Cruise holidays have evolved. The landscape of uninterested couples sipping martinis has slid off the dance floor and into folklore. Those of us who are cruise virgins can now be incentivised not only by the fact that you pay up-front (and therefore stick to a budget) but that you can experience events and breaks that suit your obsessions and peculiarities.
Wish you could immerse yourself in Northern Soul, there’s a cruise for that. Looking for some great shots for your blog or Instagram? There are photography cruises where you get hands-on learning opportunities with award-winning photographers, in glorious surroundings like Alaska, Hawaii or Mexico. Fulfil your cultural and athletic needs in one hit with a Danube River Adventure Marathon, and run 42km through Budapest, Vienna, Austria, finishing up at Oktoberfest in Germany.
Over the last few years, many of the ships have added on-board attractions such as: ice skating rinks, rock climbing walls, surf simulators, in-line skating tracks, sky-diving, outdoor weightlifting and outdoor exercise machines, college-size basketball courts, spider web climbing cages, bungee trampolines and rappelling walls, and, of course, lawn bowls. The best thing about a cruise, you won’t miss a moment ‘getting there’.
First, here are some guide and review sites, and useful social media channels.
- https://cruise-international.com/category/cruise-types/
A guide to different types of cruise holidays. - https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/
The leading website for cruise reviews, with a Facebook page reports on the good, the bad and the ugly so you can stay informed. - https://www.discovercruises.co.uk/
The website for the UK's cruise industry trade body and particularly useful for cruise newbies. They have a helpful twitter feed @discovercruises that links to great articles. - https://www.iglucruise.com/
Sophisticated website that helps you effectively narrow down what you are looking for. - https://www.cruisetimetables.com/
Does what it says. Very useful and easy to use. They also have a great pinterest board of ‘Cruise Ship Full Charters 2014’ posters. - https://www.cruisingexcursions.com/
Specialises in providing shore excursions, tours and activities.
Second, we’ve done the work for you! Here is an epic list of those one-of-a-kind cruise vacations, with more than enough variety to satisfy almost any interest.
Lifestyle:
From crown jewels to stogies, you can find others who share your interests.
The Cigar Cruise
Explorations in Elegance
CuteTee's Couples
Sobriety Cruise - Gratitude at Sea
Crafting:
Whether its clothes or quilts, or fancy dress for your pet, learn to make it yourself. Be cheered on by others who share your needlepoint passion.
Knitting, yarning, crocheting, needlepoint and More
Hawaii Knitting Cruise w/ Beth Brown-Reinsel
Hoffman Quilting Cruise to the Tropical Caribbean
Tahiti Quilt Seminar at Sea
Cruise & Crop with Lickety Split Scrapbooks
Full Transit Panama Canal Quilting Cruise with Road to California
Quilt Retreat: Breakfast at Sea
Quilt Retreat: Stars at Sea
Food and Wine:
Go from town to town and pick up your delicious goodies along the way; revel in being a foodie.
Culinary and Wine delights of Spain
Wine & Food Festival: Micro-Brews
Siduri & Stark at Sea
New England Lobster Cruises
Chesapeake Bay Crabfest Cruise
https://youtu.be/8uwwt3JstaQ
Family:
The whole family will be kept entertained on these cruises.
Barbie-Themed Activities and Packages
DreamWorks Animation Experience aboard Royal Caribbean
Dance & Fitness Cruises:
Too often taking a holiday means not keeping up your exercise routine. On these cruises you can ramp it up, not slack off.
Shake It in Alaska
Zumba Cruise- Join the Party at Sea with Kiril!
Walking Holidays
The Ultimate Running Cruise Vacation
Golf Cruises:
Golf European River Cruises
2014 Crystal Golf Cruise, featuring Billy Casper
Celebrity Cruises Golf Classic Getaway - Bermuda
Windstar Cruises' Gaelic Explorers Golf Package
Pacific Coastal Golf Cruise
Nature Cruises:
What’s great about contemporary nature cruises is the guest lecturers. Hear from Marine Biologists, Photographers, Birders (bird watchers), and Winemakers. Not only do you observe the land and wildlife but you can get hands-on experience capturing it.
The Galapagos Experience - Galapagos Tours
Arctic Wilderness Voyage in Greenland
WWF expert on Iceland & Norway cruise
Extreme Thrill Seekers’ Cruise
Baja's Whale Bounty
Discoverers' Glacier Country
Niche & Other:
For lovers of motorbikes, Star Trek, Macintosh, eclipses, science fiction under steam power. . . phew – what else could you add to this niche list?
Steampunk
Macmania
Biker Rally
Star Trek Cruise
Astronomy
Music Cruises:
Music makes us feel many emotions, connecting us with memories and getting us dancing, that it deserves its own full page. Here's a teaser list for now but be sure to check back on the blog for a monster list of music cruises.
Rock:
Gothic Cruise
Blues:
Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise
Dance:
The Groove Cruise
Country:
The Country Music Cruise
Jazz:
The 2014 Texas Jazz Jam Cruise
Nostalgia:
Malt Shop Memories Cruise
Classical:
Symphony on the Blue Danube: A Classical Music Cruise