THE ADMIRAL T Go With The Show!
It was with a sublime combination of happenstance and circumstance that The Admiral found himself in the antediluvian surroundings of Olympia’s Exhibition Centre in late March. My travel plans were disrupted both by the British Airways cabin crew strike and engineering works on the London Underground. But this intrepid mariner wasn’t going to let transport chaos prevent him from gracing the second Daily Telegraph CRUISE Show with his presence.
Judging by the assembled throng, interest in this transport of delight is in the ascendant. As you would expect, pole position on the ground fl oor went to Royal Caribbean, along with sister brand Celebrity Cruises; adjacent to this was the exposition of the World’s Leading Cruise Lines, whose stand offered a ‘journey of discovery’ through its Cunard Line, Costa Cruises, Princess Cruises, Yachts of Seabourn, Holland America Line, P&O Cruises and Carnival brands.
It didn’t escape my notice the respective booking desks were in meltdown thanks to the number of visitors, who were all too eager to give their fl exible friend a workout for a taste of the high life on the high seas.
Venturing further into this exposition of everything cruise- natured, it was evident the smaller niche lines were not being ignored. One consortium confi ded to The Admiral they had taken more than 600 enquiries on the fi rst morning alone. Unquestionably, the show demonstrated the panoply of offerings that come under the banner ‘CRUISE’ – whether they are intimate expedition-style vessels or colossi of the sea that are proud to be loud.
High Theatre
There were two specialist theatres where visitors could gain knowledge fi rst-hand from industry experts. In the New Ships Theatre, P&O’s latest addition – Azura – was introduced by Head of Marketing Philip Price in tandem with wine expert Olly Smith, while the delightful Associate Vice-President & General Manager of Royal Caribbean, Jo Rzymowska, extolled the delights of Oasis of the Seas to a rapt audience.
In the Specialist Cruise Theatre, the benefi ts of small-ship cruising were debated with an engrossed audience; likewise how to fi nd the perfect luxury cruise. A highlight for The Admiral was listening to Douglas Ward, editor of the Berlitz Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships, giving a retrospective on his 40 years of cruising.
To call this cruising pundit a cynic who’s been happy- slapped by reality would be unfair, but there’s no pulling the wool over Douglas Ward’s eyes. I well remember standing with him on the Boat Deck of QE2 as this majestic icon sailed into New York for the last time. We shared our dyspeptic views of the fate of this fl agship, as well as reprovingly reviewing some current trends in cruising.
Like them or loathe them, it is these whimsies and fads that are making the cruise industry the most topical segment of the travel industry today. Or, in other words, 16,378 visitors to CRUISE 2010 can’t be wrong!
12 WORLD OF CRUISING I Summer 2010
Captain Breton lives on the Essex coast and, when on leave, spends her time in the garden, sailing – whenever the weather permits – and watching Six Nations rugby and Formula One motor racing. World of Cruising caught up with her for a quick ‘View From the Bridge’ Q&A:
WoC: When you fi rst started your maritime career, did you ever imagine a woman could end up as a ship’s Captain?
Capt Breton: Absolutely, why ever not!! When I joined Canadian Pacifi c I was the last female cadet they took on so there were already seven above me progressing through the ranks and proving it was possible.
WoC: What are your fi rst memories of P&O?
Capt Breton: Actually when I was 11, as I cruised on the Uganda on a schools cruise to Bergen, Oslo and Copenhagen.
WoC: What is the most important aspect of the Captain’s job these days, and has it changed much during your time at sea?
Capt Breton: Safety has always been and will always be the highest priority.
P&O Captain Makes History
W
hen the 1,200-passenger Artemis sailed from Southampton in April it was a ‘maiden’ voyage of a different kind – as she set out with P&O CRUISES’
fi rst female Captain, Sarah Breton, at the helm. Captain Breton, from Essex, was offi cially welcomed as Master
P&O’s fi rst female managing director, Carol Marlow, who said: “We are delighted Sarah has been promoted to the role of Captain. She has worked on P&O ships for many years and truly deserves to be Master of Artemis. We wish her every success in her new role.” Captain Breton insisted: “Growing up near the water, I
always loved boats and the ocean, so it really does fulfi ll a lifelong ambition to be a captain with P&O. It is made even more special to be Captain of the fi rst cruise ship I served on, after joining as third offi cer back in 1989.” Sarah, now 45, has served on Royal Princess (now Artemis),
Sky Princess, Canberra, Pacifi c Princess (the original Love Boat), Grand Princess and Star Princess as third offi cer, second offi cer, navigator, fi rst offi cer and safety offi cer. She was fi rst promoted to staff captain in 2001 on the original
Pacifi c Princess and then went on to serve onboard Coral, Tahitian and the new Pacifi c Princess, and most recently Ocean Village.
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