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Is It Worth The Splurge? Exploring The "Ship Within a Ship" Experience - Audio Only 🎧 | Cruise Cast Ep.19 With Emma Cruises

• Linzi & Mark - Suite Natured • Season 1 • Episode 19

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Join us on an exhilarating voyage through the world of premium cruising as we welcome Emma from Emma Cruises, who sheds light on the amazing "ship within a ship" concept. 
Discover the allure of exclusive areas, like private lounges and restaurants, that transform your cruise into an intimate escape from the hustle and bustle of the main ship. As we spotlight the experiences offered by cruise lines like MSC, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean, we're left to ponder whether other lines like Princess and Cunard measure up to this ultra-personalized adventure.

Our journey takes a luxurious turn as we weigh the temptations of the Yacht Club's opulent offerings against the appeal of more frequent standard cruising. Priority embarkation, personal butlers, and secluded spaces beckon, yet we contemplate the risk of missing the broader cruise experience if one remains cocooned in such luxury. Through shared tales of our adventures, particularly with MSC, we dissect the unique amenities that define the Yacht Club and debate whether this high-end enclave is worth its premium price.

We also have a special cruise confession from our guest host herself, Emma. 

Then finally we take a look at some of the recent Cruise New Storys. 
As cruising continues to evolve, we're thrilled to explore the rising trends among younger generations and the exciting developments on the horizon. From Singapore's emergence as a hotbed for cruising to the buzz surrounding the Star Princess's upcoming enhancements, the cruise industry is on the cusp of dramatic change. Emma shares her thoughts on the thrilling discovery of the German ship Titania and the adventurous potential of submarine exploration, wrapping up our episode with tales of shipwrecks, fictional voyages, and a dash of humour that leaves us eager for the next chapter in our cruising saga.

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Cheers, and have a lovely day
Linzi & Mark

Linzi:

Welcome to episode 19 of the SuS Nature Cruisecast. Hi, I'm Linz. As always, I'm joined by Marky. Hello, hello. And today we have a very special guest who's going to be talking to us about ship within a ship cruising. But first, a little mood music.

Mark :

I'm going to take it from your face there that you are not as impressed with episode 19, mood music, as episode 18.

Linzi:

I liked episode 18. Episode 19,. What year is it?

Mark :

I'll just kind of go with some like jazzy upbeat-y thing.

Linzi:

Thanks, We'll keep working on some mood, I feel we're going to cut to our special guest and they'll have just hung up quickly.

Mark :

There's every possibility that that will actually happen. So for anyone that's watching the video, they will already see who our special guest is. But to anyone listening to the audio one, it gives us great pleasure to welcome Emma of Emma Cruises.

Emma:

Hello, thanks for having me.

Linzi:

Hello, welcome.

Emma:

Sorry about the music, I enjoyed it. I've got my cat Hudson here and he was fast asleep and then he looked up like what?

Mark :

But he liked it, it was good.

Emma:

I totally believe him.

Mark :

That's generally your reaction when you hear the mood music.

Emma:

Yes, yes, absolutely.

Mark :

That fits well with our theme.

Emma:

I think I could hear that being played in you know Ship Within a Ship by the Pool.

Linzi:

Yeah, maybe yeah.

Mark :

Are you coming round to my music?

Emma:

They're wearing a sparkly jacket Perfect yeah.

Mark :

That's what they want to do. That's what they do yeah, exactly.

Mark :

As both you and Emma have said, today's topic is we're talking ship within a ship. Are they a step up in cruising? Yeah, is it a bit of hype? And just really, we'll talk about our experience on it and our thoughts and whether it is kind of the future of cruising Okay. So it's probably worth us just saying what we think ship within a ship cruising is Okay. So shall we pass that over to Emma first? Then we can stop talking and have a drink.

Linzi:

Well, first, then we can stop talking and have a drink.

Emma:

Um, well, we can. Yes, yes, I don't. I didn't want to lumber emma right from the getter for me.

Emma:

I think within a ship concept as an area that has its own restaurant, its own lounge and normally cabins in there. So it's a bit more premium service and you just have your own version of the stuff that you find on the bigger ship. So it is like having a small river ship or a small yacht inside a big ship. Cruise lines do it differently, of course. Some of them have more perks than others. Some are very spread out, but I think that's the idea is, you can get through the doors that not everyone else can get through the doors. Yes, amazing.

Linzi:

Well, that's whyma gets the big views.

Mark :

That's a way better answer than I would have done if I'd have sort of written it down for hours I've been thinking about that one recently.

Emma:

What does it?

Mark :

mean to you, though. Does it mean anything different to you?

