Cruise Lines in Alaska – your best bets

Sun sets on ws Westerdam in Victoria, a favorite port for cruises to Alaska

We’ve found the most obvious contenders for those of you planning a cruise to Alaska. This ancient landscape is the natural habitat of adventurous cruisers, who seek not just relaxing on-board entertainment and a fully-stocked bar, but also the alien, extreme terrain and the unspoilt beauty of a wildlife-filled, breathtakingly empty natural wilderness.

American Safari

American Safari began operation in 1997 with just one 12-guest yacht. Now they run a handful of small vessels which take guests on exclusive tours of Alaska. They travel only during the day and moor in small harbours at night, ensuring you don’t miss any of the scenery.

Carnival

Carnival has a much larger fleet than American Safari, both in terms of vessel size and number of ships. But they still provide intimate hospitality on all their routes while cultivating a louder, more family-friendly atmosphere.

Celebrity Cruises

This company specializes in absolute pampering. The slogan for their Alaskan routes is “being supremely spoiled in an unspoiled land”. You’ll be invited to watch spectacular wildlife from your private veranda while enjoying the ship’s hospitality.

Inner Sea Discoveries

This is another cruise company specializing in smaller vessels which give a more intimate feel to the beautiful Alaskan coast. They call themselves the “un-cruise”, offering you the chance to “smell a whale’s breath”. They also offer kayak adventures.

Holland America

The Alaskan routes offered by Holland America (pictured above) date back to before Alaska was even a state of the USA. They offer enough time for you to properly explore areas like the Denali National Park and have a unique heritage in the Alaskan waters.

NCL

Norwegian Cruise Lines operates three spectacular vessels on their Norwegian routes – Norwegian Jewel, Norwegian Pearl, and Norwegian Star. Norwegian Jewel and Norwegian Pearl offer sixteen dining options, while Norwegian Star has thirteen and eleven bars.

Princess

Seven Princess ships tour the Alaskan routes, each with their own quirks, dining options and on-board entertainment. The Star Princess has a British pub on board, for example, while the Diamond Princess has an adults-only Sanctuary.

Regent Seven Seas

“Once you’ve been to Alaska, you never really come back.” Regent’s routes around the Alaskan coast bring you close to the scenery and wildlife that makes Alaska so special. They also offer connections with trains and light aircraft.

P&O

These cruises don’t just take you around Alaska. P&O’s routes take in the great North American cities on the way – New York, Boston, Vancouver and LA. You might even go via the Caribbean. P&O’s ocean-going heritage is enormous but this is their first foray into Alaska for forty years.

Disney

The Disney cruise line might not appear to have all the airs and graces of some of the more majestic operators, but the ships are packed with activities and the routes are as breathtaking as any other. The cruises tend to be very child-friendly.

Cunard

Operator of the legendary Queen Mary 2, Cunard has an almost unrivaled heritage in the cruise industry. These heavyweights of the ocean-going world will take you on a literally unforgettable adventure to Alaska alone, or including Alaska as part of an epic round-the-world trip.

Royal Caribbean

It might sound surprising, but Royal Caribbean runs some astonishing Alaskan cruises for a some equally astonishing prices. Look out for “repositioning” deals – vessels need to be moved around the globe for logistical purposes, so the cruise line will take fare-paying passengers for a very low price.

Silversea

The slightly smaller vessels in Silversea’s fleet will take you up Alaska’s Inside Passage and past the crystalline landscape. If you book far enough in advance, Silversea will give you up to $1,500 on-board spending money.

These aren’t the only cruise lines operating off the Alaskan coast, but they’re the ones we’re most familiar with and they’re the ones we’d trust the most. Each cruise line – each individual vessel – caters for a slightly different traveller on a slightly different journey. Whether you’re on a tiny, twelve-person American Safari yacht, or the largest cruise ship in the world, Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Sea, a cruise gives you the opportunity to see the world in luxury, style and grandeur.

