At last! The bright spots coming over the horizon
WITH a new year come new opportunities. There are some excellent deals on the market now for ocean and river trips later this year and into 2022. Here are some of the best, featuring stunning new ships and enticing itineraries.
See Britain at its brightest on a high summer cruise from Bergen in Norway to Greenwich in London aboard brand-new, Scandi-chic boutique ship Viking Venus.
The 14-night British Isles Explorer trip includes guided tours to enjoy the wild beauty of the Shetland Islands, Orkney and the Highlands, and calls at the vibrant cities of Edinburgh, Belfast, Liverpool and Dublin, as well as a stop at Holyhead, the gateway to North Wales.
The cost, from £5,990pp, covers flights to Bergen on July 26, shore excursions, drinks with meals, tips and wi-fi (vikingcruises.co.uk).
If one of your New Year resolutions is to find the sun next winter, now is the time to book a Caribbean cruise. Family-friendly ship Azura is sailing a round trip from Barbados for 14 nights, calling at such palm-fringed islands as Bonaire, Curacao, Aruba, Tortola, Dominica and Martinique.
Fares start at £1,549pp for the December 10 departure, which includes flights (pocruises.com).
Share the joy with Holland America Line’s Buy-One-Gift-One deal. Book a veranda stateroom on one of dozens of cruises to Scandinavia and the Mediterranean this year and your guests (who get their own cabin) pay only taxes and port charges (from £85pp).
And among other perks you’ll get free flights, a drinks package and ten per cent off excursions. But don’t delay, as the offer ends on Tuesday (hollandamerica.com).
For river-cruise fans, the Black Forest beckons, and not just thanks to its luscious gateaux.
You can take a guided hike through its verdant forests and picturesque villages on a week’s Jewels Of The Rhine cruise, sailing between Amsterdam and Basel. And if you book now, for a departure on March 26, 2022, you’ll save a whopping £1,200 per couple and get a free premium drinks package.
The cruise, departing Amsterdam, now costs from £1,895pp (down from £2,495pp) and includes flights, tips and excursions (emerald waterways.co.uk).