There is a lot to consider before booking a cruise. A good start is to decide what type of cruise appeals. There are ocean or river cruises, big ships and small ships, ones that have dress codes and others that are more casual. There are British cruise ships, where fellow passengers will be from the UK, American-style cruises, which tend to be very lively and attract a majority from the US, and European cruise lines, which have a mix of Italians, French, Germans and Spanish, as well as British passengers.

You can cruise in the Mediterranean or Baltic, visiting some of Europe’s most iconic cities, island-hop around the Caribbean, go scenery-spotting in Norway, enjoy exotic days out in the Far East, even get way off the beaten track on a cruise to the Galapagos, Arctic or Antarctica.

Once you’ve decided to go on a cruise, the hard bit is over. And the best part of choosing to cruise is that with a cruise you can have a range of holiday experiences which can all be planned and booked at the same time. For example, with a cruise and stay holiday – your operator or travel agent will plan an itinerary for you which includes the best of both worlds. Want to soak up the culture of different islands, or countries and regions? Easy! Your full itinerary and shore excursions can all be mapped out in fine detail before you embark the ship. And with some cruise lines you can even book yourself onto enrichment courses as well as arranging fine dining and spa treatments so you how exactly what you have to look forward to from one day to the next.