World Travel Guide: Cruise vacations - |
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A classic Mediterranean cruise visits major port cities located on the northern shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the countries of Spain, France, Italy, Monaco, Greece and Turkey and the islands of Malta, Crete and Sicily. Some cruises also include stops in Egypt. The Mediterranean cruise season is April to November when the weather is generally sunny and mild. Many cruise lines sail the Mediterranean and while there is most likely a cruise that appeals to any style and budget, we’ll focus on luxury cruises here.
Radisson Seven Seas is a luxury carrier in the small cruise line category. As such, a small number of passengers (only 198 to 700 based on individual ship capacity) are treated to personal service by a cruise line that has been selected by Conde Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure to be the “World’s Best Small Cruise Line”. Radisson Seven Seas appeals to the sophisticated traveler. Based upon service, quality dining, upscale accommodations, and service, Radisson Seven Seas has earned a six-star rating. The cruise line’s special accommodations include two 700 passenger all-balcony suites ships, Seven Seas Voyager and Seven Seas Mariner, and one 490 passenger all-suites ship, Seven Seas Navigator. The Radisson Diamond is another unique ship due to its twin hull design. The Radisson Diamond carries 350 guests in luxury.
The Seven Seas Voyager and the Radisson Diamond routinely cruise the Mediterranean Sea, departing from or terminating at ports such as Rome, Venice, Athens, Monte Carlo, Barcelona, and Istanbul normally for a 7-night cruise. These cruises stop at some of the most famous European cities that occur between the start and end points such as Florence, Italy; Marseilles, France; St. Tropez, France; Dubrovnik, Croatia; the island of Sicily; and others.
Crystal Cruises is another award-winning six-star cruise line. A reader’s poll by Travel + Leisure magazine named Crystal “World’s Best” in cruise line service. Conde Nast Traveler magazine has awarded Crystal “Best Large-Ship Cruise Line” while Travel + Leisure called Crystal the “World’s Best Large-Ship Cruise Line”, both titles being given for the past nine years. Crystal Cruises boasts “extraordinary cuisine” coupled with impeccable service.
Crystal offers a large number of 7- to 12-night Mediterranean cruises, many with romantic overtones. For example, the Renaissance Reflection cruise originates in Lisbon and stops in Barcelona, Cannes and Monte Carlo. The Italian Treasures cruise spends seven nights on the west coast of Italy. The Path of the Phoenicians is a twelve-night odyssey from Athens to Istanbul followed by stops at the historically famous Greek islands of Kusadasi, Rhodes, and Santorini before terminating at Venice.
The Yachts of Seabourn cruise line advertises that they provide “Ultra Luxury” by “delivering the highest levels of personalized service to an exclusive group of guests aboard intimate, elegant ships that could visit the most enticing destinations worldwide.” Seabourn sails three identical all-suite ships that cater to only 208 passengers each. Of course, dining and service is world-class.
Seabourn offers longer, leisurely cruises that can explore a small or unique area in-depth. For example, the 17-day Spring Time in Spain cruise originates in Lisbon, Portugal, and stops at six Spanish ports, plus ports in Monaco, France and the Balearic Islands. Many of the stops were selected due to the availability of golf courses. The 16-day Mediterranean Odyssey II begins at Istanbul; spends six days at Greek ports, four days at Italian ports along with several days at sea before terminating at Lisbon. The 7-day Capitals of Antiquity cruise begins at Cairo, Egypt; tours the historic Greek islands of Rhodes, Mykonos, and Kusadasi before terminating at Istanbul.
If luxury is your objective, there are a large number of out of the ordinary Mediterranean cruises to choose from beyond those discussed here.
| ©2005 Colin Hartness. All rights reserved. |
The Bahamas is arguably the most popular cruise destination for U.S. travelers, and is especially popular with first-time cruisers from the U.S. Only 75 km from mainland USA, the outer islands that make up the group can be reached within a matter of hours. This makes the Bahamas an excellent choice of location for a short Bahamas cruise break of two, three or four nights away from home.
Some 700 islands make up the archipelago of the Bahamas, of which only around 50 are inhabited. Cruise lines generally focus on just two Bahamian ports - Nassau and Freeport.
Nassau is Bahamas' capital, and is located on the
island of New Providence. It is
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Know first that canal and waterway cruising is not a holiday that will please everyone. If you like playing tennis and golf all day, if your idea of happiness is lying beside a pool looking at the young ladies in their miniature bikinis, if you must absolutely be able to enjoy a hectic night life every day of your holiday – then a canal cruising holiday is most certainly not for you.
On the other hand, if you don't mind gliding peacefully through some
of the most beautiful country in the world at a speed of around 7 km
an hour, seeing parts of the countryside that other
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Exploring Europe can be such a unique experience with a River Cruise. You just unpack once on this floating hotel and there you go cruising with river cruises over magnificent castles, significant towns and cities, appealing villages and lavish vineyards. It has become increasingly popular nowadays to sail through the grand rivers of Europe especially with the wide selection of vessels available. All the vessels are beautifully furnished, displaying attractive art objects with public areas reflecting the atmosphere around each region you cruise. It is the most pleasurable experience on river vessels as all offer personal service with the help
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Have you ever dreamed of a cruise? Intimate dinners with family or perhaps someone new? A close evening of dancing followed by a moonlight stroll around the deck, watching the full moon? Perhaps you dream of a huge family reunion as you go from port to port and re-establish closeness. Whatever your fantasy, it undoubtedly is peaceful, joyous, and loving.
The opportunities on a cruise are almost unlimited for
parties with old friends, or to seek out new friendships, or
having an extended vacation with family and friends. When
you book a cruise you open a door to a new way of life.
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It's not just the size and opulence of their sleek and stylish fleet that attracts passengers to Norwegian Cruise Line. Norwegian Cruise Line boasts the largest ratio of staff to passengers of any cruise company and this extra service shows from stem to stern. Every inch of every ship gleams and on any trip through the corridors you always meet friendly and courteous staff in perfectly appointed uniforms.
A particular cruise feature that Norwegian Cruise Lines introduced is free-style dining. Historically, shipboard dining has been a structured affair, with meals served at preset hours, usually with assigned seating in the dining
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