A recent report by the Passenger Shipping Association (PSA) has revealed that, despite the current turbulent economic climate, the cruise industry may be a strong survivor of the credit crunch.

Its durability may be due to the inclusive nature of the holidays, which make cruise breaks much easier for holidaymakers to budget for.

The Director of the PSA, Bill Gibbons, said “With the present difficult economic climate, cruising is better placed than many other sectors as the inclusive nature of a cruise holiday makes it easy to budget for while continuing to offer exceptional value for money.”

Fourteen new ships are planned to be launched next year ranging from luxury liners to family orientated vessels.

A recent report by the Association of British Travel Agents has predicted continuing long-term growth in the UK’s ultra luxury cruise industry.

Around 1.5 million UK holidaymakers are expected to embark on a cruise holiday this year, a figure that is predicted to increase by between two and three percent next year.

Fourteen new cruise ships are scheduled to be launched next year varying from ultra luxury vessels to family-orientated liners.

Yachts of Seabourn and Silversea Cruises have set the trend for 2009 with the introduction of two new ultra-luxury cruise ships and further ships planned to join the fleet in 2010 and 2011. Specialist niche cruise companies such as these are currently experiencing a strong increase in interest from the UK market.

William Gibbons of the Passenger Shipping Association said, “We’re still a relatively young and expanding industry with plenty of opportunity to grow as new ships come into service. With the present difficult economic climate, cruising is better placed than many other sectors as the inclusive nature of a cruise holiday makes it easy to budget for, while continuing to offer exceptional value for money.”

A report by the Telegraph has revealed that short- and medium-haul destinations are becoming increasingly popular with British holidaymakers as increased fuel charges continue to push up the prices of flights to destinations further a field.

Morocco is enjoying increased popularity this winter and is served by a number of low-cost airlines. Marrakesh and the beaches of Essaouria will be popular destinations in the coming months as well as Tunisia.

Only a six hour flight from London, the islands of Cape Verde offer the white sands of the Seychelles and Maldivian waters but at a much cheaper rate.

The game parks and beach resorts of Gambia offer a less crowded and cheaper alternative to the wildlife safaris in Kenya and South Africa.

Mexico and Brazil are also excellent, affordable winter holiday destinations with British Airways offering direct flights to Rio de Janiero and the pound still strong against the Mexican Peso.

Cruises are also proving to be good value this season, with many lines including Ocean Village, offering week-long Caribbean cruises for under £700 including return flight.

According to recent research cruise holidays are defying the rising issue of rising fuel costs by offering some of the cheapest deals for ten years.

P&O cruises claims that its cruise packages are around a third cheaper than they were ten years ago and says that sea travel has never offered better value for money.

The affordability of holidays on cruise liners has made them more attractive to younger holidaymakers and families.

A contributing factor to the falling cost of holiday cruises is the construction of mega-ships which have larger capacities.

A spokeswoman for P&O said that it would be unlikely that the cruise industry would suffer the same fate as the airline industry. She added: “Cruise companies seem to be more resilient to recession”.

The Telegraph has compiled a list of some of the top river cruises around the world which provide travellers with the best and most relaxing way to witness breath-taking scenery and countryside.

A cruise along the Nile between Luxor and Aswan provides cruisers with a deeply cultural experience. Holidaymakers can visit the temples at Luxor and Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and the temple dedicated to Horus at Edfu.

The attractions of both Moscow and St Petersburg can been enjoyed by cruising along the Volga River and other waterways which connect the two cities.

The Three Gorges and the Three Gorges Dam are the highlight of a cruise along the Yangtze River in China. Many travellers also choose to spend time in Shanghai before beginning the cruise.

A cruise along the Danube offers a cultural journey through European history, starting from the Hungarian capital of Budapest and sailing through Slovakia, Austria and Germany.

A cruise along the Amazon, the world’s largest river, takes travellers to the picturesque city of Santarem and many other stunning destinations.

Europe’s most popular cruising river, the Rhine, offers plenty of sightseeing opportunities along its 900 mile course, including fairytale castles, medieval towns and the impressive UNESCO World Heritage gothic cathedral in Cologne.

