Archive for the 'Cruise Holidays' Category

Gemma Given

If you’re looking for a good cruise deal where you can spend plenty of time away from it all at sea then you should think about taking advantage of a repositioning cruise. These are a one off cruise’s that happen between seasons when the cruise company want to move their ships from one area to another such as north in the summer or south for the winter to the warmer climes like from Alaska at the end of summer to the Caribbean ready for winter.

Repositioning cruises differ slightly from your regular cruise holiday, because they take place in-between season you normally find rougher sea, and you will also spend longer at sea, however you do get plenty of time to relax without rushing off for excursions.  You still get a good selection of cruises to choose from at great prices such as passenger who want to enjoy a transatlantic trip, starting from a port in northern Europe, the US or the Caribbean, stopping off at either the Canary Islands or the Azores on the way. You can also enjoy a cruise around Africa or even one that hits the best of the US and the Caribbean, South America and the Panama Canal, with stops in Mexico and the western United States.

These cruises are also great for those who don’t like travelling at peak times, as they are generally a lot quieter than normal cruises, however they are getting more popular with people looking to enjoy the lavish cruise experience without the high price tag.

Gemma Given

If you’re looking for an ideal holiday to take in the autumn once the schools have gone back but want somewhere that is still warm, has plenty to see and do as well as golden beaches to enjoy then a Red Sea Cruise maybe just what you’re looking for. Travel companies have been hit recently with less and less people choosing to go abroad, but the best deals to be had aren’t just during the summer holidays, there are some great cruise offers available at the moment for later on in the year. If you are visiting Egypt during the autumn months then you can expect temperature around 30˚C-35˚C just slightly cooler than during the summer months, which is great for exploring all the wonders of Egypt.

When you embark on an Egypt cruise you will be able to take in the magnificent and historic River Nile, the wonders of the world such as the Giza pyramid complex and the Great Sphinx, as part of your excursions. You can also learn about Egypt’s historical legacy and biblical associations such as Moses and the Red Sea, such as the southern city of Luxor which is home the Karnak Temple and the Valley of the Kings. You can enjoy the world renowned beaches here which boast clear blue waters, pristine beaches and abundance of underwater life such as a habitat of over 1000 invertebrate species and 200 soft and hard corals.

The best way to make the most out of your holiday in Egypt is to go for a fly, cruise and stay holiday, you can spend 7 nights in a 4* hotel in the popular tourist destination of Sharm El Sheikh before embarking on a 7 night Red Sea Cruise. With this you can spend time relaxing on the beaches before being toured around Egypt hitting the historical places of interest in the lap of luxury without any worries.

Gemma Given

If you are looking for a cruise holiday but don’t want to spend a couple of weeks away at sea you can opt for a short cruise holiday, these go to some fantastic destination for two to five days. Many shorter cruise holidays operate around Western Europe visiting some of the most beautiful ports in the world such as Honfleur and Bilbao, as well as other great destinations such as Ireland, France, Spain, Corsica or Portugal.

It’s a great opportunity to have a quick break away without the hassle you have the comfort of your own room, easy access to bars and restaurants, plenty of onboard activities and the chance to visit exciting destinations all without worrying. You can take a 2 night cruise departing from Southampton visiting Brussels and Paris or a 3 night cruise, setting sail from Southampton and head towards Antwerp in Belgium.

There are many different shorter cruises to choose from at low prices as well as many good cruise deals meaning a three night cruise can cost as little as £329 per person, that’s just over £100 per night and at that price it makes a great idea for a weekend away without worry. It’s also a great way to visit countries such as France where you can enjoy the French Rivera’s fashionable hotspots of St Malo and La Rochelle or Bordeaux which has been an official UNESCO World Heritage site since 2007. As well as the charming and charismatic capital of Portugal, Lisbon, that has a selection of museums of ancient and modern art, such as Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, the National Museum of Contemporary Art and Carmo Archaeological Museum.

Gemma Given

If you want to enjoy the sun, you don’t have to go away for a holiday during the summer, when many prices are highly inflated,  later on in the year destinations such as the Caribbean, Mexican Rivera, Mediterranean and South America are great to go to because you still get the sun and some great cruise deals if you book now. If you suffer from the winter blues a cruise holiday to the Caribbean will be just what you need to give yourself a much needed boost, around November/December time the weather in the Caribbean can reach an average high of 84.9 degrees in November and December.

