Sailin' Away!

As I was just in a short, Caribbean cruise on board Carnival Inspiration, the luxurious lethargy one usually feels while sailing lingers on months after. What is it about cruising that inveigles modern travelers to try it, at least once…then yearn for more!

While browsing through Travel + Leisure magazine that I got in JFK Airport while waiting for my flight, there are a lot of intriguing cruises on offer (of course for US passengers). Take for instance the discounted packages by Oceania Cruises with free airfare! From Hong Kong to Athens in 35 days with the following itinerary: Hong Kong, China/Hue/Da Nang/ Saigon, Vietnam – overnight/ Bangkok, Thailand – overnight/ Singapore/ Phuket, Thailand/ Cochin, India/ Mumbai, India – overnight/ Salalah, Oman/Aqaba, Jordan/ Luxor (Safaga), Egypt – overnight/ Suez Canal transit/ Jerusalem (Ashdod), Israel – overnight/ Haifa, Israel/ Athens (Piraeus), Greece. From US$5,999.00 with economy airfare and twin sharing cabin accommodation. (www.OceaniaCruises.com/TL or call 1-800-531-5640) As this is a cruise out of Hong Kong, perhaps one can inquire through one’s favorite travel agent for cost of package sans the US airfare inclusion.

Meanwhile, Arlene Solis Chua who used to be a Freeman photographer, caught me in Facebook and invited me to sail with her through Norwegian Cruise Line. She is now Tampa-based, where a number of Caribbean cruises start, and heads the photo studio on board one of the Norwegian cruises. I flew to Tampa (Florida) from Newark, New Jersey, to join my Carnival cruise from there.

An interesting bit of information is about much smaller ships for alternative cruises: Fiordland Navigator (realjourneys.co.nz) for a really short – two days – cruise to South Island’s Doubtful Sound (New Zealand) where one can indulge in kayaking and come up close to friendly bottlenose dolphins. US$410.00/per person double occupancy cabin accommodation. Coral Princess (coralprincess.com.au) has a 36-cabin ship exploring volcanic isles passage far north for 12 nights, and getting up close to humpback whales in Kaikoura. From US$8,555/pax double occupancy. Orion Expedition Cruises offer a two-week New Zealand & Sub-Antarctic Wildlife Adventure package to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the islands of Sub-Antarctica where the rare yellow-eyed penguins roam free in their native habitat and strange-looking tree daisies rise six feet high in the frozen horizon. (orionexpeditions.com, from US$9,735.00)

These small ship cruises can be downright pricey as staffing is kept at maximum efficiency and fuel costs are always at a premium. Of course, one can have all the comforts of a luxury hotel while in the middle of nowhere. Still value for money!

What is interesting in the T + L magazine issue is its release – for its 16th year – of its top destinations for 2010-2011. Here they are:

TOP CITIES OVERALL                                             TOP CITIES - ASIA

1. Bangkok (Thailand) 90.49               1. Bangkok (Thailand) 90.49

2. Florence (Italy)        89.92               2. Siem Reap (Cambodia)        87.90       

3. Rome      (Italy)                   88.45   3. Kyoto    (Japan)                   87.22

4. New York (USA)               88.40               4. Hong Kong (China)              86.18

5. Istanbul (Turkey)                 88.18               5. Tokyo    (Japan)                   84.75

6. Cape Town (South Africa)    88.06               6. Shanghai (China)                 84.29

7. Siem Reap (Cambodia)       87.90               7. Ho Chin Minh (Vietnam)       84.09

8. Sydney (Australia)                87.84               8. Beijing    (China)                   83.5

9. Barcelona (Spain)                 87.83               9. Hanoi    (Vietnam)                83.48

10. Paris     (France)                 87.78               10. Singapore                          83.44

Take note of the only two Asian cities in the international category – Bangkok and Siem Reap, the latter emerging from the ashes of its overdrawn past domestic conflict. In the Asian list, Ho Chin Minh and Hanoi are new destinations of choice, easing out what could be Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) or New Delhi and Mumbai (India).

Travel safely!