The Cruising World

There are over 100 cruise lines, with more than 450 ships, listed in the bible of cruising, Kay Showker’s “The Unofficial Guide to Cruises,” 11th edition (2010. John Wiley & Sons. 690 pp., $23.99). And even Showker doesn’t list all the ships or lines, nor does she critically review some of the smaller ones of note.

To help you choose the right ocean or river cruise for your next vacation, I will give you my assessments and opinions of a few of the lines which may be of interest to...

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(Second of two parts)

On the cruise that my wife, Susan, and I took down the Burgundy Canal in France on the upscale hotel barge Horizon II, Aug. 2-8, 2009, courtesy of French Country Waterways (Duxbury, MA; 800/222-1236), the crew were incredibly hardworking.

At every lock, we saw the pilot and boatman scrubbing the sides of the vessel and polishing every surface until it shone. At the end of the week we saw the crewmen repainting the small scuffs on the side of the bow where...

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by Lew Toulmin (First of two parts)

Tell your friends and relations that your next vacation is cruising a French canal on an upscale hotel barge and you are sure to get some envious glances, but does the reality match the myth?

That was the question my wife, Susan, and I had before cruising down the Burgundy Canal aboard the Horizon II, Aug. 2-8, 2009, as guests of French Country Waterways (Box 2195, Duxbury, MA 02331; 800/222-1236, www.fcwl.com).

Our cruise was from...

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by Lew Toulmin

According to the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA), only about 17 percent of the US population has ever been on a cruise. There are many reasons why some Americans shy away from cruising. Let’s tackle a few today, including too little to do, too much to do, stuffiness, companion problems and Norovirus.

Too little or too much to do?

Some ITN readers have told me they fear cruising will mean just sitting around looking at the horizon or playing...

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For years the cruise industry was a sellers’ market, with more eager passengers than cabins. But with the global economic crisis, many passengers are staying home, the cruising fleet is overbuilt and sellers are desperate for your business. This is good news if you can afford to go cruising, and at some of the discounts available you may be surprised how cheap it is.

In this column, I’ll describe how to research your cruise and some of the unusual discounts available. Throughout I...

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by Lew Toulmin

When I am on vacation, I can easily gain one or even two pounds a day if I am not careful. And being careful while on a cruise vacation is impossible, right? Well, not really. There are ways to avoid gaining weight, but they all require a little planning, analysis and willpower.

Be a critical eater

Food on cruise ships is one of the major attractions, but most ships cannot produce fabulous food all the time. Recognize this and use it to your advantage....

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by Lew Toulmin

The American Canadian Caribbean Line has its long name on the sides of some of the shortest ships in the cruising fleet. But ACCL is not short on hospitality, good food, great staff, interesting history or fascinating destinations.

In this article I will describe the line and its ships and outline the line’s international destinations, though my experience with ACCL is based on a cruise I took up the Intracoastal Waterway on the US Eastern Seaboard aboard the...

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R.J. Pazara of Arlington, Texas, wrote the following to ITN:

“My wife and I took a cruse aboard the Azamara Journey from Miami, Florida, to Santos (for Saõ Paulo), Brazil, Nov. 11-29, 2007.

“We learned that all of the cruise lines of Royal Caribbean Cruises, Ltd., including Azamara Cruises, had the following as section 3 on their Cruise/CruiseTour Ticket Contract: ‘No undertaking or warranty shall be given or shall be implied as to the seaworthiness, fitness or condition of the...

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