Tour and Travel

Posts Tagged ‘Cruises’

Mediterranean cruises visit ports from Barcelona to Rome and beyond and generally last anywhere from 7 to 14 days. For many, its the cruise of a lifetime. The sights, the sounds, the atmosphere and cuisine are all among the best in the world. Some of these cruises set sail for the Western Mediterranean, some head to the Eastern Mediterranean and many of the longer Mediterranean cruises visit both areas. So, lets take a look at the destinations, attractions and dining options that make the Mediterranean such an amazing cruise destination.

Destinations: Europe may be small in size but the history of this area is a long and storied tale. A Cruise on the Mediterranean Sea from Cyprus in the east to the Strait of Gibraltar in the west and all points in between offers a fantastic array of visuals. As you pass one of the 13 countries that border this large body of water, youll be thrust into the cultures and experiences of which youve been dreaming. Both large and smaller cruise ships visit ports in Barcelona, Rome, Athens, Istanbul, Livorno/Pisa, Monte Carlo, the Greek Isles, Venice, Sicily and other areas along this gorgeous route. Popular shore excursions often involve visits to famed cities like Naples, Alexandria, Malta and Port Said. Interested in seeing, first-hand, the pyramids in Egypt? Want to tour the Catacombs of Rome? On a Mediterranean cruise, the options are endless.

Attractions: Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, Spain, is one of the most popular attractions for those interested in a Mediterranean experience. Visit La Sagrada Familia (Home of the Poor) the famed church designed by Antonio Gaudi, wander the narrow streets in the Bario Gotico (Gothic Quarter) or take a walk along the Calle Reina Christina, following in the footsteps of Pablo Picasso. In Athens, you can visit the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, a stone theater built in 161 AD. A tour through the Ottoman buildings in Istanbul and a peek at the skyline dominated by Imperial Mosques will remind you that Turkeys architecture is among the finest in the world. While in Pisa, after visiting the famous leaning tower, visit Knights Square, one of the most important landmarks in Italy. Other favorites include the Salle Garnier opera house in Monte Carlo, the waterways of Venice and the Valle de Temple in Sicily, Italy.

Dining Options: Mediterranean cuisines are as varied as the cultures along the Mediterranean Sea. In Spain, tapas plates feature small, yet mouthwatering versions of both new and traditional Spanish dishes. But in Italy, the cuisine is markedly different, with pasta and other regional specialties taking top billing. Fans of Greek food will love the gyro, pork and oven-baked lamb dishes that dominate the dining landscape in Greece. One bite of an adana kebap on flat bread will win over any doubters in the deliciousness of Turkish cuisine. With all of these options, it may be hard to choose the perfect dinner spot while at port but be sure to experiment a bit and enjoy the variety of different tastes and spices of the Mediterranean.

As you can tell, there are plenty of things to see, do and eat during a Mediterranean cruise vacation. Regardless of your choices, youre bound to have an incredible time as you cruise through some of the most historic ports in the world.

If you don’t want a cruise as all encompassing as a full northern European cruise but not limited to just the fjords of Norway, Scandinavian cruises might be just what you are looking for.

The Scandinavian countries are Norway, Denmark, Sweden, and Finland and a cruise to this region will let you see just how the sea has formed the landscape of these countries. These countries are a natural for cruising. Not only can you see their beautiful coastlines including the fjords, but you can also experience some of the most amazing cities in northern Europe.

The Scandinavian cruise season runs from May to August and cruises are available from most European countries that have ocean access as well as from North America.

You won’t find many cruises to Scandinavia in the winter months because of the freezing temperatures. However, there are a few available for the hardy and the most popular of these is a cruise to see the Northern Lights and celebrate the winter solstice. On one of these cruises you can enjoy solstice festivals in small towns that are located near the Arctic Circle.

