He shares honest impressions from the world’s most fascinating cruise ships and destinations. Known for his honest reviews, he offers a discerning look at modern luxury travel. The Ritzy Travel Guide provides credible review of his voyages through cinematic reviews and immersive travel films.
What has been your cruise highlight from the last year?
Firstly, going on a boutique luxury cruise in Asia. Sitting on the deck and watching the sunrise over Halong Bay in Vietnam whilst witnessing the most unbelievable scenery unwrap in front of us was just incredible. There were soaring limestone cliffs, traditional wooden boats sailing by and excursions into Vietnamese villages unchanged for decades. There’s something truly magical about the mist rising over the seas. Asia has such untapped potential for cruising with some stunning destinations.
Secondly, our sailing with Crystal Cruises. They get so much, so right. Luxury cruising can be expensive, but for those occasions you want to celebrate and pamper yourself, you look towards that small-ship experience with world-class dining, and Crystal has it all. Indeed, we had some of the best cuisine we've ever had at sea with Crystal - it's really that good.
What cruise destination is still on your bucket list?
We'd really like to revisit expedition cruising. It’s been a while since we really pushed the boundaries and explored these unique destinations on a deeper level, like Madagascar. We've also got our eye on the Indian subcontinent and Indian ocean, such as the Seychelles. Latin America and the Amazon are also high on our list.
What is the one thing that you will not travel without?
Photography equipment. We carry three types of cameras, including still, video and 360 degrees, to give that immersive experience! They all need powering, so umpteen power banks and memory cards are also packed. I sometimes feel like a travelling film crew!
What do you do before your cruise to make sure you are well prepared to make the most from your holiday?
Lose 5 pounds of weight! I'm only partly joking. Because we travel a lot of the year, we do go into strict calorie watching mode in advance. Especially when we’re on cruise ships - to film it, we must eat it! Oh, the guilt!
On a more serious note, we carefully consider the itinerary. We like to strike the perfect balance between planning and spontaneity. We start by reviewing the ship’s daily schedules and must-see excursions. This way we know what’s on offer without overbooking ourselves. A lot of the time we self-tour whilst ashore, as that permits us to see what appeals to us, at our pace. But for some destinations that's not practical, so we have excursions booked well in advance. The best ones go early so my advice is always plan ahead.
But the real secret? We make time in our daily itinerary for the unexpected: a hidden café in port, foods to try and sunset strolls.
How long have you been cruising and what makes it stand out as a great holiday choice?
We've been cruising for 30 years, and it still feels like the most enjoyable form of travel holiday. It's the ideal mix of adventure, luxury and variety, all in one trip. When you add in fantastic dining, entertainment and the ability to wake up somewhere completely different each morning, cruising just ticks all our boxes.
The entire cruise industry is expanding rapidly, with so many new types of ships launching. There is such diversity of ship experiences and cruise destinations. It’s more exciting than it has been for many years.
-large_thumb.jpg)
-large_thumb.jpg)
