Suite Natured Cruise Cast | Cruise Chat & News

Bedtime Stories - Audio Only 🎧 | Cruise Cast Ep.25

• Linzi & Mark - Suite Natured • Season 1 • Episode 25

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In this episode of the Suite Natured Cruise Cast, we delve into the topic of bedtime on cruises, discussing the importance of a comfortable bed, the best locations for sleep on a cruise ship, and the various cruise lines that offer the best sleeping experiences. 

We also touch on the role of TV in bedtime routines, the significance of night lights, and share exciting cruise news, including Celebrity's new river cruise venture and the development of a new cruise port in Belfast.

00:00 Setting the Mood for Bedtime on Cruises
01:55 The Importance of a Comfy Bed
06:00 Best Locations for Sleep on a Cruise
09:03 Choosing the Right Cruise Line for Sleep1
1:52 Evaluating Cruise Ship Beds
14:00 What Makes a Good Sleep Experience?
19:05 The Role of TV in Bedtime Routines
22:13 Night Lights and Other Sleep Essentials
24:20 Cruise News: Celebrity's New River Cruises
37:01 Belfast's New Cruise Port
38:55 Southampton's Record-Breaking Year

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Cheers, and have a lovely day
Linzi & Mark

Linzi:

Welcome to episode 25 of the Suite Natured Cruisecast. Hi, I'm Linz. As always, I'm joined by Marky. Hello, Hello. And today we're talking bedtime on cruises, Not springtime, but first a's mood music. It kind of you know what. It wasn't bad.

Mark:

It fit the mood. Sort of todayate quite far away well, I would try to find something that sort of suggested bedtime and relaxing and that sort of thing, and it either sounded like sort of spa music or lullabies, okay, and I thought, well, we might not even get through people seeing the intro bit, let alone the rest of the cruise cast oh, they could use it to go to sleep with, instead of a white noise they could have done, but as it turns out, we had sleeping dragon instead oh, is that what it was called?

Mark:

that's what we're called, okay? Well, as you said, today we're talking about all things bedtime on a cruise, yes, and we've also got a couple of news stories, one of which is huge, and I've taken out today's cruise confession because I think we'll end up talking about one of those new stories a little bit more okay so the cruise confession will return next week and if you're saying that to me, I think I think I think we're getting, I think they're so bad that you can't read them out no, I've got two that are readable.

Mark:

Okay, I've got about three that are not. But if you have got one, uh, please do send it to us. You can send it to us on instagram or facebook or email us. Uh, anyway, it'll be fantastic, but no, it's about next week. I just wanted to give a little bit more time for the new story. Okay, but let's get on to beds. Today's topic should you pick today's topic?

Linzi:

I did because I like a nap and I like a sleep.

Mark:

You do.

Linzi:

And I like a comfy bed, not as much as you like a comfy bed. I love a comfy bed. You are the princess in the Princess and the Pea.

Mark:

Yeah, if there's a slight crease on the mattress let alone anything wrong with the mattress.

Linzi:

I can't sleep on it, whereas once I'm tired, I'm tired.

Mark:

Yeah, you'd sleep on pretty much anything, wouldn't you? Well, I'm tired. Yeah, you'd sleep on pretty much anything, wouldn't?

Linzi:

you. Well, I have done.

Mark:

This is true so yeah, I was trying to work out how much of your cruise.

Linzi:

you're in bed, asleep Well, or nodding or napping, or like using a bed for sleep.

Mark:

Yeah, rather than putting your suitcase on. Well, if you work on it, you know, the average being sort of between six and eight hours a day.

Linzi:

I can't remember the last time I had six or eight hours sleep.

Mark:

No, that's straight through, not six or eight hours where you're actually in bed.

Linzi:

I'm in bed, but I'm not necessarily asleep.

Mark:

No, but you're in bed.

Linzi:

Yeah, but I've got up Either way. You, but you're in bed, yeah, but I've got up. Either way I'm. You've got up and then you've got back, but I like you like a comfy bed, yeah, Whereas I can sleep, I it's. It's the surroundings that have to be. I like, I like air.

Mark:

Well, let's get on to that then. I mean just to do your maths one. It's roughly about a third of your time you'll spend in bed on your cruise, on your cruise, if you spent eight hours.

Linzi:

There's 24 hours in a day.

Mark:

I thought it was going to be half.

Linzi:

No, that'd be 12 hours a day well, let's no, let me just work this out my maths is solid rachel riley no, I mean if, if I get up, right, if I'm I go to bed at let's make it easy 12 o'clock.