Naturally, the cruises in the summer season are more popular. Many people who want to see Scandinaviachoose a cruise over a land-based holiday to save the expense of hotels and dining out. Scandinavian cruises are good value and with the right deal can be more affordable than moving from hotel to hotel and eating each meal in local restaurants.

Some of the more popular itineraries for Scandinavian cruisesand the cruise lines that offer them are:

· Cruise and Maritime Voyages offer cruises from Tilbury London that cover other northern European stops as well as the Scandinavian countries.

· Norwegian Coastal Voyage cruises concentrate on cruises around Norway that include smaller ferry trip excursions around the small islands of Norway.

· P&O offer cruises that cover Northern Europe, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and the fjords of Norway.

If you are looking for a cruise that sticks strictly to a Scandinavian itinerary, Holland America offers several. Some are cruises to Amsterdam and Rotterdam that have ports of call in several Norway towns, and in Stockholm, Sweden and Helsinki, Finland.

· Stockholm – The capital of Sweden is a city made up of 14 islands. It has a 700-year history and some of its attractions include the historic old town called Gamla Stan and the Royal Palace on the waterfront. It also boasts the world’s oldest completely preserved ship, the Vasa, that was built in the 17th century as a warship.

· Helsinki – A shore excursion into Finland’s capital features a guided tour of the city where you will see the Temppeliaukio Church. This amazing church was carved and blasted from granite and then topped off with a copper dome. It is one of the world’s most unusual pieces of architectures.

Cruises have the three main categories . Those are mainstream cruises, luxury cruises and adventure cruises. If you are planning to go for a cruise, you need to consider the purpose of your cruise, determine the type of cruise you are looking for and choose the one most suitable for you.

Mainstream cruises are the most popular of all. They offer ice-skating rings, rock-climbing walls, art collections, water parks, spas, restaurants, swimming pools, gyms, etc. They have plenty of activities onboard throughout the day and night. They can be further subdivided into three types: family cruises, party cruises and romantic cruises. Some cruise lines offer specialised family cruises. They have activities planned for all age groups to cater to the needs of all members of the family. Most people booked this kind of cruises during summers, public holidays and school holidays.

Party cruises usually last about three to four nights long. In this kind of cruises, passengers usually enjoy the pool band during the day, and spent the night dancing and lounging by the pool. Cruise lines offering romantic cruises have programmes onboard to help create a romantic mood for couples. The types of cruises being promoted by these cruise lines include honeymoon cruise, onboard wedding, wedding anniversary cruise, etc.

Luxury cruises are usually served by smaller ships. Most of the luxury lines provide superb quality services similar to that of a five-star hotel. They specialised in providing excellent service, fabulous décor, grand accommodations, fine cuisine and exclusive settings. The activities and entertainment offered are more dignified than those in the mainstream cruises.

There are small cruise ships which aimed to provide learning and knowledge about interesting subjects and places.

These are educational or adventure types which usually take no more than 200 passengers to places of interest. The purpose of the voyage is to bring the passengers to the destination and educate them about the place. Onboard educational talks may be included as part of the itinerary. The activities include guided nature walks, lectures, kayaking and walking tours to historical places. Most of these ships sail along the coasts or rivers and there is plenty of nature near the port. Although the ships are smaller, the cost is not necessarily cheaper. In fact, some can be quite costly. Some cruise lines even hold onboard lectures by experts to teach on some specific topics. In some adventure cruises, the ships simply bring you to an exotic place and you can spend your time exploring the place all by yourself.

From the above, you can see that there are various kinds of cruises available. Before you select a cruise line and the cruise you want to book, you need to determine the kind of cruise you are looking for. There are many cruise lines offering various cruises to different destinations. You certainly have a wide range of choices to choose from. For more information, visit Cruise Vacation website now!

What makes Caribbean Cruises popular even in these days of a down economy? Caribbean cruises never seem to run out of patrons because once a person experiences a Caribbean travel by sea, he or she will more than likely come back for more. Aside from that, there are many cheap Caribbean cruises offered and those who seemed to have had a nice experience out of them have all the reasons to keep coming back for more.

