Top deals for Christmas cruises

It’s my idea of heaven – Christmas at sea, with no need to worry about cooking, washing up . . . or annoying relatives. Just sit back to be entertained, fed and plied with drink at any time of day or night, and even enjoy a few hours of unseasonal sunshine by the pool.
And there are options for those who want to spend the time surrounded by their children, or those who prefer to get away from the little darlings altogether.
P&O has vacancies on several of its ships for this year’s Christmas cruises.
Arcadia offers the child-free option, on a 17-night voyage to the Mediterranean leaving Southampton on December 19. There are calls at Lisbon, Cadiz and Cartagena before Christmas Day, which is spent at sea. Malta, Naples, Rome and Cannes follow before New Year’s Eve in Barcelona. Fares from £2,184 per person, based on two sharing an
inside cabin; £100 pp on-board credit included.
Oriana is sailing an 11-night Christmas cruise to the Canary Islands, leaving Southampton on December 17 and visiting Madeira, La Palma, Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. Fares from £1,786 pp sharing an outside cabin.
Fly to Acapulco to join Oceana for a 15-night Caribbean cruise visiting Huatulco, San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua, and Christmas Day at sea. Then transit the Panama Canal, and visit Curacao, the Dominican Republic, Tortola, Antigua and Barbados for the flight home. Fares from £2,646 pp sharing an outside cabin.
And for those who want to visit the Caribbean without flying, Aurora departs from Southampton on December 17 for a 23-night round trip during which Christmas will be celebrated mid-Atlantic, and New Year’s Eve will be spent in lively Bridgetown, Barbados. The cruise also visits Madeira, Antigua, St Maarten, St Kitts, St Lucia and Ponta Delgada in the Azores. Fares from £2,564 pp sharing an inside cabin,
and with £400 pp on-board credit included.
For more information or to book, go to www.pocruises.co.uk or call 0845 355333
On Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas, entertainment includes Christmas-themed ice skating and a Santa parade, and the unseasonal activity includes a surf simulator and rock climbing wall. An 18-night Mediterranean cruise leaves Southampton on December 21 and visits Lisbon on Christmas Eve, Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona, Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples (for New Year’s Eve) , Gibraltar and Cadiz. Christmas Day is at sea. Fares from £1,633 pp sharing an inside cabin. Go to www.royalcaribbean.co.uk or call 0844 4932061.
Take the family on a Christmas cruise in the Med on board MSC Fantasia. The eight-night voyage departs from Barcelona on December 21, sailing to Genoa and calling at Casablanca, Malaga, Alicante and Civitavecchia. Fares from £849 including a free upgrade to a balcony cabin and return flights from London Kids pay just £329. Go to www.iglucruise.com or call or call 020 8544 6447.
True adventurers might want to spend Christmas at the other end of the
earth, on a cruise to the Falklands and Antarctica aboard
Hurtigruten’s Fram. In Norwegian tradition, passengers will be
recruited to help decorate the tree, and will enjoy Christmas dinner
on December 24. Fares from £4,125 pp including return flights between
Buenos Aires and Ushuaia. Flights from the UK are extra, and can be
booked through Hurtigruten. Go to www.hurtigruten.co.uk or call 0844
4487601.