Six of the best no-fly cruises from the UK

Opting for a cruise can take all of the stress out of travelling

Return trip cruises from a UK port mean avoiding airline luggage restrictions and long stressful journeys before boarding, and with itineraries becoming ever more imaginative, here are six of the best no-fly cruises you can take from Britain.

 

The Baltic 

Two weeks will get you all the way to Russia and back, calling at elegant Scandinavian capitals and cities that look like they're straight out of a Hans Christian Anderson 's fairytale. 

You can see Hans himself - or a fabulous statue - in Denmark's capital Copenhagen, just across the road from Tivoli Gardens, while Sweden's capital, Stockholm, is a series of islands with hop-on tourist boats that take you to all the museums and shopping areas. 

St Petersburg has The Hermitage, with 1,000 rooms packed with Catherine the Great's treasures, but two of the prettiest ports are Finland's capital, Helsinki, with its harbour markets, and Estonia's 

Tallinn, with medieval walls and gorgeous Orthodox Christian churches. 

Two weeks will get you all the way to Russia and back

Round-Britain 

You get a very different perspective when you sail into a city - particularly one with a waterfront as exciting as Liverpool and its Three Graces. 

Most cruise lines offer round-Britain cruises these day because they are increasingly popular and sell out quickly. 

In Liverpool you hardly have to leave the Albert Docks there is so much to see, for instance Tate Liverpool, The Beatles Story, Liverpool Museum and the city's Maritime Museum. 

Other classic ports include Newcastle, which has an equally lively and regenerated waterfront along the River Tyne, Dublin, where you can tour the Guinness Storehouse or Jameson Distillery and 

Edinburgh - although ships dock at Queensferry - where you can visit the castle, climb Arthur's Mount or shop on Princes Street. 

Norwegian fjords 

Most Britons' first cruise is either to the Mediterranean or the Norwegian fjords and if you can't stand the heat in summer then Scandinavia is a like a breath of fresh air. 

Make sure you get to see Bergen, where the UNESCO-listed Bryggen Wharf has colourful timber houses and cobbled street. 

Flam, in Aurlandsfjord, is just a tiny village but you can kayak in the still waters, cycle around the fjord or take the famous scenic railway into the mountains. 

Kristiansund is a pretty seaside town with a slightly yachty atmosphere and some good homeware shops for those who like the Scandinavia look. 

And if you can get on a fjords cruise that also takes in Oslo grab it =AD- Norway's capital has the fascinating Viking Ships Museum, Viking gold in its National History Museum and a whole gallery 

full of work by painter Edvard Munch - including The Scream. 

The Mediterranean 

The Western Mediterranean is within easy reach of Britain after a few sea days navigating the Bay of Biscay and the Iberian peninsular. 

You may get a day in Portugal's capital Lisbon, where trams hurtle along the narrow streets up the hill to the castle or along the river Tagus to the Discoveries Monument at Belem, or perhaps 

you will call at Cadiz - the Moorish port towards the end of Spain's Atlantic coast - before arriving in the Med. 

 

Highlights on a two-week Western Mediterranean must be Barcelona, where Antonio Gaudi created outrageous architecture including the Church of Sagrada Familia; Naples, where you can catch a local 

train Pompeii; Livorno where the train to Pisa takes only about half an hour; and Civitavecchia, where you can swim from the sandy beach but most people take the excursion to Rome. 

The Canaries 

Sailing south for the winter, or autumn or spring, is very popular with Brits in search of the sun. 

Many Canaries cruises stop first at Madeira, famous for its botanical gardens, before hitting the beach at Gran Canaria or Tenerife, the second with additional attractions such as its mysterious 

pyramids. 

There are also good beaches on Lanzarote, where a trip to see the volcanic craters at Timanfaya National Park is increasingly popular. 

Mini cruises 

Great for those who need a quick cruise fix, want to try out cruises without going away for weeks or who have something to celebrate - mini cruises are an extra special treat. 

Most just go over to France or Belgium - Zeebrugge for Bruges and Le Havre for Paris are popular - but you can also get up to Amsterdam or down the River Elbe to Hamburg on some. 

And because mini cruises are often used for birthday parties and family celebrations, you'll usually find a younger crowd and lively nightlife onboard.