Cruise Shore Excursions
From an encounter with the Mudmen of Papaua New Guinea to a private viewing of Britain's Crown Jewels, cruising offers a wealth of amazing and exclusive shore excursions. Here's our pick of some of the very best.
There's a strong element of fantasy to cruising. You walk on board and all the tasks and responsibilities of the outside world fall away and you are fed and pampered in luxury as you are transported to the world's most exotic locales. Sometimes, it's described as if you were on board a friendly millionaire's private yacht. In fact, no plutocrat could afford to own and run the cruise ships we sail upon. A benefit of the vast wealth tied up in cruising is that it opens doors and creates opportunities to go places that you otherwise couldn't. That's certainly true when it comes to the shore excursions that are offered. We've uncovered the best available - and what an impressive list it is.
Of course, much of the appeal of a cruise is the places it takes you. Cruise companies are very good at picking the absolute highlights of a region and making sure they are on the itinerary. And once there, there will be excursions that best show it to you, no matter what your interest. So, if you land in Cairo you must see the Sphinx and the Pyramids and the wonders of the Egyptian Museum. That's just as true for the vineyards of Bordeaux or Gaudi's architecture in Barcelona.
Similarly, if you are cruising the Caribbean, there will be lots of chances to go swimming, snorkelling or diving off some of the most beautiful tropical islands in the world. But you may be more interested in the spices of Grenada, the production of Jamaica's Mt Gay, or the history of Nelson's Dockyard and that will be offered, too.
Taking to the Air
Some of the most memorable moments on a cruise are provided by the bird's eye view that only taking to the air can bring.
Consider the joy of flying over Quebec City in a hot-air balloon. Seabourn Cruises offers this on voyages up the St Laurence. Quebec City occupies a ridgeline overlooking the river and it's stunningly beautiful - like a piece of France dropped into North America. Floating above it in silence while viewing it from the basket of your balloon would be surreal. The early morning flight lasts from 45 to 90 minutes and ends with the traditional glass of chilled Champagne.
A very different, but equally beautiful experience is seeing the French Polynesian island of Bora Bora from a helicopter. The verdant isle, with its dark volcanic crags, is made all the more spectacular by the shades of turquoise shifting to royal blue as the surrounding coral reefs drop to the open ocean. Silversea is one of the cruise companies that offers this. You may only be in the air for 15 minutes, but it's a quarter hour you'll long remember.
Taking a voyage that transits through the Panama Canal is special, but you'd need to pass through it several times to take advantage of the options available. Of course, you should see the canal from the deck of your ship as it goes in and out of the locks, but you can also travel alongside the canal in a vintage rail car on a line that overlooks the waterway. However, for the best vantage point of this remarkable engineering feat, consider seeing it via a one-hour helicopter flight.
Capetown is another port that is worth an overview. The backdrop of Table Mountain and the seaside suburbs of Camps Bay and nearby wineries form a beautiful balanced pattern on a helicopter overflight. And if mountains, cities and coast work for you, plan on taking the helicopter flight over Italy's Sorrento coast and the Gulf of Naples. The principal highlights of this flight are the volcanic cone of Mt Vesuvius, the ruins of Pompeii and the resort isle of Capri.
If you are on a Silversea voyage that docks at Livorno in Italy, you might like to reserve a place on the Ballooning in Tuscany excursion. It's certainly indulgent: you are driven to the medieval town of Greve from where you balloon over the Chianti countryside. There are views of Tuscan castles from the air and after you land, lunch is served at one of them.
If you had to select the most dramatic country in the world to fly above, Iceland would have to be on everyone's short list, with its dramatic volcanic landscape, icecap, glaciers and waterfalls. On a three-hour excursion you'll fly over Hekla (erupted 2000), the island of Helmaey (erupted 1973) and Surtsey that erupted out of the sea in 1963. Geysir and nearby Gulfoss waterfall and Thingvellir, where you can see Europe tearing away from America, are also on the flight path.
Vantage Points
Sometimes you just need to change your perspective for a whole new view of a place. So if you are sailing into Canada's Halifax, consider sailing on the elegant tall ship Silva and take in the city's highlights from the deck of a 45-metre, three-masted schooner. Likewise, in Gibraltar, take a small boat cruise in the grand Bay of Gibraltar. The Rock is the constant backdrop and the bay is a natural habitat for three species of dolphin - the striped, bottle-nosed, and the common dolphin - that often come in to surf the bow wave. In the Caribbean, take a small boat cruise to see the Pitons, the majestic twin volcanic plugs that rise more than 700 metres above the sea.
