Calling all you cruise virgins!

Cruising is the fastest growing sector of the holiday industry with more than a million people in the United Kingdom taking a cruise each year.

However lots of people take their first cruise in trepidation with lots of misgivings only to discover they are not true. Most people then get the cruise bug and begin a lifetime of exciting cruise adventures.

So what is the best advise for those of you considering a cruise but still a little unsure? Well making the transition from being a non-cruiser to a cruiser is something of a leap of faith. Unlike the traditional land based holiday where you stay in hotels or resorts and can go and try different restaurants or bars, on a cruise ship you are committed to life on board until you disembark.

This is really not true. Today’s cruise ships are being built bigger and bigger – typically the length of four football pitches and twice the size of the Titantic. There is so much to see and do that quite often people disembark at the end of their holiday without having seen the whole ship.

The other misconception that most cruise virgins have is that a cruise is too expensive and out of their price range. This is simply not true with Jetline Cruises; we have been at the leading edge of the cruise industry for many years. After taking a brief look through our special offers you will soon find that cruises are totally affordable, with a 9 night Caribbean cruise costing anything from £699pp.

There are cruises to suit all type of people. Some are formal, others casual. Some are targeted at families and young couples, offering lots of activities and kid’s clubs. You can be sure that whatever type of cruise you are looking for we can point you in the right direction.

One of the most popular ways for first-timers to get a taste of cruising is to embark on a mini cruise. You get a couple of nights on board which is ample time to taste the delights of cruising. Most mini-cruise first timers are soon booking their full length holidays at sea!

So go on…take a leap of faith and book your cruise today. We promise you will soon be hooked!!

P&O CRUISES SEEKS VOLUNTEERS TO 'TEST' CRUISES

First time cruisers are being given the chance to test out the six ships run by P&O Cruises.

Free holidays are being made available next year to 12 families, couples, or friends who have never been on a cruise with the company before in the 'Inspector Cruiso' consumer initiative.

Participants chosen by the line will receive a credit of £300 per family or £150 per couple to spend on board to ensure they get the chance to try out everything each ship has to offer.

In exchange, they will be asked for their thoughts and opinions about the cruise, from check-in to disembarkation.

The line's managing director Nigel Esdale said: "Despite the explosion in the popularity of cruise holidays and people becoming more aware of what is on offer in the market, there are still people that think cruising is not for them."

He added: "We are prepared to put our money where our mouth is and offer free holidays to people who haven't cruised with us before.

"Winners will have the chance to tell it how it is and their views will be posted on the P&O Cruises website. We want to ensure that we get the real views of new comers and transparency in the information received."

Entrants must fill in an online questionnaire; choose the ship they want to travel on and why.

The closing date for entries is February 1, 2008 with winners notified by February 28.

Volunteers who think they fit the bill can go to http://www.inspectorcruiso.co.uk/ to find out more about the requirements of being an Inspector Cruiso.

by Phil Davies

MSC CRUISES LAUNCHES AND AGGRESSIVE SALES CAMPAIGN

MSC has just announced an incredible campaign to raise the profile of its Comprehensive Italian style cruise programme. Their ships are large, modern and impressive and incorporate lots of innovations and offers designed to reach the UK cruise market and encourage holiday makers to take a cruise. MSC are great for both first time cruises and existing cruise customers alike. With prices starting from just £459 for an 11 night cruises MSC offers the best cruise deals in the market place.