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Cruise and stay holidays are becoming the ‘in thing’ among many who realize it is often cheaper to cruise to far away places than to fly these days. Cruise lines offering deals too good to turn down are causing some people to take a second look at cruising as their alternative holiday transportation.
Stay and cruise holidays offer the best of two worlds; you may begin with flying to the city where you will board your cruise ship. Once you check in to your hotel, it is time to make plans for exploring the highlights of the city. Your time on land can vary, but most often stay and cruise offers include seven nights. The first place to visit is the local tour office or an information desk at the hotel where you can pick brochures about the city.
The cruise and stay holidays are sometimes called pre and post tours. You can book tours through a tour operator or through your cruise line. If interested in a pre or post tour combined with cruising contact your travel agent to help plan a great holiday experience. Choose to spend your on land days either before or after your cruise. Whichever you choose your travel agent can find a good deal for you.
Most stay and cruise offers mean flying to the port city to enjoy holidays at the beach or touring the area. The offers most often include hotel, meals and sometimes a car hire. Other offers cover the hotel only or perhaps a bread and breakfast. In either case, you will be responsible for some meals and other costs such as service tips.
Some offers will state the hotel stay is all-inclusive, however it is best to ask for a statement of what this means. Know in advance what you will be responsible for paying for during your holidays at a hotel. Some cruise and stay offers will be for the hotel only, or for half board. Either way you will be responsible for a portion of the cost of your stay. These types of cruise and stay holidays can be expensive in the end. Prepaid is the best and cheapest way to travel.
When the day for boarding your cruise ship arrives head off in plenty of time to be on schedule. Once on board and settled in its time to take a tour of your surroundings and discover where to locate the food and drinks, spa and pool. Look over your itinerary and get into the swing of things as your ship cruises away from the port city either before or after your stay. Relax and enjoy the next seven days. Before you know it, the ship will back in port and you will be boarding your flight for home or checking into your hotel.
Below are two examples of cruise and stay itineraries to give you an idea of the type of options available. Remember not all cruise and stay holidays are all-inclusive, so know in advance what is prepaid and what is not prepaid. There are literally hundreds of options available from Carnival Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Ocean Village, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas, Fred Olsen and other cruise lines. Some cruise and stay options take you to Florida, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, the Nile, Cairo, the Caribbean, Africa, the Mediterranean and many other cities and countries.
Among the cruise and stay offers is an offer from Royal Caribbean Cruises to the Mediterranean and Spain. For one price, you fly from Gatwick Airport in London to Malaga, Spain. Your stay is half board for seven nights at the four stars Benalmadena Palace. On the last day, you board the Navigator of the Seas for a five night cruise on the Mediterranean. After docking at Malaga, you head to the airport to board your flight back to Gatwick Airport in London.
Another cruise and stay package is from Thomson Cruises. Spend seven days cruising and then seven days in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. Fly from Gatwick Airport to board the Red Sea Magic for a full board cruise of seven days. You sail and visit Aqaba, Safaga, and Port Sokhna before sailing back to Sharm El Sheikh. From the port, you have transportation to the Dreams Vacation Resort for an all-inclusive seven days stay in Sharm El Sheikh. At the end of your seven days in Sharm El Sheikh, you fly back to Gatwick Airport with fond memories of the past fourteen wonderful holidays.
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