6 Stress-Free Cruises for the First-Timers

Reposted from: www.cntraveler.com

Looking to get your feet wet in the wide world of cruising? With an overwhelming number of itineraries spanning the seven seas—on ships of all shapes and sizes—it can be tough to find your niche for a first-time cruise. Keep the high seas low stress by sticking to one of these rookie-ready itineraries that are sure to please anyone in search of their nautical stripes. Whether it’s gliding along European waterways on a sleek riverboat or a quick jaunt to the Bahamas on a tricked-out mega-ship, when setting out on these voyages, you can be sure that your first cruise won’t be your last.

1. “A Taste of the Danube” River Cruise on Avalon Waterways

European rivers are the perfect place to the test the waters for would-be cruisers, thanks to calm waterways (no bouts of seasickness to contend with here), intimate ships (rarely carrying more than 200 passengers), and port-intensive itineraries that showcase the best of Europe’s cultural and historical attractions. While most river voyages run a week or longer in duration, Swiss company Avalon Waterways caters to first-timers with its series of “Short & Suite” three- to five-night itineraries, perfect for those tight on time, budget, and/or tolerance. Their three-night “A Taste of the Danube” offering sails between cultural heavyweights at Budapest and Vienna, stopping for excursions in Slovakia (at Bratislava) and Austria (at Melk and Dürnstein) en route—where you might tour Melk’s 11th century Benedictine Abbey or bike through the vineyards of Austria’s Wachau Valley. Sailings in 2020 embark aboard a quartet of the line’s sleek, 128- to 166-passenger “Suite Ships,” known for their signature spacious cabins that convert to open-air balconies via floor-to-ceiling, sliding-glass doors—with beds positioned to face the passing landscapes. Sailings in May, July, and September–November 2020; rates from $810 per person; avalonwaterways.com

2. Quickie Bahamas Escape on Royal Caribbean Mega-Ship

The bigger-is-better crowd won’t be disappointed with a Royal Caribbean sailing, the ultimate mega-ship line (its 26-ship fleet claims the world’s four largest cruise ships, carrying more than 6,500 passengers apiece), known for its multigenerational appeal and slate of whiz-bang features. Give ’em a whirl aboard a beachy Bahamas sampler sailing, with quickie three- and four-night voyages scheduled year-round aboard the 3,386-passenger Navigator of the Seas from Miami and 3,344-passenger Mariner of the Seas from Orlando (via Port Canaveral). Both runs incorporate a stop at the Bahamian capital at Nassau, gateway to attractions like the Atlantis, Paradise Island resort and the turquoise waters of Cable Beach, as well as at the line’s recently revamped private island experience Perfect Day at CocoCay, home to North America’s highest waterslide and the Caribbean’s biggest freshwater pool. Onboard, you’ll be spoiled for choice of amenities, with dining, entertainment, nightlife, and pools aplenty, and diversions that span surf simulators, escape rooms, waterslides, glow-in-the-dark laser tag, and more. Sailings embark year-round; rates from $177 per person; royalcaribbean.com

3. Classic Med Sampler on a Tall Sailing Ship with Windstar

There’s a reason sailors have been plying the Mediterranean for millennia—there are incredible places to see and near-perfect at-sea conditions in which to get there. Today, the trade and conquering mindset of yore may not factor in, but idyllic ports and a touch of romance are just as motivating, especially when swooping in below the billowing white sails of Windstar’s intimate, 342-passenger Wind Surf. The line runs a standout port-intensive itinerary between two of the region’s blockbuster cities—Barcelona and Rome—with a dreamy mix of yacht- and culture-flooded ports in the French and Italian Rivieras wedged in between, including Palamos, Sanary-sur-Mer, Monte Carlo, Cannes, Portofino, and Portoferraio. Bonus: The ship, which is known on the culinary front for menus that feature creations by James Beard-associated chefs, as well as its retractable water sports platform, is in the midst of a facelift this fall, and will emerge in November with upgrades like a brand-new spa and wellness center. Sailings from April through September; rates from $2,699 per person; windstarcruises.com

4. Alaska Sailing with the Experts on Princess Cruises

With its rugged snowcapped mountains and calving glaciers backdrop, met by waters teeming with spectacular marine wildlife (where whales and orcas abound), Alaskan waters are tailor-made to cruising. Discover “the Last Frontier” in expert hands with Princess Cruises, which has been voyaging to Alaska for more than 50 years. The line offers the most robust cruising calendar in the region (with eight ships positioned here for the 2020 sailing season), plus its own railway car and five wilderness lodges on shore, primed for its customized land-and-sea “cruisetour” vacations. Their weeklong cruise-only itinerary aboard Princess’s 3,560-passenger Royal Princess affords an excellent entrée to the best of Alaska, sailing between Anchorage and Vancouver, and visiting Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan in between, along with a day of scenic cruising in Glacier Bay National Park. On board, enjoy Princess’s Alaskan signatures like “Cook My Catch,” where guests can have the fresh-caught bounty from their salmon and halibut fishing excursions prepped to their liking, or “Puppies in the Piazza,” featuring onboard meet-and-greets with Alaskan sled dogs. In port, other exciting excursions include a Discovery-branded “Deadliest Catch” crabbing boat ride off the coast of Ketchikan. Sailings from May through September; rates from $669 per person; princess.com

