About us

Hays Cruise is a division of Hays Travel, the UK's largest independent travel agent. Our independence means we're perfectly placed to give you expert, impartial advice on cruise holidays - and find you great deals too. Our strong relationships with cruise lines means we are able to bring you excellent special offers, many of which are exclusive to us. 

Since we were established in 1980, we have watched cruises grow and change into the exciting holidays that they are today. With family-friendly ships, flexible dining and magnificent super-liners, cruises are now a wonderful, great value way to holiday. Our dedicated cruise specialists are real experts in their field, having travelled on many ships and itineraries themselves. They're passionate about cruise holidays and more than happy to share their wealth of knowledge and love for cruising with you. So, whether you're looking for the best way to spend your time in a port, or the most relaxing spa treatment on a ship, you only need ask.

We offer cruises from the world's leading cruise lines. Each line has a unique personality and characteristics and there really is one to suit everyone. We know the best companies to cruise with if you've got children, the best if you're looking for an informal getaway and the best if you like things traditional and grand. Our huge range of cruises covers every kind of cruise holiday you can imagine, from short taster breaks to unforgettable, round-the-world adventures. We offer fly cruises beginning at ports around the world, as well as no-fly cruises that let you sail straight out of ports like Newcastle and Southampton in the UK. 

There are so many different kinds of cruise holidays available, from adults-only sailings to specialist foodie cruises. One of the most popular ways to sail in recent years is on an all inclusive cruise, where your drinks bill is settled before you've even left home. Look out for our special deals on all inclusive drinks packages, available on selected cruises. With Hays Cruise, you'll find fantastic deals on sailings to classic sunshine destinations like the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, as well as those to stunning, scenic places like Alaska and the Norwegian Fjords. Some of the most up-and-coming ports on the cruise scene are in the warm waters of the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. 

If you can't decide between a cruise and a holiday on dry land, our tailor-made cruise and stay holidays give you the best of both worlds. There are endless options to choose from, but some of our recommended combinations include a transatlantic crossing coupled with a stay in New York, a Barcelona city break followed by a Mediterranean sailing, or a luxurious holiday to Dubai followed by a cruise on the Arabian Gulf. You'll find plenty of cruise and stay ideas here on our website, but we're happy to arrange your dream combination, especially for you. We've included as much of our cruise expertise and as many of our special offers as we can on this website, but we know sometimes you'd prefer to speak to someone to find out more.

Check out our Hays Travel Media Centre – your go-to hub for the latest news, press releases, and a range of valuable media resources. For press enquiries, contact our Communications team at pressoffice@hays-travel.co.uk.

To talk about cruises with our dedicated experts, just call 0800 408 4229.

How Hays Travel began is legendary

In 1980, from the back of his mum’s babywear shop in Seaham, County Durham, John Hays began selling holidays from a laminated dressing table.

From this humble beginning Hays Travel expanded steadily with shops opening up across the north-east. In 1990 the first Hays Travel call centre opened, and in 1995 the Hays Travel Independence Group was formed. Consortium members retain their own independence and branding, but benefit from Hays Travel’s buying power, technology, and back-office support. In 1997, the company diversified into homeworking, and today has seven different options to suit those who prefer more flexibility in their lives.

In 2013 our retail estate expanded hugely with the acquisition of southern England’s largest independent travel agency, Bath Travel. Founded in 1924 and based in Bournemouth, Bath Travel had over 60 branches and 330 employees who joined the Hays Travel family. The acquisition represented a substantial growth in the company’s retail network, with the new Hays Travel branches covering Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Somerset, and Sussex.

A year later, in 2014, Hays Travel took on its first franchise in the north-west of England, a 14-branch travel agency formerly known as Just Go. Rapid expansion meant that Hays Travel now had almost 49 stores across three different franchises.
 
Humble beginnings to high-street heroes

In 2019, John and Irene Hays became ‘Heroes of the high street’ when Hays Travel acquired a lease to operate the former Thomas Cook shops, providing re-employment opportunities to 2,500 staff who were made redundant following the collapse. Another year later in 2020, Hays Travel took over all 20 Tailor Made Travel shops as well as retaining around 100 employees.

The period from 2021 to 2022 was the most challenging in Hays Travel’s history, when it lost its beloved founder John Hays and weathered a global pandemic.

January 2023 saw the biggest trading day in Hays Travel’s history, when customers well and truly returned to travel. The positive start to the turn of year continued and Hays Travel returned to strategic acquisition, first acquiring 45 of franchisee Just Go branches in the North West of England in September, closely followed by a further 16 shops in South Wales when it acquired Travel House.
 
In 2024 the group acquired three branches from Holidays With Us and 19 branches from Miles Morgan Travel

In addition to these acquisitions Hays Travel also opened new branches in Northern Ireland, Leeds Briggate area, and Gainsborough, and refurbished and relocated others as part of its retail and sustainability strategy.
 
Hays Travel’s commitment to young people

Hays Travel is committed to ‘growing its own’ and has received many awards for its apprenticeship scheme, which attracts thousands of applicants every year to work in branches across the UK and in each department in its Sunderland Head Office. In 2024 we appointed 631 apprentices to the scheme.
Apprentices study while earning a salary, gaining valuable on-the-job experience, and achieving a nationally recognised certificate, Hays Travel’s programme retained its good rating following an Ofsted inspection in 2023, with an ‘outstanding’ rating for outcomes for young people.

Today, Hays Travel has huge buying power and invests heavily in state-of-the-art technology. The company has an award-winning in-house training programme, won Large High Street Agency at the Agent Achievement Awards 2023, and is eleventh in the Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers list for 2023. Fully ABTA, ATOL and IATA bonded, it offers customers complete financial security, and its independent status means staff can provide impartial advice and an extensive range of travel opportunities.