Five Favorite Places To Cruise

Posted by Nick Niesen on October 29th, 2010

Have you been thinking about a cruise? Everyone seems to be going on one and you don?t want to feel left out, right? The problem is that there are so many itineraries out there, which makes it hard to decide where your first cruise should be. In this article I talk about the best five itineraries I have been on and why they are my favorites.

Selecting my five favorites was not an easy task. I enjoy cruising so much and believe it is the only way to go on a vacation. You only unpack once and you get to see so many cool places. No driving miles and miles a day on one of those driving vacations where you have to stop at a different hotel every day. I find cruising very relaxing and am always ready to go on the next one.

My Fifth Favorite Cruise

Europe: This was a very interesting way to see several places I might have never gotten a chance to see. I would recommend this cruise to anyone who can afford to take the time. It was fifteen days long and well worth it.

On this cruise we went to Copenhagen Denmark, St. Petersburg Russia, Helsinki Finland, Stockholm Sweden, Oslo Norway, Tallinn Estonia, France where we took a bus ride to Paris.

Paris was breathtaking and it was great just to be there. There are so many things to see in Paris and a tour is probably your best bet if you have never been there.

St. Petersburg was a two-day stop and we could have stayed longer. We took a tour one day and got to visit the Hermitage Museum on the second day. Wow, you won?t want to miss The Hermitage if you are ever in St. Petersburg.

Basically, we took a tour at each port. Tours are great because you get to see the key points plus learn the history behind everything. You also learn about their lifestyle and how different it is from our own. This cruise was an experience I will always remember.

My Fourth Favorite Cruise

10 Night Caribbean: There are so many different itineraries when cruising the Caribbean that it can be difficult to determine which one to take. My favorite cruise of the Caribbean contained these three ports.

San Juan, Puerto Rico: Okay, this one was special to me because my father was born in Puerto Rico. As a Puerto Rican I always enjoy stopping here. If it is your first time in Puerto Rico, you may want to take a tour of San Juan. The fort is especially interesting.

Key West: I totally fell in love with this little island. I have even thought of staying here for a few days. My only complaint was that we only had about five hours here and the first two hours everything was closed. My suggestion for Key West is that you take a tour of the island as soon as you arrive. I have regretted not taking one and have not had the opportunity to go back to Key West. I will the first chance I get.

Bahamas: This was a great port. It seemed to have a little bit of everything. There is a large hotel that actually has an extensive aquarium. It runs the entire length of the building and is something you must see at this port. I also recommend that you take a tour if it is your first visit. A tour will give you an overview and then you can decide what you want to do with the rest of your time here. Again, make sure your tour includes a tour of the hotel on the other side of the bridge.

My Third Favorite Cruise

Mexico takes this spot. We have been to Mexico via a cruise ship several times. This is one of the most relaxing cruises I have been on. There are basically three ports on a Mexican Riviera cruise and each one shows a different side of life in Mexico. Most of the Mexican Riviera cruises go to Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas, and Mazatlan. This is your typical seven day cruise of the Mexican Riviera. However, some cruise ships bypass Mazatlan and take you to Acapulco and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo. These cruises are usually ten or eleven days.

My Second Favorite Cruise

Alaska takes my number two spot. It was hard to decide between number one and number two, but I went with Alaska. My husband and I have taken this cruise about seven times and we never tire of it. Each port is a little different. The glaciers are awe-inspiring.

One of the things that fascinated me the first time I took the Alaskan cruise was the wildlife. There are eagles everywhere. If you see a white spot in a tree, get out your binoculars. You are likely to find out that the white spot is actually an eagle?s head.

We get to see several orcas on this cruise as well. There is nothing that compares to seeing wildlife in their own habitat. I used to go to zoos and places like Sea World regularly, but now that I have seen some of these animals in their natural surroundings, the confinement of zoos just doesn?t appeal to me.

My Number One Favorite Cruise

Hawaii was my all time favorite cruise. I have actually taken this cruise three times. I took it with Norwegian Cruise Lines each time. My husband and I boarded the ship in Honolulu and stopped at several ports.

Lahaina, Maui

We spent a couple of days here. On one of those days we rented a car and drove the road to Hana.

Kona

We take the Atlantis Submarine hear. The water is really clear and the fish are quite interesting. There are also some coffee plantations you can visit in Kona.

Kauai

We took a helicopter ride in Kauai. Several movies were filmed on this island and there are so many beautiful waterfalls. The helicopter ride was simply breathtaking.

Hilo

We took a tour in Hilo. There is a lot of volcanic activity here and it is very interesting to see all the hot spots and how the lava flows and continues to move.

FANNING ISLAND, REPUBLIC OF KIRIBATI

It took two days at sea to get here and two days to get back. It was a very relaxing time at sea, which I thoroughly enjoyed. The Island itself is rather primitive. It is a totally different way of life than we are accustomed to. The Cruise Line has added several amenities for the natives, but you still get a good view of a more laid back lifestyle. This is also a great place to get postage stamps. You can mail yourself a postcard and see who arrives first, you or your postcard. The stamps from Republic of Kiribati are a novelty for stamp collectors.

Well, I hope sharing my five favorite cruises helps when you are trying to determine where to go on your next cruise. I never tire of cruising. I have found that it is one of those things you either really love or really hate. You, of course, will have to decide for yourself.