The appeal of modern day cruises
Cruises
There was a time when people would jump at the opportunity of going on a beach holiday to such popular destinations as Alicante or further a field to somewhere like Majorca. However, now for the average Brit going on a cruising holiday has a certain appeal to it. Especially, if the cruise can be tied in with a special occasion such as a honeymoon. People have found it makes more sense to capitalise on cruise deals, rather than a package holiday deal. This can be due to a variety of reasons, but mostly down to the accumulative costs of beach holidays. Currently, Celebrity cruises are a highly preferred choice for competitive prices. If you go on a cruising holiday, most of the cost of the holiday is covered in the tickets and many companies may even give you free spending money whilst you’re onboard. Thus, selecting such a holiday, and going for luxury cruises (as even with the current economic downturn, people are still finding them affordable) is proving a very attractive alternative to the beach package holiday. But, if one wants to combine the best of both worlds land, sea and beach it’s still possible. MSC cruises offer destinations where this is possible, and even offer artificial environments on their fleets. Now, is a great time for cruise deals so make sure you shop around, and ask if the cruise operators give discounts to large groups or throw in anything special for honeymooners.
Celebrity Millenium at night
“The ship was very impressive. It was spacious, very clean and throughout our stay staff were constantly cleaning, polishing and maintaining it to a high standard. Our cabin was lovely, with a full-sized comfortable bed, wardrobes and most of the facilities you would expect in a modern hotel room.” - Merchant, Bradford On Avon on 20th Apr 2009 (MSC Cruises)
Cruise deals
It’s not to say that everyone is ditching the standard beach package holiday, as this still has its place amongst UK holiday makers. Depending on how much disposable income people have for holidays, they may go on both types in any one year. But, the increase in going on a cruising holiday shows that people are diversifying and wanting to have different experiences on their holidays. In fact, many cruises can offer holiday makers so much in such a short space of time. It’s possible to really have all the experiences of land, sea and on the beach on a cruise. Fred Olsen cruises realizes the importance of maximizing their passengers’ experience, and so offer plenty of things to keep people entertained onboard. The pace you take whilst cruising, is entirely in your hands. Many are quite content with just relaxing and absorbing the calmness of the open ocean. Many want cruises to be action packed and a much higher octane filled adventure. This can certainly be fulfilled with the many sporting and leisure activities such as rock climbing, ice skating and volleyball. More and more ships are becoming state of the art. NCL cruises also have a great fleet, and 2010 is set to see a fantastic new ship join their fleet. For the best available cruise deals it’s recommended to book as far as in advance as possible, But, searching for last minute deals is also a good way to get a bargain.
On deck of Pride of America - NCL Cruise
“After reading many bad reviews about the Braemar, we were quite apprehensive before going on our cruise. I would like to say to all those people who wrote those reviews that we thought the Braemar was great !!! A top class cruise the food was very good, the entertainment and the staff friendly and the cabins were fine with adequate wardrobe space.” - Jeffrey, Aylesbury on 18th Apr 2009 (Fred. Olsen Cruises)
Making the most of your sea adventure
Cruises can give great piece of mind to travellers who don’t like flying. Although, there are a great deal of cruising holidays that do require a flight to be taken, there are many which depart from a UK port and return you back to England without you having to take a flight anywhere. This for many fearful flyers is a great incentive to go on a cruising holiday and will certainly settle their travelling fears. Cruise deals, whether they be online or perhaps with a travel agency, can make for a great proposition. If you do have a fear of flying, it’s not recommended that Caribbean cruises be selected, especially if it’s your first time cruising. As these kinds of holiday excursions usually involve flying. If you are making the transition from a package holiday towards going on a cruise ship holiday then it’s advisable to do some research before committing to anything. Information on cruises can be found by looking at the search engines. What’s more, there are websites with a whole cruising community offering opinions, advice and tips for people contemplating such holidays. I found many great reviews on the web for P&O cruises, which probably have the best reputation in Europe for providing high quality cruise trips and offering superb cruise deals for many of their vessels. And the reviews online I found reiterated this very fact, and what’s more they have some very enticing new routes planned for the next few years.
P&O Ventura - Oasis Spa & Pool - Deck 16
“Our cabin was very nice, and had quite abit of storage space. The entertainment was very varied, and we enjoyed the resident dancers and singers. Our favorite act was the Everly Brothers show who were great. They bought back some wonderful memories for us. There was plenty to do during the day, and we will certainly cruise again with P&0 next year.” - Harris, Brisbane on 28th Apr 2009 (P&O Cruises)
Getting the most out of the weather
Cruises can be fantastic for getting that golden tan we all aim for. But, what if the weather turns grey on your holiday? Fear not, many cruise ship vessels provide solariums so you can top your tan up. This is certainly an added advantage, of going on cruising holidays. However, this is not the only service cruise ships offer. To feel truly pampered, why not take advantages of the spas/massage services. Cruise deals can factor in such treatments, but please be aware you may have to pay extra for such services. For advice, whatever kind of cruiser you may be, Royal Caribbean cruises offer informative, clear suggestions and facts about what to expect. If you are using a travel agent, make sure you avoid any awkward scenarios, but asking the travel agent what extras you have to pay for. Usually you can pay with dollars onboard, so be sure you change enough. Cruises have become cheaper over the last decade and the market has become extremely competitive. This is great for consumers, as they can really shop around and find a holiday bespoke to where they want to go. On the slightly higher end are Cunard cruises, which bring their prestigious super liners to the seas. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can’t find offers and cruise deals with these kinds of companies, as it is all dependant on how prepared you are to really search the market. Also, don’t be afraid to ask for discounts!
Royal Caribbean’s Mariner of the Seas
“The staff are wonderful, never enough trouble for them to help, always smiling, treat all passengers with respect. Waiter service was excellent! Overall the ship was very beautiful, kept extremely clean, nothing left to chance. Laundry facilities could be better. Very little you could say if you really wanted to ‘pick’. We would recommned it to anyone. Wonderful!” - Cooper-Orpe, Derby on 22nd Apr 2009 (Cunard Cruises)
For more information Contact Cruises.co.uk
| URL | Cruises.co.uk | |
| Email: | contactus@cruise.co.uk | |
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