Sunday Mirror: CRUISING SPECIAL: Get Ship Shape

STRUGGLING to find a holiday where your hotel, eating out and sightseeing add up to less than a grand? Then join the million-plus British holidaymakers who each year take a holiday at sea. Cruising is now our fastest-growing form of holiday and, as GILL WILLIAMS shows, it can be cracking good value for money. For the same price as a self-catering holiday in a resort on land, you can visit several cities, eat yourself silly and dance until dawn

TAKE A GAMBLE FOR pounds 899

YOU wont be on a loser with the holiday price, even if you do risk the shirt off your back on a Carnival cruise out of Miami to the Eastern Caribbean. Roulette tables and blackjack bring casino glamour to the high seas along with resident bands and extravagant, Vegas-style shows. Hungry? You can eat round the clock on these cruises. If you miss the midnight buffet, you can even order free room service to your cabin. The ships are floating resorts, so big they seem to block out the sunshine when they dock at San Juan in Puerto Rico, St Maarten and St Thomas. This is a cruise with all the traditions of the golden age of sea travel, from welcome aboard cocktails to dinner at the captains table.

HOW MUCH? A nine-night Caribbean fly/cruise package on the Carnival Triumph next year starts from pounds 899pp when two share.

WHATS INCLUDED Flights from the UK, a night in a Miami hotel before sailing and seven nights full-board cruise with all meals, activities and entertainment.

HIDDEN EXTRAS Tips, drinks, laundry and organised shore trips although you can explore port towns by yourself for free.

WHEN Departures throughout 2006.

HOW TO BOOK Carnival, 0207 940 4466.

PAINT & PANSIES FOR pounds 895

FANCY yourself as a budding Picasso? Or are you a more earthy Charlie Dimmock type? Then take advantage of low autumn prices to book a two- week themed cruise through the Med this year on board Fred Olsen Cruise Lines Black Watch. Learn to paint or find out how to turn your courgettes into giant marrows as the captain sets a course due south. The ship sails beyond France to Spain when you touch dry land at La Coruna and Barcelona. Youll dock at Majorca and Menorca to paint or potter before cruising on to Gibraltar and finally Tangiers in Morocco.

HOW MUCH? pounds 895pp when two share.

WHATS INCLUDED Full board, painting and gardening sessions

HIDDEN EXTRAS Drinks, tips and laundry. If painting and gardening dont float your boat you can sign up for Fred Olsens Flagship Golf package on the same voyage. It gives you tuition and golfing days on dry land, but does cost an extra pounds 350.

WHEN October 23.

HOW TO BOOK Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, 01473 742424 or see www.Fred OlsenCruises.co.uk

AUTUMN IN VENICE FOR pounds 599

TAKE advantage of daytime temperatures still inching into the twenties when you board Costa Classica for an October cruise out of Venice. Sip a cold limoncello on deck as you sail along the Italian coast to Ancona before crossing to the Athenian port at Piraeus in Greece. The sea in the Eastern Mediterranean is still warm enough for a dip when you disembark on Crete and Corfu. And haul yourself out of the deckchair when Classica sails into Croatias port of Dubrovnik. This World Heritage city is one of the most beautiful in Europe. Buy a bottle of fruity slebovitz hooch at non-euro prices about pounds 3 a litre. But dont open it until you return home or you wont remember much else about the voyage.

HOW MUCH? pounds 599pp when two share.

WHATS INCLUDED A weeks full board with all entertainment, flights to and from Venice, transfers and taxes.

HIDDEN EXTRAS Laundry, drinks and shore excursions.

WHEN October 2 or 9.

HOW TO BOOK Costa Cruises, phone 020 7940 4490 or visit www.costacruises.co.uk

POSH CARIBBEAN FOR pounds 941

ESCAPE the Christmas crowds this year on a cruise from Florida to Mexico on board Radisson Seven Seas Voyager. This is a VERY la-di- da ship that claims to have six stars and we thought you could only have five! The Voyager has four restaurants, a theatre, casino and spa. On this cruise youll spend five nights at sea, sailing out of Fort Lauderdale and down through the Straits of Florida towards Cozumel on Mexicos Caribbean coast. Youll spend a night in Key West the party capital of the US. Then if you make it back on board in the morning youll sail back to Fort Lauderdale.

HOW MUCH? pounds 941pp when two share a suite with balcony.

WHATS INCLUDED Tips, taxes and entertainment, all-inclusive meals, round- the-clock room service if you dont fancy dinner at the captains table, wine or spirits with dinner, a mini-bar. If youre not too posh to wash your own clothes theres even a free laundrette.

HIDDEN EXTRAS Flights (December fares to Miami are from pounds 384 through ba.com).

WHEN December 12 17.

HOW TO BOOK Radisson Seven Seas Voyager, phone 02380 682280 or visit www.rssc.co.uk