With 2011 just a month away, many of us are reviewing our upcoming cruise plans for next year. If I could wrangle an unlimited amount of vacation time—or could figure out how to bring our two Bearded Collies with us on these adventures!—the 12 cruises I'd take are listed below.
They range from island strongholds like the Maldives, Hawaii, Galapagos, and French Polynesia to Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean, Norway, South Africa, and Alaska.
JANUARY 29, 2011Paul Gauguin Cruises (m/s
Paul Gauguin)
11-Night Cook Islands & Society Islands
Day 1 Papeete, Tahiti
Day 2 Huahine
Day 3 at sea
Day 4 Aitutaki, Cook Islands
Day 5 Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Day 6 at sea
Day 7 Bora Bora
Day 8 Bora Bora
Day 9 Taha'a (Motu Mahana)
Day 10 Moorea
Day 11 Moorea / Papeete, Tahiti
Day 12 Papeete, Tahiti
Why this cruise? We sailed with
Paul Gauguin Cruises last May and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. French Polynesia is one of the most beautiful places on earth and Paul Gauguin Cruises has the expertise to show you the hidden gems. We sailed a seven-night itinerary last time around and it wasn't long enough. Next time, I'll go for the eleven-night Cook and Society Islands combo cruise.
FEBRUARY 7, 2011Four Seasons (
Four Seasons Explorer)
7-Night Maldivian Circuit Cruise
This cruise begins on North Male Atoll, Maldives at the Four Seasons Kuda Huraa and sails to Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru on Baa Atoll.
Why this cruise? The Maldives, gorgeous coral atolls in the Indian Ocean, are on my bucket list. The Four Seasons has two exquisite properties in the archipelago as well as a luxury yacht, the
Four Seasons Explorer.
MARCH 2, 2011Silversea (
Silver Wind)
10-Night Cape Town, South Africa Round-Trip
Day 1 Cape Town, South Africa
Day 2 at sea
Day 3 East London, South Africa
Day 4 at sea
Day 5 Maputo, Mozambique
Day 6 Richards Bay, South Africa
Day 7 Richards Bay, South Africa
Day 8 Durban, South Africa
Day 9 Port Elizabeth, South Africa
Day 10 Mossel Bay, South Africa
Day 11 Cape Town, South Africa
Why this cruise? We love the crew aboard
Silversea ships. The butlers, stewards, bartenders, and waitstaff always strike the right balance of attentive yet
friendly service. Likewise, the passenger mix makes it easy to find like-minded dinner companions. Finally, this is a fantastic itinerary for anyone who loves South Africa. These are fantastic ports with no shortage of excellent shore excursions on offer.
APRIL 30, 2011Cunard (
Queen Elizabeth)
5-Night Getaway Voyage
Day 1 Southampton, UK
Day 2 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Day 3 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Day 4 Zeebrugge, Belgium
Day 5 Le Havre, France
Day 6 Southampton, UK
Why this cruise? This is Cunard's newest ocean liner and, to be honest, we've never sailed with this line. It may turn out to be too formal for our liking, but I think every cruise fanatic should sail with Cunard at least once. This five-night itinerary hits some fun ports like Amsterdam, Netherlands and Zeebrugge, Belgium.
MAY 9, 2011Crystal Cruises (
Crystal Symphony)
12-Night Northern Lights
Day 1 San Francisco
Day 2 at sea
Day 3 Victoria, British Columbia
Day 4 Victoria, British Columbia
Day 5 at sea
Day 6 Sitka, Alaska
Day 7 Juneau, Alaska
Day 8 Skagway, Alaska
Day 9 at sea
Day 10 Ketchikan, Alaska
Day 11 at sea
Day 12 at sea
Day 13 San Francisco
Why this cruise? Alaska is one of our favorite cruise destinations and it's nice to see these ports without sacrificing luxury.
Crystal Cruises offers up some of the best dining at sea and that's another thing that makes this itinerary so appealing.
JUNE 18, 2011Azamara Club Cruises (
Azamara Journey)
7-Night Spain and Portugal Cruise
Day 1 Barcelona, Spain
Day 2 Ibiza, Spain
Day 3 Ibiza, Spain
Day 4 Granada (Motril), Spain
Day 5 Gibraltar, UK
Day 6 Seville (Cadiz), Spain
Day 7 Lisbon, Portugal
Day 8 Lisbon, Portugal
Why this cruise? Plain and simple: it's the chance to sail the Strait of Gibraltar.
