Your May 2026 Update from Michael Wilson

Hello and welcome to my May 2026 update!

April is without a doubt my favourite month of the year at the Cruise Centre, seeing all the buzz and excitement as my team both prepares for and processes bookings for the P&O Cruises summer 2028 launch. The vast scale of the operation is difficult to describe as we book thousands of clients onto their chosen summer cruises in a remarkably short time. As I mentioned last month, with years of launch experience behind us, we have this annual event down to a fine art, and seeing it unfold is really fantastic. The excitement in the office was electric, with everyone pulling together to ensure its success, and I really do appreciate the dedication and hard work of everyone involved!

The great news is that, despite one or two ongoing global distractions, the interest was unprecedented and, thanks to everyone, we booked more clients this year on the new 2028 summer programme than in the past few years. This not only reflects the continued confidence our clients have in cruising, but also shows that our Cruise Club Members value the importance of booking early to secure the best choice of cabins and itineraries. You can see the full programme on our website, and with 10% savings available until 30 June 2026, this is a great time to book. Be sure to give our Cruise Experts a call on 01246 819 819 if there is anything we can help you with.

With this fabulous launch just behind us, we move directly into the Cunard April 2028 to January 2029 launch and, whilst not quite as big an event, it is nonetheless another major milestone for the business. Pre-booking is underway, giving clients the opportunity to discuss their requirements with our team ahead of reservations opening.

If you have not already seen, as part of this launch, Cunard are introducing another historic event with all four Queens coming together in May 2028 in Liverpool. Some of you may remember the three Queens celebration in Southampton in May 2015, an event that is etched in my memory. In an attempt to trump our competition, I decided to hire an aircraft to pull a Bolsover advertising banner and, as part of an agent and media event, I sat in a small boat in the centre of the Solent to watch the Queens coming together. I was nervously awaiting my aircraft starting to fly around the three Queens, only to find the cloud cover was terrible at low altitude. Sadly, that stunt was a disaster, with my plane popping out of the clouds for a few seconds only to disappear into the abyss. Suffice to say, it was not one of my finest marketing moments!

The Four Queens 2028 sailings come together in Liverpool on 16 May 2028, and interest has already been exceptionally strong, with these sailings expected to sell out very quickly. I would therefore strongly encourage you to pre-book now to ensure you do not miss out on what promises to be a truly memorable occasion. 

These highly anticipated Four Queens Celebration Voyages will go on sale to Cunard World Club members on 18 May, followed by the wider Cunard programme on 19 May, before general sale begins on 20 May. With demand already building rapidly, particularly surrounding the Liverpool Four Queens event, speaking with our Cruise Experts as early as possible will give you the very best chance of securing your preferred sailing and accommodation. 

Talking about Oliver, he has just returned from the West Coast of America, having travelled on the Canyon Spirit train from Denver to Salt Lake City, along with our videographer Ellis. They have captured some great footage of this incredible rail journey, which features as part of one of our Cruise & Stay packages combining a 10-night Mexican Riviera cruise with the spectacular Canyon Spirit experience, so do look out for this on social media as we release the footage. If you’re interested in experiencing this for yourself then follow this link.

I also wanted to share a couple of photos of Oliver with a copy of Into The Blue in a canyon on the Colorado River. Clearly, Oliver cannot enter our ‘Where in the World are you Reading Into The Blue’ competition, but this is exactly the sort of thing we are looking for! Our latest winner has now been notified, and you can see their entry – along with a number of other fantastic submissions – in the latest issue of Into The Blue, which should be landing with many of you as we speak.

I am also delighted to reveal that Bolsover Cruise Club has been shortlisted in the prestigious 2026 British Travel Awards in the ‘Best Travel Agency for Cruise Holidays’ category. Voting is now open to decide the overall winner, and we would be incredibly grateful for your support. Whether you have booked with us recently or travelled with us over many years, your vote truly means the world to everyone here at the Cruise Centre.

It only takes a couple of minutes to cast your vote via this link, and please do feel free to share it with friends, family and fellow cruisers. Thank you, as always, for your continued loyalty and support, and I will, of course, keep you updated should we be successful.

Finally, to all of you setting sail in the coming weeks, I wish you a wonderful holiday and bon voyage. We look forward to helping many more of you discover the world by sea as we head into what promises to be an exciting summer.