No
hablas? No problem. Cruise-tours to
Europe reduce fear of
the foreign tongue with guide-led group itineraries. A five-night
tour of
Spain rounds up
Madrid,
Barcelona, and
Seville. Crystal
Cruises will offer some routes this summer with a stay in England's
beloved Leeds Castle, complete with your own personal butler.
Alternatively, after cruising from
Rome to
Istanbul, land-goers can
explore
Turkey's Cappadocia and stay in one of the area's famed
caves.
Exotics Ashore
When it comes to once-in-a-lifetime trips, cruise lines are there.
Even on safari - perhaps the ultimate land-based trip. Seabourn
Cruise Line offers a five-night safari in
Kenya - including two
daily game drives and overnights in Amboseli National Park - after
a 17-day sail from Egypt.
Three South American cruise-tour options from Princess take in
Iguazu Falls, the Andes Mountains, or
Machu Picchu after sailing
around Cape Horn. Abercrombie & Kent combines a five-night
small-ship cruise in the Galápagos Islands with a best-of-Peru land
tour that includes a sunset visit to Machu Picchu and optional
horseback riding in the Sacred Valley.
All In One Or Tack It On?
Before you book, know the nomenclature. "Cruise-tour" is industry
lingo for ship-and-shore itineraries that typically include a
cruise followed by several days on land for one price.
"Pre-cruise-" and "post-cruise-tours" refer to add-on tours and
hotels offered wherever boats depart or embark. The latter are a la
carte, generally ranging up from $100 per night per person.
If you crave a few nights at that last port of call, no problem.
Seabourn offers a slate of packages, from a three-night,
tango-focused tour of
Buenos Aires to four nights in the castles
and manor houses of
Edinburgh and
London, or four nights in the
Australian Outback. These days, a cruise vacation isn't over until
you say it's over.