Traditionally Southampton has been the main port for UK cruisers and has been the main port in Europe for English-speaking ships. Home to the world’s most famous cruise line Cunard and the quintessentially British P&O Cruises.

Barcelona is now making an impact on Southampton’s crown, with low cost airlines growth, fly cruises have become more popular and cruises to the Med are attracting some of the world’s top cruise ships.

With Mark Hughes and cruising being the main links between the cities, would comparing ports be like comparing their great football clubs, or more akin to comparing Matt Le Tissier with André Iniesta?

Port v Port

Barcelona and Southampton offer two very different options as cruise terminals. Cruises from Southampton offer easy access, cruise only holidays. Okay so parking can be a pain, but it’s much easier than having to worry about the luggage restrictions of flying. Instead of spending your morning in an airport lounge you can stroll straight onto your ship in time for lunch.

Cruises from Barcelona are an ideal way of enjoying a variety of Med Cruises. You can add a few nights in one of Europe’s finest cities and there are itineraries from 7 to 11 nights on a variety of ships.

The two ports are really quite different. Barcelona is similar to its football club. The capital of Catalonia is full of culture, vibrancy and flair. Steeped in history and enjoying a diverse and cosmopolitan atmosphere. Southampton is a city full of history and legend, but no longer lives up to its former glory days. Plus it rains more in Southampton!

Ships Ahoy

The two destinations boast a superb variety of ships, from some of the largest at sea to six star über liners.

Southampton is the home of British cruising and throughout the year you can choose from the luxurious Cunard Fleet, such as the much awaited Queen Elizabeth, P&O’s full selection of stunning ships, including their newest and largest ships the Ventura and Azura, and the traditional and smaller understated Fred. Olsen ships. There is also the glitz and glamour of one of the largest ships to be based in Europe, the Independence of the Seas, the American-style luxury of the Celebrity Eclipse and two of Princess’ favourites the Crown Princess and Grand Princess. Throw in the high-end, ultimate luxury of Regent Seven Seas Voyager and the Italian-style, more causal fun of the MSC Opera and you have something for everyone.

Barcelona in return offers a selections of some of the finest four & five star ships to grace the European seas. Sister ship of the Independence, Liberty of the Seas and NCL’s latest offering, the Norwegian Epic are the other two of Europe’s three largest ships. The much anticipated Celebrity flagship Celebrity Solstice and Holland America’s newest luxury liner, the Nieuw Amsterdam are top of the 5 star luxury list. The Ruby Princess offers a more understated answer to American-style cruising and Disney Magic is perfect for families. For a real Med feel MSC’s top ships the MSC Splendida and MSC Fantasia are both cruising from Barcelona. And to top it all off the two six star, all-inclusive, and rather elegant ships that are the icing on the cake are Silver Seas’ Silver Wind and the Regent Seven Seas Mariner.

The Winner Is…

To sum up the cruise ships on offer Southampton has a great selection of British-style ships, and can offer more variety in destinations, with the Med, the Canaries, the Baltics and Transatlantic all regular offerings. The port is easier to get to for most of us and accounts for the vast majority of British cruisers.

Barcelona on the other hand offers more ships with American and Italian-style glamour, some of the newest ships to escape the Caribbean and fantastic year round weather. To top it off they also have a better football team, that even Le Tissier would struggle to get in!

British elegance, a variety of destinations and the lack of need for flights definitely has its benefits, but a few days of Catalan culture, a trip to the Camp Nou and the wonderful weather of the Med definitely sways me. You can check out both these ports with this cruise deals widget. Only problem now is which cruise deals choose!

For people like myself who would love to go to the Monaco GP finding a centrally located hotel of a luxury standard on race day is near impossible. The idea of jumping on a four day cruise that arrives first thing Sunday morning and leaves on Monday afternoon on a 5* luxury ship for a fraction of the cost of a 5* hotel in Monte Carlo does appeal.

On broaching this with my partner, a semi fan of F1, who isn’t convinced a cruise is for her, on mentioning this something clicked. ‘You mean we get to spend a day in Portofino and another in St. Tropez before the race and all night in Monaco’ she asked. The idea of lunching on the Italian Riviera in one of Portofino’s infamous waterside restaurants on the Friday, and celebrity spotting over dinner in St. Tropez the following day did indeed appeal to her. on mentioning the cost of a balcony cabin, full board, with flights was only a fraction more then the cost of our average ski holiday she was convinced.

