Travel Guest Post: 5 Favorite Cruise Destinations for 2012

 

English: MSC Armonia in the Bay of Kotor (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We have scoured the web and have rounded up a selection of fun excursions at an affordable rate. The choices range from exotic escapes designed to put the romance back into your life to kid-friendly cruises for the whole family to enjoy.

Some of the destinations we have chosen leave directly from UK ports, so there is no flying and no delay in the beginning of your holiday enjoyment. See the latest cruise deals to 5 great low-cost destinations to help kick off this summer holiday season.

1. Exotic Egypt for the Whole Family

Egypt has always been a favourite destination for the holidays, and now it is more affordable than ever. Enjoy a cruise down the Nile, play on the sunny beaches of the Red Sea, view the wonders of Giza from the back of a camel. Red Sea Resorts offers a selection of holiday packages that are guaranteed to please everyone from mom and pop to the kiddies. A cruise leaving from Manchester with a destination at the Grand Hotel, Hurghada, starts at only £379 per person, bed and breakfast inclusive.

2. Greek Island Getaway

The MSC Armonia has a great rate for July on a 7-night cruise through the Greek Islands. the cruise departs from Venice, with ports-of-call in Santorini, Piraeus, and more, including an overnight stay in beautiful Mykonos Island. Fares begin at only £549 per person, and include round trip airfare to your port of departure. Exclusive upgrades are available from an additional £14 per person, per night, and you can purchase an all-inclusive drinks package for £140 per person.

3. Sensational Scandinavia

A 7-night cruise touring Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway on Princess Cruise Lines’ Caribbean Princess. Enjoy the crisp, clean air, the food, the medieval architecture that this beautiful and historic region has to offer. The cities featured on this cruise are Brujes, Brussels, Copenhagen, Oslo, and Helsingborg, and rates begin at only ¬£598.51 per person for an inside room with TV, refrigerator, and private bath with shower.

4. Marvellous Mediterranean Cruise

P & O Cruises offers this luxurious 13-night cruise through the Western Mediterranean. Leaving from Southampton in September, wend your way down the eastern Atlantic to your first port-of-call in Gibraltar. This cruise then leads you to Cartagena, Spain, Rome, Florence, Pisa, Villefrance, Barcelona, and back home again. Rates are as low as £699.00 per person for a cabin with a private bath with shower, refrigerator, coffee maker, interactive TV, steward service daily, AC, safe, and more amenities.

5. Trans-Atlantic Travel

If you have a little more in your budget, and want to get far away, this great deal from Norwegian Cruise Lines on the Norwegian Epic is just the ticket. An October cruise, beginning in Barcelona and ending in the sunny Caribbean, is a treat for a family, a couple, or a couple of friends. Fares start at just £899 per person, and include air-fare, room, meals, ship-board entertainment, and 2 nights at a luxurious 4-star hotel in Miami, Florida before your return home. You will begin your journey with a flight from the UK to Barcelona, then board the Epic in Barcelona. With a total of 10 days at sea, and stops in Portugal, the Virgin Islands, and Miami, return flight to the UK, and all the other inclusions, this cruise is the ultimate get-away bargain.

There you have it; a little of everything, for everyone. Some of the best holiday cruise bargains at a selection of destinations that are sure to tempt the traveler in you.

  • Cruises are back in fashion(confused.com)

  • What is Your Cruise Personality?(2012cruises.wordpress.com)

  • Ten of the best cruises from British shores(telegraph.co.uk)

  • Which are the best mini cruises?(telegraph.co.uk)