Winter cruising: Northern Lights to France’s rivers

Winter sun: £1,799, Royal Caribbean

Includes return Emirates flights from Heathrow to Dubai on 13 December, plus a week in an inside cabin on Splendour of the Seas. The Arabian Gulf cruise leaves Dubai on 14 December, visiting Khasab in Oman, the Omani capital, Muscat, and Abu Dhabi before returning to Dubai. As normal for cruises, all meals are included but drinks are not (royalcaribbean.co.uk).

River: £1,245, Viking River Cruises

Includes BA flights from Heathrow to Paris, departing on 16 March, plus a week cruising the Seine aboard Viking Rinda in a standard cabin. The cruise calls at Vernon, Rouen, Les Andelys and Conflans. Shore excursions to Monet’s garden at Giverny and the Normandy beaches are included, as well as a cheese tasting and a visit to a market (vikingrivercruises.co.uk).

Northern Lights: £1, 099, Fred Olsen

Includes 13 nights aboard Balmoral departing from Southampton on 5 March 2016 and calling at Molde, Tromso, Alta, Bergen, Stavanger, Rorvik, Torghatten, and the Seven Sister mountain range in Norway, as well as crossing the Arctic Circle. The price is based on two people sharing an inside cabin (fredolsencruises.com).