If you know someone who has been on a cruise holiday, chances are you know someone who is planning to go again. There’s a reason cruises are so popular: imagine everything you want from a holiday – award-winning shows, Michelin-starred dining, world-class art, cutting-edge gyms, luxurious spas and stylish nightclubs – all in one place.
Add to that, docking at the world’s most exciting cities, then hanging out on the beach, trekking through rainforests bright with butterflies and birds, or taking it easy driving through vineyards and olive groves. Done correctly, cruise holidays offer the easiest way to have the time of your life.
Which is why it helps to have expert advice on where to go and which cruise line to sail with. Created to give you a world of choice, flexibility and independence, Imagine Cruising’s holidays are tailor-made to your taste and budget. Working with top cruise lines and travel operators, the company’s experienced staff craft unique sea and land journeys, saving you time, stress and money. Here’s a handy guide on what to (and not to) expect…
Climb aboard a world of exciting possibilities – but how to book that magical
trip that’s right for you, asks Jeannine Williamson
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Phuket and many more breathtaking islands are ready to welcome you with open arms
All in good time
You’ll have plenty of chances to explore stunning locations such as Malaysia’s Langkawi island
To book your next holiday with Imagine Cruising,
visit imaginecruising.co.uk or call 0808 296 7304
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Balmy, laidback beach stays bookend a leisurely sail through southeast Asia. The perfect antidote to the cold, dark days of the British winter,
this exotic 24-night cruise and stay holiday begins in the beautiful Maldives – followed by an overnight hotel stay in enthralling Singapore, where you can explore historic districts and culinary hotspots such as Chinatown.
Then board Celebrity Millennium, where the rooftop terrace and expansive outside decks are perfect for lazy days and pre-dinner sundowners. With
a drinks package, wi-fi and tips included, there are no hidden extras. Celebrity Cruises is renowned for restaurants such as the innovative
Le Petit Chef, where an animated show is projected on to plates
before each dish is served.
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Don’t miss out on a cruise holiday because of what you think it may be like. Read these myth-busting FAQs and make up your mind.
From mega-ships with non-stop entertainment to luxury superyachts carrying a small number of guests, and elegant masted sailing ships, there is a cruise for everyone. However, with so many cruise lines, ships and itineraries, the choice can seem bewildering. That’s where Imagine Cruising comes in.
Imagine Cruising’s experts have clocked up thousands of nautical miles to offer first-hand advice and will personally match you with the holiday that’s right for you. As a dedicated cruise specialist, it will save you time, effort and money, and offer exclusive deals and packages you won’t find booking direct with a cruise line.
By curating individual itineraries, Imagine Cruising can help you combine your cruise with an exciting African safari or a rail adventure on iconic lines such as Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer. Alternatively, enjoy the best of both worlds with a cruise and land-stay in a five-star hotel, or attend world-class sporting events such as a Formula One race. As a one-stop shop, Imagine Cruising also takes care of add-ons such as airport parking, hotels and lounges to get your holiday off to the best possible start.
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Will I have time to explore?
Yes, cruises include full days and overnight stays in ports, where you can join shore excursions or sightsee independently. There is also the option to bolt on a full land-based holiday.
Are all ships the same?
Absolutely not. Ships vary in size, style and their activities and amenities. But large or small, all are designed with plenty of indoor and outdoor space, including quiet areas such as libraries, so they never feel crowded.
Do I have to dress for dinner?
It is entirely your choice. If you enjoy formal nights, Cunard would suit you, otherwise lines such as Norwegian don’t have a dress code, and Virgin Voyages is flamboyant casual.
What’s the food like?
From casual all-day buffets to celebrity chef fine dining and pop-up street food stands, restaurants on cruise ships rival the best in the world.
How about entertainment?
With big-name West End shows, guest celebrities, dazzling aerial displays, intimate piano bars, classical music recitals and nightclubs, you’ll never
be bored.
5
top cruise holidays
Why book with Imagine Cruising?
Board the Orient Express and sleep in style in one of the Art Deco suites
Combine Cunard and Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, two of the most iconic names in luxury travel, and avoid airport queues on this glamorous, easy-paced no-fly cruise from Southampton. Step aboard the 2,061-passenger Queen Victoria, a classic in Cunard’s Vista class. The elegant vessel combines the line’s 182-year history with modern touches including a newly expanded sun deck and winter garden.
On this 19-night itinerary, where the journey is as much a part of the holiday as the destinations, the Mediterranean section of the cruise offers four sea days to soak up the Queen Victoria’s ambience. While aboard, take afternoon tea served by white-gloved waiters, take a dance class and enjoy swanky evening dinners. Along the way you’ll visit the Spanish cities of Vigo, with its Roman ruins and Galician old town, and the vibrant Catalan capital, Barcelona.
