Looking For A Cruise With A Difference?

Cruise ship companies are continuing to add ships to their fleets and they are also becoming far more imaginative with the cruise itineraries that they are providing. The Caribbean and Mediterranean are still the most popular cruising destinations, but there is now a large range of exiting cruises that are available around the World.

This article attempts to give you some inspiration on where you should think about taking your next cruise holiday.

South America can offer a huge range of diverse cruises ranging from a trip up the Amazon to the throbbing cities of Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires as well as offering natural wonders like the Galapagos Islands, Chilean Fjords and the Andes mountains.

Many of these cruises start from US ports and otherssail from the major South American cities. The majority of cruises to the Antarctica start from Ushuaia in southern Argentina. Several cruise companies including Voyages of Discovery and Hurtigruten offer expedition-style Antarctica cruises.

Dubai, as well as being a luxury holiday destination is starting to become an established cruise port. Costa Cruises is sailing seven cruise itineraries in 2009 calling at Abu Dhabi, Oman and Bahrain.

Dubai and other gulf ports often feature on world or repositioning cruises which means you can pick up a cruise bargain by choosing one of these cruises.

North Africa is well served by many cruise ships that also include the Mediterranean but what about the rest of Africa? Some world cruises sail down the west coast of Africa to Cape Town, as an alternative to cruising through the Suez Canal in Egypt.

Cruising the west coast means that you can visit countries such as Senegal, Gambia and Namibia as well as the Cape Verde Islands and St Helena. In southern and eastern Africa some cruise lines offer departures from Cape Town and also the Kenyan holiday resort of Mombasa.

Silversea Cruises offers several trips from these ports which call at destinations such as Zanzibar, Madagascar and Assumption Island. Hebridean International Cruises and Voyages of Discovery are also featuring cruises around this region.

Cruises to Alaska are still as popular as ever. These cruisese start from Seattle or Vancouver and make their way up the Inside Passage taking in some of the worlds most spectacular scenery. NCL, Princess and Royal Caribbean are just some of the cruise lines offering Alaskan cruises, which can also be combined with a land tour.

The Baltic is the second most popular cruise region in the European summer season. A Baltic cruise would visit the stunning cities of St Peterburg, Stockholm and Tallinn, whilst of course Norway offers the incredible Fjords, the midnight sun and The Northern Lights. Hurtigruten is famed for its coastal voyages around Norway.

The Far East and in particular China has seen a big growth in cruise customers. Many cruises start from Hong Kong and cruise north to China and Japan. Other cruises head south where you will cruise to Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore.

Australia and New Zealand feature on most world cruises by cruise companies such as P&O, Holland America, Princess and Royal Caribbean.

So, what are you waiting for? Cruising has never been more popular and with the ever increasing choice of both exotic and exploration cruises available there has never been a better time to book a cruise.

David Brice was writing on behalf of cruise experts White Rose Cruise, http://www.whiterosecruise.co.uk