5. Yachting the Caribbean on Seabourn

It’s little wonder that the Caribbean is the most popular cruising destination in the world. Tropical temps (a special lure come wintertime), gorgeous beaches, and a laid-back lifestyle put forth a winsome combination, while the region’s multi-island geography is conveniently explored aboard a floating home base. Get there in style with the upscale mega-yachts of Seabourn: Both their 458-passenger Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Sojourn winter in the region, offering a range of 7-night-plus itineraries. The shorter weeklong voyages, which start and end within the Caribbean, sailing between Philipsburg, Saint Maarten, and Bridgetown, Barbados, rotate featured ports, where excursions might include chef-led outings in local markets, tours of UNESCO sites (the line is the official cruise partner of UNESCO World Heritage), or beach BBQs, complete with grilled lobster—as well as caviar, delivered by Seabourn waiters right into the surf. Onboard, expect menus backed by top chef Thomas Keller (paired with included-in-the-rates wines and spirits), a significant spa space and wellness programming, and a plush, all-suite configuration. Sailings from November through March; rates from $2,699 per person; seabourn.com

6. Baltic Sea Expedition with Viking

For some first-timers, the best way to enjoy cruising is to dive right in, and see—contrary to a popularly held misconception about the perceived superficiality of sailing—just how comprehensive a cruise vacation can be. Baltic-rooted and destination-focused Viking is most at home in Scandinavia, where its 14-night “Viking Homelands” voyage, aboard a quartet of sister ships (the 930-guest Viking Star, Viking Sky, Viking Sun, and Viking Jupiter, in 2020), delivers a well-rounded and immersive introduction to Scandinavia and its diverse, yet interconnected, Baltic Sea ports. On the eight-country itinerary between Stockholm and Bergen, Norway—where the ship overnights in each bookended port—port calls include Helsinki; Tallinn, Estonia; Gdańsk, Poland; Berlin; Copenhagen; and Alborg, Denmark; as well as an overnight in St. Petersburg, Russia. Plus, some scenic sailing through Norwegian fjords, along with a couple of off-the-path Norwegian stops, for good measure. (Bonus: you’ll get an included-in-the-rates excursion in each and every port). Back on the ship, luxuriate with complimentary perks like high-tea service, access to the LivNordic Spa’s Thermal Suite (complete with a mineral pool, dry/wet saunas, and snow grotto), and regionally inspired cuisine. Sailings from April through September; rates from $5,799 per person; vikingcruises.com

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Why I Got On Board With River Cruising

Reposted from: www.travelzoo.com

Even as someone who spends a lot of her life thinking about getting away (occupational hazard if you vet travel deals for a living), I confess: I’d never seriously contemplated a river cruise. However amazing the itineraries, I couldn’t imagine they left much room for some of the other things I look for in a vacation—especially those tucked-away local treasures that require freedom to explore.

But when one cruise caught my eye—and I couldn’t seem to look away—I decided the time had come to check my skepticism at the dock and spend a week on the Danube. (Yes, I know. Cry me an actual river.)

The vessel? Avalon Artistry II. And as anyone who’s ever traveled on it—or any of Avalon Waterways’ award-winning ships—might guess, it had me at hello. Or guten tag, as the case may be in Nuremburg, where I set off.

Read on to learn how wrong my preconceived notions were—and how right river cruising turns out to be for a huge array of travelers (present company included).

The crowd was the perfect mix

If I’m being honest, another reason I’d never imagined river cruises to be quite my scene was the—how to put it?—generationally homogenous passenger set I had pictured…right up until I boarded Artistry II and found everyone from mother-daughter duos to honeymooners to girlfriend groups.

And getting to know people happened totally organically, given the small group size (around 100 people total) and endless opportunities to mingle. Over cocktail receptions, excursions and meals (when you could sit on your own, but the group tables always seemed more fun), we shared pictures, travel stories and our favorite recommendations around the world.

I wound up making friends with everyone from cruise junkies to people who were all toured out from other kinds of guided trips and wanted to try something new.

This was no average field trip

I’d envisioned river cruising to be, basically, one extended field trip, complete with follow-the-leader programming, designated times for everything—and little freedom to wander off. My experience was anything but that. In fact, I quickly realized that my cruise was exactly what I wanted to make of it.

Avalon offers three categories of excursions: classic, active and discovery — think guided tours of historic sites, mellow hikes through scenic terrain and immersive local experiences, respectively. People who like to plan could map out their days before boarding the ship, while more spontaneous travelers (yours truly), could make decisions last minute (up to the morning of an excursion).

