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.

A visit to the Baltic capitals will be no ordinary holiday, the Baltic is a fascinating and captivating region steeped in history with so much to explore and unearth. With a cruise holiday you will get to cross the waves of the Baltic ocean that were once ruled by the mighty Vikings and where great wars were fought by the surrounding countries each vying for control of this great ocean.

You can experience some of the many cultures in Europe and enjoy magnificent scenery as you travel from city to city on a Baltic cruise. Setting off from the UK your first stop is the Danish city of Copenhagen recognised by its dominating skyline as you approach, Copenhagen as with most cities in the Baltic has some of Europe’s most fascinating Architecture and Copenhagen is also one of Europe’s greenest cities. From here you will set out on a cruise exploring many of the wonderful cities the Baltic ocean has to offer such as Gothenburg, Helsinki, St Petersburg, Oslo, Riger, Stockholm and Tallin enjoy the culture, explore each cities history and soak into the atmosphere of each destination.

Different itineraries also offer the chance to explore less discovered destinations along the way, small ports where hanseatic merchants once traded, with quaint centuries-old fishermen’s houses, winding streets and local charm. With so much to see its difficult to decide where to start, there are many great cruise deals that off many different itineraries so all you have to decide is what you want to see first, then book another one next year to start exploring more of this great region.

Boat setting sail into the Baltic Ocean

Picture courtesy of MarvinSiefke

Norway which is known as the Land of the Midnight Sun has 24 hour daylight during the summer which means you can enjoy its natural beauty and unspoiled landscapes all day long. A cruise holiday is great way to take in all this breathtaking scenery as you travel along the West coast into the deep Fjords that are sliced in between magnificent mountain ranges. Passing older traditional villages where Viking Long ships once docked, immersing you in its fascinating history.

For this cruise you will never be out of sight of land unlike many others passing some of the world’s most dramatic landscapes like The North Cape which is one of the main features in some of these cruises. Barley 1,000 mile from the North Pole North Cape has outstanding views of the landscape with sheer cliffs rising 300 meters out of the Adriatic Ocean. You can enjoy the hustle and bustle of some of the busiest port including the port of Bergen to Tromso and Honningsvaag where you can explore the history of the towns.

Recently added to the UNESCO World Heritage List Norway has so much to offer and a cruise holiday is the perfect way to take it all in from the rolling green meadowland, to idyllic villages and welcoming towns as well as the crystal-clear waters surrounded by snow-covered peaks and gleaming glaciers. Passing outstanding waterfalls which cannot be seen from land and experience all that it has to offer.

Many cruise lines offer great cruise deals to this beautiful region and is defiantly worth a summer trip with so much history to take in as you travel around in luxury.

Norway

Picture courtesy of Michael Gwyther-Jones

Many people who often think about taking a cruise to warmer climes often opt for the blue oceans of the Caribbean and taking in the delights of the Mexican Rivera, Dominica, Panama and other tropical delights. Often forgotten as a cruise destination is Hawaii, a great destination that offers a great combination of sun, sea, sand and paradisiacal tropical temperatures.

Many of the cruise holidays offered are generally around 14 nights departing and returning to Los Angeles, California with days spent visiting the small Hawaiian Islands of Hilo, Honolulu, Nawiliwili and Lahaina as well as Ensenada in Mexico.

Because Hawaii is situated in the middle of the Pacific Ocean the islands are quite isolated from the outside world making for a very relaxed atmosphere and gentle pace of life and taking a cruise is a great way to see what Hawaii has to offer whilst enjoying the comfort and luxury of the accommodation.

You can spend a day on each island enjoying the many activities available, or simply relaxing on the beach drink in hand taking in the natural beauty of your surroundings. You can take a trip flying over these beautiful islands and look at the vast volcanic craters or dare to ascent to the summit of Haleakala on Maui. There is also so much Hawaiian folk law to enjoy like their famous luau or trying some hula or surf lessons.

For a relaxing and energising break away Hawaii has some much to offer everyone from couples to families, enjoying a breakaway here also won’t break your bank balance with many great cruise deals to this superb destination.

