Cruise Time!

8/18/2020

By Lindsay Mauck

Cruises are definitely my favorite form of travel. (Shoutout to my High School Band Director Mr. Milbrand for taking the whole band on a cruise my sophomore and senior years - I was hooked!) Unpack once, visit several destinations, and have fun while the travel happens. And I LOVE getting first timers on a cruise. After years of talking about how great they are, I finally got my parents on a cruise (Disney Fantasy). My mom called me crying after getting to their room on embarkation day to tell me "How silly I must have thought she was for not ever going on a cruise. Everything is so wonderful!!" That was only on day one. At least 2 cruises a year later, and I'm proud to say she's hooked too.

Today I want to talk a little about the great variety of cruise options - there's some for every type of traveller - really! Then, stay tuned throughout this week, I'm going to highlight some amazing destinations you can visit by boat. I've personally sailed on 17 cruises and been to 51 ports of call all over the world. I can't wait to tell you about some of my favorites - and to visit more soon.

Ocean Cruises - Larger Ships

When most people think of cruising, this is what you think of! Popular cruise lines for US travelers include Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Carnival. The ships provide a huge variety of amenities and onboard activities. Many offer kids clubs/activities, broadway-quality entertainment, casinos, and even race-tracks and ice skating! If you're planning a multi-generational vacation, this is definitely the category to focus on. (Adults Only? Virgin Voyages launches this fall- and is an 18+ cruise line - I can't wait to check it out!)

Me and the Norwegian Gem

Disney Magic- Keflavik, Iceland

Explorer of the Seas - Labadee, Haiti

Ocean Cruises - Smaller/Boutique Ships

Geared towards the discerning traveler, smaller boutique ocean cruising is becoming more and more popular. These cruises are more destination focused, though still have some excellent onboard entertainment and amenity options (can you say jet skis that you board right on the ship?!).
Popular cruise lines in this category include Windstar, Seabourn, Silversea, and Viking Ocean Cruises. If you're looking for a small staff to passenger ratio, new and exciting ports of call, and to stay away from any crowds - this is the cruise for you!

Windstar- Wind Spirit

Seabourn Quest

River Cruises

Looking to explore Europe (Or India, China, Southeast Asia, The Amazon..... you get the idea) but don't want to pack up your suitcase every night, and spend hours on trains, busses, planes, or cars? Look no further than a spectacular river cruise! Traditionally viewed as trips for "older" passengers, river cruises have exploded in popularity, and are an excellent vacation for travelers of all ages- even families with children! Destination focused cruises give you all day to explore on land, then eat and sleep while you travel to the next port. Leading Cruise lines include Viking, AmaWaterways (and Adventures by Disney), Crystal Cruises, Tauck, Unicruise - and many more!