Research by Holiday Which? magazine has shown that cruise holidays are no longer considered to be the holiday choice of the over-50s.

Millions of British holidaymakers are said to have opted for a holiday cruise this year with a further increase expected next year.

The widening cruise market is attracting families and younger travellers, with newly weds in particular choosing a holiday on board a cruise liner for their honeymoon.

Claire Lilley, from Holiday Which? explained: “If you look in the trade press, the number of new cruise ships being launched this year is phenomenal really. And these are massive ships being launched in the UK alone.”

A computer-generated preview of the world-famous cruise line, Queen Elizabeth II has been revealed.

The QE2 has been retired after 40 years of glamorous seafaring and is being turned into a luxury hotel in Dubai, at the exclusive Palm Jumeirah resort.

Work is about to start on a new berth for the cruise ship which will form the pinnacle of a palatial pier which will stretch 1,000 feet into the Arabian Gulf.

Johann Schumacher, director of Palm Jumeirah, said: “The arrival of QE2 is one of the most anticipated events of the year and we are proud to be the custodian of such a historic treasure.

“The world’s most famous ocean liner will form the focal point of an exciting new development that will be a spectacular and must-see attraction on Palm Jumeirah.”

A survey has revealed that men and women have very different ideas about what is important on a luxury holiday, reports Travel Mole.

Women value top quality bathrooms, whereas men favour a concierge and a fun bar.
Overall 5-star accommodation and a comfortable flight are seen as the most important features of a luxury holiday.

Privacy is important to younger travellers, with 20 per cent of 16-24 year olds saying they prefer to stay somewhere on their own.

Thailand is the most popular luxury destination, the Maldives second and Dubai is third.

Cruise holiday operator P&O Cruises is offering new shore excursions, aimed for those looking for something very unique.

Driving a Ferrari F430 in Italy, zip wiring in Jamaican rainforests or taking a snow truck to explore the glaciers in Iceland – these are some of the new ‘once in a lifetime’ excursions offered by the cruise line.

“We are now attracting more new to cruise passengers than ever before and these holidaymakers are looking for something a little different to do on shore than a guided coach tour.”

“In a two week Mediterranean cruise they could charter a private yacht, go zip-wiring, learn to cook an authentic Italian specialities and make their very own fragrance,” said P&O Cruises managing director Nigel Esdale.

Carnival Cruise Lines is hoping to double the number cruise passengers from the UK as it launches its first ever Northern Europe cruise from Dover.

Carnival Splendor will be taking cruise holidaymakers to over 100 different shore excursions on a series of five 12-day cruises, running from July 13 to August 30.

“Our sister brands are trembling because we want to come to the UK. It’s a great market for us which is why we are positioning ships here,” said chief executive Gerry Cahill.

The cruise line hopes to double the UK passengers by bringing more cruise ships to UK ports. Next year Carnival Liberty will also be based in Dover.

Carnival Splendor’s Northern European cruises will call at: Copenhagen, Denmark; Warnemunde (Berlin), Germany; Helsinki, Finland; St. Petersburg, Russia ; Tallin, Estonia; and Amsterdam, The Netherlands, among other calling points.

There are thousands of choices for a beach holiday, and to narrow down the list for some Concierge.com has compiled a list of the sexiest beaches in the world.

Kaş, Turkey
Malibu, California
Paros, Greece
Loreto, Mexico
Pemba Island, Tanzania
Providencia - Caribbean islands
Lanzarote, Canary Islands
Oahu, HawaiiSt. Lucia, Caribbean
Perth, Australia
St. Philip, Barbados
Gotland, Sweden
Natal, Brazil
Lake Nyasa, Mozambique
Fire Island, New York
Peter Island, British Virgin Islands
Krabi, Thailand

Concierge.com is an independent travel information source.

Sending text messages to friends or family back home while on holiday abroad is going to cost you less. Mobile phone companies were warned by the EU to cut the text messages prices by July 1 and most have complied.

Sending text messages abroad from most mobile phones has been far more expensive than sending them within the country you are in.

T-Mobile has cut the price of sending texts from abroad to 25p from 40p, and O2 has also come down to 25p from the original 49p.