Linzi:

no, not, not at all. It's the doors. Yeah, if you can get through the doors, it's where you feel you can go out into, for example, msc Virtuoso that we've done. You go out into the big ship. It's vibrant, it's lots of people, noisy, busy, lots of people, and then you can escape to the ship within a ship bit, which sounded like the start of Cheers. But everybody knows your name, they take good care of you. I like Cheers and it feels you feel special when you're in there.

Mark :

It does feel much more personal. Yes, yes, yes, and I think one of the bigger confusions that people get with ship within a ship is when they're looking at, for instance, a suite experience. Yes, because you can have a suite experience on a ship within a ship, but not all suite experiences are a ship within a ship. So what I mean by that, and it's probably worth us covering the cruise lines P&O, for instance, have suites. Yes, so what I mean by that, and I'll, so it's probably worth us covering the cruise lines pno, for instance, have suites. Yes, and I think I'm right in saying that some of them still have butler service I might be wrong on that now but they don't have a dedicated area. They're just on a different part of a corridor. You might have some special perks, you might not yeah, but you don't have those dedicated areas. No, no, the cruise lines that I'm thinking of specifically are MSC, yeah, ncap yes, the Icon of the Seas now has the sweet neighborhood. So not all Royal Caribbean.

Mark :

No sweet neighborhood Some specific ships, but would you class what Princess are doing at the moment on, for instance, sun and Star, where they've got their sanctuary one, as being shipped within a ship?

Linzi:

Oh, that's a good question.

Emma:

I personally wouldn't, oh, but no, no, it's a similar experience that you get to go through a door that not everyone gets to go through, but it's not. Yeah, I think it kind of has to have everything you don't have to leave. You know, I could have stayed in the yacht club on MSC. The entire cruise had a great cruise. There's no need to ever see anyone else if you don't want to, yeah.

Emma:

I think of Cunard quite a lot as well. With their. They have different levels, so they have, like the Princess Grill, the Queen's Grill. It's like a ship within a ship, but it's split even within that, so it's not. There's no clear cut rules on this and I think it's quite confusing.

Mark :

It is, and I think Princess in particular, because they kind of changed with some Princess on the fly. When we went on it the Sanctuary Collection didn't exist.

Mark :

And then, sort of over the next six months, they went actually we're going to do this. I wouldn't be surprised for them to introduce a proper ship within a ship in the future at some point. It seems that they're kind of they're beyond a suite class, but not kind of with that dedicated area where, as Emma said, you don't have to leave that area for the entire cruise if you don't want to. No, no, but maybe we talk about sort of the differences between the ship within the ships.

Linzi:

Then Well, what comes to mind for me straight away is that not all ship within the ship bits. We should have taken a drink every time. We say this are equal taking a drink. Every time we say this are equal. For example, I mean NCL, their haven. They just have one menu, the whole In their ship, within a ship restaurant. It's one menu that they have for the.

Mark :

That doesn't change.

Linzi:

Whereas, as you know, yacht Club it's a themed um menu each night. Yeah, and it changes. And if it's formal night or fancy night, um, it's more elevated, um. So yeah, I just yet the pricing is very similar in respect of what you would expect to pay. But what you expect to pay and how much you pay and what you get in return is very different. Because, cunard, if we were going to pay Cunard Princess or Queen's Grill money, we'd actually go. Oh, we'll just go on MSC Yacht Club.

Mark :

Well, that would be quite interesting, because when we first went on um msc on virtual yacht club, yeah, we were sat next to um an older couple, so they'd only pre-pandemic yeah, only ever sailed cunard, that's right, and they'd only ever sailed princess but, predominantly queensville yeah and then, for whatever reason, after the pandemic, they thought, oh, we'll give virtual, so I'm guessing there was some bargain sale.

Mark :

Yeah, I just wanted to get on and make sure I had one available at that point. Yeah, and they basically switched, didn't they? Because they said the value that they get by comparison yes, and the service on a light for light money. It was cheaper, but they were getting more. Yeah, and they didn't feel that it was cheaper, but they were getting more. Yeah, and they didn't feel there was a lower standard. No, which you know, it's quite a big thing for someone, a couple, who'd only ever cruise. Yes, q now yeah, and that's so different q, not to msc.

Emma:

Yeah, one end of the spectrum to the other, um, yeah, but that's why it's so confusing. It's not just pay more, get more, therefore better, no, no.

Mark :

You look at the pricing on Icon of the Seas at the moment and just in the normal balcony rooms, forgetting about the sweet neighbourhood and that's just At a different level. You're talking pricing more expensive than Regent of Regent and Seabourn and it gets to the bit of yeah, when does ship in the ship actually just become? Well, let's just get a better ship. And MSC kind of did that with Explorer Journeys once where they took that premise of the ship within the ship on MSC and just went right, let's just expand it. And we know people want this experience. We can get more people in this but give them a higher degree of sort of luxury.

Linzi:

Yeah, yeah.

Mark :

And sorry.

