Wow the fjords are just out of this world!!

Norwegian fjords cruise on the 5* ms Ryndam.

Cruising from Dover, we were just a day at sea away from Oslo, Norway and the start of this incredible cruise itinerary taking in a total of 3 scenic Norwegian fjords! Some of the days were early starts to see the fjords but well worth it and an experience I'll never forget.

Ryndam is a fabulous mid size ship – cabin and ship facilities were excellent – she features a fantastic pool with a roof, so when the sun shone they opened the roof (we were really lucky with the weather so roof was open most days!) an alternative pool on the back of the ship if you wanted ‘quiet’ as there were 130 kids on this cruise, mainly due to the £99pp for 3^rd and 4^th promotion they had.

Food was excellent in both the main ‘Rotterdam’ rest and the buffet ‘Lido’ rest

Kids club was well attended, and there was plenty to keep kids amused, daytime entertainment for adults was a little ‘refined’ for more liking so aimed really at older guests (lots of grandparents on board with kids) or for those looking for peace and quiet.

Overall a fantastic week, and if anyone is considering the Fjords, I'd definitely, definitely recommend it – absolutely fantastic place!

Donna

Cruises are becoming more affordable

Over the past several years, cruises have become more popular and more affordable. And the variety of destinations available has increased considerably.

The rising fuel costs, more stringent environmental regulations and the economic crisis have affected the cruise industry prospects. However, cruise providers expect to see modest growth in 2011, helped massively by the launch of eight brand new large ships and the price reductions. According to the Cruise Lines International Association, it is expected that 16 million people will take a cruise in 2011, with three quarters of these people coming from North America. This is an increase of almost 7% year on year. Last year, despite the lasting effects of the recession, the industry actually exceeded growth expectations.

The top cruise lines are optimistic about the industry future as they try to encourage the industry development in those parts of the world where this type of travel is not particularly popular. Australia is one area which is seeing massive growth in the cruise industry, with more and more big names heading down under every year.

One of the measures taken by the top companies to expand their customer base during the recession has been cutting prices. By doing that cruise companies have managed to keep their ships pretty much full to capacity, even during economic crisis. What they aim is to hook prospective customers with affordable cruises and expect that they will keep coming back for more.

Compared to 2 years ago, cruising prices has definitively plummeted and cabins are becoming more luxurious, more comfortable while onboard entertainment and activities just keep growing. These factors have influenced the rising popularity of cruise holidays. Today one in every 12 package holidays booked in the UK is a cruise. That number is set to increase, with indicators predicting that the number of UK passengers will reach 2 million by 2012 at the latest.

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