Your January 2026 Update from Michael Wilson

Hello and welcome to my first update of 2026!

I do hope you had a most enjoyable Christmas and may I wish you a very happy New Year. Here at Bolsover Cruise Club, we are well and truly back in full swing, and our teams are already busy helping customers find some fantastic holidays for the months ahead.

Over New Year, I was lucky enough to fly out to Fort Lauderdale for a family cruise around the Caribbean on board Sun Princess. We selected the Nobu Hotel for a pre-cruise stay, where I woke up to a wonderful view of Miami Beach. My children were especially keen to stay at this hotel to dine at one of its famous restaurants; the food was terrific and, despite the five-hour time difference and inevitable jet lag, we had a great evening. It proved to be the perfect start to our cruise.

With large, modern and airy rooms, the hotel was an excellent choice for lovers of Asian cuisine, and its beachfront location meant we were even able to enjoy a morning stroll along the shoreline before heading off to the port. Our Cruise & Stay team can easily incorporate this hotel – along with a wide range of other options – into any cruise departing from Miami or Fort Lauderdale, with both ports just a short distance away.

Whilst my grown-up children were accommodated elsewhere on the ship, my wife and I opted for a Sanctuary Suite for this cruise, which began with express check-in and delivered a true ‘cruise within a cruise’ experience. The accommodation was spacious and, being located right at the aft of the ship, provided excellent access to the Sanctuary areas. One particularly impressive feature was the lift outside our suite: it recognised us via our Medallions and took us directly to the Sanctuary Restaurant and Beach Club on the upper deck.

As this was a New Year cruise, it was busier than usual, with many additional berths occupied as families like ours celebrated together. Choosing the Sanctuary allowed us to fully enjoy the quieter, more exclusive areas of Sun Princess, while still having access to the wide range of facilities and dining options available on a ship of this size.

I particularly enjoyed the Sanctuary Restaurant, especially in the mornings, as I much prefer a traditional, served breakfast rather than buffet service. The staff were excellent, and the overall experience was on par with restaurants I have enjoyed on luxury cruise brands in the past. Although British guests were in the minority, the restaurant offered a full English breakfast that was outstanding – with some seriously good back bacon.

Sun Princess had an impressive array of speciality restaurants, and during the first part of our trip we opted for a mix of casual and speciality dining. On my son Oliver’s birthday, he chose the Spellbound Magic Show, followed by his favourite dining experience, Umai Teppanyaki. Everything was very good, but Umai was exceptional and absolutely perfect for a birthday celebration. Umai Teppanyaki is Princess Cruises’ first teppanyaki restaurant at sea, debuting on Sun Princess, and has since been introduced on the new Star Princess, which entered service in October 2025.

As we had booked the Premier Package, we continued to enjoy the remaining speciality restaurants it included: Butcher’s Block and the Crown Grill – perfectly in tune with the concept of a cruise within a cruise. I was particularly looking forward to trying the Crown Grill, which was always a firm favourite on our past Princess Cruises. While it no longer has the theatre of an open kitchen, in terms of design, atmosphere and overall experience, it was the standout for me. Sadly, Butcher’s Block didn’t quite hit the mark. I found the menu overly focused on heavy beef dishes, and the accompanying sides lacked interest.

As our holiday cruise drew to a close, we arranged a resort day pass at the Eden Roc Hotel on Miami Beach. The tour agent provided transfers from the ship to the hotel and then onward to Miami Airport for our flight home. This allowed us to spend a relaxing few hours at the hotel with a nice lunch – far preferable to killing time at the airport. Resort passes and day-room accommodation are available post-cruise in many destinations, so do ask our Cruise & Stay team if you would like to build this into a future itinerary.

Speaking of Cruise & Stay, I would also like to draw your attention to our New Year Sale, which is now underway. This promotion offers added value across all of our Cruise & Stay packages for those planning a 2026 or 2027 escape. Until 31 January 2026, you can enjoy savings of up to £600 per booking, along with reduced price deposits on all Cruise & Stay holidays, making it an ideal time to plan ahead.

This promotion can be applied across our entire Cruise & Stay collection which includes iconic journeys such as a Rocky Mountaineer rail adventure paired with a North American cruise, as well as one of our most popular itineraries, Asian Horizons. This best-selling package combines time ashore in Hong Kong and Singapore with an unforgettable sailing through Vietnam and Thailand with Celebrity Cruises, offering a perfect balance of cities, cultural discovery and relaxed luxury at sea.

This offer is available for a short time only, so I would encourage anyone considering a Cruise & Stay holiday to speak with our team soon to take advantage of the additional savings.

I would also like to highlight a New Year offer for those considering a cruise with Princess Cruises. Princess is known for combining attentive service with a relaxed onboard atmosphere, and this promotion offers a little extra incentive to plan ahead. For a limited period, customers can benefit from savings of up to £800 per stateroom, alongside our exclusive Cruise Club cashback. Bookings can be secured with a £99 per person deposit, and guests will also receive up to $500 in onboard spend per stateroom, which can be used towards dining, drinks or other onboard experiences. This offer is available until 19 January 2026, so do contact our Cruise Experts as soon as possible on 01246 819 819 if there is a sailing you are interested in.

For those looking to sail in 2026, P&O Cruises is currently offering a low deposit option on selected sailings. Holidays of three to 13 nights can be secured with a £50 per person deposit, while cruises of 14 nights or more are available with a £100 per person deposit. The offer applies to Select and Early Saver fares and is available on the majority of cruises, which you can browse here. This promotion runs until 2 February, and our team will be happy to guide you through the details and help you find a suitable sailing.

Meanwhile, Cunard is also offering a low deposit option on selected 2026 sailings, with cruises available from £100 per person on both Cunard Fare and Early Saver Fare bookings. In addition, guests can receive up to $600 in onboard credit per balcony stateroom on selected voyages. You can view the full list of eligible sailings here – please give our Cruise Experts a call if there is anything we can help you with.

I’d like to take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who has taken the time to leave us a review on Trustpilot. We have recently reached a remarkable milestone of 10,000 customer reviews, which is something the entire team is immensely proud of.

Maintaining an outstanding rating of 4.9 out of 5 is a real testament to the dedication, expertise and care our people put into looking after our customers every day. If you have booked with us and haven’t yet shared your feedback, we would of course love to hear about your experience, as your comments help us continue to learn, improve and deliver the very best service possible. This is a fantastic achievement and one that I am incredibly proud to share as we look ahead to the year to come.

If you are signed up to receive a complimentary copy of Into The Blue, your January/February edition should be arriving shortly. As the new year begins, this issue reflects on the journeys that leave a lasting impression, with a main feature sharing first-hand stories from our own team. We have also included an interview with respected travel journalist Simon Calder, who offers his perspective on what makes a journey truly special. If you haven’t yet registered to receive future issues, you can do so here.

I’d also like to share some wonderful news from the Cruise Stars Awards, where one of our Cruise Experts, Jessica, was named Travel Agent Star of the Year. This prestigious award recognises the exceptional service she consistently delivers to our customers, and we are incredibly proud to have her as part of the Bolsover Cruise Club team.

Happy New Year, and to all those setting sail in the coming weeks – bon voyage, and may you enjoy every moment of your holiday.