Cruise deals: 2010's best offers

Whether it's sheer luxury or pure economy you are after, there's a cruise package to suit your wallet. Jane Archer looks at the choices.
Cruising has come a long way from the days when it was for the well-bred and nearly dead, when only toffs with money could afford a holiday at sea. These days everyone can go on a cruise, whatever their budget.
Things started to change in the mid-Nineties, when the mass-market tour operators Airtours (now part of Thomas Cook) and Thomson launched their own cruise lines, targeted at people who travelled on their bucket-and-spade land-based holidays. If that had worked, why not an affordable cruise, they reasoned.

Their ships were old, but offered a winning formula of good food, good service, not too much formality and plenty of British-style entertainment.

It was like being in a hotel in Benidorm – except that this one moved.

The result? People who would never have considered a cruise because it was expensive and stuffy flocked to their ships, forcing the conventional cruise lines to think again. They suddenly realised that to grow, they had to appeal to this new casual cruiser who was less concerned about traditional pomp and ceremony, and more worried about their pocket. Prices began to fall.

Last year, P&O Cruises worked out that a two-week cruise was about £2,000 per couple cheaper than a decade ago – but the price still includes all food (unless you go to the speciality restaurants) and entertainment while on board.

So, just as there is a ship out there to suit everyone – one for families, one for people who like formality, one for those who prefer a casual break, and so on – there is now also a cruise to suit every pocket.

There are some amazing deals – and not just as long as you stay close to home. You can have three nights sailing around the Greek Islands for under £300, or seven nights in the Caribbean for £500. Don't forget these prices include as much food as you can eat, and entertainment where offered. Or how about a week cruising the Canary Islands this winter for under £550? That includes flights and transfers as well.

If you can afford to up the ante, there are more luxurious ships cruising the Med or further afield, from Panama to the Far East. Add another few thousand and you could be cruising to the ends of the earth – literally. To the Arctic or Antarctica.

To help bookings along in this recessionary year, some lines have come out with such great financial incentives that you can't really afford not to book.

P&O Cruises has on-board credit to take pressure off the budget, while ultra-luxury line Regent Seven Seas Cruises is offering free shore excursions on all cruises next year, worth at least £60 per person per day.

In St Petersburg, where there is so much to see that ships stay two or three days, you can pack in two or three trips ashore a day (there are evenings at the ballet or opera as well as morning and afternoon excursions) and save up to £550 per person.

The offer, available on selected cruises only this year but on all voyages in 2010, led to a 48 per cent hike in bookings in Britain between January and May this year compared with the same time in 2008. "It's already created huge demand for cruises next year," said the company's British managing director, Graham Sadler.

Having decided to cruise, the big question is whether to book now and take advantage of any early-booking discounts, or hang on in the hope of better last-minute deals.

The best advice is that if you want a particular cruise on a specific ship, staying in a certain cabin, book now: there is no point waiting and buying a holiday you don't want. If you don't care about any of that and only want a low-cost cruise in the cheapest cabin available, hang on, as there will always be last-minute deals to fill the ships, and you'll do better by waiting.

Cruises listed here show the published prices, based on two people sharing an inside cabin, unless otherwise stated, and include all meals and entertainment. Other inclusions are as indicated. Prices were correct at the time of going to press, but are subject to change.
No-fly cruises from the UK


Under £1,000

Voyages of Discovery has an eight-day Norwegian fjords cruise from Harwich on Discovery departing May 24 2010, visiting Bergen, Alesund, Hellesvit/Geiranger and Flam. From £898 per person, cruise only (0845 018 1808; www.voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk)

Join Princess Cruises for a seven-night Scandinavian Interlude cruise on Ocean Princess departing Dover on August 14 2010, visiting Amsterdam, Lubeck, Copenhagen and Oslo. From £849 per person, cruise only (0845 3 555 800; www.princess.com)

Visit the Norwegian fjords and Scottish Highlands on an eight-night cruise from Dover on Holland America Line's Eurodam departing on June 21 2010. From £949 per person, cruise only (0845 351 0557; www.hollandamerica.co.uk)

Cruise to the Canary Islands on a 10-night voyage from Southampton on Royal Caribbean International's Independence of the Seas departing May 5 2010, visiting Madeira, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Vigo, Spain. From £936 per person, cruise only (0844 493 2061; www.royalcaribbean.co.uk)

Under £1,500

Spend two-and-a-half days in St Petersburg on a 14-night Baltic cruise on Fred Olsen Cruise Lines' Black Watch departing Southampton on June 8 2010. From £1,499 per person, cruise only (01473 742424; www.fredolsencruises.co.uk)

