FORGET forking out hundreds for a European city break – you could hop on a cruise for a fraction of the price.
P&O has mini cruises for as little as £65pp, which includes two nights onboard and travel over to Amsterdam or Rotterdam.
Setting sail from Hull, the ship sails overnight to arrive in one of the cities.
You can hop off in the morning and catch the coach into the city centre for a full day exploring.
If you fancy Amsterdam, Assistant Travel Editor Sophie Swietochowski has shared her top tips.
She said: “Head to the ‘brown bars’, so named because of their dark, wooden interiors, for a local beer and some bitterballen.
“The artsy, bohemian neighbourhood of De Pijp is much loved by locals and not very well known among tourists but has quirky cafes and artisan shops.
“And the best views are found at the 100-metre-tall A’DAM Lookout with a 360-degree sky deck and giant rooftop swing.”
Prefer Rotterdam? The Sun’s Adam Sonin explains: “Head to the nearby, futuristic-looking Markthal, a giant food hall packed with vendors selling grub from around the world.
“Or there is The Depot, calling itself the ‘world’s first publicly accessible art storage facility,’ which is a collection of hundreds or artworks.”
Once back onboard, all the live entertainment is included on the ship before another overnight sailing, before arriving back in the UK the next morning.
Each of the P&O mini breaks include the return ferry travel as well as a private cabin.
You can pay extra for meal packages onboard or for coach transfers to and from the UK port.
But when you factor in the price of return flights and a hotel, you could easily spend hundreds more.
According to Skyscanner, the cheapest return flights to Amsterdam can be found for £64 – just £1 less than the cruise.
This doesn’t factor in the cost of a hotel, which are on average around £118 a night, according to Kayak.
You can also book P&O’s Mini Cruise Live for £129pp, which also has live performances onboard.
This includes Kimberly Wyatt, Tinchy Stryder, T’Pau and The Overtones.
Running from October 11 to December 12, there is even a unique Halloween sailing for £99pp.
Louisa Bell, Managing Director of Passenger, P&O Ferries said: “Mini Cruise Live is our way of making the travel experiences unforgettable and not just about great destinations – no airports, no hassle, just music, mates and a mini adventure at sea.”
Here are the Sun’s Head of Travel Lisa Minot’s top cruise tips.
And we’ve rounded up the best cruise deals you can still book for Christmas.