September/October 2023
...continued from page 1
Page 14: The gateway to the Northwest Opens up to the World
Page 30: Robin
Nowacki hops on board Explora II, the newest ship in the fleet
Page 23-24: Vivalicious! Erin English explores the world of NCL from onboard Norwegian Viva
Page 58-59: The weird and the wacky... The best (and wackiest) ski desitnations
Cruisers have an abundance of choice, from our travel agents selling around the world cruise holidays, to short weekend cruises and everything in between. Of the 1.7 million that cruised last year, 91% say they will cruise again, with 58% booking 6-24 months out from their cruise. So why is this multi-million pound industry booming?
I spoke with Sharon Thompson at Thompson Travel to find out more. “Cruising has always been top of the agenda at Thompson Travel Int,” said Sharon. “And those who were prevented from travelling the last few years have certainly compensated, availing of brand new ships, longed for destinations and treating themselves to luxury staterooms. We have seen multigenerational families enjoy Europe and Caribbean whilst honeymooners have topped the poll this year choosing high end cruise for
their romantic getaways. 2024 is already set to be another bumper cruise year!” Alongside the actual cruise itself, the data found that around 68% of cruisers will book a pre-cruise stay, and 58% a post-cruise stay which is boosting the tourism sector around the world massively. It also opens the idea for new holiday destinations for the individual, creating a return culture. It is clear to see cruisers are getting more bang for their buck, and with airline and hotel prices soaring high from before pandemic level, cruising is being looked at as a more affordable option; the value of money is being used better, rather than more cheaply or on a budget.
Cruisers are taking into consideration the cost of living, which is also being felt across Europe and beyond. Your favourite holiday destination has increased the price of food and beverages to meet the demand
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of the cost of living in such countries, and sometimes, it just is cheaper to eat at the buffet onboard!
The all-inclusive feel of a cruise is becoming more and more appealing as prices fall to around similar to those of an all-inclusive land holiday- pair this with an itinerary of one stop destinations and its a sure-fire way to entice a deprived holiday- maker. Add the constant friendly service, accessible onshore travel options, free and exclusive paid activities onboard these ships and there’s something for everyone. Maybe even something never seen before! But why now?
Speaking Elsie Connor,
with a
first time cruiser who took her first cruise onboard P&O Cruises’ Iona back in 2022, she described how wonderful it was to wake up in a new country each morning. “I have always wanted to go to
Norway and do the fjords, so obviously cruising was a great way to do it. Everything about cruising was perfect for me. To wake up in a different place each day for wonderful. And, of course, Norway is so beautiful anyway.
The ship had everything and more than
I had imagined. Food was so good and entertainment to suit all age groups.”. She described how the pricing was so similar to an all-inclusive holiday, yet, you were having the chance to see other places rather than being confined to the same desitnation each day. Cruising is also looking at yet another bumper year, with the 23/24 season already partially sold out.
Leaving the Ground! Local Coffee Shop Team Take to the Sky for Autism NI
THE Ground Magherafelt team took charity fundraising to new heights over the weekend as they skydived for a local charity. Three staff members of Ground Espresso Bars, a local coffee shop chain here in NI, made the journey to Skydive Ireland, Garvagh on Sunday (10 September) to raise funds for local charity Autism NI. Pictured: Chloe,Sophie and Kristen- Ground Espresso Magherfelt Chloe, Sophie and Kirsten have
a total of 10 years between them working for the local coffee chain. Speaking ahead of the dive, Chloe described how excited, yet nervous she was, ” It will be a totally new experience
for me which is nerve-wrecking, but I am really excited to actually do it. It’s for such a good cause and I am so proud to help raise money for such a great charity”
Autism NI is Northern Ireland’s longest serving autism charity and training provider, and they work to provide life changing services for over 35,000 autistic people and their families through Northern Ireland.
CONTENTS | 3
COMPLETES A WRITING TRILOGY
NIGEL
TRAVEL writer Nigel Heath, who has been supplying features to Northern Ireland Travel News for over twenty years, has just completed a personal trilogy. His first book, Paths and Poetry, celebrates over forty years of cross Britain walking with fellow journo and poet, Peter Gibbs, while the second, Going Abroad, covers many years of travels around the world.
Now he has just published Newspapers and PR, a media life. Spanning some fifty years, it opens with all the trials and tribulations of being a trainee journalist on a small West Country weekly in the 1960s and moves up several gears when he joined the Bristol Evening Post in 1970.
Nigel then spent seventeen years
with the paper, first as a district reporter and latterly as its shipping reporter, covering the Port of Bristol, before leaving in 1989 to launch he own news PR operation. “The 1970s and 1980s were perhaps the last of a hot metal golden age of journalism when our Post news room was staffed by over thirty reporters and we operated satellite
district
offices around the region,” said Nigel. “Those were the days before mobile phones and the mighty internet, when I relied heavily on telephone boxes to file my copy, and bulky, well-thumbed telephone directories were a vital tool of the trade,” he recalled.
“But the media world was changing and not long after launching my PR operation a new client told me that from then on, he wanted to receive my draft releases not by fax but by email!” said Nigel.
Newspapers & PR, a media life is published by Amazon Books:
https://amzn. to/3qbiqnx
British Airways Celebrates 75 Years to Japan with Exclusive Business Class Suite
75 YEARS ago, British Airways became the first British airline to operate passenger flights between the UK and Japan. On 19 March 1948, BOAC (now British Airways) extended its Poole-Hong Kong Plymouth class flying boat service to Iwakuni. In November, the weekly service was further extended to Yokohama, Tokyo, with flights taking seven days and stopping at seven cities on route – Augusta, Alexandria, Karachi, Calcutta, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Iwakuni.
To commemorate this milestone, the airline is launching its latest business class Club Suite cabin, on flights between London Heathrow and Tokyo Haneda. From 31 October, British Airways will be the only airline offering a business class suite with a full privacy door on direct flights between the UK and Japan. Club Suite has been designed to offer privacy, comfort and space for customers wanting to work, rest and play.
P&O Ferries to Scrap Dublin-Liverpool Ferry Route
P&O Ferries are set to scrap their Dublin- Liverpool ferry route following its failure to negotiate a satisfactory berth contract with Liverpool ferry port.
The company says it will halt the service toward the end of 2023 stating that it could not agree new terms on a new berth for 2024 and beyond.
In a statement P&O Ferries said: “Without agreement with the port owner to provide a berth in Liverpool, it is impossible to continue operating on this route. Extensive negotiations to extend our lease or find an alternative site for our Dublin-Liverpool ferry service have been unsuccessful.”
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