Today’s cruises - a guide to your most relaxing holiday ever!

Imagine waking up off the coast of Egypt and going to bed in Greece after a relaxing day of shopping, swimming and sunbathing. Imagine treating yourself to a glass of cooling champagne and a five-course dinner – all without leaving the comfort of your luxury floating hotel. Cruises are a truly hassle-free, idyllic form of travel. They offer the opportunity to explore new cities and cultures without the upheaval of taking flights or trains between destinations. They avoid the worry of delays that cause you to spend hours of your precious holiday time waiting in airports or stations. You will avoid the nuisance of packing up, finding and moving to new hotels every time you want to move on to a different venue. What other holiday allows you to visit different countries, cities and cultures without even checking out! These sorts of holidays used to be seen as the preserve of older and retired couples. With the advent of larger, new ships, more and more younger couples, families, friends and singles are taking cruises. Modern cruise liners not only provide high quality accommodation, restaurants and entertainment but also offer exciting new activities to try. Ever wanted to try climbing, dancing or ice-skating? Many of the larger ships now offer these activities. Most have a range of pools, golf practice nets and aerobics classes, and if that sounds too much like hard work, nearly all offer health spas, where you can book a massage or have a facial.

Explorer of the seas Royal Caribbean Cruises

Cruises.co.uk is a great resource that will answer all your questions about ocean bound holidays. With tips, independent reviews from experienced travellers, thousands of questions and answers, news and photos; it will help you plan your trip from the comfort of your own home. Particularly helpful are the cruise ship reviews, photos and even videos, which help you to get a real understanding your accommodation before you leave home. Each review is taken from the Berlitz guides and includes up to date facts, prices and detailed information. For example, the guides will tell you how long a “restaurant cycle” is, so if you are considering going on a longer cruise, you can tell if the menu will be different each night. Part of the problem for those new to this form of holiday is knowing where to start. The website gives you an overview of the multitude of various routes and destinations that are available. For example, you may have heard of a Caribbean cruise or Mediterranean cruise, but had you ever considered that you might cruise to the Far East or Baltic? I was also impressed by its overview of the different companies that offer cruises to these destinations. This helps to know which companies visit different destinations and which the best value is. With preparation this easy, you can rest assured that your cruise will be one of your most relaxing and exciting trips ever.