Caribbean could be a treat for Christmas

JULY

Northern Europe

A LONG weekend of shopping and sightseeing, luxury dining and spa treatments could be just the way to kickstart the summer especially when it’s right on your doorstep. Holland America Line has a new series of mini-cruises out of Dover or Copenhagen that take in northern France, the Channel Islands, Belgium, Norway and Holland onboard its newest ship, Eurodam. Highlights on this four-nighter are Bruges, for its chocolate and legendary beers, and pretty St Peter Port on Guernsey, with Georgian houses lining the harbour. There is currently a £100 early-booking discount on this cruise when booked by December 31.

• Holland America Line (0845 351 0557/www.hollandamerica.co.uk) offers a four-night cruise onboard Eurodam, departing Dover on July 6, from £399pp (including discount).

The Mediterranean

Another new ship launches in July from this giant of European cruising. MSC Splendida will sail its maiden voyage from Barcelona on July 13 and circuit the western Mediterranean, taking in Tunisia, Malta and the port for Rome on the way. Excursions demonstrate the variety of cultures cohabiting around the Med, from the Arabic medina in Tunis to the historic churches of the Italian Riviera. Onboard, the ship will have similar facilities to those currently wowing passengers on sister ship MSC Fantasia, including four pools, a Formula 1 Grand Prix simulator, great children’s facilities plus the premium area MSC Yacht Club. And on this sailing, it’ll all be brand new.

• MSC Cruises (0844 561 1955/www.msccruises.co.uk) offers this seven-night Mediterranean cruise on board MSC Splendid, departing Barcelona on July 13, from £880pp, including return flights from Gatwick and transfers.

AUGUST

St Petersburg

It would take weeks to do justice to the stunning architecture, opulent palaces and world-famous museums of Russia’s second city, but the two full days offered on this cruise are a great start. Most visitors head straight for Palace Square, home to the Hermitage Museum with its two-million-plus works of art.  The neighbouring Admiralty and General Staff building are equally impressive, and there are endless more palaces, castles, cathedrals and gardens to explore around the city. This cruise also visits two German ports plus Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen.

• Voyages of Discovery (01444 462150/www.voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk) offers this 14-night Baltic Capitals cruise on board MV Discovery, departing Harwich on August 13, from £1,498pp.

Alaska

Alaska is one of the wildest environments on earth with pristine glaciers, epic mountains and crystal-clear oceans. Hiking or flying over Mendenhall Glacier, following humpback whales in Stephens Passage and dog-sledding are all available from this cruise, which departs from the quirky coastal city of Seattle. As well as sailing through Alaska’s Inside Passage and Glacier Bay to admire the stunning remote scenery, the ship calls at pretty Alaskan towns Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Victoria once described by Rudyard Kipling as “Brighton pavilion with the Himalayas as a backdrop”.

• Norwegian Cruise Line (0845 658 8010/www.ncl.co.uk) offers this nine-night Alaskan Seas And Glacier Bay cruise onboard Norwegian Pearl, departing Seattle on August 22, from £1,399pp, including return flights from Heathrow and transfers.

SEPTEMBER

The Yangzte River

Autumn is a great time to visit China away from the heat of summer, the days are pleasant and sunny with cool fresh evenings. No trip to the country is complete without a few nights cruising down the mighty Yangtze River. Between Yichang and Chongqing, ships will pass dramatic mountains and remote villages, and traverse the Three Gorges, the Lesser Three Gorges and the Three Gorges Dam. The slow pace of river cruising means plenty of time to observe rural Chinese life and some truly spectacular scenery. This cruise is part of a country tour that also takes in Shanghai, Xian and ends in Beijing for the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors.

• Page & Moy (0800 043 0234/www.pageandmoy.com) offers this 13-night China Highlights holiday, departing September 19, from £2,289pp, including four nights onboard the MS East King on the Yangtze River, all accommodation for the rest of the tour, most meals, return flights from Heathrow and transfers.

Late Summer Med

September sees another high-profile ship launch in the Med, this time from Carnival Cruise Lines. Carnival Dream will have more outside deck space, more cabin categories and a bigger spa than any other ship in the Carnival fleet; and families will love the extensive water park and dance club. These sparkling new facilities will be unveiled in Rome (Civitavecchia) with an inaugural sailing around the Med before Dream heads to the Caribbean a few weeks later. Passengers can also spend days exploring Naples, Dubrovnik, Barcelona and Venice, where the ship will dock overnight.

• Carnival Cruise Lines (0845 351 0556/www.carnivalcruise.co.uk) offers this 12-night Grand Mediterranean cruise onboard Carnival Dream, departing Rome (Civitavecchia) on September 21, from £1,049pp, including return flights from Heathrow and transfers.

