I've spent a decade going on more than 120 cruises

Release time：2024-06-03 19:44:05 Source：Culture Circuit news portal

Whether it's families, solo travellers, adventure-seekers or those after new-to-cruise taster weekends, the choice has never been bigger — and there's a cruise for all. More than two million UK cruise passengers are expected to hop on board in 2024.

With new ships launching almost every month that number is likely to rise, especially as holidaymakers — fed up with the hassle of airports — are choosing to sail from the UK. Best of all, though: with so many all-inclusives now on the market — as well as enticing packages covering drinks, tips and wifi — cruises are better value for money than ever.

I've travelled on more than 120 ocean and river cruises as a writer over the past 14 years, from the glitzy ports of the Mediterranean to the magnificent ice sheets of Antarctica. Here are my favourite cruises on offer right now across a range of categories to suit different types of travellers.

Bring the family 

Kids' menus, waterslides, teen clubs and sports courts make for happy ­families on the ocean. River cruises are also introducing family cabins alongside kids' clubs, swimming lessons and pizza-making. These are my top picks …

Royal Caribbean offers seven-night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day round-trips. Ideal for the whole family 

Playgrounds, waterslides, teen clubs and sports courts make for happy ­families on the ocean

• Royal Caribbean has seven-night Eastern Caribbean & Perfect Day round-trips departing from Miami on Freedom of the Seas on ­October 27, featuring Puerto Rico, St Thomas and the Bahamas from £591pp ­excluding flights (royalcaribbean.com).
• Join Marella Cruises' seven-night all-inclusive Mediterranean Medley. Round-trips from Palma, Majorca start at £1,123pp (two adults/two children sharing outside cabin), with Bournemouth flights on August 3 (tui.co.uk).
• Eight-night Rhine Experience Amsterdam and Rotterdam river cruises on the four-deck A-Rosa Sena include a one-night hotel stay in Cologne. From £4,799 for a family of four sharing a family cabin with access to a free kids' club, departing on July 25, August 1, 8, 15 or 22 (destination2.co.uk).

Sheer indulgence 

A butler, suites with balconies and (often) a chauffeur to and from the port mean there's nothing more to pay on elegant luxury ships — and that includes the champagne.

Relax and take in the sea views in a hot tub on deck on a Regent Seven Seas cruise

The Regent's grand dining area. Highlights on Seven Seas Splendor's sailing include visits to Monaco's race circuit

The Regent Suite master bedroom on the all-inclusive Regent Seven Seas cruise 

• Regent Seven Seas' ten-night Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team Spotlight Voyage with host Pedro de la Rosa, a driver in more than 100 F1 Grand Prix, departs Barcelona for Rome on July 22, 2025, from £7,949pp all-inclusive. Highlights on Seven Seas Splendor's sailing include visits to Monaco's race circuit and Prince Rainier's private car collection (rssc.com).
• Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection's five-night Valletta to Civitavecchia sailing on Evrima departs on August 24 with a cruise-only price from £6,200pp (ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com).
• Join Silversea's 11-day Athens to Fusina (Venice) voyage on new ship Silver Ray, which has many suites with 270-degree views. Departs July 19 from £5,350pp (silversea.com).

Show boats

West End tickets can be pricey, so theatre shows add huge value to a cruise. The quality is usually top-notch, from 21st-century versions of classic musicals to Las Vegas-style high-energy acrobatic performances and light shows.

Enjoy a Brief Encounter with Noel Coward on Cunard's Queen Anne

The Royal Court Theatre on board Cunard's Queen Anne, departing from Southampton on December 1

• NCL's 16-day Transatlantic: Italy, France & Spain fly-cruise from Rome (Civitavecchia) on Norwegian Prima departs in November this year, from £2,210pp including flights (ncl.com).
• It's a blast on Cunard's 14-night Canary Islands sailing on the Queen Anne, departing from Southampton on December 1 from £1,279pp (cunard.com).
• Celebrity Cruises' seven-night Spain, France & Italy cruise from Barcelona to Rome (Civitavecchia) on Celebrity Ascent departs on July 6 from £1,055pp (cruise.co.uk).

Party time 

Dancing the night away can be wonderful after days ashore in the ­sunshine. Festival-style live music and mega deck and pool parties with DJs really do rock the boat.

