Royal Caribbean International has always been a cruise company with big plans. The company has released two new ships: Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas and nothing can compare to be bigger than these.

They both weigh a whopping 225,000 tons and can easily carry up to 5,400- They are currently the largest cruise ships afloat.

Royal Caribbean Cruises has also pushed the boundaries of cruise innovation over the past 25 years, being the first to introduce atriums which are found on most modern ships today. Not to mention the huge variety of entertainment features such as ice rinks, water parks, rock walls, zip line, and carousels. The Night time entertainment is also spectacular!

Cruising with Royal Caribbean isn’t the best for the faint-hearted; however, due to their size, you should be able to find a quiet corner somewhere without a problem.

The cabins on the newer ships are incredibly spacious and are continuing to grow, with most fitted with large sliding windows and even balconies!

The food, is mouth-wateringly good and has numerous venues across the ship ranging from dress-up to dress-down so you are sure to find something that fits your tastes.

Even though the cruises on offer are spectacular, you still need to do your homework to ensure that you pick a cruise to suit you!

Royal Caribbean International strives to produce fun-filled and entertainment-focused cruises, suited to all ages; however specifically more suited to those in the 30s to 50s age range. The type of vacation it offers fits everyone from: families and couples to singles looking for an affordable, value for money get away. The cruises have a variety of destinations including: the Caribbean and Alaska from North America and Europe and Canary Islands accessible year round from Southampton on

For those who like to escape the UK when they go on holiday, why not try a cruise holiday? Cruise holidays are no longer reserved for retirees or those with lots of money, in fact many cruise lines are actively focusing on families, couples and even solo travellers now. There are so many different cruise holidays available now, you will be able to find something to suit your travelling needs.

Those looking for love: If you want to spend your holiday with the one you love, whether it’s for your honeymoon, anniversary or just because, then you cruise holiday on a smaller ship maybe what you’re looking for. Even the major cruise lines offer cruises on smaller, more intimate lines that visit destinations all over the world. On-board you will receive a more personal service and won’t feel overwhelmed by a large number of travellers, perfect for a romantic holiday.

A Family affair: Over recent years, major cruise lines have also started reaching out to families as a target audience; larger vessels such as Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas have found a way to target all travellers including families, by providing a whole range of activities on board to keep everyone, of every age happy. Full childcare programmes are also offered on board many ships so if parents want a break then they can have one safe in the knowledge their children are being looked after by trained personnel. Other lines, such as the Disney Cruise line specifically look towards providing entertainment for families and are ideal for younger children and even adults, enchanted by the magic of Disney.

Cruise holidays aren’t only defined by the cruise ship, thy are also defined by the destinations they go to, no other holiday offers you the opportunity  to hope around country to country with such ease, visiting top destinations. When docked you jump back onto dry land and explore the ports, you can also enjoy guided tours provided by the cruise line, where you can enjoy learn about the area you have stopped in, enjoy exotic cuisine, and interact with people of different ethnicities. You can enjoy all this without having to worry about how you get there and back, and how you get around, because with a cruise holiday all this is done for you.

You would think that a cruise holiday would be an expensive affair, considering all you get, however there are lots of great cheap cruises available, so you don’t have to stretch your wallet if you don’t want to, however if you do have the cash to flash, well then that opens up a whole another cruise holiday experience………

Cunard is a name famous for luxury cruising, which is not surprising considering  its luxurious ships have be sailing across the Atlantic and around the world for 180 years.

The world’s newest fleet of ships follows in the wake of the greatest ocean-liners including: Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth and her successor the QE2. There is debate as to whether or not the new line-up can compare against the elegance and success of its spectacular ancestors. There is no doubt however, that cruising with Cunard still matches up to that original quality. This is probably why cruise holidays are gaining popularity year on year.

The three ships (150,000 ton Queen Mary 2, 90,000 ton Queen Victoria and 92,000 ton Queen Elizabeth) are modern ocean liners which capture practically as well as all of today’s state-of-the-art comforts and amenities. Cunard favors expensive, classy décor and most definitely cannot be described as ‘tacky’ unlike some of the other modern ships from other cruise companies.

Cunard still upholds the classic traditions of the grand ocean voyage. Believing that the journey should be even more magnificent than the destination, Cunard provides a wide range of comfortable and spacious rooms, all with flat screen TVs and tea-making facilities, as well as all the other technologies which you would expect.  The boats provide a huge variety of dining options, with restaurants allocated according to cabin grade.

Cunard also pushes the boat out when it comes to entertainment, with activities ranging from exiting shows to nightclubs, lounges and pubs with karaoke- for those excellent singers amongst you. Children are no longer a hassle as Cunard also ensures that the kids are well catered for. The dress code varies from smart casual to black tie emphasizing the classiness of the trip.

In conclusion, Cunard provides Elegant days, glamorous nights. On a typical seven-night cruise you can expect three formal evenings, two semi-formal evenings and two elegant casual evenings. The cruise is suited for all ages and if a relaxing night is what you’re after, why not leave your children with are top nannies, sit back, let your hair down and relax? There are a variety of destinations that the ships travel to including: Mediterranean, Baltic and Norwegian Fjords, Caribbean, transatlantic and world cruises. Most ships sail out from Southampton, located in the UK.  There are a lot of cruise deals available, so all of this can be provided to you from prices as low as £399 ranging to around £131,499! What a bargain!

