Tag: cruises

The Best Summer Vacations

While many travelers find comfort in revisiting their old favorites during the summer months, many others find that a lot can be gained from trying out an experience that is unfamiliar, exciting, and classically summer. That’s why this article from Travel + Leisure that’s gathered 20 classic summer vacations from its readership is truly the perfect solution to those wondering how they can best add a little something new to their Summer 2022 plans.

If you’re like most people, your vacations are probably pretty routine. You go to the same place every year and do the same things. There’s comfort to be found in the summer vacation routine, but for all of the solace that predictability brings, you’re missing out on experiences that could be the answer to a question that you never thought to ask. Surveying Travel + Leisure’s suggested list of nearly two dozen “classic” summer vacation ideas” might spark your imagination to venture out of your comfort zone and into your new niche for future vacations to come.

Taking a Road Trip along the Pacific Coast Highway

This first suggestion may seem to be the most obvious, but if you’ve never hit the open road on a multi-state road tripbefore, you are sure to be surprised by how much of an eye-opening experience it can be. For the purpose of venturing out of your comfort zone, it’s suggested that you plan a road trip around locaitions new, enticing, and close-in-proximity to you, and for most, that means heading along the United States’s West or East coast during your travels.

One perfect pathway for your road trip is to venture down the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH). The PCH is one of the most scenic drives in the world; running from San Francisco to Los Angeles, it’s a winding road that takes you through some of the most beautiful parts of California. As you travel along the PCH, you’ll pass through several beach towns, national parks and other beautiful places, but some of the stand-outs are: San Francisco, Big Sur, and Santa Barbara.

Taking in the Sights of Charleston, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia

Alternatively, if you’re more interested in visiting fewer separate sights and seeking out enriching experiences in two classic American cities, then you should consider road tripping on the Eastern coast of the United States from Charleston, a beautiful city on the coast of South Carolina that’s full of history and culture, to Savannah, another southern pinnacle that is supplied with an old world charm and a modern flair. If you’re traveling from Charleston to Savannah via Interstate 26, then be sure to check out Historic Downtown Summerville before heading out, as it offers plenty of shops and restaurants along with historic sites like Old Towne Hall as well as several parks throughout the town where you can relax and take in the scenery. Elsewhere, plan to visit the over 35,000 artifacts on display at the Charleston Museum or simply visit the Market, located in downtown Charleston. The Market is home to different shops and restaurants, including local favorites like The Grove, Sticky Fingers Bakery & Café and more.

Once in Savannah, you’ll be able to inundate yourself with the first place you should stop is Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens. This plantation is home to a beautiful 18th century mansion and an authentic working rice plantation. You can take a tour of the plantation or just walk around and enjoy the beauty for free. Secondly, you should consider taking a tour of Bonaventure Cemetery. Understandably, a cemetery might not be the most fun sight to see, but Bonaventure Cemetery contains many interesting sculptures, mausoleums, and gravestones and is also known as “America’s Most Haunted Cemetery.” Lastly, for a little more culture, be sure to check out the Telfair Museum of Art and Jepson Center, as these two art museums showcase works by famous artists such as Picasso and Monet and also host different events throughout the year such as Jazz Concerts.

Ride the Rails in Europe

Outside of an enticing road trip, Travel + Leisure also suggests that you inject some wonder and excitement into your summer vacations by traveling by train in Europe. While there are many reasons to travel by train in Europe such as cost effectiveness or environmental efficiency, the most obvious and alluring is that it’s a great way to see the beautiful countryside of this area of the world. While it’s possible to drive through Europe, there are many beautiful spots where you’re not allowed to stop and walk around, or even pull over and snap a picture.

Hop Aboard a Cruise Line

Another suggestion for summer vacations from the article is to hop aboard a cruise, as they offer a variety of activities and entertainment that will make your trip memorable, whether it’s with family or friends. Once on a cruise, every element from food to entertainment is elevated. The cuisine that’s found on board cruises is delicious and plentiful, allowing you to choose from fine dining at a restaurant with white linen tablecloths and waiters in tuxedos or casual dining at an open-air deck buffet– depending on the mood you find yourself in. Similarly, cruises have many entertainment options available including live shows performed by professional entertainers, dance performances, piano bars and discos. Outside of performances, you can also find plenty of things to do during your down time such as golfing or shuffleboard tournaments, proving that there’s something for everyone.

