My Christmas Cruise on P & O Aurora

I have just recently returned from our 2 night Christmas cruise to Bruges on the Aurora, its a lovely traditional ship that was built in 2000 and is very well equipped. The focal point of the ship is the five deck high atruim leading to a variety of facilities. Children are well provided for with fully supervised childrens and teens clubs offering disco parties, competitons, games arcade, computers and outdoor pool games.

There is plenty of open deck space for people to sunbathe, i would have loved to have been able to have a swim in the pool and a lie in the sun but at -4 in Bruges i had to give it a miss this time. The ship also has a wrap around promenade deck. The Limelight Theatre provides west end style shows and the Curzon Theatre has musicals and cabaret

The Dining rooms are very impressive with two main dining areas the Eqyptian designed Alexandria aft of the ship and the Moorish designed Medina which is midship, there is also Marco Pierre Whites bistro Cafe Bordeaux and The Orangery for breakfast or lunch.
Our party ate both nights in the Medina Restaurant but unfortunately i was not very impressed with the food and service, after ordering steak rare it arrived extremely well done, the service from the waiters was also slow and it took over 20 minutes for our table to receive our first drinks. Our table also felt we were very rushed by our P & O waiter who removed plates whilst other's at our table were still eating and giving other's their second plate of food. Not good service for a 4 star cruise ship!

Dress Code is casual and comfortable during the day. Evenings range from smart to casual to semi formal. Formal evenings require a suit or dinner jacket for men and cocktail dress for the ladies.. We had one semi formal evening and one formal evening.

I was very lucky to have a balcony deluxe cabin which was very spacious with a nice balcony, decor very nice, bathroom was also to a very high standard with bath, shower and WC and complimentary White Room shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and hand cream. Our Cabin porter Caetano was great he couldn't of been more helpful during our stay.

There are lots of bars to choose from too on the ship, including the Crows Nest which i loved, its a very traditional bar aft of the ship with great views out to sea, drinks are very reasonable with a glass of large white wine costing £2.85, pints were also nicely priced at £2.35 and cocktails between £3.50 and £4.60

All in all i would highly recommend the Aurora for a lovely cruise holiday they just need to iron out a few problems with the dinner service.


Any questions you would like me to answer on my cruise please ask

Carnival Cruise Bermuda

Carnival Cruises offers sixteen cruises to Bermuda in 2011. This is a large increase from 2010. Carnival Cruises are an experience packed with mountains of food, fun-filled activities, lavish entertainment, exciting new places, and fun!

A Carnival cruise is more than just a vacation. It's an attitude. It's a spirit of be-yourself fun that no other cruise line can offer. From the inviting decor to the friendly staff, you'll feel the difference right away. A Carnival Bermuda cruise from New York, Baltimore, Charleston or Norfolk is a great way to escape

Carnival Cruises to Bermuda

7-day cruises from New York to Bermuda on the Carnival Miracle. Docks at King's Wharf in Bermuda.
2011 departures: April 14, 21.

Carnival Cruise Line's "Fun Ships" are floating resorts designed for your pleasure. Experience the outdoor areas, wonderful restaurants, friendly casino, relaxing lounges, invigorating spa, and exciting nightclubs. Come aboard and see for yourself why Carnival Cruises are the fun ships.

An Introduction To Bermuda Cruises

If you are planning a cruise to Bermuda, there are certain important things which you must keep in mind. If you have not been to Bermuda before, bear in mind that it is not a big island. In fact, it doesn't take more than 24 hours to walk across the whole island.

Bermuda is around 120 miles north of the Caribbean Sea. It has a mild climate even during the winter months. Cruises to Bermuda are generally available between April and late October. There are certain cruises which keep on making trips until the end of December. However, they are relatively rare.

Your cruise ship could land in any one of the three ports at Bermuda, though it is most likely that you would stop in the port of Hamilton, as it has two shipping berths. It may happen that you visit more than one port on your Bermuda cruise trip.

The other port is known as St. George port. It is a historical port and attracts large numbers of tourists. Then there is the third port, at King's Wharf. This port has museums, galleries and popular restaurants, which makes it a famous cultural hub. Bermuda cruises often have a large number of tourists who often make return visits to Bermuda. This indicates the island's popularity.

However, as it is a small island, restrictions are in place concerning the maximum number of cruise liners that can land here. Check out the limit before you book a Bermuda cruise. The bookings can be done online or over the telephone. There are many cruise liners to choose from. Your choice of a cruise liner depends on your budget and the kind of vacation you are looking to take. There are luxury liners for those who want to splurge, and cheaper liners for those on a tighter budget