| JANUARY 2012 Where has the time gone! We have been so busy the last couple of month's we haven't even had time to keep you up to date with our news. Christmas started early with Lunch Cruises going out in November and carrying on throughout December. The Dinner Dances and Christmas Party Night were such great success we had to unfortunately turn people away so remember to book early in 2012 to avoid missing out. This is going to be a very busy year for Blue Funnel and the port of Southampton with a record number of Liners docking this year we will be offering many different Harbour Tours and Sailaway Cruises to view them while in port. See the itinerary page for full information or contact Jan/Lesley in the office. Of course we all know, not only are Cunard bringing their 3 Liners into port together for the first time, P&O will be celebrating their 175 Birthday this year and are bringing all 7 of their Liners into port together for the first time ever. We have tried to gather as many boats as possible together for these momentous occasions but are still basically sold out, the interest has been phenomenal. We can however still offer tickets for Harbour Tours during the day to view Liners while in port. Contact us as soon as possible if you would like a ticket as numbers are limited. The staff at Blue Funnel are committed to giving all our passengers a great day out, if you or your group haven't been with us before give it a go, I know you will have a great day and come back again and again. See our review page for some of the feedback we receive from our customers. Next Month I will give you a few more information on all the special trips we will be hosting in 2012. If you want a sneak preview call me. SEPTEMBER What a busy month and its gone so quickly. With the change in the weather for the better every ones been taking advantage of the sunshine and booking extra River Cruises. Bookings for Christmas have been very busy so if you haven't booked yet and would like your Christmas Party / Dinner Dance with us please contact us sooner rather than later. They will be running from the end of November and throughout December. If you would like your event during the day we run Christmas Lunch Cruises as well. Santa is joining us again for 2 dates in December so bring the children along for a fun cruise and entertainment from Scotty the Clown. Finishing with a visit and present from Santa himself. We held our last 'Sailaway' Cruise of this year last week when we had 4 Liners in Port and it was very successful. We will be running quite a few of these next year as they have proved so popular along with Lunch Cruises dedicated to viewing the Liners while in port, accompanied by full commentary and background music. Our bars are open from boarding until we return to Port. This month will be finishing with a retirement party held by Rank Hovis for a trusted and well respected member of their staff. We wish her well in her future. AUGUST Its been such a busy month for us here at Blue Funnel. In between the the showers we've enjoyed some lovely sunshine and superb trips. The 'Clipper Race' Weekend down at Ocean Village was really well attended. We ran a range of Harbour Tours and finished it off with charters arranged by http://www.white-ocean.com & http://www.clipper-ventures.com to view the start of the Round the World Race. You can follow their progress on http://www.clipperroundtheworld.com/ Cowes week was a success as usual, all cruises were packed full and everyone enjoyed the views of the sailing yacht. The chef was kept extremley busy cooking for hundreds! The week was rounded off with Wave 105's charter to view the Cowes Fireworks. This event always sells out within 2 weeks so remember to keep an eye on our website for ticket release in 2012. To view photos of the event go to http://www.wave105.com/ Coming up this week is the 'Over 50's Festival' cruise down the Hamble River with Cream Tea. Tickets sold out quickly so book early next year! We will finish the month with a range of private and public charters including our 2 Party Night Cruises on the 20th & 27th. There are a few tickets remaining for both so if you fancy a party night on the water give us a call. Lastly we would like to wish Lucy Vaughan who is celebrating her 21st with a Party Cruise onboard our vessel Ocean Scene a very Happy Birthday. Have a great night with all your family and friends. JULY Summer has finally arrived, we have enjoyed some wonderful weather, our boats have been extremely busy taking passengers out to enjoy all the local waters, its definitely cream tea and cruising time. The fish & chip cruises have proved so popular we will be continuing them throughout the season and on into next year. Its never to early to book so contact us if you would like to arrange a trip for 2012. Private charters have taken up most weekends throughout July and August but we may still have a date that would suit your event so call the office if you would like to discuss having your own boat for the evening. Wave 105 have again booked us for the famous Cowes Week Firework Finale. Our own chef Lance will be providing the food this year which will consist of a 2 course buffet with a range of meats, salads and all accompaniments, rounding of with a selection of