Royal Caribbean International has a 14-night Mediterranean Treasures cruise from Southampton on Independence of the Seas departing July 3 2010, visiting Gibraltar, France and Spain. From £1,468 per person, cruise only (0844 493 2061;
www.royalcaribbean.co.uk)

Under £2,500

Celebrity Cruises has a 14-night Scandinavia and Russia cruise from Southampton on Celebrity Eclipse departing July 10 2010, visiting Stockholm, Helsinki, St Petersburg, Tallinn and Copenhagen. From £2,018 per person, cruise only, in an Aqua Class cabin (0845 456 0523; www.celebritycruises.co.uk)

P&O Cruises' new ship Azura, launching April 2010, has a 16-night cruise from Southampton to the Mediterranean departing July 23 2010, calling at Malaga, Katakolon, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Venice, Korcula and Gibraltar. From £1,894 per person, cruise only (0845 3 555 333; www.pocruises.co.uk)

Cruise & Maritime Voyages has a 42-night Amazon and Orinoco Discovery cruise from London Tilbury on Marco Polo departing February 1 2010. It spends eight days in the Amazon and also visits Brazil, French Guiana and Venezuela. From £1,999 per person, cruise only (0845 430 0274; www.cruiseandmaritime.com)

Over £2,500

Hebridean Island Cruises has a seven-night Castle and Gardens of the North cruise around the Scottish Islands from Oban, departing April 29 2010, on the 49-passenger Hebridean Princess. From £2,822 per person, including drinks, shore excursions and gratuities (01756 704 704; www.hebridean.co.uk)

Be the first to cruise on over-fifties specialist Saga's new ship, Saga Pearl II, on its 18-night inaugural cruise from Southampton to the Norwegian fjords departing March 15 2010, including calls at Bergen, Tromso, Narvik, Trondheim, Alesund and Flam. From £2,623 per person, cruise only (0800 505030; www.sagacruise.com)

Join Yachts of Seabourn's Seabourn Sojourn on its 14-night maiden voyage from London Greenwich to Dover on June 6 2010, visiting Scotland, Iceland and Norway. From £5,599 per person, cruise only, including drinks and gratuities (0845 070 0500;
www.seabourn.com)

Crystal Cruises is offering a seven-night cruise from Dover to Ireland on Crystal Symphony, departing June 14 2010, visiting Guernsey, Waterford, Dublin, Belfast and Liverpool. From £2,535 per person, cruise only, including soft drinks and gratuities
(020 7287 9040; www.crystalcruises.co.uk)
Europe


Under £1,000

Norwegian Cruise Line has seven-night Mediterranean Treasures cruises departing weekly from Barcelona on Norwegian Jade between April 19 and November 14 2010, calling at France, Italy and Spain. From £649 per person including flights and transfers (0845 201 8900; www.ncl.co.uk)

Join easyCruise for a three-night Greek Isles and Turkey cruise from Piraeus, the port for Athens, on easyCruise Life, departing April 30 or May 28 2010, and visiting Mykonos, Kusadasi, Patmos, Heraklion and Santorini. From £299 per person, cruise only (0871 210 0001; www.easyCruise.com)

Louis Cruises' six-night Mediterranean Highlights voyage from Genoa on Louis Majesty departs on December 20 2009, and visits France, Spain, Tunisia, Malta and Sicily. From £369 per person, cruise only (0800 0183883; www.louiscruises.com)

Casual cruise line Ocean Village has a seven-night cruise from Heraklion (Crete) on Ocean Village departing on June 17 2010, visiting Istanbul and Kusadasi in Turkey, Piraeus and Santorini. From £979 per person, including flights and transfers (0845 358 5000; www.oceanvillageholidays.co.uk)

Under £1,500

Princess Cruises has 12-night Grand Mediterranean cruises between Barcelona and Venice on Ruby Princess from May to September 2010, calling at Italy, Turkey, Greece and France. From £1,299 per person, including flights and transfers (0845 3 555 800; www.princess.com)

The fjords will come alive to the sound of music on Hurtigruten's seven-night opera-themed cruise from Tromso to Oslo on the Trollfjord departing January 4 2010. From £1,230 per person, including flights, transfers and all concerts (020 8846 2666;
www.hurtigruten.co.uk)

Viking River Cruises has an eight-day Danube Waltz from Passau in March, November and December 2010 that calls at Linz, Salzburg, Melk, Durnstein, Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest. From £1,465 per person, including flights, transfers and guided tours (020 880 7900; www.vikingrivercruises.com)