Cruise companies actually have a fleet of cruise liners and each liner is called by different interesting names. Most often, the name of the cruise liner matches the type and nature of the cruise destination. Caribbean cruises are no exception and there is a wide range of holiday travels to choose from.

You can select a Caribbean cruise according to the type of cruise liner based on on-board amenities it has to offer. In some instances, interested cruise travelers base their preferences on the cruise itinerary, since this includes the places to be visited. Some others choose their cruise package according to the dates available.

You can even modify your itinerary if you want to, and the cruise ship expert can help you in that area. Certain arrangements will be made for you to transfer to another cruise liner at a specific port of call so you can proceed to your preferred destination. Naturally of course, these types of Caribbean cruises are more expensive.

Now let’s take a look at what each of these Caribbean cruises have to offer:

Eastern Caribbean Cruises

It is said that almost every cruise liner has an Eastern Caribbean cruise. In fact the Caribbean and its many picturesque islands are the most sought after destinations when it comes to cruise travels. An Easter Caribbean cruise visits Nassau, Bahamas, The US Virgin Islands which includes St. Thomas, St John, Tortola and Virgin Gorda. Other ports of call are San Juan, Puerto Rico and St. Maarten. If the cruise line has its own private island, this can also be part of the itinerary.

Eastern Caribbean cruises are popular for having affordable prices and can be taken all year around. However, during winter months, cruise travels may take ten to twelve nights. If you plan to have an Eastern Caribbean cruise vacation, you can check out the ports nearest you at Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral. In some seasons, your cruise liner of your choice can be docked at New York ports. In case you’re nearer to New York, you could probably look for the Caribbean cruise that departs at the New York port.

Southern Caribbean Cruises

Southern Caribbean cruises are basically island-hopping experiences and is said to be the most port intensive of all cruises and is often at a fast pace. They share other ports of call visited by Eastern Caribbean cruises like St. Thomas, St. Maarten for its duty-free shopping and historical sites.

An added feature in Southern Caribbean cruises are visits to some islands with breathtaking views and natural beauty like Dominica where travelers can take a swim underneath magnificent waterfalls. Be at a black sand beach next to a volcano in the isle of St. Martinique or explore the caves filled with limestone in Barbados. Other equally picturesque islands visited are Antigua, St. Lucia, Aruba, Curacao, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts, St. Barts, Caracas and Isla Margaritas.

Unfortunately, Southern Caribbean cruises are offered only on a seasonal basis for smaller cruise liner operators. They embark on 7-night Southern Caribbean itineraries during peak winter months only when a lot of those coming from the colder regions are escaping the cold winter months. However, major cruise ships like Royal Caribbean International and Carnival Cruise Lines offer 7-night Southern Caribbean tours the whole year round. The longer Southern Caribbean cruises ordinarily sail at Miami or Fort Lauderdale while some can be boarded at San Juan, Puerto Rico and Barbados.

Western Caribbean Cruises

Western Caribbean cruises are almost resort-on-board types of cruise hence the time spent at sea and in ports are almost even.  State of the art amenities can be found in cruise liners all for recreation and entertainment while the most exotic of Caribbean places are the itineraries. The Grand Cayman coral reefs, and the ruins of the ancient Mayan temples in Mexico and the seaside of Tulum are only a few of the places visited. Others are Jamaica, Key West, Cozumel, Cancun, Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, Roatan and Labadee.

Western Caribbean Cruises are said to be the most affordable, and are offered all year round. Winter cruises can take as long as 8, 10, and 11 up to 14 night itineraries. You can find cruise ships departing in Florida ports while some are found in most ports along the Gulf Coast.

Visit websites that offer cheap Caribbean cruises and you’ll find more hot deals and discount offers for these different Caribbean cruises.

