Sun or shops? Choose your cruise

Two very different cruises, each sailing from the UK on the same day, top the cruise deals on offer this week.
Pack the sun-cream, shorts and swimsuits for the 11-night Winter Sunshine cruise on board Royal Caribbean’s mega-liner, Independence of the Seas. Sailing from Southampton on November 29, the ship calls at Vigo, Lisbon, Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Madeira and la Coruna. Inside cabins from £649, balcony cabins £889. Go to www.iglucruise.com or call 020 8544 6447.
Alternatively, prepare for some serious shopping on a Christmas Markets cruise aboard Fred Olsen’s Balmoral which, with a capacity of 1,300 passengers, is a a third the size of Independence. Also sailing from Southampton on November 29, the eight-night voyage takes in Gothenburg, Copenhagen, the Kiel Canal, Hamburg and Amsterdam. Outside cabins from £679 per person, singles from £999. Fare includes £50 on-board spending money and free parking. Go to www.iglucruise.com or call 020 8544 6447.
Fly to Miami in November for a seven-night cruise on board Celebrity Eclipse, which has spent the summer sailing out of Southampton. The November 20 departure calls at San Juan, Puerto Rico; Phillipsburg, St Maarten; and Basseterre, St Kitts. And if lazing on a Caribbean beach is not your thing, you can relax on the real grass lawn – the size of eight tennis courts – or watch a live glass-blowing demonstration, on the ship. Go to www.celebritycruises.co.uk or call 0845 456 0523.
Got more time (and money) to spare? Then you don’t have to fly to the Caribbean, you can sail there on board Fred Olsen’s Black Watch. Departing Southampton on November 12, this voyage calls at Tenerife before crossing the Atlantic to Barbados, Grenada, St Lucia, St Kitts, Tortola, Antigua and St Maarten. The return crossing is via The Azores, and the ship arrives back in Southampton on December 10. Entertainment during the cruise will include tribute acts Divas of Motown, and the Upbeat Beatles. Fares from £2,299. Go to www.fredolsencruises.co.uk or call 01473 742424
Head east to Dubai for a two-night stay at the incredible Atlantis resort on The Palm before joining Costa Luminosa for a seven-night cruise to Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain. Fares from £999, based on two people sharing an inside cabin; full-board accommodation on the ship, B&B in the hotel. Departs December 10. Go to www.virginholidayscruises.co.uk or call 0871 781 989.
Looking for a cruise that doesn’t go to sea, and does not involve flying to the embarkation port? Take a relaxing river cruise along the romantic Rhine. Travel by coach and Eurotunnel to join the boat in Cologne, and sail to Koblenz, Zell, Bernkastel-Kues, Rudesheimm, and back to Cologne. Fares from £749 for the seven-night cruise include all transfers, full board and complimentary drinks with lunch and dinner, plus travel insurance. Go to www.sagaholidays.co.uk or call 0800 056 5880.