Cruise the Canaries with Royal Caribbean

Join Royal Caribbean's Independence of the Seas on a 14-night Spain & Canary Islands cruise-only from just £895 per person (based on two people sharing an inside stateroom) this spring.

For less than £64 per night, this superb price includes the full two-week voyage, which departs Southampton on March 17 and calls at Vigo, Lisbon, Lanzarote, Las Palmas, Tenerife and La Coruña before returning to Southampton, plus all meals and entertainment on board and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

For booking details, be sure to check out this link  with the UK's leading cruise agent specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

Cruise The Canaries With Royal Caribbean (And Save 20%!)

Here's a great weekend offer to get you thinking about some Winter sun: Join Royal Caribbean on a 12-night Spain and Canary Islands cruise-only from £950 per person (based on two people sharing an inside stateroom).

This bargain price includes a 20 per cent discount on the original brochure price, with the voyage departing from Southampton and calling at Funchal (Madeira), Tenerife, Las Palmas, Lanzarote and Vigo before returning to Southampton; all meals and entertainment on board and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

PLUS, you can receive free car parking in Southampton port or a complimentary coach transfer to the port if booked by February 29. Price is based on May 9 departure.

For booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's leading cruise agent specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

Welcome In The New Year With Royal Caribbean

Join Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas (above) for a 12-night Spain & Canary Islands cruise from just £899 per person (based on two people sharing an inside cabin) this December.

This excellent price includes the full 12-night cruise, departing from Southampton and calling at Vigo, Lisbon, Lanzarote, Las Palmas, Tenerife, Funchal (Madeira) and La Coruna, before returning to Southampton; all meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. Price is based on December 29 departure.

For more information, visit www.royalcaribbean.co.uk or the cruising specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd at 0800 008 6677.

40,000 Free Nights With P&O Cruises

P&O Cruises is giving away 40,000 free cruise nights on cruises of seven nights or more when booked in June or July 2011.

All cruises of seven nights or more, departing between August 1 and December 31 are eligible for one free cruise night when booked by July 31.

A nine-night cruise on board Oceana departing October 17, 2011 (E128) is priced from £761 per person including a one free night saving of £95 per person. Departing from and returning to Southampton, ports of call include Vigo, Lisbon, Cadiz, Casablanca and Oporto.

For bookings throughout June and July, P&O Cruises is also offering complimentary three night pre or post-cruise city hotel stays on selected exotic cruise holidays.

Aurora’s San Francisco to Sydney cruise is a 22-night cruise from January 26 to February 18, 2012. Ports of call include San Francisco, Hilo, Honolulu, Apia, Pago Pago, Port Denarau, Auckland, Bay of Islands and Sydney. Prices start at £2,086 and include three free nights in a Sydney Hotel but do not include flights.

All prices are per person and based on two adults sharing on a full board basis including all main meals, entertainment and most facilities.

All bookings must be made before July 31, 2011. More info at www.pocruises.com or, to book, contact the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Great Summer Sailing With Royal Caribbean

Join Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas for a 14-night Mediterranean Treasures cruise-only from £1,205 per person (based on two people sharing an inside cabin) this June.

This excellent price includes the full two-week cruise, departing from Southampton and calling at Gibraltar, Cannes, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Lisbon and Vigo before returning to Southampton; meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees. Price is based on a June 25 departure.

For more info, see www.royalcaribbean.co.uk or call the specialist cruise agents of The Cruise Line Ltd on 0800 008 6677.

Enjoy A Mediterranean Cruise This May With Silversea Cruises

With a complimentary return flight and £1000 onboard spending credit, join Silversea Cruises on Silver Spirit for a seven-day Mediterranean voyage (#5111) from Southampton to Barcelona.

From £2,778 per person, on an all-inclusive basis, Silver Spirit departs May 19 and calls at La Coruña (Spain), Vigo (Spain), Lisbon (Portugal) and Alicante (Spain) before arriving at Barcelona (Spain). All prices are per person, based on two people sharing a Vista Suite and include complimentary one-way Economy Class flights, port charges, government fees and taxes. $1,000 onboard credit is offered per suite, based on two people sharing, for use towards additional benefits such as shore excursions, the spa, boutiques or wine restaurant.