Mark:

Okay.

Linzi:

And then I get up at 7 o'clock.

Mark:

That's seven hours.

Linzi:

Yes for you, not for me.

Mark:

Yeah, because you've woke up and been to loose.

Linzi:

Or then I've fussed with something.

Mark:

You've got to take a picture of a sunrise or a sunset Normal sunrise.

Linzi:

A sunrise, or yeah. Or I've got too hot, yeah, or then I'm too cold.

Mark:

But then you'd spend less time in bed, not more.

Linzi:

So seven hours, and then that's seven hours.

Mark:

Yeah.

Linzi:

And then let's say, we go up to the, so then I've gone for breakfast and I've done some sort of activity, and maybe I've gone for an excursion and then I've had a drink, yeah, no-transcript. So then you're up to eight hours.

Mark:

No, but then I've had, I've had, um, maybe I've had a snooze on the lounger, but you were talking about beds.

Linzi:

Oh sorry, beds, yeah. And then after another hour, I think I'm more.

Mark:

I think you're about eight hours a day, which is about the average. So anyway, back to the question what do you do?

Linzi:

how many hours are you? How many hours are you?

Mark:

me personally.

Linzi:

I'm just asking the person listening or watching or watching, the person watching and the person listening let us know in the comments how many hours do you do?

Mark:

We'll probably find on references between six and eight.

Linzi:

Constant, though I want to know constants.

Mark:

I don't get why that's important. That's about your sleep disruption, not about how much time you're spending in your bed. Sleep disruption, yes, you got disrupted in your sleep.

Linzi:

I'm not going to say it's disruption.

Mark:

All right.

Linzi:

I've got no choice, it's disruption.

Mark:

That's making it sound wrong. You mean you get up to nip to the loo.

Linzi:

Continue.

Mark:

Anyway, I don't want to spend sort of the next 25 minutes just talking my bathroom habits on what I do in the night. What I am curious in terms of what makes a good sleep on a bed, sorry, on a bed. What makes a good sleep on a cruise? Who has the best beds? Which are the best cruise ships, but also where's the best and worst locations on a cruise?

Linzi:

Oh, for your bed.

Mark:

That's specifically for the bed, for your cabin, in order to get the best amount of sleep at night. Because, if you think about it, if you're directly above, say, a nightclub- oh, I understand.

Linzi:

I understand, or you're directly below the pulpit I understand you're going to hear them.

Mark:

start putting the chairs out.

Linzi:

I understand, I understand, I understand.

Mark:

So let I mean we started on that bit, then when do you think is in order to get a good night's sleep?

Linzi:

In the cabin.

Mark:

It's preferable.

Linzi:

Oh, are you meaning like east to west?

Mark:

Yeah, location physically on the ship.

Linzi:

Pointing the window. Yeah, nearest the window, nearest the bathroom, that kind of thing.

Mark:

Right, I'll get to the point that I were on about that. So for me I would mean in sort of if you don't want to be disrupted by movement in the ship, then you're generally better midship, albeit some people sleep a little bit better with a little bit of gentle rocking, so it's like that okay do you get where I'm coming from now, kind of I'm not going to flick it back to you and say so with that in mind then.

Mark:

So for me, generally speaking, I feel the sort of mid-shape round about sort of two-thirds of the way up, so not just below the pool deck, okay yeah. Because you do get that drag noise. I can't do it with my caster, but we can all imagine it Of chairs being dragged around. I can't do it with my caster, but we can all imagine it Of chairs being dragged around.

Linzi:

I'm going to be a foley expert now.

Mark:

I don't think you are. I mean, I won't give up your day job, but good effort. But yeah, you get that kind of sound Also if it's a windy night and they've not tied them all down you get it moving around as well.

Mark:

So again, those sort of things can disturb it and we do know we've not had. So we've had the pool deck problem ourselves, where we've been quite high up and heard that We've not had the being based over a nightclub or a restaurant. No, no, and if you get right over some of the nightclub or theatres.

Linzi:

Oh, we have been over something.

Mark:

We were near the Eden Cafe and area when we were on Apex, yes, but we didn't hear anything.

Linzi:

No.

Mark:

We actually commented about that.

Linzi:

No, just one night. We just got a bit bassy and that was it.

Mark:

And it was literally for a very short period of time, Whereas if you're sort of right over the theatre or right over the nightclub that opens late, if you're relatively early to bedder, and by that I mean like midnight- those venues can often go on until sort of two or later in the morning. Yeah, so it's making sure that whatever cabin you get fits in with your own sleep pad. Okay, I don't think there's a lot of people think about that in advance. I know I didn't before I first went on.

