Virgin Cruises winter late deals from just £699

Seven night Eastern Mediterranean Cruise on Norwegian Jade from £699pp

Virgin Holidays Cruises offers seven night Eastern Mediterranean Cruise onboard ‘Norwegian Jade’ from Venice, Corfu, Santorini, Mykonos, Olympia and Venice. Price is per person based on two adults travelling, sharing an inside cabin on a full-board basis with flights from London Gatwick and transfers. Offer is subject to availability and includes all applicable taxes and fuel surcharges which are subject to change. Based on departures 18 October.

Seven night Orlando Stay and Bahamas Cruise on Carnival Sensation from £699pp

Virgin Holidays Cruises offers three nights at Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando on a room only basis, before joining ‘Carnival Sensation’ for four nights from port Canaveral, calling at Freeport and Nassau. Price is per person based on two adults travelling and sharing an inside cabin on a full-board basis and includes Virgin Atlantic flights from London Gatwick. Offer is subject to availability and includes all applicable taxes and fuel surcharges which are subject to change. Based on departure date 27 November.

14 night Orlando Stay and Caribbean Cruise on Freedom of the Seas from £1,199pp – FREE All inclusive upgrade

Virgin Holidays Cruises offers seven nights at Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando on a room only basis, before joining ‘Freedom of the Seas’ for seven nights from Port Canaveral calling at Labadee (Haiti), Falmouth (Jamaica), George Town (Grand Cayman) and Cozumel. Price is per person based on two adults travelling and sharing an inside cabin on a full-board basis and includes Virgin Atlantic flights from London Gatwick and car hire. Offer is subject to availability and includes all applicable taxes and fuel surcharges which are subject to change. Based on departure date 27 November.

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Florida & Freedom With Royal Caribbean

Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas will sail 26 new cruises between May and October 2013 every Sunday from Port Canaveral of Florida’s Space Coast. The cruises – alternating between seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries – will also feature stars of DreamWorks entertainment such as Alex the Lion, Po the Dragon Warrior, Shrek and Fiona.

The proximity of Port Canaveral to the theme-park packed destination of Orlando means  holidaymakers can combine the cruises with three and four-night stays at Universal Orlando Resort and enjoy unparalleled savings. The package to experience the best of land and sea in one amazing holiday includes hotel and shipboard accommodations, multi-day passes to Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure, complimentary admission to select live entertainment venues at Universal CityWalk and ground transfers between airport, hotel, theme parks and the ship at port.

On board the ship, families can continue their entertainment theme with activities from the DreamWorks experience such as character breakfasts, parades and themed shows. 

On the Eastern Caribbean sailing, guests will call at St. Thomas, St. Maarten and CocoCay, Royal Caribbean’s private island in the Bahamas. The Western Caribbean itinerary calls at Falmouth, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; Cozumel, Mexico; and Labadee, Royal Caribbean’s private beach destination on the north coast of Haiti.

Freedom of the Seas’ summer 2013 season is now open for bookings. Prices for a nine-night fly/cruise including return flights from Manchester airport, one-night’s pre-cruise hotel accommodation and a seven-night cruise including all meals and entertainment costs from £1,595 per person for departures in June 2013.  

For all Royal Caribbean bookings, follow this link to The Cruise Line Ltd, the UK's leading cruise agent specialists.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

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Calling All Disney Fans!

OK, I'm going to take a quick break from the maritime world to put in a shameless plug for a new Disney book by my wife and I - The Hidden Magic of Walt Disney World Planner.

While I can't really take much credit for it as Susan wrote the original Hidden Magic of WDW book to huge acclaim three years ago, this follow-up is much broader in scope and should offer real Disney fans - and those who have never been to the amazing Walt Disney World before - a genuine alternative guidebook to the usual formulaic style.

Using the 'hidden magic' as the starting point - the essential story-telling basis for all Disney attractions - we give visitors a full narrative guide to the wide-ranging experience that is Walt's superbly-created World.

