Up Close And Personal Options For Cruise Haters

by Chris Owen on

Getting up close and personal with the best bucket list destinations around the world is something the typical cruise ship cannot do. Even if they get close, when thousands of passengers swarm a destination, the scene is probably not what they may have dreamed of. But a growing movement in the world of cruise vacations has travelers sailing destination-focused itineraries on smaller ships, purpose designed for the job.

In a sign of the times, this week Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) announced the launch of a CLIA Specialty Cruise Collection initiative to support and promote small ship, river, coastal, luxury, adventure and sailing ship member lines.

Specialty cruising is broken down into several unique ways of sailing:

  • Adventure cruising gets travelers off the ship and into a kayak to sail within feet of Alaska wildlife. Pet a whale? You bet.
  • River cruises ply the inland waterways of the world, just as they may have hundreds of years ago. History freaks dig this.
  • Coastal cruises go up and down the U.S. East and West coasts, stopping at places of historical significance – another win for history freaks.
  • Luxury cruises pamper the top tier of cruise travelers. Even the snobbiest of snobs feel at home. Better yet, new money is gaga over the choices, seen as the new cool.
  • Sailing ships are ships with actual sails that still operate and are showing increasing popularity. There’s something for everyone here, as history-rich sailings run routes like Chris Columbus did. With wind as the power that moves the ship, Adventure lovers are all over it. A good fit for the lux bunch, as they ain’t cheap.

If you hear the word “cruise” and think “gigantic ship full of large party people,” think again. If the idea of a week or more restricted to a cruise ship with thousands of odd strangers is a turn off, pay attention. Specialty cruises offer a unique opportunity for travelers to share the experience of interacting intimately with the world, its landscapes, cultures and people.



[Flickr photo by _setev]

Six Great Mediterranean Cruise Ship Ports

by Chris Owen on

Some of the best Mediterranean cruise ship ports appear on a variety of itineraries from several cruise lines. Traveling via cruise ship, vacationers are able to see six or more different ports on a seven- to 10-day sailing. That’s covering a lot of ground quickly and efficiently, making a Mediterranean cruise one of the most intense of all sailings.

As if a new, different and exciting port every day was not enough, shore excursions on a Mediterranean cruise run between four and 10 hours long. That makes for a long day, but one well worth it when visiting iconic bucket list destinations like Rome in Italy, Dubrovnik in Croatia or Marseilles in France. After a few days on board, destinations can seem to run together though, with no plan in place for getting the most out of time spent ashore.

Savvy travelers learn quickly to pace themselves. An interesting cruise ship-sponsored Mediterranean cruise shore excursion at every other port usually works well. Choosing the “on your own” version of an excursion seems to produce good results for many as opposed to being carted around from place to place with a tour group. At the ports where no excursion is planned, many travelers choose to simply walk off the ship and enjoy the day shopping, sight seeing or simply sitting at a sidewalk cafe, drinking in the local flavor.

Here are six of our favorite cruise ship ports of call when sailing the waters of the Mediterranean.

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[Photos by Chris Owen]

Three Island Destinations Rarely Visited By Cruise Ships

by Chris Owen on

Cruise ships love to call on island destinations. Those that live on those islands are glad to see them and their cash-spending passengers too. But for travelers who just happen to be on a land vacation at the time a cruise ship calls, this is bad news. Almost instantly, a quiet, serene island paradise can be overrun with thousands of cruise passengers trying to cram a whole lot of island into a little bit of time.

Still, there are some island destinations rarely visited by cruise ships that are host to some of the best beaches and island life in the world. Here are three of them to enjoy.

Tobago (pictured) is one of the two southern Caribbean islands that make up the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, northeast of the island of Trinidad and southeast of Grenada. Tobago is known for its Carnival, is the birthplace of the limbo and sees few cruise ships – mostly small ones.Tikehau is a coral atoll in the Palliser Islands group, part of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia, known for its pink sand beaches. To get there, a daily flight between Tahiti and the Tikehau airport delivers travelers to the island paradise. Cruise ships do not stop here.

Manihi is also a coral atoll in French Polynesia, popular with snorkelers for its beautiful and diverse marine fauna. Home to a number of pearl farms, Mahini is largely uninhabited and home to the Mahini Pearl Beach Resort.




[Flickr photo by nosuchsoul]

Overnight Stays In Port A Popular Cruise Option

by Chris Owen on

Cruise ship overnight stays in port are becoming more popular all the time. Breaking away from port-intensive itineraries, long-time cruise ship travelers appreciate the extra time at iconic destinations. Those new to cruise vacations like being able to explore strange, new worlds but have the convenience and security of that cruise ship waiting for them at the end of the day.

