Most Relaxing Holidays – Cruises

Cruises are a great way to get to see a variety of holiday destinations in a short space of time. They are (perhaps unfairly) often perceived as being, well, abit boring – but it completely depends on what you are after in a holiday. If you want non-stop excitement and adrenalin rushes, yes – cruises probably aren’t for you. Or if you want a great beach holiday – then likewise, cruises won’t really fulfil your needs. But if you just want to get away and unwind then a cruise may just have what you’re looking for.

So what is a cruise? Well there is a large variety of different companies to choose from, but the general idea is that you stay onboard a large cruise ship for around two weeks, and you visit several destinations in various countries along the voyage. Passengers have the option of disembarking at these locations and heading off for a daytrip to see what these places have to offer. Back on board the ship, there are a variety of activities to indulge in such as sunbathing, pool games, golf, gambling, nightlife and of course great food (usually). There is a lot to do, and most of it is enjoyed at a nice leisurely pace – perfect to get away from it all.

P & O and Princess are two of the two biggest luxury cruise operators. Their cruises cover several different continents – many start in Southampton and venture into the Mediterranean sea, stopping off in the South of France, Italy, Greece and many other locations. Other cruises may require you to fly to the Caribbean where the ship will embark on a voyage around a selection of sun-drenched islands.


A Caribbean Cruise

Cruises have typically been regarded as being very expensive affairs for the middle classes – however sue to the current economic climate sales are down and operators are offering outstanding deals to fill up their rooms. Barter with the sales people on the phone for an almost guaranteed further discount – if you don’t ask you don’t get. I would recommend a cruise as something to do at least once during your life – you may love it and go every year from then on. Cruises are definitely the basis of highly relaxing holidays, allowing you to experience many of the best holiday destinations in a short time span – you may discover somewhere you love and decide to turn it into a much longer trip at a later date.

Best Holiday Destinations in July & August

July is upon us already - it seems like only yesterday we were munching down the mince pies and opening presents round the Christmas tree. Yes, we are halfway through the year, and officially into Summer. July and August are the busiest months for people to go on holiday for much of Europe - because of this high demand you will usually find prices for hotels / flights etc to be at their peak, hence 'peak time'. If booking far enough in advance you can usually get really good deals on your package holidays and flights, however if you are still looking for somewhere to go you'll do well to get a cheap deal - I just bought some flights to Italy for £250 return - if I had booked them a couple of weeks ago they would have set me back just £160. So if you are planning to go somewhere this summer, or September/October time, I'd recommend getting everything sorted out asap to save money, as prices tend to keep on increasing as the date gets nearer. The exception to this can be last last minute deals - if you look to go away tomorrow you can usually get really cheap deals - as it is such late notice and the airlines /travel agents would rather have someone pay less than to miss out on the business completely.

So where are the best holiday destinations in July and August? Well this is a bit of an unspecific question - it really completely depends on what kind of holiday you want, who you are with, your budget and many other factors. Many of us, myself included, like to go abroad around this time - slightly ironic perhaps considering they are the only 2 months in the UK where the weather is actually nice and hot. My advice would be to check with your travel agents and do some research online for good deals - if your on a strict budget its probably best to see what holiday destinations have good deals for them and building from that - ie. choose where to go once you know you can buy flights or a package at a good price. You should always be able to find a range of really exciting places to travel to so you won't be stuck with staying in a 2* out of town hotel in an country you've never heard of, just to get a good deal.