Hilo, Hawaii

Picture courtesy of Justin Donnelly

The 116,000-ton liner, aimed for extravagant cruise holidays of heyday which sets sail for the Mediterranean was launched by its godmother Prima ballerina Darcey Bussell at a lavish Southampton event, hosted by broadcaster Trever McDonald featured a dance theme celebration in honor of the cruise ship’s three dance floors. They showed clips from the most memorable dance sequences in film history on the ship’s giant pool-side screen with a fireworks display follow after for the 1,200 guests.

Managing director of P&O Cruises, Carol Marlow said “Azura had been designed for the line’s ‘heartland’ customers. Azura has three magnificent dance floors, so with dancing a real feature, Darcey was a natural choice.” Miss Bussell also added, “This is a wonderful event because I am able promote the best of dance within one evening. It’s wonderful that P&O is carrying on that theme from the old films where dance was so important.”

The Azure which has departed on its maiden voyage to the Mediterranean can carry more than 3,000 passengers will return on April 28. So it’s a good time to start looking for cruise deals for a once in a life experience on this great ship.

Depending on where in the world you go and who with you will find that there are two ways in which you start your cruise holiday. Firstly you can go to the airport, fly to your starting destination and then start your cruise holiday, which is great if per say you are not scared of flying but not so great if you are! For those who are scared of flying or cannot be bothered with all the hassle of the airport you can choose to start your cruise holiday from any number of UK ports to a number of destinations from around the world.

Some plus sides to flying to the destination to start your cruise is it cuts out a lot of travelling at sea especially transatlantic to say the Caribbean and more of your actual holiday days spent enjoying your destination. However you do have go through all the formalities of air travel before you even really start your holiday with the queuing at check-in and at the security as well as waiting around in the lounge, more queuing at the gate then you get to sit for hours in a cramped plane before, you guessed it more queuing at baggage reclaim once out you get on a coach finally reach the port then you can board your ship. Sounds like a lot and it is really plus the added stress of possible delays yet this way to start your cruise is what most people choose.

You can sail from UK ports to everywhere (slight exaggeration) like New York and New England, Greenland and the Arctic, Venice and Africa to name but a few still with the same great cruise deals you find with other cruise holidays.

A cruise holiday is not just set for older couples many cruise lines are now catering for younger couples and families, one magical cruise line for those with young children is Disney Cruise Line, as you can guess from their name you know you will have lots for your children to enjoy and there is also plenty for you parents to enjoy as well.

A Disney cruise offer fun from the moment you step onboard, you get to meet your favourite Disney characters and get stuck into all the onboard activities including wacky game shows and karaoke, they also offer onboard organised children’s activities which start at 9am and run up to midnight for all ages. This means you parents can have a break for the day and enjoy time in the adult’s only areas, where you can enjoy wine tasting or cookery classes, as well as being pampered.

Disney Wonder

Picture courtesy of wsh1266

There is also a great dining experience on the Disney cruises where they offer a unique rotating dining experience here the whole family is treated to a great meal in one of three separately themed restaurants where you are served by your own personal waiting staff each evening. If you want an evening on your own without your children, adults can also enjoy a more intimate dining experience in the cruise ships more sophisticated over 18’s restaurants.
To finish off your evenings the Disney cruise ships offer great evening entertainment for the whole family such as a new- release movie or Broadway-style show. You can also leave your kid supervised in one of the clubs while you enjoy over 18s entertainment area, with a choice of vibrant night clubs and soft music lounges.

There are 2 Disney cruise ships, the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder which visit destinations such as the Caribbean, Mediterranean, the Baltic and many European destinations as well as a transatlantic crossing.  So if you fancy a holiday the whole family can enjoy, why not have a look at some of the great cruise deals on the Disney cruise line.

Disney Magic cruise ship

Picture courtesy of sanctumsolitude

With other transportation suffering from a series of strikes this Easter why not get away on a cruise for the holidays leaving the misery behind? There are various cruise deals available and you can set sail from ports like Southampton, Dover and Tilbury to destinations like the USA, Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Egypt.

Whilst on board you get to experience the lap of luxury cruises have to offer with plenty of activities for the whole family to enjoy. There are also a great many excursions to enjoy whilst in port as well as lots of local culture and history to enjoy.

