Illustration by Martin Matje
|
Web Exclusive…
A Guide to Theme Cruises
By Gaby Gollub, January-February 2004
If you’re thinking about taking a cruise, there’s something you should know: There are just about as many types of cruises as there are passengers
|
You could be perfectly content to explore the major port cities of Italy on
your own, or… you could enjoy a jazz festival at sea or travel with
famous writers or spend your vacation in the buff. Whatever your interest,
there's probably a theme cruise to match it. And with cruise prices varying
so widely, a theme cruise just right for you could be just right for your
checkbook, too. Here's a sampling:
Get Into the Groove
Musicians on cruises are a lot like pickles at a picnic—there's no
guarantee of quality or variety, but they'll be there. So if you'd like
to hear a particular type of music on your vacation—be it blues, opera,
bluegrass, classical, rock, or jazz—sign up for a music-themed cruise.
Some of these concert-filled cruises visit cities rich in musical history, such
as a classical festival on the Danube. Others head for vacation hotspots, such as the Grand Ole Opry cruise in
the Caribbean. If you love to dance, you're in luck—there are
also swing, ballroom, and square dance cruises.
Expand Your Mind
While many cruises offer the occasional lecturer, others put a real spotlight
on education. On these enriching vacations, your ship serves as a
well-outfitted school bus, shuttling you and your naturalist, archaeologist,
and art historian guides from one outdoor classroom to another. You can explore
Alaska and Russia with birding experts, learn about ancient Turkish
civilizations, or walk in Gauguin's footsteps in Tahiti. Interested in
Mediterranean wines? The history of chocolate? Look
hard enough, and you'll surely find the educational cruise that's just
right for you.
Hone a Hobby
Perhaps you'd like to dedicate your vacation to improving a talent. With
onboard workshops and carefully chosen destinations, you can bring home
something more memorable than souvenirs. Focus on photography skills while observing creatures of the Galapagos Islands. Let the pros show you where to buy beads in the
Caribbean and how to string them together. There's even a cruise with
experts from the TV show "Antiques Roadshow" to help you hone your antiquing skills in the
field.
Get Healthy
Cruises are typically all about relaxing and indulging. However, there are some
ships that promote a healthier vacation. If you've been trying to quit
smoking, you could sail the seas with plenty of support, workshops, and
clinics. But don't be tempted to inhale—you might be kicked off the
ship. (Carnival Cruise Lines has offered
stop-smoking cruises in the Caribbean.) On a health-oriented cruise, you
can learn about proper nutrition, take aerobics classes, and enjoy healthful,
quality meals.
Seize the Spiritual
Looking for a religious experience? Meet like-minded believers, visit
profoundly significant sites, and vacation without missing services on
religion-theme cruises. On a Jewish
cruise, you can enjoy not only kosher meals (which often are frozen on
other cruises) but also listen to cantors and klezmer music, and attend
services and lectures. Or, you could tour prominent sites described in the New
Testament, go to the source of Buddhism, or meet a Mennonite community in
Ukraine.
Meet Your Match
Want to look for love at sea? Hop on board a singles cruise, or increase your odds
for a match by signing up for a specialized cruise for like-minded
love-seekers, such as vegetarians, Christians, or gays/lesbians. Special events to encourage mingling include dances, dinners, land excursions, and other activities.
Escape the Holidays
Have you hosted quite enough Thanksgiving dinners at your house? Has New
Year's Eve lost its thrill? Try a holiday cruise, where the decorations,
meals, and festivities are taken care of. Enjoy a
traditional Norwegian Christmas, renew your wedding vows in Hawaii on
Valentine's Day, or ring in the new year in New
Zealand.
Explore America
Cruises don't have to take you across oceans thousands of miles
away—plenty of them find America's waters interesting enough. If
you'd like your special theme cruise closer to home, you have plenty of
options. You could float the Northwest rivers to
learn about Lewis and Clark's travels, focus on the maritime and
natural history of the Texas coast, or see the South's fall
foliage by steamboat.
Act Out
Watching a drama unfold on the stage is all well and good, but what about
participating in a murder
mystery? Offering you the chance to gather clues and get involved, several
companies offer a multi-day version of this popular form of dinner theater.
Play Ball
Ever wondered if you might run into a celebrity on vacation? Some sports-theme
cruises—with hall-of-fame guests leading clinics and mingling in the
lounge—assure you will. Golf cruises transport you to
some of the world's best courses, and diving cruises take you to some
of the choicest diving and snorkeling spots.
Cast off at Sea, Permanently
If you just can't get enough of cruise ships, you might want to buy an apartment (a one-bedroom
apartment with a veranda and two bathrooms fetches $1.8 million) on the aptly
named ship, The World. The price tag includes complete furnishings,
on-board golfing, pool visits, access to shopping, an enormous spa, fine
restaurants, and, oh yes, travel service around the world.
|