Linzi:

No, I was going to say I still like, I still feel that I would on a small luxury cruise line. I don't think I'd feel as comfortable as I would within a ship. Bit why, I don't know. I don't know if I'm just.

Mark :

You'd have more people on that than you would in Virtuoso. In Virtuoso ship area in Yacht Club there's about 200-250 guests in there. I think, so, whereas you would, on Explorer Journeys, have a lot more than that.

Linzi:

Yeah, that's true. I don't know. I don't know. I think I like being able to go out and have fun and go and alter the vibrant bits and then, when I'm done, go back to through the doors.

Emma:

Yeah, I think that's it. I mean, I've done.

Mark :

Yacht Club recently. Emma, what, what?

Emma:

yeah, what was your?

Mark :

experience on there, what that was your first one.

Emma:

I loved it. I loved going yeah, I loved going through those doors. I thought that was amazing. I just loved other people looking at me on the pool deck and then I was like I'm gone, I disappeared, you can't follow me. That was brilliant. Same thing, like you said I've cruised with msc a lot.

Emma:

I think I've done eight msc cruises now, so I'm normally cheapest inside cabin, diving cabin, fine. Um, so I knew what I was getting myself into with. You know, msc is very lively cruise line great. But having that pool deck, I think for me that was the main thing a butler.

Emma:

I don't think I need a butler, particularly. It was great fun, no, um, but I don't have anything for a butler to do. I don't want them to unpack or iron like I just don't have. If I have clothes that need ironing, I just don't have anything for a butler to do. I don't want them to unpack or iron Like I just don't have. If I have clothes that need ironing, I just don't bring them on a cruise because I'm so used to not ironing them right.

Emma:

But I have done before smaller cruises, more luxurious cruises, and I definitely prefer a big ship with a small area, because sometimes on the small luxurious ships you can't avoid like if they have entertainment, they've got on a local guest, they want everyone to dance, like that's the one thing that's happening, you can't avoid it versus on a big ship, go roller skating, go to the theater, go bowling and then just go back when you want yeah, I think that bit of being able to go out into a big ship and and have that massive because virtual as that example one is a huge hit.

Mark :

But you've just got so many other options than just being stuck behind those glass doors I mean you're not stuck anyway. No, it's not a torture to be there, no, no but having those other options, and we did the same. We went out to some of the other restaurants, tried some of the different speciality and went to the theater, as opposed to just sitting in the yacht club lounge and listening to the pianist. Yeah, which might get a little bit boring if that was your only entertainment.

Linzi:

Yeah, maybe maybe I'm with you on the butler. I, I, just I. It's nice that the they, uh they, bring you things in an afternoon. The lemon meringue pie that we had was a dream, but I'm not ready. Had to insist if you were going to the speciality. Oh, come on, I'll meet you at this time and I'll walk you through the shit. I found a.

Emma:

I felt like going to a school, like mum dropping me off. Mum will be back to pick you up after the party, which you know, things were so lovely. But also I can just walk because I know where it is.

Linzi:

Yes, yeah, that's it. Yeah, I'll be fine, I'll be fine.

Mark :

I very much like the sort of embarkation process that you have within those sort of ship within a ship options.

Emma:

That's amazing.

Mark :

Where you do skip everything.

Emma:

Yeah, yeah, it does set a precedent for everything else you ever do.

Linzi:

Yeah.

Emma:

It does.

Linzi:

Definitely.

Emma:

I like having you know gold luggage tags on my bag and stuff like that. That was great, like priority in that way, I think, is worth more and also just access to your own space. But you know, I made use of the butler. We asked him for cookies and he booked the meals and stuff. But normally I just do that, just book a meal on my phone, like I've never struggled to do that myself. Yeah, what I mean.

Linzi:

So no, no, it's um what's the amount with that?

Mark :

the whole concierge bit we've never taken advantage of, either in a suite class or the ship within the ship. I say that these days they give you that many other different ways of being able to book and do things. It really seems to take longer to leave your room and walk up and sort of wait for someone to do it than just do it yeah. Nice if it's for things that are maybe sold out or you want to get on a wait list yeah, yeah well, we had a quick break there.

Linzi:

So you ask a question now.

Mark :

Oh well, I will do it okay, and I'm not gonna cut that bit out now. Oh yeah, emma's just moved.

Emma:

For those of one thinking that's a different background now yeah, yeah, the joys of internet and wireless yeah, something went a bit weird, but it looks good now, so I think it does.

Mark :

Yeah, sounds good, we'll just chill the question I was going to ask you before that little bit of a quick break, okay, was um, would you rather have fewer cruises on yacht club and go into the balcony? Into a regular balcony into a regular balcony, or more cruises on a regular balcony on msc, or fewer cruises but going to an inside cabin yacht club because we've never stayed in it's never been.

