THE ULTIMATE CRUISES

BEYOND BORDERS

If you're looking for the experience of a lifetime, this type of cruise is what you need. An Antarctic cruise is entirely different from any other cruise. You won't be shopping or eating in luxury restaurants. Instead, you'll be taken ashore on an inflatable boat to walk among penguins, check out seal colonies or take a dip in the thermal waters of Deception Island, one of the only places in the world where vessels can sail directly into the centre of a restless volcano (The South Shetland - lying about 60 miles north of the Antarctic Peninsula). There are also stunning iceberg formations, vistas of glaciated mountains and whales to watch from the ship.
Antarctic visits are mainly concentrated at ice-free coastal zones over the Antarctic summer, the five-month period from November to March. Each month has its own attractions. November is early summer, and the birds are courting and mating. December and January feature hatching penguins and baby chicks, along with warmer temperatures and up to 20 hours of daylight each day. February is late summer, but the whale sightings are more frequent and the chicks are beginning are fledging. There is also less ice in the late summer, and the ships are not as booked up as earlier in the season. One important tip: try to book your cruise on a small ship, or you might have a tough time getting off for your excursions: the IAATO (International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators) allows no more than 100 persons ashore at a time.

WILD NATURE

For travellers in search of rugged natural beauty, breathtaking mountain peaks, fjords that stretch nearly forever, cosmopolitan cities, indigenous historic peoples and cultures, and vast tropical rainforests, South America is a cruise revelation.
This huge continent covers thousands of miles and extends from the equatorial tropics to the sub-Antarctic. It is, of course, too big to sample on a single cruise. There are two primary routes - and not only do they rarely connect but they also are incredibly different. Around-the-horn cruises typically sail between Buenos Aires and Valparaiso, and feature lots of fjords, the wild beauty of Patagonia and Cape Horn - the southernmost point on the continent; and the Amazon cruises, getting in close contact with dense rainforsets, indigenous tribes and abundant wildlife.

The beauty of a cruise - as opposed to a land tour - of South America is that the region is simply too vast to explore comfortably and many area are unaccessible by road. Ships go where very few hotels exist - and even folks who like a little edge in their travel may feel relieved to re-board their ship after a long adventurous day paddling canoes up a tiny Amazonian tributary or hiking out to a peninsula to observe penguins!

A PLACE IN HISTORY
100 years after the sinking of the Titanic, a twin cruise will mark the Titanic's original cruise.
The ship, carrying the exact number of passengers as 100 years earlier – 1,309 people -, will sail from Southampton on 8th April 2012 and will follow the RMS Titanic's original itinerary, passing by Cherbourg on the French coast before calling into the Irish port of Cobh. From here the ship will sail across the Atlantic, arriving at the Titanic site on April 14th/15th exactly 100 years on from this tragic voyage, where a memorial service will be held to pay tribute to the brave passengers and crew who perished on that fateful night. The voyage will then continue to Halifax, Nova Scotia, the final resting place of many who were on board, before sailing on to New York, the Titanic's ultimate planned destination.
The food served will match the sumptuous menus on the original voyage; the entertainment will include music and dancing in the Georgian style.

FIRST-TIME CRUISES
Never been on a cruise before, curious but always been too suspicious to find out? Cruises don't have to mean endless days at sea. Mini cruises are becoming more and more popular with time-famished holidaymakers. They're also a great way to get a foretaste of what a cruise is all about, so perfect for first-time cruisers. Mini cruises generally last four to five days and include all the usual on-board entertainment and sometimes much more, but you get more for your money than you would with a land-based holiday as you usually visit two to three destinations in one trip. To mention only two options, go can go classic, choosing a cruise which will take you to Malta, Italy (Naples, Rome and Florence) and then France (Cannes) before returning to Barcelona. Or, discover the Baltics under a completely different perspective, sailing through Estonia and Russia, and back to Stockholm.

You're probably not the only first-time cruiser, check travellers' reviews and find out...

TIME-RICH TRAVELLERS
For those lucky travellers having a lot of time, a round-the-world cruise is the ultimate in cruising. Usually lasting anywhere from four weeks to three months, these cruises take in just about every type of destination you can think of. A typical trip, starting in the UK might take you across the Atlantic to the Caribbean and USA, through the Panama Canal to a few ports in South America before cruising on to some South Pacific islands, including Hawaii, then on to the New Zealand and Australia. Asia comes next, followed by Africa or the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean. Of course, you can do this in the opposite direction or join a cruise for just a section.
A world cruise is a hassle-free way to experience plenty of different cultures without having to deal with airports and check-ins, lost luggage or arranging your own transport. Just have to think up a smart way of packing.

GOURMET CRUISES
If you're fascinated by celebrity chefs and think you will never be so lucky to get a table at one of their posh food palaces, here's a tip: celebrity chefs are increasingly teaming up with cruise lines to create at-sea eateries. And while being exclusive, these onboard restaurants are a terrific way to enjoy the star chef experience at a relatively reasonable cost. Well, once you've paid for the cruise, of course.
In addition to providing cruise lines with a little extra glamour the presence of illustrious and critically acclaimed chefs does wonders for the calibre of the nosh on board. Another big plus is that you'll find them on the less expensive lines as well, not only on luxury ships.
The essential added value is that cover charge is very reasonable compared to the land-based experience and reservations aren't limited to VIPs – you'll just have to book in advance.

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