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Choosing the Right Cruise for You

Choosing the right cruise for you and your family can be daunting.  There are so many factors at play: price, crowd, ship size, port location, and so on and so on.  Luckily, Travel + Leisure created a nifty cruise finder tool to help you choose the right one, no matter if you want a relaxing tropical getaway or adventure packed snowy scenery.  There is a cruise out there tailor-made for your wants and needs but first, you have to know what your options are and what factors to consider.

1.    Where do you want to go?

Used to, the only available cruises were in the Caribbean, greatly reducing access to many Americans, not to mention international travelers. Now it seems there isn’t a place on the globe that a cruise won’t go yet, not every line goes to every destination and some lines are stronger than others in particular areas. In Alaska, for instance, two lines — Princess and Holland America — dominate with seven ships apiece. Carnival, on the other hand, always has been a leader in the Caribbean, with more voyages there from more home ports than any other line.

How long do I want to be away?

This can have a huge influence on which line — and ship — you choose. Some lines, such as Carnival, specialize in shorter cruises of three to seven nights. Others, such as Oceania, rarely offer a voyage of fewer than 10 nights.  On the far end of the spectrum, a few lines such as Cunard and Holland America operate annual around-the-world cruises of 100 nights or more.

What’s my budget?

Like hotels, cruises come in a wide variety of price points with features to match.  Mass-market lines such as Carnival offer voyages for as little as $399 per person, per week. Luxury lines such as Seabourn and Regent Seven Seas can charge as much as $1,000 per person, per day. Rates also can swing significantly depending on the season and the lead-in price you see in advertisements often is for a small, “inside” cabin without windows onto the sea. You might pay hundreds of dollars more for an outward-facing cabin with a balcony.  Also, be warned: The upfront cost of a cruise is only part of the expense, particularly for the less expensive, mass-market lines. While companies such as Royal Caribbean and Princess include most on-board entertainment, activities and meals in main restaurants in the base cost, passengers pay extra for alternative specialty restaurants and drinks. Most mass-market lines also add a gratuity for the staff that can be as much as $12 per person, per day, and there are additional charges for everything from on-board Internet use to shore excursions.


What’s my cruise personality?

Every line has its own personality — and appeals to a different type of person. Carnival, for instance, is known for a gregarious, fun-loving crowd. Celebrity, by contrast, draws a quieter, more style-conscious customer. The two lines operate ships of similar sizes, and often on similar routes and at similar prices, but a regular Carnival customer would likely be miserable on a Celebrity ship — and vice versa.

Am I bringing the kids?

Some lines are much more focused on families than others. In addition to Disney Cruise Line, which has staked its business on families, mass-market lines such as Royal Caribbean and Carnival are leaders in family-friendly cruising, with extensive onboard children’s areas, deck-top water parks, family pool areas and other kid-friendly amenities. In general, the biggest mass-market ships also tend to be the best for families, given the wide range of deck-top activities.


How much do I care about entertainment?

Some lines, such as Disney, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian offer large theaters that stage Broadway-worthy productions such as the musical Chicago and the Blue Man Group. Other lines focus less on on-board entertainment, and the variety and quality of shows even can vary within a line from ship to ship. In general, larger ships offer more elaborate and diverse options than smaller ships, which have less room for large theaters. Some of the smallest ships have no entertainment at all, other than the occasional on-board lecture or port talk.

How important is the food?

Dining always has been a big part of the cruise experience, and many lines pride themselves on their selection of restaurants. That said, some cruise lines place far more emphasis on food than others. Lines such as Oceania, Cunard and Crystal have brought in big-name chefs such as Jacques Pepin, Todd English and Nobu Matsuhisa to create and manage eateries. And diversity also varies widely, with some lines such as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian offering more than a dozen restaurants on some ships.

Do I want to get dressed up?

Overall, cruise ships have become a lot less formal in recent years. The days of black-tie nights are virtually gone. But the dress code at sea still varies from line to line. Want to keep it super casual? You might want to go with Norwegian, where the “freestyle” philosophy extends to the dress code. By contrast, on U.K.-based Cunard, formal nights (black tie for men, evening wear for ladies) still take place several times a week, and passengers wear jackets even on casual nights.

No matter what you choose as your cruise line and destination, it is sure to be an experience to remember!  For more travel tips, click here.