Since North America is such a vast continent, ocean cruises tend to stick to specific geographic regions, focusing on Canada and New England, the East Coast, or the West Coast and Hawaii. You might choose to explore the spectacular coastline and cities of New England, sail through ice-fields in Alaska, or call in at ports along the East Coast from the Deep south to Philadelphia.
New England cruises usually start in New York or Boston, before sailing up the coast to Canada where you’ll finish up in Halifax, Nova Scotia. With mansions, beaches, colourful foliage, rugged coastline, diverse wildlife, major cities, historic towns and little fishing villages, New England is an extremely scenic cruising route.
Alaska cruises give you the opportunity to see fjords, glaciers and ice fields, as well as wildlife such as brown bears, humpback whales and eagles soaring overhead. An Alaska cruise is the ideal opportunity to see pristine nature at its best.
A cruise along the East Coast will take you to cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore, Charleston and Savannah, as well as Miami and Key West in Florida. If you prefer beaches and sunshine, the West Coast might be for you, with cruises stopping in iconic cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle, as well as the islands of Hawaii. Alternatively you could take a Panama Canal cruise calling in at Los Angeles, Mexico and Florida.
There are many advantages to taking an ocean cruise in the USA. For starters, everything is booked and paid for, so you don’t have to worry about the costs adding up. Cruises tend to offer value for money because they include both your transport and your accommodation rolled into one. You only have to unpack your bag once because the ship is your floating ‘hotel’ on the ocean. A cruise allows you to see many cities and ports of call in a leisurely, hassle-free way because you don’t have to worry about traffic, arranging hotels or getting from one place to another.
Cruise ships vary in size from smaller boats to massive megaships, so you can choose a boat to suit your tastes. There are usually plenty of facilities and activities on-board including gyms, bars, saunas, spas, swimming pools, evening shows and even cinemas. Choosing a cruise ship all depends on personal preference; whether you prefer something more relaxed and intimate, or more formal and big-scale. Lovers of fine-dining will be able to savour gourmet cuisine in top notch restaurants every night.
Cruising the ocean is a wonderful way to cover large distances in the US without the need for buses, trains, planes and cars. You can fly to meet your ship, or If you’re not a fan of flying, you could take your cruise from the nearest port. Each morning you wake up in a new place where you can take guided shore excursions, or have a wander around the sights on your own. The beauty of an ocean cruise is that you make plenty of friends that you will keep in touch with even after the cruise is over.
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