Azamara’s decision to offer this itinerary is inspired. Their ships are more intimate than the super-liners at around 700 people, the service is renowned for being impeccable and you are dining in 5* quality everyday. Once you’ve bought your tickets to one of the most iconic race’s in the world it is the perfect weekend away.

Monaco GP

The only problem is that this cruise deal doesn’t start until next season as this year is looking like a cracker. The Red Bulls are flying but having a few issues, Ferrari aren’t far behind and have two talented drivers with former champ Alonso and there eternal unofficial number two of Massa, and not forgetting the Battle of Britain at McClaren with two British champs, the smooth driving defending champ of Button vs the prodigal son of Hamilton. Let just hope the 2011 race looks as exciting as next month’s encounter.

After watching the race unfold it’s back to the ship, freshen up, favorite suit then off the enjoy the famous nightlife. Do you try and blag your way into one of the after-race parties, if Buttons wins his celebrations are infamous, or is a trip to the casino’s more up your street. For those die hard fans who prefer a more relaxed pace there is always dinner and a show on the ship and a morning of site seeing to follow. Whatever you preference if you like F1, luxury holidays and intimate cruise ship them you can’t miss this special event.

For more info Iglucruise have got some great deals and regular updates on the cruise.

It’s been eagerly anticipated by cruisers, ever since it was announced that the QE2 would retire to Dubai to become a luxury hotel. Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth sets a whole new standard for the cruise line, with it being the second largest ship they’ve built.

Easily accommodating 2,092 passengers and weighing in a 92,000 tons, the ship will start sailing in October 2010 and you can book Cunard Queen Elizabeth cruises right now!

Inside, the ship is looking as luxurious as you’d expect, with glorious décor and classical charm. With Cunard’s trademark White Star Service, the ship is set for fine and quality dining.

The estimated total cost of the ship is €500m, which highlights the extent Cunard have gone towards to making the Queen Elizabeth as special as possible. The maiden voyage has already sold out, so it’s first come first served to get on the other available sailings!

Having just enjoyed a week’s cruise around the Greek Islands with easyCruise, we have to say that if you are thinking of taking your first cruise or want a great value way to see the Greek Islands, give easyCruise a try. You won’t enjoy the same level as luxury as a Cunard cruise but you will have a great time. We spent everyday at a different beach and partied until the early hours in seven different destinations; it’s a really great way to go island hopping in Greece.

Together we (both in our mid 20s) set out on the seven night Greek Island and Turkey itinerary on the new ship easyCruise Life last week. Our expectations were low and we were somewhat sceptical of what we might get on this “no frills” cruise, having paid just £100 pp for the week’s accommodation. We arrived with expectations of a bright orange ship and staff dressed in orange polyester, but once onboard we soon ate our words.

The ship was modest (but not orange at all) and was kept spotlessly clean. The facilities were all very modern with a swimming pool, three hot tubs and cosy sun loungers, plus a gym, restaurant and bar. The cabins are quite small but unlike other cruises, you only really sleep on the ship, so it really isn’t a problem at all.

As we set sail out of Piraeus, we enjoyed a drink on deck in the sunshine and met some of our fellow ship mates. The passengers onboard were very mixed with but we’d say that half were made up of young groups under 30. The other half comprised of smaller groups, couples, as well as a few families. There were a lot of South African and North American people as it works out to be an affordable way for them to holiday in Greece. That night, we enjoyed some Greek dishes at the ship’s modern restaurant, followed by a boogie on the dance floor.

The next morning we arrived at our first port of call – Kalymnos, where we took the local bus and explored the island. We spent the afternoon lying on the beach with our new found friends. That evening we dined ashore and discovered our first delicious taste of souvlaki, a popular chicken kebab wrap with tzatziki sauce and a bargain at just €1.80.

We asked our waiter for the best place to go and he recommended a beach bar a short drive away. We hopped in a taxi (the driver’s family also in tow) and headed to the Dolmus bar in Kantouni which is situated just 5 meters from the shore line. We enjoyed a drink looking out to sea with the moon shimmering down and waves crashing around us. Being out of season, it was fairly quiet, but in the peak summer time this place would be an amazing place to party. By midnight, it had filled up with locals and after a few free shots from the friendly manager we realised it was 4am. We hurried back to the ship as it was due to sail at 6am and were told by security that we were the last onboard!