OCTOBER

Canada

Fall in New England and Canada is a riot of colour; copper red, burnt orange and bright yellow foliage set against the deep blue sky. This cruise is designed to make the most of this glorious season as the ship makes its way north from New York to Quebec in Canada. Hiking or driving through the 35,000-acre Acadia National Park in Maine or the Fundy National Park in New Brunswick, Canada are real treats for lovers of the great outdoors, and the view from deck of Nova Scotia’s rugged coastline with its historic lighthouses and fishing villages will warm the cockles of even the most land-loving heart. There is currently a one-category cabin upgrade plus £62 per person on-board spend available on this sailing.

• Cruise Thomas Cook (0800 916 6070/www.cruisethomascook.com) offers this 11-night Classic Canada And New England cruise on board Princess Cruises’ ship Crown Princess, departing New York on October 13, from £1,239pp, including return flights from Heathrow or Gatwick and transfers.

The Nile

There’s no better way to get to grips with ancient Egypt than on a Nile cruise. The stretch of river between Luxor and Aswan takes in key sights the Valley of the Kings, which houses Tutankhamun’s famous tomb, the Valley of the Queens and the Colossi of Memnon plus the temples of Horus and Karnak. This tour coincides with the festival at Abu Simbel temple, during which crowds gather at sunrise to watch shafts of light illuminate a statue of Pharaoh Ramses II. This act of ancient architectural egotism marks the date of his coronation and is not to be missed. The excursion costs £60 per person.

• African Safari Club (0845 3450014/www.africansafariclub.com) offers this seven-night cruise on board MS Da Vinci, departing Luxor on October 19, from £699pp, including return flights from Gatwick, transfers and 10 excursions.

NOVEMBER

Asian Adventure

With its throbbing cities, pre-colonial fishing villages and deserted white-sand beaches, Malaysia is a tropical paradise that’s best enjoyed at this time of year. Cruising its coastline and islands is a great way to observe rural Malay life and industries, while soaking up the glorious sunshine and stopping to snorkel in crystal-clear waters. This cruise starts and finishes with a night in Singapore where passengers can stock up on discounted clothes and electronic goods on the famous Orchard Road, and also visits Phuket in Thailand. There is currently a 35 per cent discount available on all bookings made before February 28.

• Tropical Sky (0870 907 9600/www.tropicalsky.co.uk) offers this five-night cruise on board SuperStar Virgo, departing Singapore on November 8, from £1,299pp (including discount), including return flights from Heathrow, transfers and one night’s hotel accommodation either side of the cruise.

Christmas Markets

Forget elbowing through the crowds on the British high streets, there are far more civilized ways to do the Christmas shopping. Come November, towns across Europe are transformed into festive fairlylands, with stalls selling everything from wooden toys and sweets to fiery liqueurs. Cologne is the Christmas shopping capital, with six major markets plus a medieval area and floating stalls on a ship in the old quarter. This cruise sails the Rhine from Mainz, calling at Speyer and Rudesheim with an overnight in Cologne. Once you’ve strolled through festive craft stands with a glass of mulled wine in your hand, battling around M&S will never seem the same again.

• Peter Dielmann Cruises (020 7436 2931/www.deilmann.co.uk) offers this four-night Christmas Rhine cruise on board MS Heidelburg, departing Mainz on November 24, from £1,095pp, including return flights from Heathrow and transfers.

DECEMBER

Down Under

The weather Down Under is at its summer best during December, and Princess Cruises offers this fantastic itinerary cruising southern Australia and New Zealand. Passengers join the ship in Sydney and head to Melbourne, where they can enjoy the fabulous restaurant scene before moving on to New Zealand via Tasmania. The snow-capped peaks and icy-blue fiords of South Island are the highlight of this cruise, and a three-day excursion takes passengers through the majestic Fiordland and Mount Cook national parks (excursion costs £630 per person including two nights’ land accommodation). After days in Christchurch, with its trendy restaurants and old-fashioned tram system, and cosmopolitan Auckland, flights return direct to the UK.

• Princess Cruises (08453 555800/www.princess.com) offers this 15-night Australia And New Zealand cruise on board Diamond Princess, departing Sydney on December 10, from £2,779pp, including return flights from Heathrow and transfers.

Caribbean

Just when it seemed cruise ships couldn’t get any bigger, Royal Caribbean International will break its own record in December with the launch of latest blockbuster Oasis Of The Seas, which will span 16 decks and be able to carry 5,400 passengers. The ship will have seven themed “neighbourhoods”, including “Boardwalk” inspired by the British seaside, the open-air “Central Park” and the ship-length “Pool and Sports Zone” with four pools and two surf simulators. The ship will sail Caribbean cruises out of Fort Lauderdale, which could combine well with a pre-Christmas holiday to Florida, and passengers on this first sailing will be part of the biggest moment yet in cruise ship history.

• Royal Caribbean International (0845 165 8330/www.royalcaribbean.co.uk) offers this seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruise on board Oasis Of The Seas, departing Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on December 12, from £2,259pp, including return flights from Heathrow, transfers and one night’s hotel accommodation.

• All prices are based on two people sharing on a full-board basis.