Enjoy a 13-day Mediterranean Spring cruise with Swan Hellenic, sailing from Cadiz to Piraeus on April 7 2010. You'll be cruising on Minerva and visiting ports in Spain, Italy and Malta. From £1,395 per person including flights, transfers, excursions and gratuities (0845 017 0017; www.swanhellenic.com)

Under £2,500

Windstar Cruises has a seven-night Spanish cruise from Lisbon to Barcelona on the 315-passenger yacht Wind Surf departing on April 4 2010, visiting Morocco and Spain. From £1,961 per person, including flights. Book through The Cruise Portfolio (020 7292 2387; www.windstarcruises.com)

Ultra-luxury line Regent Seven Seas Cruises is offering a seven-night Russia and the Baltic cruise from Copenhagen to Stockholm departing on July 4 2010. You'll cruise on Seven Seas Voyager and spend three days in St Petersburg. From £2,413 per person for a balcony cabin including flights, shore excursions and drinks (023 8068 2280; www.rssc.co.uk)

AMAWaterways has a 14-night Ultimate River Cruise from Budapest to Trier on the Amalyra departing November 2 2009, visiting cities including Vienna, Bratislava, Passau and Regensburg. From £2,284 per person, cruise only, including wine with dinner (0800 389 9811; www.amawaterways.co.uk)

Over £2,500

Italian line Costa Cruises has an eight-night Eastern Mediterranean cruise from Venice on Costa Serena departing on August 8 2010, visiting Italy, Greece, Turkey and Croatia. From £2,589 per person for a grand suite with balcony including flights and transfers (0845 351 0552; www.costacruises.co.uk)

Oceania Cruises is offering a 36-night Grand Circle of the Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona to Marseilles on Insignia on April 18 2010, visiting Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Tunisia, Malta and Corsica. From £5,399, cruise only, including bottled water and soft drinks (01344 772344; www.oceaniacruises.co.uk)

SeaDream Yacht Club has a 10-night cruise from Venice to Civitavecchia (for Rome) on SeaDream I, departing on July 3 2010, visiting Croatia, Corfu, Sicily and Italy. From £3,994 per person, including all drinks and gratuities but excluding flights (0800 783 1373; www.seadream.com)

Elegant River Cruises, part of Titan HiTours, has a 15-day Grand France cruise on the Seine and Rhône departing on March 21 2010. From £3,095 per person, including flights, British and overseas transfers, and wine and soft drinks with meals (0800 988 5867; www.elegantrivercruises.co.uk)

MSC Cruises has an eight-day Western Mediterranean cruise from Genoa on MSC Spendida departing on June 5 2010, visiting France, Spain, Tunisia and Malta. From £2,680 per person, including flights and transfers, Yacht Club butler accommodation and all drinks (0844 561 1955; www.msccruises.co.uk)

Scenic Tours has a 12-day Black Sea Explorer cruise on the Danube from Budapest to Bucharest visiting Serbia and Bulgaria and cruising through the Iron Gate gorge. From £3,145 per person, including flights or rail travel, transfers, excursions, wine or beer with meals and gratuities (0161 236 2444; www.scenictours.co.uk)
Caribbean


Under £1,000

Carnival Cruise Lines has a nine-night Exotic Western Caribbean cruise from Port Canaveral on its new ship, Carnival Dream, departing on December 11 2009, calling at Mexico, Belize and Nassau. From £979 per person, including flights and one night in a hotel (0845 351 0556; www.carnivalcruise.co.uk)

Norwegian Cruise Line is offering a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise from Miami on its new ship Norwegian Epic departing weekly from July 2010, calling at Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico, and Roatan. From £479 per person, cruise only (0845 201 8900; www.ncl.co.uk)

Thomson Cruises has a seven-night Coral Islands cruise from La Romana in the Dominican Republic on Thomson Destiny departing on December 20 2009, calling at St Lucia, Grenada, Antigua, St Maarten and Tortola. From £999 per person, including flights and transfers (0871 231 3253; www.thomson.co.uk/cruise)

Under £1,500

Costa Cruises has a seven-night cruise from Guadeloupe on Costa Mediterranea departing on January 16 2010, visiting St Maarten, the Dominican Republic, British Virgin Islands, Antigua and St Lucia. From £1,099 per person, including flights and transfers (0845 351 0552; www.costacruises.co.uk)

Celebrity Cruises is offering a 12-night Ultimate Caribbean cruise on Celebrity Equinox from Miami departing on December 3 2009, calling at St Maarten, St Lucia, Barbados, St Kitts and St Thomas. From £1,489 per person, including flights, transfers and a night in a hotel (0844 493 2061; www.celebritycruises.co.uk)

