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Archive for the ‘Cruises’ Category

A round the world cruise holiday is defiantly a once in a lifetime trip for many and probably one of the best ways to see ‘the world’. Visiting the far flung corners of the world in un-rivalled luxury, on board massive cruise ships, which have pretty much everything you may need for such a long voyage. With swimming pools, casinos and numerous gourmet restaurants to choose from as well as many more activities for day and night, I am sure you won’t be short of anything to do and that’s not even including all the wonderful places you will get to see.

There are a couple of cruise lines which offer fantastic round the world cruises; Classic cruise line Cunard, with their regal ships off a high standard of luxury travel which offers plenty of traditions from the cruising heyday. P&O Cruises also offer round the world trips, their cruise ships might not be as regal as Cunard’s but they do offer high standards for all customers as well as a wide range of entertainment to suit any age group. Fred. Olsen like P&O offer a modern way of cruising with state of the art ships offering a wide range of services.

With a round the world cruise holiday you will be following in the footsteps of great explorers who conquered the sea’s many hundreds of years ago, obviously in much, much better conditions than they did. You will wake up each morning to a new horizon with new places to explore all without any hassle or worry about how to get there. There are not many holidays you can take, that will take you to all for corners of the world with such ease, plus cruise holidays round the world can be real value for money, especially if you take in how much it would cost to travel by air or land.

So really there is no reason not to take a round the world cruise, just make sure you have someone to water you plants for the next few months!

Fuel regulations which will be coming into effect next month could have a damaging effect on cruises to Antarctica. From August the 1st cruise ships will be banned from using heavy oil in the region, which will mean that they will have to switch to using a more expensive form of fuel.

This will cause the cost of cruises to Antarctica to rise because many cruise lines will have to pass the cost onto passengers or stop sailing to the region altogether.

At the moment heavy fuel is commonly burned by the larger cruise ships, however the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is introducing a ban on using and carrying heavy fuel in a bid to reduce the environmental impact of a potential oil leak. As of next month a switch to the more environmentally-friendly marine gas oil, will be made by all cruise ships, to the new fuel which is less polluting but more expensive.

According to tour operators, the new regulations will cost them millions of pounds extra each year and its thought that some cruise companies including Crystal, Princess, Regent Seven Seas and Oceania, will no longer offer cruises to Antarctica after dropping it from their brochures.

Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor-in-chief of CruiseCritic.co.uk says: “Antarctica used to be a once-in-a-lifetime destination and it was very popular five years ago – there weren’t so many environmental regulations at that time. But, like the Galapagos Islands, it is such a fragile environment so these new regulations are good news for Antarctica. The bad news is that prices are going to go up for passengers.”

Speaking about the future of cruising, Ms Spencer Brown says the old style of cruising in large ships will be replaced with trips in smaller, more environmentally-friendly ships that are already using marine gas oil, offered by companies such as Lindblad Expeditions, Abercrombie & Kent and Polar Cruises.

She added: “The old style of taking people into Antarctica was on board huge cruise ships that were so big they couldn’t get in close to the ice. Passengers never got off the ship. The smaller ships can pull up anchor and let people on to the ice. Passengers learn about the environment from specialist guides and are offered experiences such as kayaking around ice floes on such trips. It is the end of cruising in the Antarctic as we know it now but it’s not the end of cruising in the Antarctic – it’s going to be more expensive but more authentic and rewarding.”

When you are looking to go on holiday with your husband/wife/partner, you will no doubt be looking to make it as romantic as possible, maybe looking for some time to relax or activities that you both can enjoy. If you take a cruise holiday you can have the chance to see the world while enjoying one another’s company hassle free.

Not all cruise ships are gigantic floating holiday complexes many cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, Princess Cruises, Holland America and Fred Olsen also offer more intimate cruises, on board smaller ships, with a lot less passengers, meaning you receive much more of a personal service. With smaller cruise ships you also have an option of taking either ocean cruises or river cruises, larger cruise ship only offer ocean cruises, due to size. Ocean cruises can sometimes feel more faced paced because time is spent travelling across the ocean between destinations. However river cruises seem to be the polar opposite, much more relaxed as you take in the countryside surrounding you as you trundle from town to town.

At each port of call you can chooses to explore the surrounding area, either with a guided tour, which can be arranged by the cruise line or off by yourself, there is plenty to learn in historic places whose architecture symbolises feelings and aesthetics of a certain point in time. If you don’t feel like a day out you could always enjoy the on board amenities, provided. Spa treatments, leisure sports or even peaceful reading, whatever floats your boat; just the option to spend time alone is enough for some.