For more information, visit http://www.silversea.com/ or contact the luxury cruise specialists of The Cruise Line Ltd.

Huge savings with Celebrity Cruises in 2011

By guest blogger Steve Newman

We all know January is now officially classed as 'Wave' season, when most cruise lines roll out some big discounts and special offers to attract savvy customers. Here is a great one from Celebrity Cruises for this year.

Look to a book a Celebrity Eclipse voyage, on Celebrity's 14-night Italian Mediterranean itinerary, and it will cost just £1,419 per person before the end of February (based on two people sharing an ocean view cabin).

The price includes a New Year special offer of $100 onboard credit; free car parking in Southampton; the 14-night Med cruise (departing Southampton and calling at Gibraltar, Provence, Florence/Pisa, Rome, Cagliari (above), Seville, Lisbon and Vigo, before returning to Southampton; meals and entertainment onboard; and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

Price is also based on May 7 departure and includes an early booking offer, which expires on February 28.

For more information, visit http://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/ or check with UK cruise specialists The Cruise Line Ltd.

Cruising from the UK from £72 per person per night

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Now you can Join Royal Caribbean International’s Independence of the Seas (above) for an 11-night Spain and Canary Islands cruise-only from just £792 per person (based on two people sharing an inside cabin).

Price includes an 11-night cruise-only, departing Southampton and calling at Vigo (Spain), Lisbon (Portugal), Tenerife (Canary Islands), Las Palmas (Gran Canaria), Funchal (Madeira, Portugal) and La Coruña (Spain) before returning to Southampton; meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

This price is based on a March 14 departure.

For more information, visit http://www.royalcaribbean.co.uk/ or cruise specialists The Cruise Line Ltd.

Carnival Day In Tenerife

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Fred. Olsen’s cruise ship Boudicca (above) will be in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, on Carnival Day next year – March 12, 2011. Guests on cruise D1103, departing from Southampton on March 6, will have a unique opportunity to experience all the colour and excitement of the Carnival – the biggest and most spectacular outside Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Tenerife’s Carnival dates back to the 1600s and is a spectacle not to be missed. It begins on the Friday before Shrove Tuesday and ends on Ash Wednesday, and activity on the island centres on the capital, Santa Cruz. The event is one long, spectacular party; there are colourful floats, a Carnival Queen and groups of entertainers: ‘murgas’, comedians; ‘comparsas’, dancers; and ‘rondallas’, singers. Everyone works for months in advance to create this stunning event, which now aspires to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The events open with a procession through the streets of Santa Cruz, with much music and dancing, and end with the ceremonial ‘El Entierro de la Sardina’ – or ‘Burying the Sardine’! Feast your eyes, and join in with the colourful activities of Carnival on this cruise.

The full itinerary is of 14 nights, departing and visits Leixoes (for Oporto) in Portugal, then Arrecife (Lanzarote), Santa Cruz (Tenerife) – where the carnival takes place – San Sebastian (La Gomera), Santa Cruz (La Palma), Funchal (Madeira), and Vigo (Spain), before returning to Southampton.

In addition to the music and colour of the Carnival, this cruise has a musical theme, as it is one of Fred, Olsen’s ‘Music and Laughter’ cruises, with the superb Abba tribute band, Abba Arrivals, performing live. It is also a Flagship Golf cruise, which means keen golfers can opt for an additional package, that combines golf ashore with professional tuition aboard, for an extra £375 per player.

Prices for this very special cruise start at £1,444 per person, based on two adults sharing an outside twin cabin, Grade ‘E’. Prices include all meals and entertainment on board, and port taxes.

For more information, visit http://www.fredolsencruises.co.uk/ or call cruise agents The Cruise Line on 0800 008 6677.

Head for the Med, Italian Style

By guest blogger Steve Newman

The Mediterranean will always be a favourite spot for the UK cruising community. It’s not that far away, is pleasantly warm and has fascinating cultures and cities around its rim. Add to that the links with our own history and some of the best food found anywhere on the planet and you know you are on to a winner.

