Cruise through your next holiday

Cruising isn't just for the rich or retired, according to the cruise consultants at Travel Online. There's plenty to attract young and active people to a holiday afloat.

To answer questions from potential "cruisers" - and to clear up some misconceptions about the cruising life - they offer the following comments.

Aren't cruises too expensive?

When looking at the initial price of a cruise its easy to conclude that they seem more costly than an average land package holiday. However, once you consider that a cruise includes all of your meals, transportation, and entertainment, it really can represent great value for money.

Only old people take cruises!

That might be true of the world cruises, since the elderly certainly have more time on their hands than the rest of us, but the average age of a cruiser is actually only 45.

All you do on a cruise is sleep and eat.

You will be surprised to know that cruise ships nowadays are equipped with pools, gymnasiums, beauty therapy clinics, jogging tracks, basketball courts, casinos, libraries, shops, and movie theatres. Some even have golf courses and ice skating rinks. Plus there are daily activity programmes such as dancing lessons, computer training courses, cooking lessons, aerobics classes and more.

Cruise ships are claustrophobic.

Cruise ships are often perceived to be fairly "intimate", however the average cruise ship is the size of an eight-acre resort!

What's the best time of year to cruise where?

Africa - October to March

Alaska - May to September

Antarctica - December to February

Asia - All year round

Bermuda - May to October

Caribbean - All year round

Europe - April to November

Hawaii - All year round

Mexico - All year round

New England - June to October

Panama Canal - April or October

South America - October to March

South Pacific - All year round

World Cruises - December to April

For more information on the latest cruise specials, contact Travel Online, telephone (09) 358-5617.