Oasis of the Sea

Picture courtesy of kthypryn

The great thing about cruise holidays is that you can do as much or as little as you want, so it’s a great choice for those who want to relax and also for those who like a bit of adventure. So have a look and see where you can go.

There is so many places to visit and much to see and do on the West Coast of America it can be hard to easily fit it all into one holiday, however if you take a Celebrity West Coast cruise holiday from Canada to California travelling on the luxurious cruise liner the Celebrity Millennium you get to see the best the West has to offer.

The Celebrity Millennium offers world class facilities for all to enjoy with spacious and comfortable accommodation, from stylish staterooms to stunning Penthouse suites, but with so much to do on board and so much to see when in port you will probably find you don’t spend that much time in your room. During daytime cruising there are plenty of options to spend your time onboard such as for exercise fans, High-tech fitness facilities like AquaSpa, a Swimming Pool, Paddle tennis and Golf nets and if you just like to relax and take it easy before big excursions you can unwind in the Two-tier library, the Card room, Music library, Internet café or one of the Elegant bars and lounges. In the evening there are plenty of places for you to dine from 5* restaurants to the casual dining boulevard you will never be short of places to eat.

The West Coast Cruise starts in Canada in Vancouver, British Columbia where you firstly get too enjoy the sophistication and cultural richness that it has to offer before you depart on your journey southward, after the first night of travelling you will arrive at Nanaimo and dock for the day and either enjoy some excursions or just explore the ship. The next day you can spend exploring Victoria, with its genteel ambience you can visit the Butchart Gardens or relax in one of many street cafes.

Picture courtesy of tiarescott

The next day is normally a highlight of many people taking this cruise, a day enjoying Seattle, visiting famous places such as the world-famous Space Needle and the majestic 14,410-foot active volcano Mount Rainier as well as the birthplace of Frasier, Kurt Cobain and Microsoft. After a day exploring all that Seattle has to offer you get to relax for a day at sea before you reach California and the first stop off in this state is San Francisco where you have two days to enjoy here. You can enjoy many of the great tourist attractions here such as the Golden Gate Bridge or Alcatraz and if you are partial to a bit of shopping then you stop off at Bloomingdales, Barneys, Sephora and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Picture courtesy of dherrera_96

After San Francisco you then sail by night arriving in the small, laid-back and lovely port of Monterey, where for the day you can visit numerous shops and restaurant as well as the Monterey Bay aquarium. Coming near to the end of your cruise you can stop off in Los Angles and can visit the town of Avalon which is a quaint village on Catalina Island, here you can enjoy a stroll along the colourful Pleasure Pier, which offers numerous opportunities for exploring the island’s emerald waters with world-famous glass bottom boat rides. The next day you arrive in San Diego where you have a bit of time for a look around before you leave for your flight back to the UK.

Picture courtesy of brewbooks

If you are thinking about taking a cruise holiday but would like to keep your fitness up whilst away you can find plenty of activities to do that will burn those extra calories you will be enjoying eating. Sport on cruise ships used to mean deck quoits and shuffleboard. But these days cruise lines offer a far wider range of activities.

Boxing – Some Royal Caribbean ships now have full-size boxing rings, however the nearest you get to a real punch-up is hitting the coach’s training pads, sparring with a punch bag or mirror boxing.

Gym – You will find that many cruise ships have their own on board gym fitted with the latest exercising equipment and fully qualified trainers. Some also have jogging tracks on deck however the gigantic new Oasis of the Seas has a track almost half a mile long, and Royal Caribbean offers running routes in port.

Water sports – On the Royal Caribbean’s biggest vessels they offer ‘Flowrider’ surf machines where you can get fit whilst surfing onboard the cruise ship. Smaller ships often have platforms from which you can swim, windsurf, waterski or kayak in port.

Lawn sports – Some cruise lines like Cunard and Celebrity still offer more traditional sports onboard their ships such as croquet or boules or shortened tennis on their all-weather sports courts.

So if you enjoy holidaying on cruises you can still keep fit and healthy on board with plenty of activities to help shift and weight you may put on, on board.