Being all at sea doesn’t appeal? You can stay close to dry land by journeying round the coasts of Australia, Europe, and North and South America.
The marine wonderland of the Great Barrier Reef, a World Heritage Site off the northeast coast of Australia, is the earth’s largest living coral reef – it actually consists of more than 2,800 individual coral reefs. It is visited by around 70 local Australian boutique ship operators, who mostly offer one- to four-night cruises to the reefs and Whitsunday Islands. The area is excellent for scuba diving and snorkeling.
June through September is humpback whale-watching season; the Reef shelters the young whales while the adults nurture them in the shallow waters. Note that the Australian government levies an environmental charge of A$5 on everyone over four years of age visiting the Great Barrier Reef and its environs.
Norway
An alternative to traditional cruise ships can be found in the year-round coastal cruising along the shores of Norway to the Land of the Midnight Sun aboard the ships of the Hurtigruten Group, formerly known as Norwegian Coastal Voyages. The fleet consists of small, comfortable, working express coastal packet steamers and contemporary cruise vessels that deliver mail, small packaged goods, and foodstuffs, and take passengers to the communities spread on the shoreline.
Invariably dubbed ‘the world’s most beautiful voyage,’ this is a 1,250-mile (2,000-km) journey from Bergen in Norway to Kirkenes, close to the Russian border (half of which is north of the Arctic Circle) and takes 12 days. The service started in 1893 to provide connection to communities when there were no roads, and the name Hurtigruten – meaning ‘fast route’ – reflects the fact that this coastal express was once the most reliable communication link between southern Norway and its remote north. Today the company carries more than 300,000 passengers a year. It’s a good way to meet Norwegians, who treat the service like a bus.
You can join it at any of the 34 ports of call and stay as long as you wish because the vessels, being working ships, sail every day of the year (some port calls are of only one hour or so – enough to get off and on and unload freight). Most ports are repeated on the return journey, but stop at different times (so you get a different feeling).
Note that double beds are available only in suite-grade accommodation; many of the beds are fixed in an L-shape, or in a bed and sofa/bed combination. Note that most of the ships do not have stabilizers, and there is no doctor on board, nor indeed any medical facilities.
At the height of summer, north of the Arctic Circle, there are almost 24 hours of daylight (there is no sunset between April 19 and August 23). Between November and February the northern lights – if the atmospheric conditions are right – create spectacular arcs across the sky. Some specialist voyages are aimed at wildlife, birdwatchers, astronomy, and others, while onboard concerts and lectures celebrate the work of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg.
Glass-bottomed boat over the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.
Captain Cook Cruises
The ships can accommodate between 144 and 652 passengers. The newest ships have an elevator that can accommodate a wheelchair passenger, but otherwise, they are fairly plain and basic, practical vessels, with food that is more bistro than restaurant. A 24-hour restaurant provides items at extra cost. Note that the price of alcoholic drinks is extremely high (you can take your own on board), as they are throughout Norway, and that the currency is the Norwegian krone.
Archipelago hopping can be done along Sweden’s eastern coast, too, by sailing in the daytime and staying overnight in one of the many small hotels. One vessel sails from Norrtalje, north of Stockholm, to Oskarshamn, near the Baltic island of Öland, right through the spectacular Swedish archipelago.
The Hurtigruten Group also operates utilitarian ships for expeditions to the Arctic, Antarctic, and Greenland.
Getting up close to feeding humpback whales.
Alan Waltner/InnerSea Discoveries
Scotland
The fishing town of Oban, two hours west of Glasgow by road, is the base for one of the world’s finest cruise experiences. Hebridean Princess is a little gem, with Laura Ashley–style interiors – friendly enough to have been chartered by Queen Elizabeth II for a family-only celebration of her 80th birthday in 2006. The food is excellent, and includes Scottish beef, local seafood, and seasonal vegetables. There’s fine personal service.
This ship, owned by Hebridean Island Cruises, carries up to 50 passengers around some of Scotland’s most magnificent coastline and islands. If you cruise from Oban, you can be met at Glasgow airport or rail station and taken to the ship by motor coach. Take lots of warm clothing, however (layers are best), as the weather can be flexible and often unkind.
As an alternative, there’s the 54-passenger Lord of the Glens, operated by the Magna Carta Steamship Company. It cruises in style through Scotland’s lakes and canals, although it’s not a steamship but a modern deluxe vessel. Some seven- and 10-night high-season sailings are accompanied by historians and guest lecturers.
