‘When my daughter’s older, we’ll do this again’ – Memories of Cruise and Maritime Voyages from our writers
The cruise industry, having been buffeted six or more ways to Sunday during most of 2020, suffered its most high-profile casualty of the coronavirus pandemic this week as British operator Cruise and Maritime was plunged into administration.
All future bookings are cancelled, thousands of jobs are at risk of redundancy, and there is a whole in the UK cruise landscape.
Our cruise experts and travel writers share their memories of the line.
Howzat?
The cabaret lounge on CMV flagship Columbus was full of cricket chatter. Amid the scrum of devotees, one keen fan set up a makeshift crease on the dance floor where he faced the might of former England fast bowler Devon Malcolm, who delivered a screwed-up serviette at blistering speed. Former England captain Mike Gatting was next up, armed with a mini souvenir cricket bat to fend off the amateur bowling advances of the same fan.
As a casual observer, it was all rather surreal, but typified the ardent enthusiasm of this friendly “Barmy Army” on a memorable Cricketing Legends cruise who mingled with former players and faithfully attended the talks and presentations. I was no cricket fan, but curiously followed along and was gripped by insightful sessions that left me with a healthy appreciation of the ‘gentleman’s game’.
Sara Macefield
Two before three
We were expecting a girl, and a cruise was an early step in our transition from ‘couple’ to ‘family’. We needed comfort and wanted adventure, and found that in the Norwegian fjords on the MS Marco Polo. Excursions filled our days – riding the corkscrewing Flam railway, touring the narrow back streets of Bryggen – but time onboard was no lesser highlight. We spent peaceful evenings on deck watching ice-white waterfalls cut the steep fjord walls as sunsets glowed beyond the mouth of the sea. After dinner, we drank mocktails at the cabaret then headed back outside, wrapped warm in every layer we had, to watch for the Northern Lights. “When my daughter’s older,” I thought, with innocent hope, “we’ll do this again.”
Dom Tulett
A characterful old girl
I won a CMV voyage in a draw. At the naming of Columbus in Tilbury, I had the lucky envelope and chose to sail to Iceland – land of ice, fire and, it turned out, midges – with my wife Mandy. Our favourite restaurant on board was the quirky Asian fusion diner (in reality a converted corner of the buffet) where food was cooked in an outdoor tandoor. I loved many aspects of Columbus – except our shower, which alternated between ice cold and scalding. But there was a character about the old girl that you don’t get on gleaming new ships. CMV offered bargain cruising and weirdly themed voyages from Carry On stars to cricketers. It’s sad to think its time has passed.
Dave Monk
Small ships, big heart
I loved that no matter which CMV ship you went on there was a warm, friendly feel. The crew were cheery and other passengers, many of them regulars, were always ready to strike up a conversation in the bar, or even as they tried to find their way around the ships (which made me smile as they were not big). “I always get lost,” one woman laughed as we met a second time in the corridor on my last CMV cruise, to Amsterdam, Antwerp and Hamburg on Columbus. I sympathised so she stopped and we chatted about cruising, ships and the line. It was British cruising, traditional with a lowercase ’t’, and excellent value. The company will be sorely missed.
Jane Archer
Trad before rad
Us Brits love a familiar face, and many loyal regulars were already ensconced in their favourite watering holes when I boarded the Magellan one grey October day. Docked at Tilbury, this Essex girl, with her traditional wooden decks and cosy lounges, knew the secret to capturing peoples’ hearts and keep them coming back. The charming, sometimes quirky ambience, combined with bang-for-your-buck itineraries, more than made up for the fact that there were no robot bartenders or showy suites. CMV knew their market, and they catered to it with aplomb. From high-spirited baked Alaska parades (yes, they still did them) to cocktail-making classes with a retro spin, I’ve been on more sophisticated cruises, but few that were such good old-fashioned fun.
Rebecca Barnes
Fuss-free
My sailing with Cruise and Maritime Voyages was my first Norwegian fjords cruise. I signed up for every activity going, including a hike to the base of the Jostedalsbreen glacier and a vertigo-inducing ride on the Flåm railway. I sailed on the Marco Polo – a ship which, sailing as Aleksandr Pushkin, had whisked thousands of Brits (nicknamed ‘Ten Pound Poms’) to their new lives in Australia in the 1960s. The ship was creaky and cosy, and the lack of bells and whistles made it one of the most relaxing cruises I’ve ever done – I even started having afternoon naps. The crew were fantastic, especially my lovely cabin steward, who would tiptoe into my cabin every day to place a tray of pre-dinner canapés by my bed.
Tamara Hinson
