lost

GLIDING into the glitzy Grand Atrium and gazing up at three marble-clad floors of bars and boutiques, a thought hit me.

If this is just one small section of the impressive ship Iona, how am I going to experience everything on offer in just one-and-a-half days?

This was my first cruise and, as a total novice, I’d decided to book a short, two-night sailing.

P&O Cruises’ Iona is deemed the perfect ship for first-time British cruisers, partly because — carrying 5,200 guests and 1,800 crew, it is big enough to not feel cramped or overwhelming.

Plus there are plenty of familiar UK favourites on board from roast dinners to Tetley tea.

And with prices starting at £199 per person, including all your food and activities, you can’t go wrong.

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Longer voyages are cracking value, too, with five nights on a European itinerary costing less than £500pp.

You could spend a week on board and not run out of things to do thanks to Iona’s 30 bars and restaurants, ten entertainment venues — including a cinema, theatre and spa — swimming pools and hot tubs along the decks.

I stayed in a Conservatory Suite, where floor-to-ceiling windows offered breathtaking views without having to brave the biting wind on the balcony — the only downside of a UK cruise.

Luckily, the SkyDome has a heated indoor pool and this area of the boat has just had a sleek refit.

It’s a great place to kick back with a beer in hand (a pint of Moretti costs £6.25).

Nowhere is quite as relaxing as the spa, though — home to a therapeutic sauna, sensory steam room and rejuvenating hydrotherapy pool.

If that doesn’t float your boat, why not indulge in some retail therapy at the on-board boutiques, where you’ll find designer watches, bags and sunglasses, among other gems.

A particular hit with my husband was the Barbour shop — I’m fairly certain he came home with a whole new wardrobe.

When we weren’t watching aerial acrobatics in the large theatre, or rolling dice at the casino, we were sampling the excellent food.

‘BUFFET OF DREAMS’

The Horizon Restaurant — an all-you-can eat buffet of dreams — has salads and sandwiches, freshly-cut kebabs and full roast dinners.

Meanwhile, The Quays offers a street food style selection of live cooking stations, where I tucked into delicious breakfasts of fresh scrambled eggs and hash browns.

And Ripples ice cream parlour serves treats with edible cups and spoons — a small but fabulous nod to P&O cutting back on waste.

It would be hard to tire of the dining options included in your fare, but if you do fancy treating yourself, the speciality joints are top notch.

We loved Sindhu, the Indian restaurant where you can get three courses for £22, with a £3 supplement for the lobster thermidor.

My husband and I enjoyed Sindhu’s signature cocktail, the East India punch, a muddle of spiced rum, cognac, falernum (a sweet syrup) and tropical juices.

And if you can’t decide what to eat, the Sindhu Signature Plate boasts smaller portions of three of their most popular dishes: the duck tikka malabari, the beef lali mirch masala and the creamy lobster, drenched in thermidor sauce.

Elsewhere, the Glass House in the Grand Atrium offers a heavenly seven-course tasting menu and wine pairing (priced at around £35 a person), by award-winning wine expert Olly Smith and acclaimed Spanish chef Jose Pizarro.

Our highlight was a black tie dinner and show at the adults-only Limelight Club, with a performance from singer Jonathan Wilkes and a nightclub boogie on board.

If that doesn’t convert you to a cruise lover, I’m not sure what will.

Meredith Shay, a former flight attendant from Florida, sold her flat so she could go on a three-year cruise that was cancelled at the last minute. But she has not been deterred

What would you do if you’d sold your home to buy a holiday that was cancelled at the last minute?

For most of us, the answer probably wouldn’t be to book a near-identical but slightly longer holiday just two years later. Meredith Shay, however, has done just that. “I’ve just signed on for five years,” the Floridian retiree told the Mirror.

Back in 2023, Meredith was preparing to embark on the Life at Sea cruise, widely touted as the longest sailing in commercial cruise history, when she received terrible news. The company told passengers that it had no working ship, so the upcoming sailing was cancelled. That meant no sailing for hundreds of customers who poured their life savings into the venture and had prepared to leave their lives on land behind.

“I did sell my house. I put everything into storage, moved out of my apartment. I was about to sell my car. But I am not a ‘woe is me’ person. There is a song over here, ‘dust yourself off and try again’. That is what I’ve done,” she explained. “I had a 12-hour pity party, then said, ‘okay, you’re free. Do something’. No encumbrances at all.”

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The former flight attendant has been renting in Florida since then. Come next June, her flat will become “the world’s most expensive storage container”, and Meredith will fly to Manila to start sailing the world. For five years straight.

