Engaging, East Coast Enigmas
There was once an unwritten rule that boarding a cruise ship anywhere in America meant a cruise to somewhere warm and sub tropical. Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Caribbean were the usual suspects.
Summertime brought the vast, magnificent natural variety of Alaska into the mix. On the west coast, there were also the seasonal winter sailings to the Mexican Riviera. And, by and large, that was pretty much it.
But not any more.
Cruise lines have belatedly begun to realise that many American east and west coast cities are truly great visitor attractions in their own right, and that people will happily pay to see three or four of them over the course of a week.
Norwegian, for instance, sails from New York to call in at Port Canaveral, with its easy access to both EPCOT and the truly magical Cape Kennedy space centre. These visits are part of a seven night itinerary that also includes the Bahamas.
Luxury East Coast Cruises
Lines such as ultra-deluxe Crystal now schedule voyages that embrace southern gems like genteel, old world Charleston and sassy, sophisticated Boston in both spring and autumn. Both cities are a rich, compelling brew of history and both have a laid back kind of charm.
Of course there are no shortage of fall cruises from New York along the amazing natural path of the Saint Lawrence seaway. Small, highly styled yacht havens such as Newport contrast markedly with spectacular locations such as brooding, French accented Quebec. Halifax has it’s world famous connections to the Titanic, while Corner Brook is a magnificent, tranquil place to recharge. Both Princess and Holland America usually feature some fantastic itineraries, including options to extend in cities like Montreal and New York.
West Coast Cruises with Celebrity and NCL
Out on the west coast, you can take a cruise from Los Angeles to beautiful Santa Barbara and sunny, Spanish accented San Diego. Both Celebrity and Norwegian offer some excellent, spring and autumn repositioning cruises that meander into such scenic treats as San Francisco, Victoria, Portland and Vancouver. Celebrity markets these as ‘wine themed’ cruises. Both lines offer prices that are astonishingly good value. The days when west coast cruising inevitably meant Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas are over.
You will even find some three and four night options – on both coasts – that are prefect as an addition to a fly drive holiday; a few days afloat to recharge the batteries. Take a look. The odds are you’ll find something tempting out there.
3 Great East Coast Cruises
Crystal Cruises
16th September 2013 (10 days): Boston to Montreal from just £3414 per person
Includes flights – click here for more details
Oceania Cruises
20th October 2013 (15 days): Montreal to Miami from just £3248 per person
Click here for more details
Cunard
15th October 2013 (12 days): New York roundtrip from just £1979 per person
Click here for more details
Copyright: The Cruise Line 2013.