North America
Coastal cruise ships flying the American flag offer a complete change of style from the large resort cruise ships. They are American-owned and American-crewed, and very informal. Being US-registered, they can start from and return to a US port without being required to call at a foreign port along the way – which a foreign-flagged cruise ship must do.
Accommodating up to 150 passengers, the ships are more like private family affairs, and are rarely out of sight of land. These cruises are low-key, low-pace, and not for active, adventurous types. Their operators seek out lesser-known areas, offering in-depth visits to destinations inaccessible to larger ships, along both the eastern and western seaboards of the USA, including Alaska.
Most passengers are of senior years. Many prefer not to fly, and wherever possible drive or take a train to join their ship. During the summer, you might see a couple of children on board, but in general small kids are not allowed. There are no facilities for them, and no staff to look after them.
Destinations. Eastern US and Canadian seaboard cruises include the St Lawrence River, Atlantic Coastal Waterways, New England (good for fall cruises), Cape Cod and the Islands – and Cape Cod Canal, the Great Lakes – and Welland Canal, the Colonial Deep South, and Florida waterways.
Western seaboard cruises cover Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, California Wine Country, and Baja California/Sea of Cortés. Cruises focus on historically relevant destinations, nature and wildlife spotting, and coastal viewing. On some cruises, these boutique ships can dock adjacent to a town, allowing easy access on foot.
Balmoral cruises in the Norwegian fjords.
Douglas Ward
The ships. These ‘D-class’ vessels are less than 2,500 gross tonnage, and are subject neither to bureaucratic regulations nor to union rules. They are restricted to cruising no more than 20 miles (32km) offshore, at a comfortable 12 knots (13.8mph). Public room facilities are limited. Because the vessels are USA-registered, there is no casino. They really are ultra-casual, no-frills ships with the most basic of facilities, no swimming pools, little artwork, and no glitz in interior decor. They usually have three or four decks and, except for the ships of American Cruise Lines, no elevator. Stairs can be steep and are not recommended for people with walking difficulties. Because of this, some ships have an electric chair-lift on indoor or outdoor stairways.
Cabins. Accommodation is in outside-view cabins, some of which open directly onto a walking deck – inconvenient when it rains. Each has a picture window and small bathroom. They are small and basic, with very limited closet space – perhaps just a curtain across a space with a hanging rod for clothes. Many don’t have a TV set or telephone. There’s no room service, and you may have to turn your own bed down. Cabins are closer to the engines and generators than aboard the large resort ships, so generator humming noises can be disturbing at night. The quietest cabins are at the bows – although there could be noise if the ship is equipped with a bow thruster – and most cruising is done in the early morning so that passengers can sleep better at night.
Tall passengers should note that the overall length of beds rarely exceeds 6ft (1.8m). Although soap is provided, it’s best to bring your own shampoo, conditioner, and other toiletries. The ships of Blount Small Ship Adventures do not have cabin keys.
Although some of the older ships are really basic, the latest, particularly those of American Cruise Lines, are very comfortable. Because they are not classified for open-water cruising, though, they don’t have to conform to the same rigorous shipbuilding standards that larger ocean-going cruise ships do. You may find that hot and cold water lines run close to each other in your bathroom, thus delivering neither really hot nor really cold water. Sound insulation could be almost non-existent.
Activities. The main evening event is dinner in the dining room, with one seating. This can be a family-style affair, with passengers at long tables, and the food passed around.
The cuisine is decidedly American, with fresh local specialties. Menus aboard the ships of Alaskan Dream Cruises and Blount Small Ship Adventures are very limited, while those aboard the ships of American Cruise Lines offer slightly more variety, including seasonal items. You’ll probably be asked in the morning to choose which of the two main courses you’d like for dinner.
Evening entertainment consists mainly of after-dinner conversation. Most vessels are in port during the time, so you can easily go ashore for the local nightlife, although most passengers simply go to bed early.
The cost. These cruises are expensive, with an average daily rate of $400–$800 a person. Suggested gratuities are high – typically about $125 per person, per seven-day cruise – but they are shared by all personnel.
Coastal cruise lines in North America
There are several small ship cruise companies: Alaskan Dream Cruises, American Cruise Lines, Blount Small Ship Adventures, Lindblad Expeditions, and Un-Cruise Adventures.
What differentiates them? American Cruise Lines and American Safari Cruises provide better food and service than the others. American Cruise Lines’ ships have larger cabins, and more public rooms. Drinks are included aboard the ships of American Cruise Lines only.
American Cruise Lines and Blount Small Ship Adventures operate on the USA’s east coast; Lindblad Expeditions and Un-Cruise Adventures operate on the USA’s west coast and Alaska.