Mark:

Well, maybe, maybe if it's your first time that you've been on a cruise, you've no reference other than you know. People like I was it. Let's get on to best cruise lines For beds, for beds or for the cabin as a whole, because for you, you like to be able to open the door and get some fresh air in.

Linzi:

Yeah, but I like a door, I like air, I like fresh air. I'd rather have a window open sorry, a door open on a cruise than I would with the air con. I'm not a. I like fresh air. I'd rather have a window open, which sorry, a door open on a cruise than I would with the air con. I'm not a fan of air con, and that's whether we're in, I'm on a hotel, I'm on a hotel.

Mark:

In a hotel.

Linzi:

In a hotel or on a cruise. Yeah, I like fresh air at night.

Mark:

Even now it's January, I've got the window open. Yeah, I mean it's not wide open, but there's fresh air coming in.

Linzi:

There's fresh air coming in which I enjoy.

Mark:

I think a lot of people like that when they're at sea. Now again, when you're thinking about sort of different room types, if you've got a traditional door on the balcony, if you've got a balcony cabin or a suite and it opens up, they're not the easiest things to wedge open because obviously the ship moves so they're trying to close. Yeah, you've also got to remember if you've got them open, don't try and open your main door back to the corridor.

Linzi:

Oh, re-tunnel.

Mark:

Yeah, it creates that proper tunnel and your doors will slam and you might end up injuring yourself a little bit.

Mark:

But you've then got things like which we haven't stayed in one yet and we've said we prefer the traditional balconies but um, the infinite balconies, which are essentially a big window that you can open that's the reason I've not booked one, though but do you feel that that would be better to be able to open that slightly than as long as you can open it, because obviously sometimes I would rather be in an ocean view that I couldn't open than a window that is potentially open but I can't open it.

Linzi:

If you see what I mean.

Mark:

so, of the cabin types and with the balconies, do you prefer the ones with the sliding door? Yes, because you can, generally speaking, sort of open them a little bit and then lock them off and they'll just stay there. Yeah, so that for us was.

Linzi:

I'm glad we got there.

Mark:

It took, you know, 25 minutes to get to that bit, but not quite. Who do you think's got the best beds?

Linzi:

Now my bed choice and your bed choice will be different.

Mark:

They will be.

Linzi:

I like, oh, saying that now. No, I want to say I start with who. Whose beds? Um, I don't like, yeah, virgin's beds I find virgin beds quite comfortable.

Mark:

They're quite low down they're low down for getting up and off or off and on but we've we have had it where we've stayed in places like um, like the harbour Hotel in Southampton. And that's brilliant, where you needed a pair of steps to get into it.

Linzi:

Yes, but that's the Virgin one also, because it's a sofa thing has got those weird attachments stuck with it as well, and I don't find them very cosy, excuse me.

Mark:

Are you okay? Just a slight cough. Oh no, I think I might be patient zero I think you could be, and then yeah beds, so the virgin ones just go back to them for a second.

Linzi:

I was worried about them when I saw them.

Mark:

Before we ever went on them.

Linzi:

But I've always found the beds really comfortable they're comfy enough for a sofa bed. Yeah.

Mark:

I get what you mean. They've got that area where it was designed that you could convert them into a sofa during the day and then back to a bed at night. And nobody ever does. They might do it once. Just take a picture of it.

Linzi:

Or the way they spin round for if you're friends on the cruise.

Mark:

Yeah.

Linzi:

So you have two singles, but I just yeah, I.

Mark:

But I've definitely never felt that they were problematic.

Linzi:

No, it's the height thing, I think.

Mark:

The one that I had the issue with when we did was when we did Iona and the wardrobe was so close to the bed you couldn't pop open the wardrobe doors.

Linzi:

No.

Mark:

But there was also. It was maybe like less than a foot gap.

Linzi:

It's not very big. I'd say it's like is it 30 centimetres, if that?

Mark:

Yeah, at the most, and when you're getting up in the middle of the night or you just put cream all over yourself and then turn round and leave a smear where you. And then you hope someone don't come on the next cruise with a black light Throwback to last week, last episode. Stop that. You don't think that's what that was no, because no I'll move on please so which one is your favorite bed then?

Linzi:

that is a good, a good question. I'm gonna have to say it's either. Again, I'm killing anyone that's around me lately.

Mark:

Patience, I will answer.

Linzi:

I'm going to say it's either. I know you like Princess, but then I don't want to say Princess.