Azamara Club Cruises features voyages with overnight stays at events such as Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro, the Monaco Grand Prix and the British Open. The focus towards events brings what Azamara calls a “destination-immersive” travel experience.

“We continue to offer more late-night and overnight stays in ports than any cruise operator to offer guests the chance to savor a destination’s nightlife, oftentimes after the other cruise ships have departed,” said Larry Pimentel, president and CEO of Azamara Club Cruises in a Breaking Travel News report.

Azamara is not alone. Overnight stays are fairly common among luxury cruise lines. Dialing back the price a bit, mainstream cruise lines are getting into overnights as well.

Norwegian and Royal Caribbean sail to Bermuda, bringing multiple full days in port to explore the pink sand paradise. Carnival Cruise Lines and others do the same sort of thing in the Bahamas, overnighting in Nassau to allow late-night party time but no drive home.

But other ships, going to areas where they could easily sail to a different port each day and keep moving, are stopping to allow more time in dream destinations.

Disney Cruise Lines will sail Disney Wonder from Los Angeles round trip with an overnight in San Francisco. Costa Cruises has Costa Favolosa with an overnight stay at Dubai.

It’s all part of a focus on delivering what travelers want, a game cruise lines have had nailed for decades. Today, a maturing cruise industry is seeing a different kind of prospective passenger. Travelers now want more time in port, less touristy experiences and more destination immersion.

Cruise lines are setting up to deliver.



[Flickr photo by joiseyshowaa]

Fitness A Popular Travel Option Says Survey, Cruise Lines

by Chris Owen on

Fitness centers have been a standard amenity at hotels, resorts and on cruise ships for quite some time. Used or not, those facilities boast some of the latest equipment along with programs designed to maintain physical fitness on the road. Results of a new survey suggest a growing variety of reasons to work out while traveling, something cruise lines know all too well.

“Among those that exercise on vacation, 31% say their primary motivation is to maintain their fitness regimen,” says Travel Daily News reporting results of a TripAdvisor survey of 1,400 travelers. “A further 28% do so in order to avoid gaining weight, while the third most popular reason for exercising on holiday is to capitalize on having more free time to work out (14%).”

That’s no news to cruise lines that remain focused on adding healthy travel and fitness options. In an ongoing effort to move away from endless buffets where lifting a fork might be the only exercise their passengers engage in, things are changing. It’s those last two reasons, “avoiding weight gain” and “using free time,” that have cruise lines scrambling to add the latest features to ships.Carnival Breeze, the latest ship from Carnival Cruise Lines, features a SportSquare Sky Fitness Center with two ropes courses, a multi-purpose sports court for basketball, volleyball and soccer, a two-level mini-golf course, in addition to all the latest fitness equipment.

Passengers on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas can jog their morning mile against 360-degree ocean views from the ship’s Sport Deck running track. The line’s fleet-wide Vitality at Sea Spa and Fitness neighborhood supports a healthy lifestyle, combining the latest in aesthetic skin treatments, traditional spa services and workout programs. Last year, Royal Caribbean invited guests to participate in the line’s first “Royal 5K St Maarten run,” now an annual event.

Under construction now for a June 2013 debut, Princess Cruises latest ship, Royal Princess will have features that directly reflect an increased interest in fitness by cruise passengers.

“Many of our passengers are very active on vacation,” said Jan Swartz, executive vice president for Princess Cruises. “These new facilities will offer them state-of-the-art equipment and cutting-edge classes to keep up – or even step up – their fitness routines at sea.”

To make that happen, Princess Cruises is adding a private aerobics studio that will host a selection of fitness classes, including TRX Suspension Training, MyRide indoor cycling, a Body Sculpt Boot Camp and Chi Ball Yoga.

Like other lines, Princess is also adding a top-deck sports court called Princess Sports Central, offering a collection of court games, lawn activities (they will have grass growing there), basketball, tennis, volleyball, badminton and a batting cage. Golfers will find a driving range facility, and a simulated laser shooting range offers a new onboard activity.

“While most Americans will spend at least some of their vacation relaxing, many now balance their fun with fitness, as TripAdvisor’s survey shows that a significant number of travelers also prioritize personal health on their trips,” said Brooke Ferencsik, director of communications at TripAdvisor.

Responding to the call, fitness experts are focusing on short, easy workouts designed with the traveler in mind, with or without fitness facilities available like this TRX suspension trainer that fits in a suitcase and provides a total-body workout:




[Photo: Princess Cruises]