Cunard Fleet

There were some notable ‘large’ winners and ‘small’ winners in the first Cruise Critic Awards, the larger winner was the largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas which came out as a surprise winner after receiving rave reviews from travellers.

When Royal Caribbean launched the Oasis of the Sea’s two years ago to much fan fare, of it being the largest ever liner, many people believed travelling on a ship this size with so many passengers would be unpopular. However the vessel has proved critics wrong gaining recognition for best cabins, dining, embarkation, entertainment, value, fitness and public rooms as well as best large ship overall. It is also fast becoming a popular choice for Caribbean cruises amongst seasoned cruisers.  The 225,282-ton vessel was frequently given a rating of five or five plus rosettes, which is the highest accolade given by passengers, who described the record-breaking ship as ‘awesome’ and ‘wonderful’.

However it’s not only the large cruise ship which dominated the awards, Azamara , which has two ships, Journey and Quest, which take 694 passengers, received a higher review over all, scoring 5.3 from cruisers, more than the Oasis of the Seas 5.0. Azamara offers more overnights and longer stays at their ports of call compared to larger cruise lines. The Journey won the best ship accolade and was nominated in six other categories, with Quest following closely behind. Both ships scored highly for shore excursions, service and dining.

Affordable cruise lines also came out on top with Thomson’s ship the Spirit coming out on top in the mid-sized category. The vessel was voted the best overall, coming out on top for dining, entertainment, value, and service and shore excursions. This is good news for Thomson Cruises who have recently announced that they would once again be sailing from a number of UK regional ports in summer 2012 after taking a three-year hiatus.

Going on any type of holiday now can be very expensive, so to get the best deal you should always be prepared to do some research first, the same applies to cruise holidays. Many people think that cruise holidays are expensive, only something that the rich or retired can afford to do, however you will find that many cruise lines have affordable cruise holidays available no matter what your budget.

Like other types of holidays, if you search around on the internet, there is a good chance you will be able to find the best cruise deals, it’s not always best just to book through a travel agent as the prices in store are normally a lot higher than they are online. Booking online now is also a lot easier and safer, plus many cruise lines have help lines in place, to help you with any queries you may have.

There are other ways to also get a better deal for your cruise holiday; firstly booking at the right time of year high season tends to run around school holidays and bank holidays so it’s advisable to steer away from these times if you can to save money. Some destinations further afield tend to have warmer temperatures out of season, so if you want a sun holiday then destinations such as the US, Asia and Caribbean are places to look out for. If you just want to experience a cruise and are not too bothered about stopping off at numerous ports then you could always book onto a repositioning cruise, which is where a cruise ship moves from one destination to another at the end of season. Repositioning cruises tend to spend most of the time at sea and you need to get to the departing destination, however you will still get to experience the full cruise experience at a fraction of the cost.

Whatever cruise holiday you fancy embarking on, one thing is for sure, if you shop around you will find the best deals, for what may be for some a holiday of a lifetime.

Cruise ships seem to be getting bigger and bigger with plenty of larger cruise ships been launched recently such as Oasis and Allure of the Seas and Norwegian Epic and now P&O get in on the action with plans for their own mega cruise ship.

Currently the ship is unnamed however it will be costing around £340 million to build and will be able to carry 3,611 passengers. It won’t be as big as its massive rivals, but will be the biggest for the company, weighing in around 141,000-tonne, which is less than the largest cruise ship, Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas at 225,282 tones. However it will be the largest cruise ship designed for the British market.

If you fancy a cruise on the new P&O vessel you still have a bit of a wait, it’s not due to be launched until March 2015. Although P&O Cruises promises the ship will ‘offer a stylish and innovative new design and an unprecedented number of passenger facilities.’ So it will be worthwhile for keeping an eye out and getting on a waiting list for the launch.

Managing director Carol Marlow said: ‘This next-generation ship will deliver the ultimate P&O Cruises experience, with ‘sophisticated wows’ and new features to attract thousands of newcomers to our brand.’

Although the ship will have a British theme, it won’t be built here in the UK, instead it will be by Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, which is the company behind Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth and world-renowned cruise brands Silversea, Holland America and Oceania.

If you can’t wait to travel on the new P&O vessel you could always book a trip on the new Disney, MSC, Carnival, Costa and Celebrity Cruises, cruise ships which are all launching new ships!

As we have mentioned before, P&O have a new addition to their fleet, the Adonia, which was recently christened by Dame Shirley Bassey, which brings their number of ships to an impressive seven. All offer a wide range of different facilities so you can easily find a cruise holiday to match your travel needs.  P&O have been offering cruise holidays to destinations all around the world for more than a hundred years and they offer a more traditional style of cruising for the discerning passenger.

