For anyone familiar with the cruise market, unfortunately options are very limited if you want to sail from Southampton. You can only sail so far in 2-4 days, but especially around Christmas there are more options to chose from. Firstly you have the classic / most common destination Zeebrugge, Belgium, here you can wonder around this gothic city, take a horse drawn carriage through the narrow streets, or even just sit in a cafe with a nice Belgian waffle.

Le Harve in France is another popular destination for the cruise lines. Like Zeebrugge you can still get here in a nights sailing. From here you can take a trip to the gothic Cathedral in Rouen or even take the slightly longer trip to the city of love........Paris. If you are not up for travelling far then maybe Amsterdam is the destination for you. Amsterdam City Center is within walking distance from where the cruise ship docks. Again here you have a whole wealth of activities on offer. You can talk a canal cruise, go back in time and visit Anne Franks house, of just talk a wonder around this very unique city.

Next is St Peters Port in Guernsey. If you have never been Guernsey can be what you make it.  If you want beautiful beaches, you have Shell beach. If you want history you have a wealth of museums ranging from ship wrecks to German occupation. You have a German underground hospital from the war,  castles and much much more.

The great thing about these short cruises is that more than ever they are very affordable.  If you book late, a lot of the two night trips come down to as little as £99. You can't go to a hotel in England for that amount, let alone get full board. If you want to find out more, or if you have any further questions please let me know. I have only very briefly touched on a few of the most popular short cruise destinations, but if you are interested in a short cruise this year why not join the festive spirit and take a Christmas market cruise this December!