With summer officially here, many people are dying to get out onto the water. That could be heading down to your local pool, going to the beach, making a weekend trip to the family lake house or if you’re lucky, all of the above.
A great way to combine your love of travel and desire to get into the water is to head out for a cruise. Cruises can take many shapes and forms. Some are around four days, some can be a week while others can even stretch into double digit days. If you’re looking for something even crazier, why not hop aboard the next sailing of the Titanic?
If you’re not wanting to run against an iceberg, even if it means finding your Jack or Rose, these next options might be a better choice for you.
The Caribbean
Chances are when you thought of “cruise” the Caribbean popped into your head. With so many different islands to see, the Caribbean provides endless possibilities for your cruising spirit. Many ships offer a wide variety of activities to take part in while you’re bouncing from island to island. You will find no shortage of activities like ice skating, theater, trivia contests, dance parties and more.
The majority of cruises start in Miami, Florida or Galveston, Texas and can last anywhere from four days to ten days. Make sure you’re packing appropriately for your trip! Don’t forget to accessorize. Vacations are full of photo ops that you’ll want to be ready for.
One of the most popular routes are the Western Caribbean Cruises which take you around Mexico and central America. You will get a chance to explore Mayan Ruins as well as stop off in popular destinations like Jamaica, Cuba or Costa Rica.
Mainland Europe
While you might think of cruises as having giant boats that pass over seas and oceans, you would be surprised to know that Europe is home to many famous river cruises. Europe is home to a ton of rivers that take thousands of travelers each year throughout the continent.
The Danube River runs through over ten countries, including Germany, Austria and Slovenia. The Rhine flows through the Netherlands, Germany and into Switzerland.
The ships aren’t nearly as big as their counterparts around the globe, but the cruises offer you a completely new way of seeing Europe. You’ll get to stop off in tons of cities and explore all they have to offer as well.
The Baltics and Northern Europe
It’s time for you to channel your inner Viking and head north to the Baltics.There are plenty of options throughout the Baltic and the four main countries you will be seeing are Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Latvia. All of these countries have beautiful port cities where you can get off and wander throughout history and culture.
If you head a little bit west, you could make stops along northern Poland, Germany and throughout Denmark and western Sweden. Just remember to bring a language dictionary as you’ll be switching back and forth with a lot of languages.
If you want to ditch the Baltics, head over to Norway where you can cruise up the coast line, visit the numerous fishing villages and see one of the world’s most precious natural beauties, the fjords.
Alaska
While many may think of Alaska has a desolate, cold land that is home to Balto only, the fact is that Alaska offers fantastic cruise options. You definitely won’t be soaking up the sun like you may in other cruise spots, but Alaska has a ton to offer passengers and travelers.
You won’t just be seeing Alaska but port cities across Canada as well. Many of these Alaskan cruises start out in Seattle or Vancouver and you’ll snake (polar bear?) your way up the coast, being able to see all the natural beauty the land has to offer. Since many of these towns are so close together, you might be stopping every single day to visit something different.
If you’re up for it, most cruise lines offer glacier cruises where you’ll be passing through many islands and inlets on your journey.
Just like others cruises, there are plenty of activities to do on board but perhaps the most enjoyable are the stops where you’ll get to explore various places. Just remember to pack a good coat with you.
