Sue Bryant 
There was a time a couple of years ago when cruise ships seemed destined to get bigger and bigger. The 6,000 passenger mark had been passed and industry watchers began to speculate on just how large it was possible to go. Meanwhile, the backlash against overtourism was beginning to affect popular ports like Venice, Dubrovnik … Read more
As countries in Europe tentatively ease the toughest of lockdowns and thoughts turn to salvaging at least the back end of the summer season, cruise fans are all asking the same question. When can we sail again? Ports in Europe are beginning to open, giving hope of eventual recovery. According to the Seatrade website, a … Read more
The wait is over. Virgin Voyages’ relentlessly hyped Scarlet Lady has made her debut, calling at the British port of Dover on a grey, wintery day en route to her new home port, Miami. For years now, we’ve heard Virgin founder Richard Branson talking about ripping up the rulebook and making cruising cool. But has … Read more
The high-class, high-tech Sky Princess has finally launched, and Sue Bryant is a fan. More than four decades since The Love Boat soap made the old Pacific Princess a star of the small screen, and five years since Princess Cruises launched a ship for the international market, Sky Princess made its long-awaited debut in Trieste … Read more
Possibly the most hotly anticipated – and hyped – ship of 2018, Celebrity Edge ship delivers everything that was promised – and more. Features that could have been gimmicks on the 2,918-passenger Edge are real winners. The Magic Carpet, for example, is an outdoor chill-out lounge on a platform cantilevered over the starboard side of … Read more
In the build-up to a new ship launch, it’s all too easy to wonder whether the final result will match the hype. Having toured Celebrity Edge in the STX France shipyard, though, and seen the 117,000-ton, US$1bn ship just weeks from launch, I reckon it’s going to be even better than promised. Edge isn’t short … Read more
Royal Caribbean’s new Symphony of the Seas is officially the world’s biggest ship (just) – it eclipses sister Harmony of the Seas by 39 passengers. With an overall passenger capacity of 6,680, the ship won’t be to everybody’s taste but there’s no denying that Royal Caribbean has built a floating resort with panache. The 16 … Read more
European river cruising is throwing off its dowdy image once and for all thanks to Crystal Cruises’ new-build river ships which Sue Bryant discovers offer a true boutique-hotel experience. Upmarket cruise lines often say their biggest rivals are not one another, but luxury hotels ashore. You could certainly argue that lines such as Silversea, Regent, … Read more
Cruising down the Seine from the heart of Paris to Normandy, Sue Bryant soaks up the very French ambiance on Uniworld’s Joie de Vivre.