Why not have a cruise and then spend some time in the English countryside?
If you are still at a time in your life when you have to spend most of the year working to keep yourself afloat financially, then your yearly break will be something that you cherish and want to enjoy as much as you possibly can. The problem can sometimes be that we want to do more than one thing and just do not think we have the time to fit it all in. If you look at cruises from Southampton then you will find that there are many attractive routes you can take, that last for about a week and take in some of the nicest areas of Europe. These are ideal trips for people who would like to try such a holiday but also want to spend some time relaxing in a quiet area of the English countryside. There are some fantastic family run guest houses and hotels dotted around the English countryside that make great places to forget about all your worries for a while and take life at a slower pace. If you have a little longer than a couple of weeks then Princess cruises are one company that do a 12 day tour around the UK, also visiting France for the day and then returning back to Southampton. After that you can book yourself into somewhere like the Wye Knot and enjoy exploring the Brecon Beacons National Park for a change of pace and tasting some of the wonderful home cooked food that is on offer.
"This was our first cruise and it most certainly will not be our last! It was a spectacular experience from beginning to end. Embarking at Southampton was quick and efficient - what a change form airport check-ins!" - Gayle, Chichester on 6th Sep 2009 (Celebrity Cruises)
Getting airborne
If you are prepared to do a bit of running around to make it all work then you can vastly expand your options on the seafaring part of your holiday. Exploring the Amazon with someone like Fred Olsen cruises is a possibility if you do not mind flying out to Barbados to join the ship. After all that trekking through the jungle, by the time you arrive back in the UK you will be ready for some traditional country hospitality and maybe a gentle walk or two by the riverside. One of the great things about staying in a family run guest house is the personal attention you receive and you often end up making real friends with the owners and becoming a regular visitor. On the other hand if that all sounds a bit too much then you could enjoy a transatlantic crossing with Cunard cruises or a similar operator where you get to experience the gentle pace of life at sea for a few days, with no hectic schedules calling into ports along the way. Basically with flights around the world, the opportunities are limitless. It will also give you something to talk about with the other guests on your return to England, when you are enjoying an evening playing cards or chatting at the bar in a country hostelry tucked away in an idyllic hamlet. If a hotel in Scotland appeals to you then MSC cruises call in at Invergordon so you could arrange to embark there.
" We went on two shore excursions which we enjoyed [ but hired a car in other ports as it gave us freedom and saved us more than 50% of excursion fees . The cruise as a whole was brilliant and it has turned us into cruise converts ." - Pickup, Dubai on 8th Sep 2009 (Royal Caribbean Cruises)
Those long summer nights
Assuming that you are planning on taking your holiday during the summer months in the UK, you can hopefully look forward to some mild weather and those long daylight hours that make living here worthwhile. In somewhere like the Wye Valley there are so many places to walk or cycle that you are spoilt for choice if you fancy an after dinner constitutional. Offa’s dyke is one of the best known walks in the area but you probably will not want to tackle it all in one go! To balance out all that fresh air, Royal Caribbean cruises are one of the lines that can whisk you away to the exotic Orient where you can immerse yourself in the manic pace of life that places like Hong Kong and Tokyo have to offer. Pick yourself up a cheap mp3 player while you are there and you can listen to soothing music while you watch the sun set over the Black Mountains - if you decide on a stay at the Wye Knot Stop bed and breakfast that is. If wildlife is your thing, going to the Galapagos islands with Celebrity cruises would be a great choice for the ship-based part of your break. You will find a huge diversity of flora and fauna in this unique location. Back in Wye valley, If you are a keen bird watcher, there are lots of birds of prey in the area and a Red Kite feeding centre not far from the guest house.
" We've previously cruised with P&O on the Oceana and with Princess on the Sea Princess, and Oriana is quite different to the all-american glitz and glamour styling. The ports of call were fantastic, food great and had outstanding service (especailly from the waiting staff)." - Lock, Wokingham on 7th Sep 2009 (P&O Cruises)
No place to be
A major attraction of any holiday has to be the freedom you have to suit yourself as to what you do all day. If you want to join in every activity possible then that is your choice. On Caribbean cruises, if you just want to sit around on a tropical beach sipping rum all day then that too is up to you. In the same vein, if you choose your guest house in the UK well, you can either spend your days shooting the local rapids in a canoe or raft, and bungee jumping from perilous heights, or you can just take it easy and enjoy a pint of the local ale in the village pub garden, as you watch the world go by. Of course, if you really do not have any place to be for some considerable time then P&O cruises are one of the companies you can travel around the world with. It is probably a better idea to try a shorter journey first though The good thing about round the world trips is you can usually arrange to join and leave them at whichever ports you wish. For a tamer but equally enjoyable way to experience life on the water, staying in a guest house near to one of Britain’s many rural canals could give you the chance to try your hand at skippering a barge for a few days. Not the same as a large vessel like one run by NCL cruises, but great fun.
"The P&O staff are very friendly, polite, and well organised. In fact from arriving at Southampton to disembarkation the organisation of this, and all other P&O cruises we have been on, was first class." - Haskey, Droitwich Spa on 7th Sep 2009 (P&O Cruises)