A Little Christmas Cracker !

Believe it or not we are only just over 6 months away from Christmas – dare I mention the word!

Now I like to plan ahead and, if you are planning to holiday at that time of the year , whether it be a cruise or on a beach somewhere, you do need to book well in advance to get the best price and what you want. Christmas is not really a good time to leave travel plans to the last minute, maybe hoping for a bargain.

Already flight availability is very tight, anything going long haul is either full or very expensive, the most popular dates being from 15th December to the middle of January. There are a few cruises that sail out of the UK over Christmas but these are filling up fast too.

Speaking to a client yesterday I discovered a real little gem for anyone wanting to book something a bit different and at a really good price.

Holland America don`t sail out of the UK – well  normally they don`t , especially in the winter, and even in the summer not very often. Their ships are lovely 5 star with an excellent reputation for food and service. I always think the way to describe them as being more adult and sophisticated than say Royal Caribbean, much more more like Celebrity.The Rotterdam is a relatively small ship, by todays standards, carrying 1400 passengers she is 60000 tons. She has lots of excellent facilities and an array of restaurants including:-

La Fontaine Dining Room: features impeccable service and an extensive wine list. Five-course menus include continental cuisine and lots of other options to suit all tastes.

Pinnacle Grill: This intimate reservations-only venue offers an elegant, sophisticated dining experience. Featuring premium Double R Ranch Beef, inspired seafood dishes and many select wines, as well as  Bvlgari china, Riedel stemware and Frette linens.

Taste of De Librije: Offered once per cruise, the Pinnacle Grill transforms into fabulous restaurant featuring the cuisine Michelin Star Chef Jonie Bjoer. Named after Boer’s restaurant in the Netherlands, the menu will showcase a selection of starters, soups, entrees and desserts from his land-based eatery.

Canaletto Restaurant: Named for a famous 18th-century Venetian artist, Canaletto is  an intimate Italian venue.

Lido Restaurant: A casual restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner, features a variety of fresh, cooked-to-order specialties

There are also several bars and entertainment venues such as Mix , Queen`s Show Lounge and the Crow`s Nest nightclub offering 270% views over the Ocean.

This cruise line has a brilliant reputation, I have client who sailed on one of their ships through the Panama Canal last Christmas and New Year and they raved about it, the best Christmas ever – even Santa was there to greet them on board!

The itinerary is great too – departing Southampton on 2oth December for 17 nights! Visiting :

Madeira

Tenerife – pvernight stay

Gran Canaria

Lanzarote

Casablanca

Cadiz for Seville

Lisbon

Rotterdam

Arriving back in Southampton on 8th January, there should be some lovely winter sun on this sailing.

Now the price – well  hardly dare look as it is a long cruise, Christmas and New Year – sounds expensive already! You may well be surprised to hear that prices are from:

Inside cabin – £ 1449pp

Outside – £ 1599pp

Balcony – a bit more – £ 2749pp

This means you could be away for around £ 85 per night – absolute bargain, but it won’t stay around for long, give me a call and we`ll get your Christmas Cracker sorted today.