Top cruise deals this week

It’s almost that time of year when cruise ships start returning to Alaska, although there are fewer of them this year as operators have pulled out in protest at a $50-per-passenger tax first introduced in 2006.
The state legislature is considering a plan to reduce the tax, and cruise numbers are likely to increase again if it is approved.
Passenger numbers will be down by 142,000 this year, but there are still some bargains to be had – and the spectacular scenery and wildlife is well worth the journey.
First, a holiday combining 10 nights on board the 2,000-passenger Coral Princess and a four-night land tour. The ship sails from Vancouver and calls at Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway and Whittier and the cruise also visits Glacier Bay and College Fjord. Fares for a May 14 departure from £1,819, including flights. Go to www.AlaskaOnly.com or call 0808 202 6102.
A nine-night cruise on Norwegian Pearl also visits Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan, but departs from Seattle and also calls at Victoria in British Columbia. Fares for the July 3 departure start at £1,799. Go to www.AlaskaOnly.com or call 0808 202 6102.
Later in the year, there’s a seven-night cruise on Celebrity Mercury from Vancouver to Icy Strait Point, Juneau, Ketchikan and Hubbard Glacier. Fares from £1,259 for the September 12 departure. Go to www.AlaskaOnly.com or call 0808 202 6102.
Closer to home, the Norwegian fjords rival Alaska for scenic grandeur. Fred Olsen’s Balmoral sails from Dover on May 15 for a seven-night cruise to Oslo, Fredrikstad, Kristiansand and Stavanger. Fares from £499. Go to www.fredolsencruises.co.uk or call 01473 742424
Another Fred Olsen ship, Black Watch, leaves Southampton on May 18 for a 21-night voyage to the Adriatic, calling at Gibraltar, Cagliari, Brindisi, Venice (for a two-day stay), Split, Kotor, Palma and Cadiz. Fares from £1,299 per person. Go to www.iglucruise.com or call 020 8544 6447.
Also sailing from Southampton is Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas. A May 15 departure takes the ship to Gibraltar, Marseille, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Cagliari, Cadiz, Lisbon and Vigo. Fares from £1,179. Go to www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk or call 0871 781 9893.
New to cruising? Visit www.discover-cruises.co.uk for advice on ships and destinations