Warm yourself up this festive season with a value-for-money winter cruise

Join the Royal Crown with e Waterways on a four and five day ‘Historic Market Cruise’ in Germany with prices starting from £270pp, reduced from £415. This itinerary departs 12 December and prices are based on two people sharing.
www.ewaterways.co.uk, 0808 168 1458

Cruise & Maritime Voyages has a choice of four short no-fly ‘Christmas Markets’ cruises to locations including Amsterdam, Hamburg and Antwerp, with prices starting from under £119pp. www.cruiseandmaritime.com, 0845 833 9798.

AmaWaterways is offering passengers the opportunity to cruise Europe’s Christmas markets on the Danube visiting cities including Nuremburg, Salzburg, Vienna and Budapest with prices starting from £1,449pp, including seven nights onboard and two nights in the four star Art’Otel in Budapest.
www.amawaterways.co.uk, (0) 808 223 5009.

Golden Princess will be visiting the Hawaiian islands over Christmas

Far-flung Christmas Cruises

If the idea of Christmas in the UK fills you with dread, escape the cold and the crowds and the cooking and the cleaning, with a cruise that takes you away from it all.

Whether you want to celebrate onboard, avoid Christmas altogether or experience different traditions abroad, there is a cruise for you.

Noble Caledonia is offering an adventure cruise expedition to Tristan da Cunha, the world’s most remote island, where guests will celebrate Christmas ashore with the islanders who have a population of just 260 people. Prices start from £7,795 for a standard suite based on two people sharing with ships departing on 22 December.
www.noble-caledonia.co.uk, 020 7752 0000.

Explore the Secrets of the Rainforest with Hapag Lloyd Cruises. This 17-day cruise, departing 19 December, from La Guaira to Acapulco, takes in Central America whilst celebrating Christmas.  Christmas trees are flown in from Germany especially and passengers can also enjoy carol singing and Christmas dinner. Prices start from €10,751.
www.hl-cruises.com.

Benefit from a 10% discount and spend Christmas and New Year in Gambia and Senegal with Variety Cruises. The stunning location, combined with festive galas and midnight champagne on New Year onboard, is perfect for those seeking sunshine with the trimmings. Prices start from £1,995pp, departing 23 and 30 December.
www.varietycruise.com .

Save up to 36% with Voyages of Discovery on their 18-day ‘Treasures of the Orient and Vietnam’ cruise available from £1,799 per person or their 57-day ‘Grand Bangkok to Sydney’ voyage from £5,199pp. The price includes return flights from London, transfers and gratuities with both cruises departing 18 December.
www.voyagesofdiscovery.co.uk, 0844 822 0820

Enjoy a dose of winter sun with Saga Cruises offering cruises to the Canary Islands and North Africa. Join Saga Pearl II on a 22 night cruise, departing 15 December from £3,164pp visiting Morocco and the volcanic shores of the Canaries. The Saga Ruby is departing 18 December, to the Canary Islands for £2,829pp. Highlights include a fireworks display to bring in the New Year off the coast of Madeira.
www.saga.co.uk/cruises, 0800 50 50 30

Silversea is hosting a variety of cruises departing this December to Fort Lauderdale and Key West ranging from 14 to 17 days long from £4,623pp based on two people sharing. An, a present to its passengers, Silversea is offering up to $1,000 spending credit per suite on their festive cruises. Alternatively, cruise from Sydney to Auckland for 15 days departing 21 December from £5,378pp based on two people sharing.
www.silversea.com, 0844 251 0833

Crystal Cruises is offering festive cruises with each ship decorated distinctly with thousands of glittering lights, ribbon-wrapped wreaths, reindeer’s and candy canes. Spend 14 nights cruising the Panama Canal and Caribbean, starting from just £7,188pp based on two sharing. Or, spend 14 nights exploring the Hawaiian Islands, starting from £4,564pp. Prices include return flights, overseas transfers, all meals and soft drinks, and port taxes. Both cruises depart 21 December.
www.crystalcruises.com

