Wimbledon’s upon us already, and the nation’s about to huddle around their TVs for the world’s oldest and most prestigious tennis tournament. Now we’re all for sunshine, strawberries and Cliff Richard spotting on England’s hallowed court. But there’s also a world of great destinations out there for tennis lovers – so today we’re looking at the ports which are home to the world’s big Grand Slam tournaments.

French Open, Paris

A luxury cruise to Paris offers a perfect mix of sightseeing and alternative experiences. Along with iconic landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Louvre, and some of the best cuisine in the world, you’re also close to the home of the French Open – just west of the Paris ring road and the green spaces surrounding the Muette.

The Stade Roland Garros hosts the world’s biggest clay-court tournament, which takes place over two weeks between May and June. Time your cruise-and-stay holiday just right and you could be taking your seat among the crowds in 2015. Just speak to one of our Cruise Concierge, who can tailor your holiday to include a hotel stay in Paris before or after your luxury cruise.

Australian Open, Melbourne

If you’re travelling a little earlier in the year, you could always escape the winter blues with a luxury cruise to Melbourne for the Australian Open. The Rod Laver Arena seats just under 15,000 people, right in the heart of Melbourne Park by the banks of the Yarra River. There’s also plenty of extra room in the Grand Slam Oval; the perfect place to enjoy the action with a cold beer in the sun.

The Australian Open takes place over January and February, and there’s plenty to enjoy besides the tournament too. Melbourne itself is a fantastic destination for art, culture and wildlife spotting, and tends to feature on luxury cruise itineraries touring New Zealand and Polynesia too.

US Open, New York

With its first origins in 1881, the US Open is one of the world’s most historic tennis tournaments. It began life in Newport, Rhode Island, where it was initially open only to members of the US National Lawn Tennis Association.

Thankfully the contest isn’t quite so exclusive these days. With its main court now at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, you could combine a hotel stay in the Big Apple with days spent watching the biggest names in tennis fight it out on the courts. We have a great choice of luxury cruises which include New York in their itineraries, so why not give us a call and let us tailor your August/September cruise to include a pre-sail hotel stay in the city?

Of course there’s no reason for you to miss out on a match if you’re sailing elsewhere. Why not visit the National Tennis Stadium on a cruise to Beijing, the IMPACT Arena in Bangkok or the Ken Rosewall Arena in Sydney?

We can add flights and a hotel stay to your voyage, wherever and whenever you’re sailing – so you can combine your luxury cruise holiday with a day or even a fortnight spent watching the action on the courts. Call 0808 202 6105 to find out more about our luxury cruise and stay holidays – and in the meantime, enjoy the action at Wimbledon!

Images courtesy of Jonathan Stonehouse, Photopin/Flickr; Sylvain Weber, Photopin/Wikimedia; Rexness, Photopin/Flickr; Edwin Martinez, Photopin/Flickr.