Category — Cruise Destinations

By Adam Wolf, Senior Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web.

In the northern hemisphere, fall marks the transition between summer into winter, usually beginning in September and ending in November.  As a former teacher, I have always thought about fall in terms of either going back to school or work, as well as the beginning of football season.  It’s a great time of year to take a cruise vacation, and there are plenty of destinations to consider.  Popular fall itineraries include Canada and New England, the Mediterranean, the Caribbean, and repositioning voyages.

Leaf peeping in Canada and New England is an annual tradition.  Any area that is covered with trees comes alive in the fall, when cooler temperatures arrive and the leaves begin to change color before winter.  Mountains and valleys can look completely different during this time of year, with a potpourri of colors typically peaking in late September and early October.  Cruise lines offer many fall cruises ranging from 7- to 14-nights out of New York, Baltimore, Boston, Montreal, or Quebec City.  These itineraries sail along the Atlantic Coast of New England and Canada, as well as along the St. Lawrence River.   The best way to see the ultimate fall foliage and visit this region full of history and natural beauty is definitely on a cruise ship. [Read more →]

By Julie Atkins, Manager of Client Services & Group Administration

Taking a baby on vacation may seem more challenging than rewarding, and in my experience it’s a bit of both. I always joke when I get back from vacation with my daughter that I need another vacation on my own! When Erin was six months old we decided to take her on her first cruise.

I chose Holland America because they had the most suitable itinerary, sailing on the ms Eurodam. When choosing an itinerary with babies or young children, the Caribbean is a very good choice. We visited St Thomas, Tortola and Grand Turk which are best known for their soft sandy beaches. We went for 7 nights and traveled in the month of December.

Eastern Caribbean Beaches

When you arrive at the ports of call, the best source of information is of course the locals. So we always ask them where the quiet, family-friendly beaches are and we are never disappointed.

One of the ports of call is Half Moon Cay, Holland America’s private Island. They have an option to book a Cabana on the beach and I would highly recommend doing this. It allowed us to spend the entire day at the beach, it was air conditioned and stocked all day with soft drinks and fruit. They have comfortable cushioned lounges and exclusive waiter service. Priceless! [Read more →]

Warm weather and sunny skies can only mean one thing, it’s time to hit the beach! And with so much cruising experience, it’d just be downright selfish if we didn’t share our favorite beaches. Without further ado, our favorite beaches and beach experiences:

Adam Wolf
My favorite beach is Magens Bay located on the north shore on the Caribbean island of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.  Magens Bay beach is a state park…the beach is heart shaped and is approximately 1 mile long, featuring serene turquoise waters, beautiful white sand, and plenty of shaded areas under the trees…typically there are no waves or currents at the beach.  Lifeguards are on duty during the day and there is a bar, gift shop, and great bath facilities…don’t miss eating breakfast there at the snack bar.  National Geographic magazine called it one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world!

Gloria Hanson
I would have to say one of my favorite beaches is in Bonaire. I can’t swim and am not particularly fond of water activities because of this impediment, however, when we cruised to Bonaire and I saw how shallow the water was, it gave me a whole new outlook on water sports. [Read more →]

While the Olympics and cruising may seem completely opposite at first glance, a closer look reveals the two are quite similar.  Both the Olympics and cruising celebrate the world and its many people and cultures. The Olympics celebrate the world by bringing people across the globe together to showcase the skill of highly trained athletes. Cruising celebrates the world by taking a group of people and introducing them to different nations and cultures across the globe.

With this in mind, it is easy to see how the two completely different events share the commonality of celebrating the world.  And what’s more is that it is easy to combine the two into one incredible vacation!  While you may not actually cruise during an ongoing Olympics, you can visit many of the cities that hosted previous Olympics and even visit the birthplace of the Olympics themselves.