Dining Highlights
If you are a cricket-lover voyaging the Caribbean on Sea Princess, you might like to leave the day free when you get to Antigua. The World Cup is being held in the West Indies in 2007 and Princess Cruises offers a "Legends with Lunch" day at Antigua Recreation Ground. This includes dinner surrounded by cricketing memorabilia and a guest appearance by one of Antigua's cricket legends - perhaps Sir Vivian Richards, Richie Richardson, or Curtly Ambrose - who will share memories of his playing days.
Those traveling to St Petersburg on Seabourn Pride have the chance for a remarkable evening at Catherine the Great's Palace at Pushkin. It includes a tour that takes in the famous Amber Room, a Champagne reception in the Grand Hall and dinner in the restaurant in an adjoining wing. All this accompanied by troops, dancing, and classical and folkloric music.
Of course, if you'd like an experience you can recreate at home, several cruise companies offer cooking classes ashore - often under the tutelage of renowned hotels such as Bangkok's Oriental and Shangri-la and Singapore's Raffles.
Special Access
Sometimes arriving by cruise ship opens doors that would otherwise be firmly closed. And sometimes it just gives you your own tour than avoids the crowds. In New Zealand, Princess Cruises offers the chance to sail on Auckland harbour for a couple of hours on two America's Cup yachts NZL40 and NZL41. As you sail along Waitemata Harbour you have a chance to take the helm or work the grinders. It's a rare chance to experience the pinnacle of a sport.
In London, Seabourn offers a private tour of the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace before dinner at a restaurant. Silversea matches that with a tour of the Tower of London escorted by a Yeoman Warder. It includes drinks and canap%E9s in the Hall of Monarchs before a private viewing of the Crown Jewels.
Silversea has a couple of remarkable exclusive tours for horse lovers, too. In Buenos Aires, it takes you to the El Retiro Polo Club outside the city where you have a comprehensive tour of the establishment before watching a four-chukker game as the finer points of the game are explained. That is followed by an Argentinean barbecue with your host, the players and the referees while local musicians play for you.
In Dubai, there's the chance for a morning visit to the opulent stables of the royal family where a trainer takes you on a tour of the facilities. As well as being served breakfast at the Nad Al Sheba Club, you'll have a chance to explore the trophies and memorabilia of the Godolphin Gallery.
A very different experience is offered by Seaborn in Turkey, where you can see the Islamic religious sect known as the Whirling Dervishes in action. In a ritual dating back to the 13th century they wear long white robes and conical hats and spin around while meditating until they go into a trance. After the ceremony, you'll be served a traditional Turkish tea and sweets.
Heading Inland
Sometimes a cruise takes you near an inland destination that is just too good to pass up. If your ship visits Venezuela, the natural highlight deep in the jungle that's worth flying to is Angel Falls, the world's tallest waterfall that plunges nearly 1000 metres into the Churun River.
The possibilities for remarkable excursions sometimes seem as endless as the voyages available. From Cozumel, Mexico you can fly to the remarkable Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza. In Juneau, Alaska you can fly to a remote lake for a day of fly fishing. Many of the voyages to South East Asia provide the chance to visit Cambodia's Angkor Wat, the royal city of the Khmer Empire and one of the world's greatest temple complexes. From Volos, Greece you can visit the bizarre 600-year-old monasteries of Meteora perched on the summit of volcanic plugs. In Papua New Guinea you can fly to the highlands for a day with the Mudmen who wear huge heads of baked mud. From Tartous, Syria you can travel to the perfect Crusader castle of Krak des Chevaliers.
If the weather is good, a visit to the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia may also include the chance to experience the beautiful Shackleton Walk, following the last leg of the epic journey that Sir Ernest Shackleton took to seek rescue for the crew of his Endurance.
One of the most appealing shore excursions is an adventure into the unknown like no other. From Livorno, Italy it's possible to drive for 90 minutes through the Tuscan countryside to the Italian Designer Outlet Mall where the products of Ungaro, Pucci, Fendi, Armani, Gucci, La Perla, Ferragamo, Yves Saint Laurent and many more of Italy's best designers are awaiting.
Written by David McGonigal, Issue 26 Summer 2006-2007