Your January 2025 Update from Michael Wilson

Hello and welcome to my January update!

I do hope you had a most enjoyable Christmas and wish you a very happy New Year!

Here at Bolsover Cruise Club, we are back in full swing after the short closures during the festive period and are currently battling harsh winter weather as staff travel to and from the office. Being so close to the Peak District does have wonderful benefits, but in winter it really does present some challenging travel conditions. I am pleased to report that so far this winter, we have not lost any days to snow, and long may that continue!

As we move into the new year, the underlying theme remains limited availability, especially in relation to 2025 sailings from Southampton. I have mentioned this previously, but this clearly has the potential to drive up prices and I suspect that the cyclic promotions we have seen in the past will not be available as the year progresses. I’d therefore like to stress that if you have your eye on a particular cruise for 2025, please contact us to make your booking as soon as possible. This way, you will be able to secure your chosen sailing and make the most of some of the great deals we are currently seeing from some of the cruise line partners we work with.

For example, P&O Cruises is offering extra onboard spending money, 20% off the Classic Drinks Package and a low 10% deposit on selected sailings when you make your booking by 3 March 2025. You can find out more details – and browse the applicable sailings – by visiting our website. 

The Princess Cruises Come Aboard sale is likewise underway, where prices start from as little as £699 for a seven-night Mediterranean cruise. If you’re hoping to escape the winter chill then you can do so with just a £50 per person deposit – you can see all the information here. If you are hoping to sail with Cunard in the near future, then triple onboard credit is available on selected 2025 and 2026 voyages. Again, more details are available online, along with plenty of other deals from our cruise line partners. Make sure you give our Cruise Experts a call on 01246 819 819 if there is anything we can help you with.

This leads me to Cunard’s recently released Alaska sailings, which will depart from the US city of Seattle for the first time in 2026. Each of the journeys lasts between seven and 12 nights, and is the perfect opportunity to see more of this remarkable part of the world. Alaska remains a popular destination among our Cruise Club Members, so I expect these brand-new sailings will be extremely popular!

On the technical side of Bolsover Cruise Club, I am pleased to confirm that our new online chat system was launched in December, which integrates the live chat facility from our website with our phone system. The main benefit is that chats from both sales enquiries and support are presented to agents in each department the same way as a call, so going forward, I anticipate that these will be handled very effectively.

In another exciting recent development for our website, I am delighted to announce that Ambassador Cruise Line sailings are now available to book online. They are on booking request only at the moment, but you can see all itineraries on both Ambience and Ambition, plus lots of interesting facts about the British-based cruise line. We will be making Ambassador sailings available to book online in due course, and I will let you know when this is possible.

If you are hoping to visit our Cruise Bureau, I would strongly recommend that you book an appointment in advance. This is particularly important during busy months like January and February, as we need to ensure we have enough staff available to answer the phones and serve clients in the Bureau. Call us on 01246 819 819 and we’d be more than happy to book you a time slot – this is the only way we can guarantee that we’ll have a Cruise Expert available to assist with your enquiries. 

Those of you who are signed up for Into the Blue should soon be receiving a copy of the January/February issue. Our main feature this time offers something a little different, as we take a closer look at some of the iconic railway journeys you can take worldwide – the perfect pairing for a cruise holiday. These are just some examples of what is possible through our Cruise & Stay department, which continues to go from strength to strength. You will notice in each issue of Into the Blue that we feature a range of holidays to inspire you; these are only our suggestions, as every element can be customised to your specific needs, from the choice of hotel to the included tours. Give us a call if there is anything in particular that you have in mind and we will create a tailor-made holiday just for you. Remember that ABTA protection comes as standard with our itineraries, and those with a flight element are covered by the ATOL scheme.

Another feature I’d like to draw your attention to in this issue looks at some of the new ships due to enter service over the coming year. There is certainly a wide variety of launches to look forward to in 2025, ranging from the luxurious Oceania Allura with 1,200 guests, to the impressive Star of the Seas from Royal Caribbean with a capacity of 5,610. I always maintain that there is a cruise ship for everyone, which these 2025 ship launches demonstrate only too well!

As always, Into the Blue remains complimentary for our Cruise Club Members and is delivered directly to your door six times a year. If you haven’t signed up yet, I would urge you to visit our website to register your details and ensure you don’t miss out on future issues. This publication really is not to be missed and is comparable in both content and quality to the magazines sold at your newsagent – but completely free of charge!

I revealed in my last update that Arcadia’s refit had been completed, and the P&O Cruises ship has now set sail on her world cruise. This really is a bucket list trip and one that Arcadia will be repeating in 2026 and 2027. Departing from Southampton, these cruises are a fantastic way to see many different destinations, including South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii. If this is something you are interested in over the coming years, full details of both the 2026 and 2027 world cruises are available to view on our website.

Thank you all for your continued support and for those of you who are travelling over the coming weeks, bon voyage and have a great holiday.