JULY 29, 2011Oceania Cruises (
Marina)
12-Night Treasures of the Continent
Day 1 London (Dover), UK
Day 2 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Day 3 Bruges (Zeebrugge), Belgium
Day 4 Paris (Honfleur), France
Day 5 St. Peter Ports (Guernsey), UK
Day 6 Saint-Malo, France
Day 7 Pont-Aven (Concarneau), France
Day 8 Bordeaux (Le Verdon), France
Day 9 Bordeaux (Le Verdon), France
Day 10 Biarritz (Saint-Jean-de-Luz), France
Day 11 Santander, Spain
Day 12 at sea
Day 13 London (Dover), UK
Why this cruise? Oceania Marina makes its debut in January 2011 and the ship will still have that new ship feel for this summertime cruise. The itinerary is spectacular with stops in Saint-Mao and Bordeaux, France.
AUGUST 14, 2011Yachts of Seabourn (
Seabourn Sojourn)
9-Night Norwegian Fjords
Day 1 Copenhagen, Denmark
Day 2 at sea
Day 3 Flaam, Norway
Day 4 Aalesund, Norway
Day 5 Olden, Norway
Day 6 Bergen, Norway
Day 7 Stavanger, Norway
Day 8 Oslo, Norway
Day 9 at sea
Day 10 Copenhagen, Denmark
Why this cruise? You've got a trifecta with this one: a terrific Norwegian itinerary, the beautiful Seabourn Sojourn mega-yacht, and an end-of-the-summer embarkation date.
SEPTEMBER 24, 2011SeaDream Yacht Club (
SeaDream II)
7-Night Venice, Italy to Dubrovnik, Croatia
Day 1 Venice, Italy
Day 2 Rab, Croatia
Day 3 Split and Hvar, Croatia
Day 4 Hvar, Croatia
Day 5 Korcula, Croatia
Day 6 Kotor, Montenegro
Day 7 Dubrovnik, Croatia
Day 8 Dubrovnik, Croatia
Why this cruise? SeaDream is one of our favorite cruise lines (best gourmet cuisine at sea and super-friendly crew) and we've been wanting to get back to Croatia since we visited Hvar last summer.
OCTOBER 10, 2011Orion Expeditions (
Orion II)
7-Night Gulf of Siam Explorer
Day 1 Singapore
Day 2 Tioman Island, Malaysia
Day 3 Kuala Terrangganu, Malaysia
Day 4 At sea
Day 5 Ko Samui, Thailand
Day 6 Ang Thong Marine Park, Thailand
Day 7 Ko Kut, Thailand
Day 8 Bangkok
Why this cruise? Orion II is new to the line's fleet and recently underwent a major refurbishment. This expedition line combines attentive service with offbeat ports of call. We love Southeast Asia and I can't imagine more compelling destinations than those in Malaysia and Thailand that are visited during Orion's "Gulf of Siam Explorer" cruise.
NOVEMBER 14, 2011American Safari Cruises (
Safari Explorer)
7-Night Hawaiian Seascapes
Day 1 Lahaina, Maui
Day 2 Molokai
Day 3 Molokai
Day 4 Lanai
Day 5 Molokini
Day 6 Ka Lae, Big Island
Day 7 Kailua-Kona, Big Island
Day 8 Kona, Big Island
Why this cruise? American Safari Cruises is an American company with an all-American crew. This small business has always impressed us and I'd sail anywhere with this outfit.
DECEMBER 2, 2011Lindblad Expeditions (
National Geographic Endeavour)
10-Night Galapagos Islands
Day 1 Guayaquil, Ecuador
Day 2 Guayaquil / Galapagos / Baltra
Day 3 Floreana
Day 4 Isabela / Fernandina
Day 5 Santa Cruz
Day 6 Santa Cruz
Day 7 Bartolome / Santiago
Day 8 Espanola
Day 9 Baltra / Guayaquil
Day 10 Guayaquil
Why this cruise? Are you on Lindblad's mailing list? If not, get on it. The cruise catalogs are packed with photos of up-close and personal animal encounters in the Galapagos. I listened in on a recent Lindblad webinar and I hope we can make time for a trip to the Galapagos Islands soon.
Comment on this post and let us know where you're cruising in 2011.
