CRUISING: Plenty of news

Malcolm Ginsberg will again be giving a talk on sea-going holidays at the Jewish LIMMUD gathering NEC Hilton during the Year-End holiday.  It attracts a good audience, both first-timers and those experienced.  The question of kosher and early evening Friday services is bound to be raised, and answered.  To be fair, those requiring kosher are small, the gathering is more of a social occasion, enjoyed by all. 

MG needs a short brief from all cruise lines on their plans for 2026, and if possible, a half-minute video presentation.  malcolm@ginsberg.co.uk 

Here is a link to Holiday Magazine, edited by Mike Pickup, with a detailed look at the EES - Electronic Entry/Exit System. The new European entry system begins on 12 October.  Tell all! 

Malcolm will be contributing on an October Queen Anne cruise in THE HOLIDAY MAGAZINE. Our regular cruising expert Chris Tarry offered a 'social' review in August.  MG will review a typical cruise into the Mediterranean.  www.travelnewsupdate.co.uk/article/1067

On Thursday 30 October the new (well new for Ambassador) Renaissance will leave Tilbury for a winter's cruising in the Caribbean.   We are represented on board.  First impressions will follow via the wonders of wi-fi.

This is not a normal review, and as a journalist, I must report that the cruise industry is missing out on the PR front by not reporting as a press release each update/improvement with the fleet, and regular information on the entertainment agenda, artists, and specialist presenters, or inviting local press to view a ship when visiting UK ports. It is good copy for them and might attract business. A rolling press news programme would give us scribes something to write about in our columns, helping to fill the ships.


RCCL INDEPENDENCE OF THE SEAS

"I have reported previously on RCCL’s ships", says Malcolm Ginsberg. Here are links to two reviews.  Independence of the Seas from 2012 www.btnews.co.uk/article/5571 and Anthem of the Seas 2024 www.travelnewsupdate.co.uk/article/821.

This recent cruise, at the end of July, was for seven nights with four ports visited and two sea days.  The seas were as smooth as I have ever experienced.

With Independence nothing has changed much over the years except an increase of capacity from 3,900 to 4,400 passengers, mainly found by taking away some of the hardly used social areas high in the bow.  The popular ice rink remains and unlike MSC, on a recent Ginsberg trip, with RCCL the Royal Theatre has a proper nine-piece live band. TNU’s Editor-in-Chief did not partake in the skating.

Leaving Southampton, it was a day at sea to make a start on finding our way around a very large ship.  Our family occupied three interior cabins near the stern, deck 6, which offer an internal curtain, screening off the beds and a decent size washroom/shower.  With that facility one can sleep, whilst the other watches TV, or uses the excellent wi-fi.  A fourth cabin had a window on deck 3, just by the lift and dining room entrance. Same configuration, an ideal position and also two bunk beds which could be stowed away unnoticed in the ceiling if not occupied.

Eating is good quality mass catering, the standards improving all the time with excellent dining room service and a relaxed attitude to holidaymakers timing for their meals.  You will not go hungry and whilst all the cabins now have tea/coffee making facilities (after a plea some time back by Ginsberg) there is no British traditional Tea mid-afternoon although scones, cream and jam are available in the Promenade Café.  No charge. The Windjammer, the large buffet cafeteria on deck 11, is closed between 3 and 5 to prepare for dinner!  One section could be offered for Tea.  Americans still queue up for the restaurant doors to open!  

RCCL offers a product ideal for kids of all ages with a large getting wet area (several pools) and plenty of activities well into the evening.  Our grandchildren are now teenagers.


HAMBURG

For TNU’s Editor-in-Chief Hamburg’s ‘Miniatur Wunderland’ was the highlight of the whole trip.  It opened in 2001 and is housed in a former warehouse spread over four floors and now includes Monaco and its Grand Prix.  It is by far the largest model railway in the world and is supported by more than 50 staff, many working on the intricate tiny models.  Each year it attracts over 1.5 million visitors.  

From our cruise ship it was a delightful walk through Alter Elbtunnel and along the promenade.

The railroad consists of about 16km (9.9 miles) of tracks and is organised in geographical regions each one very comprehensive. These include the made-up town of Knuffingen, Knuffingen Airport (based on the Hamburg airport), Switzerland, Austria and its Alps, Central Germany, USA, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Italy, and South America, with trains in the style of the area selected.  London is in the planning stage for 2028.

