P&O wins Best Large Cruise Line In Telegraph Travel Awards

P&O has won the Best Large Cruise Line in The Telegraph Travel Awards for 2011.

It beat off stiff competition from runners-up Cunard and Celebrity.

P&O cruises out of Southampton and a variety of other European ports for trips around the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands.

There are also magnificent cruises on offer around the Caribbean, so there is something for anyone who wishes to catch some winter sun this year.

On board any of P&O magnificent super-liners you can expect exclusive celebrity endorsed restaurants, with menu’s created by Gary Rhodes and Marco Pierre White. Or simply enjoy the ship’s many facilities and creative workshops, whilst the children are being fully entertained by Noddy, Mr Bump and the Mr Men shows.

With fantastic entertainment and facilities on board, and itineraries which include some amazing locations around the world it is easy to see why P&O was voted the Best Large Cruise Line.

To see the full run down of winners in the Travel Awards click here

Your Ideal Cunard Transatlantic Crossing

There are many things that are suited to each other, fish and chips for example, Sundays and roast dinners and of course, they are both very traditionally British. Something else very British is Cunard, steeped in history from the grand days of the transatlantic crossings, Cunard still to this day offers something that little bit special and here at Ideal Cruising, we have managed to take the best of Cunard and create something a little bit more special.

How? Well, we have included not only your return flights on a 16 night transatlantic voyage from Venice to Fort Lauderdale on November 20th of this year, we have included a lagoon tour on an old merchant vessel in the Venice Lagoon while you are there. That’s not it however, but on its own would be a talking point. No we have managed to include tickets for Verdi’a opera La Traviata in Venice on your first night.

The Opera is held at the Musica a Palazzo on the Sunday night. For those of you who don’t’ know, the Musiza a Palazzo is a Venetian Palace from about the 15th Century located on the Grand Canal. With such a unique building, the acts of the Opera are held in different rooms really building the atmosphere and also creating almost a sense of involvement as you move from room to room, act to act.

Something that will last with you for your 16 night cruise and beyond, find out more here

UNBEATABLE 2-for-1 Cunard Christmas Markets Cruise Offer!

Get a BALCONY cabin for 2 people for just £969... bear in mind Cunard's own website is advertising the same cabin at £875 for 1 person!
This package includes a 5 night sailing on Cunard's Queen Victoria from Southampton, full board accommodation inclusing 24hour dining and a balcony cabin for two. Remember, you wont need flights as this cruise sails back into Southampton.
The itinerary will take you to Amsterdam, then Zebrugge (for Bruges and Brussels) then on to Le Havre for Paris before sailing home.
The joy and atmosphere of Christmas Markets really is unsurpassable. This prices makes this an incredible offer - please share it with your friends as all booking must be made before 18th August - thats if it doesnt sell out before!

View the Cunard Christmas Markets Cruise offer here.

News item: Cunard’s latest luxury liner, the Queen Victoria, has crashed while docking in the port of Valletta, Malta.
The hit caused a hole to form in the stern of the £300m British ship, which was named by the Duchess of Cornwall.Luckily, none of the 1,887 passengers onboard were injured in the crash.

"The ship touched the quay as she was berthing and sustained some damage which is now being assessed," said Cunard president Carol Marlow.
The Queen Victoria was launched in Southampton last December, but, during the traditional naming ceremony, the champagne bottle used failed to break against the ship, regarded in maritime circles as bad luck. Cunard have stated the damage was being assessed and that repairs were under way and should be completed during the night. "This will necessitate the cancellation of the call at La Goulette in Tunisia which the ship was due to visit tomorrow but its expected call to Gibraltar on the 17th May will go ahead as planned" "Cunard will be compensating guests for the disruption to their voyage," a spokesman said.

Queen Victoria will eventually replace the 40-year-old QE2, which is being decommissioned and turned into a floating hotel in Dubai from 2009.