Mark:

You can say Princess if you want to say Princess.

Linzi:

I want to say, princess, yeah, what's your favourite?

Mark:

Princess, which seems apt given your princess and the p reference, and that's something that you've said about me for a long time. It's true, um, but I get the best night's sleep that I have on any cruise ships.

Linzi:

On princess I mean when we went on a princess, our first princess cruise you basically, like, looked at and went what mattress topper is this? Looked at it, measured it and then came back and ordered one how did you? As soon as we were back.

Mark:

So that's how much the princess bed had an effect on you yeah, I mean he's got a fantastic topper, but it's also a really good mattress as well it's a really good mattress fantastic topper and lovely linens yeah, good linens. Well, that's another bit to talk about as well. Thread count, yeah, but it also has really good pillows on there as well oh, is it the pillow menu?

Linzi:

have we had a pillow menu?

Mark:

you see, I don't think you have a pillow menu as such on princess. Someone will correct us here and say, yeah, you absolutely do. I don't remember one, but if you've got, for instance, an allergy or or a particular requirement, they will bring you a different colour, oh I can't do duck or goose.

Linzi:

I'm not good at that, but they don't generally put them on anywhere. Not anymore. They tend to be synthetic these days, yeah.

Mark:

But the quality of them is really good. You loved it. Just, princess, for me is sort of by far.

Linzi:

Better than a Cunard bird, better than a cunard bed, better than a celebrity bed yeah um yeah, what else makes an important sort of sleep bedtime?

Linzi:

I like. I like a good headboard yeah I like a nice headboard so I can sit up um read a little bit read a little bit and sit, or if we're having breakfast in bed or something. I like a nice headboard that isn't going to spike me or it's non-existent or anything like that. Yeah, I'm not bothered about, even though I love a scatter cushion I'm not bothered about all the scatter cushions.

Mark:

No, I'm not, because you just take them off and fill up your little sofa, if you have one.

Linzi:

And also what have been people done with those? Where have people had those scatter?

Mark:

cushions before, I would guess in most cases on the floor.

Linzi:

Exactly so.

Mark:

No scatter cushions, because nobody sleeps with a scatter cushion on Well some people like a pillow between the knees. I definitely don't want that pillow. I'm assuming that they've been washed before we get on.

Linzi:

I don't think they have. I think they just give them a spritz.

Mark:

You think A Febreze and then they're done.

Linzi:

I'm not bothered about a scatter cushion Saying that the bed has scatter cushions. The couch has scatter cushions.

Mark:

I'm just yeah, but that's our couch and our bed.

Linzi:

I'm just not about sharing scatter cushions.

Mark:

No, I'm with you on that. Is cushions? No, no, I'm with you on that. Is there anything else in particular?

Linzi:

you feel it is sort of really important to a good night's sleep. No, I'm going to be really um technical here. Oh, I'm putting my wine down. I like to sleep. You're going to tell me what way this is? Honestly, anyone who's been three foot greatest of me this week has succumbed if anyone just in listening mode, that was me just turning away okay, so I like to I in respect of bed position yeah if the boat, the boat, the ship's sailing that way, I like, I like to sleep do you like to be essentially facing forward?

Linzi:

in.

Mark:

Yeah, I don't like so your feet pointing in the same direction. The ship's going.

Linzi:

Yes yeah, I like that. It doesn't always happen, but that's what I like.

Mark:

I prefer that I don't travel well backwards, but that's what I like. I prefer that because I don't travel well backwards, but I've never had the problem on a ship, because you can't really see it anyway.

Linzi:

No, but I still I know.

Mark:

Yeah, psychologically you know.

Linzi:

I know, I still know, and for some reason I'm fine on a train, forwards or backwards, whereas you were always a forwards person.

Mark:

Yeah, but I there's something on the ship I just feel more at ease. Face, feet, feet first. Yeah, the other thing that I look for when, when we're looking at sort of the bed area, is having good space and sockets on the bedside cabinet just so you can can plug in the phone.

Linzi:

Yeah, I guess yeah, or chargers.

Mark:

You've got somewhere to put a glass of water at night.

Linzi:

Yeah, like, yeah again.

Mark:

Because not everyone does.

Linzi:

No Virgin, we're talking about you.

Mark:

Yeah, because it sits lower. Well, there's the plinth.

Linzi:

There's like the chair arm thing on one side and the long thing on the other which you can put your drinks on but it's a balancing act on the other side.

Mark:

Yeah, that's definitely the least practical, but again, never had a problem.

