Savings not working....buy a cruise

 P&O cruises are offering customers a fantastic way to make more of their money this January.
On selected cruises if you book and pay for your cruise in full they will give you an additional 5% discount. On a £1500 cruise this equates to a £75 saving.

You'd expect this to be on sailings for next year but it includes cruises going this spring and summer too.

And don't forget on top of P&O's discount I'll give you extra discounts too. If you're looking at a P&O cruise currently and can afford to pay in full then I suggest you call or mail and see how much you can save.

Silversea just out of interest have offered additional discounts for years to customers paying in full 6 months in advance.

The first time is the best time....

I'm not convinced - my first day at school, first day in a new job, first kiss are all events that didn't quite live up to expectation and that I can't remember now. So would I spend a fortune to go on the first voyage of a new ship?

I have been on maiden voyages twice and both haven't been quite as they should have been. Silversea's Prince Albert had workmen painting the decking as we walked along and in-suite flat screens not yet installed and MSC's Poesia whilst fully completed had a crew that really hadn't gelled and didn't know where everything was situated.

A maiden voyage should be viewed as a dress rehearsal, don't expect everything to perfect, know that your crew probably only met each other  the week before and that men in tool belts might be lurking around corners. If you go with this attitude  and have had a good deal you won't be disappointed. However if you're someone who expects the best, my advice would be to wait for the 3rd or 4th voyage. Like a new hairstyle a ship needs a bit of time to bed in.

All that remains to be seen in how Queen Elizabeth's maiden voyage goes. Selling out in just 29 minutes and with customers paying well over the odds, I just hope they get everything right.

Read some Cunard Cruise Reviews at Cruise.co.uk.