Pretty much most of your needs are provided for on board a cruise ship, so there really isn’t anything for you to worry about, whether it’s fine dining by candle light or cosy drinks for two. So you would think it’s going to be quite pricy to take a cruise holiday right? Wrong! In fact it’s quite easy to find cheap cruises especially on the net!

UK travel giant, Thomas Cook have seen a slump in their profits and share prices after families have shunned their usual foreign holiday this year. The summer is normally boom time for holiday companies with many families looking to get away, however this year and even the past couple of years the number of people taking foreign holidays, or any holiday at all has dropped.

Whether it’s all inclusive holidays, self-catering holidays, cruise holidays or even camping holidays, they have all taken a hit. This is mainly due to the high fuel prices bumping up costs and family incomes been squeezed that people are no longer able to afford to go away.

Other reasons for slow take up of holidays is also that people are waiting to the last minute to see if they can get a good deal, last year most of the major travel companies famously dropped their prices for last minute summer holidays so I would expect many families are hoping the same will happen again this year.  If not many families will look to stay at home with the family rather than go away.

If you still want to take that foreign holiday with the family then there are a couple of things you can do to make sure you get the most for your money, it is quite hard at the moment to get anything for the pound however if you look at staying all inclusive then you won’t have to exchange as much money. Sometimes you can find last minute rooms for all inclusive, especially if it’s a cancelation, if you book as a package holiday then your flight is also included and it’s not normally too expensive.

Other good holidays for your money also include; cruise holidays, on board the pound is good for food and drink, you only need a bit of spending money like some euros for the port stops, everything else is catered for on board. Like package holidays, you can find great cruise deals online with numerous operators offering different breaks, plus you get the freedom to visit many different fairly cheaply.

The main thing to remember when booking a last minute holiday is that you do research first, package deals offered by tour operators are covered and if you’re not sure what you have booked make sure the company you use is ABTA registered.

The latest addition to the Celebrity Solstice Class is the Celebrity Silhouette which weighs 122,400 tonnes and cost £500million to build. Its first voyage was not its easiest as you can see from the video below; the captain of the cruise ship had to navigate it from the landlocked port it was built in, in Papenburg Germany to the open sea via narrow canals which left little room for manoeuvre.

For spectators and those leaving along the rout the giant ship is not something frequently seen on these canals, the whole journey took twelve hours to complete. The Liner will be starting its cruise holidays in Rome where it will be based with cruises around the Holy Land on offer, then later in the year it will offer 12-night Caribbean cruises from Cape Liberty, New Jersey.

Moving such a vessel is quite a task, to negotiate the canals, power lines, and railway tracks had to be removed along the route. Timing was also key; the journey had to take place at high tide to avoid the hull from scraping the bottom of the canal. The ship will remain in port at Eemshaven whilst tests in the North Sea with the vessel are conducted, it will then head back to Germany where it will be formally named on July 21st in Hamburg.

There are many new cruise liners being launched this year, with the cruise industry picking up, it seems this form of travel which was considered only for the old and rich is becoming popular with other people now, however this could be down to the fact that there are plenty of cruise deals available even for summer 2011!

The summer holidays are just around the corner, but don’t worry if you haven’t got anything booked yet, there are still some great cruise deals available for this summer so you still can get your break away. Cruise holidays are no longer seen for the upper classes or the retired in fact they have become cool and affordable for many families.

If you looking for a week long summer holiday for the family the a cruise around the Mediterranean will be just up your street, you get to experience the great summer weather of the Med, which is what always attracts families during the summer months. You also get the same service as you would staying on dry land, with immaculate rooms, great dining options and of course pools to lounge around. Not only that you can also experience great tasters of the Med stopping off in many different ports. There are a great number of family orientated cruise line which offer trips to the Med; Carnival, Disney Cruise Line, Costa Cruises, Princess Cruises Island Cruises and many, many more.

If the Med isn’t for you and you fancy experiencing something a bit different to what you have done in the past and are looking to explore new places then you could look at taking a Baltic cruise, the Baltic isn’t what many people think of for a summer holiday however, you do get exceptionally good weather in this region and a Baltic cruise is a great way to see the development of modern Europe. On a Baltic cruise holiday you get the same experiences as a Mediterranean holiday, just different ports to explore and a move away from the Med culture that is tailored to British travellers. The Baltic is a great destination for those eager to explore and learn and there are a number of cruise line who offer trips to this destination; Thomson Cruises, Cunard, P&O, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean to name but a few.

In a time when most types of holidays are struggling to attract people, why are cruise holidays bucking the trend? Over the past couple of year cruise holidays are on the increase and travel expert believe more people will look to taking a cruise holiday. This is good news for many cruise operators as many have invested in new liners in the past couple of years and many have new ones planned for the future.

