The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 7 letter word CRUISES
I've seen this crossword clue in The Daily Telegraph
C
R
U
I
S
E
S
More clues leading to the result CRUISES
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "holidays at sea" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case holidays at sea = cruises.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does CRUISES mean?
CRUISES noun- A sea or lake voyage, especially one taken for pleasure.
- Portion of aircraft travel at a constant airspeed and altitude between ascent and descent phases.
- A period spent in the Marine Corps.
- To sail about, especially for pleasure.
- To travel at constant speed for maximum operating efficiency.
- To move about an area leisurely in the hope of discovering something, or looking for custom.
- To inspect (forest land) for the purpose of estimating the quantity of lumber it will yield.
- To actively seek a romantic partner or casual sexual partner by moving about a particular area; to troll.
- (child development) To walk while holding on to an object (stage in development of ambulation, typically occurring at 10 months).
- To win easily and convincingly.