Cruise Holidays - Attheta Travel

If you’re thinking about a sweet honeymoon cruise, consider taking it a step further – to actually getting married while on a cruise. You can combine a beautiful ceremony and a fabulous vacation into one memorable travel experience! There are several options for saying “I do” while on a cruise, so you’ll have some important decisions to make. And, the process can be a bit complex, which is why several cruise lines offer assistance in the form of dedicated wedding coordinators. These coordinators can also arrange special touches for you – think relaxing, pre-ceremony massages – plus flowers, photography, cake and champagne. If you picture yourselves being married on the ship by the captain, know that you’ll be limited to just a few cruise lines and even to certain sailings on those lines, which include Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America and Royal Caribbean. The ability to be married on a cruise ship while at sea is a legal matter, dependent on the...

Here’s one for the bucket list: a world cruise! These cruises of 100 nights or more are an ideal way to see the world in comfort. Some actually circumnavigate the globe; others don’t make a full circle, but take you to four or five continents, seeking out the most historic, cultural and exotic ports along the way. Of course, not everyone has the time or budget to enjoy an entire world cruise from beginning to end. Fortunately, there is an option: most cruise lines offer world cruise segments as stand-alone cruises. In fact, many of the most exotic cruise itineraries available are actually segments of world cruises. Take a look at these planned world cruise segments for 2016: Crystal Cruises Singapore to Shanghai, 18 nights, March 13-30. This segment explores Southeast Asia, taking in Koh Samui and Bangkok, Thailand; Sihanoukville, Cambodia; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Hong Kong, Xiamen and Shanghai, China. Special features include two nights each in Ho Chi Minh City and...

Alaska consistently ranks among the top five premier cruise destinations, according to Cruise Holidays’ surveys of cruise booking data from its agencies across North America. From 1997 to 2008, the annual number of Alaska-bound cruise passengers doubled, from 500,000 to more than one million; while that growth has calmed a bit, the upward trend continues. What makes Alaska cruises so endearingly popular? Multiple cruise lines visit Alaska, so there’s a terrific choice of ships, onboard amenities and onshore activities. But, Alaska’s popularity as a cruise destination really comes down to Alaska itself. The scenery is massive in scale and absolutely stunning: verdant old-growth forests, snow-capped peaks, calving glaciers that glow deep blue and green; plus, wide stretches of water and shoreline occupied by extraordinary wildlife, from deep-diving whales to soaring eagles. The ports are unique, offbeat towns that welcome visitors interested in native cultures, the frontier age an...

Wonderful dining is a part of every cruise: delicious, plentiful food that you neither cook nor clean up. However, some cruise lines elevate the onboard dining experience to five-star levels. Nobu Matsuhisa is an acclaimed sushi master and the creator of innovative Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine. If you have trouble securing reservations at his restaurants in cities like London, New York and Hong Kong, don’t worry; you can enjoy his Silk Road restaurant and Sushi Bar on Crystal Cruises’ Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony . As a bonus, you can book your first reservation at Silk Road with no reservation fee. Fans of Geoffrey Zakarian know him as an Iron Chef, a recurring judge on Food Network’s “Chopped,” and a New York-based restauranteur. He also oversees the elegant, seafood-focused restaurant Ocean Blue on Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest ships. Guests on the Norwegian Breakaway and Norwegian Getaway can savor Zakarian’s take on scallops, sea bass, Dover sole and more...

It’s a busy time for the United Kingdom: William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are preparing to celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary April 29 while also awaiting the birth of their second child (the baby will be fourth in line to the throne, after his or her grandfather, father and brother). In addition, Queen Elizabeth will celebrate her 89th birthday on April 21. She is on her way to becoming Britain’s longest-reigning monarch; her reign will surpass that of Queen Victoria on September 10. With all of these happy events, the U.K. will celebrate all summer long, making it a wonderful time to cruise this part of the world. The British Isles include Great Britain – England, Scotland and Wales – and lots of offshore islands, as well as Ireland. The coastlines are beautiful, and ships can move from one port to another quickly, giving you more time to explore the ports and take day excursions to inland attractions, such as England’s Stonehenge. A summer crui...

If the thought of meeting a cruise ship dress code is a little intimidating, you’re not alone; no one wants to be the only person who didn’t know that “formal night” calls for a tie, for example. The good news is that while most cruise ships have a dress code, your Cruise Holidays personal cruise expert will help you interpret the code so that you’ll know what to pack. In fact, if a dress code – or the lack of one – is important to you, your cruise expert can guide you to specific cruise lines and ships that match your wish to dress up or down. “Cruise casual” clothing is predominant on many ships – think of sportswear and what you’d wear to play golf or tennis in at a sports club. Men will be comfortable in polo shirts, sport pants or shorts; women in the same, as well as blouses, skirts and casual dresses. With this dress code, bare feet, tank tops, and very short shorts are generally not included. Shorts are fine during the day, but are usually not welcome at dinner. Jean...

Cruises of China’s mighty Yangtze River have been popular for years; now, ocean-going cruise lines are offering deep-water cruise options for travelers who want to explore this massive, populous and still mysterious nation. China is also a fast-growing market for cruising, so the demand for cruises among Chinese travelers is bringing more ships to the region, too. In fact, Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas will homeport in Shanghai. Several of China’s largest cities are located along the Pacific Coast, and here’s what you could see in a few of them: Beijing . Tianjin is the port for Beijing, which lies about 70 miles inland; some cruises feature an overnight stay in a Beijing hotel, providing more time for you to enjoy the city. Must-see sights include Tiananmen Square, the enormous, historic square that encompasses the Monument to the People’s Heroes, the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, the Great Hall of the People, and two massive city gates. The square is next to the Forb...