Mark :

I've never stayed in an inside cabin so you can have a balcony and go anytime, and go probably twice as often on inside cabin, but go less.

Linzi:

I'm going to have to say. I think I'm going to have to say I think I'm going to have to say inside, and I never thought I'd ever say that.

Mark :

But that shows, how much you like York Club. It does show, yeah that's true.

Linzi:

Yeah, I think I'd ever say that, but that shows how much you like Yacht Club.

Emma:

It does show. Yeah, that's true. Yeah, I think I'd agree, because for me I mean, that massive pool deck would just become your own balcony, right, you would just not spend time in your cabin much, yeah, and the other perks, I think just the lounge, the food, just not having to plan anything For me. I think just the lounge, the food, just not having to plan anything For me, I think that would be worth it. The cabin I had a lovely cabin but I don't spend a lot of time in my cabin, particularly Depends where you're going, I guess, if you want to be out there. But you have your own pool deck where they'll get you a drink and just refill it. So yeah, I wouldn't feel hard done by if I was in an inside cabin, but yeah, I wouldn't feel hard done by if I was in an inside cabin, but on that deck I'm fine.

Linzi:

Yeah, I think I could do it.

Mark :

Well, maybe we should try it. I think we should.

Linzi:

I think that's the way.

Emma:

That's the best way to do it, right, yeah.

Mark :

I mean, I've not priced up the inside cabin, I'm doing it after this.

Emma:

You are going to, I guarantee, straight after, you'll just pick your phone up for for the one I did, the one I did recently it was double the price to do inside in your club, down a balcony, outside, um. But if you take into account the drinks package, the wi-fi, I don't think that's a bad deal to be, fair no and that was no.

Emma:

That was no particular promotion. That was just me thinking, oh, I wonder what it costs, yeah, outside of here. So yeah, yeah, if you're going to buy a drinks package, that's not cheap in itself, so yeah well, we've covered a lot of the pros of being in a ship within a ship.

Mark :

Okay, what are other than cost? Because we've, oh, such a, which is an obvious yeah yeah, are there any negatives to being in the Ship? Within the Ship experience, I'm genuinely struggling.

Emma:

There's a danger. Someone could never leave there, that's true, so they might not know what else is going on. But that's not a problem for me. I still go out and go to theatre shows or go out and go bowling and I come back and I just plan my day like that. But yeah, I guess someone could go on a cruise and they would maybe just not leave because yeah maybe miss out on some of the other experiences I guess, but you're all.

Emma:

You can only do one thing at a time, right? So yeah, other people are just missing out on that. So yeah, I I struggle to think of a downside other than spending more money, of course, which is I mean it's a fairly big downside.

Mark :

You know you could definitely have more cruises, but you could have more cruises. If you just went on sort of some of the sort of lower cost brands and had inside cabins, like you could probably go on four or five times as many cruises as you would do, compared to going on a balcony on others but I do feel that you need to go out of your club or the bit to really appreciate going back and yeah, that's, that's the, that's getting the best of both worlds.

Mark :

We talked a lot about msc there because we've, we've done it yeah um, are there any of the other ones that are out there that you would really like to try? I really wouldn't want to try. I mean, there's none I wouldn't want to try. I try any of them, someone want to try more than others.

Emma:

I guess, yeah, we put it like that. Um, I'm not. I'm not as convinced by the cunard one from speaking to people, because I have. Every time I've ever gone on a cruise, I find someone who is staying in the this or that and they want to tell me about it and no one's ever, no one's ever said anything other than I love it and do it. No one's ever said it's not worth it. Um, but I don't know. With cunard it seems a bit weird with the different levels I'm just not as sure what I would need to book to get access to everything. It'd be kind of annoying to book it and find out you're the second class of the top level. You know what I mean, just not as sure. It's not as clear-cut, um, but I, I snuck into the haven when I was 13 with a friend who was staying there and that looked amazing with the, with the inside pool, that a lot of them have that would be really nice.

Emma:

oh yes, but yes, but that's not cheap.

Mark :

No, that inside pool was the first ship within a ship, one that I properly looked at.

Linzi:

Yeah, that's amazing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So they definitely get the point for that. Yeah, yeah.

Emma:

I'm not sure, on some cruise lines where they don't have the ship within a ship but they have the suites, sort of like Royal Caribbean, and then they have a restaurant but it's just out in the ship, right? I don't think that would work that well for me because I think I don't know if I would want the things that are included in that. Necessarily it's not things I would buy anyway. You know, sometimes you get it comes with this specialty meal or this very expensive drinks package and I probably wouldn't buy that anyway, I'm not sure. For me it was more the more the access. Yes, yeah, um, yeah, that felt because I've always wanted that.

