Ask an CLIA UK & Ireland Agent - Cruise Information

P&O have a 2 night taster party cruise from and back to Southampton to Zeebrugge or the next one would be Cunard's Queen Victoria on the 13^th December from and back to Southampton visiting Gothenberg, Copenhagen and Hamburg - so Christmas market type cruise.

Just prior to the 1^st December, Fred Olsen have a 3 night taster to France on Braemar visiting Honfleur and Cherbourg from and back to Southampton again.

A lot depends on where they wish to visit and their budget. If they were looking for a fly / cruise then there are many, many alternative opportunities - the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Canaries etc

Fred Olsen is probably the best cruise line to fit the criteria. They sail from Southampton & Portsmouth and with their small ships cater ideally for the more senior passengers.

I would suggest that the Balmoral & Braemar are slightly easier to get around than the Boudicca & Black Watch. I would also select a cabin near a lift which will reduce the amount of walking required. On the Braemar I would suggest Main Deck 4 and on the Balmoral again Main Deck 6 .

Fred Olsen they have 4 ships in their fleet and again are all small ships -  The Balmoral (1350 passengers) is based in Southampton all year round and the Boudicca (880 passengers) & Black Watch (804 passengers), Braemar (929 passengers) also sail fromSouthamptonat various times of the year.

Some examples of cruises available are:
Fred Olsen - Black Watch - 3 nights - 13^th December 2012 - Southampton -Rouen overnight -Southampton

Fred Olsen - Braemar      - 3 nights  -   23^rd November 2012 - Southampton,Cherbourg, Honfleur,Southampton

Fred Olsen also sail out of Portsmouth which may be worth considering and they have this cruise available

Fred Olsen - Boudicca    -  4 nights  - 16^th December 2012  -Portsmouth,Cherbourg,Rouen overnight,Portsmouth

P&O do have the Adonia which is Adult only ship and carries 710 passengers but I have had a look at the sailings for 2012 & 2013 and the ships shortest cruise is 7 nights in August 2013, the remaining cruises for this year are fly cruises with the exception of a 16 night Christmas cruise. 

Cruises are a fantastic way to holiday if you are less mobile or disabled as most are fully accessible and some offer accessible shore excursions. Different cruise lines vary in what they can or cannot offer however with the aid of a scooter or wheelchair you would have no barriers at all on the ship. Some cruise lines are able to offer accessible excursions that can accommodate people using their wheelchairs or scooters and again we can arrange this for you and advise on information prior to you booking your cruise as well as arrange full assistance in embarking and disembarking the ship.

Being a specialist in cruising for the disabled and less mobile we have all the information with regards to hiring a scoter or wheelchair plus other medical aids for cruising, also we hold and abundance of information on the accessibility of the ports of call and shore excursions and the accessibility of the ship itself.

The most suitable cruise line would be Royal Carribbean who have UK departures for 2013. They offer many dining options and for kids great facilities such as Ice Rinks and climbing walls. MSC Cruises & P&O also have UK departures but can be a bit more on the formal side when dining. However you can find alternative dining options which enable you to dress down for dinner.

There's a great choice of companies which offer cruise holidays to this stunning region, including:

• Holland America (with 70% of permits to Glacier Bay)
• Celebrity Cruises
• Royal Caribbean International
• Princess Cruises
• Silversea Cruises (Luxury All Inclusive)
• Regent Seven Seas (Luxury All Inclusive)
• Crystal Cruises (Luxury All Inclusive)
• Disney Cruise Lines
• Carnival Cruise Lines

Celebrity Equinox and Celebrity Reflection (Celebrity Cruises) are among the largest ships calling into Istanbul, and do so throughout the year, so when you visit might well depend on how hot you want it to be. With regards to Israel, the Holy Land Cruises are usually around September to November, with the largest ships including Celebrity Silhouette (Celebrity Cruises), and Mariner of the Seas (Royal Caribbean International).

The Panama Canal is a fascinating cruise and a Balcony Stateroom would be required for this Special Voyage. I have completed the full transit through this canal many times when I worked for Cunard and Royal Caribbean Intl.

In May 2013 there are 6 possible voyages to consider.  However, to cut down on multiple flights there's the Crystal Symphony Voyage on 6th May from Los Angeles to New York. This is a 17 night voyage with the option of staying in Las Vegas for 3 nights prior to flying on to Los Angeles and joining the ship. After the voyage there's the option of staying in New York before flying back to London / U.K.

A less expensive option could perhaps be Holland America Line (1st May, Miami to San Diego on the M/S Amsterdam, 15 Nights) or Royal Caribbean (17th May, Miami to San Diego, Vision of the Seas, 15 Nights). Both voyages could be topped and tailed with hotels in New York and Las Vegas, however, multiple flights would be required. Both cruise lines are full board basis with drinks and gratuities extra.

In my opinion, the Crystal Cruises option is the better one, as the cruise line is now All Inclusive so it's easier to budget. I cannot promise there'll be whales, but they are prevalent in the Baja Peninsula region.

If you are happy to fly to the Mediterranean, then Norwegian Cruise Line (aka NCL) would be a good choice, as they operate Freestyle Cruising where 'smart casual' is the order of the day, every day. If you are looking to cruise from the UK, then cruise lines such as P&O and Celebrity do have a couple of formal nights a week, but also offer casual dining venues as an alternative for anyone who doesn't want to dress up formally. 

The best time to see the Northern Lights or Aurora Borealis to give it it's official name, I would say, is between January and March and this Winter 2012/13 is going to be a spectacular season with the expected solar storms forecast by NASA being arguably the best for 50 years!

Several cruise lines have crèche facilities including Cunard and Royal Caribbean.

However there is only one cruise line that has a creche that will take children from as young as 3 months old and that is Disney Cruise line. The "It's a Small World" nursery on Disney dream and Disney fantasy and "Flounders Reef" nursery on Disney Magic and Disney Wonder provides care for little ones from 3 months to 3 years. 

You are able to enjoy the Romance of the Rhine through all the seasons as each brings its own particular beauty including December for the great Christmas markets. Probably best to avoid January and February.