Mediterranean
The region from where the Olympics originated has continued the tradition that started in Athens so long ago.  Athens was host to not only the original Olympics but also to the 1896 and 2004 Summer Games. A discus’s throw across the Adriatic Sea and you come to Rome, which hosted the Summer Games of 1960. And last, but not least, across the Mediterranean Sea from the original Olympic site is the host city of the 1992 Summer Games, Barcelona, located on the eastern shore of Spain. You can hit one or all three of these previous Olympic sites during a Mediterranean cruise. [Read more →]

Collected from the experiences of The Cruise Web employees

Regardless of how many times you cruise Europe, you really never see it the same way twice. With so much history and culture and food to experience, each cruise offers a completely different experience, even if the itinerary is the same! But the true way to experience Europe is by finding those “off-the-beaten-path” places that enable you to experience the culture (and usually food) of the area without all the tourist traps. Below are just a few of these hidden gems that our cruise consultants (and their family members) have discovered during their European cruises. [Read more →]

by Heather W., Sales Manager

Two years ago I was fortunate enough to take the tour portion of a Europe Cruisetour offered by one of our preferred partners. Beyond the sights, sounds, smells and tastes I encountered, what struck me the most was how much value was incorporated in the tour portion of the Cruisetour.

For those of you not familiar with Cruisetours, a Cruisetour is a cruise plus a land tour of a specific region which occurs before or after a cruise. In Europe, most Cruisetours happen in the order of tour then cruise. Cruisetours are a great way to get a more in-depth vacation experience which, in Europe, means more history, more sights and more chances to eat incredible food! [Read more →]

Courtesy of Holland America Line

Holland America Line is offering exciting new World Cruise tours and Overland Adventure tours in some of the world’s most exotic locations: South America, Africa, India and the Far East.

Overland Adventures allow guests to extend their holiday or Grand World Voyage with an in-depth exploration of regions such as India, the Far East, Africa and South America. The adventures range from two- and three-day tours to eight-day explorations.

“More cruise guests are looking to fully immerse themselves in the culture they’ve flown thousands of miles to see,” said Richard D. Meadows, CTC, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs for Holland America Line. “By prearranging and offering these unique tours, we’re making it simple for our guests to take full advantage of their time.”

[Read more →]

By Rashell O’Neal, Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web.

Are you an active person? Are you fanatic about adventure? As most people know, when you cruise you can visit multiple destinations, countries, continents and cultures. But for the adventurous, or merely intrigued, you can also participate in many of the sports and physical activities that each destination offers. Below is a brief snapshot of some of the activities you can try when you are cruising. Hopefully this will motivate you to try something new… [Read more →]

By Brandon Biss, Senior Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web.

After reading one of The Cruise Web’s last postings, “Homeports:  Busting the Myth”, I rushed to my hometown to get my Philly cheese steak fix.  I walked into Jim’s on South St. and ordered the usual:  whiz without, with mushrooms and sweet peppers.  The steak was gigantic and I couldn’t help but think, “Man, sometimes bigger is just better.”  This is true of many things:  a big Terps basketball win over Duke, a big bone-in rib eye on the Emerald Princess, and the big brand-new Oasis of the Seas.        
 
While these things are wonderful to me, a BIG VALUE is something we can all appreciate.  This is why we all enjoy cruising!  One of the biggest values that many cruisers do not know about is the WORLD CRUISE. Almost every cruise line offers their own version of a world cruise.  World cruises sail between January and May for between 90-120 days.  These voyages visit the world’s most well-known sites and offer the convenience of an around-the-world voyage while only unpacking once!  [Read more →]

By Jennifer Crivelli, Cruise Consultant, The Cruise Web.

READY, GET SET, GO!  The race is on to see which cruise line can launch the biggest ship with the most attractions at sea.  It all began with White Star Line in 1912, who at the time decided to build the “Grandest” passenger ship at sea.  Ship building has come a long way in 97 years….

In the modern era of “BIG” ships, Royal Caribbean has led the way.  Each ship designed is bigger and better than the last, and traditionally, the largest ship in the industry.  Royal Caribbean was the first to offer rock-climbing walls on all of their ships.  In early 2005, Royal Caribbean took the “BIG” ship idea to the extreme, when they stretched the Enchantment of the Seas, adding a 70 foot section into the middle of the vessel. [Read more →]