Innholdsfortegnelse for August/September 2019 i Cruise & Travel

I love this time of year because of that back to school feeling – new horizons, the chances to try different experiences and explore more by ship. One of my favourite destinations for cruising has to be the Baltic – from Stockholm to St Petersburg, this spectacular region is as intriguing as it is beautiful. On page 72 you can discover the best Baltic cruises for the year ahead. There are so many amazing things you can do on a cruise; on page 66 you can find out what happened when Julie Peasgood went on a Norwegian Fjords cruise with master pâtissier Eric Lanlard, and on page 36 you can read about cherry blossom chasing in Japan. Plus if you’re thinking about taking your first ever expedition cruise, on page…

BRILLIANT BIKINI This flattering, tropical-inspired Eden two-piece is stylish and easy to wear (£78, seaspray.co.uk). HOT LIPS The Lip Colour from Tom Ford’s latest Soleil Collection delivers an irresistible sheen of colour which looks great with sun-kissed skin (available from world duty free). SKIN SENSE With chia seeds, willowherb and evening primrose, this natural mosituriser balances and hydrates your face (£31, angelalangford.com). HAPPY FACE For radiant-looking skin try Benefit’s new Hello Happy Flawless Brightening Foundation (£26, benefitcosmetics.com). COLOUR PLAY Inject a splash of bright yellow into your outfit with these statement beaded earrings (£30, hush-uk.com). BEACH BAG We love the colour of Nannacay’s crocheted tote. Woven by hand, it has plenty of space for your poolside essentials (£115, net-a-porter.com). GLAMOUR PUSS These stylish cat eye sunglasses from Ted Baker flatter…

PASSION-FRUIT MELTING MOMENTS MAKES ABOUT 24 Named for how they melt in your mouth when you bite into them, these cookies can be found at cafés all over Australia and New Zealand. They can be made in a variety of flavours, from vanilla to raspberry — Martha fills hers with homemade passion-fruit curd. INGREDIENTS For the cookies: 180g unsalted butter, room temperature 65g icing sugar, and more to dust 1 tbsp vanilla extract 160g plain flour 2 tbsp cornflour 1/2 tsp salt For the filling: 4 large egg yolks, room temperature 4 tbsp frozen passion-fruit puree, defrosted 100g granulated sugar 1/2 tsp salt 75g chilled unsalted butter 1 tsp gelatine METHOD: • Preheat oven to 180›C/gas mark 4. Line two baking sheets with parchment. • In the bowl of an…

There’s a deliciously warm coastal breeze as I stand on the top of Cartagena’s castle hill, and as I look at the landmarks around me it feels as though I’ve travelled through time. There’s Concepción Castle, rebuilt by the Moors in the 13th century, looking over the town and out to sea. From within the fortress walls I can see a huge Roman amphitheatre. To the front is the natural harbour, a major target during the Spanish Civil War. And there’s a glimpse of modern buildings on the outskirts of town, where most of the people working in the city live. Since the Spanish government set about making Cartagena a major tourist destination in the early 2000s, it has sprung to life with superb museums but also laid-back side-streets dotted…

Sailing out of the River Clyde as the summer solstice sun dropped slowly behind the mountains, lighting up velvet-green countryside and rocky islands and reflecting off the gently rippling water was breathtaking. It takes a couple of hours to get from Greenock, near Glasgow, to the Atlantic Ocean and it was gone nine as we glided past the Isle of Bute, Arran and the Mull of Kintyre in the twilight. The British Isles are astonishingly beautiful, and a two-week cruise on Royal Princess, named by the Duchess of Cambridge in 2013, helps to piece together the cities, coast and countryside to reveal the full diversity of our landscapes and people. In Dublin we started off with coffee and handmade truffles at the Butlers Chocolate Café on Grafton Street before taking…

OK – I confess. I am a cruise addict. I’m aware of my condition, though, and I do accept it. As a veteran of 79 cruises I need to own up that I’m completely hooked on life at sea – or the smoothest river (when it comes to cruises, I’m not fussy). I don’t actually refer to my own bedroom at home as a cabin, and neither do I sport a lanyard (well not publicly) but I do get grumpy if I don’t find a chocolate on my pillow or my bed hasn’t been turned down at night. I’m also frequently called on to give advice to friends about which cruise to choose and, rather worryingly, I am beginning to gravitate towards elasticated waistbands. Do I feel ashamed? Naturally. Does…

RED HOT Expandable and with double wheels for smooth rolling comfort, this coral red cabin suitcase will stand out on the carousel (£119, americantourister.com). ON TIME Track three time zones at once with the C65 Trident dive watch (£960, christopherward.co.uk). LISTEN UP The A1 speaker fits into the palm of your hand while providing up to 24 hours of high-quality play-time (£230, bang-olufsen.com). CAMERA MAGIC Small in size but big on features, the Canon EOS 250D captures pin-sharp photos and movies while on the move (£599.99, johnlewis.com). SOUND PROOF Cancelling 99.5% of exterior noise, even on busy flights, the stylish Cleer Flow headphones create a truly immersive listening experience (£249, available in store at Harrods). WILD SIDE Ted Baker’s jungle-inspired Houdini luggage is lightweight, durable and elegant (£225, caseluggage.com).…

