Cruising for a reason
Whatever style of land-based holiday you enjoy, whether it’s relishing stunning scenery, visiting historic cities, seeing wildlife or encountering exotic cultures, you’ll discover just the same experiences on a cruise
Think of a cruise ship as a hotel, one that happens to carry you from place to place (and usually overnight, so you don’t miss anything!) No matter what style of hotel you prefer ashore, from five-star resorts awash with activities to intimate, luxurious boutiques, you’ll find ships that share the same profile.
With such an amazing choice of both ships and itineraries, that familiar cry of ‘cruising’s not for me’ no longer holds water. But if you’re a first-time cruiser, you may need just a little help whittling down the options. Here’s our round-up of what’s on offer…
WORLD CRUISES
Can’t make up your mind where in the world to go? Why not tackle the whole lot? Early in the new year some half a dozen ships will circumnavigate the globe, each taking about three months and scooping up 30 to 40 ports of call along the way. These hugely popular voyages are the marathons of the cruising world. Go with The Cruise Line (cruiseline.co. uk), Cruise Critic (cruisecritic.co.uk) or Mundy Cruising (mundycruising.co.uk)
COASTAL SCENERY
Some of the world’s most breathtaking views are experienced from a ship. Cruising the fabled Inside Passage from Vancouver or Seattle to Alaska is an unbeatable way of seeing what is arguably the planet’s most awesome scenery. Nor is there a better way to explore Patagonia or Australia’s Kimberley coast. In fact, such places would be almost impossible to reach by any other means. Go with Cosmos (cosmos.co.uk)
SCANDI SHORES
The Baltic is another rich cruising ground, both for exploring Scandinavian cities – Copenhagen, Stockholm, Helsinki and Oslo are all waterfront capitals – and the East European cities of Tallinn, Riga and magnificent St Petersburg. Go with Seabourn (seabourn.com)