The company is of course a family owned businesses. Perhaps this is why their offers are so family-friendly. The fact, for example, that all children under 18 years old travel free of charge is a major incentive for families to enjoy a holiday with a difference.

The seven-night cruise on board the company’s MSC Splendida is a good choice for first time cruisers and starts at £607 per person sharing a double cabin.

What makes MSC’s cruises even better value for money is that your ticket price includes all meals as well as entertainment, a gala dinner, the very popular captain’s cocktail party and even port charges for grown-ups.

The Splendida, as well as the company’s two other cruise ships on Christmas voyages at the same time, will be aptly decorated with Christmas trees and garlands to mark the festive season. On Christmas Eve a midnight mass will take place in the theatre on board the ship.

A spokesperson for MSC Cruises, Lynne Clark, said: “There will be competitions and trivia on Christmas origins and traditions as well as a Christmas bingo.”

She added that there will also be a Santa Claus for the children, as well as storytelling activities and craft-making. Ms. Clark continued to say that the fact that under 18s cruised free of charge when they share their parents’ cabin made the Christmas cruise an exceptional bargain and a great way to enjoy a Christmas holiday with a difference.

MSC Splendida will embark on its festive cruise on Christmas Eve. Leaving Genoa, it will dock at Marseille, Gibraltar, Casablanca and Barcelona.