Join Regent Seven Seas Cruises for a seven-night Western Caribbean cruise on Seven Seas Navigator departing from Fort Lauderdale on February 19 2010, visiting Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. From £1,383 per person, cruise only, for an ocean-view suite including shore excursions (02380 682280; www.rssc.co.uk)

Ocean Village has a seven-night Caribbean cruise from Barbados on Ocean Village departing December 16 2009 and calling at Tortola, St Maarten, St Kitts, Antigua and Dominica. From £1,049 per person including flights and transfers (0845 358 5000;
www.oceanvillageholidays.co.uk)

Under £2,500

Star Clippers has a six-night cruise from Barbados on the sailing ship Royal Clipper departing January 2010 and calling at Grenada, Tobago, St Lucia and Bequia. From £2,175 per person, cruise only (01473 292029; www.starclippers.co.uk)

Silversea is offering a nine-day cruise from Fort Lauderdale to Barbados on Silver Shadow departing on December 2 2009, calling at the islands of Tortola, St Kitts, St Barts, St Lucia and Grenada. From £1,622 per person, cruise only, including drinks and gratuities (0844 770 9030; www.silversea.com)

SeaDream Yacht Club has a nine-night cruise from Barbados to Puerto Rico on SeaDream I departing March 14 2010, visiting the Grenadines, St Lucia, St Barts, Dominica, Guadeloupe and St Martin. From £2,125 per person, cruise only, including drinks and gratuities (0800 783 1373; www.seadream.com)

Holland America Line has a 22-night Southern Caribbean Wayfarer and Seafarer Collector cruise from Fort Lauderdale on Noordam departing April 23 2010, visiting St Maarten, St Lucia, Barbados and Martinique. From £2,119 per person, including flights and a night in Miami (0845 351 0557; www.hollandamerica.co.uk)

Over £2,500

Join ultra-luxury Seabourn Odyssey on its 14-day maiden Caribbean cruise from Fort Lauderdale on November 14 2009, visiting Turks and Caicos, Antigua, Barbados, Guadeloupe and Dominican Republic. From £3,099 per person, cruise only, including drinks and gratuities (0845 070 0500; www.seabourn.com)

Windstar Cruises has a nine-night cruise from Barbados on the yacht Wind Surf on November 22 2009, visiting St Kitts, Nevis, St Martin, St Barts, Guadeloupe, Iles Des Saintes and St Lucia. From £2,746 per person, including flights. Book through The Cruise Portfolio (020 7292 2387; www.windstarcruises.com)

Crystal Cruises has a seven-night cruise from Miami on Crystal Serenity departing January 4 2010, visiting Turks and Caicos, Grand Cayman and Key West. From £3,283 per person, including flights, transfers, an ocean-view stateroom, soft drinks and gratuities (020 7287 9040; www.crystalcruises.co.uk)
Rest of the world


Under £1,000

Thomson has seven-night Red Sea Magic cruises on Thomson Celebration between November 2009 and April 2010, sailing from Sharm el Sheikh and visiting Jordan and Egypt. From £669 per person, including flights and transfers (0871 231 3253; www.thomson.co.uk/cruise)

Sail from Brazil to Dover on an 18-night voyage on MSC Cruises' ship MSC Orchestra departing May 3 2010, visiting Rio de Janeiro, Recife, Mindelo, Las Palmas in the Canary Islands, Cadiz, Lisbon and Vigo in Spain. From £749 per person, cruise only (0844 561 1955; www.msccruises.co.uk)

Island Cruises has seven-night Canary Islands cruises from Tenerife this winter on Island Escape, visiting Gran Canaria, La Palma, Madeira, Morocco and Lanzarote. From £534 per person in December 2009, including flights and transfers. Book through Thomson Cruises (0871 231 3253; www.thomson.co.uk/cruise)

Under £1,500

Cruise through Vietnam and Cambodia on La Marguerite on an eight-day Mekong River voyage with AMAWaterways from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap in Cambodia, between November 2009 and March 2010. From £1,377 per person, cruise only, including wine or beer with dinner and excursions (0800 389 9811, www.amawaterways.co.uk)

Oceania Cruises is offering an 18-night Christmas and New Year cruise from Singapore to Sydney on Nautica departing December 20 2009, visiting Bali, Java, Komodo, Darwin and Brisbane. From £1,499 per person, cruise only, including gratuities (01344 772344; www.oceaniacruises.co.uk)

