Cruising 360^o from the ordinary

No matter how much time you have, take off for a 3-16 days vacation to Australia, the Far East, the US, the Asia-Pacific, or even the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico or Alaska. There are extended special voyages to Hawaii, Acapulco, the Panama Canal and Southern Caribbean too.

The cruise fare includes accommodation from the ports of embarkation to disembarkation, ocean transportation, all regular meals, onboard entertainment, entry to casinos and health clubs, and associated fees in force at the time of booking. Not included in the cruise fare are items of personal nature including gratuities, shore excursions, airfare, telephone calls, faxes, spa treatments, salon services, photographs, laundry and valet service as well as wine, liquor and other beverages.

The ideal time for cruising is April/May/June and September/October/November.

There are more than three (economy, business and first class) categories of cabins available on most of the luxury cruiselines. The pricing for a cabin may vary depending upon various factors like cruise duration, destination(Caribbean cruises are cheaper than Alaska and Meditteranean cruises), location of the cabin(cabins on lower decks are cheaper than cabins on higher decks), type of cabin(inside cabins, oceanview cabins with window, cabins with balcony, minisuites and suites have different pricing), age of the ship(newer ships with better facility command higher price compared to older ships).

Cruise companies like Princess Cruises, Star Cruises, Festival Cruises, New Horizon Cruises, among others have various packages for cruising enthusiasts this season.

Princess calls nearly 260 ports around the world. Destinations include Alaska, the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Europe, Mexican Riviera, South America, South Pacific, Hawaii/Tahiti, Asia, India, Africa, Canada/New England, Bermuda and other world voyages.

The price starts from $800 per person for a 7-day cruise in Alaska and $1,400 per person for a 12-day cruise in Europe. Best time to avail discount on any Princess itinerary is to book at least 3-4 months in advance, except for holiday sailings in December. Indian passengers can make payments for the cruise in Indian currency or through bonafide foreign exchange.

Festival Cruises covers premium cruises such as European Stars, European Vision and Mistral tours. Exclusive Hilton suites can be booked for special services combining the best of Hilton Group and Festival.

European Stars covers the Mediterranean and Atlantic, European Vision calls at the West Indies, The Greek Islands, Western and Eastern TransAtlantic Crossing, and Olympian country, while Mistral offers popular double-deal cruises, covering the Baltic cities of the Northern Seas, Northern Lights and Norwegian Fjords.

Festival’s Discovery Cruises include Azur, Flamenco, Bolero. Azur covers the North East Mediterranean, Flamenco takes you around the Mediterranean, and also has an exciting range of shore excursion packages.

Most popular destinations when on a Festival ship are the Greek Islands, North Seas and Carribean. For as much as $110-140 per day on an average you could get the top class suite advantage with a balcony. The amount is lesser for the inner and outer cabins. The cruises are for 7, 10, even 14 nights.

Star Cruises operates a combined fleet of 20 ships with over 26,000 lower berths, with cruises to destinations and islands in the Asia-Pacific, North and South America, Hawaii, Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Mediterranean, Bermuda and Antarctica under Star Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, Orient Lines and Cruise Ferries brands.

On a cruise from Singapore and Hong Kong, one can enjoy a memorable vacation at an affordable cost, which varies depending on the duration of cruise and the type of cabin. Pricing is as low as $260 per person (based on 2N cruise in inside stateroom) on twin sharing, and goes up to $1,570 per person (based on a 5N cruise in an executive suite). Star’s StarSaver scheme helps clients get substantial saving of approximately $50 per person (conditions apply), but bookings have to be made 45 days in advance.

Cruise vacations on SuperStar Virgo ex-Singapore to Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur, Langkawi and Malacca) and Thailand (Phuket) have been on the rise. However, itineraries on SuperStar Leo ex-Hong Kong to China and Vietnam, are getting more and more takers among the adventurous Indians.

Ships of New Horizons’ Royal Olympic Cruises (ROC) are deployed between Istanbul and Barcelona, covering, Spain, France, Morocco, Italy, Turkey from end February to Middle of October. The hub is Athens in Greece. ROC has introduced cruises to the Baltic Region that include St Petersburg, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Egypt, Scandinavian Countries etc.

SOTC’s senior vice-president Frederick Divecha, says, ‘‘When cruises first came to India, the market was not aware of such a product though there was a niche well-heeled traveller who had travelled on the Queen Elizabeth-2. In 1999, when Star Cruises entered the domestic market, they had 10,800 customers, which increased to 20,000 in 2000. Domestic customers have recognised value for money in the cruise product as well as the convenience. The number of customers going on cruises therefore is increasing, not only for the 2N/3D itineraries, but also for the 5N/6D ones.’’