Cruise: What’s it all about?

Some people believe that cruise holidays are not for them - or at least that’s until they try it. It can take some persuasion to get onto a ship for a week or more, as the thought of this huge vessel becoming your bedroom, lounge, dining room, cinema and gym for a prolonged length of time can be a little overwhelming. But as the converted will say, it’s worth a try: and that’s why so many tour operators have introduced short taster cruises to try and win over the non-believers.

Taster cruises are typically one or two nights long, sailing from a UK port to nearby locations such as Paris or Brussels. Customers have the chance to alight there and spend a day exploring the city, before getting back on board for the short jaunt back to familiar shores. It’s short, sharp and sweet, but many taster cruises include a full array of sumptuous cuisine and high-octane entertainment - after all, it’s designed to offer a taste of cruising, and these are certainly the highlights.

For the more confident cruiser there are countless itineraries taking in a vast range of destinations. For instance, take Thomas Cook cruises. 2012 is shaping up to be another superb year that’s packed with varied itineraries across a range of liners, from the long-established P&O Cruises to the younger and more innovative Royal Caribbean International, which brings exciting new onboard activities into the fray with surf parks, rock climbing walls and top-notch entertainment.

A cruise lets you take in a vast range of destinations and makes the most of the journey in-between too. Where else can you wake up in a new destination every morning, and while away the time at sea by relaxing on deck, working out in the gym or dining in style? Whatever your opinion of cruise holidays, it’s certainly worth a shot.