Linzi:

I've always looked through the doors I think on on like um, so on, virtuoso. I think it helps as well that when you come out through the doors and there's the inside pool and we went one half term just accidentally, so you can hear all the noise- as soon as you come out indoor pool and you're like nope, yeah, yeah yeah go back to the private pool yes, yeah, yeah.

Emma:

I think time of year probably does have a big factor and if it's worth it, if you are doing a summer, august cruise, I think the same perks are worth way more because you have a guaranteed sun lounger, you know, there's enough space absolutely for everyone versus, yeah, some cruise ships. You can be wandering around trying to get a seat and if you're in an inside cabin it's kind of annoying. But yeah, if you're cruising to, you know, northern europe in november and you're in an inside cabin, it's kind of annoying. But yeah, if you're cruising to, you know, northern europe in november and you're not going to be sat outside looking at the shipping containers in seabrooker, whatever, it's the same perk but it's worth less right, yeah?

Emma:

definitely definitely any final thoughts on the ship within a ship experience well, I'm going to go cost an inside that's your final thought yeah I think for me it just suits me better than a smaller luxurious ship, which, yeah, not that I'm ever bored, but I totally like a good theater show. Like you know, you're not gonna have a proper theater show if you go on a silver sea or a seaborne or I've done. You know, like asamara they don't have a theater and it's great the shows they do, they do everything they can, but you're not going to get hairspray, the musical of like no, any big show.

Mark :

So for me I think that suits I totally agree I totally agree do you think you would miss it next time you go on mse?

Emma:

if you're the other side of the glass doors, I mean I'll always miss it, but I've been back in an inside cabin since that cruise and it was, it was fine, it totally fine. I wasn't like where's my butler? It's okay.

Mark :

Right, cruise confessions. Now this is a part that I would normally sit and read a story out and we all pass judgment on somebody who's not here. Yeah, but Emma has got her own cruise confession and then we're going to pass judgment on her and everyone else can do as well, but she's setting a precedent for all future guests that they've got to come with their own cruise confession now.

Emma:

I just think that's fair right. I'm going to judge someone else, I'll bring something. And this one I came across this week and I forgot completely about it, so it surprised me. I don't know how vague I'm supposed to be, maybe a bit more. I don't want to get in trouble, but I found one of my profile pictures that I had.

Emma:

I started my cruise website in 2016 and I have had the profile picture for years at the beginning, and I found the expanded version of it and I could see the shadow of my phone where I took a picture of the picture, because back then it wasn't on the screens. It was. You know, everyone is out, so I took a sneaky picture of it and I didn't. I just I forgot that I did that, but maybe that's. I mean, it's definitely against the rules. It was fine, I wouldn't have bought it anyway, but now I buy them. I bought them on Yacht Club because my butler was like you're out to take me to the front of the queue and do the formula pictures. But yeah, I just forgot until I zoomed out and I was like what is our shadow? Oh, that's definitely my phone You're taking a picture of the picture?

Linzi:

Yeah, I mean.

Emma:

There was no one around. No, you know, when they used to have the full corridors with just every single picture they printed out All the corridors, yeah and yeah, it was a long time ago, so hopefully I'm forgiven.

Mark :

But it was eight years ago. That's probably not that unique a story, I suspect a lot of people have done that. How many would admit to it?

Emma:

Yeah, I would definitely not do it now. I mean, you can't really do it now. It's very different. But I wasn't thinking at the time. I had no plans on a career in the cruising. I had a good time, so yeah.

Mark :

But it was my profile picture for years and no one knows that's the far better bit that it was your profile picture I didn't remember because it's cropped.

Emma:

I love it.

Linzi:

I love it.

Mark :

Do you think Emma should be forgiven?

Linzi:

Of course I'm forgiving.

Emma:

Emma, I won't do it again.

Linzi:

See.

Mark :

Emma gets to keep her seat back.

Linzi:

She does, she learned from the error.

Emma:

Thank you, her way. I never did it. I haven't done it since then. No.

Mark :

I do love so much. What is your profile picture? That just adds a different level of fantasticness to it.

Emma:

You know about me Criminal, but yeah.

Mark :

Oh, that's brilliant. Do you want to chat about some news?

Linzi:

stories. Oh okay, I don't know what these are, as as as usual, as usual.

Mark :

okay, so the first one's a little bit about trends, um, which isn't something we normally cover. No, our reading a piece that published this week where there's they've said there's been a massive spike in cruise bookings. We talked very recently on the previous podcast about the increasing cost of cruising. Yeah, this kind of makes a little bit more sense when you hear these stats. Okay, so between January and October 24, where we are now compared to this time next year it was a 344% spike in cruise bookings. Wow, which we've seen it. Some cruises are selling out incredibly quick and those last minute bargains are not really there anymore, but there's some interesting bits within there, because bookings by travelers in their 30s and 40s are up by nearly 900 percent on a for a cruise yeah, can believe it yeah, that 30 sector.