There are several ways to find cheap cruises aside from checking out all travel websites and their different offers. Although comparing prices is the initial step it would be best if you compared the following discount deals in order to get the best cheap cruises available:

Below are some of the ways you can get cheap cruises through the promotional offers commonly offered by cruise travel liners:

1. Cheap Cruises for Two for the Price of One

For a limited period of time and for a limited number of berths, you can get cheap cruises by booking two cruise ships from a selection of scheduled cruises just for the price of one. Destinations such as Alaska and Europe are now being offered for the price of one up to April 30, 2010. The passenger is guaranteed of price protection, which means his booked tour will not be affected by any future changes. The stateroom of their choice will be locked-in once they book to make sure they get what they booked for.

2. Cheap Cruises at Fifty Percent Off on Second Passenger

Cheap Cruises are being offered by cruise liners by offering the second passenger a 50% slash down on the price of the cruise. So if you’re a pair of honeymooning couple or just a pair of couple looking for a vacation getaway, look for cheap cruises offered  as “2nd passenger 50% off” before the ship sets sail on the departure date. Book early so you can get a good rate for the first passenger.

3. Back to Back Cruise Discounts

If you are a passenger of a one-way trip cruise ship and you’ll be going back to your point of origin by boarding the same ship, get a considerable amount of discount for the second sailing. There will be cases that you will be staying at your point of destination for more than a week or a month or even of longer, which will allow you cheap cruises by boarding the same ship when you get home to your point of origin.

This way you can enjoy visiting your relatives and friend especially if you’re in no hurry to get back home at the same time save enjoy another trip by ocean fare. Most of these cheap cruises are offered for Florida Ports and for Caribbean cruises. Some cruise ships also include their Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Canada and Hawaii cruise destinations.

Check out the website’s cruise calendar so you will know which sea vessels are offering these cheap cruises by looking up their travel date and alternative cruise travels. Once satisfied, find booking specialist to help you book the two travels at the best discounts and rewards possible.

4. Early Booking Discounts

To get some good deals on cheap cruises all you need to do is to book as early as 6 months in advance for a great deal of savings. Check the Cruise Travel Calendars and find out which cruise travels are entitled to early booking deals. Some cheap cruises are given price-offs for as much as 0 per package.

5. Last Minute Booking Deals

Cruise ships that are about to sail in three week’s time put up their remaining berths at “Late Booking Deals” which you can avail even up to the last three hours before departure.

6. Kids Sail Free

These cheap cruises are often offered for off- season sailings but up to two kids can sail with their parents for free. Destinations are usually for Caribbean and Bahamas cruises by cruise liners like Costa Cruises and Disney Cruise Lines. The Regent Seven Seas Cruises allow two kids 17 and below to stay in their parents cabin without paying extra for cruises to Alaska, Mediterranean and Northern Europe cruises.

7. Group Discounts

Be a group leader by organizing cruise travels for groups. The more groups you can book for at least 5 staterooms for each group, the more discounts and amenities you will be entitled to. In fact you will earn a free cruise yourself. So the more groups you can book to set sail for a cruise, the more number of free cruises you will earn then you can also bring your family along.

In cheap cruises offered to group travelers, if one of the groups will book 8 cabins, the group will be entitled to one berth or bed free. This will allow adding another member who’ll pay for fares and meals only. Double the number of cabins booked to 16 and you’ll get another free bed or berth and if you can arrange it right you can use this to accommodate a member of another group in case no one else needs it.

Gather up your friends as one group, your family as another group, or some club or association you belong to as another, each cabin is for double occupancy. You can convince everyone to board a cruise for the same destination, so you can also consolidate your number of free cruises. Coordinate with a booking specialist to get the best deals for your customers and for yourself as well, because there are other amenities offered.

There are other ways to get cheap cruises, by taking advantage of the promotional offers for great discounts. Check them out by visiting cruise travel websites and compare the best deals and the best cruise ships.