cheesecakes. Steve Power will be there to entertain and spin the tunes. This is always a very popular night so book your tickets early. The Caribbean Night is a sell out but we do have a few tickets left for our party nights on 9th, 22nd & 26th. A great night of entertainment from our in house DJ with basket meal included in ticket price. If you enjoy Jazz Music the Yellow Dogs Jazz Club have the boat on Sunday 24th for their annual Jazz night, we can put you in contact with them to purchase tickets. We finish of the month on a high, sailing over to the Isle of Wight for the start of the Clipper Race. This event is also sold out due to its huge popularity. JUNE Can you believe its June already, the year is flying by. We've seen flashes of the summer but it hasn't quite arrived yet! We're keeping our fingers crossed that today's sunshine is the start of the better weather. As things have started to get busy we have had a lot of favourable reviews, check them out on the 'review' page below. Coming up this month - Father's Day, this is almost fully booked but there are a few tickets left if anyone fancies treating their dad to a lovely cruise with a beautifully cooked 3 Course Lunch. Our next River Boat Shuffle is Friday 24th, tickets are selling well and we should have a full boat. iCandy will be holding another of their very successful specialist boat parties on Saturday 25th. Lets hope the sun shines for all these events. Don't forget to check out the itinerary page for full information on all public trips. If you are looking for a private hire, although we are very busy throughout June July and August there may still be a date available that will suit you and your event. or for more information contact us on 023 8022 3278 MAY Blue Funnel is proud to be sponsoring Itchen Rowing club. We were pleased to donate a large sum of money towards their newest vessel 'Velocity' which will be making its competitive debut in the Poole Regatta on May 21st.  This is a busy month for Blue Funnel, we have many different public trips running throughout the month all which you will find listed on our itinerary page. We will also be busy with private charters. According to weather reports we should be in for a nice few weeks weather wise. This is always an added bonus as we have such lovely sun decks. The newest P&O vessel Adonia will be coming into port for the first time on Friday 20th May, we will be sailing out to meet her with members of P&O's staff and press. This should be a very special occasion. Lymington to Cowes Ferry Service, additional information: Fri 12th August - there will be NO service at 1915 from Lymington or 2030 from Cowes. There will be a 0015 late service after the fireworks on Friday 12th. An alternative vessel may be used. Sat 13th August - there will be NO service from Cowes at 20.30 The journey takes approx 1 hour. The vessel that will be used unless otherwise stated is MV Ashleigh R Hot, cold and alcoholic beverages available. APRIL Bucklers Hard, Beaulieu River Cruises start again this month from Saturday 9th April. Just in time for the sunshine! Ticket price, Adult £4.50, Senior £4, child £2.50, Family ticket £11 + admission to Bucklers Hard. Last weekend was Mother's Day. We had a very successful Mother's Day Lunch Cruise. The food was excellent as always and we all enjoyed ourselves, staff included. See our review page for feedback. The next Lunch Cruise Blue Funnel are hosting is on Saturday 23rd April when the Liner 'Balmoral' will be in port to view. There are a few tickets still available at £24.95pp incl. Are first 'Sailaway Cruise' of the year is coming up at the end of this month when Ventura, Vision of the Seas, Saga Pearl & Celebrity Eclipse all leave port together. Tickets are £15 per person. See our leaflet below. We finish of the month with a River boat Shuffle dedicated to the 80's, tickets £17.95 per person. We hope you all have a very happy Easter and enjoy a nice rest and lots of sunshine.  MARCH 2011 Breaking News: CUNARD: we have just found out that on 5th June 2012 Cunard will have the Queen Elizabeth, Queen Victoria & Queen Mary 2 in port together for the first time. We will be running Harbour Tours and a 3 hour Lunch Cruise during the day and a Sailaway Cruise for their departure. Times are yet to be confirmed but early bookings will be taken, visit our itinerary page for further information. P & O Not to be out done, P & O are bringing all 7 of their liners into port on 3rd July 2012 to celebrate 175 years. They are Arcadia, Adonia, Aurora, Azura, Oceana, Oriana & Ventura. We will run Harbour Tours and a 3 hour Lunch Cruise during the day and a Sailaway Cruise for their departures. Again, times are yet to be confirmed. For further information please view our itinerary page, bookings now being taken. We've just taken a booking for a Party Night on Friday 1st April, there are a few tickets left so give the office a call if you fancy a night of partying with our resident DJ while sailing the local waters. FEBRUARY 2011 THEMED PARTY NIGHTS 2011 FIRM FAVOURITE: We will be holding our iconic 80's Nights on Saturday 2nd July & Saturday 6th August. If you haven't been on an 80's Night you don't know what you are missing. Dress to impress and throw yourself into a night of partying 80's style. Selected