A cruise is a complete vacation, so it2s important that you choose the one that2s right for you. Frommer2s North American Cruises & Ports of Call is the most user-friendly, opinionated, and comprehensive guide you can buy before you set sail. We provide in-depth coverage on cruises departing from U.S. ports to the Caribbean, Alaska, Bermuda, Mexico and Canada. Unlike rating systems used in other guides, our system is simple. We break down the essential elements of a cruise experience (dining, activities, children2s activities, entertainment, service, overall enjoyment, and overall value), and rate them from "poor" to "outstanding." Photos of each ship combine with the text to give a better sense of the very real differences among the various lines. Most important, this is the only cruise guide that provides the real prices people pay for cruises, not just the rack rates. Other guides tell you that a seven-night cruise aboard Royal Caribbean2s Brilliance of the Seas costs $2,099. You can pay that if you want to, but only Frommer2s tells you that the same cruise is selling for $649. We give both the rack rates and the discount price for every cruise we review. This feature alone makes Frommer2s North American Cruises and Ports of Call by far the most valuable trip-planning book among cruise guides. Our authors, noted cruise experts who2ve personally checked out every ship sailing in and around North America, offer candid and unbiased opinions on them all. They are completely up to date, with all the latest developments and the newest ships. You2ll also get complete coverage of the major port destinations, with advice on how to spend your limited time ashore.

Matt Hannafin is a freelance writer, editor, and musician based in New York City. A former Frommer’s senior editor, he now writes a biweekly cruise newsletter for Frommers.com and a monthly column for the Boston Herald, writes for various magazines and newspapers, edits for most of the major New York publishing houses and several UN agencies, and is busy coauthoring 1,000 Places in the USA and Canada to See Before You Die (Workman Publishing), a sequel to the 2004 New York Times bestseller. Heidi Sarna has cruised on more than 75 ships of all shapes and sizes, and she loves them all (well, OK, some more than others). Her work appears regularly in Condé Nast Traveler, Frommers.com, and numerous other magazines, major guidebooks, websites, and newspapers, including the New York Times, Star Ledger, and Boston Herald. When she’s not off cruising somewhere, she lives in the Big Apple with her husband, Arun, and their young sons.

List of Maps

viii

Cruising in the 21st Century

1

(7)

Safety at Sea in the New World (Dis)Order

4

(4)

The Best of Cruising

8

(679)

Our Favorite Mainstream Ships

8

(1)

Best Luxury Cruises

8

(1)

The Most Romantic Cruises

9

(1)

Best Cruises for First-Timers

10

(1)

Best Cruises for Families with Kids

10

(1)

Best Cruises for Pure Relaxation

11

(1)

Cushiest Cabin Amenities

12

(1)

Best Cuisine

13

(1)

Best Cruises for the Party Set

14

(1)

Best Beaches

15

(1)

Best Soft-Adventure Cruises

16

(1)

Best History & Learning Cruises

16

(1)

Best Cruises for Sports Nuts & Gym Rats

17

(1)

Best Ships for Spa-Goers

18

(1)

Best Shopping Cruises

19

(3)

Part 1: Planning, Booking & Preparing for Your Cruise

Choosing Your Ideal Cruise

22

(20)

Homeland Cruise Regions in Brief

22

(4)

Itineraries: The Long & the Short of It

26

(1)

Choosing the Ship of Your Dreams

27

(4)

Ship Size Comparisons

28

(3)

Cruises for Families

31

(3)

Family Cruising Tips

33

(1)

Cruises for Honeymooners & Anniversary Couples

34

(1)

Cruises for Gays & Lesbians

35

(1)

Active Travel & Adventure Cruises

35

(3)

Getting Married on Board or in Port

36

(2)

Cruises for Young People

38

(1)

Cruises for People with Disabilities & Health Issues

39

(3)

Onboard Medical Care

40

(2)