Virgin Voyages' seven-night French Daze and Ibiza Nights on ­Scarlet Lady includes an overnight stay on the party island of Ibiza

Day-glo dancers hit the floor on the Virgin Voyages cruise

• MSC Cruises' two-night Party Cruise on MSC ­Virtuosa departs Southampton for Le Havre (Paris) on July 4 from £294pp (hays cruise.co.uk).
• Virgin Voyages' seven-night French Daze and Ibiza Nights on ­Scarlet Lady includes an overnight stay in Ibiza. Departing from Barcelona on July 7 from £1,838pp (virgin voyages.com).
• A seven-night Carnival Cruise Eastern Caribbean round-trip from Miami on September 14 is from £636pp cruise-only (­carnival.com).

Into the wild

From the Amazon to Alaska, Antarctica and the Arctic, one of the best ways to reach the world's most remote regions is by cruise ship. Check flights are included, as these sailings can sometimes include multiple hops.

Silversea's six-day King George Island to King George Island Antarctica expedition on December 7 includes door-to-door service (and possible penguins)

• Ponant's 16-night From New Caledonia to Micronesia cruise to explore the South Pacific islands on Le Soleal departs on March 15, 2025, with a cruise-only price from £7,250pp (mundycruising.co.uk).
• Set sail on Swan Hellenic's 13-night Crucibles of West Africa voyage on SH Diana from Accra, Ghana, to Dakar, Senegal, departing on April 20, 2025, with balcony cabins from £7,780pp (swanhellenic.com).
• Silversea's six-day King George Island to King George Island Antarctica expedition on December 7, from £19,700pp, includes door-to-door service and business-class round-trip flights to Punta Arenas and King George Island (silversea.com).

Britain in style 

There's nothing quite like seeing our coastline from the sea before exploring ports and cities rich in history. And there's still so much to learn about our green and pleasant land when visiting castles, ­historic ruins and stately homes with spectacular gardens.

P&O Cruises' Ten-Year Anniversary ­Celebration trip on Britannia departs from Southampton on June 6 next year

Saga offers five-night Edinburgh and the East Coast sailings on the Spirit of ­Adventure

The historic city of Edinburgh will always be a popular destination on British cruises

• Join P&O Cruises' 14-night Ten-Year Anniversary ­Celebration trip on Britannia departing Southampton on June 6, 2025, from £1,099pp (pocruises.com).
• Saga offers five-night Edinburgh and the East Coast sailings on the Spirit of ­Adventure from Dover on August 24, from £1,352pp all-inclusive (travel.saga.co.uk).
• Ambassador Cruise Line has a 12-night British Isles & Ireland Discovery voyage from Newcastle on Ambition departing August 28, from £1,199pp (ambassadorcruiseline.com).

On land and sea

If you can't decide between a land holiday or a cruise, do both. Pre and post-stays also take the rush out of getting to and from a port — with travel arranged by the cruise line to make it easy.

Azamara Cruises' 15-night South Africa Intensive Cape Town round-trip on Azamara Quest offers an all-inclusive four-night safari in Greater Kruger National Park

• Set sail with Holland ­America Line on a 14-night Luxury Japan Voyage, Cherry Blossom and Bullet Train cruise on Noordam from £2,999pp including flights, three-night hotel stay in Tokyo, tour of Mount Fuji, boat trip on Lake Ashi, Hakone Ropeway cable car and a ride on the ­bullet train. Departures from Tokyo on February 28, 2025 (­imaginecruising.co.uk).
• Princess Cruises' 14-night South America cruise on ­Sapphire Princess departs ­Buenos Aires, Argentina, for Santiago, Chile, on March 7, 2025, ­followed by a six-day Machu Picchu Explorer tour from £4,820pp excluding flights (­princess.com).
• Azamara Cruises' 15-night South Africa Intensive Cape Town round-trip on Azamara Quest departs December 20, from £1,984pp cruise-only. If you add an all-inclusive Greater Kruger National Park four-night safari at Imbali Safari Lodge it costs from £4,867pp (­azamara.com).

No children please 

Adults-only sailings have a completely different, relaxing ambience for solo travellers, couples or friends. They are also a popular way for ­parents to spend some quality time with their grown-up offspring.

Viking offers a seven-night Iceland's Natural Beauty voyage - without any little barbarians tagging along

This bed on the Ambassador Cruise will be so much easier for couples to enjoy without children jumping all over it

• Departing from Liverpool on June 23, Ambassador Cruise Line's 11-night Northern Isles & Fjordland Adventure on Ambition costs from £989pp (ambassadorcruiseline.com).
• Join P&O Cruises' 24-night Canada sailing on Aurora from Southampton on September 23 from £1,767pp (cruise118.com).
• A seven-night Iceland's Natural Beauty voyage offered by Viking departs June 18, 2025, from Reykjavik, and costs £3,890pp (viking.com).