drinks at 80's prices. Book early, these tickets always go fast. BACK AGAIN BY POPULAR DEMAND: Saturday 16th July is Caribbean Night, enjoy an evening of Caribbean style music and food. Try your hand at the limbo competition, bottle of wine for the winner! Special price on rum for this night only. ONE NIGHT ONLY: For the first time we will be hosting a 70's Night. This special event on Saturday June 4th will be offered at a once only ticket price of £15pp inc basket meal. We'd love you to come in 70's costume, the best dressed male & female will win a bottle of wine each. We will also be offering spirits at £1 a shot on selected lines. For more information see our itinerary page. BEAULIEU RIVER: Our newest vessel the 'Ollie B' will be back down Bucklers Hard from 5th April where she will be running scheduled daily cruises along the Beaulieu River. Lymington - Cowes Ferry Service: This service will again be running during Cowes week 2011. Further information to follow. JANUARY 2011 Looks like its going to be another busy year for Blue Funnel. The port of Southampton is expecting more cruise liners than ever this year and we will be there to view them while in port or join many of them for their sailaways. High Tide will be holding their usual Sunday Boat Parties before each Bank Holiday weekend and after the success of last years events icandy have booked again for June. The Yellow Dog Jazz Club are coming to us in July for the 6th year running. You can contact us for information about any of these cruises. Isle of Wight festival is running from 10th - 12th June we will be assisting Wightlink on their ferry service from Portsmouth to Ryde from 9th - 13th June. Cowes week is slightly later this year running 6th - 13th August because of the tides. We will be running the ever popular Cowes week specials where you will get the chance to view all the racing yacht. Our Lymington to Cowes Ferry Service will be running as it has done in previous years. 8 day passes will be able by pre-order. Although it is only the beginning of the year enquiries about wedding receptions are really busy so if you are thinking of getting married this year and would like a boat for your reception be sure to contact us as soon as possible so you can have the date you want. SAILAWAY CRUISES 2011: Friday 29th April - 4 Liners, Saturday 16th July - 6 Liners, Tuesday 27th September - 4 Liners Saturday 17th December - 4 Liners. We will also be running a Christmas Lunch Cruise on this date. See 'special events' on our itinerary page for further information. |
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ALL HARD COPIES OF REVIEWS CAN BEEN READ IN ORIGNAL FORMAT AT THE OFFICES OF BLUE FUNNEL IN SOUTHAMPTON UNLESS UPLOADED DIRECTLY TO THE WEBSITE BY THE CLIENT
Private Charter - Hi Blue Funnel. My husband and I would like to send a big thank you your way.....as we celebrated our 25th Wedding Anniversary on Saturday 1st October 2011 on board the Ocean Scene that we were upgraded to from the Ashleigh R...
It was beautiful...with the dinning area separate from the disco/bar area, so it made the event a very special night all tables dressed and laid out for a sit down meal....then after the meal up stairs to party!!!
A special thank you to the chef for preparing the fabulous food that all thoroughly enjoyed!!!......and Paul for being a great host and making the evening run smoothly with organising the night......The captain of course for the nice cruise round and all staff that worked the evening celebration.
We really cannot thank you enough.....all of our friends and family were so complimenting about the evening... We would definitely recommend this as a great experience to celebrate any occasion. Many thanks again, kind regards Julie & Andy Allen
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Fish & Chip Public Day Cruise - To the staff of Blue Funnel Cruises. I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the National Trust Beaconsfield of thanking you all for answering my many telephone calls with such patience. For delaying the sailing when our coach broke down. For helping some of our older members on board. To the catering staff for beautifully cooked Fish & Chips. For a most interesting commentary on our Three River Cruise around Southampton Waters. We had a wonderful day, thank you Daile Luig
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Private Function - Dear Lesley We would like to take the opportunity to say how much we enjoyed the day. The crew were all very friendly and helpful and the boat was just right for our party. Even the rain stopped once we were under way! Please pass on our thanks to all concerned. Kind regards John & Wendy Howard
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Wedding - To staff at the Blue Funnel. Thank you for everything you did to make our Wedding Day on 23/07/11 so fabulous. You were all just brilliant!! We loved being met by the Captain and being allowed to sail the boat. Thank you love Jo & Andy Lambert
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White Ocean - The professional and friendly approach of the entire Blue Funnel team was second to none; from initial contact, booking, pre-event communication, the event and subsequent communications have all been utterly excellent.
