Get moving with cruises around the world

There are ships journeying to pretty much anywhere in the world that you care to mention these days so the only limitation to where you can go on such a holiday is basically how much you want to spend and how long you have for your holiday. If you want to get a real taste of what life at sea is like then you could choose a transatlantic crossing from Florida to Germany, such as those offered by celebrity cruises. After departing from Miami port you spend 8 whole days at sea before calling at Paris, Dover, Rotterdam and finally Hamburg. You will have time to really get into the rhythm of life on board. This sort of trip takes 13 nights so, as long as you can fly to the starting point, is just the right length for an annual holiday. At the other end of the scale you could get your feet wet by trying one of the Princess cruises from Vancouver to San Francisco, which takes just 2 days. Of course it would be sensible to combine this with a land-based holiday in California or Canada at the same time, rather than fly all the way there and back for two days. When you are on holiday can be the ideal time to move house. You relax while your removal company takes care of all the details that can make moving house such a hassle. There are many online companies to choose from that can help you.

"Of course the weather and the music in the Carribean is wonderfull, but Norwegian Dawn is realy pleasant." - Marc, Liedekerke, Belgium on 14th Jun 2009 (NCL Cruises)

What should I pack?

If this is the first time you are going on this type of holiday then you may be wondering if there are any essentials that you will need on a boat that you simply cannot get once you have boarded and set sail. Unless you have any special needs such as a medical condition that requires you to have certain drugs available at all times, you should be fine. The large ships that companies like Royal Caribbean cruises have in their fleet everything you could possibly need on board. For emergency medical attention all ships will have a doctor on call and certain facilities available as standard. Not all trips will see you bathed in sunshine every day so you should think about what sort of clothes to pack before you go. On Caribbean cruises you will obviously be hoping for guaranteed sunshine but on a trip to Alaska for example, you will need a completely different set of clothes. Either way it will not be as big a chore as having to pack up everything you own, which is why a reliable professional removal company can be worth their weight in gold when you are moving into a new house. People with pets that they cannot fly , quite often choose to take a luxury liner across the Atlantic if they are moving to the United States as ones like the Queen Mary II, run by Cunard cruises, have kennelling available on board for both dogs and cats.

"Staff were friendly and polite at all times. Drinks were expensive but we expected this. Overall we couldn't fault NCL and would certainly cruise with them again." - Bignell, Aylesbury on 13th Jun 2009 (NCL Cruises)

Two weeks to spare

Let us assume that you have the usual two weeks in which you wish to take your holiday. With a combination of flights and time on board ship, you can still get to almost anywhere in this amount of time. As an example, you can fly to Brazil and take a 7 night cruise departing from Santos, visiting 4 ports along the coast and returning to Santos at the end of the week. MSC cruises are one of the lines operating such a route. If you are going on your sea voyage as part of a move abroad, then getting your belongings from your home over the rails onto a cargo ship at the docks is something that you will definitely need help with. If you have not arranged this sort of thing before, there is quite a lot of documentation to be completed, as well as the logistics of the actual move to take care of. P&O cruises are one of the lines that sail from Southampton port in the UK to almost anywhere you could wish to go, so they are well worth checking out for a move like this. You will want to pack up all your valuables yourself I imagine, but as long as you pack them well and use a reputable company, you should not have to worry about being on hand to oversee the whole process. Much better to hop on an NCL cruises ship to New York and meet your furniture there.

"Loved every minute! how people have the nerve to slag it off i dont know, great food, great entertainment and a great cruise." - Zo, Bham on 13th Jun 2009 (Royal Caribbean Cruises)

Let the crew take the strain

One of the great things about a ship-based holiday is that, whilst you are at sea, you are completely free from the normal responsibilities of everyday life. The captain and his crew are there to make sure everything runs smoothly and that you do not want for anything. All you have to do is remember to turn up at the port on time, with your tickets, passport and clothes for the trip. For cruises from Southampton this is literally all you need to do as there is no need for hopping on and off planes to get there in the first place. If you cannot avoid flying to move somewhere else in the world then it is possible to air freight your belongings over too, although for heavy items such as furniture, this can be prohibitively expensive. Whichever way you decide to do it, it is always worth phoning round to get as many quotes as you can for the removal work itself, as the rates can vary quite a lot from company to company. After all the hustle and bustle of getting ready to move abroad for a while you could treat yourself to an afternoon in the spa, or spend the day relaxing in one of the outside Jacuzzis, on one of the shorter Fred Olsen cruises on offer in your new location. Most vessels in operation have excellent fitness and relaxation facilities so it is a great way to unwind after a stressful time in your life.

"This was our first cruise and we both really enjoyed the experience.The 5 nights spent on the cruise was a pure pleasure we didn't want the experience to end. Every aspect of the cruise was brilliant." - Jackson, Tom Price, WA ,Australia on 13th Jun 2009 (Royal Caribbean Cruises)