After sleeping until 2pm, we arrived at Bodrum in Turkey only to find that most of the museums and sites were closed on a Monday, so back to the beach to enjoy a bit more sun. Being a popular resort with the Dutch, the town was covered in orange flags and people wearing orange shirts as Holland was playing Italy in the Euro2008 football. Everyone got into the spirit of things with flares going off at the end of the game when Holland won. The party started at midnight at a lively disco bar called The White House, where we danced on the window sill to RnB and Funky House with the local waiters. There was also an incredible dancer dressed as spider man who jumped from building to building and hung off the roof whilst body popping and strutting some very funky moves. – impressive!

Kos has some great walks along the mountain range, but due to sleeping until midday we missed the last buses to any of these places, so make your way out early if you want to explore. We headed to a pleasant beach near the marina instead but the more pristine sandy beaches can be found on other parts of the island. Again, in the evening there were no shortages of places to party, with friendly locals offering a warm welcome and yet more free shots.

Next was Paros, our favourite island on the trip. It has lots of white washed buildings and little fishing villages along the coast and gave you a true representation of a traditional Greek island. The local bus service runs frequently and you could easily do a full circle around the island. It didn’t have as much night-life as the other islands but after three nights of non-stop partying, it was nice to take it easy even though we still made it back to the ship at 3am.

The next day everyone on the ship was ready to spend a full day in Mykonos. We spent the morning getting lost around the town, taking numerous wrong turns around its maze like streets. We eventually found the south bus terminal and headed on the busy local bus to Paradise Beach with half of the easyCruise people in tow. The beach is a hot spot for the gay community and nudism isn’t frowned upon. We soon discovered that that the right hand side of the beach was a lot more naked than the left – these guys really don’t want any strap marks at all. There are three major bars on the beach and by 4pm, the music was pumping and most people were on the bar dancing. We stayed till about 9pm as things were dying down, but in the height of summer, the party continues until the sun comes up. We also missed the Ministry of Sound evening by one day which we’re sure would have been pretty impressive. We headed back to Mykonos Town and found the famous Scandinavia bar along with all the easyCruise people. It seemed the place to be.

At our final destination of Syros we decided to escape from the other tourists and headed to a deserted beach on the other side of the island. A quiet time sunbathing before an early dinner as the ship was leaving at 10pm. We rocked the ship with a party on deck, but the ship was soon rocking us as the waves got a little choppy. We had to dance from one side of the ship to the other in order to keep standing upright –(honestly due to the waves, not the alcohol).

A few sore heads in the morning but we still had a full day of sightseeing to do around Athens before our flight home. We decided the heat was too much and took a little train around the ancient sites to save our aching legs. We wondered around the Acropolis and eventually found the Temple of Zeus. We spent more time in cafes drinking water that day, than on any of the islands. We guess our farewell party was paying the price.

Would we go on this holiday again? – definitely!

An annual cruise report from PSA gave the interesting figures that 1.34 million Brits cruised last year. Going by the current trends, the cruise industry could see the number of customers increase by another 2 million over the next four years. The rising figures were touted as a “boom” by director William Gibbons, who noted:

There has been a sustained boom in cruising for the past decade, with the number of Brits taking a cruise holiday more then doubling…

…There are also 44 new cruise ships on order through to 2012 worth more than [£12 billion] so we expect more than [£2 million] British people will be enjoying cruise holidays in just four years.

The considerable increase in demand allowed the PSA, who were also celebrating their 50th anniversary, to officially announce design plans for a few cruise ships of the future. One, coined as a “Cruise Mothership” (see artist’s impression above), will be capable of holding and releasing an entire fleet of smaller vessels at sea. Another was announced to be a much more space-efficient ferry ship. Gibson continued:

These new ship orders range from mega-ships through to small, intimate five-star ultra-luxury vessels. This diversity means the average age of cruise passengers has reached a record low and cruise holidays are attracting a greater range of travellers than ever before – from families, to ultra-luxury spa enthusiasts or adventurers.

The futuristic designs are being led by Fredik Johansson, the Senior Architect for Tillberg Design AB. You’ll know the name as being responsible for such cruise ship design feats as Cunard’s QE2 and QM2, Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas and Crystal’s Serenity. That certainly makes these designs something to keep an eye on.

