David Powell – Travel Editor
David has been a travel editor for over 18 years and he writes and edits regular travel sections for regional papers and magazines in the south east England. David covers a wide range of destinations, both in the UK, Europe and further afield that he considers will appeal to his readers.
Richard Branson’s shaking up the cruising world with brand new Scarlet Lady!
Virgin Voyages’ Scarlet Lady has sailed its inaugural season with a series of Seacations in the English Channel, more than a year after Covid halted plans for it to sail the Caribbean.
Launched to a showbiz fanfare in February 2020 at Dover, Richard Branson’s first cruise ship was left with nowhere to sail until it returned to Blighty this August to the delight of its double-jabbed UK-resident passengers – who were the only people allowed on the adults-only ship.
With its tattoo parlour, RockStar Quarters for suites and a resident sexologist, all-inclusive Scarlet Lady offers a cruise experience unlike anything else on the market. Here’s what you need to know.
- Friday, September 3, 2021
Wednesday, we’ve been on La Bella Vita for 3 days and definitely no mid-week blues for me. It’s a beautiful sunny morning and I’m on the top deck early today. I pop into the wheelhouse and after a quick chat with Captain Roger I take in the breathtaking views as we make our way along Italy’s River Po. Cruising on a luxury barge is totally relaxing and with so much to see and do it’s the perfect way to spend a week making friends and creating wonderful memories. But let’s start at the beginning of this European Waterways cruise from Venice via the Venetian Lagoon, Chioggia, the Po Valley, Bianco Canal, Ferrara to Mantua … a truly magical Italian experience.
Five course dinners with double-starters and delicious deserts, all-inclusive drinks, fabulously friendly staff and tomorrow morning we sail into Santorini! Idyllic Aegean indeed as I’m on a seven-day cruise around the Greek islands with Celestyal Cruises on their yacht-like ship Celestyal Crystal.
People are up on deck early this Thursday as we slowly sail into Santorini which curves round a giant lagoon formed from the rim of an ancient sunken volcano that exploded in about 1628 BC. Thanks to that fateful day the island is considered by many to be one of, if not the most, spectacular sights in Greece. In fact mention Santorini to most people and you will find that if they haven’t already visited, it’s high on their ‘bucket list’. Multi coloured cliffs soaring out of the sea with tiny whitewashed buildings at the top look spectacular from our ship.
David Powell spent a week on the luxury hotel barge L’Impressionniste cruising through Burgundy. The Burgundy canal is one of the most attractive canals in France, winding its way through the heart of renowned vineyards, medieval towns, elegant chateaux, magnificent cathedrals, picturesque villages and wonderful local markets.
Now is a good time to plan a short break to the UK and London. There’s so much to see and do in London and a visit can be perfect for all sorts of reasons ... sightseeing, shopping, visiting the museums and attractions, perhaps a West End show, to celebrate a special occasion or simply to get away and relax. For whatever reason your choice of hotel needs to be spot on and well situated. I stayed at the luxurious five star Capital Hotel in Knightsbridge, just one minute to Harrod’s and two to Harvey Nichols!
