Do you want to cruise but are afraid of being out in the huge ocean, far from the sight of land?

While visiting with friends at a concert recently, we got on to the topic of our up-coming travel plans. When I mentioned that since we started up Jacks Travel Tips, we were taking a trip to Hawaii and were also planning a Panama Canal cruise for next spring.  Everyone got caught up in our excitement, but one person said that they were not really sure that they would be comfortable taking a cruise. That brought up a discussion about the various options that were available to today’s cruisers. So, thank you Heidi, for giving me a great topic for this blog.

Heidi’s concern is not unusual.  In fact, the fear of getting seasick, fear of being bored or the fear of the ocean is a real concern for lots of people.  But that is not enough of a reason for you to give up the idea of a cruise! In fact, today’s modern cruise ships have stabilizers, which really minimizes the problems generally associated with getting seasick.

Also, the person who thinks they will be bored has never been on a cruise ship because there is so much to do; you could even skip getting off in port and still be busy having fun the whole time. That is especially wonderful if you are traveling with a grandparent who has difficulty getting around, but wants to enjoya multi-generational family vacation. They can enjoy the many on-board activities while you are taking a day trip in port, and everyone can still be together for breakfast, dinner and evening play time.

But if you still have doubts, Jack’s Travel Tips is here to tell you that you have several choices that will allow you to enjoy all of the special things about cruising without having to be out in the big blue ocean, out of sight of land.

First of all, there are river cruises. And I don’t just mean a cruise on the Mississippi. In fact, until just recently, all of the boats that used to cruise the Mississippi had pretty much vanished, except for short run excursions that had an overnight in a shore-based motel before returning to the boat’s home port.  These days, there were at last count, two companies offering river boat cruising on the Mississippi.  There is also a company offering a similar cruising experience on the Columbia River near Portland, Oregon.

If you are up for a little more adventure, and if you have a few more dollars saved to cover the air fare, there are dozens of river cruises throughout Europe, Portugal, Spain, Egypt, Russia, China and Viet Nam. Most of the river boat cruises are 7 days in length, but you could book them back to back and do a river boat cruise from Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Bucharest on the Black Sea!

These cruises are set up so that you can do just the cruise, or you can enjoy pre or post cruise excursions, as well as many side trips along the way, to see exciting historical locations. Wouldn’t you love to see German castles, French wineries, Dutch windmills, the tulips of Holland, Vienna, London, Normandy, the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Champs-Elysees, the Louvre,  St. Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow’s Red Square, St. Petersburg, the pyramids along the Nile in Egypt, the Great Wall of China and the Terra Cotta Army in Xi’an, Bangkok or Hong Kong?

Viking Longship Tour

Also, most of the river boat cruises are available to singles, so it is not just couples on these cruises.

Don’t forget the coastal cruises as well.  The ships stay pretty close to the coast on these cruises.  Starting on the west coast, there is the majestic Alaska Inside Passage cruise.  The Alaska cruise is on the top 10 favorite cruises for most cruisers.  America Cruise Lines offers a cruise on the Columbia between Astoria and Clarkston, WA.  Travel up the locks on the Columbia, and up the Snake with a side trip to Pendleton, Oregon.

Moving south, you can cruise  coastal California – Los Angeles to Vancouver, Canada. There is also Los Angeles to San Francisco, then south to Ensenada, Mexico, then north to San Diego and back to Los Angeles.  If you’re looking for a warmer climate, how about the Mexican Riviera along the western coast of Mexico? You can find 3, 4, 5 and 7 day cruises out of Long Beach.

A favorite would be on the Pride of America cruising the Hawaiian Islands.  You get to visit 4 islands starting with Ohau.  What a trip! Fly to Honolulu, spend a couple days on the beach at Waikiki, then do a 7 day island cruise, followed by a couple more days on the beach before flying home.  Maybe you will book a stay at the new Disney Aulani on Oahu.

On the east coast, there is the New England/St. Lawrence River cruise to enjoy the wonderful fall colors of the north east.  Cruise from New York City to Newport, Boston, Bar Harbor, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and then down the St. Lawrence River to Quebec City.

Looking for something closer to shore; how about a cruise from Providence, Rhode Island to New Bedford, to Nantucket Island, Martha’s Vinyard to Fall River then to Newport to Block Island and back to Providence.  How about the coast of Maine? Portland to Boothbay, Bar Harbor, Camden, Belfast, Castine, Rockland and back to Portland.

Another great cruise would be from Alexandria (near Washington, DC) down the river to Mt. Vernon, down to the Chesapeake Bay at St. Marys, and Solomons Island, then up to Annapolis, St. Michaels, Chestertown, through the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal to Philadelphia, PA.

You could do a whole week in the Chesapeake from Baltimore down to Colonial Williamsburg, VA, then back to Baltimore with stops at Tangier Island, Cambridge, Oxford, St. Michaels, and Annapolis. Another great trip would be up the Hudson River from New York City to Albany and back with stops at West Point, Kingston, Poughkeepsie and Sleepy Hollow.

Ready to head south?  How about the Mid-Atlantic inland passage?  Baltimore south to Charleston South Carolina. Stops at Norfolk, Kitty Hawk, Oriental, Beaufort, Wilmington and Myrtle Beach.

Of course, there is the south coast of the US as well.  Charleston, SC to Jacksonville, Florida.  Travel along the inside passage, sheltered by the barrier islands. Stops at Beaufort, Hilton Head Island, Savannah, Sapelo Island, Jekyll Island and Amelia Island along the way.  You could combine the last two cruises for a 15 day cruise from Baltimore, Maryland to Jacksonville, Florida.  What a trip!

Finally, there is the Great Rivers of Florida trip.  Jacksonville to Palatka to Lake George, Green Cove Springs, down the Tolomato River to St. Augustine, Amelia Island and then back to Jacksonville.

If you are looking for something more exotic, you can always cruise around the whole continent of Australia, or around New Zealand. How about the coastal cruise starting in Singapore and going north all the way to Tianjin, China? Yes, there is a little more open water on some of these exotic cruises, but you can work your way up to them.

As you can see, there are dozens of options worth considering. Give us a call at Jack’s Travel Tips and we will help you find just the right cruise for you.

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Turning Dreams into Memories,
One Vacation at a Time.
Bon Voyage!!!

As you might guess, this document is a compilation of information from our travels as well as from other travelers. I hope it has been of value to you.  Check out the important links below.

                    Packing Checklist    Parent Authorization Letter For Unaccompanied Minors

                Medical Treatment Authorization Letter     Travel With Minors-Permission Letter

Don’t hesitate to email us when you return from your trip with any suggestions that will make this document better for you and your fellow travelers!