Booking Your Cruise & Getting the Best Price

42

(24)

Pricing & Booking: The Short Explanation

42

(1)

The Prices in This Guide

43

(1)

The Cost: What's Included & What's Not

43

(6)

Price Comparisons: Discounted Rates vs. Brochure Rates

44

(5)

Money-Saving Strategies

49

(2)

Average Cost of Onboard Extras

50

(1)

Agents & the Web: Finding the Best Deals

51

(3)

Be Savvy & Beware of Scams

53

(1)

Recommended Agencies & Websites

54

(2)

Choosing Your Cabin

56

(2)

Booking Your Air Travel

58

(2)

Model Cabin Layouts

59

(1)

Reading a Ship's Deck Plan

60

(1)

Prebooking Your Dinner Table & Arranging Special Diets

60

(2)

Booking Pre- & Post-Cruise Hotel Stays

62

(1)

Cancellations & Insurance

62

(3)

Putting Down a Deposit & Reviewing Tickets

65

(1)

Things to Know Before You Go

66

(11)

Passports & Visas

66

(1)

Money Matters

67

(1)

Keeping in Touch While at Sea

68

(1)

Packing for the Different Cruise Climates

69

(5)

Tipping, Customs & Other End-of-Cruise Concerns

74

(3)

The Cruise Experience

77

(21)

Checking In, Boarding & Settling into Your Cabin

77

(4)

A History of Cruising

78

(3)

Exploring the Ports of Call: Shore Excursions vs. Going It on Your Own

81

(1)

A Typical Day at Sea: Onboard Activities

82

(3)

Keeping Fit: Gyms, Spas & Sports

85

(4)

Programs for Kids & Teens

89

(1)

Onboard Dining Options

89

(5)

Chosen Voyage Puts the Kosher into Cruising

91

(3)

Onboard Entertainment

94

(1)

Shopping Opportunities on Ship & Shore

95

(3)

Part 2: The Cruise Lines & Their Ships

The Ratings & How to Read Them

98

(13)

Cruise Line Categories

98

(1)

Reading the Reviews & Ratings

99

(11)

Ships at a Glance

100

(10)

Evaluating & Comparing the Listed Cruise Prices

110

(1)

The Mainstream Lines

111

(154)

Carnival Cruise Lines

113

(21)

Celebrity Cruises

134

(18)

Costa Cruises

152

(8)

Disney Cruise Line

160

(7)

Holland America Line

167

(18)

Imperial Majesty Cruises

185

(5)

Mini-Review: MSC Cruises

190

(2)

Norwegian Cruise Line

192

(23)

Pride of America (Preview)

213

(2)

Oceania Cruises

215

(6)

Princess Cruises

221

(22)

Royal Caribbean International

243

(22)

The Ultraluxury Lines

265

(64)

Crystal Cruises

267

(11)

Cunard

278

(9)

Radisson Seven Seas Cruises

287

(12)

Seabourn Cruise Line

299

(8)

Mini-Review: Sea Cloud Cruises

307

(1)

SeaDream Yacht Club

308

(7)

Silversea Cruises

315

(6)

Windstar Cruises

321

(8)

Soft-Adventure Lines & Sailing Ships

329

(69)

American Canadian Caribbean Line

332

(7)

American Safari Cruises

339

(4)

Mini-Review: American West Steamboat Company

343

(1)

Clipper Cruise Line

344

(8)

Cruise West

352

(9)

Like a Road Trip, But by Boat

354

(7)

Mini-Review: Delta Queen Steamboat Company

361

(2)

Glacier Bay Cruiseline

363

(5)

Lindblad Expeditions

368

(4)

Mini-Review: Maine Windjammer Association

372

(1)

Mini-Review: RiverBarge Excursions

373

(1)

Star Clippers

374

(10)

Windjammer Barefoot Cruises

384

(14)

Part 3: The Ports

The Ports of Embarkation

398

(116)