And I don’t know why this hadn’t occurred to me before I boarded, but there’s always the option to skip the day’s included activities entirely and explore independently—or just take advantage of the considerable amenities on the ship (yoga, afternoon tea, board games and lounging on the Sky Deck, just for starters).

So whatever we imagined our own best version of vacation to look like, each guest experienced it.

You can get off the beaten path

For me, a trip isn’t complete until I’ve set out on my own and mixed it up with the locals. And Avalon’s Adventure Host—yes, that’s an actual job title, and a brilliant invention—was my key to doing exactly that.

There was the time I spotted a seemingly untouristed riverfront path in Vienna and had the sudden urge to explore. Milen, our Adventure Host, hooked me up with one of the ship’s bikes (plus his considerable local knowledge), and within minutes, I was cycling along a beautifully forested trail, not a tourist in sight—though the occasional swan did block my way.

Another standout was the time we were in Budapest, and Milen led me on a hike that showcased—to Insta-perfection, I’ll admit—both the hilly Buda side of the river and the flat terrain of Pest. The famously bustling city seemed surreally hushed, and I knew I was experiencing a magical side of it from our hilltop vantage point.

Once again: preconceived notions shattered.

Even with the amazing surroundings, I had to force myself to leave my suite

Spanning the full width and height of my suite, the sliding glass doors I found in place of an external wall made me feel like I was staying in an extension of the river. Each morning I woke up with views—from bed—that I could get only from the water. Picture kids playing in the riverfront yards of pastel homes that have been passed down through generations of Danube dwellers. Or gardeners tending to equally ancient castle and church grounds. We’ve all heard of “Europe Through the Back Door,” but this was Europe through the back dock…and I was hooked.

Of course, my suite was hardly unusual for Avalon. The line is famous for its innovative and spacious quarters, which were awarded Cruise Critic’s Best River Cruise Line Cabins title last year. At 200 square feet, the Panorama Suite (the kind I stayed in) is at least 30% larger than the industry standard. And there’s not a bad room on board, either: Avalon’s entire fleet consists of “Suite Ships,” meaning nearly every cabin is a suite.

The cruise was a foodie’s fantasy

Here’s another misconception I went in with: Traveling by ship meant forfeiting a lot of local flavor. But in almost every town we passed through, the chefs would disembark in search of seasonal produce, fresh specialty breads and other local market finds. The resulting meals, which ranged from Bavarian Sweet Mustard soup to Hungarian Chicken Paprikash, were so good, I got the recipes to take home with me.

Other amazing foodie experiences were arranged for us on board, too. In Austria, for example, a culinary expert named Bianca hosted a cookie tasting, hand-delivering the goods from a bakery in her small town. After setting out plates of eight options apiece—everything from powdered almond vanillekipferl to cocoa-covered schokobusserl—she encouraged us to take in the intricacies of each handmade treat. We then closed our eyes to heighten our senses of taste and smell, and giggled as we guessed at a succession of ingredients.

In Bavaria, the onboard beer tasting was a huge hit, complete with lederhosen-clad hosts who were, well, fonts of local beer knowledge. One takeaway: If you try nothing else there, make it the Gutmann Hefeweizen, aka “Bavaria in a bottle.” (And a side note for dedicated brewophiles: Avalon runs entire beer-centric cruises through Europe, where you’ll visit historic breweries, attend onboard beer lectures, workshops and tastings—and feast at an expert-led, brew-paired dinner.)

The culinary journey continued on land as well. As guides oriented us to each city we visited, they made sure to include the best local foodie finds. After a group walk past Salzburg’s Fürst chocolate shop, for example, I may have snuck back for the famed house Mozartkugel (marzipan and pistachio surrounded by nougat and dark chocolate).

I got bonus vacation time

Instead of traveling for hours on buses between cities or worrying about missing a train—as is my way—I enjoyed extra sleep, onboard workout classes and happy hour with friends. Better still, despite the fact that I visited no fewer than seven cities, I unpacked and repacked a grand total of once.

In fact, all the logistics were incredibly easy, mostly because Avalon handled everything from flights to airport transfers to meals and sightseeing. When I say I did not have to lift a finger except to pop another Mozartkugel into my mouth, I’m not exaggerating.

Ready to test the waters yourself?

Here are three things to know about Avalon Waterways’ European offerings:

They don’t require a limitless supply of free time. Or even a week. Among the 50 or so itineraries on offer, there’s a selection of 4-6 day Short and “Suite” getaways that are perfect for anyone who’s tight on time—or newbies who are river cruise-curious.

If you do have the time and inclination, you can tack stellar land-based extensions onto your cruise. Many of my fellow travelers spent two guided days in Prague prior to our cruise—an option I wished I’d added after hearing the stories.

Through mid-April, Avalon Waterways is offering cruises with a range of perks from complimentary airfare to $2500 off per couple to free extensions on select 2020 Danube cruises. Put otherwise: There’s no better time to discover the world through its rivers.

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