Linzi:

No, using it's a champagne problem it really isn't.

Mark:

It's not a difficult one at all, no. So anything else that you'd like to add in about bedtime, tv, tv, great one. I'd forget about tv. That's such. How can? You about TV I would have been fuming after this If we'd not have talked about TV, because I'm like how did I not talk about TV?

Mark:

You love TV I do, because when we're at home, when we go to bed, I know that sleep experts will tell you it's wrong to do but I will put something on and then put a TV show on and just watch 10, 15 minutes and it helps sort of switch me off and then I go to sleep much easier then, whereas if I just switch all off I'm just lying in a darkened room. Unless we've had a lot of drinks, I'm not falling asleep immediately. You just kind of lay there. What is it you're looking for in the TV then?

Linzi:

I want it in a nice position.

Mark:

Yep, so directly in front of the bed yeah, I like it.

Linzi:

I like it, but I don't like it. I don't like the post-it. Not post-it, not the smaller ones on a jaunty angle retrofit in a corner yeah, I mean there's not many of them now. It tends to be I just like the tv. I just like tv I to put. We like to put it on the channel where you can see it, with the camera at the front of the ship and see what's happening.

Linzi:

We've done that quite a few times when we've gone through. I was going to go really old school then and say the gates of Hercules, what the hell am I talking about?

Mark:

The.

Linzi:

Straits of Gibraltar.

Mark:

Yeah, so you can have a good look, you get a good view.

Linzi:

You've got to remember. I'm 12,500 years old and this is yeah.

Mark:

Yeah, and it's nice to watch things such as the daily shows that they have on there Tony what's coming up. Yeah, yeah, I like that. Have on there Tony what's.

Linzi:

Coming Up. Yeah, yeah, I like that.

Mark:

It's different on different cruise lines. Not all of them do it, and then for me and again, it differs massively from ship to ship. Some have a big entertainment choice of on-demand movies and sport channels. And stuff like that. Not sports that sometimes they have, sometimes they do, and then others they have like two or three channels and that's kind of it yeah so again, that that comes down to.

Mark:

I think that if that is important to you, it's just being aware of if you're going on an older cruise ship yes, lindsay, at the back I also on our last q now cruise.

Linzi:

They put a big hand downunard cruise. They put a big sign up that said you put your clock back. Put your clocks back an hour tonight. That was on the TV, which was very useful as you walked in. There wasn't a little slip or anything like that, it was on the big TV, so you went. Oh yes, I'll remember.

Mark:

I like what some this isn't specifically bedtime, but we're talking about sort of TVs in the room. I like it where some of the modern cruise lines will put like the Mustard Drill video on there yeah, and Virgin do that and it then recognises that you've watched it.

Linzi:

Yeah, well, that's nice. A point for Virgin. There you can have a point.

Mark:

It the places it's. We can't just give them all the points all the time. No, it's a bit unfair. No, um, anything else that you can think of? Nightlight? Oh you with all the genius stuff today night time specialist you're not sleeping through, are you? There's at least one I'm, I'm, no, so nightlight now, do you want it where it comes on automatically when you get up or whether it's always on, but a very low light in the bathroom when you open it Because we've had somewhere when you walk past?

Linzi:

No, I can tell you exactly which one, and the princesses are going to lose points for this.

Mark:

Yeah, yeah.

Linzi:

Because on their older ships and you walk in the wardrobe bit.

Mark:

It has the sense of massive light comes on it always makes me think of the scene in um christmas vacation it is kind of like that um because you're fast asleep. It's dark and all of a sudden all the lights come on.

Linzi:

Yeah, it doesn't matter how you know, discreetly or anything. No absolutely not Lights. And then I like one that's subtle, because when you get up in the night, your eyes at night, you get really good night vision. So yeah, night lights subtle, just it doesn't have to be, but there. But there, so I don't have to put a big light on and disturb you. But, also I don't want an automatic, basically searchlight, escaping cold hits.

Mark:

Or any other prison camp.

Linzi:

I've got all the references. Today I'm so trendy.

Mark:

I think we're probably about covered bedtime there, unless there's anything else in that sort of genius, don't get me started. Are you good for that?

Linzi:

I feel I've not drank enough wine to I've just thought of something.

Mark:

Go on, I'll do that. I'm afraid you can get a point for it. Oh, the caressed water that they bring, both sparkling and still. Yeah, it's probably. You don't have to remember to bring a bottle up from somewhere or go to the buffet and get some water. It's just there and there's ice. It's just. It doesn't feel like a chore to do it.

