Longer Sailings for Less
A grand voyage of two weeks or longer may be
cheaper than you think
By Elizabeth Armstrong
Vacations To Go has linked back-to-back sailings to create longer journeys that it calls grand voyages. Each trip incorporates two or more cruising regions, such as Alaska and the Panama Canal, Asia and Australia, or the Eastern and Western Mediterranean. Many of the sailings are repositioning cruises, when a ship relocates from one region to another. Itineraries sweep across a diverse array of landscapes, cultures and sights. One week you can be dogsledding across snowy terrain in Juneau, AK, and the next week you might be diving among the fish in sun-washed Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
"We've created a whole new segment of longer sailings that offer an extended cruising experience, many with low per-diems," says Emerson Hankamer, president and chief operating officer of Vacations To Go. "They are ideal for our customers who want to explore interesting ports that aren't traditionally visited on a seven-day sailing."
Vacations To Go specializes in offering the best available discounts on cruises worldwide, often slashing prices by up to 75 percent. The company brings its bargain-pricing power to its custom back-to-back vacations. For example, an 18-day Holland America Line trip that pairs a trans-Atlantic crossing with a Mediterranean cruise is priced at just $1,279, a savings of 54 percent off the full fares (see details below).
Grand voyages are best suited to travelers with flexible schedules who can board a ship for weeks at a time. The unique itineraries appeal to port collectors and those who just love to cruise.
Below we profile 10 of Vacations To Go's grand journeys. They range from 14 to 46 days, and base cruise rates start as low as $71 per person, per day, for double occupancy in an inside cabin.
For some of us, it may be cheaper to cruise than to stay at home. Rates include your stateroom, three meals a day, midnight and between-meal snacks, nightly entertainment, a plethora of onboard activities and the attentions of a friendly crew that will pamper you the whole way.
The most common grand voyages explore a broad swath of the Caribbean. On Nov. 23, 2008, the Norwegian Jewel of Norwegian Cruise Line departs from Miami on a 14-day trip, starting with Grand Cayman and Cozumel, both renowned diving spots. Then comes Samana on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, where you can explore Taino Indian caves or kayak amid mangroves.
Before returning to Miami, the Jewel calls at islands in the Eastern and Southern Caribbean, including tiny Tortola, capped by verdant mountains that slope down to sugar-white beaches, and Barbados, which was settled by English colonists in the 1600s and retains some of its British heritage. Rates start at $1,149 per person ($82 per day) for an inside cabin, but an outside cabin with a view isn't much more, starting at $1,349.
Sail from the palm-studded shores of the Caribbean and Mexico to the glaciers of Alaska -- plus get an up-close look at the workings of the Panama Canal -- on a 28-day cruise aboard the Serenade of the Seas with Royal Caribbean International. It leaves San Juan, Puerto Rico, on April 18, 2009, calling at Cartagena, Colombia before making a full transit of the canal. Then it heads for three Mexican ports, including glittering Acapulco and lively Cabo San Lucas, a hot spot for sportfishing.
After stops in San Francisco and Seattle, the Serenade ventures through Alaska's Inside Passage, where guests can watch for breaching whales, sea lions and perhaps even bears ambling on shore. The cruise ends in Vancouver, British Columbia. Rates start at $2,598 per person ($93 per day) for an inside cabin.
Immerse yourself in the cultures of the Western and Eastern Mediterranean aboard the Costa Concordia of Costa Cruises as it sails round trip from Rome on an 18-day vacation departing Nov. 23, 2008. In Barcelona, stroll the broad pedestrian avenue known as La Rambla, where vendors sell books, birds and flowers. Olive, fig and almond groves cover the lovely Spanish island of Mallorca, while Tunis, Tunisia, lends an exotic touch to the itinerary.
After stops in Malta and Sicily, the ship heads to Greece. From Katakolon, it's a quick drive to Olympia, where ancient Greeks gathered for games. Most excursions in Athens stop at the Parthenon atop the Acropolis. The cosmopolitan Turkish port of Izmir has an attractive palm-lined seafront promenade, and many passengers opt for a shore excursion to the ruins of Ephesus while here.
Before returning to Rome, you'll spend a full day in Alexandria, Egypt, which is the gateway to Cairo and the pyramids in the Giza desert. Rates for this panoramic view of the Med start at $1,778 per person ($99 per day) for an inside cabin.
Some of the best deals in grand voyages are trans-Atlantic crossings, which can be combined with more port-intensive cruises in a particular region. For example, cross the sea from Fort Lauderdale, FL -- a leisurely seven-day voyage -- and then hop around the Mediterranean aboard the Oosterdam, a Holland America ship. Before entering the long stretch of at-sea days, you'll visit Half Moon Cay, the cruise line's private island in the Bahamas.
On the other side of the ocean, you'll have opportunities to explore the Portuguese island of Madeira, the high-rolling principality of Monaco and the fabulous Renaissance art and architecture of Florence, among other places. The 18-day trip begins on March 14, 2009, and starts at $1,279 per person ($71 per day) for an inside cabin, but we'd splurge on an ocean-view stateroom, which starts at $1,469.
Or, pair a trans-Atlantic voyage with a Northern Europe cruise. On April 25, 2009, the Carnival Liberty of Carnival Cruise Line sets out from Miami on a 26-day sailing. Upon arrival in Europe, you'll spend some time in Portugal and Spain before turning north and calling at one history-filled capital after another: Paris, London, Copenhagen, Berlin and Helsinki. Next is St. Petersburg, where the ship spends the night so that you'll get the most out of this fabled Russian city.
