Cruise Holidays - Attheta Travel

During the past few years, cruise lines have changed the practice of tipping the crew. Tipping used to a manual process: on the last day of the cruise, passengers would put cash tips in small envelopes and hand them out as thanks for the service they had received. This could be a problem when passengers found they didn’t have enough cash, or the right denominations, or couldn’t find the crew members they wanted to tip, or simply forgot. Now, most cruise lines automatically add these gratuities to the onboard account you settle at the end of the cruise. The cruise line takes care of distributing tips among the crew. This is easy and convenient for you, and ensures that tips reach members of the crew, like kitchen staff, who provide behind-the-scenes service. But, what if you would like to make changes to your automatic gratuities, or keep with the traditional practice of presenting cash tips? ·          If you think the automatic grat...

There’s dramatic scenery all along the Inside Passage, the waterway that stretches from Puget Sound to the Gulf of Alaska. With coastal mountains and fjords on one side and a long chain of protective islands on the other, the water is usually quite calm. That’s why the Inside Passage is a prized route for ships of all kinds, including cruise ships. The Inside Passage stretches for more than 1,000 miles, but numerous fjords, bays, and coves give it many more miles of shoreline; for example, the section that borders Canada’s British Columbia has more than 25,000 miles of shoreline. Here’s what to watch for as you cruise through. The Georgia Straight, part of the Salish Sea, lies between Vancouver Island (not to be confused with the city of Vancouver) and the mainland of British Columbia. At least 15 miles wide at all points, the strait has the feeling of an inland sea. Depending on when you cruise, you might spot great blue herons; bull kelp, which has amazingly long stalks that can grow...

Winter is coming and the warmth of the sun is calling you from the Caribbean and the Southern Hemisphere. If you need more reasons than that to plan a December cruise, we’ve got them: 1. You need to use your vacation days.  The end of 2018 is coming fast, which means it’s time to check your cache of vacation days. If you have some you need to use before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, consider a December cruise to take a real (and really fun) escape from the stresses of work and the routines of daily life. 2. Make winter shorter.  December usually brings the beginning of true winter weather. If you live where the snow falls, the desire to avoid the start of the cold weather goes without saying. But even if you live in the southern U.S., December can bring chilly and/or rainy weather. Fortunately, December is warm and wonderful in the Caribbean and in the Southern Hemisphere, where December is the beginning of summer. Just imagine discovering South Americ...

The island of Anguilla, a British territory, is a little off the usual cruise path, which is part of its charm. Most cruise itineraries bypass this northernmost island in the Leeward chain to call on its neighbors, including St. Martin and St. Barts. Still, some cruise lines – especially those with smaller, yacht-style ships – bring guests to this peaceful coral island. With little in the way of industry, agriculture or shopping, Anguilla is all about the water. Boat racing is the national sport, but you should board a slower day cruise to get to know the island and perhaps call on one of the pretty outer cays. If you like to be active on the water, you can board a fishing charter; the waters around Anguilla are full of swordfish, marlin, tuna and more. You can also go waterskiing, tubing, kiteboarding or windsurfing over the turquoise-hued water. Explore the underwater life of Anguilla with a snorkeling excursion to one of the warm, calm bays. The island is also a paradis...

Exotic Martinique, part of the Republic of France, blends the French and Caribbean cultures in its food, lifestyle, and celebrations. This sprawling and mountainous island, located between Dominica to the North and St. Lucia to the south, has a lot to see when your ship docks in Fort de France. In the capital city, don’t miss La Savane, 12 acres of park fringed by trees and flowers. There’s a fascinating statue of Josephine de Beauharnais, Martinique native and wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. Years ago, the statue’s head was broken off and the remainder splashed with red paint, presumably by islanders who blame her for urging Napoleon to re-establish slavery there. For wonderful views of the sea, stroll up the hill to Fort Saint Louis. It’s a historic site, but also an active French naval base; take care where you wander, as not all areas are open to the public. In the highlands north of the fort, there’s a botanical treasure, the Balata Gardens, where colorful flowers live among...