Conde Nast Traveler
August 1, 2004
Hot Ports 2004
Here's a look at the hottest eight cruising destinations and the best ships to get you there (book now before the crowds catch up!)
ANTARCTICA
Big liners didn't arrive in these remote waters until 1999, and ships carrying more than 500 passengers are forbidden to land, so you'll have to choose anY´ expedition-style cruiser, such as Lindblad's 113-passenger Endeavour to see the pristine wilderness up close. It may not be plush, but first-rate lecturers - geologists, historians, ornithologists - do double duty as tour guides (212-765-7740;
expeditions.com; from $7,990 per person). A luxury alternative, the 940-passenger Crystal Symphony launched Antarctica itineraries earlier this year (866-446-6625;
crystalcruises.com; January 2005 sailing; from $5,455 per person).
BERING SEA
Alaska's Bering Sea is as isolated a cruising region as you'll find. The 114-passenger Spirit of Oceanus (Cruise West) is supremely comfortable; cruises emphasize education (888-851-8133;
cruisewest.com; August 2004 and 2005 sailings; from $7,199 per person). For more pampering and fewer ports, try the 700-passenger Seven Seas Mariner (Radisson Seven Seas) (877-505-5370;
rssc.com; September sailing; from $3,798 per person).
CROATIA
Croatia's lovely and rugged coastline is the next big thing in been-there-done-that Europe. The fully rigged, square sail Royal Clipper holds just 227 passengers as it calls on Korcula, the birthplace of Marco Polo, and the ancient walled city of Dubrovnik, among other worthwhile pit stops (305-442-0550;
starclippers.com; September 2004 and June, July, August, and September 2005 sailings from $2,295 per person). The superluxe 110-passenger SeaDream I sails a weeklong cruise between Venice and Dubrovnik, spending most days along the stunning Dalmatian Coast and calling on villages along the way (305-631-6100;
seadreamyachtclub; August 2005 sailing; from $3,599 per person).
HAWAII
The first major cruise lines to offer interisland itineraries, Norwegian's 2,002-passenger Pride of Aloha sails seven-night trips out of Honolulu, visiting Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island (888-625-4292;
ncl.com; weekly year-round sailings; from $799 per person). With her long body and razor-sharp bow, Cunard's 1,791-passenger Queen Elizabeth 2 was built to
handle wide-open seas, which means that the ride across the Pacific to Honolulu and Kona will be smoother than any other vessel. This classic ocean liner, with its tiered decks and formal dress codes, circles the globe for 102 days, but you can do shorter segments. (800-728-6273;
cunard.com; January 2005 sailing; from $17,879 per person).
LIBYA
After the United States lifted its 23-year travel ban to Libya in February, a handful of cruise lines added the North African country to their Mediterranean itineraries. The 122-passenger Clipper Adventurer, a modest, comfortable ship, will sail 12 nights between Portugal and Malta, with a three-day stop in Tripoli (314-655-6700;
clippercruise.com; from $4,380; April and May 2005 sailings). A more intimate option is the 34-passenger Callista, a yacht outfitted with marble bathrooms . Ten-night cruises between Crete and Tripoli will call on six Libyan ports (800-257-5767;
traveldynamicsinternational.com; October 2004 sailings; from $6,995 per person).
ST. PETERSBURG
The 388-passenger Silver Whisper, of the luxury Silversea line, stops in St. Petersburg for three days on its weeklong sail from Stockholm to Copenhagen. City excursions include a tour of Catherine the Great's Winter Palace after hours, followed by a performance by the State Hermitage Orchestra. And while most lines offer only day-trips to Moscow, this one provides an overnight stay (954-522-4499;
silversea.com; July 2005 sailings; from $4,527 per person).
VENICE
Luxury cruises that once began in some eastern Mediterranean ports now leave from Venice. One of the best is the 110-passenger SeaDream II. Most ships have to dock on the outskirts of town, but the SeaDream is small enough to dock just off the Piazza San Marco. The seven-night cruise starts in La Serenissima and ends in Rome, visiting the Dalmatian Coast, the Aeolian islands, and the Gulf of Naples en route (305-631-6100;
seadreamyachtclub.com; August 2005 sailing; from $3,499 per person).
VIETNAM
Two sure signs that Vietnam is on the verge of major development are the new ports at Cai Lan in Ha Long Bay, where ships can now dock for quicker trips inland to Hanoi, and at Chan May, just an hour's drive from Hue. The 204-passenger all-suite Seabourn Spirit docks in Cai Lan, Ho Chi Minh City, and Da Nang as part of its two-week tour of Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, and Malaysia (800-929-9391;
seabourn.com; Jan. March sailings; from $7,699 per person, including all drinks and tips).
