KEEP smılıng Nothing lifts the mood like a cruise
I’M STILL smiling about a T-Shirt I saw on my last cruise. A slogan, printed like an old-fashioned luggage label, proclaimed: Not Wanted on Voyage. Then there was an arrow pointing to whoever happened to be on the passenger’s right.
And despite my schoolboy sniggers, it got me thinking. What do I want to leave behind on my next cruise?
Stress, is the obvious answer. Isn’t a stress-free break what most of us choose cruises for? It’s something that can be hard to explain to first-timers, that feeling in our cabin when we relax and know the world will come to us.
BIG SHOWS
Screens are the next thing I can live without on holiday, though free wi-fi is always welcome. But after too long on the sofa it’s a joy to re-enter a world of live entertainment. Big shows produce the best evenings – if you didn’t see musicals like Six in London’s West End you’ll be blown away by it (and many other mega-shows) with a blockbuster NCL cruise on Norwegian Bliss, Breakaway and more. Live commentary from scientists, expedition leaders and experts on Hurtigruten and Fred. Olsen also leave me inspired by our world. The last thing to leave at home? Money worries. Easy if we’re clever about our bookings and choose a cruise with the right inclusions. Especially as there are big bargains this spring. Don’t believe me? Flick through this issue of Check In. Holiday offers abound and the January sales are far from over.
DEALS GALORE
Looking for a deal? Added extras can bring big savings with Ambassador Cruise Line and others. Book now for half-price drinks packages plus on-board credits for spa treatments, speciality dinners and more.
If you want winter sun, and are ready to cruise quite soon, Ambassador’s Late Saver Deals offer particularly deep discounts. The one I’d choose? The 21-night Cape Verde, Canaries and Morocco Winter Escape leaving Tilbury in mid-February. Fabulous, sunny destinations. And (fingers crossed) no need for central heating on your return.
Flight-inclusive deals, price-drops and cruises with no single supplements help save with Hurtigruten and others. The one I want? The 10-night Scottish Whisky Trail & Irish Sea Expedition on Hurtigruten’s MS Spitsbergen.
Seeing Dublin, the Giants Causeway, Oban, the isles of Arran, Mull, Islay and more on the same holiday? And whisky tastings in the distilleries where they are made? Don’t mind if I do.
CRACK THE CODE
Discount codes can shave big money from cruise costs. Not got to grips with them? I’m new to the game myself but I’m catching up fast. These are ‘secret’ codes you use online when you buy almost anything: clothes, cosmetics, cars and, yes, cruises. Type them in on the payment page, discounts get applied and your bill falls. Simple.
Better still, discount codes aren’t actually secret. Companies advertise them. A quick online search for ‘discount code’ and the company you’re buying from should reveal them. At the moment discounts with Tui can knock £300 or £400 off lots of all-inclusive, Mediterranean and other cruises by Marella. They can also cut the cost of Tui’s American holidays, the ones I’m most keen to do myself.
The seven-night American Dream cruise looks a classic. There’s Cape Canaveral in Florida, perfect for anyone obsessed by NASA and space. There’s atmospheric Charleston in South Carolina. There’s New York, which speaks for itself. Plus all the relaxation of the Bahamas.
Or how about the Sunshine State and Sands cruise? After Cape Canaveral it heads to the beaches of the Dominican Republic, the Turks & Caicos islands, Key West and Miami.
I’m also pleased to see it’s not too late to enjoy special New Year Savings with Great Rail Journeys, including on the springtime rail & cruise holidays to Holland’s bulb fields. We feature that cruise on page 10.
Later in the year GRJ discounts also extend to cruises on the Rhine and Moselle rivers, including a ‘top of Europe’ trip on the Jungfrau Railway.
As usual there’s so much to daydream and smile about.
Happy travelling!