Culture vulture: Western Mediterranean  
With historic deep-water ports set along a beautiful coastline that stretches from Gibraltar around to Italy, the western Mediterranean could have been made for cruising. Ports such as Barcelona with its world-class galleries, Naples with the nearby Amalfi Coast, and cultural highpoint Rome are all convenient distances apart, and the rich tapestry of cultures, languages and cuisines mean each day ashore is an adventure. Cruise from a UK port and you’ll have time to recharge your batteries before all that sightseeing. Many ships have extensive children’s clubs, pool areas and babysitting services, and on Grand Princess, little ones can even stay onboard for more supervised fun while you tour the cathedrals, museums and vineyards ashore.
 

*Princess Cruises offers 14-night ‘Mediterranean Adventurer’ cruises from Southampton on Grand Princess throughout the summer, calling at Malaga, Barcelona, Monte Carlo, Rome, Naples, Ajaccio and Gibraltar, before returning to Southampton. 
 

Great outdoors: Norwegian Fjords
If clean air, outdoor activities and striking natural scenery are your idea of heaven then read on. The northern Norwegian coast is a wild, untamed meeting between land and sea where mountains dive deep into clear lakes, towns and villages cling to the rocky coast and nothing is done in a hurry. As well as sailing through the fjords themselves, you can take a cable car ride above Flam for breathtaking views, cycle through pretty Bergen or hike in the hills above Hellesylt – or for complete contrast do the boutique shops and museums of Oslo or Stavanger. Many cruises depart from UK ports but new ship Costa Deliziosa is sailing to the fjords from its base in Copenhagen all summer long.
 

*Costa Cruises offers seven-night ‘Land of the Vikings’ cruises from Copenhagen on Costa Deliziosa throughout the summer, calling at Flam, Hellesylt, Geiranger, Bergen, Stavanger and Oslo before returning to Copenhagen.
 

Fun in the sun: Eastern Caribbean
Hot, hot, hot this summer and always, the Eastern Caribbean is a sunshine playground for young and old. Zip-lining through jungles or touring historic forts, diving with stingrays or visiting butterfly farms, teeing off in the sunshine, shopping or trekking – whatever your definition of fun, you’ll find it here. Of course, islands such as St Thomas, St Maarten and the Bahamas are most-loved for their clear warm sea and idyllic white-sand beaches, and many ships offer snorkelling and diving trips as well as days at the beach. Oasis of the Seas has world-class experiences onboard as well, with surf simulators, zip-lines running high above an open boulevard, rock-climbing walls and an ice-rink, plus vast children’s clubs and many restaurants.
 

*Royal Caribbean offers seven-night Eastern Caribbean cruises from Fort Lauderdale on Oasis of the Seas throughout the summer, calling at St Thomas, St Maarten and the Bahamas before returning to Fort Lauderdale.
 

Rum and reggae: Western Caribbean
With eco-adventure and ancient ruins as well as paradise beaches and rolling surf, the Western Caribbean has real flair. Many islands and ports are cultural melting pots and move to Latin and African rhythms – expect rum, reggae and really friendly people. Ports here include Mexican Costa Maya and Cozumel, with its several important Mayan ruins, Belize, Grand Cayman, Montego Bay in Jamaica and Isla Roatan off Honduras. You can eat lobster on the beach, snorkel over coral reef, swim with dolphins or even crew an America’s Cup yacht. The family fun continues onboard new ship Carnival Dream – it has acres of space for kids and teens, waterslides up to 300ft long and spacious family cabins.
 

*Carnival Cruises offers seven-night Western Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral on Carnival Dream throughout the summer, calling at Cozumel, Belize, Costa Maya and Nassau before returning to Port Canaveral. 
 

 Learning in luxury: Eastern Mediterranean
From the glory of Venice and the jaw-dropping ancient sites of Athens to the picturesque towns along the Adriatic coast, you can learn a lot about the history of Europe on an Eastern Mediterranean cruise. The Greek islands are little clusters of paradise that make for dream cruising and on Santorini archaeological sites date back 3,500 years. Bodrum in Turkey has a 15th century castle and fascinating Museum of Marine Antiquities, while in Dubrovnik elegant Venetian buildings are framed by 7th-century fortifications. Choose this cruise on Crystal Serenity and you’ll learn loads onboard too – the luxury ship has an impressive educational programme as well as facilities for children and teens, and ends with a night in Venice – one the most romantic and educational cities in the world.
 

*Crystal Cruises offers seven-night ‘Aegean Escape’ cruises from Athens on Crystal Serenity, calling at Santorini, Thira, Bodrum, Corfu and Dubrovnik and ending in Venice.
 

