If you are among the cautious thousands who have waited until now to book a summer holiday, there is a far better choice of last-minute cruises than the cruise lines – with their "book now to avoid disappointment" warnings – would have us believe.
On Google+
On Twitter
Top writers
Places
Politics
E-break Time
The hot weather’s sting in the tail: Jellyfish numbers boom after warm July
Tuesday 30 July 2013
Conservationists ask people to report sightings but warn beach-goers not to get too close to some species
Strike halts 700-witness trial of Costa Concordia captain Francesco Schettino
Tuesday 09 July 2013
He faces charges of multiple manslaughter, abandoning ship and causing shipwreck off Giglio island
Tour de France: Chris Froome's 10 steps to the summit – and a steep learning curve
Sunday 30 June 2013
Chris Froome has already proved he has solid Tour de France form this season, with major stage wins in the Tour of Oman, Critérium International, Tour de Romandie and Critérium du Dauphiné. Here are his 10 steps to Tour glory and Britain's second overall win in a row.
Chris Froome on the Tour de France: Free from 'pain in neck' after Bradley Wiggins' exit
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Sky's lead rider says he is in fantastic form for the Tour and happy pecking order debate is over
Theatre review: Time of My Life, Stephen Joseph Theatre, Scarborough
Wednesday 12 June 2013
When Alan Ayckbourn’s 45th play transferred to the West End in 1993, the critics were a little underwhelmed and disappointed. It had done well in Scarborough but for some reason it failed to excite the passions of the metropolitan taste police.
We, like, should really stop saying ‘like’
Friday 26 April 2013
WWNMS? ‘What Would Nancy Mitford Say,’ wonders Eleanor Doughty, quite properly
Perception was all at Leveson and it also matters in this legal eagle love story
Thursday 25 April 2013
No one is suggesting that Mr Sherborne and Ms Patry Hoskins behaved with anything other than propriety, but who is to know what happens when the wigs come off?
An Englishman's home is his chateau: Potential bargains for Brits as bottom falls out of French second home market
Tuesday 09 April 2013
A second home in the country is a luxury the French can no longer afford - cue an invasion of British bargain hunters?
Men: Fresh ways to start the day
Friday 29 March 2013
Symbolically, we all now know that blue isn’t just for boys, but when it comes to a spritz or splash, the hue represents clean, fresh masculinity better than any other – bringing to mind as it does the sea and the sky.
Cyprus rescued with €10bn bailout but savers will have to pay
Saturday 16 March 2013
Savers in Cypriot banks will be forced to hand over up to 10 per cent of their deposits to raise about €6bn
'A sting nearly killed me'
Tuesday 05 February 2013
When Callum Hall stepped on a sea urchin he thought little of it. But his life was about to change for ever
Cruise Report: Mini cruises give passengers a taste of life on board
Sunday 03 February 2013
Are you tempted by the idea of a cruise, but wary of committing too much of the holiday budget and your annual leave to something you might not enjoy? Booking a mini-cruise of two to four nights is a low-risk way of dipping a toe in the ocean of available cruise lines and ships.
B&B and Beyond: Bed & Breakfast del Corso, Naples
Sunday 27 January 2013
Simon Calder explores Italy's ultimate comfort-food city from a cheap, spacious base that's handy for the airport
-
1
Is the Muslim call to prayer really such a menace?
-
2
Channel 4 to 'provoke' viewers who associate Islam with terrorism with live call to prayer during Ramadan
-
3
US army doctor returns arm to Vietnamese soldier fifty years after he took it as a souvenir
-
4
Police seize possessions of rough sleepers in crackdown on homelessness
-
5
Demand for food banks has nothing to do with benefits squeeze, says Work minister Lord Freud
How will you make today delicious?
Tell us how you plan to make today delicious and you could win a £50 M&S gift card.
Win a three-night weekend break for two in Stockholm
Hesperus Press are offering the chance to win a three-night weekend away for two to Stockholm.
Summer food reader survey
Take our grocery shopping survey for your chance to win a £100 M&S store gift card.
See Norway’s spectacular coastline
There is no finer way to discover and explore the dramatic Norwegian coastline than aboard an authentic Hurtigruten cruise.
Where's Wallonia?
War and peace: history revisited in the cities of Southern Belgium - a travel guide in association with the Belgian Tourist Office.
Win first-class inter-rail passes
Win first-class rail passes to explore the sights and sounds of Europe with redspottedhanky.com.
Celebrate the joy of reading with NOOK®
You can buy a NOOK Simple Touch Glowlight at £69, or the NOOK HD 8GB Tablet for just £99 - until 3 September.
Enter the latest Independent competitions
Win anything from gadgets to five-star holidays on our competitions and offers page.
Business videos from commercial thought leaders
Watch the best in the business world give their insights into the world of business.
Independent Travel Shop See all offers »
Europe’s finest river cruises
Four nights from £669pp, seven nights from £999pp or 13 nights from £2,199pp Find out more
Four nights from £669pp, seven nights from £999pp or 13 nights from £2,199pp Find out more
