What are the best mini cruises? Such cruises generally range from two to six nights, though a couple of companies - Cruise & Maritime Voyages (0844 414 6185; cruiseandmaritime.com) and Thomson Cruises (0871 231 4691; thomson.co.uk/cruise) - even offer overnight "party" cruises, which sell for as little as £99. These tend to be one-way sailings between UK ports when ships are repositioned, with customers returned by coach to the departure port. However, traditional mini-cruises of two nights or longer are more common. Of those that depart from the UK, the choice of destinations is limited by time. Two-night voyages may sail from Southampton to one port, generally Zeebrugge (for Bruges) or Antwerp, while longer sailings bring in other destinations. Popular stops within reach on three-night voyages include France (St Malo, Honfleur and Le Havre); Belgium (Ostend); the Netherlands (Amsterdam); Germany (Rotterdam); Ireland (Dublin and Cork) and the Channel Islands. Four-night sailings take in the Shetland Isles (Lerwick); Norway (Bergen); France (La Rochelle and Brest); and Spain (La Coruña and Bilbao). P & O Cruises (0843 374 0111) probably offers the largest selection of short cruises from the UK with regular two-, three- and four-night departures from Southampton. Cunard Line (0843 374 2224) also offers Southampton departures with two-night sailings to Hamburg, plus four- and five-night voyages, while Cruise & Maritime features short sailings from UK ports such as Tilbury, Newcastle, Liverpool, Leith, Greenock, Hull and Bristol Avonmouth. Fred Olsen Cruise Lines (01473 746175) has mini-cruises from the likes of Southampton, Dover, Rosyth, Portsmouth, Harwich, Greenock and Liverpool. Other lines offering short sailings from the UK include Royal Caribbean International (0844 493 4005; royalcaribbean.co.uk), Hebridean Island Cruises (01756 704700; hebridean.co.uk) and Saga Cruises (0800 096 0079; travel.saga.co.uk). The ambience on such sailings tends to be more informal, with a fun feel reflected by celebratory groups marking special occasions or hen parties. The bars stay open later, the nightclubs (which on longer cruises can often be empty) come alive and special shows may be staged. Some cruise lines add a special theme to selected sailings to spark more interest and capitalise on local events. During the festive season there are Christmas market cruises and in winter there are sailings to see the Northern Lights. Mini-cruises aren't confined to Europe. Cruise companies, including Norwegian Cruise Line (0845 201 8900; ncl.co.uk), Carnival Cruise Line (0845 351 0556; carnivalcruise.co.uk) and Celebrity Cruises (0844 493 2043; celebritycruises.co.uk) offer short sailings from Florida to the Bahamas; while some sail from New York for five or six-night cruises to Bermuda. Proof that getting a taste of cruising need not be confined to British waters. Email your query to asktheexperts@telegraph.co.uk. About Sara Macefield Sara is an award-wnning cruise writer, and a travel journalist for more than 20 years.