First time cruising?
Dont worry the choice of cruises is now so vast we're sure you'll find the perfect cruise for you. Read over the cruising guide below to help you decide, still not sure call our consultants who will be able to provide expert cruise advice and answer any queries you might have.
Something for everyone
One of the main worries expressed by would-be first time cruisers is that they might feel a little too confined on a cruise ship. Another is that, although cruising will give them a tour of several destinations, they won't have time really to get to grips with any of them.
But if that is all that's stopping you from sampling a cruise, it's time to think again. For nowadays you can get the best of both worlds - on a Cruise-and-Stay holiday. The range of Cruise-and-Stay options is enormous, from stay-a-week, Cruise-a-week Mediterranean holidays to pre and post-cruise tours of North America, the Far East, Australasia and the South Pacific
Alaska for longer
In Alaska, for example, Cruise-and-Stay holidays are immensely popular since they give passengers who've made the long haul flight across the Atlantic the chance to make the most of their visit by touring both Alaska and Canada.
From around £400 per person, Alaska passengers can top or tail a round-trip cruise out of Vancouver with a five or seven-night Rockies tour, highlights of which will be visits to Calgary, Banff/Lake Louise and Jasper, plus a drive along one of the world's most scenic routes, the Icefield Parkway. Scenic rail journeys can also be built in.
If you choose a cruise between Vancouver and Anchorage in Alaska, you can add a tour of the magnificent Alaskan interior into the itinerary mix.
A land tour gives you the chance to get really close to nature with a visit to Denali National Park, where you can take nature walks, try white water rafting or set off on a grizzly bear spotting expedition.
Expect to pay from around £300 per person for a four-night Alaska tour, including a scenic rail ride to Fairbanks, an overnight stay in Denali and one night in Anchorage.
Contented Caribbean
If all that exploring sounds a little active for your taste, Caribbean Cruise-and-Stay could be just the thing for you. Spend a relaxed week exploring, swimming and snorkelling on your choice of Caribbean island (options include Antigua, Barbados, St Lucia, the Dominican Republic and the Cayman Islands). Then, when you're nicely chilled out, top up the tan on a gentle cruise around other Caribbean islands - it's a great way to find the perfect spot for your next Caribbean holiday.
Florida Fun
Or tag a Florida stay onto your Caribbean cruise holiday and you can hire a car to go shopping, visit the state's great theme parks and get in a few rounds of golf before boarding ship - then use the cruise to recharge your batteries before you go home.
Mediterranean in-depth
Closer to home, you can do the Grand Tour of the Mediterranean's cultural hotspots by cruise ship, then spend a lazy week sunsoaking in Majorca.
Further afield
And Cruise-and-Stay holidays are a great way to explore more exotic destinations; cruise the Far East, for example, and you can spend seven or eight days in fascinating China.
Or combine a cruise around New Zealand with a few days' rest and relaxation in Sydney, Australia. Or top off a cruise around the spice islands of the Indian Ocean with a safari holiday in Kenya.
Stay as you go
With some cruise lines, you can even break up your cruise by taking a land tour as you go, leaving the ship to spend a couple of days exploring the destination in more depth before rejoining your vessel in another port. Choose a Cruise-and-Stay holiday and you can be as adventurous as you like.
Why cruise and stay
You get the best of both worlds - a chance to visit many places from the comfort of a ‘floating hotel' one week, and to explore one destination in depth the other.
It makes the most of your holiday. Cruise-and-Stay is a particularly smart option if you're planning to cruise in a faraway region. Why go all that way without seeing and doing as much as you can?
It gives you the chance to combine lots of activity with plenty of time to relax - get busy sightseeing on your cruise, or whiz about on your land stay and crash out once you board the ship, it's your call.
A Cruise-and-Stay holiday, or pre/post tours, can all be booked through your chosen cruise line or tour operator, meaning there is no need to make independent arrangements.
Top tips
Unless you're the hyperactive type, decide clearly which element of your holiday will be used for relaxation, and don't try to pack in too much.
Remember to take the right mix of clothes; as a rule, cruise ships are a bit dressier than hotels, so pack some smart outfits for Captain's cocktails and formal dinners. If doing an Alaska land tour, remember to pack warm clothing, sturdy walking shoes and a small umbrella.
Stock up on camera film before going ashore, especially if you're staying somewhere offbeat like China or Vietnam. And if you're on medication, remember to take a plentiful supply.
Remember that though cruises include all meals, land stays do not, so budget a bit extra for the odd lunch and dinner not included in the price.
Cruise companys
COSTA CRUISES offers a range of short four and five-night cruises in the Mediterranean in Spring and Autumn. Departures are from Venice or Genoa and ports of call include Barcelona, Dubrovnik, Cannes, Capri, Corfu and Palma. Some cruises also include an overnight stay in Venice.
FRED OLSEN CRUISE LINES offers a limited number of short cruises each year on Black Watch, Braemar and Black Prince. All these cruises, from 3 to 8 nights, depart from Dover, Southampton, Leith or Greenock and visit ports in France, Spain, Belgium, Channel Islands or Norway.
P&O CRUISES offers a selection of four night short cruises. Arcadia, Aurora and Victoria have four night cruises visiting the Netherlands and the Channel Islands, the special feature being a night in port in Amsterdam.
ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL will offer its first ever cruises out of Southampton when Splendour of the Seas will sail a number of European itineraries. Short cruises on offer include a four-night Belgium and Netherlands cruise calling at Zeebrugge and Amsterdam, and a three-night France and Channel Islands cruise calling at Brest and St Peter Port.
Recognizing that time is a major constraint and to many who have yet to cruise, there is a genuine desire to spend a few days experimenting with being aboard, SeaDream Yacht Club has scheduled a selection of two, three, four and five night sailings aboard SeaDream 1 & 2 in the Mediterranean and Caribbean for 2003 and 2004.