Mark :

When we first started looking at cruising, there was this preconception that it's for people well, emma's that had the naughty picture. Yeah, you know it was there, but you know seeing a nearly 900 spike in a year for people in 30s and 40s. But, even more interesting, the gen z's and that's how they put it, not not me yeah, that's up by 450 percent. Wow of it. How much of that they're paying themselves. All the parents are paying.

Mark :

I'm not entirely sure they're going on cruises, yes, but yeah, they're going on there in a much bigger way than before and, um, it listed the most popular international cruise destination over the next year, so where do you think that will?

Linzi:

Starting port, or just port in general, or just the Med, or Well, it just says the most popular international cruise destination.

Emma:

So it wasn't Portsmouth. Yeah, normally the Caribbean is up every list, top of everything, for young people think of their spring break carnival crew.

Mark :

These young people have clearly got more money than I have at the moment. Where are you going? So it's not the Caribbean it's not. Portsmouth.

Linzi:

It's not the Bahamas.

Mark :

No, I'd still guess that generally. Do you want to have another guess?

Linzi:

Mate, I don't know.

Mark :

Singapore.

Emma:

Singapore, love Singapore. That would be my recommendation, my personal recommendation for sure.

Linzi:

wow, it is our favorite city on earth yeah, we love all the ones we've been to yeah, yeah, in every city.

Mark :

Yeah, I've been all cities in yorkshire, let alone on it, um, but it's a great destination part for going out of places and disney a home from there. For is it adventure? It's adventure. So when you look at the stats and I'm guessing lots of other people have as well, in much sort of more cruisy positions than we are that you've got the younger generation wanting to go for on more and more cruises yeah and singapore being the top one, makes sense that disney kind of home base from there for a big new ship.

Mark :

So what that tells me is that ship's going to be sold out constantly and it's going to be really expensive.

Emma:

Like every Disney cruise. Yeah, even if you do three days out of. You know the UK sells out in seconds. Yeah, they know what they're doing.

Linzi:

They certainly do Wow.

Mark :

Yeah, we had to look at that for potentially doing Disney this summer, didn't we? You look at the short cruises and the more expensive than going on a seven or ten-day cruise with comparable cruise lines. Oh, yeah, or go on Costa or the lower cross. These were like comparable to Celebrity or Virgin. They were really expensive, but people go on it, so there's stuff there yeah, they know what they're doing yeah, they certainly do.

Mark :

New story too, okay, star princess. Oh, so, uh, some princesses, sister, one that's uh coming out next year. They've announced that there's going to be several major upgrades over sun. One of them wasn't shipped within a ship at this point it'd have been perfect timing if there's a but. They didn't. But they've said this is based on guest feedback from sun and I'm guessing the number of changes that we've seen made on there over the past sort of seven or eight months since you first let it go.

Mark :

They've been genuinely have been listening to feedback because I've never seen a cruise ship change as much in a short period of time no, yeah, they've changed so much yeah everything again yeah it's every time I look at a picture something's different.

Linzi:

When we were on it in yeah, march, because it was march, wasn't it?

Emma:

yeah, yeah so yeah, it's not that long since yeah, I'm kind of quite glad I didn't do a ship tour or anything like that, because none of it's true anymore. No, it's completely different yeah yeah, but good for them doing it now, rather than waiting 10 years and just everyone's complaining about stuff.

Mark :

Yeah, get it done they've been listening to that feedback. Obviously it's not a massive surprise that sort of deck 19 is having quite of a major overall new one. Yeah, so that's now going to be the new Skydeck sports deck, which kind of makes sense. They're putting in a dedicated basketball court and jogging track and, just like every other cruise ship, it appears in the world at the moment.

Linzi:

Pickleball. Oh yeah, I'm not sure.

Mark :

I get that. I don't know when that became so popular. You can't go on a ship anywhere where there's not a pickleball.

Emma:

No no.

Mark :

At some point we should really have a game.

Emma:

Yeah, people are always in there. It's a clean thing. Is it more of an American thing? Is it something we haven't got yet? Maybe, yeah, maybe it'll catch on eventually.

Mark :

What they've also said is that they're increasing the dining size in a couple of venues okay, loved by brito through expanding that okay which I was semi-surprised at. Yeah, so the news at the moment was it, you know, they'd lowered the price because it wasn't getting as much right, yeah but one that I'm really pleased that they're doing is or marley's, o'malley's is the top one. Because trying to get in there is so busy Because it's a proper pub as well.

Mark :

And to try and get a table, so they're increasing it. I think they're putting in an extra 32 covers something like that. So fairly substantial Every cruise line.

Emma:

They could just increase the pub size. I don't think, other than maybe MSC. It just tends to be the Brits that are in there on MSC. Yeah, you know, no matter how big they make that pub, cunard, it just needs to be bigger every single time. Yeah, yeah.

