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The latest news for your next cruise

EUROPEAN DELIGHTS

START Christmas shopping early on MSC Virtuosa’s Northern Pearls cruise, departing Southampton on November 4, calling at Brest, Cherbourg, Hamburg, Bruges (from Zeebrugge) and Paris (from Le Havre). Eight nights start at £371 pp ( cruise.co.uk, 0870 990 8824).

CRUISE AND STAY

FRED HOLIDAYS’ new cruise-and-stay trips mix seven nights on the Brahmaputra River with hotel stays in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Guwahati plus visits to National Parks. The 15-night Holi Festival Special departs March 5 and costs from £4,395 pp ( fredholidays.co.uk, 0800 021 3172).

TROPICAL COCKTAIL

SAIL from Malaga to Barbados on December 8 on a 15-night Marella Discovery voyage, costing from £1,035 pp. It calls at Lanzarote, Cape Verde and the islands of St Kitts, Antigua and St Lucia ( iglucruise.com, 0203 848 3600).

NUTS FOR BRAZIL

SEE Dakar’s beautiful pink Lake Retba before Silver Cloud’s 15-night sailing from Senegal, visiting Cape Verde’s capital Praia and the islands of Santo Antao and Fogo. Then it’s on to four calls in Brazil — Natal, Salvador, Porto Seguro and Rio de Janeiro. Departing October 14, the trip costs from £7,100 pp

( mundyadventures.co.uk, 020 7399 7670).

MAIDEN VOYAGE

FANCY sailing into the winter sun on a new ship which has a choice of 30 bars and restaurants? P&O Cruises’ Arvia’s 14-night Canary Islands maiden cruise departs Southampton on December 9 and costs from £1,449 pp ( pocruises.co.uk, 0344 338 8003).