Top cruise booking tricks and cruise destinations in the Caribbean Sea with CruiseBooking: Adventure-loving couples should look no further than a cruise to Alaska. Journey with your loved one to the Last Frontier and discover its rugged terrain, exotic wildlife, and larger-than-life glaciers. One of the top cruises for couples is a seven-night itinerary to Hubbard Glacier. Departing from Vancouver, British Columbia, your cruise will sail through the Inside Passage, the route that takes ships into a maze of fjords, bays, and islands. During your day at sea, you’ll be able to spot an abundance of animals including orca whales, bald eagles, brown bears, and adorable puffins. Your first stop will be in Icy Strait Point, where plenty of heart-racing activities await. Board the world’s largest and highest zip line, which features a 1,300-foot vertical drop, or kayak on the sparkling waters of Port Frederick. Try your hand at freshwater stream fishing at Game Creek, or search for whales and sea lions aboard a high-speed open-air boat. The next day, your ship will visit Hubbard Glacier, one of Alaska’s most impressive natural wonders. Measuring seven miles long, 76 miles wide, and 30 stories high, Hubbard Glacier is the world’s longest tidewater glacier. Find more details at find a cruise.
For an unforgettable journey, carve out a few days in Cape Town, South Africa, then fly inland to Kasane, Botswana, where you’ll embark on the Zambezi Queen for a cruise along the Chobe River. This intimate, 28-passenger AmaWaterways ship features open views of the river and landscape through every window. Take a safari into Chobe National Park, which touts the largest population of wildlife in Africa. After admiring elephants, lions, zebra and gazelles, you’ll end your adventure at Victoria Falls. If a bigger ship is more your style, journey through six South African and Namibian ports over 12 days with Norwegian Cruise Line.
Sailing around the globe offers an epic way to explore the world in a single trip. On a roughly four-month journey with Viking Ocean Cruises, travelers can visit more than two dozen countries across six continents, with stops at around 50 ports of call. Plus, food, beverages, airfare, excursions and more are included. Some of the destination stops on this voyage include Sydney, Singapore, Rome, Barcelona and stops across the Caribbean and South America. Other lines also offer cruises around the world, including Silversea Cruises, Cunard Line, Crystal Cruises, Holland America Line, Regent Seven Seas Cruises and Princess Cruises. Just keep in mind: Cruises around the world do not come cheap. Prices can range from $15,000 to almost $200,000 per traveler, depending on the cruise line.
The Ionian Islands are a great choice for a yacht holiday – as the sailing time between islands is short. Sailing here is also well sheltered, with easy holding anchorages. This allows for more time to be enjoyed onshore. The Ionian Islands include the legendary Corfu and Paxos, among 5 other islands. Each destination here is loaded with its own unique charm and drawcards. Between the sheer natural beauty and the wonderful Greek towns – the Ionian Islands is always a favourite cruising ground in this country. Although the uncertainty around the COVID-19 pandemic is still palpable, you can book your Mediterranean yacht cruise in 2021 with confidence. This year, most of us feel that we need time to relax from day-to-day stress and recharge our batteries more than ever.
May is the time when the beautiful island of Ibiza starts to come to life once again. Usually, Ibiza should be now getting ready to inaugurate a busy summer season, with the opening of its famous clubs and discotheques and of a wide range of first class accommodations, ready to welcome most demanding guests travelling to the Island to enjoy Med’s ultimate destination for clubbers. If you like a little live music while you sunbathe and swim, head to Cala Benirras, one of the best party beaches on Ibiza. Every Sunday, local musicians set up on this cosy, friendly beach and play all day. A group of drummers are often found performing, which is worth bearing in mind if banging on tubs doesn’t quite fit your definition of music. Weather-beaten wooden shelters for fishing boats are scattered around the crescent-moon shaped beach and some cool chiringuitos can be found a little further inland. The Best Time for Mediterranean Yacht Cruises? Summer is the best time to visit the Mediterranean, and it is definitely the high travel season in this part of Europe. The millions of people from all around the world flock to the Mediterranean’s beaches during summer months for much-deserved summer break due to the region’s pleasant climate. The summers in the Mediterranean are sunny and hot, and the sea is warm. However, the best time for Mediterranean yacht cruises is late spring (May-June) or early fall (September-October) when the temperatures and the sea are pleasurably warm, days are sunny, and the crowds in popular destinations are far fewer than in summer.
Especially popular is the sea area between the northern coast of Sicily, Calabria and the Aeolian Islands. Sicily has an area of 25,426 km² and is the largest island belonging to Italy. It is separated from the Italian mainland by the Strait of Messina. In the north it is bordered by the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the east by the Ionian Sea and in the east and southwest by the Strait of Sicily. Sicily has a largely mountainous landscape, and is the home of Mount Etna – the tallest, largest and most active volcano in Europe. The north and east coasts are made up of high cliffs with numerous bays and sandy beaches. Going south the land is flatter and the beaches become longer. The coastline measures a total length of 1152 km. The capital city of Sicily is Palermo, which lies on a bay on the north coast. The city has many historic attractions, important church buildings, palaces, squares and museums. Other major cities are Catania, Messina and Syracuse.
This is a much more touristy option but the Balearics still make a beautiful European sailing destination, and you can avoid the crowds if you know-how. The cluster of Spanish islands include Ibiza, Mallorca, Menorca and Formentera; all major holiday spots known for their sun-drenched beaches and sparkling blue waters. Also include a few stops to the pretty, unspoilt towns of Deia in Mallorca and the secluded Ibizan bay of Cala Llentrisca.
From April to October, Sicily enjoys one long Mediterranean summer, which means low rainfall, northwesterly breezes, and temperatures hitting 30C (86F) in July and August. It rarely gets hotter at sea. Winds pick up in mid-summer to a regular 10 knots and frequently tail off each evening. Novice sailors should avoid the far windier Straits of Messina between Sicily and mainland Italy. Especially as there’s so much to see in northern Sicily and the Aeolian islands. Sicily has two equally busy airports. Aeroporto di Palermo Falcone e Borsellino is a 30-minute cab ride to Palermo’s marinas via the ritzy seaside resort of Mondello. Aeroporto di Catania–Fontanarossa sits under the shadow of Mount Etna in eastern Sicily, serving the northeastern marinas closest to the Aeolian islands. Find extra details on https://www.cruisebooking.com/.
One of our favourite things about a cruise is that you can visit multiple bucket-list destinations in one holiday and discover new treasures on your way. The best cruises let you explore places which are difficult to reach on foot, like some of Scotland’s most remote islands and Greece’s hidden coves. They also open up spectacular views you wouldn’t get on land, such as picturesque fairytale castles dotted along the Garonne, Dordogne, and Gironde Rivers or the whitewashed seaside towns of the Greek Cyclades. Choosing a cruise means seeking new adventures, perhaps travelling to a continent you’ve never set foot in before or trying new activities like hiking, wildlife spotting or cooking. There are also other ways to expand your horizons on a cruise, such as seeing some local entertainment or making new friends on board.
Take care when selecting dates and entering names of passengers. Since cruises run the same itineraries on repeat, it can be easy to select the wrong date and end up with a cruise that doesn’t work for your schedule or even departs in the wrong year! You should also be aware that passengers’ names must match their passport exactly when it’s time to board the ship, so when you type it in to make your cruise reservations online, check and then double-check. (This is especially important if you’re planning a honeymoon cruise and you anticipate changing your last name.)