No beating life on the ocean waves

JANUARY

THE CARIBBEAN

What better way to kick off 2009 than by jetting off to the Caribbean on New Year’s Day for two weeks in the sun? The ship spends the first day in Barbados with plenty of time to visit Malibu Beach for a cocktail or take a tour of the Kensington Oval cricket ground. The voyage includes stops in Trinidad, Grenada, St Lucia and Antigua.

* Island Cruises (0161 772 8622/ www.islandcruises.com) offers this 14-night Eastern Caribbean cruise aboard Island Star, departing Barbados on January 2, from £1,199pp (includes £300pp early booking discount) including flights from Heathrow.

INDIAN OCEAN

Combine game watching in Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park with snorkelling in the Seychelles and watching the colourful Hindu festival, Thaipoosam Cavadee, in Mauritius. The trip also includes visits to Madagascar with its amazing wildlife, and the island of Réunion.

* Costa Cruises (0845 351 0552/ www.costacruises.co.uk) offers this 14-night Jewels Of The Indian Ocean cruise aboard Costa Europa, departing Port Louis, Mauritius, on January 17, from £1,799pp including flights from Heathrow, Gatwick and selected regional airports.

FEBRUARY

WORLD CRUISE

No other holiday allows you to circumnavigate the globe and unpack only once. This three-month world cruise aboard Fred. Olsen’s Balmoral leaves Britain in the depths of winter and heads for the exotic cities and temples of India via the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal.

The ship will then cruise to Japan in time to see the spectacular spring blossoms. After crossing the Pacific and sailing down the West Coast of the US, Balmoral passes through the Panama Canal to the Caribbean. Passengers can book the whole 104-night cruise or just a section; Singapore to Vancouver in March is a popular leg.

* Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines (01473 742424/www.fredolsencruises.co.uk) offers the 104-night world cruise aboard Balmoral, departing Dover on February 14, from £8,883pp. A 13-night cruise from Dover and taking in Lisbon, Valletta and Alexandria costs from £899pp including return flights into Gatwick or Stansted.

SOUTH AMERICA

It is summer in South America and this 19-night luxury cruise will take passengers from the skyscrapers and samba clubs of Rio de Janeiro to the wild rocky coastline of the Falkland Islands. After rounding Cape Horn via Ushuaia, the gateway to Antarctica, the ship will then cruise through the dramatic waterways of the Chilean Fjords as it makes its way north to Valparaiso.

* Voyana Cruise (0800 970 4509/ www.voyanacruise.com) offers this 19-night South American Splendours cruise aboard Oceania’s ship Insignia, departing Rio de Janeiro on February 16, from £2,899pp (includes current 50 per cent discount) including return flights from Heathrow.

MARCH

RED SEA

Visit Jordan’s Lost City of Petra, the Pyramids near Cairo and sample the healing waters of the Dead Sea during this week-long cruise. The heat and dust will soon be forgotten as visitors stand awed by the temples of Luxor and the Valley of the Kings or go camel trekking. The Red Sea’s dazzling blue waters also offer some of the best scuba diving in the world. There is a £190 per person early booking discount available.

* Thomson Cruises (0871 231 3240/www.thomson.co.uk/cruise) offers this seven-night Red Sea Magic cruise aboard Thomson Spirit, departing Sharm el Sheikh on March 26, from £699pp (discount included) including departures from Gatwick, Birmingham or Manchester.

CLASSICAL MUSIC TOUR

Cruise along the Danube visiting the birthplace of Mozart in Salzburg and see a performance of one of his operas in Grein on this new classical music-themed cruise. Two days will be spent in Vienna where passengers can enjoy the great symphony orchestras and concert venues and stroll the streets that inspired Strauss, Schubert and Beethoven. Clarinetist Michael Collins and the Linden Trio will be among the artists performing on board every evening.

* Viking River Cruises (020 8780 7984/www.vikingrivercruises.co.uk) offers this eight-night Music In Motion cruise on Viking Europe, departing Passau on March 21, from £1,195pp (includes £300pp discount valid until October 31) for an outside lower-deck cabin and flights from Heathrow.

