9 minute read
Travel Inspiration with Harden Holidays
TRAVEL SPOTLIGHT: CRUISING SUCCESSFULLY RESTARTS IN THE UK
By Harden Holidays
Restarting cruising means so much to so many people. As with many things, you don’t truly value what you have until it’s gone. We were bursting with excitement as we drove into City Cruise Terminal in Southampton and caught the first glimpse of MSC Virtuosa – that is when it really hit home – this is really happening – we are going on holiday on this new and amazing ship! We wrote about her in last month’s article so we won’t go into the details on this occasion. This article is about our personal experience of what it is like to be cruising again.
We were warmly welcomed by the shore-side team who guided us through the embarkation process – with regulations and protocols so tight you may be denied boarding if not followed correctly. The two key things that could end in your boarding being denied are lack of evidence of a negative Covid test within 72 hours of boarding / proof of double vaccination, and travel insurance that specifically covers you for Covid.
After queuing up for security and another lateral flow test, we found ourselves on board, right under the LED Dome Galleria. The LED screen extends the length of the 112m promenade and was displaying a Union Jack to mark the special occasion. With a glass of bubbly in our hand - we could not be happier.
The 6,200 passenger ship is sailing at a reduced capacity of 1,000 guests until the 21st June to allow for greater social distancing and for the new protocols to become familiar. ‘Health is our priority’ is MSC’s mantra for this new era and they take it very seriously. Most of the rules are no different than what we are already accustomed to: wearing face masks while moving around the ship, socially distanced seating in restaurants, bars and theatres and menus accessed via QR code. All these protocols do take a bit to get used to, however compliance has been excellent and everyone on board was very attentive to these new necessities.
The MSC for Me app is great – it allows you to access the daily activities, view your
bill - updated live with every purchase, and you can even use it to message each other without the need to buy the WIFI package.
There was so much to explore on board – it is very much a multi-generational ship. You can do as much or as little as you like. We went as a family with a 7-year-old so most of our time was focused on the little one, however we did get time to ourselves while she was happily and safely playing with other children in the kids’ club. We spent time in the swimming pool, relaxed in the hot tubs, we played bowling, arcade games, table tennis, foosball, we tried the waterslides, the waterpark, we raced in the Formula 1 simulator, we battled aliens on the immersive VR game, we tried the 5D cinema and ended every evening watching a new Broadway style show.
There was no shortage of bars and eateries on board – 31 to be precise. The food was excellent in all the venues we tried. The Butchers’ Cut – one of the speciality restaurants was our clear favourite but it did come at an additional cost. To give you an idea of this place, it is here that we first heard of and tasted smoke-infused-butter which was sensational, and their 14oz NY striploin steak was to die for. All food and drinks are served to you by staff, even in the buffet restaurant, which is open until 2am serving light bites for those who need a slice of pizza before bed. Having the Premium All Inclusive Package allowed us to be fully relaxed – all drinks under £10 were included and most did not cost more than that. We enjoyed all the cocktails, mocktails and some really, really nice wines with this package. We do not feel we the need for more.
The beautiful Aurea Spa was not fully open on this voyage due to the UK government restrictions, however the treatments were allowed to go ahead. The Thermal area looked fabulous, and we can only imagine how fantastic it can be once allowed open. To give you taster here, you can have a soothing sauna, followed by a cool shower infused with either lemon, mint or Scots Pine. You can try a dark sensory steam bath, or an invigorating whirlpool bath.
Sailing on Virtuosa’s inaugural voyage felt like a privilege and one that will stay with us for a long time to come. We could not recommend it highly enough – you will not find anything else like it in the UK.
Make this summer one full of discoveries and excitement by going back to cruising or trying it out as a new experience. Guests of all ages are welcomed onboard MSC Virtuosa including both vaccinated and nonvaccinated. Booking a sailing around the British Isles comes with the Premium All Inclusive package which include all your drinks and gratuities for all cabin categories and if you work in the healthcare sector you may be entitled to up to 30% off. Prices start from £299 per person for a mini cruise and £849 per person for a 7-night cruise.
If you would like to know more and/or book your UK Seacation with MSC or any of the other cruise lines offering voyages for UK guests this summer - do not hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team.
0800 023 8974 - info@ hardenholidays.co.uk - Dartford town centre.
Dartford Town Centre
www.hardenholidays.co.uk 0800 023 8974
Full-time, experienced, qualified yoga teacher, teaching practical yoga and meditation classes in the local community and now online. When Government advice allows, the regular schedule of in person group classes in Hextable, Swanley, Sidcup and Bexleyheath will resume. For now, all regular group classes are being held online.
Yoga Alliance Professionals Senior Yoga Teacher and British Wheel of Yoga Foundation Course Tutor, I am qualified and experienced in making yoga accessible.
I teach an embodied and practical approach to yoga, breath work and meditation, appropriate for all ages and abilities. You don’t need to be flexible to start!
My classes are friendly, everybody is welcome, so come and see how it feels to tune in and connect yourself and feel better. Please visit my website for more information or email me at clair.crestyoga@gmail.com.
I look forward to hearing from you.
FITNESS - JUNE
I’ve helped thousands of people over the years, through Personal Training, Online Coaching, Nutrition Coaching and teaching various classes, not to mention via my social media content that reaches thousands of people. One thing that most people tend to say when they start is that they’ve been “thinking about starting” for a while. Whether that’s a few weeks, a few months or a few years! I’ve had people come to me for a consultation and then disappear, only to come back a year later, ready to start. It’s all well and good saying you’ll start, but until you actually start, it means nothing. Saying you’ll start doesn’t get you any results! The longer you “think about” starting (i.e. put it off), the longer it’s likely to take to reach your goals when (or if) you do eventually start. Don’t wait until something bad happens to get started. Don’t wait until the doctor tells you you’ve got a problem, to start eating better and exercising. When did YOU first “think about” getting a bit fitter or starting a diet? Quite likely a while ago. Have you done it yet? Think of all that time you’ve wasted where you could have been making steady progress towards your desired end result…
Now, when you finally do start, you’ll be impatient, wanting faster results; results you could have had if you’d only started when you first “thought about starting”. You’ve likely heard the saying “The best time to plant an oak tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
The same goes for fitness. Yes, you may have wasted some time over-thinking it (or just plain putting it off), but the faster you’d like to see some results, the sooner you need to get started. And here’s the thing – There’s NO “right time”. There will ALWAYS be things you need to work around. You‘ll always have birthdays or Christmas, or holidays, or work do’s to go to. That’s something you’ll have to deal with forever, and that’s a long time to put things off. All the time you’ve spent waiting for the “right time” to start, or for a 6-month gap in your calendar to magically open up (by the way, for many people, that 6-month gap opened up last year when we went into lockdown – did you start then?) you could have been steadily plugging away at it, getting stronger, fitter, healthier, leaner, more toned…
Think where you’d be now if you’d actually started when you started thinking about starting. If you’d taken immediate action as soon as you decided that’s what you wanted to achieve. Probably a lot closer to where you want to be than where you are now! So, it’s time. Time to stop thinking and start doing. It’s not as intimidating as it feels before you’ve started. A good plan is actually incredibly easy to implement and will progress with you. Start slow and easy and build momentum, making small changes that will all add up over time into big changes. If you feel you can’t do it alone, get in touch. Let’s get you started and let’s get you where you want to be. Follow me on social media and contact me to start the discussion and turn “thinking about it” into “doing something about it”. I look forward to hearing from you :) Mark www.MBonlinePT.com @MarkBroadbentPT