P&O Cruises has a 15-night Panama Canal cruise on Oceania from Acapulco to Barbados departing November 22 2010 and including calls at Huatulco, San Juan del Sur and Curaçao. From £1,488 per person, including flights, transfers and £50-per-person on-board credit (0845 3 555 333; www.pocruises.com)

Under £2,500

Spirit of Adventure has a 13-night Africa's Red Sea cruise from Aqaba to Mumbai, India, departing December 1 2009, with calls in Jordan, Egypt, the Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti and Oman. From £1,830 per person including flights, transfers, excursions, wine with meals and gratuities (0800 300 432; www.spiritofadventure.co.uk)

Viking River Cruises has 11 and 12-day cruises on the Dnieper from Kiev to Odessa (or vice versa) in Ukraine from May to September 2010, visiting Kremenchuk, Zaporozhye, Kherson, Sevastopol and Yalta. From £1,795 per person, including flights, transfers and excursions (020 8780 7900; www.vikingrivercruises.com)

Silversea's luxury expedition ship Prince Albert II is departing Longyearbyen in Spitsbergen for a seven-day voyage around Svalbard in the Arctic on June 22 2010. From £2,151 per person, including drinks and gratuities but excluding flights (0844 770 9030; www.silversea.com)

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines has a 16-night ArtsClub music-themed transatlantic cruise from Barbados to Dover on Braemar departing April 15 2010. From £1,729 per person for a balcony cabin, including flights and transfers (01473 742424;
www.fredolsencruises.co.uk)

Swan Hellenic is offering a 16-day Arabian Nights cruise from Aqaba to Dubai on Minerva on December 4 2010, visiting Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman. From £1,285 per person, including flights and transfers, excursions and gratuities (0845 017 0017; www.swanhellenic.com)

Over £2,500

Quark Expeditions has a 20-day cruise to Antarctica, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia from Ushuaia on Clipper Adventurer departing December 1 2009. From £6,556 per person, including shore landings, one night in Ushuaia and transfers, but excluding flights. Book through Discover the World (01737 218 800; www.discover-the-world.co.uk)

Lindblad has 10-day Land of the Ice Bear exploration cruises in Svalbard on National Geographic Explorer between June 19 and July 31 2010. From £4,528 per person, including flights, UK and international transfers, soft drinks and two nights in Oslo. Book through Titan HiTours (0800 988 5175; www.ngjourneys.co.uk)

Hurtigruten has a seven-day Glaciers and Icebergs of Greenland cruise from Kangerlussuaq on Fram departing July 29, August 5 or August 12 2010. From £2,801 per person, including flights from Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq and transfers in Greenland, but excluding international flights (020 88462666; www.hurtigruten.co.uk)

Australian cruise line Orion Expedition Cruises has a 10-night cruise along New Zealand's South Island Pacific Coast from Invercargill to Auckland on expedition ship Orion departing February 3 2010. From A$8,175 (£4,073) per person, cruise only (020 8545 2617; www.orionexpeditions.com)

Sample life on one of the last working mail ships on this 22-day St Helena Line round-trip voyage from Cape Town to the island of St Helena, where you'll stay for eight days. Departs April 18, May 28 or July 8 2010; from £2,521 per person, cruise only (0207 575 6480; www.rms-st-helena.com)
Cruise week competition

To celebrate National Cruise Week, Telegraph Travel has teamed up with the Passenger Shipping Association (PSA) to offer readers the chance to win a luxury cruise every day next week.

P&O Cruises is offering a two-week Mediterranean or Caribbean holiday for two on its new superliner Azura, to be launched in April 2010. Azura will offer talks by the wine expert Olly Smith and fine Indian dining supervised by the Michelin-starred chef Atul Kochhar.

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines is providing a trip for two of up to 14 nights on any of its cruises that depart fromBRitish ports. Accommodation in an outside two-bed cabin and all meals and entertainment are included.

MSC has an 11-night Mediterranean cruise on MSC Splendida for two, departing on December 8, calling at Genoa, Katakolon, Piraeus, Rhodes, Alexandria, Marmaris, Heraklion, Messina, Naples and Genoa. The prize includes return flight.

Holland America is offering an eight-night cruise through the Norwegian fjords and Scottish Highlands for two, sharing a deluxe stateroom (with balcony) on board the MS Eurodam, departing from Dover on June 21.

Hurtigruten is offering a three-night “Northern Lights: Taste of the Arctic” cruise for two, including return flight from Heathrow for depart
and March 25. Excludes Christmas and New Year.

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