Mark :

And then the final bit that they've announced at the moment although they have said there's more announcements coming, because we're still what, eight months, nine months out, at this point, is? They're expanding the smoke-free area in the casino. Oh, that's good.

Emma:

Oh, okay, I'm still surprised when they have smoking in casinos to be honest, it seems really weird to me to go. Here's a ship. Don't smoke in it unless, yeah, I don't really understand it.

Mark :

but yeah, we get the wanting people to stay in there more, and I'm sure it's the same in Vegas. I'm sure Don't they want people?

Emma:

to stay in the bars, yeah.

Mark :

Like everywhere.

Emma:

Like I don't know, but some rules, isn't it they?

Mark :

can, so they do.

Emma:

But a bigger smoke-free area.

Linzi:

It would be interesting to see if they've resolved the problem that they had on Sun where the smoke bit were off the lift and you could smell when you were on the right, on the right deck, because we were like oh, this is blimey, yeah, even though you were nowhere near it.

Mark :

So interesting to see what they do yeah, what changes. Would you like to see the mech on star compared to sun?

Linzi:

oh, that's a good question because it's changed again quite a few times since we've been on and I think what they've done as well at the front of the ship where they have the dome area I think that's adults only now as well for those the swimming pool, and I'm sure I don't think I'd want that.

Mark :

I think that's the thing.

Linzi:

But if it's not, that's what they should do.

Mark :

So if they've not done that already, then the dome should just be fat adults.

Linzi:

No, not the dome, the swimming pool and the hot tubs and the bar at the front.

Mark :

Oh, the bit in front of it.

Linzi:

Yeah, okay, so it's not a sanctuary, but it's an adult. But if you did, that given.

Mark :

Yeah, because the swimming pool goes inside and out. If you don't make the dome adult. Only how do you stop kids going in?

Linzi:

well, that's what I'm doing, that's my thing so you're making that whole bit.

Mark :

Adults only, no children. Can they go to the shows in the evening?

Emma:

no, they have their own shows.

Mark :

They can go see whatever director, yeah is there anything you'd like to see in the end?

Emma:

I was on board for one day and nothing is the same as it was then, so I don't think there's anything I could say that is genuine.

Emma:

So yeah, I'll have to wait and see. I'm glad I I was maybe gonna go on at the beginning, but I think I'm happy in a wait, maybe even a year, and then it's settled in and then I know what it is. Because as much as I you know, it's nice to do press launches and ships when they come out, but it's not really what that cruise is going to be like. Even if you wait two months, three months, well, it's not normally as extreme but normally yeah oh, this was free.

Emma:

Now it's paid for, like even within those first few months. They're sort of changing the opening times and stuff. So yeah, I'm actually happy I wait to.

Mark :

Yeah, not that I haven't read books, but um, interested in it for sure yeah, yeah, and the only thing I'd like to see them change is spellbound now oh yeah, I absolutely love spellbound. I don't think they should get rid of spellbound. I don't want it just replicated on every single ship. I want it to be a reason for me to go on star and have something different on there to what's on sun yeah, you mean in respect of the magicalness, or?

Mark :

well, either the magicalness or just a different attraction, but okay, but using that same space and doing something creative themed differently. Yeah, because otherwise there's a chance that the ships can end up being a bit cookie cutter like like virgin. You've got one virgin ship you don't. Yeah, there's lots of reasons to go back on virgin, but you don't need to go on the ship to see different things. Yeah, yeah, you know whether brilliant will be a bit different when that comes out. You know we'll have to see.

Mark :

But I don't want each one of the sphere class to be exactly the same okay, someone like a speakeasy or haunted, or yes, yeah yeah, something different, all right a unique

Emma:

thing, okay, yeah, I don't know about that, because I've heard many people saying that the magic show, it's a very small room and you cannot stay out of it. And I want to. I'm a viewer, I'm not a participator. I'm not participating in it, right, I don't want to. Yeah, I know. Yeah, so there should be like two levels, like one for just watching. You're absolutely safe.

Mark :

Yeah that's what I mean yeah, I know, though when we went the, they were asking for volunteers as opposed to picking on people specifically, but that could easily change. I still wouldn't?

Emma:

They're like I need a lady. I'm like no, I have left before shows because I'm like I'm not risking it. No, Too stressful.

Mark :

Let's see what they do on Star. Yeah, hopefully something that doesn't mean Emma has to take part in it.

Emma:

I just want to know what's going to happen beforehand. I don't like anything surprise thrown on me without knowing. I think I have a right.

Mark :

Nothing wrong with that.

Emma:

No, I can't relax if I know something's going to happen.

Mark :

Final news story, and I love this one. Okay, I know that you've heard this, have I, yeah, but we haven't talked about it. Okay, so Seabourn Pursuit this week offers its submarine experiences when they're on there.

