There is more to booking cruise holidays than simply deciding where you want to go. In addition, there is the question of when to book the cruise. Booking early can sometimes mean lower prices or more discounts. However, for those who are prepared to take a risk, booking last minute cruises can be the way to secure a great deal.

If you book early, you will be assured of getting the ship of your choice, the cabin and the sailing date. Many cruise ship brochures offer cruise deals with up to 45 percent discounts for early bookers. On the other hand, if you are going to book last minute cruises, you will need to be more flexible in your choices. Deciding to wait for a last minute cruise can result in some great prices, but it can also mean that there is no space on the particular cruise that you want. You could end up paying more because all the early booking deals are sold out.

Knowing when to book a cruise requires judgement. One important consideration is your cruise destination and how popular it is. Other factors to consider are the number and size of ships that cruise in that region, the type of ship and cabin category.

The best advice is that if you are determined to have a specific ship, sailing date or accommodation, then book early to avoid disappointment.

If you decide to risk a late booking, find out as much as you can about your cruise destination. Caribbean cruises tend to sell out first, particularly around Christmas or New Year, Easter Week, July or August and during school holidays. The best times to find bargains are in September, October, November and early December. Post-holiday sailings in January are also a good bet. On the other hand, for Far East cruises, summer (May to September) is the off-season.

If you take the time to travel half way around the world to visit New Zealand, the best way to spend your time there is to rent an apartment and see the country. Auckland makes a brilliant base; located in the north of the country, it is built on 48 extinct volcanoes, with two harbours and a perfect cosmopolitan blend of Polynesian, European and Asian cultures.

Auckland offers all the excitement and modern facilities of a major city with the wonder and surprise of its stunning, rugged, tropical rainforest minutes outside the city boundaries. Although the lava ceased flowing millennia ago you can still stand on top of the still visible calderas of Mount Eden, Albert Park and the Auckland Domain.
 
Auckland itself is known as the “City of Sails” and the harbours of Waitemata and Manukau are full of opportunities to take cruises or sail around the coastline, go diving in the clear blue waters or go on a trip dolphin and whale spotting. The old British fort at North Head, on Manukau harbour, makes for a great family day out climbing over the defences and gun batteries. The site is now a nature reserve and one of Auckland’s favourite places for a spot of lunch.

Recent years have seen a growth of apartment rental in Auckland. Fans of the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy now flock to the islands to walk the sets and countryside made famous by the film and there are a number of epic landscapes within easy reach of the city that were used in the movie.

With more airlines imposing charges for carrying ski equipment, winter sports holiday makers are wondering, how is the best way to take their ski equipment to the slopes. The latest airline to deliver a blow to the “do it yourself” skier is British Airways with a charge which is by no means low!  You will be charged £58 if you pay for these when you book your flight online, if you do not, but wait until you get to the airport, this charge becomes a staggering £70!

One way round the ski holiday carriage problem is to use “snow train” which is Eurostar and travels from St Pancras to the French Alps each week on Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. You still have to get to your resort, which is usually a short transfer, but you can take as much luggage as you want, including skis, free of charge. If you are going skiing in North America, and more of us are taking this choice with the great snow that they offer, you will have no choice but to pay up, but of course you can hire your skis or snowboard when you get to your holiday destination.

One of the world’s premier cruise lines, Princess Cruises carries over a million passengers each year to exotic destinations across the world.

You can choose between inside cabins or cabins with balconies and ocean views, and if you really feel like pampering yourself you can upgrade to a luxury suite that can compete favourably with the plushest hotels.

There are plenty of stimulating activities such as wine tasting, photography and computer classes as well as the usual array of entertainments, and five star as well as more casual restaurants serving first-class cuisine.

Princess Cruises take you to a range of great destinations from Alaska and Tahiti to the Black Sea, Europe and the South Pacific. On one cruise you’ll get to see more interesting destinations than most people manage in years on more traditional holidays.