As we say in the intro, "if you don't know the story, you're just taking another ride," and it really IS true that if you don't take some time to slow down, appreciate the wealth of art and design, and pay attention to what's actually going on all around you, you are likely to miss much of the true Disney experience and 'magic' as you go.

The new book acts as a guide, an information resource, a story and history of the parks, water parks, resorts, Downtown Disney and restaurants, and a special keepsake for all those little tokens, tickets, etc, that you pick up along the way, with built-in pockets for that kind of memorabilia.

There are also pages to write your own 'story' and detail your experiences and memories along the way, building into a real treasure trove of vacation fun.

But don't just take our word for it. Look up all the reviews on Amazon.com of both books, and then take a trip to the publisher's website here: http://www.adamsmediastore.com/product/the-hidden-magic-of-walt-disney-world-planner/reference

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Carnival's Free Caribbean Cabin Upgrade

Here's a neat incentive to join a sparkling Caribbean cruise with Carnival Cruise Lines this year - a FREE cabin upgrade for the sailing in March.

Sailing from Port Canaveral, Florida – just a short hop away from the thrills of Orlando - to the heavenly Western Caribbean, the voyage features visits to Cozumel, Mexico’s only Caribbean island (brimming with silver and colourful crafts) and beautiful Belize, boasting its own special brand of eco-tourism and the world’s second largest barrier reef, before cruising on to the new Mahogany Bay resort on scenic Isla Roatan, and then Costa Maya, gateway to ancient Mayan temples and white sand beaches of the Mexican mainland.

The ship involved, the spectacular 3,646-passenger Carnival Dream, features some of the best resort amenities afloat, including deck after deck of spacious private balconied staterooms offering breathtaking panoramas, plus 18 bars and lounges, a duty-free shopping mall, a huge Cloud 9 health spa and gym, including a hydrotherapy pool, “Serenity” deck areas for adults only, a glittering casino, a 2,400sq ft children’s area, four swimming pools and several cascading water slides.

This 9-night Caribbean fly/cruise onboard the Dream starts from just £1,099 per person, including a free upgrade from an inside to a sea-view stateroom. This holiday departs from London on March 1 and includes scheduled flights between London and Orlando, one night pre-cruise hotel (room only) and a 7-night cruise, full board basis per person based on inside twin accommodation. 

For booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's luxury cruise specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

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Time To Go Carnival Dreaming

With the winter drawing in, there’s no better time to think about a relaxing Caribbean cruise - and Carnival Cruises have some spectacular offerings for British holiday-markers to Florida this winter.

Their weekly Western Caribbean itinerary now sails conveniently from Port Canaveral, less than an hour from the holiday Mecca of Orlando and features a truly eye-catching route, visiting Cozumel (Mexico's only Caribbean island), brimming with silver and colourful crafts); beautiful Belize, which boasts some fascinating eco-tourism and the world’s second largest barrier reef; tropical Isla Roatan; and peaceful Costa Maya, with its white sand beaches and historic Mayan pyramids.

The eye-catching 3,646-passenger Carnival Dream (above) is one of the line's newest ships (and a sister vessel to the Carnival Breeze, which is due to set sail in the Med next summer), and features some of the best resort amenities afloat, including deck after deck of spacious balcony staterooms offering breathtaking panoramas, plus 18 bars and lounges, a duty-free shopping mall, a huge Cloud 9 health spa and gym, including a hydrotherapy pool, “Serenity” deck areas for adults only, a glittering casino, a 2,400sq ft children’s area, four swimming pools and several cascading water slides.

A 9-night Caribbean fly/cruise on Carnival Dream starts from just £1,099 per person, departing London on January 20 and including scheduled flights between London and Orlando, one night pre-cruise hotel (room only) and a 7-night cruise, full board (based on inside twin accommodation). It costs just £50 per person (less than £8 per day) to upgrade to an ocean view stateroom.

For more info and booking details, be sure to check out this link with the UK's leading cruise agent specialists, The Cruise Line Ltd.

Time Spent at Sea has moved and can now be found at World of Cruising. You can follow World of Cruising on Twitter and Facebook for the very latest in cruise news.

If you haven't already, subscribe to the World of Cruising magazine today.