Best cruises outside the U.S.?

Question

My husband and I are planning to cruise late August to early September and want a departure port and itinerary somewhere outside the U.S. We are looking for a 10-14 day cruise, preferably with some good beaches and a clean, efficient ship and crew. Price not an issue, but we're not interested in anything but relaxation.

Answer 1

There are so many great options. I really like European Cruises, Australian Cruises, Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal, etc. Personally, I choose my ship first and then look at their ports to see which interests me the most. Ports are a little less important to me just because the time in the ports is usually so limited. So I always pick a few ships and see where they go and make my decision from that point.


A few of my favorite choices for a really relaxing cruise, especially if price is not a problem are Silversea's Cruises, Regent Seven Sea's, Sea Dream Yacht Club, Crystal and also Seabourn's. These are all great choices. If you are looking for something a little less expensive or a little more traditional, I also like Celebrity, Cunard and Holland America. Princess would also be a good choice, but does have more children onboard than some of the other lines. If you are looking for more relaxation, I would avoid Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Disney, NCL, etc. Any line that caters more to families tends to be a little more noisy and can be a little more crazy onboard.


I've included some links to a great site that has a ton of info. This gives info on Luxury Cruises, Gourmet Cruises and then also a link to the different destinations. It is great for planning.


Hope this helps!

Answer 2

It sounds like you want to go to the Caribbean since you mentioned beach time. You can take cruises of the Southern Caribbean out of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Here's one by Royal Caribbean: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/search/vacationSearchResult.do;jsessionid=00000ZVhEHt5n9vvGF2rJtGEVe4:10ktdmm42?qvsHome=yes&cS=QVS&date=20073&dest=CARIB&port=SJU&ship=ANY&cruiseTourOnly=false&x=46&y=9

It goes to Aruba, Curacao, St Thomas and St Martin, all great beach locations. In addition, as you will see on this link, there are some specials for sailings in September. I have booked this same cruise, but for this May. You can add to your beach time by arranging to fly to Puerto Rico a few days early, or stay there a few days after.

Royal Caribbean is one of the better cruise lines but you can also consider Celebrity, Princess, and Norwegian. They are also great lines with good ships, food and service. Links for them are below.

Answer 3

Look for cruises in Asia or in the Mediterranean. There are some great cruises that start in southern France and then go along the Amalfi coast of Italy.

Alternatively, look into a Nile cruise.

http://www.travcotels.com/

Answer 4

I went on a cruise to the Mediterranean for 12 days. it went to Venice, Florence, Corfu, Rome, and many more. It was on a cruise called the Royal Caribbean. IT was a beautiful boat with so much to offer. i would definitely consider this cruise.

HOPE I HELPED

Answer 5

There's a free Cruise Travel Guide at:

http://www.yourinternettravelguide.com/freeguides.php

that has a lot Cruise tips in it so it may help. It also has some travel links in it to cheap deals sites.

Also, this review site had some good stuff last time I looked at it:

http://cruises.reviewandresourcecenter.com

Hope it helps

Answer 6

My friend's site allows you to select specifically what type of cruise experience you would like. Check it out. Its sometimes cheaper than the prices on the other sites. I was referred to him by one of my friends.

Answer 7

The Greek Isles is my favorite.