The annual report went on to show how the average age of cruisers fell to 53 and 38% of passengers in 2007 had never cruised before. “Ultra-luxury” cruising also saw an increase in passengers of 12%. I’m not sure what the difference between Ultra-luxury cruising and luxury cruising is exactly, but I’m assuming the ultra tag means you have a wallet the size of a planet.

It’s also not clear exactly how accurate the above drawing of the Cruise Mothership is but it looks sweet enough to make me want it to all happen very much.

Approximately 300 people have been invited to the sending off. This marks a stark contract to the millions who watched the original coronation on television. A Royal Salute (41 gun) is set to be fired at 12 midday today which will be followed by another Royal Salute at 1pm, only this time 62 guns will be used.

The origin of the number of guns used comes from ancient ceremonies where 21 volleys would be fired to salute the arrival of a neighbouring nation. 20 shots are added to this number for royal occasions and a further 21 if it’s the capital city of London. Ridiculous, I know.

The QE2 will retire this November to become a floating hotel in Dubai after an incredible 40 years of service. The cruise ship was bought by Dubai World for an estimated £50 million.

Following a ship naming competition from Royal Caribbean, the name Oasis of the Seas was chosen from some 91,000 entries, which have flooded in since January 18th. This is apparently the first time that the public have been selected to choose a cruise ship name.

The lucky winner of the name-selecting contest was George Weiser of Michigan. He submitted both Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas in his entry and they were each deemed excellent enough to be ship titles. However, Jennifer Conley of Robertsville Missouri also suggested Allure of the Seas, making her a joint winner in the competition.

The Oasis class is set to be the home for the world’s largest cruise ships. Oasis of the Seas itself will launch in 2009 and will become the largest cruise ship in the world, offering 16 decks, 220,000 gross registered tons, room for 5,400 guests, and an incredible 2,700 staterooms.

At some point in 2010, Allure of the Seas will join Oasis of the Seas in this incredible new Oasis class.

More info and images at http://www.iglucruise.com/oasis-of-the-seas

Update: Oasis of the Seas will go on sale from September 2008.

This Just In! P&O Artemis will sail her Mediterranean Farewell Voyage in April 2011. Iglucruise.com have the Artemis Farewell cruise at decent prices.

If it wasn’t enough that P&O’s Ventura launch was constantly being overshadowed by the forthcoming Independence of the Seas, Royal Caribbean have decided to rub the dirt in a little bit more. Flaunting their big ship madness more than ever, the cruise line crash landed yesterday’s Ventura launch party with the announcement of their new, highly anticipated Project Genesis.

The new Genesis ship is due in late 2009 and will be, by some margin, the largest cruise ship in the world. This isn’t just an addition to a current class, as Independence of the Seas was, this is a new fully-fledged class that aims to place Royal Caribbean up and beyond the competition and surpassing their own Freedom class. The big talking point of the new ship is their ‘Central Park’, an indoor park featuring all the trees, flowers and benches you’d expect, giving the interior the appearance of an exterior. This allows for a whole new set of cabin balconies over-looking the greenery.

Central Park is going to be the length of a football field and amazingly will feature a town square that leads off to various restaurants and bars, including the Rising Tide Bar which is set to be the first moving bar at sea, moving up and down over three decks. Yet this is just one of several ‘neighbourhoods’ throughout the ship, the others of which are yet to be announced, perhaps suggesting that their are many more exciting things to discover onboard. Carrying some 5,400 passengers, it really will be huge. It does seem like Royal Caribbean are aiming for not just bigger, but better with Project Genesis.

Said to be costing around $1.2 billion, it will make it not just the world’s largest cruise ship, but also the world’s most expensive cruise ship. A sister ship for Project Genesis is also in the making and expected in 2010. While neither have yet been named, the official naming ceremonies of the ships is due to take place in May 2008.

When you look at the two juggernauts side by side, they don’t look too dissimilar. To give you an idea of just how big Ventura is, it’s over 20m longer than London Bridge. As you can imagine, that’s almost frighteningly big. Yet, if you were to take Independence of the Seas and stand it on its stern, it would be taller than the Chrysler Building in New York. Heck, it would even stand taller than Paris’ Eiffel Tower; it’s quite simply enormous.

Stats aren’t everything, especially when it comes to cruise ships, though it can help to have clout. Looking at how the two match in terms of size and weight, it’s clear that Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas has the slight edge.

