This week’s top cruises

Savour the sights of Shanghai, the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Fukoka, and Cheju, South Korea’s “Island of the Gods”, aboard the Costa Classica. Fares (cruise only) from £409 based on two adults sharing an inside cabin. Leaves Shanghai on Sept 25. Call 0845 351 055 or www.costacruises.co.uk.
Sail from Barcelona on September 26 aboard Celebrity Century for a seven-night cruise to Cannes, Portofino, Livorno, Civitavecchia and Naples. Fares (cruise only) from £493 pp. www.thelca.com or call 0870 122 5115.
Seven nights on Norwegian Jade from Barcelona on September
27 cost from £919. Ports include Naples and Cannes. www.cruise118.com or 0800 280 2614.
Eleven-night cruise to the Canary Islands on board Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas. From £899. Leaves Southampton October 21. Calls include Madeira, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lisbon. To book, see www.sailfromuk.com or call 0808 202 6104.
Fly to New York on October 23 to board Fred Olsen’s Balmoral for a 13-night cruise back to Dover. Stops include Shelburne, Halifax and Sydney in Nova Scotia and St John’s in Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic, calling at Cobh in southern Ireland. From £729 pp. Call 0147 374 2424 or see www.fredolsencruises.co.uk.
Wrap up warm for a short break to the Arctic. Fly from Gatwick to Tromso then sail with the Hurtigruten coastal express through the Vesteraalen and Lofoten islands to Trondheim, keeping an eye out for the Northern Lights. Departs October 24, from £565 pp. No single supplement so ideal for solo travellers. Call 0208 846 2666 or go to www.hurtigruten.co.uk.
If you’re new to cruising, the Discover Cruises website is packed with information on ships, destinations and everything else you need to know. Log on to the site at www.discover-cruises.co.uk