Hi Mark Look in the holiday pages of the newspapers for late deals.
Regards
Taylaboo

Teletext also. there are many good offers on the go. Some offers posted on this page Windjammer's got deals. Depends also where you want to go is it the Med. as a starting point also offers on the Fjords and the Baltic.
Gill travel have a lot of offers in the paper today. Never had it so good.

Sue

To Sparkymark....will have a look around if you can provide some more detail e.g. exact dates in July, preferred cruise length, inside/outside/balcony cabin, attitude to formal dressing, must do ports, do you want to fly into Med or sail from Southampton or Dover etc. Also if you can indicate whether or not you would consider Norway or the Baltic area.

If you normally prefer to dress smart casual on holiday then perhaps Norwegian Cruise Line or similar is better. If you like to dress up well, and sometimes wear cocktail dress/dinner suit etc. then Cunard is best. There are a number of others in between with maybe only 1 or 2 formal nights in a week long cruise.

Our first cruise was with Thomsons and we have been back with them many times. Not too stuffy but there's always the option to dress up if you want to. Only thing to remember is that there will be lots of familes on board, especially if it's school holiday time.

Its always hard to predict what other people might like as there are so many factors to consider like dress code, nationality of other passengers etc.

Just to add to the recommendations already given, I know people that are worried about cruises which might be predominantly American such as NCL or Royal Carribean (when I say 'people', honestly I don't mean me, it wouldn't bother me in the slightest!) similarly a lot of people aren't too keen on Costa cruises (for example) which are predominantly Italian and in this case I would say that would put me off (nothing against the Italians, and my mum thoroughly enjoyed her Costa cruise, it would just put me off with all the signs being in Italian, all the entertainment being in Italian and translated back etc. etc.)

So if you would prefer all (or mostly) British cruise lines for your first cruise then you might like one of the following (depending on your level of formal-ness!)

1. Ocean Village - if you like really informal, no set dinner times, no set dress codes, lots of families.

2. Thomson - if you like a mix, 1 or 2 formal nights with other dining options available, a few cruising traditions, less families, more couples, good all-rounder

3. Fred Olsen - semi formal, more mature customers for a quieter, "serener cruise" with smaller more intimate ships. Makes me sound like an advert for them, I'm not, it would probably be my cruise hell, but a lot of my family and friends love Fred Olsen cruises.

Just some more ideas to throw into the mix. We're probably making it harder for you to choose though!

I feel guilty now for saying FO would be cruise hell, it wouldn't. If anything the Ocean Village cruise I did last year would be.

Joke! Like I say, its because it all depends on what each person would like for a cruise. My stepmotherinlaw loved Ocean Village and doesn't like Thomsons because they have formal nights. I loved Thomsons and hated Ocean Village because they don't have formal nights. My mum and some work friends love Fred Olsen because there's less chance of any children being onboard.

Actually a lot of people where I work favour P&O cruises which I would love to go on but can't because most itineraries are over 12 days and I wouldn't leave my dog for that long.

Hope that clears that up, don't want to look like I'm favouring or not favouring any cruise line over another....

*cough*GoWithThomsons*cough*

Just to let you know that Ventura on 18th July has some unbelievable discounts through travel agents. I was one offering a junior mini suite at 75% discount. I have never seen that level of dicount before.

Hi Mark

My wife and I (sound posh dunt it) went on Island cruises for our silver wedding anniversary 4 years ago and got thoroughly hooked on cruising. Have done 2 more since and another booked with Thompson for this June.

GerryM

what type of price were you offered and by who?
Best price I have for a JRSuite is £1760pp

TIA

Hi sparky mark

I have just returned from my first ever cruise.We went on the Thomson Emerald on the Adriatic Explorer cruise.I absolutely loved it.I am old like you (just had 40th wedd anny lol) and I found that Thomsons have everything organised so well- we were very impressed.

We didn't go to the formal nights in the dining room but opted for casual dining in the buffet restaurant on that night- we are not into all that.But each to their own I say.

We flew to Corfu, then sailed to Rovinj, Trieste, Venice ( the wow place),Zadar, Dubrovnik and back to Corfu.Really lovely scenic places with interesting excursions available.I would recommend Thomson to anyone- especially beginners! Have a look on the Thomsons website you should get everything for a week for a couple incl insurance for less than £2000.I've booked for next year already lol.

Old Flopsy

"Have a look on the Thomsons website you should get everything for a week for a couple incl insurance for less than £2000.I've booked for next year already lol."

OUCH. £2k I hope that is for the best cabin on the ship.

Hi windjammer

OK £1700 then before excursions and massages. £2000 is for everything mate! (Are you from Yorkshire....lol).

The best insurance for a 71 year old (him not me!) is not cheap but some things I will not skimp on.

Gotta get the nest egg spent before I expire, cos my son would soon get through it lol.

And it will be the best cabin on the ship if I'm in it.

Old Flopsy