ALERT: Summer is almost here!
Don't miss it because cable news magnifies disasters to fill a 24 hour news cycle.
Get out of your easy chair and step away from the TV.
Travel is important.
Here are 5 Great Summer Cruises embarking not too far from your easy chair.
1. Canada/New England
Yes, you can cruise through New England for the colorful changing of the leaves in the fall, but this historic region is a beautiful summer destination, too.
Holland America features a fantastic 14-night voyage roundtrip from Boston.
Don't forget to set aside time to explore historic Boston before or after your trip, including the Freedom Trail and Sam Adams Brewery. What an amazing way to explore the region where our founding fathers crafted our nation.
If you don't have that much vacation time available, you can cruise half of that epic journey, one way between Boston and Montreal, book-ended by two of the best cities I've ever visited.
2. Mexico
For people on the West Coast, the Mexican Riviera always comes to mind.
The good times and warm water of Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan are alwasy tempting.
The East Coast of Mexico borders the turquoise Caribbean Sea, and so itineraries calling on those ports are generally considered Caribbean cruises, even if some call exclusively on Mexican ports, as four and five night cruises often do.
Like many country songs attest, there's a lot of fun waiting on some beach somewhere in Mexico.
3. Caribbean
When you think cruising, you probably initially think of the Caribbean, so it goes without saying that this is a another choice.
While Florida remains the base for most cruises, you can also cruise from ports that may be closer to your home like Galveston, New Orleans, Charleston and New York City.
A few cruises from the Northeast take you down to Port Canaveral and the Bahamas, while others go to Bermuda, which isn't technically in the Caribbean but offers a similar tropical vacation experience.
If you've never been on a Caribbean cruise, it's time to find out what's so great about this area where modern destination cruising began only fifty years ago.
4. Alaska
Everyone seems to have Alaska on either their bucket lists or lists of places they want to return to spend more time.
There's a lot to see in this gorgeous state that's two and a half times the size of Texas and has a coastline long enough, including its islands, to stretch from California to Florida.
For this summer, demand has been quite strong, but there's still space available for Inside Passage, North or South Bound Cruises and select cruise tours.
It's getting tough to find quad space or adjoining rooms for families on many popular voyages, so if you want to escape the hot, sticky city this summer to explore the vast natural wonders of Alaska, where mid-summer temperatures regularly top out in the high sixties or low seventies, don't procrastinate.
Don't forget the often lower prices of early season cruises in May and early June, before schools let out, or the brief but spectacular changing of the leaves in late August and early September.
5. Hawaii
Long ago, Julie asked, "Why would anyone want to go on vacation anywhere but Maui?"
Maui remains one of the most popular island destinations in the world, but with a cruise, you can easily explore the highlights of four islands while unpacking only once.
From fall through spring, Princess and other lines conveniently cruise roundtrip to Hawaii from the West Coast, but for summer, your choice remains NCL Pride of America, an American flagged vessel that cruises roundtrip from Honolulu for a wonderful all-Hawaii itinerary with a port every day of the week.
On the shoulder of Alaska summer cruises, you can combine four or five nights in the Hawaiian Islands with a trans-Pacific voyage on several other popular lines including Celebrity, Carnival and Royal Caribbean.
If you've never been to Hawaii, it needs to be near the top of your bucket list.
Lots of people are choosing to cruise close to home this year, so you need to book now for the best selection.
Better service leads to better trips!
Here are 5 Great Summer Cruises embarking not too far from your easy chair.
1. Canada/New England
Yes, you can cruise through New England for the colorful changing of the leaves in the fall, but this historic region is a beautiful summer destination, too.
 |
| Postcard from my first New England visit in 1976. |
Don't forget to set aside time to explore historic Boston before or after your trip, including the Freedom Trail and Sam Adams Brewery. What an amazing way to explore the region where our founding fathers crafted our nation.
If you don't have that much vacation time available, you can cruise half of that epic journey, one way between Boston and Montreal, book-ended by two of the best cities I've ever visited.
2. Mexico
For people on the West Coast, the Mexican Riviera always comes to mind.
The good times and warm water of Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan are alwasy tempting.The East Coast of Mexico borders the turquoise Caribbean Sea, and so itineraries calling on those ports are generally considered Caribbean cruises, even if some call exclusively on Mexican ports, as four and five night cruises often do.
Like many country songs attest, there's a lot of fun waiting on some beach somewhere in Mexico.
3. Caribbean
When you think cruising, you probably initially think of the Caribbean, so it goes without saying that this is a another choice.
While Florida remains the base for most cruises, you can also cruise from ports that may be closer to your home like Galveston, New Orleans, Charleston and New York City.A few cruises from the Northeast take you down to Port Canaveral and the Bahamas, while others go to Bermuda, which isn't technically in the Caribbean but offers a similar tropical vacation experience.
If you've never been on a Caribbean cruise, it's time to find out what's so great about this area where modern destination cruising began only fifty years ago.
4. Alaska
There's a lot to see in this gorgeous state that's two and a half times the size of Texas and has a coastline long enough, including its islands, to stretch from California to Florida.For this summer, demand has been quite strong, but there's still space available for Inside Passage, North or South Bound Cruises and select cruise tours.
It's getting tough to find quad space or adjoining rooms for families on many popular voyages, so if you want to escape the hot, sticky city this summer to explore the vast natural wonders of Alaska, where mid-summer temperatures regularly top out in the high sixties or low seventies, don't procrastinate.
Don't forget the often lower prices of early season cruises in May and early June, before schools let out, or the brief but spectacular changing of the leaves in late August and early September.
5. Hawaii
Maui remains one of the most popular island destinations in the world, but with a cruise, you can easily explore the highlights of four islands while unpacking only once.From fall through spring, Princess and other lines conveniently cruise roundtrip to Hawaii from the West Coast, but for summer, your choice remains NCL Pride of America, an American flagged vessel that cruises roundtrip from Honolulu for a wonderful all-Hawaii itinerary with a port every day of the week.
On the shoulder of Alaska summer cruises, you can combine four or five nights in the Hawaiian Islands with a trans-Pacific voyage on several other popular lines including Celebrity, Carnival and Royal Caribbean.
If you've never been to Hawaii, it needs to be near the top of your bucket list.
Lots of people are choosing to cruise close to home this year, so you need to book now for the best selection.
Better service leads to better trips!
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