The model includes 300 trains, over 10,000 carriages, 100,000 vehicles, 500,000 lights, 130,000 trees, and 400,000 human figurines.  They cover 1,545m2 (16,630sq ft) of space.

The Monaco showcase was opened by Prince Albert on 25 April 2024. He was amazed at the detail and knowing in advance what to expect took along his whole family.  It offers the world's first miniature, fully automated Formula 1 racetrack.

This short introduction does not do justice to the world’s largest landscape scale model.  

www.miniatur-wunderland.com


OSLO

Sadly on this trip we did not dock at main cruise terminal Filipstadkaia, very convenient for the centre of the city and close by Vigeland Park with its statues.  Revierkaia proved to be an OK alternative, with plenty of taxis and a downhill walk back.  

On this cruise the weather was perfect, the city centre on a Thursday proving to be busy.  Our highlight was the Changing of the Guard outside the Royal Palace, which sits majestically topping Karl Johans Gate, Oslo's main street, pedestrian and featuring key landmarks including the Parliament building (Stortinget), the National Theatre and Oslo Cathedral alongside numerous shops and cafes.

First stop for us was the Radisson RED Oslo City Centre housed in a building dating back to 1939, built long before sustainability was part of the conversation.  It marks the second Verified Net Zero hotel by Radisson Hotel Group after a similar development in Manchester.

Through extensive renovation, the historic property has been transformed into a cutting-edge lifestyle hotel that meets the rigorous Verified Net Zero requirements.  The hotel eliminates emissions from energy (called scope 1 & 2) and minimises operational emissions (called scope 3). The Verified Net Zero transformation is visible to guests in three key areas: 100% renewable energy, low-carbon menus, and a commitment to minimal waste operations.  What was a former Park Inn by Radisson, the hotel now introduces 118 artfully redesigned guest rooms, social areas and conference facilities.  

Right in the heart of Oslo, the hotel offers instant access to the city’s iconic landmarks, from the Oslo Opera House to the Munch Museum. 

Another sea day. 


COPENHAGEN

The city of Hans Christian Anderson (and Danny Kaye for those who remember the musical film) Copenhagen is a popular cruise destination, and the home of the world famous Tivoli Gardens.  There is a regular bus from the terminal.

Tivoli Gardens offers a unique blend of historical charm, thrilling rides, beautiful gardens vintage rides, and cultural events.  It opened on 15 August 1843 and received 4.25 million visitors in 2024.  A short cruise day visit cannot do it justice.

The park is spread over 20 acres and offers something for everyone – from thrilling roller coasters and carousels to live music, pantomime, and cultural events.

Some of our intrepid team tried the Star Flyer which flings you into the air, and Tik Tak rolling you around and upside down.  Great fun is to be had, should you want it. For the fainter of heart, dodgems and the trolley car provide a less stressful way to have fun!

A taxi was the simple solution to the Jewish Museum for some of our party. 

During World War II, Denmark had approximately 7,500 to 8,000 Jewish residents, with most living in Copenhagen.  Led by Rabbi Marcus Melchior 7,200 were successfully evacuated overnight by boat to neutral Sweden to escape Nazi persecution.  This mass rescue was a result of a combined effort from the Danish resistance and ordinary Danish citizens leading to an exceptional survival rate of over 95%.  

The Copenhagen Jewish Museum highlights this extraordinary feat and also shows 400 years of Jewish life in Denmark. The museum was designed by world-famous architect Daniel Libeskind and is located in the beautiful Royal Library Garden next to the Danish Parliament, Christiansborg Castle.

Another sea day.


BRUGGE  

The port of Zeebrugge (Brugge) is a popular stop to and from Southampton for cruise ships.  If you are good for walking the port train station is 20 minutes away or it is a local bus and a 40-minute ride.  Brugge itself is a very pretty water-fronted town.  Many of the buildings date back to the 13th and 14th centuries, including the impressive Belfry in Market Square. Walking through the medieval cobblestone streets feels like stepping back in time through the UNESCO World Heritage site.  Some of us took a canal ride.  

We last visited Brugge over ten years ago, but things have not changed much. 

See www.btnews.co.uk/article/5535

Overnight to Southampton and a quick and easy deboarding.  

And we are coming back for Liberty of the Seas next July.

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