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WHICH ITINERARY?
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Cruise companies provide a wide range of itineraries and
shore visits. In fact, there are more than 450 different itineraries to choose from, so selecting a cruise means you first have to decide to which part of the world you want to sail, whether the open sea or on
a river, and also choose the countries that you want to visit.
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Traditional sea cruises: cruise ships sailed
on all oceans and seas. Among the most numerous and popular cruise routes are those in the Caribbean (due of course to the marvelous climate that prevails just about the entire year) but there are
many other possible routes you can sail, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and plus the Mediterranean Sea or the Indian Ocean.
In order to ensure your comfort and security,
companies will avoid dangerous or precarious areas, and also any seasons unfit for sailing. For this reason don't go looking for a cruise company going to Cape Horn or the Baffin Sea in January!
The major regions in the world to which
cruises are most likely to go are listed below. In each one of these cruise zones you'll be able to sail into many ports. The stopovers and ports listed below are just examples and so obviously the
list is incomplete.
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Alaska. |
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College Fjord, Glacier Bay,
Juneau, Ketchikan, Seward, Sitka, Valdez (Alaska), Vancouver (Canada). |
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Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean |
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Nassau (Bahamas), Hamilton, St.
George (Bermuda), Antigua (Guatemala), Curaçao (Netherlands Antilles), Grand Cayman (Cayman), Labadee (Haiti), Martinique, Saint Lucia, St. Martin (France), Ocho Rios (Jamaica), St. John, St.
Thomas (Virgin Islands, USA), San Juan (Puerto Rico). |
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The Atlantic |
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Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Key West
(USA), Caracas (Venezuela), Cartagena (Colombia), Panama (Panama), Puerto Caldera (Costa Rica), Azores, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Barcelona, Palma on Mallorca (Spain), Madera
(Portugal), Plymouth, Harwich (England), Cobh (Ireland), Amsterdam (Netherlands). |
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The Mediterranean |
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Cannes, Villefranche,
Marseilles, Nice, Ajaccio (France), Monte Carlo (Monaco), Venice, Genoa, Naples, Leghorn, Messina (Italy), Athens, Santorin (Greece), Ephesus (Turkey), Valletta (Malta), Ashod, Haifa (Israel),
Alexandria, Cairo, Sharm El-Sheik, Port Saïd (Egypt). |
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Norway, Sweden |
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Bergen, Tromsö, Flaam, Hellesylt, Honningsvad, Oslo (Norway), Stockholm (Sweden). |
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Russia and Scandinavia |
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St-Petersburg (Russia), Tallinn (Estonia), Copenhagen (Denmark), Helsinki (Finland). |
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China Sea |
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Hong Kong, Shanghai, (China),
Hue, Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Manila (Philippines), Tokyo, Nagoya (Japan) |
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Indian Ocean |
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Aqaba (Jordan), Dubai (United
Arab Emirates), Masqat, Salalah (Oman), Bombay, Goa, Cochin, Madras (India). |
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Pacific Ocean |
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Phuket, Koh Samui (Thailand), Kuala Lumpur
(Malaysia), Singapore (Singapore), Jakarta, Bali (Indonesia), Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart (Australia), Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Napier (New Zealand), Honolulu, Oahu
(Hawaii), Fiji (Fiji Islands), Papeete (French Polynesia), Los Angeles, San Diego (USA), Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta (Mexico).
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Nature Adventure Expeditions: These cruises differ from
the ones listed above in that they are primarily dedicated to observing nature and the environment.
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Amazonia and Orinoco |
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The Antarctic |
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The Arctic |
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The Galapagos Archipelago |
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Greenland |
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The North-West Passage |
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On a river: River or canal cruises tend to be less
luxurious than maritime cruises. Their major attraction is sailing on mythical rivers along with possibility of visiting outstanding sites. The most popular are:
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The Mississippi River, in the United States |
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The St. Lawrence River, in Canada |
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The Rhine, in Germany |
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The Danube, in Germany and Russia |
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The Midi Canal, in France |
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The Volga, in Russia |
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The Yangtze, in China |
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The Nile, in Egypt |
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The Ayeyarwady (formerly Irrawaddy) in Myanmar |
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The Murray River, in Australia |
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Once you've selected one of the world's
regions or an itinerary, check to see which is the best season to sail in this area: Best season to cruise
For a cruise on a river or canal: Best season
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