New Cruises

A ward-winning P&O Cruises has a new series of sailings departing from Malta that work in the same way as a package holiday, with included charter flights from London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Glasgow, Newcastle and the East Midlands.

Some of the trips on Oceana focus on the eastern Med, calling at places such as Messina in Sicily and Split in Croatia, while others head west, with one even visiting Monaco for the Grand Prix. The seven-night Italy and Croatia cruise departing April 7 starts at £799.

Equally simple and to the point are Thomson Cruises’ seven-night Spanish sailings on new ship TUI Discovery 2. Like Costa holidays for a new generation, the itineraries include Malaga, Tenerife and Barcelona. Other calls include Ibiza, Cadiz and Gibraltar. From £1,039 with flights (0871 230 2800; thomson.co.uk).

Crystal Cruises’ Northwest Passage voyage in 2016 was such a success that Crystal Serenity is repeating the grand northern adventure in 2017. The 32-day Anchorage to New York voyage snakes around the top of North America through the Bering Sea. Calls include Nome, Alaska (closer to Siberia than Anchorage), Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, and Bafn Island’s fjords. From £22,800 (020 7399 7601; crystalcruises.com).

Another luxurious escape is the Sea, Sky, Safari from SeaDream Yacht Club, a 20-night trip that starts with two nights in Barcelona before a Med cruise. A private jet takes you from Nice to Rwanda for a week in Africa, including safaris. There’s a flight to Morocco for a couple of nights in Marrakesh before flying to London and a night in the Four Seasons on Park Lane. Departs May 5, from £83,000 (0800 783 1373; seadream.com).