Cruise holidays make the ideal getaway, as all your needs are catered for and the price is all inclusive. You can rest assured that the kids are safe and well entertained whilst you enjoy yourself as you deserve.

Get whisked effortlessly from one exotic port of call to another, without a care in the world apart from what to eat next and what fascinating city to explore.

Princess Cruises is renowned for their professionalism and customer care, their every activity geared towards making your holiday a comfortable and supremely enjoyable one.

Try taking a cruise with Princess Cruises and you’ll find the experience so rewarding that you’ll want to come back for more.

Anyone planning a trip ‘Down Under’ should try to include Fremantle in their itinerary. This coastal town is just a half hour away from the bright lights of Perth and has a wonderfully laid back charm and bohemian personality. An old port town at the mouth of the Swan River, its history is linked to trade and commerce, as you’ll find out in the Maritime Museum.

Fremantle’s Fishing Boat Harbour is a great place to see the daily catch being brought in, take in the sights and sounds of the fish market, and then eat in one of its numerous restaurants and bars. Another beautiful old area is the George Street precinct, historically intact and now home to an art gallery and artists’ studios. The impressive prison building, built by convicts in the 1850s but thankfully no longer in use, has guided tours.

With its trendy cafes and clubs, award winning seafood restaurants, art exhibitions, markets and beaches, Fremantle is a great place to rent an apartment or house for a while. Being a historic port, Fremantle has a multicultural influence with Indonesian, Korean, Thai and Italian restaurants. It is also famous for having several micro-breweries and some very good bars to go with them.

From Fremantle it’s a short train, car or ferry journey up the river to Perth, or you can take a boat trip out to Rottnest Island with its idyllic sandy beaches, cycle tracks and secret tunnels. The Margaret River wine region is also nearby.

It you want to experience the thrill of staying in the heart of the African bush then the burgeoning tourist industry in Zambia offers you the chance for villa rental in the thick of the savannah. Over the past ten years Zambia has been developing its role as a tourist destination and now has a number of idyllic locations to entice the world traveller who seeks adventure.

One such location is the remote villa rental of Shiwa Ngandu – this must be one of the most off the beaten track English Country homes in the world. It was built by a British Diplomat, Stewart Gore-Brown who, after serving his king and country returned to his beloved Zambia to construct the wonderfully eccentric Villa in the bush.

The estate still operates as a working farm and offers visitors the opportunity to travel the Zambian countryside discovering its hidden treasures. Excursions from the villa can take in elephant trails, waterholes and observe the wonders of the herds or wildebeest as they cross the plains.

Along with the real African bush trek you can also pay a visit to Zambia’s modern capital city, Lusaka and take a cruise on Lake Tanganyika on the MV Liemba, a German warship from the country’s colonial era. The highlight of any Zambian trip has to be a visit to the breathtaking Victoria Falls. This wonder of the natural world is not to be missed, standing in the tropical rain forest drenched by the spray from the cascading waters of the Zambezi River.

When you think of going on a skiing holiday you do not usually think of a time in late March or mid-April as most people would typically consider skiing during the winter months of December, January, February or early March. In most ski resorts, late March and mid-April are considered the start of the spring skiing season.

Yes, people do ski in the spring and not just in places that have an overwhelming amount of snow for the majority of the year. Some people may not intentionally book their holiday with the thought of spring skiing but due to an early arrival of warmer weather they can find themselves having to adapt to that situation.

Spring skiing can be a lot of fun. You do not have to worry about numb toes or fingers. Usually you can ski in just a light jacket or long sleeve shirt. Some people even ski in just a t-shirt.

One of the biggest drawbacks when it comes to spring skiing is the slush created from melting snow and being subjected to rain instead of snow when you are on the mountain. Towards the top most of the snow stays fairly solid but as you travel down it becomes more and more slushy, which does not make for good skiing. Fresh snow may be no longer possible; many skiers love the fresh powder and wouldn’t want to trade it for some slightly warmer weather.