Get a new hobby

Cast off on a knitting-themed cruise or learn a new skill such as chocolate-making, mosaic-making or watercolour painting in purpose-built craft areas — it's fun to take home a new hobby.

All hands on deck: Oceania Cruises' classes on its Culinary Masters' Cruise 

Craft Cruises offers a seven-day Tulip Time knitting cruise, from Amsterdam on April 16, 2025

• Saga River Cruises' seven-night Castles and Fables of the Rhine voyage departs ­November 3, with actress Julie ­Peasgood (Emmerdale, Brookside) ­running 'Supercrafters workshops. Fares from £1,566pp (travel.saga.co.uk).
• Set sail on Fred Olsen Cruise Lines' ten-night In Search of the Northern Lights trip on ­Borealis, departing Newcastle on March 15, 2025, with ­watercolours, ­jewellery and mosaic-making classes, from £1,499pp (­fredolsencruises.com).
• Craft Cruises offers a seven-day Tulip Time knitting cruise charter on AmaWaterways' AmaCerto from Amsterdam on April 16, 2025, with prices from £2,800pp excluding flights (craftcruises.com).

Small is beautiful 

Ships with fewer passengers make for a more intimate and relaxed atmosphere, and on canals such as the Canal du Midi in France a chorus of nightingales will be your ­morning alarm call.

SeaDream Yacht Club's seven-night Glorious Grenadines round-trip departs from Barbados on ­November 23

• Enjoy a three-night Magic of Mull cruise offered by Argyll Cruising from Oban, Scotland, on eight-guest Splendour. Departing on July 30 from £1,340pp cruise-only (­argyllcruising.com).
• SeaDream Yacht Club's seven-night Glorious Grenadines round-trip on the 112-guest ­Seadream I departs Barbados on ­November 23 from £3,513pp (seadream.com).
• European Waterways offers six nights on the eight-guest hotel barge Anjodi along the Canal du Midi from Marseillan to Le Somail on May 4, 2025, from £4,850pp (europeanwaterways.com).

No single supplements 

Solo travel is on the rise and many new ships are adding single cabins. Cruises with no single supplement sell out fast, so befriend a cruise travel agent for early deals.

APT offers a 15-day Magnificent Europe river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest on a Concerto river ship

• Silversea's nine-night Iceland & Faroe Islands fly-cruise on Silver Spirit departs Reykjavik on August 20, from £5,399 ­including chauffeur service, drinks, wifi and tours (rolcruise.co.uk).
• Join MSC Cruises' seven-night ­Mediterranean Special on MSC World Europa departing Barcelona on ­November 29 from £1,099 (passionforcruises.co.uk).
• APT'S 15-day Magnificent Europe river cruise from Amsterdam to Budapest on a Concerto river ship has reduced prices from £2,295 on June and July ­sailings this summer (­aptouring.co.uk).

Try a taster 

New to cruise holidays? Take a short sailing to experience life at sea, or on a river, with entertainment, pools and spas, plus a new port to explore almost every day.

P&O Cruises' three-night ­Southampton round-trip to Bruges in Belgium (pictured) departs on August 29, 2026

Experience Central Europe on ­Riverside Cruises' five-night Danube Quartet cruise from Vienna to Budapest

The Riverside Mozart departs on June 26 from £2,007pp

• A Three-night Iconic Aegean ­Summer voyage on Celestyal Discovery from Athens on August 2 costs from £399pp cruise-only (celestyal.com).
• P&O Cruises' three-night ­Southampton round-trip to Bruges, Belgium, on ­Ventura departs August 29, 2026, from £306pp (cruise.co.uk).
• Experience Central Europe on ­Riverside Cruises' five-night Danube Quartet cruise from Vienna to Budapest on Riverside Mozart, departing June 26 from £2,007pp (riverside-cruises.com).

Real sails 

When sailors climb the rigging, loosen the sails and haul the lines it takes almost an hour before every sail catches the wind — so sit back and enjoy classic sailing at its best.