Our time on the water was excellently managed and we were well looked after by Rob and his team onboard Ocean Scene. Rob's ability to put the boat exactly where we needed it to be, to get best views of the round-the-world race start created a most memorable and special day for all onboard. I have no hesitation in recommending the services of Blue Funnel. Adam Tuffnell
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The Railway Club of the New Forest - Dear Lesley, please extend our thanks to the crew on our private hire Beaulieu River Trip on 19th August. They were brilliant and very helpful to us all. Not forgetting a thank you to you to you also for helping me progress the hire throughout. Sincerely Ann
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4 River Cruise - Please give a "Big thank you" to the office staff and crew for a most enjoyable cruise last Friday. We greatly enjoyed the sail and the food was good, hot and served well. The Captain gave an excellent commentary which made it very interesting. Thanks again Don Horrocks
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Dear Blue Funnel Team - Thank you very much for making our Wedding day special. Jeannine & Stuart Mellor
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MUSIC SOCIETY SOUTHAMPTON UNIVERSITY - Thank you for all your help to organise our 'Ball'. We had an amazing night and everyone loved the boat (and the food!) From everyone at Musoc
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ALICE HOLT WI - Dear Blue Funnel Cruises Alice Holt Women's Institute would like to thank all those at Blue Funnel Cruises who made our visit last week so enjoyable. We appreciate being welcomed on board and all the staff on 'Ocean Scene' were, without exception helpful and friendly. We were particularly impressed with the layout of the dining area - all in all a very successful day out. With best wishes from Gillian Green
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FIVE RIVERS LEISURE CENTRE - I would like to thank all the staff and crew for a really lovely three river cruise. We thought that the commentary was brilliant (despite the corny jokes ha ha) Also the fish and chips with salad were served up so quickly and so hot. We were amazed because we think the galley must have been very small to cope with our large group of 65. Very many thanks Doreen Till, Co-ordinator of Five Rivers Leisure Centre
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FARNBOROUGH LADIES LUNCHEON CLUB - Dear Lesley Thank you for organising the Three River Cruise and lunch for the Farnborough Ladies Luncheon Club. Our Visit today was very successful and exceeded our expectations. Even the weather was better than we had been led to believe.
The lunch was much appreciated and enjoyed by everyone. The dining room on board was very colourful and made us feel in party mood immediately. The noise level proved we were all having a great time. We were most impressed by the professionalism of the waiters, all well trained and experienced 'young men' who served us most efficiently and quickly with the piping hot main course. Everything 'shipshape' as one would expect.
Please convey our thanks and appreciation to the charming Paul and his crew and also the Skipper and commentator. This was our second visit and a third will surely happen. Thanks again,
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STEVENTON FRIENDLY ASSOCIATION - I am writing to you on behalf of the committee of Steventon Friendly Association to thank you for providing the senior citizens of Steventon, near Abingdon, Oxon with such an enjoyable cruise on Ocean Scene round Southampton Water on Sunday 5th June. We especially appreciated the swift, friendly and efficient service of your staff who managed to serve the excellent three-course meal we had on board in record time.
The Four-hour cruise took in many sights, the highlights of which, of course, being close-up views of the cruise ships, Queen Victoria and Oriana and we found the accompanying commentary extremely interesting and informative. We are grateful to you for a fantastic and memorable day out but it was such a shame that you couldn't have arranged some sunnier weather for us. Christopher Naish Honorary Secretary
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CHOCOHOLICS - Many thanks for all of your help. The organisation beforehand was done brilliantly and the evening ran smoothly thanks to Paul. Please thank all involved including chef as everyone loved the food. Thanks Jan! Vicky at Chocoholics
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MOTHER'S DAY LUNCH CRUISE March 2011 - To all at Blue Funnel I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for our wonderful trip. We found the boat very large with plenty of room inside and on the decks.... also the three course meal we had was better than many restaurants we have visited. Plenty to eat, very hot and very tasty. The staff were great, very friendly, helpful and willing to run around after the guests and their children. So once again, thank you for our trip and looking forward to booking again very soon. Best regards P & B K Wyatt