For more information go to iglucruise.com 

Don't like the view? Wait 20 minutes... This revolving hotel is "Bucket List" material

When I lived in Colorado, we had a saying, "Don't like the weather? Wait 20 minutes." Now that saying can be applied to the view from your hotel room. Rent a luxury hotel room at the Marmara Antalya's Revolving Loft and get a rotating room that ensures a stunning 360-degree panorama afforded by the hotel's cliff top location. You could have the unique experience of falling asleep overlooking a beautiful seascape and waking up with a view of the rugged countryside. This is "Bucket List" material!

From the 24 rooms in the Revolving Loft to the 208 light, spacious and cuttingly-modern standard rooms everything about The Marmara Antalya is designed to maximise its strongest asset; incomparable views of ancient but thriving Antalya, Turkey.

These natural assets are taken and built upon with the familiar Marmara values of service, quality and above all a desire to ensure the guest feels good. Key to these aims are the unique blend of culture and relaxation with sport and health amongst the hotel's facilities, all accompanied by a healthy dose of fun.

The Tuti floor provides the perfect location to relax, surrounded by glass on three sides and scattered with Turkish pillows this light area space is perfect for those who wish to read a book from the extensive library, grab a bit to eat or simply check emails. The floor also houses an art gallery showcasing an ever changing array of exhibitions from a wide variety of artists.

Access the hotel's secluded private beach by a 70-meter tunnel studded with stalactites and stalagmites. The beach is hidden amongst the cliffs totally out of sight of the bustling city and offering stunning views of the Bey Mountains. Those who don't fancy sand in their shoes can cool off in the hotel pool or relax in the Jacuzzi.

Relax in the traditional Turkish Hamam complete with steam room, sauna and shock showers for the brave.

Families visiting this unique hotel can now enjoy a 30% discount on all children under 16.

Conceived in 2005 by French architect Christian Allart, the Revolving Loft operates on the principals of buoyancy and varies in revolving rhythms of between 2 and 22 hours. Sitting atop the cliffs on 28 specially landscaped acres, The Marmara Antalya not only features 24 uniquely designed rooms; it also offers 208 standard rooms.


Stacey Wittig, "Vagabonding Lulu" is a freelance Arizona travel writer who offers free travel tips. Enjoy this article? Then simply "subscribe" in the upper right to get the next travel tip delivered to your email box.

Seattle: Limitless Urban Adventure

Living in rural America, my husband Dan and I always get a kick out of using the public transportation when we visit major metro areas. And although we usually chase adventure via dirt bike or downhill skis, mapping out the light-rail system to get to the airport, scrambling aboard the monorail or asking street people about a bus connection can get the adrenalin flowing for us country kids. In Seattle, ferry boats can be thrown into the public transportation equation.

The heart of Seattle – Pike Place Market – beats with a happy, metro vibe that infects visitors as well as the locals. Long stalls stocked with brilliant and fragrant floral bouquets entice hoteliers and restaurateurs looking for fresh table garnishment while the fish market brings in chefs and shoppers searching for the special catch of the day. Bargain hunters stalk tiny eclectic shops for pipes, antique jewelry or crystal geodes and string musicians fill the stairwells with precious sound.

If you’re not claustrophobic, head down to the market on a Saturday morning. You could spend all morning there. We enjoyed egg sandwiches on newly-baked ciabatta with market-fresh tomato and lettuce at Sound View Café (go under the Market’s clock and then straight down the hallway.) You won’t need a window seat to get a view of the blue waters below or the backdrop of snow-capped Olympic Mountains. Conversely, you could get a cup o’Joe at the nearby Starbucks – the very first Starbucks – where Japanese tourists clamor for photos near its front door. Hey, so did I!

You’ll either love the energy of fishmongers throwing whole salmon and local farmers slicing off juicy hunks of peach for you to try right off their knives, or you won’t. “I don’t know why your mother wants to come down here every Saturday,” bemoaned one local father to the toddler he pushed in a stroller. Mother loves it; daddy’s got a different opinion. Never-the-less, Dan agreed with me that Pike Place Market makes for impressive people watching and remarkable photo ops.