She will do so on the Villa Vie Odyssey, which is run by some of the same people behind Life at Sea and has been sailing since earlier this year. Signing up is a leap of faith for Meredith for multiple reasons.

She counts herself lucky to have received a full refund of close to $500,000 following the first cruise. Others didn’t pay on credit cards and haven’t been able to recover all their money. The Villa Vie Odyssey cruise ship has also had problems. It was due to depart from Northern Ireland last May, but issues with its rudder stocks meant its guests were marooned in the city for more than four months. It was there for so long that shipmates Angela Harsanyi and Gian Perroni had time to meet, fall in love and then marry on the banks of Belfast’s River Lagan.

This time around, Meredith’s room, a fancy eighth-floor suite for five years, cost her $159,000, with $7,999 a month homeowner fees bringing the total to around $630,000 (£469,000). When she first booked, the total was $520,000 for three years, all in.

Meredith admits that booking again hasn’t been worry-free.

“Sure, I’m worried, but why not? I can’t live my life in fear. Nobody likes to lose money, but they’ve been out now for a good period of time; they’ve overcome earthquakes, typhoons, and the captains really know what they’re doing. I already have friends on Villa Vie.”

When asked if she intends to spend the rest of her life at sea, Meredith explained: “My life is full of regrets, and I don’t want this to be one of them. I will be five years older, and I’m very healthy now. But one never knows.”

The Mirror contacted Villa Vie, whose founder Mikael Petterson explained what happened to the Life at Sea cruise. He said: “Yes, some of the Villa Vie team were initially involved with Life at Sea. Some of us, including myself, helped build the brand and sales team, but realised after just two months of working with Miray (the parent company of Life at Sea) in Turkey, it would be impossible.

“The ship we saw in April was just not what they had portrayed to us. We had to make the difficult decision to leave the project in May of 2023, where we refunded all customers and announced the project was over. Miray, in turn, decided to take over, double down on the promises, but as we predicted, was not able to deliver the ship as promised in November 2024.”

He added: “We do feel terrible for the customers who lost their money in the pursuit of the dream life we are now able to deliver through Villa Vie Residences.”

Miray has been contacted for comment.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

Actress Roxy Shahidi’s final scenes aired earlier this year with fans heartbroken at the character’s exit, when she bid farewell to Leyla Harding after several years in the role

One Emmerdale star admits she lost her identity following her exit from the soap. Former Emmerdale actress Roxy Shahidi has spoken candidly about the emotional impact of leaving the ITV soap, admitting she struggled with her sense of identity after her character was written out.

Roxy played Leyla Harding, a long-standing and much-loved character on the show, first appearing in 2008 before returning full-time in 2013. After more than a decade on screen, Leyla met a tragic end earlier this year in dramatic scenes that saw several characters plunged into icy water following a limousine crash.

Although Leyla initially survived the accident, viewers later learned she died in an ambulance before reaching hospital, marking the end of Roxy’s 17-year journey on the soap.

Nearly a year on from leaving Emmerdale, Roxy has reflected on the transition and how it affected her personally. In an emotional Instagram post, she admitted stepping away from the role was far more challenging than she anticipated.

“This time last year, I was coming to terms with having to leave this lot behind. Not just colleagues, but friends and family,” she wrote.

She went on to explain how deeply intertwined her character had become with her own sense of self, adding:

“Playing Layla wasn’t just a job; she was a huge part of my identity, and some days I spent more time being her than being myself.

“Losing that sense of identity was hard, but long walks with Mr Cooper [her pet cockapoo] gave me space to breathe, reflect and stay hopeful.”

Since leaving the soap, Roxy has shifted her focus towards wellbeing and has been teaching yoga online. She revealed the practice helped her process the emotional fallout of the change.

“Yoga once again became my anchor on the hardest days, moving my body helped me move through grief, loss and uncertainty,” she continued.

Adding that her yoga platform has helped her build a new chapter in her life, she went on: “Now YogaRox has grown into a new home, a new family, and a new sense of self.

“I don’t know exactly how I’ll get there, but I know where I’m going. Thank you to everyone who’s supported me through a year of challenge, growth, and transformation; here’s to 2026.”

Her post was quickly flooded with supportive messages, including from former Emmerdale co-stars. Laura Norton, who plays Kerry Wyatt, commented: “You’re amazing. You are very missed. Sky is the limit.”

Fellow soap stars Claire Sweeney, Isobel Hodgins and Ross Adams also shared messages of love.