The European Union Telecoms Commissioner wants all member states to have the same fees by 2011.

The Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) has announced its new F3 ships will include the first ever ice bars on a cruise ship. The F3 ships will feature many other amenities that are new and unique to cruise ships.

Among the features NCL is proud of is the range of nightlife – inspired by capitals of the world. Many will be for adults only, including pool areas, bars, and night clubs.

“There is nothing ordinary about these ships. The F3s are unconventionally extraordinary,” said NCL UK general manager Stephen Park.

“Every experience on board will be unique. F3 won’t have massive void spaces and rooms used just for one activity, these venues have multiple uses for sunbathing, bowling and dining, as well as being party playgrounds.”

People planning a cruise holiday want the possible cruises represented by destinations rather than by ship, P&O Cruises has found after customer and agent research. Therefore its new cruise brochure will revamped to please customers more.

The cruise lines research also showed that customers search for information on cruise holidays on many resources, including brochures, websites, and forums.

The printed brochure will now have a unique url for each cruise, allowing customers to see up to date prices and more information from the web.

Esdale said: “Our 2009 programme is our biggest yet, offering a 30% increase in capacity for our brands with the first full year of Ventura.”

Life Books has compiled a list of the top 10 romantic holiday destinations around the world.

The “Dream Destinations” are -

1. Wildflower Hall, India.
Set at a high altitude and in dense forests, the spa resort was once the estate of Lord Kitchener.

2. The Camargue, France.
Home to famous white ponies and pink flamingoes, medieval walled cities and glowing beaches.

3. Kyoto, Japan
There are 2,000 Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and other ancient buildings here. For extra romance, take a trip on the Sagano Romantic train - good name!

4. The Cinque Terre, Italy
An unspoilt area of the northern Italian coastline - sheer and rocky with little villages built into the hills.

5. Montreal, Canada
This is an energetic city - by day and by night, host to a number of festivals and romantic accommodation.

6. Brussels, Belgium
This capital city should be explored by foot, so you don’t miss out on its hidden gems, especially the chocolates, pastries and antique shops.

7. St Lucia, Caribbean
This beautiful volcanic island is famed for its beaches and lush rain forests that are home to parrots and birds of paradise.

8. Napa Valley, California
The famous wine producing area is just an hour’s drive from San Francisco. The valley itself and the many excellent restaurants are ideal destinations all year round.

9. The Inn at Little Washington
A piece of American history - this tiny village sits in between the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley. It was the first place to be named after George Washington.

10. Lake Wanaka, New Zealand
In the centre of the South Island and sitting 1,000 feet about sea level, this is an unspoilt area of outstanding natural beauty.

Cruise holidaymakers on Royal Caribbean cruise ships have been able to enjoy a cruise simulator for some time, but now the surfing fun will be accessible on shore in Grand Turks.

Grand Turks is becoming a popular port of call for cruise holidays in the Bahamas, and the Royal Caribbean has set up the FlowRider available for passengers coming off the ships. It is almost identical to the surf simulators that are on board Freedom, Liberty and Independence of the Seas.

The surf simulator creates a wave by shooting water over a cushioned surface. Visitors can try the simulator by queuing up and paying the fee, or signing up for it while still on board.

British honeymooners think beach holidays are an old fashioned choice. Instead they want active holidays for their honeymoon.

In a survey of 2,000 couples it was found that four in five do not take a beach holiday abroad, but instead 32% take a UK holiday, 15% take a city break, and 9% head for an adventure holiday while 3% take a cruise holiday.

The average amount spent on a holiday is £2,580, the Scottish spending the most at £2,879. The top foreign honeymoon holiday destinations were USA, Barbados and the Caribbean, Maldives, Mexico and Australia.

The survey was conducted by Teletext holidays.

Everyone is planning to drop some weight before that long-awaited holiday this summer. According to a new survey, over two thirds of Brits would like lose nine pounds or more for their holiday.

23% of those surveyed, would like to lose four to eight pounds while 7% would drop under five pounds off their weight.

While people say they would like to lose a lot of weight before a summer holiday, usually spent on a beach, most will not go too far to drop as much as nine pounds. They would just like to.