If you thought that cruise holidays were only for the rich, famous and wealthily retired you’d be wrong, with millions of tourists increasingly taking the cruise option when it comes to planning their next holiday.

Cruising holidays have many advantages. As well as being affordable, they take all the stresses and strains out of the holiday. Kids in particular are notoriously hard to please, and their attention flags after just a few minutes in many cases. You’re usually hard put to keep them entertained, and holidays often become just one long fight against staving off boredom for them as you struggle to make a bit of space for yourself.

With a cruise holiday you can forget all about looking after the kids because there are numerous on board entertainments and activities designed especially with them in mind, from computer and video games to movies and much more besides. They’ll have a great time without you if you wish, and that frees you up to take care of your own major concerns, like seriously unwinding.

Think of the sheer joy of being wined, dined and entertained aboard a floating luxury hotel as it takes you smoothly from one exotic venue to another in the waters of the Baltic, Mediterranean or Caribbean, waking up to new thrills every morning and knowing that the kids are well taken care of in the meantime.

Cruise holidays with the likes of P&O, Royal Caribbean and Far East Cruises, or any of the other major operators, take all the strain out of holidays, so you can recharge your batteries in style.

Now that the Iron Curtain has lifted, Russia is beginning to lure tourists, and some fantastic deals are to be had.  Start with a visit to Moscow, Russia’s capital, and see some of the rich history, culture and tradition that is just begging to be discovered.  Rent a holiday apartment or villa and begin to feel like one of the locals, rather than a tourist.

Moscow is a city of over 14 million people, with a history dating back to at least the 12th century.  Near the Moskva River, from which it gets its name, this metropolitan city has art and architecture around every corner.  It also has a fantastic public transportation system, and getting around should cause little problem, especially if you have a guidebook.

Moscow is laid out in a similar fashion to Paris, with 10 administrative okrugs (area, region) ringing the old part of the city, rather than arrondissements.  Of course, seeing Red Square is a must, along with Lenin’s Tomb and the Kremlin.  The Triumphal Arch on Kutuzov Avenue will remind you of the Arch de Triomph in Paris, and the Moskva River at night is very reminiscent of the Thames in certain parts. 

If you visit Moscow in season, try to get tickets to the Bolshoi.  The building will take your breath away, both inside and out, as will the performances, which need no translation to appreciate their beauty.

The Moscow State Historical Museum is located in a large, intricate, neo-Russian building near Red Square.  Thousands of items are on display at any time, though the museum numbers its holdings in the millions. 

Plan to return to Moscow after your first visit, because you’re guaranteed to find more sights and events that you can see in one trip.

London is one of the most visited locations in the UK and offers a wide variety of interesting attractions and events. The city offers plenty of culture and history, which can be explored in many of its museums and art galleries. The Natural History Museum and Museum of London are worth a visit for those interested in exploring the history of the city. Also worth a visit is the National Portrait Gallery, which is one of the city’s most popular art galleries.

One of London’s most popular attractions is the London Eye, which receives over three million visitors every year. The attraction consists of a giant wheel that is made up of capsules, where visitors can stand or be seated during a tour of the city. The attraction offers stunning views of the city at night when it is lit up and visitors can enjoy a light snack in the Zen Cafe, which is located near to the London Eye gift shop.

London is known for its public transport systems, the most popular being the London Underground, also known as the Tube. The London Underground offers easy routes to popular locations within the city. There are a number of tickets and travel-cards available, which allow visitors to use the Tube to reach a variety of destinations throughout the day. The city also has a tram system and is known for other methods of transport, including black cabs and buses. Bus tours are available and allow visitors to explore the city.

London is the perfect destination for those who love culture, film and literature. The city has featured in many stories including works by Charles Dickens and is a popular filming location. London’s involvement in film and literature can be explored in many of the city’s museums, including the Charles Dickens Museum, which celebrates the life and work of the popular author.