“The bar that we set was to make the ship better than new,” says Harry Sommer, president international of NCL Holdings, referring to the “re-inspiration” of Oceania Cruises’ much-loved ship Insignia. Miami-based design company Studio DADO has given the interior a fresh, modern update, with lighter woods and marble, new carpets, fabrics and wallpaper, and an updated colour palette of marine-inspired blues and soothing soft greys and silver. Yet the core elements of Insignia remain. The new look Martinis lounge is brighter, smarter and more contemporary, but it still retains its persona of a plush private club while the revamped observation lounge Horizons now boasts 270-degree panoramic views without having lost its country club ambience. Complementing it all is a carefully curated art collection, most of which has been handpicked…

SEABOURN Ultra-luxury cruise line Seabourn seamlessly blends pampering with wellbeing and mindfulness in luxurious surroundings with their holistic spa experience. Starting in the Serene Suite – a modern-day Turkish bath with a range of heat experiences and monsoon showers – guests are encouraged to enhance the ritual with a custom-made body polish, specially prepared by the onboard mixologist. There’s an emphasis on feeling cocooned and pampered, and the cruise line’s partnership with Dr Andrew Weil has created the first mindful living programme at sea, including meditation, yoga and acupuncture treatments. SIGNATURE TREATMENT: The sublime Elemis Thousand Flower Detox Wrap with massage helps stimulate detoxification and restore equilibrium with a green tea seed oil massage, followed by the vitamin-packed Thousand Flower Earth Wrap. The final touch is a mineral-rich, invigorating green…

The Baltic is a sea of change. It’s where the Europe that we know gradually gives way to the mysteries of the east, finally lapping up against the coast of Russia and the pièce de résistance, St Petersburg. Yet it’s not such a far-flung ocean, first making waves between Germany, Denmark and Sweden before rolling onward, to Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and, across the Gulf of Finland, Finland itself. It’s a world where Vikings once sailed and can be about the infinite wonders of Scandinavia or more distant spots. As such it is the setting for any number of cruises, voyages that almost all make St Petersburg their goal (with up to three days there). Some sail from the UK, many dive straight in from Copenhagen or Stockholm. Most are…

YOUR PHOTOS We visited Petra on Spectrum of the Seas’ debut cruise; I’ve always wanted to visit the city and it definitely lived up to expectations. Caroline Pearson On her first ever cruise, my daughter Kitty looks back at P&O Cruises’ Britannia as we sail to Herm for the afternoon. Gemma Quilliam My wife Julia and I competed in the Castaway Cay 5km run while on our brilliant three-night cruise on board the Disney Dream. Colin Haddington Queen Mary 2 docked in Ålesund, Norway. The Norwegian fjords boast some of the world’s most breathtaking scenery. @jeremylegat Follow us @Cruisemag Like us facebook.com/cruiseinternational Follow us @Cruisemag…

Our regular column from Andy Harmer, senior vice-president membership and director CLIA UK & Ireland River cruising continues to grow in appeal among us Brits as more of us begin to recognise the opportunity it offers to explore new and exciting destinations. In fact, recently released figures from CLIA show that the number of river cruises taken by British and Irish passengers in 2018 rose by 10.4 per cent. This adds up to a grand total of 232,300 river cruises. The steady increase in passenger numbers can be attributed to the incredible experiences a river cruise can offer. One third of all river ships have been built within the past 10 years, with more than 10 having entered the market in 2018 and eight more set to launch this year.…

I’ve just been on my first cruise, with Princess Cruises on board Sapphire Princess. We sailed around the Norwegian Fjords, and we had a red carpet fashion event on board. Cruises appeal to me because they offer the chance to relax but if you have a short attention span, like I do, there is always something to do. It’s very exciting to stop every couple of days in a new port and see a different city or country. My last holiday was a four-day city break to Warsaw. I have worked in Poland for the last nine years but have never really been there on holiday. I love the city — there is so much to do. We went on electric scooters and covered 62km in three days — it…

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We’ve recently returned from our seven-day cruise to the Norwegian Fjords on board Sapphire Princess which we won in a prize draw in Cruise International (Dec/Jan, 18). The scenery was absolutely stunning, and the whole experience of sailing with Princess Cruises for the first time was exceptional. There were not enough hours in the day to enjoy all the facilities and entertainment, shows that could have graced the West End, singers, dancers, musicians, magicians, comedians, quizzes, and there was of course a good range of excursions at each port of call. The lovely cabin and balcony were topped off by the most luxurious bed we have ever slept in. I will never forget the scene awaiting us from our balcony when we arrived in Bergen on our first port of…