Fans echoed the sentiment, with one writing: “You are still so missed by us Emmerdale fans. But you are smashing it now with your new projects, you are amazing!! Xx”

Another added: “I miss seeing you shine on my screen every night but being able to see you absolutely smashing the yoga is everything, heres to an amazing 2026 and I hope the new year brings you nothing but happiness and big achievements.”

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FROM family-favourite theme parks to popular junior coasters – there have been some sad attraction closures in 2025.

But not all is lost as there are some terrific, and of course thrilling additions coming next year from world firsts based on beloved cartoon characters to rides that will be 138-foot tall.

Starting with the closures, there have been some big losses in 2025 from favourite attractions to whole parks…

Leisure Island Fun Park, Canvey Island

In Essex, the Leisure Island Fun Park closed its doors for good in February of 2025 – much to the shock of locals.

The popular park was on Canvey Island and particularly popular during the half-term and summer holidays.

It had been open for 20 years but suddenly announced it would be closing permanently earlier this year.

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The news was announced through a Facebook post thanking visitors for their support over the last two decades.

In a few hours the post had gained more than 1k reactions and over 500 comments.

One said: “Oh sad times. We loved spending days up there in the summer. My children loved the rides and we have so many good memories. Wishing you all the best in the future.”

Some of the most popular attractions included the Go Gator coaster, the Snake ride, Orbiters, trampolines, and the classic Crazy Golf.

Oakwood Theme Park, Wales

Oakwood Theme Park, the biggest in Wales, closed in 2025.

It was home to a swinging pirate ship, flume, rollercoasters and mini black taxi carts.

Earlier this year, there had been rumours for plans for a reopening it this year – these however have been scrapped.

In May 2025, hopes were reignited to reopen the park after a new leisure company called Richens Leisure Projects (RLP) stepped in to not only save the attraction but also make it bigger through a £250million project.

Those hopes were short-lived as the entire project was scrapped a few weeks later. And owners Aspro Parks, revealed they had no intentions of selling the site.

Postman Pat Parcel Post ride at Alton Towers

In summer 2025, one popular attraction was closed at Alton Towers – the Postman Pat Parcel Post Ride.

Found in its CBeebies Land, the ride had first opened in 2014 as part of the land’s launch – so it’s safe to say it has been a classic for any visitors with young children for years.

It closed to make way for a new ride coming in 2026, the new Bluey-themed junior rollercoaster.

Smaller Rides at Blackpool Pleasure Beach

In February 2025, Blackpool Pleasure Beach announced the closure of five of its rides.

It said on its website: “We’ve made the decision to close some of our smaller, less popular rides during the 2025 season: Eddie Stobart Convoy, Alpine Rallye, Thompson Carousel, Gallopers and Red Arrows Skyforce.”

The decision to close some of the smaller rides at the park however, is to make way for new ones – or to redesign them.

For example in 2024, the park’s ride Ice Blast closed and will soon open as Launch Pad.

It said: “Launch Pad promises to be more thrilling, immersive and dynamic than ever before as riders shoot to the clouds at high speed.

“We’re confident that once you’ve ridden it you’ll agree that its temporary downtime was worth the wait.”

Now for the more exciting news – what’s coming up in 2026 from whole new theme park lands and worlds to one-of-a-kind rides.

World of Frozen, Disneyland Paris

You might have heard that a movie-inspired land is coming to Disneyland Paris, and it’s all based around the hit film, Frozen.

It will open on March 29, 2026 with a new attraction called Frozen Ever After where visitors will bob through the North mountain to Elsa’s Ice Palace.

Of course Elsa and Ana will be around the land as will Olaf and even the troll, Mossi.

There will also be a new restaurant called Nordic Crowns Tavern, the Arendelle Boutique shop and the Fjord View Shop.

The World of Frozen is part of the newly reimagined second park, Disney Adventure World.

Read on to find out more about the World of Frozen from Assistant Travel Editor Sophie Swietochowski, who went for a behind the scenes look in November.

Realm of the Vikings, Paultons Park

Family-friendly theme park, Paultons Park has revealed plans for a new £12million attraction set to open in May 2026.

The park be park which will be named Valgard – Realm of the Vikings, will be a viking-themed world with Paultons Park’s first inverting rollercoaster.

Called Drakon, it’s set to become the park’s most thrilling ride with a vertical lift hill and two twists that will take riders upside down.

There will also be Vild Swing that swirls riders 12 metres in the air, two brand new thrill rides, retheming of Cobra – a famous ride at Paultons Park, into a bobsled adventure.

