Sir Roy Strong lecture cruise | Med cruise with a child | Champagne and caviar luxury | Arctic cruise adventure

HONG KONG

Orient express

Cruising from Hong Kong is a good way to get a flavour of several Far Eastern destinations in a short time. Enjoy a more authentic oriental experience on the Malaysia-based line Star Cruises, which offers Chinese, South-East Asian and Indian cuisine; calories can be worked off in kickboxing and “taekwondorobics” classes.

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BACKGROUND

• Intimate luxury and lectures cruise

• Lapping up the Med cruise luxury

• Afloat on an Arctic cruise adventure

• Seven of the best new cruise ideas

• Playground Med on a family cruise

Cruise from six British ports

This is an island nation, so why fly to the start of a cruise break? London, Newcastle, Liverpool, Harwich, Oban and Dover feature

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A five-night cruise aboard SuperStar Virgo includes the attractive harbour city of Xiamen in China and the Unesco World Heritage site of Halong Bay in Vietnam.

A fly-cruise, departing April to October, with a night before and after at the Harbour Plaza Metropolis hotel in Hong Kong, is from £899 with Premier Holidays (0844 4937444, www.premierholidays.co.uk).

CANARIES

Family frolics

P&O collects Ventura, the new ship designed for British families, from the shipbuilders in Italy this month, and though she doesn't set sail until mid- April, she is already almost fully booked for this year's school holidays. But a number of features make a cruise on Ventura a great holiday for younger families, too.

Toddlers will be enthralled by Mr Men characters, who will be table-hopping at breakfast, and will host tea parties and film matinees. Under-2s have their own play area, (2 to 4-year-olds have a kids' club). And there is a night nursery for infants aged 6 months to 5 which is open from 6pm to 2am so parents can enjoy dinner in The White Room, a Marco Pierre White restaurant.

The Canaries Discovery cruise leaves from Southampton for 14 nights on May 9, and calls in at Lisbon, Cadiz and Vigo on the way back. From £1,314, some free infant places and child discounts available with P&O Cruises (0845 3555333, www.pocruises.com).

NORWAY

Songs of the fjords

Hear Edvard Grieg's music performed by one of his descendants at his home in Troldhaugen, near Bergen, on a Kirker music cruise to Norway's fjords. The cultural tours specialist operator has taken cabins for up to 140 guests on the 850-passenger Fred Olsen ship Black Watch, chosen for the excellent acoustics in its theatre.

The concert programme during the 13-night cruise includes the Chilingirian Quartet, soprano Dame Josephine Barstow, viola player Simon Rowland-Jones and pianist Ian Brown. The music, including works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Dvorak and Grieg, will be introduced by Radio 3's Susan Sharpe.

The round-trip cruise sails from Dover on June 11; the midnight sun will light up the scenery as the ship heads towards the Arctic Circle. From £1,750 with Kirker (020-7593 2284, www.kirkerholidays.com).

NORTH AFRICA

Glory of Rome

The Romans in Africa is the theme of one of three cruises offered in a new departure this year by the art and history specialist operator Martin Randall Travel. The company has chartered the German ship MS Columbus, which has capacity for 420, for a maximum of 236 passengers. There is a high crew-to-guest ratio, a larger proportion of cabins for single occupancy, and no feeling of crowding in the large lounge.

The ten-night cruise departing on October 3 takes in the great ruined cities on the coasts of Tunisia and Libya, Carthaginian, Greek, Roman and Byzantine archaeology, and looks at the area's Berber and Arab heritage, with expert lecturers. At Leptis Magna there is an exclusive performance of classical works in the Roman theatre.

From £2,540 with Martin Randall Travel (020-8742 3355, www.martinrandall.com).

FRANCE, UK

Take a walk

You will need to pack your hiking gear as well as your glad rags for the Ramblers holiday Kingdoms by the Sea. The group of up to 24 keen walkers and their leader use the cruise ship Boudicca as their transport for far-flung daily walks around the British Isles and France.

The coastal walks vary in terrain: the cliffs of Normandy, with striking views; around the idyllic Howth Peninsula, near Dublin; along the shoreline of Skye; the Neolithic site of Skara Brae on Orkney; and skirting the Tain Hill, north of Invergordon. Back on board there are formal dinners, and bars and lounges to relax in as the ship sails to the next walk's starting point overnight. Departure is on June 15 from Southampton, disembarking in Leith on June 22.

From £712, including all shore activities, with Ramblers Worldwide Holidays (01707 331133, www.ramblersholidays.co.uk).

IRELAND

Gardens and castles

The great houses and gardens of the National Trust are the theme of the Celtic Legends itinerary aboard Spirit of Adventure. The seven-night cruise, departing Cardiff on June 11, sails around Ireland, calling at Dublin (with a visit to Powerscourt House and gardens), Belfast (taking in Mount Stewart House), and Foynes on the Shannon estuary, where there is a visit to Bunratty Castle and Folk Park.

The Tresco Abbey Gardens, showcasing subtropical plants that are unique in the British Isles, is also on the itinerary. Onboard lecturers include Rachel Hunt, house and collections manager at Cotehele in Cornwall.

The cruise costs from £1,286, including several excursions, travel insurance and onboard gratuities, with Spirit of Adventure (0800 0156984, www.spiritofadventure.co.uk ).

CANADA, ALASKA

Lure of the north

A cruise is a great way to appreciate Alaska's stunning scenery. Combine a week's cruise with a land tour on Mundy Cruising's Magic of Alaska tailor-made package. This offers five nights' pre-cruise in the west of Canada before boarding Regent Seven Seas Mariner in Vancouver for seven nights.

As the only luxury ship in Alaska, it gets priority for licences to go close to the best glaciers. On a tour to the beautiful Mendenhall Glacier in the Juneau Ice Field you can hike, mountain bike or go whitewater rafting.

From £5,480 for the 13-night trip, including drinks and gratuities on board, private excursions, transfer from home to airport or airport parking, with Mundy Cruising (020-7734 4404, www.mundycruising.co.uk).

All prices are per person, based on two sharing, and include flights from the UK where needed.

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