Balmoral's ill-fated Bay of Biscay crossing was not the kind of advert cruiselines sailing from the UK were looking for. A force nine gale, 50ft seas and two Britons taken to hospital with broken bones.
The message boards are rife. Shouldn't Fred Olsen have known there was a storm brewing? How wise was it to plan to cross the Bay of Biscay in January? (A little unfair, I feel, given this water can get fiery any time of the year).
Problem is, the Bay of Biscay is one of the only ways to go if you are cruising from the UK. Ships can leave Dover or Southampton and turn left, but that brings you to the North Sea. Not famed for its calm waters. Or get to the end of Cornwall and turn right into the Irish Sea. That was so bad this year Thomson Cruises refused to leave its berth in Liverpool.
The only other option is to sail round the Isle of Wight. A dizzying experience P&O Cruises tried once but it never caught on!
The simple fact is that anyone choosing to cruise from the UK buys into the chance of rough weather as part of the package, but still more and more Brits are doing it. A 48% increase in 2007 according to the Passenger Shipping Association and even more expected in 2008, when there were more ships sailing from the UK.
My money was on another increase in this recessionary year. Apart from all the usual pros - no airport hassles or delays, pack the kitchen sink - there are no flights to pay for, so it can work out quite a bit cheaper.
Seeing these pictures and reading of first timers who say "never again", all my bets are off.
Jane Archer