At 160,000 tons, Independence of the Seas weighs more than around 80,000 cars. It makes you wonder how all that can possibly float! Ventura pulls in at a slightly less forceful 115,000 tons, but that’s still pretty impressive. Naturally, it’s not just size that matters, it’s what you do with it. The number of cabins and potential passengers reveal slightly more about the two ships. Ventura’s maximum capacity is around 3,600 passengers, which would end up at a space ratio of something like 35 tons per passenger, when you take the crew into account. This is roughly the same space ratio of tons per passenger as Independence of the Seas, which shows that despite their different sizes and weights, they both use the space similarly.

Onboard each of the ships, things are closer still. There’s very little to choose between the two, besides Venture’s slight advantage on pool numbers and Independence of the Seas’ increase in Jacuzzis (Oh and the lack of a cinema). So what does all this mean? It means that it’s all going to come down to the quality of each room. The dining, the range of drinks, the quality of the cabins, the shows, the decks, the staff and the cleanliness… everything matters. If either of these brutes is going to win this battle, they’ll really need to impress on the inside.

Which Ship will Please the Foodies?

P&O hope that the Ventura’s fine dining holds the key to the ship. The ship’s signature restaurant, The White Room – crafted by Marco Pierre White, offers Italian cooking at its best. Inspired by the specialist restaurants in Venice and Florence, everything from the décor to the service is assured to be spot on. The rest of the variety of dining areas ranges from the family-orientated Beach House to the reservation-only Bay Tree.

Royal Caribbean aim their Independence of the Seas to be continue to look just as big on the inside as it does on the out. The main dining room is split into three sections named after three of Shakesphere’s plays: Romeo and Juliet, King Lear and Othello. With a decent range of other specialist dining, such as the Italian Portofino and the Asian cuisine of Jade, they’ll be plenty to choose from onboard.

Who has the Largest Wine Cellar?

Ventura again turns up the class when it comes to drinking, with the curious Metropolis bar. A 20m floor-to-ceiling plasma screen will effortlessly display your favourite city landscapes as you relax back with a cocktail. The ambitious project captures the skylines of London, Paris, New York, Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Sydney, taking nearly a year to craft in the process. Elsewhere onboard Ventura, you can indulge with champagne and caviar in Red Bar or join the British bunch in the cosy Exchange, featuring model trains trundling around the bar.

Meanwhile Independence of the Seas offers the signature Schooner Bar with speciality drinks, cosy leather chairs and delightful teak-wood décor. More intimate experiences can be found in the ships vast array of lounges. Vintages wine bar and the Champagne bar are the places to find vintage tipples and Jazz with a cocktail can be found at the Viking Crown.

Leisure and Entertainment

The centrepiece for entertainment on Ventura is the monolithic Arena, located on Deck 7. Seating up to 785 people, the setting promises West End-style shows, cabarets and game shows. Not forgetting the ship’s intriguing ‘Cirque Ventura’, where you can learn all kinds of circus tricks from stilt walking to swinging the trapeze! For fitness and sports, the Ventura will provide five pools; the largest of which will be the Laguna Pool on Deck 15, a beauty salon, a spa, a sports court and gym, which also includes bookable exercise classes.

Independence of the Seas’ Alhambra Theatre will take Broadway as its focal point and provide live musicals, performances and comedy. Elsewhere, Studio B offers professional ice-skating shows and free use of the rink with available instruction for beginners. Along with cookery lessons and wine tasting, there’s a great range to the ship’s entertainment facilities. By way of leisure, you can expect a nine hole miniature golf course, a climbing wall, jogging track, spa and of course the famed FlowRider surf simulator.

Which Would you Cruise on?

Overall, both ships seem to be looking pretty complete. Independence of the Seas has the bigger size and the more options with, such as the climbing wall. Yet, Ventura seems to have gone to considerable effort to produce areas such as the Metropolis bar and The White Room restaurant. Ventura will arrive in Southampton on April 6th, where it will host a variety of launch parties until mid-April when the naming ceremony will be performed by Dame Helen Mirren. Independence of the Seas will arrive in Southampton slightly later on April 25th, their naming ceremony will be on April 30th. They’ve yet to announce the ship’s godmother, but British band Scouting for Girls are set to play onboard. All in all it will be interesting to see this play out and one things for sure – it’s the British cruisers that really win. Never have we had such a great choice of ships on offer. Let battle commence…

Update: Oasis of the Seas to become the world’s largest cruise ship.