After calling at medieval Tallinn, the Estonian capital, and canal-laced Amsterdam, you'll pull into Dover, a port for London in southeastern England. Rates start at $2,048 per person ($79 per day) for an inside cabin.
Add some Caribbean sunshine to a trans-Atlantic cruise during a 19-day itinerary with the Summit from Celebrity Cruises. On April 11, 2009, it departs from San Juan for St. Maarten, the Dutch side of an island in the Netherlands Antilles (French St. Martin comprises the other half). Dominica offers great hikes to waterfalls, caves and rain forests. Other tropical ports include Bonaire, a world-class diving and snorkeling spot (it's also great for bird-watching) and Aruba, whose capital city, Oranjestad, blends Caribbean and Dutch influences.
After a five-day sailing across the Atlantic, the Summit lands at Tenerife in the Canary Islands, where the landscape comprises forests, deserts, beaches and mountains. After a stop in Morocco, you'll visit three Spanish ports, disembarking in Barcelona. Rates start at $1,648 per person ($87 per day) for an inside cabin.
One of the most intriguing cruises in our list combines Alaska and Asia on a 22-day itinerary. On Sept. 12, 2009, the Diamond Princess of Princess Cruises sets out from Vancouver for an Alaskan Inside Passage cruise. The ship then transits the Pacific Ocean, crossing the international date line. You'll make landfall at Sapporo, one of Japan's largest and youngest cities. Site of the 1972 Winter Olympics, it's famed for its annual snow festival.
Next is a foray into Russia for a stop in Vladivostok, a terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway. In Pusan, South Korea, you can visit Tongdosa, the country's largest temple complex, which dates to the seventh century. In Dalian, China, watch artisans craft intricate glass figures. The trip ends in Beijing, where top sights include the Forbidden City and immense Tiananmen Square. Rates start at $2,119 per person ($96 per day) for an inside cabin.
Combine Asia with an adventure Down Under on the Diamond Princess during a 20-day cruise that departs striking Sydney, Australia, on Feb. 22, 2009. Australian ports of call include Melbourne, where excursions visit the Royal Botanic Gardens and 19th-century mansions; Adelaide, near the wine country of the Barossa Valley; and the island of Tasmania, more than a third of which is protected as national parkland.
The ship then sails north to Singapore, a small yet dynamic Pacific Rim country with interesting ethnic neighborhoods, including Little India, the Arab Quarter and Old Chinatown. Next is Vung Tau, Vietnam, a beach destination that was popular among French colonists, who called it Cap St. Jacques. The cruise winds down with a visit to Sihanoukville, Cambodia's only beach resort town. From here, you can visit Ream National Park, home to rhesus monkeys, freshwater dolphins and mouse deer.
Passengers disembark in Bangkok. The Thai capital promises cosmopolitan flair, but it's also home to a vast number of Buddhist temples. Rates for the trip start at $2,299 per person ($115 per day) for an inside cabin.
Get a sweeping view of Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific during a 40-day cruise with Celebrity's Millennium. On March 29, 2009, it leaves Sydney for the Aussie destinations of Phillip Island, Melbourne and Tasmania. A few days later, the ship glides into spectacular Milford Sound on New Zealand's South Island, where icy-blue water reflects sharp peaks.
You'll spend the next nine days exploring New Zealand, including Dunedin, which boasts a Scottish heritage; Tauranga, a gateway to the hot springs of Rotorua; and Auckland, a melting pot of South Pacific, Asian and Maori cultures.
Next are the palm-fringed shores of Tahiti, Moorea and Bora Bora, where you can swim in crystalline waters, travel through pineapple fields and cruise tranquil lagoons. Then it's on to the tropical islands of the United States, with eight days of cruising amid Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island in Hawaii.
Guests leave the Millennium in British Columbia. Rates start at $5,077 per person ($127 per day) for an inside cabin.
Royal Caribbean's Mariner of the Seas embarks on the longest voyage in our profile of grand cruises. Clocking in at 46 days, the itinerary rambles through the Bahamas and Caribbean and then circles the entire coast of South America. The ship departs Port Canaveral, FL, on Jan. 4, 2009, stopping at CocoCay -- the line's private Bahamian island -- as well as St. Maarten, St. Kitts and Barbados.
After several sea days, the Mariner calls at Salvador, once a major center of Brazilian sugarcane production; the region's cuisine, art and music has been shaped by descendants of African slaves who once worked the plantations. Next, the ship lands at the sizzling beaches of Rio de Janeiro, where it stays overnight.
Continuing south, you'll spend a night in Buenos Aires, the Argentine city that gave birth to the tango, and then round Cape Horn at the continent's southernmost tip. Remote Ushuaia, Argentina, offers a wild terrain of glaciers and mountains -- get a close view of penguins and sea lions on a boat tour through Beagle Channel.
Two days of cruising the Strait of Magellan and the Chilean Fjords are followed by an overnight in Santiago, Chile, filled with museums, galleries and chic shops. Your last South American port is Lima -- don't miss picturesque Plaza Mayor, lined by fine colonial buildings.
The adventure ends in Los Angeles. Rates start at $4,697 per person ($102 per day) for an inside cabin.
Information: For details on these and many more grand voyages, visit Vacations To Go or call (800) 338-4962.
The information in this story was accurate at the time it was published in September/October 2008.
Please visit Vacations To Go or call (800) 338-4962 for current rates and details.