Book early for the best deals

It’s August bank holiday weekend and already the cruise companies are doing their best to get us to put down our money and make bookings for next year.
For P&O that means offering discounts of up to 20 per cent on cruise fares, and free travel to and from Southampton from anywhere in the UK on bookings made between September 1 and November 30.
Free return flights to Southampton – and transfers from the airport to the docks – are available from Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Newcastle, Manchester and Leeds-Bradford. Free coach travel is also available from departure points throughout the country. Passengers who prefer to drive can take advantage of free valet parking at Southampton, worth up to £311.
Also on offer are free flights from Gatwick and Manchester to Adonia’s fly-cruises in the Mediterranean, and free airport parking for those departures and Ventura’s cruises in the Caribbean.
Managing director Carol Marlow said: “Never before have we offered such a comprehensive booking package for our customers, transporting them from their home town to the ship at no extra expense. As soon as the booking is made all our customers have to do is start counting down the days until their holiday begins. The stress and costs of getting to the ship are removed as we take care of all the arrangements.”
A 14-night Mediterranean cruise on Azura, departing April 15, is now priced at £1,099 per person, a saving of up to £425 including the 20 per cent discount and free flights.
Details at www.pocruises.com, 0845 3 554 444.
Princess Cruises’ early-booking deals, available until October 31, include free upgrades to balcony cabins, and 10 per cent discount on mini suites on all cruises in Europe, South America, the Far East, Australia, Panama Canal, Alaska, the Caribbean, and Hawaii.
A seven-night Scandinavian cruise on Grand Princess departing June 2 now costs from £999 per person for two sharing a balcony stateroom.
UK director Paul Ludlow said: “Booking early has always given passengers the best choice of cruise and stateroom but booking during the Early Booking Spectacular will now offer exceptional savings.”
Details at www.princess.com, 0845 3 555 800.
Thomson Cruises have got in on the act by offering free all-inclusive upgrades – that means all drinks are free – on selected departures, a benefit which the company claims is worth about £196 per passenger.
With Thomson Spirit returning to the UK next summer, free parking at the departure ports of Harwich and Newcastle is on offer for bookings made before September 30. Fares for the 11-night British Isles cruise sailing from Harwich on September 12, 2012 start at £969 per person.