The A–Z of cruising

GREAT destinations, luxury ships, interesting facts and figures. Kathleen Cuthbertson has it covered.

Y is for ... yachting, which is becoming popular but beware: the close quarters require you to choose your fellow sailors wisely

GREAT destinations, luxury ships, interesting facts and figures. Kathleen Cuthbertson has it covered.

ALASKA: The most popular overseas destination after the South Pacific, attracting 17,965 Australians last year. A typical week-long cruise leaves from Vancouver or Seattle and offers spectacular scenery – glaciers, bears, whales and more. April to September is considered the best time.

BIG: The world's biggest cruise ship is Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas. It is 72m high and 56m wide and has a rock-climbing wall, ice rink and surf pool.

CABINS: Cruise Co sales manager Marita Lam says cabins in the middle of the ship are generally more sought after than those at the bow or stern because there is less motion. The higher the deck, the more expensive. Outside cabins (with portholes) are more expensive than interior ones.

DINING: No one ever comes back from a cruise complaining of being underfed. Traditional cruises separate passengers into dinner sittings and offer a small, but usually excellent, menu that changes daily. Some modern cruises have specialty restaurants such as steakhouses.

ENTERTAINMENT: A traditional staple of cruising. Be it a tribute to a Broadway show or pool party, a cruise will offer activities most nights.

FARES: Last-minute discounts are difficult to get, Cruise Co's Lam says, but earlybird specials give an opportunity to save. Some bookings are taken more than a year ahead.

GETTING THERE: Most cruises do not sail to Australia, but many packages sold here include cheap connecting flights. Jetset Travelworld cruise program manager Monica McAninly recommends weighing your options, such as whether you should use frequent-flyer points.

HOLLAND-AMERICA LINE: An upmarket line, with 13 ships, that offers almost 500 cruises from 25 ports. The MS Statendam will be in Australian waters this summer on the popular Sydney-Auckland route.

ICE: More cruisers are heading for Antarctica. Peregrine Adventures offers expedition-style cruises leaving Ushuaia, Argentina, and taking in the Falklands and South Georgia. Orion Expedition Cruises offers cruises from Australia and New Zealand.

JAMAICA AND THE CARIBBEAN: The Caribbean is the most popular cruise destination in the world, mostly because it is close to the cruise-crazy United States.

KIDS: Children are an emerging market in the cruise industry and more ships are offering things from kids-only pools to teenage discos. P&0 Australia has an extensive children's program and a million kids have travelled on Carnival Cruise lines, which runs a daily Camp Carnival.

LUXURY: Big ships are great for glitz and glam, but true luxury and top-class service are found on smaller vessels. Seabourn, SeaDream Yacht Club and Silversea are among the lines considered truly upmarket.

MEDITERRANEAN: An increasingly popular cruising destination, especially for private yachts. Ports around that part of the world are sometimes jammed with cruise ships.

NEW YEAR'S EVE: A popular time for cruising – and with good reason. Can there be anything better than a party where you can dress up, drinks, food and entertainment are laid on and you don't have to spend hours trying to find a taxi home?

OCEANIA: Founded in 2002, Oceania claims to be the 'world's largest upscale cruise line', operating three midsize ships around the world. It offers five-star cruising at slightly lower prices.

P&O CRUISES: There are two – P&O Australia, which offers itineraries to the domestic market, and P&O cruises in general. Both are owned by the Carnival Corporation, which also owns Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Cunard and Seabourn among its 12 brands, with a 79-ship fleet.

QM2 AND QE2: The QM2 will become the biggest cruise liner to visit Australia when it meets the QE2 in Sydney Harbour on February 20. So momentous is the event that Captain Cook Cruises is offering day cruises to view the pair.

RIVER CRUISES: Increasingly popular in Europe and China, these are a different way to see a country. Ships are smaller than ocean liners and the emphasis is on where you go rather than how you travel.

SMALL SHIPS: North Star, Coral Princess and Captain Cook cruises take you to parts of Australia that large cruise lines can't. North Star's True North takes only 36 passengers on adventure-style cruises on the Kimberley coast.

TRANS-ATLANTIC: The Titanic era of trans-Atlantic crossings may have gone, but cruise liners still make this classic voyage, particularly at the end of summer.

UV RAYS: Sunshine is one of the great attractions of cruising. Unless you set out to go somewhere cold, most cruises are designed to provide ample sun.

VOLCANIC: If it is dramatic landscape you love, a cruise to Iceland may be for you. The 'land of fire and ice' is opening itself to cruising and has all the geothermal spas, lava fields, fjordlands and spectacular waterfalls an amateur geologist could desire.

WORLD: The World is a floating block of luxury apartments, which ambles around the globe. Those with cash to splash can buy or rent an apartment.

X-PENSIVE: Cruises come at all prices, but the luxury end of the market has always been the preserve of the wealthy. Prices listed on the internet for cabins on the 2007 82-day around-the-world QM2/QE2 trip start at about $23,000.

YACHTING: Chartering a yacht in Queensland is becoming a popular holiday option. But it is close quarters, so choose your fellow sailors wisely.

ZODIAC: These nifty little boats allow passengers to get to shore excursions with minimum fuss. Most commonly found on expedition-style cruises.