Linzi:

I don't know why they all just don't do it. If I had Lindsay Cruises just outside the casino, there would be a little water station, a little rostrum set up with a person there with the sparkling and still water that they're selling. You still have to pay for it. It's not free, I understand that, or included in your package, but there they are Well Virgin's is included. Yeah, Virgin's is included with parked Virgin.

Mark:

Okay, you've moved on to someone else now.

Linzi:

On Lindsay Cruises.

Mark:

Are you not including water on your cruises?

Linzi:

I am including water. Well, not in the room, no, because sometimes it's just not practical. I'm a huge cruise line, I'm. I'm concentrating on something else. Okay, but a little Rostrum for the other. Just a little person out near the casino. Let's go somewhere late night that everybody knows, near the casino.

Mark:

Yeah.

Linzi:

Little.

Mark:

Rostrum, you mean like they have when you're getting off the ship, sometimes For an excursion.

Linzi:

Yeah, and that's where you get your water from. That way, you're not queuing to a bar.

Mark:

I don't know why some don't do that or even at like the main sort of area of elevators, that essential atrium part Near the casino. Generally, people are heading in that direction at night.

Linzi:

It also might encourage people to go to the casino.

Mark:

It might do just to get the water.

Linzi:

Just to get some water. Oh, there's a queue for the water, let's go put.

Mark:

I thought there wasn't going to be a queue now in your place.

Linzi:

Well, maybe there was. It's a very busy time. Oh, let's put $5 in this. Oh, I've won $25,000.

Mark:

I still don't have any water and the water station's now closed. But you're happy Water for everyone. Water for everyone.

Linzi:

Oh sorry water.

Mark:

I think at some point we'll have to do a cruise cast on what Lindsay Cruises would be. What would our sort of dream cruise line actually?

Linzi:

be. No, you have to have Marky Cruises and Lindsay Cruises.

Mark:

You're not taking my glory can we have lindsey and mark cruises? No okay, fine, we, we will do that. We could do it as two separate episodes we could do you can challenge me about my ideas for my cruise and I'll challenge you about yours. Yep, okay, we'll do that. Should have some cruise news, so I'm excited to talk about this. Okay, go and do it it. So you know the first story.

Linzi:

I do because it popped up on my phone, it popped up everywhere. I was like ooh.

Mark:

There isn't that many weeks where you get genuinely big news on it, so you'll get where you know. There's a new cruise ship announced or something. You built it up, everybody knows, but yesterday, 28th of January, celebrity announced that they were entering the river cruise market with Celebrity River Cruises. I'm sure that they had to pay some consultants a lot of money to come up with that name. I may have come up with it quicker.

Mark:

I just wonder if anybody registered the domain. I just gave them the as celebrities in a normal way oh, it's like as part of their due diligence, yeah, okay, but the so it's a brand new river band.

Linzi:

They're not buying anyone else out no, they're having them making the ships they're making the ships at the moment there'll be boats quite correct, river boats.

Mark:

They will have 10 of them eventually. They will have 10 of them eventually. Wow, they haven't set the timescale for when that 10 will come in and there's very few detours that they've provided yet, other than more detours to come in coming months. Yeah, what they have said during the announcement they didn't, but they said it almost immediately afterwards they will go on sale this year, so you'll be able to book it in 2025, depending on when you're listening to this, yeah, and they will start sailing in 2027. So it's only depending when they're sailing 2027, sometime between sort of two, two and a half years or so.

Mark:

Yeah, the initial area that they're going to be focusing in is europe okay again, they didn't talk any specific itineraries no but you would assume they're doing sort of all the big ticket ones, the ryan, the dan you, etc. Um, and they have said that the ships are all going to be because they're all brand new and designed for them.

Linzi:

They're all going to be edgified I understand beige, beige on beige on cream.

Mark:

I think it just means that sort of modern sort of cruise take that we see on the edge ships which we do like it.

Linzi:

They are gorgeous.

Mark:

And I think on the river cruises it will look stunning it will look stunning and it will make everything look bigger as well. It will, so we can have a good chat about this. What do you want to see on them and where do we think they're going to sit? Price wise, who are they going to? Compete against emerald so do you think it's going to be in the emerald yes, scenic, viking yes category, not the twoy area?

Mark:

no so if you were to have a guess now, then for because obviously they'll have different cabin types. What do you think? Will be the entry level for a seven night Daniel cruise.

Linzi:

Just shy of 4,000 pounds a person. You think it'll be that much yeah.

