Just Cruisin'One Giant Step

Photo Credit: bimiers2

These days we’re blessed with a huge choice of holiday destinations, from skiing, touring, beach breaks, adventures holidays and city breaks. One increasing popular way to see the world is on a cruise.

Once upon a time cruise holidays were for the older generations, but nowadays cruising is a whole new ball game, with colourful and jazzy ships, and like an entire holiday resort all rolled into one. Of course you’re also getting the huge bonus of seeing more than one place in a holiday period, which means more of us get to see the world, and often at a fantastically low price.

Whether you choose to sail from the UK, such as transatlantic from Southampton, or whether you fly to a foreign destination and join your cruise from there, a great way to start your classy sea-faring holiday is by pre-booking an airport hotel. Rested is the best way to start any break and when you’re sailing the oceans, why not spoilt yourself a little more? Of course, this also goes a long way to beating the sleep deprivation of long-haul flights, and early starts, so I’d highly recommend it purely for that. I recently stayed at one of the Heathrow Airport hotels, and the extra sleep, comfort and low price really started my holiday in the best possible way.

So, you meet your ship, what can you expect? Whether you choose sea-view balcony or whether you opt for an inside cabin, your ship will offer comfort and fantastic facilities. What could be better than sailing the seas whilst swimming in a huge top-deck swimming pool with fantastic views? Inside the ship you’ll find many restaurants, all catering for different tastes, cinemas, shows, amusements, clubs for the children, shops – you name it! It makes you wonder why you need to step foot on land!

My dream cruise would have to be a Caribbean one, with the chance to see several beautiful islands in the space of a few days. For this, you’ll generally fly to the USA, and join your ship at either Miami or Fort Lauderdale. Different cruise-liners have different itineraries, and there are some fantastic deals available.

For something a little closer to home, Mediterranean cruises are fantastic value for money, and you’ll get to see historic sites as well as more beach-based resorts. On a land-day in Turkey during a recent cruise, we went to Ephesus and walked around the ancient ruins, before boarding once more and heading back to an idyllic Greek island the next day. A cruise certainly offers you the variety and spice of life!

Norwegian Fjord cruises are becoming increasingly popular, many offering the chance to see the Northern lights, with stunning scenery en-route.

Cruising has become increasingly more accessible thanks to the prices on offer, and once on board you can often purchase drinks packages, which are a great idea if you’re travelling with children, and helps you keep within budget. Of course, food is included in the price of your cruise, so eat to your heart’s content!

For a holiday that really does offer something completely different, cruising is the way forward, and when combined with a pre-holiday relaxation, such as booking at night at a hotel with AirportHotels.com, it becomes a true holiday to remember.

Cruising is the new holiday trend – get out and see the world!