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MOTHER'S DAY LUNCH CRUISE March 2011 - We'd like to convey our thanks to your company for an excellent experience today aboard the Ocean Scene on our Mother's Day Cruise. In particular we'd like to thank Paul (the red haired chap) who in our opinion went above and beyond the call of duty to look after us. It started on embarkment when Paul allowed us an early access into the restaurant as we had a baby in a pushchair. Furthermore, he sat with our older daughter whilst we tried to rock our baby upstairs during the lunch. His level of customer service was exemplary and if this note helps to get this recognised (even more) within the company that would be great. Unfortunately, it is all too common these days to have to complain about bad service so when one receives excellent service as we have today it is all the more important to get this recognised in any way possible. Many thanks again for what has been an excellent experience and was tremendous value for money. We'll be sure to let our family and work colleagues know just how good Blue Funnel and Paul are. Forsythe Family
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B.A.T RETIREMENT FELLOWSHIP January 2011 - You have done it again, our New Year Luncheon Cruise on 'Ocean Scene' up the River Hamble and over to Cowes and the Medina River were a great success. The tables looked lovely and the layout really suited us. The food was excellent as usual, served on piping hot plates and looked so appetising. Everybody and I mean everybody kept saying how brilliant, how wonderful, what a great meal, what a great day etc etc. We were so lucky with the weather a calm sea and bright blue sky - perfect in every way. May I say thank you for an excellent menu and a very good choice of wine. A big thank you to Paul Clouder who looked after us all, nothing was too much trouble his aim was to please and he did that in the nicest and most pleasant way. All credit to his staff who worked so hard and efficiently giving excellent service to everyone, not forgetting the chef who produced such a wonderful meal in such a small space. Finally I must not forger the Skipper Lee who gave an interesting commentary throughout and the rest of the staff who made our day out such a memorable event. Judging by the comments this could become an annual event, many thanks. Mrs Heather Day
PRIVATE CHARTER October 2010 - We would like to express our thanks and appreciation for the very professional service that you provided to us on the Ocean Scene last Saturday evening. Everything ran very smoothly. The crew were delightfully efficient and courteous and the food excellent. We have received many comments from our guests echoing those observations. Once again, well done and many thanks for a excellent service. David Alexander
QUEEN ELIZABETH ARRIVAL & DEPARTURE October 2010 - This is just to say a very sincere thank you to you all for all your help in allowing us to view the new Queen Elizabeth on the various occasions whilst she was in port recently. Especially to Skipper Andy for early Friday morning and to Lee for Monday 11th October when we watched the naming of the new 'Queen' by Her Majesty and for the Sailaway on Tuesday 12th. All were very special and Memorable occasions. Miss G Trueman
NEW FOREST BEACH HUT OWNER'S ASSOCIATION August 2010 - Despite the poor weather whcih restricted the Bournemouth Air Display last Sunday most of our members and their guests enjoyed the experience of 'a day at sea'! Several messages have been received commenting on the smooth running of the event and the excellent quality of the Lunches and Cream Teas provided. David feltham
LUNCH CRUISE July 2010 - We would like to thank you for a wonderful Lunch Cruise last Sunday. Everyone commented on the excellent meal provided and how good the staff were. Thank you also for looking after my father with his lunch of soup - very much appreciated. Les & Sarah Coach House Travel
TREFOIL GUILD June 2010 - Although we all expressed our verbal thanks yesterday, I felt I must write and say how very much everybody thoroughly enjoyed our lunch cruise yesterday. On opening up my emails today I found a long list of "thank you's" It is so rewarding to everybody when after the hard work done to organise an event it is appreciated so much, however this would not have been possible without the help of Blue Funnel Cruises. Office staff and crew were superb, nothing was too much trouble and all done cheerfully with a smile. The wheelchair people were so pleased to be able to get to one of our events without any hassle and the help from the crew added to their enjoyment. One point most of the guests mentioned was the chef who produced a meal of excellent quality, which the cheerful waiters served quickly, nice and hot and on hot plates - not found very often these days! Congratulations to Blue Funnel on having superb staff and many thanks to everybody involved in making it such a successful day, we shall be returning sometime in the future and will recommend friends and organisation where to go for a good value excursion. Pearl Davis
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WEDDING RECEPTION - February
2009 We wish to express our thanks and gratitude for the fantastic
job you and your staff did for our daughter and son in laws wedding
reception. Prior to this event, we had never attended a wedding
reception hosted on a boat, but thought that it would be both fun,
yet different from the usual "run of the mill" locations. |
| WEDDING RECEPTION - It was a fantastic reception after our wedding and we couldn't have chosen anywhere better, John did it as a surprise - nobody knew and ever Yvonne loved it! Some guests said it was the best wedding they have been to, so many thanks to everyone at Blue Funnel. John & Yvonne (taken from our listing on www.forbetterforworse.co.uk) |