Mark:

You see, that's above Viking level if it's at that price.

Linzi:

Some. Okay, I'll be cheap. Three and a half, it'll be something knocking. Four, and then you'll. You, they'll have some super discount on buy.

Mark:

Buy one and you get one free so two grand each no, it's not two grand each you think the list price will be somewhere between three and a half and four. Yeah, I think it'll probably just a little bit less than that. I think that certainly to start with, I think they'll come in a little bit cheaper. I think there'll be a lot of interest, but I think they're going to come in around about two, seven.

Linzi:

Well, good luck with that.

Mark:

Would you want to do them? Yes, what amount would you be willing to spend up to to try them? Because we have looked at a lot of river cruises. It is something we want to do.

Linzi:

Yeah.

Mark:

Um, because, from my point of view, if they were even more expensive than something like uh Amma they're going to be more expensive than Amma. Amma's not cheap. Yeah, but Amma I who are for our uni world, who are sort of market leaders in that, in terms of that sort of top end of that market. If they're more expensive than that for my first river cruise, I probably wouldn't choose them. I'd go with someone more established?

Linzi:

Oh, because they're too new. Yeah, okay, I get what you're saying.

Mark:

So I think they've got to come in below that top level Okay, okay. But I think they're going to position themselves from a market as it's super premium. Yeah, of course it is, but that that's why celebrity sits anywhere. Yeah, you know, they're not putting themselves in the sort of seaborne, windstar explorer category. They're putting themselves in that sort of virgin, yeah um type category yes, I know, I'm interested, I'm interested. What do you think they're going to do that?

Linzi:

will make them stand out. Hmm, it's plague central, I'm going to say they are going to.

Mark:

I just realised when I'd been sort of leaning away to a mute in my mic then which I'd done twice now I'd actually been muting your mic and not mine. Brilliant yeah, so everyone will have heard the nose blowing, so my apologies for that.

Linzi:

Oh, good grief.

Mark:

So anyway. So we were saying what did we think they were going to do? That was going to make them stand out. Because I don't think you can just say they'll do celebrity or they'll do good food or anything like that, because at that higher end you're already getting that.

Linzi:

Yeah.

Mark:

If we look at what the Edge class ships are renowned for.

Linzi:

Yeah, the Infinite Verandas, the Eden, the.

Mark:

Infinite Verandas seems like a.

Linzi:

Absolute different.

Mark:

Absolute. This is what they are going to do. Yeah, because you can say that virtually every cabin, or certain types of cabins, have got a balcony which very few river cruises can say that balcony, which very few river cruises can say that we will not get into, whether they are proper balcony or not, but you know, that's how they will.

Linzi:

Yeah, um, I think they'll have the design.

Mark:

It's gonna have that look of yeah, ph class, I'm sure yeah, I think you won't be able to tell.

Linzi:

I think it'd be just like. You'll just feel like you're on a celebrity ship I would imagine.

Mark:

So I think you, they will want you to get that feel that you're just on a different celebrity vessel, that's all. Yeah, that you've got that coming through because we've seen them doing. Do they cast it as the edgification of the solstice class ships that they've been doing? Yeah and you can see as it, as it's sort of coming through them. What do you think they're going to do, though, from a day-to-day perspective, like entertainment, um, food on board activities that makes them? Now are they going to have a pool and a hot tub?

Linzi:

Yes.

Mark:

So do you think.

Linzi:

I think they might do very much like some other ones have done, like region-specific ships. So if they're in Europe they might have a hot tub. They won't necessarily have a pool.

Mark:

Well, they've said that the only things that they've announced at the moment are Europe.

Linzi:

Yeah, so.

Mark:

You assume that if it's successful they'll do Asia at some point.

Linzi:

I've seen a Nile cruise. You've seen what A Nile cruise I've been going on about my Nile cruise for years.

Mark:

You have. Yeah, It'll be really interesting to see if they actually do a Nile cruise at any point.

Linzi:

It'll be interesting to see if I do a Nile cruise.

Mark:

You will do a Nile cruise at some point, I promise. Not necessarily with you, no absolutely not, but you'll do one at some point. I think that from a size perspective and again there's nothing out about it I will check it online to see if there were anything that leaked, and there's nothing.

Linzi:

I think they're probably going to be in a similar size to um.

Mark:

I'm a magna, oh, you think they're going to go big. Yeah, I think they're going to go big. Okay, I don't think they're going to do smaller ones, because I don't see how they can do that celebrity spin on it, which means it would have room for pool, would have room for um pickleball, pickleball will have room for hot tubs. It would also have more room if they go wider, for a better entertainment venue well they could.