Just down the hill from the market is Argosy Cruises which leave from Pier 55 for a one-hour narrated harbor tour. (Adult fare, $22.75.) The fun cruise aboard the ship-shape Spirit of Seattle was a great way to acclimatize to the city in a short amount of time. We learned about the Seattle Space Needle and the development of the spectacular downtown skyline. We also discovered that the Lion’s Club was holding their national conference in town over the Fourth of July weekend. No wonder hotels were booked and we had difficulty finding an affordable room.

Because room accommodations were a bit pricy, it was a good thing that we had procured the Seattle CityPASS. The CityPASS allowed us to experience six major attractions at a much reduced rate. We spent a full day at the Museum of Flight that rivals any air and space museum in the country. I was able to walk through a Concorde supersonic airliner (the closest I will get to my life’s dream of flying to France in half the time of a regular passenger jet.) And we heard the history of World War II through sound recordings of actual bombers and videos that showed the stories of the young men and women aviators as we walked among the full-sized aircraft. (Adult admission without CityPass $18. I promise you, you will not be able to see the whole museum in one day.)

You can meet the world at the Space Needle. We met visitors from Spain, India and the UK who were all having a “jolly good time.” The views of harbor ferries, lake regattas and Mt. Rainier were so enjoyable that we went back a second time to buy a Coke, watch the sunset and then view it all again under city lights. Beer, wine and coffee are also available on the observation deck. (Adult day and night pass without CityPass, $24.)

At the foot of the Space Needle, head on into the PacificScience Center where the IMAX theater shows all day long. I loved the ugly bug zoo and enjoyed chasing butterflies with my camera in the 4,000-square-foot Tropical Butterfly House. (Adult admission with IMAX sans CityPass, $18.) We sailed through the Frank O. Gehry-designed Experience Music Project | Science Fiction Museum when we boarded the monorail. Avatar: The Exhibition was showing ($18 without CityPass for adults.)

On our final Seattle day before boarding the light rail for the airport ($2.25 per person,) we returned to Pike Place Market for a few last photos and then walked down the stairway to the bay front where we experienced the Seattle Aquarium. The cheery sea otters are not to be missed by those of any age. Wonderful docents and interactive exhibits make this a must-see! (Adults without CityPass, $19.00.)

So, if you’ve done your arithmetic, you can see that Seattle CityPASS got us into $119.75 worth of top attractions. And the price? A drum roll, please. Only $59 for adults and they offer a child (ages 4-12) pass for only $39. The pass is valid for up to 9 days from the first day that you use the pass, and we were able to skip most ticket lines. Go to citypass.com for more information. CityPASSes are also available for Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Hollywood, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Southern California and Toronto.

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Stacey Wittig, "Vagabonding Lulu," is a freelance travel writer based in Flagstaff, Arizona. Like this article? Get a message sent to your email when a new article is posted. Click onto "Subscribe to" in the upper right hand column.

No Fixed Address: 7 Vagabonding Nomads Who Are Always on the Move

Vagabonding Lulu drops her pack in northern Spain.

Ever wanted to run screaming from your cubicle and buy a one-way ticket to beyond the horizon? Of course you have -- we all have, almost without exception. But having the guts to sell all your belongings and strike out with only a loose plan in mind is something only a select few possess.

Here are six such vagabonds. Their actions are an inspiration to the rest of us, and their blogs allow us to travel vicariously as they report on their unfolding adventures.

#1   The Professional Hobo

A.k.a: Nora Dunn
Time on the Road: Four years
Currently Located in: New Zealand

In 2006, Nora Dunn sold her lucrative financial planning business, and just about everything else she's owned, to begin her adventure of a lifetime. Dunn spent most of her time in Australia and New Zealand last year (and why not?) but has also toured much of Europe and Canada. Where next? Who knows.

Read More:  Dunn's site is very candid both in terms of her feelings on the road and the financial and practical implications of full-time travel.