Now you can see the sights of Italy and the Mediterranean aboard Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Eclipse on a 14-night Italian Med cruise costing from only £1,409 per person (based on two people sharing an inside cabin).

As with all of Celebrity's eye-catching Solstice-class vessels, onboard features include a real grass lawn on deck, a glass-blowing show and studio developed with the renowned Corning Museum of Glass and the Celebrity iLounge, the Apple-only internet café and iconic store. As you’ll be visiting Italy, why not try a taste of the country beforehand in the Tuscan Grille? With its vibrant ambiance, this steakhouse offers a variety of exquisite selections, from Caesar salad prepared tableside to an antipasti station. Paired with any number of quintessential Italian wines, this is an experience destined to please more than just the palate.

Price includes a 14-night Med cruise departing from Southampton and calling at Gibraltar, Provence (Toulon), Florence, Rome, Cagliari (Sardinia) with its famous ice cream parlours (above), Seville (Cadiz), Lisbon and Vigo, before returning to Southampton (England); meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

Price is based on 07 May 2011 departure.

For more information visit http://www.celebritycruises.co.uk/.

Celebrity Cruises will also be exhibiting at the Cruise Show in Birmingham on October 16-17.

A True Mediterranean Odyssey

By guest blogger Steve Newman

The Mediterranean's sunny climate, historic ports and enchanting cities have made it an eternally popular cruise destination. The problem arises when deciding where exactly to go, as there are a plethora of voyages on offer in this extensive region.

One option is join Saga on their Saga Pearl II for a two-week exploration around the Iberian Peninsula and into the Western Mediterranean, departing on 29 April 2011 from Southampton. This ship (above) underwent a £20million three-month refit and now recalls the same stylish surroundings and superb service that cruise-goers have come to expect from the company’s elegant ships.

She has a smaller size than most vessels (just 446 passengers, and with 60 single cabins), and offers a more relaxed and intimate atmosphere to her guests. Deluxe cabins have twin beds, some of which can be converted to a king-size on request. These cabins have a bath, with a shower and wc, and some cabins benefit from a balcony.

The wooden floors and al fresco soft sofas on the Bridge Deck and a library with over 3,000 books give the ship a real private yacht feel, while the open-dining policy of sitting with who you like enhances this feeling.

The voyage visits Lisbon, Gibraltar, Mahon in Menorca (with those wonderful steps that lead you from the harbour up in to the city) and then on to Marseilles, Barcelona, Ibiza Town and Vigo in Northern Spain before returning to Southampton.

All of the ports of call have ample time to thoroughly explore these wonderful maritime and architectural gems. However, what Saga does extremely well is the choice and standard of their excursions and I have to say those being offered on this voyage are very good indeed.

Saga are also exhibiting at the Cruise Show in Birmingham in October.

Canary Islands a lot "Cheeper"?

By guest blogger Steve Newman

Many of us prefer to take a cruise right at the end of summer to try to hold off those winter blues for a bit longer. October is becoming an ever more popular month to take a cruise and, if you can get to somewhere warm and get there quickly, so much the better.

So why not think about joining Royal Caribbean International’s Independence of the Seas for a 10-night Canary Islands cruise from just £699 per person (based on two people sharing an inside cabin)? That’s Canary Islands cruising for £69 per person per day!

Royal Caribbean are renowned for their high-quality, ultra-modern vessels and, now you can check in online, it saves time and you don't have to fill in any forms at the pier. When you and your party arrive, all you need is your signed SetSail pass, identification documents, and credit card that you register online.

The price for this voyage includes the full 10-night cruise departing from Southampton and calling at Funchal (Madeira, Portugal), Tenerife, Las Palmas (Gran Canaria), Lanzarote and Vigo (Spain) before returning to Southampton. Meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees are also fully inclusive.

Independence of the Seas is also brimming with 15 decks of activities, including a Flowrider surf park at sea, an onboard ice-skating rink, rock climbing wall, a children’s water park, a teen-only nightclub, mother-and-daughter/father-and-son spa facilities, basketball and volleyball courts, miniature golf course and shopping.

Price is based on 29 October 2010 departure.

Royal Caribbean are also exhibiting at the Cruise Show in Birmingham this October.