The ride will be renamed Raven to complement the Viking village experience.

Valgard also features a themed high-capacity restaurant and new playground for younger visitors to enjoy.

There’s even more to look forward to in 2027, where a ‘water-related experience’ will be added.

Aviktas, Blackpool Pleasure Beach

Heading back to Blackpool Pleasure Beach, it has announced that it’s adding a new Gyro Ride to the books.

At the cost of £8.7million, the amusement park is set to build a 138-foot swing ride.

Called Aviktas, it will be the ‘tallest of its kind’ in the UK, according to the park.

The ride will feature a giant spinning pendulum that will swing 120 degrees and seat 40 riders at a time, making people feel like they’re flying.

There some other swinging pendulum rides in the UK – but Blackpool’s will be higher.

Bluey Junior Coaster, Alton Towers

A new Bluey Junior Rollercoaster will launch in spring 2026 and be the first of its kind in the world.

It has been announced that the new coaster will open in the park’s CBeebies Land.

Along with the new ride, there will be a Heeler family meet-and-greet and a new live stage show.

Some Bluey experiences have already opened in the park, like the themed accommodation where the Bluey theme song plays from speakers around the rooms.

PAW Patrol, Chessington World of Adventures

Alton Towers isn’t the only spot launching a world first, over in Chessington, the amusement park will open UK’s first and only PAW Patrol-themed land. 

The new immersive land will delight children who are a fan of the PAW Patrol pups.

There will be four new rides across the land including a brand new ‘my first rollercoaster’ for the littlest of visitors.

There will also be photo opportunities and themed bedrooms for the ‘ultimate sleepover’ first opened in 2025.

Pirates’ Plummet, Crealy Theme Park & Resort

Crealy Theme Park & Resort is celebrating its 25 years since the opening of Devon‘s first rollercaoster with a new addition next year.

The rollercoaster called Pirates’ Plummet is a family thrill ride and will open in 2026.

Few details have been released on the ride so far, but there will be no doubt more updates in the New Year.

We went behind the scenes of the upcoming Frozen land at Disneyland Paris…

Assistant Travel Editor Sophie Swietochowski went for an exclusive look at the World of Frozen earlier this year…

“A SNOW-capped mountain towers behind an ancient clock tower, its frosty peak protruding a whopping 36-metres into a cloudy sky.

“At its foot, a wooden-rimmed postbox is waiting to receive a bundle of postcards, Arendelle’s first ever mail, while a magnificent snowflake-shaped fountain sparkles in the centre of the street.”

“I was taking an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the much-hyped area of the theme park, scheduled to open on March 29 next year with a bundle of new rides and activities based entirely on the animation blockbuster.

“Visitor postcards sent home from the fictional kingdom of Arendelle, over which Frozen characters Elsa and Ana rule, are just one small part of what makes this land so special.

“The immersion goes beyond what’s been seen at any Disney park so far, from the ornate-framed paintings of characters to the ultra-modern technology that places Disney fans actually in the story.

“The clock tower, complete with mini Ana and Elsa figurines, sparks into song every 15 minutes and flickering lanterns dangle from pastel-coloured buildings.

“There’ll be a whopping 13 other dining venues in Arendelle alone, including food stalls serving sticky cinnamon rolls and the grand Regal View, World of Frozen’s character-dining venue.

This spot is impressive enough without the meet-and-greets. Disney Princesses have been painted into fresco-like murals across the walls and curved chandeliers dangle from the ceiling.

“And of course, no trip to Arandelle would be complete without a visit to the kingdom’s impeccably dressed Elsa and Ana.

“And the duo won’t just appear on the street; they will dramatically sail across the lake via a huge wooden vessel, preparing to greet their fans at the “Royal Encounter” in the castle.

“A lifesized and hyper-realistic Olaf will make an appearance, too. But unlike every other character at Disneyland Paris, Frozen’s star snowman has been built using clever robotics that allow the character to talk and even waddle away on his stumpy snow feet.

“The highlight will most definitely be the lands boat ride, Frozen Ever After, which will carry riders through the snowy forest towards the Valley of the Trolls and Elsa’s sparkling Ice Palace.

“Animatronics promise to bring scenes to life as riders approach Arendelle Bay which will be showered in snowflake-shaped fireworks.”

For more on theme parks, here’s what we know about Universal’s new mega UK theme park to be open all-year-round – as well as have free-to-visit areas.

And here are the top six UK theme parks you can easily reach by train this summer – and how to find the cheapest family fares.