Derek Marks Blog - January 2011

Hello all – and I trust you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year celebrations. I spent a lot of my time in December talking to family and friends about how excited I am about going on my first ever cruise holiday in 2011.

Of course, once you start talking about cruise holidays with people you know – the stories start to flow. I tend to sit back, listen and absorb everyone’s different experiences. I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that every one of the stories were positive. I have some lovely neighbours who are about to set sail to India for their umpteenth cruise holiday. They have said to me that the attraction for them is that they have the opportunity to gather various members of the family and all have a great time together. This hadn’t really occurred to me before, but the more I listened – the more I learnt. They said that it was a great opportunity to spend valuable and memorable times with the family and enjoy the onboard experience – as well as have their own individual holiday as they chose on the various excursions and experiences at the array of different ports.

As I’ve mentioned on the programmes, my parents went with family and ended up with a greater cruising experience as they could all make not only long-lasting holiday memories, but have that connection to the family as well. I think it’s an excellent opportunity.

I’m already starting to think now with the new year of doing a little bit of research on all the destinations along the way of our Norwegian fjords cruise in June (for details of the cruise – just look back at www.liverpoolcruiseclub.com/tv ).

Well, it turns out that another member of my family has been to the Norwegian fjords, so I’m picking up tips on the ‘must see’ places to go. Again, the joy of this particular cruise (and a number of cruises available) is that there’s no flying involved either. This is great if you have a fear of flying, or you just don’t fancy the upheaval of it all.

The more I learn, the more I discover that on-board a cruise ship you are not constrained by weight limits either. I like the idea of this, as with this being a first cruise – I want to make sure that I’m not caught out about what to wear as I become accustomed to my first cruise. So, that’s now not a worry at all. I can pack suitable clothes for the formal occasions, and take a wide variety of other clothes for all of that shopping, sightseeing and exploring that we’ll be doing as the Braemer makes its’ way from Dover via Amsterdam out to the fjords of Norway.

I’d love to hear from you if you’ve had the opportunity to take a similar cruise already. What should I definitely be planning for this trip? Why not e-mail me, its derek@liverpoolcruiseclub.co.uk well, as we start a brand new year – can I wish you all the best as you start to think about the holiday that you’ll be taking this year.

Talk to you next month, oh – and of course daily on sky 659 with John. All the best, Derek

Derek Marks

Presenter - Liverpool Cruise Club
derek@liverpoolcruiseclub.co.uk

Derek Marks Blog - 3rd November 2010

Derek Marks Blog - 3rd November 2010

Hi Everyone, I thought as I'm off on my first cruise in June 2011 that it might be a good idea to write a blog in the run-up to the cruise, to share my experiences - and hopefully to hear from you along the way too.

You may know by now that it was a complete surprise to find out that I'll be taking to Fred Olsen's Braemar on June 11th 2011 for an eight night Norweigan Fjords Cruise. When I found out back in September, a number of questions came to my mind straight away.

A lot of people I believe have an outdated view on a cruise holiday. People do make certain assumptions - and to be honest, I had one or two pre-conceptions in my mind before finding out more. John Cooper and myself were lucky enough to go and visit the Boudicca while it was in at the Port of Newcastle. I must admit, my heart jumped when we drove in towards the Quay and saw the ship. Walking on board, I was taken by the sheer amount of space that there is on the ship. You somehow think that things will feel quite claustrophobic. Well, I have to tell you - it's far from it. From the Boudicca, I saw plenty of different spaces on board. Whether you just want to relax in one of the lounges, enjoy the variety of dining spaces or take up the opportunity of enjoying entertainment on tap - you'll always have a sense of space. Without having sailed as yet, I have to say that both times I've been on board that I have completely forgotten that it was even a vessel on water. Remember, in the UK in the last year - around 1.6 million people took a cruise holiday, and the number is on the increase. To be honest, I'm not surprised. All of those different destinations that you can enjoy - everything taken care of and you only have to unpack once.

The thing that I can't impress upon you enough is the feeling of belonging on board with Fred Olsen. The staff are attentive and plentiful. My parents have taken two cruises with Fred Olsen before, and had told me that they were very impressed by the level of service. I have now seen for myself why. I had to say that every member of staff that I saw (and remember, most of them had no idea who I was) was willing to help with a smile. From the crew in the cabins, to the check-in and security staff - everyone had time for you, and you are treated individually and made to feel special. Looking into Fred Olsens' history as a company I see that they have been sailing for around 150 years. It shows when you look at the attention to detail in what they have to offer, and the dedication of the team. After speaking and interviewing some of the key figures on board Boudicca, it was clear that a number of the team have been with Fred Olsen for a good, long time. That tells you something about them as an employer.

The more I learn, the more I want to know. It's nearly Christmas and I'm looking forward so much to my first cruise experience coming up in June 2011. Listen, if you are a potential first-timer to cruise holidays - what would you want to know. Are there any unanswered questions that you have? Why not drop me an e-mail and I'll find the answer for you derek@liverpoolcruiseclub.co.uk

Don't forget that we have an incredible discount for you on the cruise that I'll be taking. It sets sail on the 11th June 2011 from Dover and is an eight night cruise taking in Amsterdam and the Norweigan Fjords. We'll also be having an exclusive Liverpool Cruise Club Cocktail Party on board for this sailing - so call the team on 0800 655 6449 to get this amazing discount.

I'll talk to you soon

Derek Presenter - Liverpool Cruise Club

derek@liverpoolcruiseclub.co.uk