Unique Prints To Be Auctioned On Ambassador Cruise Line’s CEO Cruise To Raise Funds For ORCA22/10/2025
I am delighted to share with you all, that I will be visiting Ambience on 27 October 2025, whilst the ship is docked at her homeport of London, Tilbury.
The flagship of the Ambassador Cruise Line fleet, Ambience, will be setting sail on a 16-night CEO Cruise, aiming to raise awareness and funds for marine conservation, in partnership with ORCA and Sail Away Magazine. 
Image: Ambassador Cruise Line
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In summer 2025, I enjoyed a seven-night cruise to the Norwegian fjords on the amazing MSC Virtuosa. This was a somewhat significant cruise for several reasons - firstly it was my partner’s mum’s first ever cruise, celebrating her 60th birthday, but it was also the first cruise I had taken following my graduation from Durham University and my official return to the world of cruise!
We booked the cruise less than two months before setting sail. Before booking this cruise, I had also booked a post-graduation cruise, both as a treat for myself and a birthday present for my Dad’s 70th. But the cruise on MSC Virtuosa would depart first. 
At the time of writing this, its just four days until I set sail with MSC Cruises on the massive and beautiful MSC Virtuosa. The seven-night cruise I’m booked on departs Southampton and cruises to Norway, visiting four ports of call, two of which I’ve been to before, and two I have not.
I have spent the last few weeks trying to plan what we might get up to in each port. In some of the ports we are visiting, we have a little longer than others to go further afield and explore. Here’s what I have planned and hope to get up to in each port: 
I'm super excited to be heading back to Norway again with MSC Cruises, on their much loved mega-ship, MSC Virtuosa, setting sail from Southampton!
This will be my second time on board MSC Virtuosa, and my third time cruising to Norway. Joining me this time will be my partner, along with his mum, who has never been on a cruise before and has decided to take the plunge for her sixtieth birthday. 
I am so excited to be finally stepping back aboard my favourite ship, after almost a decade! Queen Mary 2 was my first and will probably always be my favourite ship of all time. There’s truly nothing else like her afloat today. She is simply one-of-a-kind.
In July my father celebrated his seventh birthday, so I surprised him with a four-night voyage on Queen Mary 2. I booked it sometime before however, so I had to keep it secret for a while. I have not been aboard the Cunard flagship since 2016, but for my father its even longer. He has not been aboard since we celebrated my eighteenth birthday on board, and I am now 31! (Where has the time gone!!??) We will also be joined by my partner, Nick, who has never been aboard before. 
For those of you that don’t know already, I recently graduated from Durham University, having completed a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in physics. That’s why for the last 6 or so years, I’ve been somewhat quieter when it comes to blogging, cruising and drawing ships!
My journey to studying at Durham started in the summer of 2018. A friend of mine told me about a foundation course at Southampton University, where you did not need A-Level maths or physics to enrol. If you passed, you could then go on to study a variety of science-based degrees, including ship science or naval architecture. As a child, I dreamt about becoming a naval architect, but maths and science was my downfall, as I did not enjoy it and eventually opted for a business course after secondary school. Without doing this course I would very likely have not set up Cruise Cotterill. 
I am super excited to be able to share with you exciting news about an upcoming ship visit on board Noble Calendonia's Hebridean Sky, one of the company's three sky flagships.
For those of you who read my previous blog post, you'll know that very soon I'm heading to the Norwegian fjords on a seven-night cruise. The ship I'm cruising on, MSC Virtuoso, calls into Lerwick in the Shetland Islands en route to Norway. It just so happens that we're not the only ship docked in Lerwick that day! 
I'm super excited to share that I will be cruising on board MSC Virtuosa in May 2024, sailing on a seven-night itinerary to the beautiful Norwegian Fjords!
I was going to keep it quiet until I was on board, but I can't, I'm just too excited! For sometime I have been looking for a suitable cruise to take after my upcoming undergraduate exams. (I really need a break!) I found lots of potential cruises, but lots fell during my exams or revision period, so just weren't ideal! Some although tempting, were pricey too! 
Featured Image: Chris Pugh
In December 2023, I was given the opportunity to step aboard the Trinity House vessel, Patricia, whilst the ship was docked in Harwich. The visit came about after I reached out to James Charles, who was the duty captain of THV Patricia.
I first crossed paths with James all the way back in 2012, when I visited the former cruise ship Discovery, to present a drawing on board, also in Harwich. Similar, my visit on board THV Patricia, would also include a presentation of my drawing of the ship, only now James was captain! It was hoped to visit the ship to present my drawing earlier in the year, but due to Storm Ciarán and other operational reasons it was delayed. 
In December 2023, I was lucky enough to enjoy a three-night festive getaway cruise on board Ambassador Cruise Line’s second ship, Ambition. The cruise set sail from Tilbury, London, and called into Antwerp in Belgium, where the ship stayed overnight, before returning to Tilbury.
Ambassador Cruise Line very generously invited me on board Ambition for this festive cruise so that I could officially present my large-scale drawing of the ship, which they had asked me to produce earlier this year after I presented them with a drawing of their flagship Ambience during a visit aboard in the summer. 
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Harry CotterillHarry Cotterill set up his blog when he was just 16-years old, making him one of the youngest cruise bloggers in the world. In later years he became known across the world for his amazing talent of drawing cruise ships! Blog Archive
October 2025
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