Linzi:

You could imagine them doing something very similar to what they have on the edge class ships, um, with the, the gardens and things like that yeah, what about?

Mark:

and the wood trees and things that have well saying that though they'd have to go, they'd have to concertina down to go under bridges and things, so forget that what about, do you think in terms of, uh, speciality dining, because celebrity, certainly on the newer ships, are now renowned for that specialty upcharge dining, but that's not something you generally find on river cruises. No, that's true. Do you think that we're going to see? Because there's not a lot of space Yep, so it would be even more in demand.

Linzi:

I think they'd do one and I think it'd be like a regional fusion kind of deal, fusion, um kind of deal.

Mark:

so you that's what I think they can change.

Linzi:

The venue type no, just like, like, um, if they, if it's a, I think it'd be a speciality, but they'd just it'd be flavors of where you are you don't think they'll have like a steakhouse or something like that? No.

Mark:

I would be genuinely very surprised if they don't have specialty dining on board? I don't think they're going to have two or three.

Linzi:

I think it'll be, I think it'll be a specialty and I think it'll be tables for two, because a lot more tables for two than four. But there, yeah, that's what I'm thinking, okay.

Mark:

Well, we will definitely find out more over the coming months. When they reveal a bit more, we'll sort of come back to this and see who's right, how close we were on any of it, and then when it's £20,000 a week each, we'll be saying, no, we're not going on it. That's true. It'll be really interesting to see where that pitches. So we'll be keeping an eye out.

Linzi:

Cruise story number two, belfast.

Mark:

Okay, not someone we've ever stopped on a cruise yet, no, but they've just launched a really to quote them ambitious £90 million new cruise port.

Linzi:

Oh, lovely.

Mark:

The Belfast area, belfast Harbour. I even put my teeth back in. They are doing a Deepwater Key so that it can host many of the world's biggest ships, because at the moment they can't get in there.

Linzi:

Can we have one in Hull?

Mark:

please. I would love there to be one in Hull. They've been talking about Hull. From us it's only five minutes.

Linzi:

You can stop off in Hull and you think well, what can I see in Hull? Well, you can see.

Mark:

You can go into North Yorkshire from Hull you can go to York. You can go to York you'd love. Hull. Yeah, I think Hull would be such a great destination for people stopping in the UK to see this side of sort of northern England. Yeah, because you you've already got stops in places like and then you go up and you have them in Scotland and technically they do pull into Newcastle sometimes, but I think from a getting out and about point of view, hull's such a great point and they have talked about that.

Linzi:

Yeah, just let's do one in Hull.

Mark:

Yeah, but anyway Belfast out of here.

Linzi:

Well done Belfast. Well done Belfast.

Mark:

And it's expected to operational sometime between 2027 and 2029. So I will take the lie of that and assume that, because that's a big two-year window there. Um, and then they're doing further stuff after that with offshore energy as well. Yeah, but first part is getting that done nice, well done.

Linzi:

Belfast yeah, where's my cruise port in hull?

Mark:

and then the last cruise story. Wow, it's only a quickie, this one, thank you, but this is the cruise port that we've been out of more than any other cruise port in the uk. Okay, uh, southampton, yes, which have just announced they hit record numbers. I can't believe it. Um, last year, the they've said there was an absolute booming year and they expect to go past it again this year. Wow, they had over three million passengers. Wow, which is, uh, also bought in. I think they said it was over a billion dollars for the local economy. They did say dollars, not pounds. Okay, that's cruise industry, yeah, and it's more than 15 percent higher than any other year wow, well done southampton yeah can you have a word with hull for?

Mark:

me please. No, they probably don't want to have a word with Hull. They will be proactively not doing Hull no why wouldn't they do Hull? Southampton want to have it all for themselves.

Linzi:

Well, we're only stopping off in Hull.

Mark:

No, I want to depart from there no-transcript. Much easier.

Linzi:

Do it like the Vikings did whole.

Mark:

But in bigger ships, not the long boats. In respect of maritime history, equivalent to the the actual materials that are available to us right, and with that that brings us with with lindsay's history of, uh, the river humber and vikings coming into york. Um, thank you for that little history lesson. Thank you all for joining us today. Cheers Linz.

Linzi:

Cheers.

Mark:

You haven't got that much wine left, have you no?

Linzi:

That was still chingy, wasn't?

Mark:

it, it was, wasn't it? Wow A little mood music. Oh, here we go.

Linzi:

Thank you.