Your March 2025 Update from Michael Wilson

Hello and welcome to my March update!

Anyone who has visited us at the Cruise Centre over the past few weeks may have noticed that we have been carrying out some essential maintenance on the ground floor, which temporarily impacted the Cruise Bureau. For health and safety reasons, we had to close the area for a few days while the work was completed – our sincere apologies for any inconvenience this may have caused.

For those who dropped by without an appointment, we did our best to accommodate you in the main Call Centre and appreciate your patience. With this in mind, now seems like the perfect time to remind you that our Cruise Bureau operates on an appointment-only basis due to limited desks and staff. This is especially important on Saturdays, our busiest day, when availability for walk-in customers cannot be guaranteed. While we’ll always do our best to assist, waiting times may apply without a prior booking, so securing an appointment remains the best way to ensure a smooth experience.

Our opening hours are 10am to 4pm, Monday to Saturday, and we are closed to visitors on Sundays and Bank Holidays. If you would like to visit us at the Cruise Centre, then you are very welcome to do so during these hours, but once again I would urge you to book ahead to avoid disappointment. While we strive to keep all information accurate, we unfortunately have no control over how our hours are displayed on Google, which occasionally causes confusion. I hope this confirms how the Bureau operates and clarifies when you can visit. 

This latest round of improvements at the Cruise Centre has led me to reflect on the several locations our business has called home over the years, each marking a significant chapter in our growth and evolution. It all started back in the 1960s with a modest house-to-shop conversion on Station Road in Bolsover. A humble yet exciting beginning, it was the foundation of what was to come. As demand grew, so did our ambition; we moved into a converted furniture store in Market Place, Bolsover, a location that became a pivotal stepping stone. It was here that we evolved from Bolsover Travel into Bolsover Travel & Cruise Club, before finally embracing the name I am proud to say has become synonymous with excellence in cruising – Bolsover Cruise Club.

Our rapid success made it clear: we needed a space that could keep pace with our expansion, a proper headquarters, purpose-built for our vision. And so, I designed and built our very first dedicated Cruise Centre, which opened in 1999. It was a bold move but, even then, we underestimated just how quickly we would outgrow it. Within a few short years, we found ourselves in need of even more space, as we were determined to create a facility that could support our continued growth, I once again took on the challenge of designing and commissioning a new home for Bolsover Cruise Club. The result? Our current headquarters, which officially opened on 14 March 2005. And now, here we are, 20 years later at Barlborough Links. Time certainly flies, and looking back, it has been an incredible journey filled with growth, change, and excitement. One thing remains certain: our home at Barlborough Links has served us well, and will continue to do so for many years to come.

We look forward to welcoming you soon – whether at the Cruise Centre, over the phone, or online. Here’s to the next chapter in our journey together!

As I look back on the past few weeks, one of the highlights has been the Cunard sale, which featured favourable fares coupled with enhanced discounts from ourselves. It was great to see so many of you taking advantage of the offer and this was by far our most successful promotion in February. Cunard continues to see consistent growth among our Cruise Club Members; as a brand, they clearly match very closely our customer base, offering beautiful ships that capture the quality and small ship feel that many of our clients prefer. March remains a great time to book with Cunard, in particular we are offering additional savings on Princess and Queens Grill Suites, which both offer enhanced levels of service, style and sophistication. These suites come with exclusive benefits, such as access to restaurants separate from the rest of the ship, each with its own exquisite menu. Guests in Queens Grill Suites can also enjoy the services of a personal butler and access a complimentary in-suite bar. For more information on Princess and Queens Grill Suites, please don’t hesitate to give us a call.

We are starting to receive details about the newest Royal Caribbean ship, which is due to be launched next year. The exciting news is that Legend of the Seas will be based in Europe for her inaugural season, before relocating to the Caribbean in November 2026. This, the third Icon Class ship, looks set to be bigger and better than ever, with features including the most spacious pool at sea. We are already taking bookings for this remarkable new ship, so if you have your sights set on exploring the Mediterranean in style next summer, have a look at what is available. Alternatively, speak to our Cruise Experts on 01246 819 819 and they will be happy to help.

This is far from the only new ship to keep an eye on in the near future, as just around the corner is the launch of Norwegian Aqua. As the first Prima Plus Class ship, Aqua will mark a new era of design for Norwegian Cruise Line. Please do follow our social media accounts later this month, as a number of members of our team have been invited to explore the ship before she sets sail with her first passengers on board.

If you are one of our Cruise Club Members, a copy of issue 60 of Into the Blue should be landing with you as we speak. Highlights of this edition include a closer look at the refit of P&O Cruises Arcadia, which recently underwent a multi-million-pound refurbishment. You will also notice that we have introduced a new regular feature for this issue, Ship Spotlight, which is our opportunity to showcase some of our favourite ships, both old and new. The main article focuses on some of the destinations you can access on a cruise directly from the UK. I have to admit, it’s only when you see all these incredible places laid out in front of you that you realise what a fortunate location we are in from a cruising point of view!  As always, if you are not already signed up to receive your complimentary copy of Into the Blue, fill in your details and we will add you to the mailing list for future issues.

With the Arcadia refit now complete, we can now look forward to the P&O Cruises ship Azura undergoing an extensive renovation at the end of this month. A number of key onboard spaces are due to benefit from refreshed interiors and furniture, including the ever-popular Sindhu and the Oriental Restaurant main dining room. Many of the cabins on board Azura will likewise be refreshed – you can read the full details on our website. We will, of course, share any images of the ship’s brand-new look as soon as we receive them.

We continue to add new cruise lines to our online booking system, and one of the most recent additions has been TUI River Cruises. You may recall that we began offering Marella Cruises last year, and I am delighted that you can now view and submit booking requests for sailings on board TUI’s river ships via our website. Their departures cover many of Europe’s most popular river cruising destinations, as well as the Nile, so take a look and see if anything catches your eye!

Lastly, I would like to draw your attention to a double Cruise Club Cashback promotion we are currently offering on P&O Cruises, Princess and Celebrity sailings in 2025. This is a limited-time offer that will be available until Monday, 17 March 2025, so don’t delay if you have your sights set on a cruise for this year! We are also offering triple cashback on P&O Cruises sailings of 24 nights or more. This covers a wide variety of destinations including New England, the Caribbean and Arcadia’s 100-night world cruise and is available until 31 March 2025. Please get in touch if there is a particular sailing you have in mind.

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.