Luxury all-inclusive celebrity voyage /
Bali and Maldives
Zambezi River cruise / game safaris,
Victoria Falls and
Cape Town stay
Experience southern Africa’s most incredible sights on this one-of-a-kind small-group trip, exclusive to Imagine Cruising. The thrilling 11-night journey takes you from Cape Town to the remote Chobe River, where the “four corners” of Africa – Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe – meet. Every element of this holiday features extraordinary wildlife-spotting opportunities, and you’ll return with hundreds of photographs and memories of a lifetime.
During your three days in Cape Town, the dramatic sweep of Atlantic
coast provides opportunities to spot Cape fur seals, endangered African penguins and more. Then you’ll fly to Johannesburg for an immersive three-night luxury stay in Pilanesberg Game Reserve. Twice-daily safaris in search of the “big five” are followed by golden sunsets and dinners under the stars. Then move on to awe-inspiring Victoria Falls to walk beside the world’s largest curtain of falling water.
set sail for the holiday of your dreams
3
19 nights, departs May 2024, from £5,999pp
NO-FLY QUEEN VICTORIA CRUISE / ITALIAN LAKES
AND VENICE
SIMPLON-ORIENT-EXPRESS
23 nights, departs January 2025, from £4,899pp
11 nights, departs January to December 2024, from £4,999pp
Marine royalty
The Queen Victoria has all the modern conveniences
but brings to mind the splendour of golden-age sailing
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Life’s a beach
Feel the sand beneath your
feet in Penang, Malaysia
African jewel
The 28-passenger
Zambezi Queen
is a floating boutique hotel
Chobe is home to one of the world’s largest elephant populations
Finally, there’s the Chobe River for captivating wildlife encounters on the 28-passenger Zambezi Queen, a floating boutique hotel. As there are no large towns lining the Chobe, you have a real sense of connecting with wildlife. Home to one of the world’s largest elephant populations, Chobe
is your private balcony to a vista of wildlife.
Tip: Take small change on village walks to buy authentic souvenirs, including carved wooden animals, bowls and jewellery.
Fascinating ports of call include Lombok, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi and Phuket, where you’ll have plenty of time to visit powder-sand beaches, temples and lush rainforests, and only have to pack and unpack once.
Disembarking in Bali, you’ll conclude your holiday with a phenomenal five-night escape at the opulent Meliá Bali hotel, set on the coast of Nusa Dua. Savour your final nights in paradise, feeling your cares melt away amid swaying palm trees and a gentle ocean breeze.
Tip: An overnight stop in Penang means you can admire Kek Lok Si Temple when it is bathed in multicoloured lights.
Back on land, you’ll enjoy hotel stays in art-rich Florence, and Lake Garda, Italy’s largest lake, set against the spectacular backdrop of the Alps. Then it’s time to board the legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express for an overnight journey to Paris.
A byword for Deco glamour, the train’s artisan-crafted wooden sleeping cars date from the 1920s and offer modern comfort and luxury, from bespoke furnishings to crisp bed linen and robes. With three dining carriages and a bar car featuring a baby grand piano on board, enjoy a leisurely lunch then, later, dinner freshly prepared by a team of French chefs as the rolling Italian hills rise into dramatic Swiss mountains before folding into the gentle fields and villages of France. Disembarking in Paris, from here it’s an easy Eurostar ride to London on your way home.
Tip: Don’t miss the all-new Bright Lights Society live music venue, so named because Cunard was the first liner to have electric lights.
Island paradise Experience
true bliss at Oblu Xperience Ailafushi in the Maldives
One in a thousand
The Celebrity Millennium oozes sophistication
and refinement
Be recharged
Soak in the views from the ship’s Persian Garden aquatherapy centre
Living history
Visit ancient temples and beyond in Bali
Dome truths
See Florence’s Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral
in all its glory
Take time out
Explore lakeside towns without worrying about missing the boat
Smooth waters
Kick back and enjoy views of
the Italian Lakes
Ride the rails
Head homeward on the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, which winds from Verona to Paris
Regal voyage
Float down the Chobe on the Zambezi Queen looking for wildlife
Take your seat
Gaze down at the whole of Cape Town from the top of Table Mountain
Into the wild
Spot lions and the rest of the ‘big five’ at the Pilanesberg Game Reserve
Curtain call
Admire the theatre of Victoria Falls, twice the width
of Niagara
Savour five days in the Maldives in an all-inclusive beachfront villa
Beauty spot
Isola Bella, on Lake Maggiore, Italy, is just one of the hidden locales you’ll discover
Down to a tea
Enjoy a sweet treat (or two) and silver service on board the Queen Victoria
Go out on a limb
Marvel at the
iconic Supertrees in Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay
Birds of passage
Endangered African penguins await you on the Atlantic coast