Top cruise deals of the week

It’s official – cruise holidays are becoming more and more popular, and 2009 saw continued growth in the number of passengers, despite the belt-tightening recession.
Figures released this week show that 1.53 million Brits took a cruise last year – up four per cent from 2008 – and a record 1.75 million are now predicted to holiday at sea in 2011.
Almost 600,000 Brits started their cruise from a UK port, while 939,000 flew off to join their ships in destinations such as the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.
Bill Gibbons, director of the Passenger Shipping Association, told a conference in Miami: “The UK cruise industry proved resilient in 2009 despite the very difficult economic climate and much of this success can be attributed to the all-inclusive nature of cruising and the very high standards of quality and service. These are values intrinsic to cruising and will continue to encourage greater numbers of passengers, with the PSA predicting 1.65m Brits taking a cruise holiday in 2010.”
“There are 14 new ship launches this year bringing capacity for an additional 28,000 passenger berths. Among the new ships are three dedicated to the UK market – Celebrity Cruises’ Celebrity Eclipse, Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth and P&O Cruises’ Azura. Cruise & Maritime has a second ship, Ocean Countess, and Royal Caribbean International is providing a year-round service from Southampton with Independence of the Seas. Disney Cruise Lines and Holland America Line are also introducing full length cruises out of Dover.”
Is it any wonder that cruising is proving so popular, with value deals like these, brought to you each week by the Daily Mirror and Captain Greybeard:
For a start, you could join me on a cruise to the magnificent capitals of the Baltic on board P&O’s brand new superliner Azura – which will be launched by ballerina Darcey Bussell next month. Departing from Southampton on May 26, the ship calls at Kristiansand, Stockholm, Tallinn, St Petersburg, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Oslo. We’ll have a great time together. Fares start at £1,294 per person, sharing a balcony twin stateroom (that’s just £92 a night). Go to www.pocruises.co.uk or call 0845 3 555 333.
Combine seven nights in the Quality Inn International, Orlando with a seven-night cruise on Carnival Legend from Tampa to Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize City, Roatan Island. Fares from £899 per person based on two adults sharing an inside cabin on a full-board basis and including flights with Virgin Atlantic from Gatwick. Hotel stay on a room only basis and split between pre and post cruise. Based on departures on 2 December 2010. Go to www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk or call 0871 781 9893.
Fly to Barcelona from London on April 18 or 25 for a seven-night cruise on Norwegian Jade. Ports of call include Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Livorno (for Florence and Pisa), Civitavecchia (for Rome), Naples (for Pompeii) and Palma. Fares from £719. Go to www.thelca.com or call 0870 122 5115.
Depart from Harwich on May 14 for a 14-night cruise on board Page & Moy’s Athena to the Norwegian fjords, Iceland and the Faeroes. Ports of call include Bergen, Olden, Alesund, Akureyri, Grundarfjordur, Reykjavik and Torshavn and fares start at £889 . Go to pageandmoy.com or call 0844 567 3322.
And if you’re still not sure whether cruising is for you, then take a two-night mini-cruise on Fred Olsen’s Boudicca from Liverpool on June 4 and spend a day in Dublin before arriving at Greenock on the Clyde. Fares from £189 per person in a twin outside cabin, including coach transfer back to Liverpool. Go to www.fredolsencruises.co.uk or call 01473 742424.
For more information on cruise ships and destinations, go to www.discover-cruises.co.uk