Central Mediterranean
Poring over excursion lists is one of the most exciting parts about planning a cruise, and in the central Mediterranean you’ll be itching to get ashore in every port. Archeological sites and a smoking mountain mean you’ll be particularly spoiled for choice on Sicily, where you can tour historic Taormina with its Graeco-Roman theatre or visiting Mount Etna, the highest active volcano in Europe. On Malta the choices range from temples older than the Egyptian pyramids to swimming with dolphins, taking a wine-tasting tour or just kicking back on the beach. Save some energy for Tunisian port La Goulette – you’ll need it for haggling in the medina or visiting Carthage, one of the must-sees of the ancient world. After all that sightseeing you can put your feet up in the huge spa on MSC Splendida, hail your butler in the MSC Yacht Club or dine with family in one of several restaurants.
 

MSC Cruises has seven-night ‘Best of the Med’ cruises on MSC Splendida from Genoa throughout the summer, calling at Marseilles, Barcelona, Tunis, La Valletta (Malta), Messina (Sicily) and Rome before returning to Genoa. Children cruise free when sharing with parents.
 

 

Summer breezes: Canary Islands
Nature has been very kind to the Canary Islands. Their remote location off the west coast of Africa means they have a unique microclimate with hot sunshine in winter and mild winds in summer. This makes July and August ideal for hitting the white-sand beaches on Gran Canaria, enjoying watersports in La Palma and even climbing Mount Teide on Tenerife. Here you’ll also find Europe’s largest water complex Siam Park, boutique shopping at tax-free prices in Santa Cruz and great food and wine. All this is a couple of days’ cruise south from the UK – time to take long lunches, relax by the pool and be pummeled in the spa on new ship Azura while the kids enjoy some of the best facilities at sea.
 

P&O Cruises has 12-night Canary Islands cruises from Southampton on Azura this summer, calling at Madeira, La Palma, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lisbon and Vigo, before returning to Southampton.
 

 

 Double bubble: New York and the Bahamas
Shop till you drop in the Big Apple, hail a cab a la Sex and the City, and before you know it you’ll be sailing past the Statue of Liberty with a cosmopolitan in your hand. Believe it or not, the port of Manhattan is the jump-on point for cruises to the Caribbean and beyond, and the contrast couldn’t be more exciting. As your ship heads south the temperature rises until you arrive in Port Canaveral for the theme parks of Orlando and John K Kennedy Space Centre. On this cruise the next stop the beach – NCL has its own private island Great Stirrup Cay where you can spend the day lounging, swimming and enjoying watersports in the clear warm sea. There’s more beach fun the following day on Nassau before topping up your tan as the ship sails back to New York.
 

*Norwegian Cruise Line has seven-night ‘New York skyline and Bahamian sunshine’ cruises from New York on Norwegian Gem throughout the summer, calling at Port Canaveral, Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau before returning to New York.

 

History lesson: Baltic capitals
From the earliest Viking warriors setting out to conquer Europe, to bloody sea battles between regional powers, the Baltic sea has not only shaped the coastline of some of Europe’s most important countries, but their histories too. Now it’s one of the most popular cruise destinations for British holidaymakers and it’s easy to see why. From Copenhagen and Oslo in the west to Stockholm with its island network and cool Helsinki – all are coastal, historic and packed with museums and galleries where your children can learn about the region’s colourful past. The cultural highlight is St Petersburg and Disney Magic spends a night and a long day here with plenty of time for you to explore. Onboard Mickey Mouse and friends host incredible kids’ clubs and there is plenty of grown-up fun too, with an adults-only pool and a great range of restaurants and bars.
 

Disney Cruise Line has a 12-night ‘Northern European Capitals Cruise’ on Disney Magic from Dover throughout the summer, calling at Oslo, Copenhagen, Warnemunde, St Petersburg, Helsinki and Stockholm before returning to Dover.
 

Celtic connection: British Isles
From sunny Guernsey with pretty houses climbing the hill behind St Peter Port to craggy Middle Age churches in the Scottish Highlands, the diversity of the British Isles, Ireland and northern France are celebrated on this fabulous two-week cruise. This is a chance for your family to see some of the most far-flung corners of the kingdom, including the Isle of Skye and the north coast of Scotland, as well as key cities Dublin, Belfast and Edinburgh. Departing a tender on the Thames in central London, a full cirumnavigation of the British Isles is completed in total comfort on Princendam, a luxury mid-size ship with spa, culinary arts theatre and plenty of fun for children, with facilities including a games room and teenage den.
 

*Holland America Line has 13-night ‘Celtic Nations’ cruises from London on Prinsendam throughout the summer, calling at St Peter Port (Guernsey), Brest (France), Falmouth, Dublin, Holyhead, Belfast, Peel (Isle of Man), Fort William, Portree (Isle of Skye), Scrabster and Rosyth before returning to London.
 

To book any of these cruises contact your ACE travel agent.

Find more ships sailing these destinations.