APRIL

EASTER IN THE CANARY ISLANDS

With 13 decks of activities and entertainment, including a rock-climbing wall, mini-golf and several pools, children will have the time of their lives on this Easter cruise, leaving parents to relax in the sun.

The dates coincide with the school holidays and the ship spends two days in the Canary Islands, where families can explore the colonial city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, windsurf in the trade winds off Lanzarote or chill out on the endless beaches. The markets of Marrakech are a day trip from Casablanca in Morocco and the ship also stops in southern Spain.

* Royal Caribbean International (0845 165 8330/www.royalcaribbean.co.uk) offers this 10-night Canary Islands and Morocco cruise aboard Brilliance Of The Seas, departing Barcelona on April 10, from £893pp including departures from Gatwick.

TRANSATLANTIC

This one-off itinerary sees Ocean Village move from its winter home in the Caribbean to the Mediterranean for the summer season, giving the chance to visit two regions in one holiday with a relaxing break in between.

The ship calls at three Caribbean islands before turning east for sea days, when passengers will have plenty of time to enjoy the Karma Spa or dine at celebrity chef James Martin’s on-board bistro. Finally the ship docks near the Gothic cathedral of Palma de Mallorca in time for some last-minute sightseeing before flying home.

* Ocean Village (0845 358 5000/www.oceanvillageholidays.co.uk) offers this 12-night Passage To Palma cruise aboard the original Ocean Village, departing Barbados on April 21, from £979pp including return flights from Gatwick.

MAY

THE NORWEGIAN FJORDS

Mighty mountains, silent waterways and colourful villages; the Norwegian Fjords are some of Europe’s most stunning landscapes and they’re best enjoyed in spring and summer. In just seven nights, this cruise takes in the highlights, including sailing through the majestic waterways of the Sognefjord and Nordfjord and visiting Stavanger, Flaam and Bergen, with its pretty wooden houses clinging to the hillside. There is currently a 45 per cent early booking discount available on this sailing.

* P&O Cruises (08453 555333/www.pocruises.co.uk) offers this seven-night Fjords itinerary aboard Oceana, departing Southampton on May 9, from £711pp (discount included).

THE MEDITERRANEAN

With the QE2 retiring in December, enthusiasts need not despair. Its itineraries are being picked up by new ship Queen Victoria, which starts its first Mediterranean season from Southampton this month. This 14-night holiday takes in some of Western Europe’s most fascinating cities, including Santiago de Compostela, Barcelona and Rome as well as the glitz and glamour of Cannes. Fortunately there are several sea days in between for resting sore feet and brushing up on the lingo for the next exciting port.

* Cunard (0845 071 0300/www.cunard.co.uk) offers this 14-night Mediterranean Treasures cruise aboard Queen Victoria, departing Southampton on May 6, from £1,549pp.

JUNE

VENICE TO ISTANBUL

This small luxury cruise line will launch its latest ship in suitably glamorous surroundings. Seabourn Odyssey’s maiden voyage begins in Venice and makes its way around the beautiful cities and islands of the Adriatic. Visitors can stroll the red-stone streets of Dubrovnik, study the ancient sites of Athens and marvel at Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, while relaxing on some Greek islands along the way. There is currently a 10 per cent early booking discount available on this sailing.

* Yachts Of Seabourn (0845 070 0500/www.seabourn.com) offers this 14-night Venice to Istanbul cruise aboard Seabourn Odyssey, departing Venice on June 24, from £5,927pp (with discount), including flights from Heathrow and inbound flights to Gatwick.

UK AND IRELAND

Rocky cliffs and rolling green meadows, medieval castles and quaint harbour towns; the British and Irish coasts have it all. With a different port each day and no lengthy periods at sea, this cruise is a leisurely celebration of the British Isles, taking in the Channel Islands, Isles of Scilly, Dublin and the Scottish islands. The ship will also call at the Isle of Man in time for the final day of its 100-year-old TT motorcycle event.

* Saga (0800 056 5880/www.saga.co.uk/travelshop) offers this 14-night Treasures Of Britain And Ireland cruise on board Saga Rose, departing Dover on June 8, from £2,901pp.

** Prices are based on two people sharing a cabin on an all-inclusive basis, unless otherwise stated.