Mark :

So they have a couple of little micro subs that you can go on, yeah, and I'm sure they're very cheap and reasonably priced, but they go on and they go like sort of 100, 200 foot below the surface. So they're not bringing down thousands of feet, but they're very unique experiences. Anyway, this past week they were in an area where they believed that there was a ship called the Titania which sunk. It was a German ship, german supply ship, sunk in 1914. Never been found. Local fishermen have kept finding bits of metal floating nearby or caught something, but never found anything. The submarine went down, found the ship with guests on board. Wow, that collective group of people have now been officially recognised as being the ones who discovered this ship. Wow, they've got video footage of it because they record the experience while they're on there. Yeah, it's the first time anyone's seen it since 1914.

Mark :

Wow, it was 95 metres below the surface.

Emma:

That's what you want to find, yeah. It's not just murky like what's virtually in the sea, it's just sort of not much.

Mark :

Yeah, not just like murky, like what's usually in the sea.

Emma:

It's just sort of not much. Yeah, that sounds amazing.

Mark :

Which I just thought was such a fantastic news story, but also what an amazing advert for Seabot.

Emma:

Yeah.

Mark :

For selling more submarine experiences.

Emma:

Yeah God, I bet that's expensive.

Mark :

Does it make cost aside? Does it make either of you want to try a submarine experience on a ship.

Emma:

I don't think so I did go to a ship that had a submarine on it once the Scenic Eclipse. They have helicopters and submarines, wow. But I went there on like a press event, flew to Rotterdam for one day, flew home again, so we just flew in the morning, came home, yeah, and when we got there were like, oh, it's not done, you can't take any pictures or video. So it's like I literally flew to ross adam and I couldn't even take a picture. But they were there like they were putting in the carpet, they were building tables like you could not have taken a picture of, it was not ready, but why didn't they cancel it like but anyway, so I've, I've seen the helicopter and stuff. Never say never, but it's not top of my to-do list going to a submarine.

Mark :

You're not a fan of the sea. You're not a fan of creatures in the sea, but you are a fan of history. Would it tempt you to have a go at it if you thought there was a possibility of finding… A shipwreck?

Emma:

A shipwreck, one in a million.

Mark :

Don't be put off by the fact that people have been looking for this ship for 110 years and they've just stumbled on it. You could find another one.

Linzi:

It depends where we. I think I'm going to say no, it's just like I, this one was off the coast of Chile, the San Juan Fernandez Archipelago.

Mark :

Well, thank you for that, I I I. This one was off the coast of Chile um the, uh, san Juan Fernando's Archipelago well, thank you for that no I mean yeah but yeah, rather they can do that yeah so it's not tempting you

Linzi:

um, like Emma said never, say never, I'd always. I just I think I'd I'd have, I just I think I'd I'd have, I'd yeah, I'm thinking about it now and no, yeah, I think I'd I'd feel panicky, I'd feel sick, me too, I'd be in the toilet in the submarine? No no, I'd be like I'd be clawing at the window.

Mark :

Yeah, I'd travel up on the hatch as soon as you step then you'd pass out, yeah, so, yeah, you try to open the hatch as soon as you start, then it's passed out, okay, so if there's an opportunity, I won't push you to go on that one.

Linzi:

I'll go back. However, I would like to say that I've been watching the new Nautilus show on Amazon. Emma, oh, I haven't yet. But I feel like I need to, and Captain Nemo, I'll go on his submarine. That's why I'll go on his submarine.

Mark :

So if it's an opportunity to go on the Nautilus, you're up for that one.

Emma:

Yeah, very specific.

Linzi:

Yes, yes, because that's got bathrooms and bedrooms and everything it did. Yeah.

Mark :

That's your requirement for going on one of these mini subs that has a bathroom and a bedroom.

Emma:

Yeah.

Linzi:

Yeah, a quiet room. This is a bathroom and a bedroom. Yeah, a quiet room.

Mark :

This is a very nice and ideally, some glass doors that you can go through and be away from everyone else.

Emma:

Yeah, sounds good Like a tent. You know, when they have the main tent and then they have all the little bits off the edge like a little bedroom, like that, yeah, that sounds perfect.

Mark :

Yeah, well, with that. That brings us to the end of the cruise cast, so we need to say thank you to Emma. Thank you, emma.

Emma:

Thank you so much, Emma. It's always nice to talk to you, oh bless you, thank you.

Mark :

We will play out with a little bit of music.

Emma:

Again, we're going to upset Paul Hudson, here we go, he's here again. He seems okay. Let me show you.

Linzi:

There he seems. Okay, let me show you there he is there, you are.

Mark :

Let's see what Hudson thinks he's trying to get away already.

Linzi:

Yeah, bye.