CRUISING: It is getting younger! + Queen Anne

And an exclusive for Travel News Update

She is Britain’s oldest cruise ship, and a favourite of the late Queen Elizabeth. Yesterday (Wednesday 30 July), Hebridean Princess tied up at the Pilgrim Steps in Plymouth Sound. 

She will visit Rouen on the Seine before making several cruises along Britain’s West Coast, with her season ending at Greenock in early November.

Princess Anne was on board in April 2024 and also TNU's Editor-in-Chief.
www.travelnewsupdate.co.uk/article/630

For a review of this wonderful ship and what she offers do see this article from 2002. Nothing has changed much except she now has wi-fi.
www.travelnewsupdate.co.uk/article/631


CRUISE INDUSTRY NEWS

The London-based branch of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has revealed that the average age of UK and Ireland cruisers is decreasing again.  The overall passenger figures for 2024 confirm the average cruise traveller is 54.3 years – down from 55.1 in 2023 and 57 in 2019.

https://cruising.org


The majority of cruise lines have now published their programme for 2027 and if you are thinking of booking for that year the advice is to get in early for cabin position and discounts.  With no new big UK-based ships arriving, client capacity is expected to be around the same as this year.

Malcolm Ginsberg will again be delivering a cruise talk at the Jewish Limmud festival, Birmingham NEC Hilton over the Christmas period.  Cruise lines are invited to provide their ex-UK programmes for 2026 in a brief form. You are guaranteed a mention.

Ambassador has reluctantly decided to drop its children’s cruises for the 2027 lineup.  Whilst it proved to be a social and commercial success it was disruptive of the programme and expensive to put on.  The line will concentrate on its adult only programme (18 plus) out of Belfast, Bristol, Dundee, Newcastle and of course its main port of Tilbury.  

www.ambassadorcruiseline.com


QUEEN ANNE – A first review

TNU’s Editor-in Chief has booked on the still new Cunarder Queen Anne for October 2025.  

Our tame cruise writer, Chris Tarry, an airline analyst in real life, was on the July Mediterranean trip, choosing a Queen’s Grill cabin.  Tarry plans a full critique for the November publication in a new Malcolm Ginsberg website which will be live by that time. 

This is his quickly put together brief review having just got back to Southampton.


“I have now travelled on all Cunard’s current fleet having returned from a 16-night cruise on the Queen Anne around the Western Mediterranean.

Ours was a good start with embarkation exceptionally efficient, taking only 15 minutes from being dropped off to reaching our Queen’s Grill suite.  With a good size sitting area, separate from the bed, the cabin was comfortable and well appointed although the bathroom was a bit small, and there was no walk-in wardrobe which materially reduced the space for clothes. The balconies on our deck, seven, appeared wider than other decks. 

We had an excellent butler and assistant who looked after us extremely well although I am sure they found that we are not particularly demanding. The afternoon canapes delivered to the cabin at around 17:00 were excellent and a marked improvement on the last time we were on a Cunard ship a couple of years back.

The Queen’s Grill dining room is on Deck 10, mid ships, port side and accommodated 140 guests.  Again, we had an excellent team looking after us.

Whilst the range that is shown on the menu in the Queen’s Grill has shrunk materially over the years, and some things from the past now never appear, although it is still available, the reality is if you know what you want and they have it on board, all you have to do is ask. Indeed, this is the same for anything as long as they have the ingredients. Completely off the menu dishes included Lobster Mac and Cheese which I am sure they will now add to the list of options, as well as Welsh Rarebit, Scallops with Black pudding and a vegetable Biryani.  The experience could not be faulted and at all times the service was calm.

I cannot comment on what it is like in any of the Britannia restaurants other than to note that the first sitting is at 17:30.  I did use the food court or Artisans’ Food Hall as it is named – not just to get an occasional sandwich in the afternoon and mug of tea when I did not want to bother our butler but also lunch when returned from some excursions. I thought it was very good.

The entertainment programme was mixed, whilst one night there was a very good quartet of singers (The IDA Girls) and a couple of shows by Jennifer Tierney, a singer with a very good voice and stage presence, much of the rest was more miss than hit not least the big production dance show but also the 60’s tribute band where although the musicianship was very good it was not quite what we had expected in a Cunard theatre.  The absence of classical trios/quartets is also a great disappointment.  You have to be lucky with the theatre.  Some performers are very good, and others less so having rushed on board at the previous port and disembarking at the next one.  It's a one night stand for a mainly British audience.

A number of the areas on the ship, including the Queen’s Room, Chart Room and Grand Lobby are particularly underwhelming.

A brighter spot were the excursions where we booked something for each of the ports ranging from a taxi tour of the Rock of Gibraltar, a trip to the Montserrat Monastery outside Barcelona, a walking tour of Ajaccio, a historic sites and wine trip from Alghero, the vintage train at Soller, the Hidden Corners of Ibiza and a day trip to Seville. All were good itineraries with enthusiastic guides and gave an opportunity to see the countryside and learn more about the region and the key issues facing them.

The sun shone most of the time, we were told by the crew that the Queen Anne was a good sea ship and for this trip the sometimes fearsome Bay of Biscay was as smooth as silk.  

We selected this cruise for its fine itinerary and were not disappointed”. 

Ginsberg says he is going to take a tour of the public areas from Deck 1 to Deck 14, where there is spacious deck above The Bridge and includes a putting green. But he is not in the Queen’s Grill.
 
www.cunard.com/en-gb/cruise-ships/queen-anne/0

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