Join P & O Cruises on a 12 night ‘Canary Islands Christmas cruise’, departing 15 December. Enjoy carol-singing, Santa’s Grotto, a pantomime performance and Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. Prices start from £1,161pp based on two adults sharing and includes all main meals and entertainment.
www.pocruises.co.uk,  0845 3 554 444

Choose the ‘Red Sea Magic’ cruise with Thomson Cruises and take part in festive activities including Christmas gala dinners, carol services, a Santa’s grotto and even bagpipers – quite unconventional in Sharm El Sheikh, Luxor and Jordan! Prices start from £829pp including a saving up to £780 per couple based on two people sharing, full board, transfers and flights from Exeter or Bournemouth on 22 December.
www.thomson.co.uk/cruise, 0871 231 4691

Enjoy Christmas onboard Princess Cruises with a full Christmas dinner, falling snow in the Atrium, a Christmas tree shaped Champagne fountain and even a visit from Santa. Join the Golden Princess, departing 19 December for 14 nights from Los Angeles, taking in the Hawaiian Islands, Ensenada and Mexico before returning back to Los Angeles. Prices from £2,207pp based on two adults sharing, or £7,438 for a family of four based on two adults and two children under the age of 16. The prices include return flights from London airport, accommodation, all main meals and on board entertainment.
www.princess.com, 0845 3 555 800

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines is running a 25-night ex-UK ‘Caribbean Christmas’ cruise, departing from Southampton on 17 December. Christmas Day is celebrated at sea in the traditional way including Christmas dinner, a visit from Santa, as well as carol singing, festive entertainment, and Christmas quizzes. Prices start from £2,763pp, based on two adults sharing including all meals and port taxes.
www.fredolsencruises.com, 01473 742424

Christmas on the river

The festive season is stunning on Europe’s waterways so choose a river cruise and sail gently down the Rhone, Rhine and Danube or explore Scandinavia’s winter wonders this Christmas.

Northern Lights or Christmas tree lights? Spend five nights, departing 23 December, or 11 nights, departing 26 December, in Norway with Hurtigruten enjoying winter activities including dog sledging and snowmobiling and you could see the stunning Northern Lights. Prices start from £1,145 pp for five nights and £1,825pp for 11 nights.
www.hurtigruten.co.uk, 0844 448 7601

Noble Caledonia is offering a range of seven night festive river cruises. Cruise the Rhone or spend Christmas in Provence and Burgundy with prices from £1,195pp. Alternatively, discover the Danube, departing 21 and 28 December, from £1,495pp. Prices are based on two people sharing and include full board, drinks with dinner, shore excursions, a stunning Christmas Day Gala Dinner, transfers, taxes and gratuities.
www.noble-caledonia.co.uk, 020 7752 0000

AmaWaterways is offering the opportunity to cruise the Rhine this Christmas and New Year visiting the vibrant cities of Nuremburg, Cologne and Amsterdam with prices starting from £1,599pp, based on two people sharing.
www.amawaterways.co.uk, (0) 808 223 5009.

Celebrate New Year on the Rhine with Saga Cruises, taking in Cologne, Strasbourg and Mainz with an optional excursion to the Black Forest, the enchanting wooded mountain range in Baden-Württemberg, south-western Germany. This six night cruise departs 27 December, with prices starting from £749pp.
www.saga.co.uk/rivercruises, 0800 300 400.

With E Waterways’ Christmas cruises, travellers can spend seven nights in comfort and style on the Danube from Nuremburg to Vienna, departing 11 December, with prices starting from £765pp. Alternatively, join the New Years Eve cruise, departing 29 December, taking in Vienna, Bratislava and Budapest, starting from £745pp sharing. Plus, ideal for solo travellers seeking solitude this festive period, there are no single supplements to worry about.
www.ewaterways.co.uk, 0808 168 1458.