#2   2 Backpackers

A.k.a: Jason and Aracely Castellani
Time on the Road: Two years
Currently Located in: Central America
After a couple of years packed with crazy backpacking experiences, Jason and Aracely dropped their corporate lifestyles and, seemingly on a whim, took off into the sunset. There are very few places (or activities) they haven't dipped their collective toes into, and the resulting write-ups and photography is an inspiration to any travel fanatic.

Read More:  The 2 Backpackers site is professionally presented, and when the guys aren't writing there is always a knowledgeable guest poster who is.

#3   Everything Everywhere

A.k.a: Gary Arndt
Time on the Road: Four years
Currently Located in: Hawaii

A.k.a: Gary Arndt
Time on the Road: Four years
Currently Located in: Hawaii
Gary Arndt is another heavy-hitter in the online travel network. The genesis of his site, came when Arndt sold his house, put all his stuff into storage and made his way to the Pacific without so much as a second thought. Speaking for all fans of great travel bloggers, we're certainly glad he did.

Read More:  On the aforementioned Everything Everywhere.

#4   Working your way around the world

A.k.a: Thursday Bram
Time on the Road: Four Years
Currently Located in: Maryland
If you dream of travelling the world and getting paid as you do so, you're certainly not alone as the vast majority yearn for it but only a handful manage to pull it off. Here is the personal blog of Thursday Bram, a lady who did just that having built up her writing business to enable her to work from anywhere in the globe (while at the same time helpfully offering advice to anyone looking to follow in her footsteps).

Read More:  The blog which came as a result of writing a top book on the subject.

#5  Business Backpacker

A.k.a: Brooke Ferguson
Time on the Road: Many years
Currently Located in: Thailand
Even as a kid, Brooke was a traveler by proxy having moved around a few times for schooling and then higher education. The revelation of wanting to live a traveling lifestyle forever came at the age of 12 on a trip to Canada, and nearly two decades later she's attained the dream by setting up a business and lifestyle consultancy which takes her around the world to inspire like-minded individuals.

Read More:  Brooke's nomadic entrepreneur site, in which she imparts life lessons and traveling business tips.

#6   Nomadic Chick

A.k.a: Jeannie Mark
Time on the Road: Just under a year
Currently Located in: India
As the Nomadic Chick herself points out, "[there is] a scarcity of blogs devoted to someone like me, a single lady on the cusp of forty, ready to leave everything she's known." And that's exactly what she did in 2010, ditching life in an office to plunge headfirst into a life on the road starting in Calgary and taking her all the way to deepest Asia. She's ill at the moment, so drop her a line and wish her well.

Read More:  Pick any one of Jeannie's posts and you're certain to find a genius turn of phrase to describe an aspect of her location or the culture she's immersed in.

Read about more vagabonding nomads at http://www.movebuilder.com/press/best-travel-blogs/

Variety is the Spice of Life

Vagabonding Lulu slept here.

My favorite travel destinations offer a wide array of experiences. Take Reno, Nevada. Reno offers mountain activities like skiing, hiking and kayaking as well as plush resort hotels, fabulous restaurants and world-class spas. Variety is the spice of life and so I enjoy mixing exercise with relaxation.

With over 40 feet of snow falling in North Lake Tahoe since October, ski conditions are phenomenal and I am “Jonesing” to get in one last ski trip. One of my fave Reno resorts is offering a great ski package through the end of April. Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa offers one night room and tax complete with lift ticket to Mt. Rose Ski Area, for only $89 per person based on double occupancy.

That’s like offering heroin to the junkie. Atlantis didn’t have to add the $20 food credit and $20 free slot play per room to get me there. And, as if the cake needed icing, a bottle of Baileys or Kahlua is included with every ski package room.

Not a skier? No worries. Take advantage of Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa packages that include spa treatments. You might see me there – soaking my skied-off leg muscles. Last year, I fell in love with the award-wining Spa Atlantis.

