’tis the Season to be Cruising

Christmas, the most exciting time of the year for many. Young and old, cold hearts open up, and complete strangers exchange smiles in the street. But, lets face it, with the endless present buying combined with the stresses of preparing the perfect Christmas meal, not to mention the TV soap storylines reaching their long awaited depressing peaks, it’s no surprise that over 17 million of us Brits wish we could leave it all behind this year. And it never, ever snows.

Dreaming of something different? Whether it’s island hopping in the Canaries, swimming with dolphins in the Caribbean or a truly spectacular festive trip to Alaska that takes your fancy, cruising can be the perfect answer to a stress free Christmas getaway.

Last Christmas around 2.5 million of us said farewell to the UK in search of warmer climates, with an increasing number choosing to cruise. It’s clear to see why the market is booming, cruise lines spend thousands of pounds each year transforming their ships into festive wonderlands, with lavish decorations, carol concerts, religious services and of course, scrumptious seasonal meals, minus the washing up! This December, Princess cruises have gone one step further in creating the magic of Christmas with their latest innovation – “falling snow” – in the Atriums of many of their ships. Amazingly, passengers can enjoy the romance, without the chills as the flakes vanish on contact.

Any child’s Christmas appetite will be well and truly satisfied onboard a family friendly ship. Christmas dinner with all the trimmings, crackers and games comes as standard, but with an onboard Father Christmas complete with grotto, and presents, and if they are lucky, a special reading of “The Night Before Christmas” by the captain, it will be an experience to remember. And the grown ups? Well, how about a glass of eggnog, Midnight Mass and a burning log fire on your cabin TV screen!

So is it expensive? The short answer is no, cruising works out to be outstanding value for money, and you can make huge savings by booking up early, or, if you’re really lucky, catching a great late deal that will see you and your family enjoying a Christmas next year to remember.