Cruise ship holidays were once reserved for the middle class in the UK, and most people from working-class areas didn’t stand a chance of spending a week or two on the open waves in the utmost luxury. However, due to a decrease in the number of families opting for cruise breaks during the last few years, hundreds of companies have dropped their prices for summer 2018. It is hoped the move will encourage more adventurers to book a cruise for their families and see the world from a different perspective. The information below highlights some of the most popular options available right now, but you’ll need to be quick because all these breaks are selling out fast!
European river cruises
Most people will have seen adverts between the soaps on TV for European river cruises during the last few years. Indeed, a spokesperson for the Bolsover Cruise Club recently stated that more families than ever before choose to visit the continent in style every summer and autumn. Some courses will take you into Holland and through the river system until you reach Amsterdam. There are also routes that go through other scenic parts of Scandinavia and the Netherlands. If you like the idea of spending a couple of weeks seeing the sights of Europe from the comfort of a cruise liner, now is the best time to make your booking. As mentioned earlier, places are selling fast, so you only have a couple of months to make the arrangements if you want to travel this year.
Caribbean island cruises
Lots of people enjoy getting a suntan and checking out the clear waters of the Caribbean when they take a break from their working lives. Cruising around those islands is an excellent experience that you will never forget if you manage to book your room on a decent ship. You could wake up sailing around the coast of Cuba only to fall asleep circling St Lucia or Puerto Rico. The possibilities are endless, and there is a wealth of different islands to explore that all have fascinating histories. Most ships heading for the Caribbean will set sail from the US, so you might have to fly out to California or Texas, and that creates an extra expense. Still, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity with prices being low right now.
South American cruises
Cruises that circumnavigate South America tend to last much longer than any other option mentioned on this page. Still, that doesn’t mean your family has to remain onboard the boat for the full two months. Many people decide to join the ship in countries like Brazil, and then leave it when they reach the coast of Colombia, according to newspapers like The Telegraph. This helps to reduce the costs while ensuring that everyone still has a fantastic experience. Just bear in mind that South America benefits from scorching temperatures for most of the year. So, that cruise idea is not suitable for people who struggle to deal with the heat. However, it’s the best way to see all those exciting and vibrant countries in a single trip.
Arctic cruises
If you’re dead against hot weather and spending time in South America or the Caribbean, all is not lost! Perhaps you might enjoy going to the opposite extreme by spending your vacation in the Arctic? Most people will never get to see that cold and icy world, and so it’s somewhat of an unique experience for everyone involved. You will travel on a cruise ship designed to smash through ice in one of the most unforgiving areas on the planet. Boats get stuck sometimes, but that just adds to the excitement for everyone onboard. Just remember to wrap up warm and take lots of spare clothing with you if you think an Arctic cruise is on the cards this year.
So there you have it. As cruising the world is not as unrealistic as you might have thought, now is the best time to make your arrangements and down payments. Prices are likely to rise again during the next few years, and cruise holidays could become far too expensive for your family when that happens. Unless you want to get into mountains of debt and struggle to put food on the table, it makes sense to strike while the iron is hot and take advantage of the market as it is at the moment. Just make sure you opt for a room with a balcony because nothing is more annoying than trying to get a decent view from a tiny porthole in your cabin. Above all else, have a brilliant time whatever you decide to do this summer!
