Q – Having just taken retirement from one of the large brokerage houses, my wife and I are ready to start traveling. As we approach some cruise plans, we will prefer voyages of several weeks or longer, we had one question we thought we’d ask you first. Are there any itineraries that really sell out so quickly that we ought to be booking them as soon as they are announced?
A – There are several really hot current itineraries. One or two actually sold out within 72 hours. Upscale guests who have the time to really explore the world on a ship of quality tend to know what they want to see. The itinerary you would need to jump on right away is Crystal Cruises repeat of its Northwest Passage cruise sailing from Seward (Anchorage) on August 15th and ending in New York City on September 16th.
This is every cruiser’s dream “expedition” and it follows the footsteps of intrepid explorers sailing through incredible landscapes with stunning glaciers and fjords combined with rare wildlife sightings. This one is highly recommended and really the adventure of a lifetime in Crystal style with some superb on-board lecturers.
If you are looking for the best “deal” in cruising, you might want to consider the repeat of Oceania’s “sold out in 48 hours” 180-Day Around The World Sailing on the Insignia Departing January 6th next year from Miami and ending on July 6th back in Miami. Although it sounds counter-intuitive, this is likely cruising’s best overall value and guests booked in an inside stateroom are paying less than $45,000 per person. The cruise is sold with two-for-one pricing and free First Class Airfare plus additional perks and surprises.
There are any number of Around-The-World Voyages but almost all of them will be in the 85-95 Day range. No one has done 180 Days before Oceania and it is now an industry “classic”. The marketing department at Oceania has not yet taken our suggestion that they advertise the added advantage of missing the “first six months” of the new President’s term.
