GoCruise and Travel with Rich Rochester

I’ve been lucky enough to sail on more than 40 ships since 1997, so it takes something special to genuinely impress me. Regent Seven Seas Cruises managed it within minutes of stepping onboard. I recently joined Seven Seas Voyager for four nights from Barcelona to La Spezia, calling at Toulon, with an overnight stay in both ports. Here’s what it’s really like onboard, and who I think Regent is perfect for. A ship that feels brand new Seven Seas Voyager carries just 700 guests and was revitalised earlier this year. I’d watched a few YouTube videos of the ship before her refit, and I was genuinely surprised at how much work had been done. She looks superb for her age. With so few guests, the ship never feels busy. Even on a sunny afternoon on Deck 12, there was plenty of space and it never felt crowded. A welcome like no other Embarkation in Barcelona was calm and personal. Porters took my case, early arrivals were offered water, tea and coffee in the terminal, and just before check...

On Monday, the daughter of one of my long-standing clients got in touch. She had seen a family Christmas cruise in the Caribbean advertised and wanted to book it. In the short time it took the family to decide, the ship reached its limit for children on that sailing. The cabins were still there, but the kids' places were not. I was unable to confirm the booking, and that is a call I really don't like having to make. It is something many families don't realise can happen, so here is why it does, how I still got this family away for Christmas, and what you can do to avoid it. Why kids' places sell out A cruise can have cabins available and still be unable to take another child. Several limits sit behind that. Family cabins are limited. Most cabins are built for two. Cabins with a third or fourth berth, or interconnecting rooms, are a small share of the ship and go first in school holidays. Kids' clubs have a capacity. Cruise lines staff their children's clubs to...

Earlier this year, while onboard Enchanted Princess, I sat down with Olivia from GoCruise & Travel for an episode of Faces Behind the Franchise. It felt like a good opportunity to share a bit more about myself, beyond the day-to-day of booking cruises and holidays. In the episode, I talk about why I came back to travel after 12 years away, and what it's really been like building a business from scratch since returning. I'm honest about the challenges, because there have been plenty, but also about what's made the biggest difference: the personal touches. I've always believed that booking a holiday should feel personal. It's not just about finding a good itinerary or a competitive price. It's about taking the time to understand what someone actually wants from their trip, and being on hand if anything needs sorting along the way. That's the kind of relationship I try to build with every client, and it's what I think sets an independent specialist ap...

The biggest mistake first-time cruisers make is choosing a ship based on price alone. It's an understandable place to start. But price tells you almost nothing about whether a ship is actually right for you, and getting this wrong is how people end up on the wrong holiday entirely, even when the deal looked great on paper. Why price alone doesn't tell you enough Two cruises can cost roughly the same and be completely different experiences. One might be a large, activity-packed ship full of entertainment, waterslides and late-night shows. Another might be a smaller, quieter ship built around fine dining and destination-focused itineraries. Neither is better than the other. They're just built for different people, and a price tag alone won't tell you which one you're looking at. Take Allure of the Seas and Azamara Quest as an example. Allure is one of Royal Caribbean's biggest ships, carrying up to 6,780 passengers, with waterslides, an ice skating rink and en...