Choosing a Chain

399

(1)

Anchorage, Alaska

399

(5)

Baltimore, Maryland

404

(4)

Boston, Massachusetts

408

(6)

Cape Canaveral & Cocoa Beach, Florida

414

(7)

Charleston, South Carolina

421

(5)

Fort Lauderdale, Florida

426

(4)

Galveston, Texas

430

(4)

Los Angeles, California

434

(11)

Miami, Florida

445

(5)

Montreal, Quebec

450

(6)

New Orleans, Louisiana

456

(6)

New York City, New York

462

(8)

Norfolk, Virginia

470

(4)

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

474

(7)

Quebec City, Quebec

481

(6)

San Diego, California

487

(7)

San Francisco, California

494

(6)

Seattle, Washington

500

(5)

Tampa, Florida

505

(4)

Vancouver, British Columbia

509

(5)

The Caribbean, The Bahamas & the Panama Canal

514

(87)

The Cruise Lines' Private Islands

515

(5)

Antigua

520

(3)

Aruba

523

(4)

Bahamas: Nassau & Freeport

527

(6)

Bahamas Golf Excursions

532

(1)

Barbados

533

(2)

Belize

535

(3)

British Virgin Islands: Tortola & Virgin Gorda

538

(3)

A Slice of Paradise: Jost Van Dyke

540

(1)

Cozumel & the Yucatan Peninsula

541

(9)

Curacao

550

(3)

Dominica

553

(3)

Grand Cayman

556

(2)

Grenada

558

(1)

Jamaica

559

(5)

Montego Bay Golf Excursions

563

(1)

Key West

564

(4)

Deep-Sea Fishing in Key West

566

(2)

Martinique

568

(4)

Martinique Golf Excursions

571

(1)

Nevis

572

(2)

The Panama Canal

574

(2)

Puerto Rico

576

(7)

San Juan as a Port of Embarkation

577

(1)

Walking Tour: Old San Juan

578

(5)

Puerto Rico Golf Excursions

583

(1)

St. Barts

583

(2)

St. Kitts

585

(2)

St. Lucia

587

(3)

St. Martin/Sint Maarten

590

(4)

St. Martin Golf Excursions

593

(1)

U.S. Virgin Islands: St. Thomas & St. John

594

(7)

Alaska & British Columbia

601

(25)

Cruising Alaska's Natural Wonders

602

(7)

Glaciers: An Intro to the Ice

606

(2)

Cruisetours---'Cause All Alaska Ain't on Water

608

(1)

Haines

609

(2)

Juneau

611

(3)

Ketchikan

614

(3)

Sitka

617

(3)

Skagway

620

(3)

Victoria, British Columbia

623

(3)

The Mexican Riviera & Baja

626

(15)

Acapulco

626

(3)

Cabo San Lucas

629

(4)

Small-Ship Cruises in Beja's Sea of Cortez

632

(1)

Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo

633

(2)

Mazatlan

635

(3)

Mazatlan Golf Excursions

637

(1)

Puerto Vallarta

638

(3)

Bermuda

641

(6)

Hamilton

642

(3)

St. Georges

645

(1)

Royal Naval Dockyard

646

(1)

Hawaii

647

(15)

Oahu

648

(4)

If You're Embarking in Honolulu

650

(2)

Kauai

652

(3)

Maui

655

(3)

The Big Island

658

(4)

New England & Eastern Canada

662

(14)

Bar Harbor, Maine

664

(2)

Halifax, Nova Scotia

666

(4)

Small-Ship Ports

668

(2)

Newport, Rhode Island

670

(3)

Saint John, New Brunswick

673

(3)

U.S. River Cruise Routes

676

(11)

The California Wine Country

676

(2)

The Columbia & Snake Rivers, Pacific Northwest

678

(2)

The Hudson River, Erie Canal & Great Lakes

680

(3)

The Mississippi River System

683

(4)

Index

687

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