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DEL.ICIO.USFull-time cruising in Europe
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A friend in the travel cruise business sent me a bit of cruise news I missed and it makes me want to pack my bags and head for Europe in January 2009.
Starting next May, Royal Caribbean’s Brilliance of the Seas will begin sailing from Barcelona and — in a first for North American cruise lines — plans year-round Mediterranean sailings.
From May to December, the ship will alternate 12-night Med Venice and 12-night Med Greek Isle trips. From January to May — when airfares from Atlanta to Europe are much lower than summer fares — the ship will offer 11-night Egypt/Eastern Med or 10-night Canary islands and Morocco sailings.
With the euro beating up the U.S. dollar, cruising in Europe is a pretty good deal, and with lower airfares to get there, I’d think it would be a double savings. Would you consider cruising the Med in non-traditional months? Lots of families are tied to the school calendar year for vacations, but for those of us who aren’t, it seems like a good option. What do you think — will Royal Caribbean’s plans bomb or succeed?
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Cruising
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By JJ
May 3, 2007 9:24 AM | Link to this
I’d do it in a heartbeat. I never really desired to travel outside the US, as there is so much here to see. However, I just got a passport, and that has opened up, literally, a whole new world for me. I am so excited……. I would love to cruise the Med. I have already cruised to the Bahamas (our starter cruise), and in July we are going on an Alaskan cruise, with stops in Canada…… So I am ready to see the world.
By Stockbridge Resident
May 3, 2007 10:28 AM | Link to this
Absolutely! I would definitely love some off season cruising in Europe. As it is right now, we typically do our major vacation in the off season, whether it be cruise or otherwise, and we love it because of the smaller crowds and better prices.
By Phillip
May 3, 2007 11:09 AM | Link to this
You hit the Nail on the head! Europe is SO EXPENSIVE that cruising is just about the only way to go, at least until the dollar makes a turn around. My mother and I are taking an NCL cruise out of Barcelona this summer (I’m using miles to avoid the radically increased summertime airfares, and Delta goes nonstop).
There are some places, like southeastern Alaska, that really must be seen from the perspective of being at sea. The wonderful, blue waters of the Med Sea are like this… If you are going to visit southern Europe, you will miss out on so much if you can’t be on a boat.
Cruising is also a fun way to check out multiple destinations to see which one you’d like to return and stay a while (when the Euro is better for us). We are going to Sicily, Naples, Rome, Pisa and Nice.
By Amanda Miller
May 3, 2007 12:15 PM | Link to this
JJ
Congrats on getting a passport! Do you know you’re in an elite group now? Only about 25 percent of Americans have passports — although that’s going to change with the new homeland security rules. How long did it take to get your passport processed? A friend of a friend of mine put in an application 11 weeks ago and is still waiting.
Amanda