There is a wide range of different cruise holidays to the Caribbean to choose from, with most cruise lines offering their own itineraries, there are over 7,000 islands in the Caribbean Sea and although many of them are uninhabited you will get to visit some of the best. Most Caribbean cruises will include places such as Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, St Kitts, Dominica, St Lucia, Barbados, Curacao, Aruba, Cuba and Mexico. You can choose from a fly, cruise and stay holiday, a fly and cruise holiday or a cruise from a UK port holiday and your holiday duration can be as long or as short as you like to the Caribbean, they start at 8 nights all the way up to 35 nights.

Many of the cruise lines now also offer time on their own private beaches so you can spend time relaxing on the golden sand, or if you like a bit more hustle and bustle then you can always explore the local ports you stop off at enjoying history, local crafts and local foods. You don’t have to worry either how to spend your time at sea, there are many exciting actives that you can take part in on board, as many cruise lines now offer busy day schedules as well.

Gemma Given

If you’re looking to take a cruise holiday, whether it be your first or your 10th you will be able to have an adventure and see some amazing destinations in style on a Princess Cruise. With cruise ships for all the family and some exclusively for adults you will be able to find something to suit especially with the choice of destinations they offer:

Alaska
Asia
Australia & New Zealand
Canada & New England
Caribbean
Europe
Hawaii, Tahiti & South Pacific
Mexican Rivera
Panama Canal
South America
World Cruise

Princess Cruises have a fleet of 17 including 3 small cruise ships, ranging from capacity of a grand 3,100 to just a more private capacity of 680, they have spacious state rooms that have inside cabins or with a balcony and ocean view. There are plenty of activities during the day that you can enjoy during time spent at sea, like their Scholarship@Sea which offers classes including:

Wine tasting
Ice carving
Digital photography
Cookery demonstrations
Ceramic painting
Computer skills

You can also spend day lazing around by the pool or having a relaxing treatment in the on board spa. Onboard there is also plenty of entertainment to keep the little ones happy and the not so little ones happy with arts and crafts activities, entertainment, games, Playstation 2, karaoke, movies, giant TV screens and more.

Princess Cruises also offer plenty of choice for eating and drinking on board their ships, such as five-star gourmet dining to speciality restaurants as well as buffet selections or dining in your state room. Your children can also enjoy their own dining experience with specially designed kid’s only dinners.

So whether you’re looking for a cruise holiday for the whole family to enjoy or a romantic getaway for two, you will be able to find something to suit your needs from a Princess Cruise.

John

When you look for a holiday for your family there are a lot of things to consider, if you have small children will there be enough kids entertainment to keep them occupied, are there babysitting services and also is there suitable places to eat. If you have older children you will also want to make sure there are activities fussy teenagers would enjoy, and places for them to hang out on their own.

A cruise holiday can tick most of those boxes but for a real family holiday certain lines like Royal Caribbean and Disney Cruise lines have all the boxes ticked.

If you have a young family then a holiday on one of the Disney cruise liners will be right up your street, their ships are designed with the Disney magic and can cater for all your family’s needs. Once you step aboard you will be greeted by all the favourite Disney characters and can spend the holiday having lots of fun with them, adults won’t be left out either with plenty to keep your selves busy with, you can take time out to relax in one of the spa’s, enjoy some cookery classes or just sit back in one of the many bars and restaurants. The Disney cruise ships sail around the Mediterranean and the Caribbean so you will defiantly be able to enjoy the sun on your holiday.

 

Disney show

Disney show

Picture courtesy of Cruise News Weekly

If you’re looking to keep your teenagers entertained, (which can be very hard), then look no further than taking a cruise holiday on Royal Caribbean’s great cruise liner the massive Oasis of the Seas. On board you will find a whole host of features and incredible facilities as well as masses of space, which you know will be appreciated by your teens! The activities include ice-skating rink, rock-climbing wall and 9-hole miniature golf course and that’s on a small amount of what the ship has to offer. There is plenty of evening entertainment to keep everyone entertained including live music, a cinema, nightclub and a casino as well as a lot more. The Oasis of the Seas also cruises around the Caribbean, so you can also experience some beautiful tropical islands along the way.

 

Oasis of the Seas

Oasis of the Seas

Picture courtesy of plasmastik

A family cruise holiday also need not be expensive, there are some great cruise deals available and when staying with Disney or Royal Caribbean you also get full board so your meals are included which can save you a lot of money!

Gemma Given

Some holiday destinations can make your break into a holiday of a lifetime and somewhere such as the Far East which is steeped in tradition, customs and superstation will be somewhere you will never forget. There is a lot to see and it can be quite hard to see even a small fraction however if you take a cruise holiday to the Far East you can fit in a lot more sights and sounds than you think, without worrying about travel and getting around.

You can experience the Far East on a cruise and stay holiday, which includes a stay in Hong Kong or Singapore, the number of nights spent on the cruise depends on how many places you want to visit, they range from 4.5 or six nights to 14 nights or if you wish even longer if you visit during a world cruise.

