Cruising is finally making a come-back, to the delight of all of us cruise aficionados who find it one of the most luxurious and care-free ways to travel. Unpack once, wine and dine to your delight, and watch the beauty of the world roll by from your stateroom, outside deck or any number of scenic venues on board your ship.
While the actual cruise voyage represents the height of relaxation, getting to your port-of-call on time is another matter. With flight cancellations and delays at all-time highs, the thought of “missing the boat” is always lurking in the minds of potential cruisers.
And rightly so.
Any one of many factors can be responsible for delaying your arrival at your port-of-call, and you can’t avert them all without factoring in a pre-cruise stay of several days, which can add significant expense to your vacation budget.
In addition, the loss of luggage on airlines also seems to be at an all-time high, so if you are not “carry-on” travelers--which we are after years of travel experience--be aware that you may make your cruise connection, but your luggage might not!
Case in point: On a recent river cruise through France, we commiserated with a couple whose luggage was lost somewhere in the mid-West and never showed up in Paris for their cruise. They ended up buying T-shirts at the local market, and washing out the clothing they initially traveled in each night to wear each day of the week’s voyage!
So it wasn’t a surprise to learn about Holland America Line’s new “See the World from Your Doorstep” campaign. Those who want to avoid a long-haul flight can sail roundtrip from Boston, Fort Lauderdale, San Diego or Seattle with Holland America Line. The brand has more cruises over 15 nights roundtrip from these U.S. ports to destinations around the world than any other cruise line, visiting 225 ports in 91 countries.
Holland America’s Koenigsdam docked in the Port of San Diego
photo credit: Holland America
A recent survey by Cruise Critic found 82% of U.S.-based respondents would prefer to book an international cruise that sails from a domestic port than to fly to an international port. Holland America Line offers four Grand Voyages, all roundtrip from the U.S, for travelers who want to circle the world or explore Africa, South America or Australia.
Month long cruises include a roundtrip itinerary from San Diego visiting Hawaii, Tahiti and Marquesas, or a roundtrip departure from Boston visiting Greenland, Iceland, Norway and the British Isles.
In addition to extended voyages, Holland America Line also offers vacations 15 nights or less to popular locales like the Caribbean, Panama Canal, Canada, Alaska and Mexico roundtrip from a U.S. departure port and from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
We’re looking forward to sailing out of our home port San Diego on a Holland-America cruise soon. Just a 15-minute ride from home to the Port of San Diego, we’ll launch off to experience the wonders of the world. Can’t ask for a better deal!
For more information about Holland America Line, call SAIL HAL (877-724-5425) or visit hollandamerica.com.