Cruise Holidays - Attheta Travel

Beach at the Hilton Resort Last month, we had the pleasure of guiding a wonderful group of forty-eight travelers on a memorable 16-day cruise from Port Louis, Mauritius, all the way to Cape Town, South Africa. Since this was our agency’s first time visiting Mauritius, we chose to arrive a few days early to explore the island and get over the jet lag from the long journey—it’s quite a trek with a ten-hour time difference, and our total travel time, including layovers, was about thirty hours. Mauritius is a beautiful island located roughly 700 miles east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. We stayed for three nights at the Hilton Resort, right on the beach. If you ever find yourself visiting Mauritius, we recommend the Hilton—it provides a comfortable, relaxing spot to unwind and enjoy the scenery. What struck me most about Mauritius was its economy, which compares favorably to many other African destinations we’ve visited. Being in the Southern Hemisphere, the island tends to attract...

Florida’s cruise ports – Port Canaveral, Port Miami, and Port Everglades – are the busiest in the world, but they are not the only places to get on board a cruise ship. From Boston to Seattle, cruise ship homeports dot the U.S. coastline, and another major American city is ready to join in. This April, Norwegian Cruise Line will begin sailing from a brand-new cruise terminal in Philadelphia, near the Philadelphia International Airport. This will give the Mid-Atlantic region a gateway to cruising for the first time since 2011, when Philadelphia’s previous cruise terminal ceased operations. So, where can you sail from Philadelphia? To begin, the Norwegian Jewel and the Norwegian Pearl are offering voyages to Bermuda; to New England and Canada; and to the Caribbean, with itineraries that feature port calls in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. As these ships sail away from Philadelphia and down the Delaware River, passengers will have a view of the city’s impressive skyline. ...

Last summer, before embarking on our cruise, we spent three nights in Reykjavík to deepen our appreciation of Iceland’s unique allure. Having visited the country before, we had yet to fully explore the remarkable natural features that define this extraordinary island. This time, we made the deliberate choice to venture beyond the city through thoughtfully selected tours. Our accommodation at the Hilton Curio Collection was ideally located near the historic heart of Old Town, adjacent to Reykjavík’s famed hotdog stand—a local institution known well beyond Iceland’s shores. Over our stay, it was apparent just how beloved this spot is, with tour groups regularly pausing for a quick bite and a dedicated queue forming at all hours. Remarkably, the stand remains open until 5 a.m., closing only after the city’s bars do—testament to its iconic status. A highlight was the “Golden Circle” tour, an eight-hour excursion that offered an immersive experience of Iceland’s captivating countryside—feat...

  There’s a fantastic option for close-to-home cruising along the U.S.-Canadian border: the Great Lakes, five massive lakes that touch eight states and one province. The lakes are so wide and deep they would be classified as inland seas if they were filled with saltwater – instead, they are the world’s largest group of freshwater lakes. You’ll find natural beauty, fascinating history and sparkling cities along their shores. Cruise lines that sail lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan, and Superior include Viking, Ponant, and American Cruise Lines. They use smaller ships for this summer cruise region, because they need to fit through the narrow locks and canals that connect some of the lakes. So while you’ll sail in great style and comfort, don’t expect waterparks, dozens of dining options or big performance spaces on board. A variety of Great Lakes itineraries are available; as you explore them, consider length, the number of lakes and ports visited, and the number of “lake days...

For the first time in more than 30 years, Windstar has welcomed a newly built ship to its fleet: the Star Seeker. This 224-passenger ship, the first in the cruise line’s Star Class, has some terrific features you can expect to see again (such as on Windstar’s upcoming Star Explorer , scheduled to debut in late 2026). Star Seeker made its debut in December 2025, with a voyage from Málaga, Spain, to Miami. After a naming ceremony, Star Seeker embarked on a series of Caribbean itineraries. The ship is scheduled to sail in Alaska this summer, and then move on to Asia. Some of Windstar’s yacht-like ships have sails, but Star Seeker is a motor yacht, equipped with two Rolls Royce engines. The ship has 112 cabins, each with a private veranda or floor-to-ceiling windows. Some of these windows can be opened halfway, from the top, to create a balcony effect that lets the breeze in. Every cabin is equipped with a large, walk-in shower with a rainfall shower head and body jets. There are...

Cruising is a great family vacation, but it’s also a lovely adults-only getaway. And, there are now more options for no-kids cruising, because Oceania Cruises just announced that it’s transitioning to an adults-only cruise line. Here’s a quick Q&A: When it comes to cruises, what does adults-only mean? It means that passengers must be 18 years or older at the time of sailing. In addition, there are no special clubs, menus or facilities for children on board; all of the spaces, dining venues, and amenities are geared to adults. Why did Oceania Cruises decide to become an adults-only cruise line? While the change is a shift in the cruise line’s policy, there won’t be much change to the passenger experience, as Oceania has never catered to children. Their research showed that its passengers value a serene, sophisticated and unhurried atmosphere, and that a considerable number of them thought the line was already adults-only. “This change isn’t about making a 180-degree shift,” ...