Cheap warm Jersey
STRETCH out the autumn sun on a bargain break to Jersey. Fly Jersey has three-night stays at the Beachcombers Hotel in Grouville for the price of two fr om next weekend until the end of the month. It means you can get to the island for £209 for the Tennerfest Food Festival, where 180 restaurants have dinner deals for a tenner. Call 01621 734 333 or see flyjersey.com. THE UK’s first Cruise Month began yesterday so now is the time to check out cruiseexperts.org, book a passage and escape for some winter sun. GET ON BOARD: Celebrity Cruises is running a buy-one-get-one-half-price offer – so taking your loved one away is much more affordable.
You could unwind on the beaches of Miami, cool off in Jamaica during a hike up the island’s famous Dunn’s River Falls or soak up the culture of Mexico’s Cozumel island while sailing in the balmy Caribbean on Celebrity Reflection.
The ship also calls at Labadee in Haiti and George Town in Grand Cayman. SPLASH OUT: The nine-night Western Caribbean fly/cruise sailing from Miami starts at £3,388 for two people travelling and sharing an Ocean View stateroom, including return flights leaving from Heathrow on February 24. Meals, drinks and entertainment on board are also included. Book by November 30. CONTACT: celebritycruises.co.uk, 0800 441 4054. GET ON BOARD: Duck out of the Christmas chaos and take to the water on this relaxing cruise around the Arabian Gulf.
MSC Fantasia will sail from Abu Dhabi on December 18, spending a day at sea before arriving at her first port of call – Muscat, Oman’s capital. She will then continue round the gulf calling at Khor Fakkan and Sir Bani Yas Island, where MSC has its own private beach. It’s a gorgeous 1.5 mile long stretch of sand with a spa, bar and sports facilities, exclusively for MSC guests.
Then it’s on to Dubai for an overnight stay, with two full days to explore the glitzy desert city before returning to Abu Dhabi. SPLASH OUT: MSC is offering a free upgrade from inside double cabin to balcony cabin with fares for the seven-night cruise, starting at £499pp. Flights are not included. CONTACT: msccruises.co.uk, 020 3426 3010. GET ON BOARD: Take in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand on this two-week trip with Princess Cruises. It begins with a night in a Singapore hotel before you join the Diamond Princess for the 10-night voyage.
First port of call is the beautiful Indonesian island of Bali, famous for its sandy beaches, rice fields and volcanic mountains.
Then follows two days at sea – plenty of time to explore the ship which boasts a theatre, casino and nightclub as well as restaurants serving everything from sushi to steak.
There are more fabulous beaches to relax on in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Phuket before the ship returns to Singapore. SPLASH OUT: The 14-night Malaysian Peninsula & Indonesia trip costs from £1,299pp based on two sharing an interior stateroom including a one-night hotel stay in Singapore and return flights from the UK on January 15 through Cruise 1st. CONTACT: cruise1st.co.uk, 0800 953 4963. GET ON BOARD: Slip away from Southampton on this cruise across the Atlantic and get a bonus of a free three-night stay in Orlando.
After eight days at sea, Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas’s first port of call is PhilipsburgPh in St Maarten. After visiting the town’sto Orient Beach, you can tour Basseterre in St Kitts where you can go snorkelling in search of stingrays and turtles.
The ship also calls at Charlotte Amalie on the U US Virgin Island of St. Thomas, San Juan in Pu Puerto Rico and Haiti’s Labadee, before arriving in Fort Lauderdale for a three-night hotel stay on Orlando’s famous International Drive. SPLASHS OUT: Sailing on October 30, the 15 15-night cruise combined with the free threeni night stay in Orlando starts at £899pp based on tw two sharing an inside cabin and including flights ba back to the UK from Orlando with Cruise 1st. CONTACT:C cruise1st.co.uk, 0800 953 4963. GETG ON BOARD: A no-fly cruise is the way to go if you want to avoid the stress of airport travel in the festive season. Celebrate Christmas and