If you're like me, you're taking some time off during the holidays to relax with friends and family. Part of this downtime includes planning vacations for 2012 and beyond. So far, we've booked reservations for getaways to Mexico, Fiji, Switzerland, France, and Thailand. We'll see what other adventures we settle upon for the year!
As we search for new vacation ideas, we're reviewing the YouTube channels of various luxury cruise lines and resorts. If you've got some time to view videos and plan your next trip, check out these YouTube channels:
There are some fantastic videos posted by these travel companies and you'll also find links to videos taken by fellow travelers. The combination of marketing videos and real-world experiences will help as you plan your next great escape.
It's been five years since I first set foot on a luxury cruise ship. I was still in my thirties then and was struck by the fact that my husband and I were the youngest travelers on board the ship. We couldn't understand why.
The itinerary was fantastic—visiting unusual ports of call—and the value was clear. We enjoyed a spacious, well-designed suite, attentive service, inclusive food and wine, and a cadre of entertainment options for less than a comparable vacation at a five-star resort on land.
Since that first experience, we've been on dozens of luxury cruise ships and yachts and we're still often among the youngest cruises aboard. All the cruise lines are reaching out to a younger crowd, and here's what they need to be saying to all those professional thirty- and forty-something's who've yet to set sail...
Our itineraries fit perfectly within the structure of your vacation time. Many luxury lines are now offering more 7-, 8-, and 9-night sailings. This makes it easier for a young professional to commit without tapping out his or her allotted vacation time. SeaDream Yacht Club has excellent offers in this regard as does Azamara Club Cruises.
We go to the destinations you want to visit. From close-to-home regions, like the Caribbean and Mediterranean, to more exotic locales such as French Polynesia and Southeast Asia, luxury cruise lines program compelling itineraries all over the world. Cruises enable the traveler to sample many ports across a region in a relatively short amount of time. For the Caribbean, thirty-somethings should check out Windstar Cruises, Compagnie Du Ponant Yacht Cruises offers excellent options in the Med, Paul Gauguin Cruises is the way to go in French Poly, and Crystal Cruises is excellent for Asia.
We offer active expeditions and wildlife-centric adventures. People often joke that cruises are for the newly wed and nearly dead, but that's just not true. More and more companies are offering expeditions that offer active adventures including hiking, kayaking, snorkeling, diving, and more. American Safari Cruises, part of InnerSea Discoveries, has excellent itineraries in Alaska's Inside Passage, Mexico's Sea of Cortes, the Hawaiian Islands, and more. Australia outfit, Orion Expedition Cruises, hits far-flung destinations like Borneo, Papua New Guinea, and Micronesia. And, of course, Silversea's expedition ship, Silver Explorer, is one of the best ways to visit polar bears in the Arctic.
No matter what your age, consider sailing with a luxury cruise line in 2012. It's one of the best vacation values available these days.
One of my favorite bloggers, Gary Leff of View from the Wing, often talks about aspirational travel. His focus is on frequent flyer miles and back in July he talked about why he loves spending his own miles on first class travel to places like Southeast and Central Asia.
His blog post got me thinking about the cruises I prefer and which are still on my wish list. Many are "aspirational" because they either focus on far-away ports of call, wildlife sightings, or the chance to meet and talk with the great thinkers of our time.
Here are a few cruise itineraries that I'm looking forward to...
Orion Expedition Cruises
Camp Leakey: Faces in the Forest Bali – Borneo – Singapore Itinerary
Orion II
2011: September 30 and December 29
2012: January 8, February 17, August 14 & 24, October 2 & 12
This itinerary travels between Bali and Singapore with seven days spent in Borneo in search of wild and ex-captive orangutans.
Compagnie Du Ponant Yacht Cruises
Male, Maldives Roundtrip
Le Ponant
2012: January 11, 18, 25, February 1, 11, 18, 25, March 3
The Maldives have been calling my name all year and the toughest question has been, which atoll should be home base during our vacation. Compagnie Du Ponant Yacht Cruises has solved that dilemma with its series of cruises that visit the following atolls: Mulaku, Thaa, Dhaalu, Faafu, South Ari, North Ari, and South Male.
Anantara Cruises
Chao Phraya River, Bangkok, Thailand
Anantara Dream
In July 2011 Anantara took over Manohra Cruises, a specialty travel company sailing two refurbished 100-year-old rice barges down Bangkok's Chao Phraya River. I'd book the two-cabin Anantara Dream for an ultra exclusive two-night experience.
What cruises are you most looking forward to? I'd love to hear about them!
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