The “other-worldly” experience of Spa Atlantis is a great way to escape the cares of this world, and slip into another realm. When entering the spa, I felt as if I was crossing the threshold into a delightful underwater world. First, I discovered the Aqua Spa Lounge where you can loose yourself under a waterfall that pours over you and into soothing, warm pools. Then I headed for a poolside shower where -- in a private alcove -- I dialed-in a warm tropical rainforest shower, complete with sound-effect thunder. In the Nature Experiential Shower you can choose your very own water experience: Ice Fog, Tropical Rain, Thunderstorm or Waterfall. I called it heavenly.

I loved the Laconium Relaxation Lounge where the warm, tiled lounging benches fit my every curve. Laconium isn’t a mineral pumped into the water or air, as I first thought, but it is the name of the luxurious, warmed relaxation rooms that are popular in today’s upscale spas.  They are less humid or hot than a traditional steam room, and Atlantis’s Laconium made me feel as if I were underwater again. The gold-tone tiles reflected like a sandy ocean bottom, while candles flickered in niches in the aqua ocean-colored walls. A thousand points of “stars” twinkled above. The refreshing heat treatment calmed me like a warm ocean.

Laconium stimulates circulation, purifies and detoxifies the body while reducing stress. I pulled my plush cotton robe around me and “floated” to the next treatment room. Was I really turning into a mermaid?

Next, in the darkened Brine Inhalation Light Therapy Lounge, I unrolled a fresh, fluffy towel and laid it over a reclining chaise. Watching light illusions dance over a waterfall of decorative white rock, melted away any lingering care. The colors included in the spectacle were chosen for their ability to stimulate your senses both psychologically and physiologically. While Inhalation of the salts helped with my respiratory system, I could hardly keep my eyes open to watch the soothing, calming and peaceful colors of the ocean. The best part? All these spa experiences are included in the daily spa fee, or if you indulged in a skin or body treatment, they’re included in the treatment price.

Voted Best Casino Hotel Spa in the 2010 SpaFinder’s Readers Choice Awards, Atlantis Spa offers amazing treatments including the healing Cleopatra Milk and Honey Cocoon body wrap.

US Air offers five daily flights direct to Reno from Phoenix for only $219 including taxes and fees. Add some spice to your life with Reno’s variety of active and relaxing getwaway choices. See you there!

Vagabonding Lulu’s travel tips: order a ski package through Atlantis’ 800# and get free shuttle service from the resort to slopeside and back.

VAGABONDING LULU WINS TRAVEL WRITING COMPETITION… AGAIN

Vagabonding Lulu and National Geographic Traveler Editor-in-Chief at 2009 NATJA Conference

PASADENA, CA-- The North American Travel Journalists Association (NATJA) today announced that Stacey Wittig of Flagstaff, AZ won a bronze award in the 2010 annual awards competition in the “Byline Travel Column – Less than 250,000 Circulation” category. The competition, now in its 19th year, honors the “best of the best” in travel writing, photography and promotion that cover all aspects of the travel industry worldwide.  

Wittig, a freelance writer who has lived in northern Arizona for over 16 years, was chosen for a consecutive year and joins others like Keith Bellows, Editor-in-Chief, National Geographic Traveler and Raphael Kadushin writer for Bon Appétit and Condé Nast Traveler who were distinguished in the most recent competition.

NATJA Awards recognize excellence in travel writing, photojournalism, social media, multimedia platforms, advertising, marketing and public relations for the travel and tourism industry. NATJA received more than 500 submissions.

“We are extremely pleased with this year’s entries; they were outstanding, both in quality of work and range of coverage,” said Helen Hernandez, CEO of the organization. “The number of entries is the largest we have ever received and the level of creativity and professionalism is reflective of the vibrancy of the travel journalists’ community. I also believe this year’s entry pool is an indication of the overall economic recovery and its positive effect on the travel industry.”

NATJA is the second largest travel media association in North America. Members include travel media professionals, convention and visitors bureaus, social media, hotels and attractions, and other travel marketing agencies.  NATJA publishes Travelworld International Magazine (www.travelworldmagazine.com). For more information about NATJA or a complete list of 2010 award-winners, visit www.natja.org.