Search for a bargain – from Mumbai all the way to the Med
IS IT any wonder that cruise holi- days are booming? While hotels appear to be getting more and more expensive, there are still some incredible bargains to be found for holidays at sea.
However, it can be difficult to compare like with like, so I have ploughed through the major cruise company schedules and studied their current special offers and deals to unearth some of the best options at the moment…
SAIL THE CARIBBEAN
Norwegian Cruise Line (ncl.co.uk) recently introduced ‘premium allinclusive’ class to its ships, meaning all drinks, coffee, water and tips are included in the price. That makes this seven- day Western Caribbean voyage on board Norwegian Getaway from Miami a bargain. The holiday, which starts on November 26, calls at Roatan Bay ( Honduras), Harvest Caye (Belize) and Cozumel (Mexico). It costs from £599pp based on two sharing an i nside cabin, but excludes flights.
GO OUT OF SEASON
Pick an unfashionable destination and travel out of season and you can find cruises that are almost as cheap as staying at home. A seven- night City Lights And Overnights cruise on Fred Olsen’s Black Watch (fredolsencruises.com), departing Southampton on December 14, starts at just £499pp for an oceanview cabin. You’ll visit Hamburg, Amsterdam and Antwerp, entertainment is included, and guests can also upgrade to an ‘all-inclusive’ drinks package from just £15 a night.
CHECK THE SMALL PRINT
It’s not just about the prices for the cheapest cabins – sometimes bargains are hidden in the overall cruise details. A seven- night round-trip from Southampton on Sapphire Princess (princess.com) leaves on May 5, 2018. You’ll see St Peter Port in Guernsey, Bordeaux in France, and Bilbao and La Coruna in Spain. Best of all, Princess is offering a ‘free onboard spend’ offer, which means that two passengers sharing a cabin will receive £50 each to spend on extras such as alcohol, excursions or dining upgrades.
TAKE A FLY-CRUISE
There are some unusual deals to be found, such as P&O’s Fly-cruises – you fly to a destination and sail from there. A 13- night voyage from March 10 next year heads from Barbados to Southampton via St Lucia, St Kitts, St Maarten and Ponta Delgada i n the Azores. Prices start at £1,079pp, including the one-way flight to Barbados. Visit pocruises.com.
ENJOY A TASTE OF ASIA
Sleep in an inside cabin to take advantage of an appealingly lowpriced 15- night holiday to the exotic shores of India and Sri Lanka from just £949pp. Celebrity Constellation (celebritycruises.co. uk) sails from Abu Dhabi on March 23, 2018 and takes in Mumbai, Goa and Colombo before finishing at Singapore.
All transfers, food and entertainment are included but flights are extra, so don’t forget to factor in the cost of return flights from Heathrow. They are likely to set you back around £960.
A WEEK IN THE MED
Pick an early-season sailing and it is possible to explore four Mediterranean countries on a seven-day cruise for just £269pp, excluding flights. MSC Opera departs the Italian port of Genoa on April 14, 2018, and visits Malta, Marseilles, Menorca and Sicily. Visit msccruises.co.uk.
A DOSE OF WINTER SUN
Thomson is rebranding and its cruise arm, now called Marella, has some tempting deals. Leave on November 13 and you can get return flights from Gatwick and a four- night full- board cruise from £ 523pp. Marella Dream sails from Malaga and visits Cadiz, Lanzarote and Tenerife. Visit tui.co.uk/cruise/