Many travellers are looking to get the most from their money and with air travel costs on the increase so it’s no surprise that people are looking at other holiday types. The standard accommodation on board a cruise ship is relatively inexpensive and costs the same as it would to stay in a standard hotel room, of a mid range hotel. The food although can be a large outlay of a cruise holiday is also average to on land prices, you also have more expensive options, just like you would on dry land which you can avoid if your budget wont stretch.

Added bonuses of cruise holidays is that your travel costs are kept to a minimum, you don’t have to worry about getting around as that is all taken care of, so no trains, buses or taxies to worry about which can be expensive. You also have the bonus of visiting a few ports on your holiday, getting a taste of each destination, which is a great way of exploring a region you haven’t been to before. You also get a great selection of on board entertainment which means that even though you are confined to a ship you won’t run out of things to do.

There are plenty of cruise holidays to choose from offering voyages all around the world which means you can easily visit far flung destinations you have only dreamed of and you won’t have to shell out a small fortune as there are a wide range of cheap cruses available online for all the family.

Many families are finding that money is tight at the moment and a lot are having to forego summer holidays, however if you have a little bit of spare cash and are looking for some cheap holiday ideas then we have a couple for you.

There are quite a lot of last minute holidays around at the moment and you may find prices could drop further as travel agents lower their prices to entice people if take up is poor for holidays abroad. If you don’t want to book through a travel agent, you can find good deals for hotels and flights separately on the internet for foreign holidays however you must be careful and make sure you book through a reputable company the is ABTA covered.

If flying isn’t your cup of tea then you should have a look at what cruise deals are available, just like other holidays, the cost of cruises will also drop if there is not much take up, plus many cruise lines offer great deals for families and have very cheap accommodation available, even on some of the bigger name ships. Like many foreign holidays if you keep your eye out you should be able to find some cheap cruises, especially online and remember you won’t have to worry about the expensive airport tax either.

Finally if you can’t stretch your budget for foreign holidays you should have a look at places right here in the UK, camping and self catering can be very cheap especially if there is a large number of you to share the costs. Plus if you choose somewhere that has a good selection of free places to visit then you can go away for even cheaper.

The winter months can usually be classified as ‘miserable’ in most parts of the UK, with wet and windy weather sure to make people long for a sunny getaway.  It is no surprise then that this period coincides with the most popular time for holidaymakers to climb aboard a Caribbean cruise ship.

With a climate that is normally sunny and mild, a break in the Caribbean is the perfect way to get rid of the winter blues.  Stopping off at some of the world’s most desirable holiday destinations on the way, a Caribbean cruise is many holidays rolled into one.  Prime locations like Jamaica, the Bahamas, Barbados and St Lucia set the scene for a relaxing break from the hectic situations at home and open up a world of exciting cultures ready for exploring.

Caribbean culture is a heavily influenced by African, European and Native American cultures, making it truly unique.  It encompasses music, dance, food and traditions not showcased anywhere else in the world.  There are a whole host of carnivals and festivals to indulge in for holidaymakers, with each island offering something different.

Cruise ships now feature a multitude of onboard entertainment in addition to any activities on the islands, and with huge pools, discos, cinemas and comedy and music performances, the activities on the ship may be just as appealing as the adventures off it.

The Caribbean offers both peaceful tranquillity and unbridled excitement in a unique setting, making it one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world. If you fancy a Caribbean cruise holiday, then there are a wide range of cruise deals available online, so you should be able to find something to fit your budget.

The Festival de Cannes is drawing to a close and soon the ‘A’ List celebrities will be swanning off home after pedalling their latest project at the world famous film festival. Cannes is famously know as a super glamorous destination on the French Rivera, along with Saint Tropez and Monaco, however when the film festival is in town it sets itself apart from the other places and becomes the ‘it’ place to be.

Yachts line the marina and not a night goes by when some fabulous party or another is being thrown on board. It may be hard to imagine for us mere mortals living like this, however you can sample a bit of the highlife yourself, without having to splash the cash with a cruise holiday. France features highly on many of the itineraries of most of the major cruise lines, with the opportunity to sail round the Cote de Azure and stopping off in ports such as Toulon, Cannes, Marseille and Villefranche. It’s all about experiencing little tasters of the high life when you dock in these ports, as well as onboard your cruise ship.

When you take a Mediterranean cruise holiday, France isn’t the only port of call you stop off at all sorts of diverse countries where you can explore a huge range of different cultures, which is why it’s the most popular cruise destinations for British travellers.  You can soak up the sights in Spain including famous attractions in ports such as Palma, Majorca and Barcelona. As well as indulge in the history of Italy and Greece, with ease as you visit top tourist sites including UNESCO World Heritage sites.