2023 Family-Friendly Cruise Travel Planner by Heidi Allison, CruiseCompete, LLC
Dear Readers and Cruise Enthusiasts,
We are thrilled you are reading my 8 th edition of the Sea Tales Family Cruise Travel Planner ebook. Thank you, I am truly honored. As I am in the midst of writing this ebook, I have been invited to attend the inaugural voyage of the SH Vega, a Swan Hellenic expedition ship. I’ll tell you about that later. Many families think of warm weather and beaches for vacation. There are many to choose from departing from North America ports, the Caribbean & Northern Europe offer warm weather cruises that will delight most of the members of your family. A trend we are seeing is that families are anxious to dream about travel and enjoy cruise travel vacations together. Plus, trending now, is travel to remote and isolated locations on our planet where few people have ventured. Now, a little about Swan Hellenic and their beautiful ship the SH Vega . She is the second of the new expedition’s ships launched by Swan Hellenic. The ship is named after the first ship to cross the Arctic Northeast Passage. The ship incorporates a PC5 ice- strengthened hull combined with extra-large stabilizers to make your journey as smooth as possible. 70 years after its first pioneering cruise, Swan Hellenic is proud to return to the world’s waters with two brand new expedition ships. The ships are built in the Helsinki shipyard in Finland and combine the latest polar ice-class technology with stylish sophisticated interiors. Think boutique high end hotel with contemporary sophistication! They call it ‘Scandi-luxe’ Chic, spacious and well-planned cabins feature generously sized bathrooms, comfortable in-room dining facilities and unobstructed views from staterooms and public spaces. The intention is to provide an unobtrusive relaxing background that allows guests to be fully immersed in breathtaking sceneries. A remote location to be discovered - Antarctica - If you wish to take a trip to the Tahitian Islands, Europe, New Zealand, the Bahamas or the North Pole, all you need to do is get in your car and drive, hop aboard a train or a plane. Make your plan and off you go. Not so easy with Antarctica. There are not any commercial planes going to Antarctica . Antarctica air cruise itineraries utilize one-way or round-trip flights from Punta Arenas, Chile, to the Antarctica Peninsula where guests board a ship . Flights to Antarctica utilize the airstrip at the King George Island Antarctica airport. A cruise ship, and not just any cruise ships, (they are expedition vessels built for this reason) is your ticket to see Antarctica, otherwise this destination is inaccessible.
My dreaming of visiting the largest ice store on the planet began with a ship called the Marco Polo an, Orient Lines passenger cruise ship. The MS Marco Polo was a cruise ship originally built as ocean liner called the Aleksandr Pushkin for the Baltic Shipping Company. It was deemed an ice-breaker. After a major renovation, the ship sailed as Marco Polo for Orient Lines from 1993 to 2008. During my tenure with Orient Lines, a cruise line specializing in destination immersions, I had the luxury of sailing on this fascinating ship. Lars-Eric Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic (a pioneer in the travel to remote areas of the world) was friends with the owner of Orient Lines, Gerry Herrod, and I was asked to travel and lecture about Antarctica with Lars. We traveled extensively through Canada visiting many universities and lecturing about this cold continent. The Polar Regions are continually calling me - I have been invited several times to sail to Antarctica. Via The Marco Polo which at the time my children were babies and I could not take them. A few years ago, PONANT offered me a cruise to Antarctica during the December holiday for which I again, could not go. Sadly, I have yet to visit a place that I am imagining will be a feast for all of my senses. The Arctic - My closest encounter with the Arctic Region was via the most majestic and gorgeous MS Sajafjord. She was awarded a 5 stars plus ranking by Berlitz Cruise Guide and consistently voted one of the 10 best cruise ships in the world. a 6-star cruise ship operated by Norwegian America Line. The Sagafjord was built by Société Nouvelle des Forges et Chantiers de la Méditerranée, France. Deep inside the Arctic Circle and only 500 miles from the North Pole at its most northerly point, the Svalbard archipelago offers a truly Arctic experience at the edge of the inhabitable world. Nordvest-Spitsbergen National Park is located on the Norwegian Arctic Archipelago of Svalbard and includes parts of north-west Spitsbergen and nearby islands such as Danes Island and Moffen. It contains, among other things, warm springs and remains of volcanoes in Bockfjorden. If the Arctic is not calling you (yet) , there are many warm weather destinations to choose from and here is a link to specials which some of the most knowledgeable and well-traveled travel advisors keep up to date. https://www.cruisecompete.com/specials/ I n summary - If you are dreaming of a way to enrich and thrill your senses, contemplating a cruise and ultimately sailing on a voyage will thrill you and your family. Bon Voyage! Warm wishes, Heidi
Policies subject to change without notice, always check with your travel agent regarding pregnancy policies and children age policies prior to booking your cruise.
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