Luxuriate on one of Aman's seven-day charters for up to ten guests on the 52-metre yacht Amandira

Float away in style on Sea Cloud II's nine-night Concerts At Sea & Ashore

When sailors climb the rigging, loosen the sails and haul the lines it takes almost an hour before every sail catches the wind

• Float away in style on Sea Cloud II's nine-night Concerts At Sea & Ashore, sailing from Malaga to Las Palmas on November 2 from £4,840pp (­seacloud.com).
• Windstar Cruises' ten-night Canary Island Idyll round-trip from Tenerife on the Wind Star departs on November 20, 2025, from £3,887pp (windstarcruises.com).
• Luxuriate on one of Aman's seven-day charters for up to ten guests on the 52-metre yacht Amandira in Indonesia's Flores Sea from £88,000 (aman.com).

Whale of a time

The thrill of seeing pods of whales or an albatross soaring above a cruise ship make for memories of a lifetime — and chances of sightings are higher with experts on board.

Having experts on board increases your chances of spotting creatures such as whales

Reef & Rainforest's seven-night Voyage to the Heart of the ­Amazon gives you the chance to encounter wildlife including toucans

• Sail away on AE Expeditions' 12-day Costa Rica & Panama Canal cruise from San Jose on the Greg Mortimer ship, departing on April 19, 2025 — and see sloths and macaws. From £9,431pp (aexpeditions.co.uk).
• Enjoy an HX Hurtigruten Expeditions 19-night Alaska and British Columbia — Inside Passage, Bears and Aleutian Islands voyage from Seattle to Vancouver on MS Roald Amundsen, departing June 2, 2025, and July 23, 2025, to see brown bears and bald eagles. From £7,521pp (hurtigruten.com).
• Reef & Rainforest is offering a seven-night Voyage to the Heart of the ­Amazon cruise on M/Y Tucano from Manaus in Brazil along the Rio Negro. It heads into the rainforest, so you can spot black spider monkeys and toucans. Cruise-only from £3,090pp, departing on October 19 (­reefandrainforest.co.uk)

Wellness on the waves

Who doesn't love some pampering while on holiday? Check out ships with free use of spas and thermal suites. Many also have lifestyle and yoga coaches on board, while restaurant menus now almost always offer plenty of healthy options.

Lie back and relax on Celebrity Cruises' 11-night Southampton round-trip to Iceland

Many cruises also have lifestyle and yoga coaches on board, while restaurant menus now almost always offer plenty of healthy options

• Pamper yourself on Celebrity Cruises' 11-night Southampton round-trip to Iceland on Celebrity Apex, departing on June 27, from £2,129pp (­celebritycruises.com).
• Seabourn has a 90-day Grand Africa Voyage, stopping at 42 ­destinations, on Seabourn Sojourn. Departs from ­Barcelona on November 30, from £40,999pp (­seabourn.com).
• Book a berth on Viva Cruises' four-night Wellness trip on Viva Enjoy from January to March 2025, on the Rhine, from £550pp. Flights not included (viva-cruises.com).

Tuck in: Trips for food & wine lovers

Many menus on cruises are now devised by Michelin-star chefs, and trips on land often celebrate the best local produce and wines, too. Here is my pick of voyages for foodies…

• Seven-night Idyllic Rhone from Lyon to Avignon trip on Scenic Sapphire departs on August 28 from £2,144pp (scenic.co.uk). It offers a Beaujolais wine tasting.
• Eight-night Quebec to New York sailings on Crystal Serenity feature Umi Uma dishes by Michelin-star chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Departs on October 10 from £4,200pp all-inclusive (crystalcruises.com).
• Ten-night Culinary Masters' Cruise on Marina departs from Valletta to Rome on October 16 from £4,489pp all-inclusive (oceaniacruises.com).
• Three-NIGHT maiden round-trip from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on Aroya Manara departs December 16. It features Irth, the first traditional Arabian restaurant at sea. Cruise-only prices from £355pp (aroya.com/en).
• Seven-night Venice & the Jewels of Veneto round-trip departs April 6, 2025 from £3,059pp (uniworld.com), with a wine tasting at a villa 

Ten expert tips 

Always do plenty of homework before booking a cruise. Check how many ports of call are on the itinerary and ask how long the ship will be in each one.

• Use a free shuttle or walk into a town or city rather than booking a tour to save cash.
• But if you are keen to join a certain tour, book early as the best ones sell out fast.
• Check what is included in your cruise, otherwise drinks, tours and dining in speciality restaurants can add up.
• Be sure to know if flights and transfers are included in the cruise fare.
• Travelling with family? Look for kids-go-free deals.
• On-board laundry rooms are usually free, so make good use of them.
• Save space by checking if binoculars, boots and jackets are supplied on expeditions.
• Take a refillable water bottle as most ships have water stations.
• Look for pre or post-cruise hotel stays that are included in the cruise price.

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