Whilst exploring Asia and the Orient you will see a contrast, from large bustling cityscapes to small sedate country life that has been unchanged for centuries, as you explore cities such as Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Manila and Kuala Lumpur you will find yourself immersed in their fast pace of life with sights, sound and smells that bombard your senses. You can also experience the calm whilst here when visiting one of the Buddhist Temples with sedate perfectly manicured gardens as well as learn their history and beliefs.

A Far East cruise holiday will really be a once in a lifetime holiday and nothing can prepare for everything you will encounter, and if all the hustle and bustle becomes too much then you can always retreat to you familiar surroundings of your cruise ship.

Gemma Given

The summer sales are now starting and it’s not just clothing sales that have the best bargains, if you’ve not booked a summer holiday yet then now’s the time to check out the summer holiday sales and find yourself a bargain for a great holiday.

A cruise holiday is a great way to get away, from families, couples, groups to solo travellers, there’s something for everyone to hundreds of destinations around the world.

If you want to get away with the family this summer a 7 or 14 night cruise around the Mediterranean has plenty to offer for every on to enjoy with plenty of stops at destinations such as Majorca, Tunisia, Italy, France, and Spain. Another great choice if you want a family fun holiday then a stay on a Disney Cruise ship is just what you need. The little ones can enjoy the magic of the Disney Magic cruise ship whilst you enjoy a Europe Cruise.

For those who want to have an action packed holiday full of fun and excitement then have a look at taking a cruise such as a Las Vegas Stay and Hawaii Cruise, spending time in Sin City before moving on to California to start your Hawaiian cruise.  A Miami stay and Caribbean Cruise also has plenty to offer with a stay in one of the US party capitals before setting off and enjoying the best the Caribbean has to offer stopping off at amazing destinations such as Antigua, St Lucia, Barbados, St Kitts and St Thomas.

There are also great destinations for couples looking for some romance with great cruise deals available in the summer sales to destinations such as Dubai with a stay and cruise, the Red Sea Stay and Cruise and a Grand Panama Cruise, great to get away and enjoy some fabulous sights.

Gemma Given

Most people like a little luxury when going on holiday, after all you save up all this money for your break away you might as well do it in style and one of the most luxurious and stylish holidays are cruise holidays.

Some cruise lines offer 5*+ luxury which includes pent house suites, personal dining and butler service and a divine selection of food, not to mention visiting some of the most beautiful and scenic places in the world. If you take a cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas and book into their Loft Suite you won’t be disappointed, with its 1,524 sq feet of luxurious living for up to six people, as well as an 843 sq foot balcony, indoor and outdoor dining rooms that seat up to eight people, a master bedroom on the mezzanine floor that has views out to sea.

Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Jade offers you an amazing stay in one of their Garden Villas which are bigger than many apartments and come with three double bedrooms, each with their own bathrooms, TVs and DVDs. There’s also plenty of space as the apartments are 5,750 sq feet and room enough to entertain 100 guests in the living room, you also get a butler to serve al fresco breakfasts and pre-dinner hors d’oeuvres, as well as a hot tub in the garden where you can cool off with views out to sea, what could be better?

If you fancy feeling like royalty during your holiday than a cruise with Cunard will be what you need, their Queen Mary 2 offers their Queens Grill Duplex suites which are 2,249 sq feet over two levels. Downstairs you will find a living room, a dining room and guest bathroom and the upstairs comprises of the master bedroom and bathrooms. In the Queens Grill Duplex suites you also get service of a butler who will have champagne and strawberries to greet you and keep you stocked up on wines, spirits and canapés throughout the cruise as well as priority dining.

You can find lots of great cruise deals even if your budget won’t stretch to some of the suites mentioned above, many other cabins are also of a high standard and you will also get a high standard of service while aboard no matter what room you stay in!

Gemma Given

There are many last minute cruise holiday deals around at the moment for summer 2010, but what about next year. As with many holidays you can get just as good of a deal booking months to a year in advance as you can last minute.

There are many cruise holidays available to book for summer 2011, so for more exclusive holidays such as round the world cruise holidays such as those offered by Cunard get booked up pretty quickly so you will find for those you will have to book a year in advance. Also when a cruise line is offering holidays on new ships they too get booked up pretty quickly. When booking well in advance you get better choice of what sort of accommodations you can have, from superior rooms to those with sea views and balconies.

Cruise holidays are getting more and more popular and demand is high because they can be better value for money than your average beach holiday, including all inclusive, so its defiantly worth while booking in advance and enjoying some great cruise deals and avoiding disappointment.