Take a tip from a canny cruiser: if you’re on a budget, a cheaper cabin on a luxurious ship is better than a fancier cabin on a basic ship. Why? Because once you step outside your door, everything will just be, or should be, better. The food, the service, the entertainment, and certainly in the case of this four-night break from Southampton to Zeebrugge and Cherbourg, the ship.
Cunard’s 3,000-passenger Queen Anne launches in May and promises to be splendidly regal, all sweeping staircases, art deco touches and elegant lounges. Not to mention a massive spa, 15 places to eat and drink, ballroom dancing and a theatre that spans two decks. All daytime and evening entertainment is included.
On this four-day itinerary, you’ll kick off with a day at sea to enjoy the ship. Next up, Zeebrugge, seven miles from pretty Bruges (£87pp for a ship-organised walking tour and canal cruise). Then to Cherbourg, where the excellent Cité de la Mer maritime museum features a nuclear sub and 17 huge aquarium tanks (£16; citedelamer.com).
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Drinks on board cost extra but aren’t far off pub prices. A 500ml glass of London Pride is £5 and a 250ml glass of wine is £9. Normally, upgrading to a drinks package is worth considering but on Cunard’s short cruises this is a whopping £67pp a day, so you’d have to be pretty committed to get your money’s worth. Tips, meanwhile, are a suggested £11.50pp a day.
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But all meals are included and the grand Britannia restaurant is as elegant as they come. Afternoon tea in the Queens Room, the ship’s ballroom, is a highlight, including proper clotted cream with the scones. Also included is posh pub grub in the Golden Lion, where Michel Roux has recently jazzed up the menus. You can pay extra to dine in some of the alternative restaurants; the Indian restaurant, Aranya, developed by Surjan Singh, aka Chef Jolly, is exceptional and at £28 a head, a snip.
As for the cabin, it’s an interior without a window but it will be done out in rich tones of blue with touches of Cunard’s signature gold. And it’s brand new.
Cunard is unashamedly formal and even on a short cruise there will be one black tie gala night. So pack the tux and ballgown, step out and own the night. Nobody needs to know that you’ve paid less than £500 to be there.
What you get for your £439pp
• Round-trip sailing from Southampton
• As much luggage as you like (each piece up to 23kg)
• Four nights’ full board based on two sharing, departing on October 11 (cunard.com)
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If you’re inspired and have a bit more cash to splash, try these no-fly options
The £800 cruise
In late May the Norwegian fjords bask in 18 hours of daylight and the meadows bloom with wildflowers. It’s the perfect time, then, to sail from Newcastle to Alesund, Olden and the Nordfjord on Fred Olsen’s 1,325-passenger Balmoral. Save money by doing your own thing in port; in Alesund, climb Mount Aksla for views over the city, famed for its art nouveau architecture. Hop on the public Glacier shuttle bus in Olden for a trip to the Briksdal glacier (£35; oldencruise.com). There’s an afternoon sailing the serene Nordfjord too, so take up position on a lounger on deck to soak up the scenery.
Details Five nights’ full board from £799pp, including a drinks package, departing on May 23 (fredolsencruises.com)
The £1,800 cruise
Celebrity Apex — with its swish pool deck, high-tech theatre shows and numerous restaurants — sails from Southampton all summer. This itinerary takes you to Porto, Lisbon, the Canaries, Madeira and La Coruña, with four days at sea to enjoy the ship and the autumn sunshine as you head south. You can do this one in an inside cabin for £1,119pp but stretching to a balcony gives you ever-changing views, private sunbathing space and sea air too.
Details Eleven nights’ full board in a balcony cabin from £1,826pp, departing on October 12 (celebritycruises.com)
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