Cruising For Non-Cruisers

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Lets face it, cruising isn't for everybody. It is, however, different than most non-cruisers believe it to be. What makes cruising great is that it offers a different vacation for different people.

It is easy to do all of the typical cruise things. What I really enjoy about cruising is that you can do so many different things in one night and not have to risk driving about. Where else can you meet friends for drinks, have a great dinner, see a show, dance a little and gamble a bit, all in the same night...for free!

My wife and I are outdoorsy people who enjoy hiking, white-water rafting, mountain biking...you get the picture. Clearly we aren't typical cruise passengers by any measure. Since I am in the cruise business and have sailed on over 150 trips, I have learned how to incorporate my passions into the cruise scenario. Below is a partial list of places we have been and the things we have done:

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - jungle zip line through the canopy
Mazatlan, Mexico - sea kayaking and hiking on a remote island
Bar Harbor, Maine - rock climbing on the cliffs of Acadia National Forest
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island - rented a bike and explored the island, covering 60 miles
Skagway, Alaska - rented a mountain bike, got away from town, and had a very cool encounter with a brown bear
Juneau, Alaska - went hiking and white water rafting
Sitka, Alaska - went 4-wheeling on a remote volcanic island
Ketchikan, Alaska - zip line through the trees
Caribbean - scuba dive in all kinds of locations
St. Thomas - rode a mountain bike all over the island (which is no small feat as it is VERY mountainous)

Some of these were arranged via the ship, but most I did on my own. The point is, it is there if you look for it. We encourage our guests to think of what they like to do and incorporate it into their vacation. If all people are looking to do is walk around town and shop or take a bus tour, that is fine, but these are by no means the only things to do in port. Think of your ship as a hotel that moves along with you from place to place - there's no need to re-pack and drag your luggage around, you wake up in a different port most every day, and relaxing comes easy onboard a cruise.

In addition, cruise ships clearly offer all of the creature comforts and there is a lot to be said for a little consistency. True story - my wife and I spend a glorious day in Alaska a few years ago hiking, biking and getting generally filthy and loving it. Later that night, we got dressed up (which we enjoying doing together) and enjoyed a splendid evening gallivanting about the ship culminating with a very romantic walk around the deck after midnight, with champagne in hand. Where else can you possibly do all of this in one day?

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