Vietnam together. How could we? Vietnam was a place I left in 1966 praying I would never have to go back. But Christle sensed the deeper truth…I was curious about the place; I wanted and needed to see for myself what life was like today for the people of a country that I left so torn apart by war. More

Seabourn Pride is currently sailing in Southeast Asia, where the landscapes are stunning and the cultures are rich and colorful.  Here is a report from Cruise Sales Specialist Beate Zaderer from Vietnam:

In Ho Chi Minh City, guests experienced a “Cultural Evening in Saigon” at the beautiful and legendary Majestic Hotel, where they enjoyed pre-dinner drinks on the rooftop terrace while watching a Vietnamese cultural show. The performance reflected traditional music and dances from the Northern and Southern parts of Vietnam.  More

We have not reached the Italian ports on our World Cruise itinerary, yet, but Italy has been with us during the entire voyage.  All we need to do is head for Canaletto, a no-fee alternative restaurant for casual dinners that serves Italian fare.  Humberto and I have patronized it three times already, as they have all our favorites on the menu.  Waiters bring a basket of fresh breads including garlic bread, bread sticks and tomato bread and a large tray of antipasti including mozzarella balls, olives, asparagus and more.  Bottles of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar are already waiting on the tables. More

For anyone who has ever known a teenage girl, getting one to do something she doesn’t want to do is nearly impossible. And should you succeed, a hefty price will be paid in long sulks and lengthy complaints. This was the scenario last year as I told Miranda we’d be taking a Thanksgiving cruise to Mexico with my parents.

“They are old and uncool, and I’ll die of boredom,” Miranda said. But it was very important to me that Miranda know her grandparents. Unlike her older brother, who grew up near them, we moved when Miranda was two. She rarely saw my parents. A cruise on Sapphire Princess seemed just the thing to make a genuine connection and bridge a 50-year generation gap. More

By Peter Shanks

Hello All

Saturday afternoon, a London Veterans Field Hockey match against Maidenhead, in the pouring rain – and we lost 12-0. And given that I am the goalkeeper, you can imagine that this was not my finest hour. How on earth did that happen – well let’s rewind a week to last Saturday morning.  I checked in at Heathrow for the rather long journey to Australia. I go ‘down under’ each year at this time – an opportunity to see our ships on their World Voyages and to promote Cunard in the growing Australian market. I always find the outward journey not too much of a problem as I have a lot to look forward to. I travelled on a Qantas A380 – very good service, comfortable seat and happily none of the cracks in the wings that I was reading about in the press prior to boarding.  More

While Seabourn Quest was alongside at Cape Town, South Africa during its maiden World Cruise, Seabourn President Richard Meadows joined the full world cruise guests for an exclusive afternoon event at the Cape Coast winery owned by champion golfer Ernie Els. Departing the ship in the afternoon, the guests were driven from busy Cape Town through the suburban townships and into the bucolic countryside. More

Here are photos from Amsterdam’s grand “Mardi Gras Afloat!” The Lido’s magradome pool became a paddle boat restaurant area with Mardi Gras decorations and Jazz music just like on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. We set up Bourbon street light’s and market stalls and colorful tables with gold, green and purple all over the place. The ceiling panel was decorated with balcony banners and the ship’s officers, crew and guests wore festive outfits and masks like the clowns, jesters and musical entertainment during the parade. More

My dad is a retired plumber, and one of his favorite things to do is to hang out at the local coffee shop, talking with his buddies. They discuss just about everything including greatest trips, past and present. Dad has many vacations to share because when I was growing up, my family took car trips to see much of the United States and he and mom also traveled to Europe. But I knew he still had one special place on his travel bucket list. He wanted to go to Alaska and the nation’s “last frontier” brought out the wanderlust in him. More

Excellent company, delicious cuisine, and a special performance by award-winning music composer Marvin Hamlisch — these are just a few special moments that world cruise guests experienced during the Gala Bon Voyage Dinner in Ft. Lauderdale before they embarked on their 109-day journey aboard Seabourn Quest the next day. On Jan. 4, 2012, Seabourn President Richard Meadows, along with other company executives and shipboard staff, welcomed guests to The Ritz-Carlton, Ft. Lauderdale for a spectacular event before bidding them bon voyage!

One of the evening’s highlights included a piano performance by Mr. Hamlisch, who delighted the crowd with a special song he had written specifically just for the World Cruise. Below are a few pictures from the gala; you can view more photos on our Facebook page.  More

Travel writer Georgina Cruz and her husband Humberto are currently sailing on Amsterdam’s 112-day Grand World Voyage and will be sending in cruise diaries throughout their time on board. Here is the first entry. Enjoy!

Imagine for a moment that you have the opportunity to experience the world – all seven continents – in one neat package. It is the ultimate voyage, a true circumnavigation of the planet, in our case, onboard Holland America’s flagship, the ms Amsterdam, 112-days circling the globe to and from Fort Lauderdale. My husband, Humberto, and I had dreamed, planned and saved for a World Cruise for years, but had been unable to do so until he retired last year... More

Perhaps to celebrate a milestone occasion, to re-connect with friends and family, or to mark a special accomplishment?  Princess Cruises recently launched a new blog called "Inspired to Cruise", where each week throughout 2012 Princess will post inspiring stories from passengers sharing the reasons why they've cruised.  Hope their reasons will inspire your own!

by Tim Corthorn

A day at sea or a day in port...? I can never choose which I prefer because whenever you look out of the window there is always something different to see. I start my day the same way a lot of people on board do - by looking out of the window to see exactly where we are. As a ship’s navigation officer it is always good to know where you are! As you look out at the world around the ship you might spot familiar sights, and although you have seen them before they are always as amazing as the first time. The sight of the Rock of Gibraltar appearing over the horizon and getting bigger and bigger as the ship gets closer and closer is one such example. I have seen it so many times but this sight is by far one of my favourites. More

Welcome to the Discover P&O Cruises Blog

November 28, 2011

Hello, and a warm welcome to the 'Discover P&O Cruises' blog. This is the blog where you can find out what P&O Cruises is really all about, as told by the people who know - our officers, crew and staff in the UK. Over the coming months, I hope that we can offer you an insight into who we are and why we love what we do. Many of us travel on board our ships, either working or during our time off, so we can't wait to share with you our stories, tips, hopes and memorable moments from all around the world. More