London Cruise Show 2015 Review
London Cruise Show
Olympia, London
14-15 February 2015
Reviewed by Meresa Bergin
The London Cruise show is now in its 7th year as it returns to London Olympia ad is the leading consumer cruise travel event in Europe and offers the chance to meet the world’s leading cruise lines and tour operators under one roof.
I have never been on a cruise or had much to do with them besides listening to my in-laws talk about their cruise so had no idea what to expect when we got there.
London Olympia is very easy to find, we travelled from Brighton and it was a direct train to Clapton and then to Kensington which we found easy on a Saturday which we feared might be stressful. The building is right outside and well sign posted, however there were a few other events on so it could be a little confusing but there were staff out walking to ask for help.
When we arrived there was no line waiting as we arrived a few hours after it started so this was lovely to be able to just walk in, on the floor as you walk in is a large notice of where all the cruise stops are for each cruise liner so it is easy to find them if you just want a certain one, where the talks where and the toilets!
I was impressed with how many stands there were as I feared it might be a little boring unless you were really into cruises and knew a lot about them but everyone was willing to explain what their cruise line was and some even suggested different lines and stands to go to for different things. There were also lots of chances to win prizes and holidays and we entered most of them so we are waiting to hear about our cruise we have won now!
I also liked but did find a little odd the other stalls which seemed to have little to do with cruises, such as clothes and kitchen equipment, I loved the stall which had vibrating beds on to help ease back pain! And the highlight for us was the stand for guide dogs where we signed up to sponsor a little puppy!
There are plenty of toilets, everything for the show is on one level but you can go up a level to eat which I thought was nice to be out of the way, also cash machines near the front door.
I think for the money which is £10 a ticket it is well worth visiting the event, there are some great deals on offer just for the event so you can get a good bargain! There were talks from the big cruise liners but also some from the small cruise liners many may not have heard of. There are always people to ask even if you are new to cruises to offer assistance and advice, it also helps to be able to look around at all the cruises on offer in one place before making a choice.
We also brought a day travel card after it was suggested by one of the staff which meant we could visit other places in London from this central point, it is easy to get around after the event.
There was also a stall from Carnival Cruise Line which had lots of toys from Dr Seuss including the cat in the hat which all the children seemed to be enjoying as their parents looked at deals! And they were also giving out sweets!
If you are thinking about booking a cruise then this is the place to start.
Rating: 4/5
For more information visit www.cruisingshow.co.uk.
London Cruise Show. Olympia, London, W14 8UX