The P&O ships offer varying cruise experiences, whether for families, couples or solo travellers however one thing they all have in common is an exceptional service and attention to detail.  They also offer plenty of activities, which seem to be standard now on many modern cruise ships, such as; theatres, nightclubs, casinos, swimming pools, libraries, shops, cinemas, internet cafés and spa experiences. It’s not just entertainment that scores high when it comes to passengers’, the choice of food available on the P&O ships is also second to none, with celebrity chefs offering a hand in the dining experience, like Marco Pierre White, Gary Rhodes and Atul Kochhar.

All the ships vary in size, from the Adonia which holds, 710 passengers to the Ventura which can hold 3,078 passengers, which means if you like small and intimate cruise holidays, or busy bustling cruise holidays, or somewhere in between, P&O have plenty of choice for you.

On Saturday, Welsh Icon, Dame Shirley Bassey christened the latest addition to the P&O cruises fleet, the Adonia. She christened the vessel in traditional form, by smashing a bottle of champagne (Balfour Brut Rose, an English pink sparkling wine) into the Adonia’s Hull.

As part of the christening, and her godmother duties Dame Shirley also sang to the guests on board, singing her classic hit, ‘Diamonds Are Forever’, which was followed by a firework display in Southampton Docks. She also spoke about being Godmother to the ship, saying: “I’m really excited I’ve been a godmother to children but never to a ship.”

Also at the christening was Down Town Abbey start Hugh Bonneville, who made a speech to the 500 guests on board about the classical myth of the goddess Venus and her young lover Adonis and the festival of Adonia, which the ship takes its name from.

Hugh Bonneville stated: “When Adonis died, Venus beat her breast, weeping over the loss of her beloved. It is said a two-day festival of Adonia was begun in honor of his passing. On the first day all was toil, wailing and tribulation. On the second day, joy, celebration and rebirth. Well, the toil of preparing this splendid vessel is over. Today we celebrate her rebirth as she begins her new life on the high seas.”

The Adonia is the smallest ship in the P&O fleet, holding a maximum of just 710 guests, with 75% of the rooms having balconies. The ship will begin sailing this month, with numerous cruise deals available.

P&O Adonia

Picture courtesy of eastleighbusman

There are many different ways to travel around the USA and Canada, you can do fly drive holidays, where you can take to some of those famous routes seen in movies, or take the classic Amtrak trains across the states and finally take a cruise holiday that stops at some famous city ports. We are going to look at taking a cruise holiday that takes you round Canada and New England taking in some of the highlights of the North East.

Route 66

Picture courtesy of Chuck “Caveman” Corker

On a cruise around this area you get to see real contrasting landscapes from the bright, light cities of Montreal, Boston and New York to unassuming and traditional ports of Halifax, Nova Scotia and Portland, Maine as well as the rugged coastline on the way around where you can take in the best nature has to offer. It’s not often you can easily take in major cities such as these with such ease, many of the major cruise lines offer North America East Coast cruises which include the USA and Canada routes mentioned above, which means you can also travel in style with some of the most prestigious cruise lines or comfortable for a great price with others. There are many great cruise deals for this area, so you should find something to fit your budget.

You don’t have to worry about where your next meal comes from as cruise ships offer a wide range of restaurants that offer different cuisines, no matter the size of the vessel. Most importantly you don’t have to worry about getting places because that is taken care of, as well as excursions and organised tours of ports. There are also plenty of activities available onboard whether you want to be active or you want to relax in your free time.

The time of year when you travel and vary what you see on your cruise holiday, during the summer months the major ports will be busy with tourists and travellers, just out of season in early spring and early winter, you will find less people however the weather is not brilliant and can be quite cold, well freezing. The most popular time to visit this region is autumn time, a noted time of year, especially for New England when its stunning scenery starts to change from summer greens into rich coppers, reds and gold. It’s popular with tourists, but it is well worth it for photographs and you still find that the weather can be pleasant during the day, although expect cold nights. Plus New York before the mad Christmas rush is also pleasant and it means you can nicely fit in some sightseeing and shopping.

New England

Picture courtesy of pdbreen

If you have never been on a cruise holiday, you should consider doing so in the future.  Talk with family members or friends who have done this before or do it on a regular basis, as they can be very helpful in the decision making process.  However, if you are making the decision on your own, here are some suggestions for choosing the ideal cruise for your holiday.

Consider your options – are you travelling solo, as a couple, or with your children?  For instance, if it is a family holiday, check with the different cruise lines in order to determine who has the best activities available for you and your children.

Book a cruise that offers adult activities if it is just for you and your spouse or significant other – many activities such as casino gaming, exercise rooms, games on deck, and swimming pools are still common these days.

Entertainment is a key option – make sure that the entertainment options offered on the holiday cruise that you are considering is something you will enjoy.  Comedy concerts, movies, musicals, parties, and stage shows are the more popular events.

Check the cruise itinerary before you decide on the cruise you want to take – this will tell you what the cruise deals before you decide to book it.  Remember to be very thorough when you are searching the different cruises that are available on the internet.  Additonally, the values will be better since you do not have to pay a commission for a travel agent’s services.