The answer to that is – almost every where. Ok maybe not the Himalayas or the centre of Birmingham but if its got an important sea port, then the cruise from Southampton will take you there. The circumvention of the globe by sea has going on a long time, and even the early maritime explorers soon found that if they went to America they would end up somehow in the Pacific Ocean and then in Australia. They had to endure the trip round Cape Horn, and that was bit tasty in weather terms, and some of the cruise liners still use that route. Others will head straight through the Panama canal having spent an idyllic week in the West Indies and the Windward Islands cruising the Caribbean. Others will take in Rio and the South America coast. The great thing about sea voyages is that they have not changed. The planet cannot be altered and the fact that the earth is made up of three quarters water will never change. The Oceans, the land mass and the developed communities which live on the shores of the biggest food supply for man, will never change.

Eco friendly travellers appreciate the sea voyage for a whole raft of reasons and one is that it is a more energy efficient for of travel and way much better than an aircraft. Companies have started to realise that there are concerned people out there and they have changed their attitude to the issues. Dumping at sea is no longer an option and the last case of fuel being spilt was on a stricken oil tanker, not a cruise ship. Accidents at sea will happen but the shipping lines will do their utmost to comply with all the rules and regulations. So having had a week in Jamaica and sailed though Central America, the next stop could be one of the Pacific Islands and Samoa, or maybe Hawaii. The journey continues with Darwin, Perth Melbourne, Sydney, all in Australia.

The ship may take route which includes Osaka in Japan and Shanghai in China. A stop at the tropical islands of Phuket and Koh Samui will give a glimpse of the Thai culture and staggering beach scene, and then its on to India and the massive city of Mumbai, once known as Bombay and a main trading post for the old White Star Line. History and traditions play a massive part in the heritage of the sea, so but to put history in perspective the cruise will call in to Egypt, and then take another short cut through the Suez canal. On the return to Europe have a look at the Parthenon in Athens and the Coliseum in Rome. On a world voyage the potential for sight seeing goes beyond the normal, and all this is in the finest comfort and five star dining.

Is it any wonder that the cruises of the world are as popular as ever? There are plenty of cruise line companies about who can offer the sort of holiday which will also go beyond the normal. The biggest ships come in the range of 224,000 tons, whilst the average cruise liner will be a beautifully constructed 100,000 tons. The glitz and glamour of cruise life has never gone away, but there is maybe a greater emphasis on the family cruise holiday. Some of those big liners have great facilities for all the family, not just the seniors. Whilst education would get in the way of a full world cruise from Southampton there are options for shorter two week holidays aboard cruise liner. In fact sailing from Southampton can mean just a trip across the North Sea as the ship is re positioned for another grand voyage. These are the low cost rips and are good as taste of cruise life. Some may feel a bit queasy on a North Sea crossing and never go near a ship again. But there are plenty who get the taste for the lifestyle and cannot wait to get on board again.  

There is a wealth of choice on the market and starting at the top is the grandest trip of them all; the full blown round the world voyage which will take you everywhere - except Birmingham and the Bull Ring!