By
Tina Lassen
Cruising has cruised into the 21st century with a new image
and a roster of fun. Take a walk on the lido deck today and
you'll discover nature classes, dance contests, camps for kids,
golf pros offering to help perfect your swing and enough on-board
amenities-from elegant supper clubs to sybaritic spas -- to
rival the finest waterfront resort. Here's what's making news
in the cruise industry today:
On-board
extravagances. Forget tiny staterooms and postage-stamp
swimming pools. Major players like Carnival Cruise Lines and
Royal Caribbean International are commissioning larger and
larger ships -- some nearly 1,000 feet long and weighing in
at more than 100,000 tons. Staterooms are expanding, and ship
designers are configuring deck space to allow for more exterior
rooms. With those rooms come additional private balconies.
The Radisson's Seven Seas Mariner was the first ship
to boast a balcony with each cabin, and the majority of cabins
on new Holland America ships have them. Public spaces are
getting grander too. Glass elevators routinely whisk up multi-story
atriums. Royal Caribbean's Voyageur of the Seas wows
its passengers with a five-story theater, ice-skating rink
and rock-climbing wall.
Beyond
the buffet. Dining -- long a staple of the cruise experience
-- grows more varied every year. Along with traditional dining
rooms and late-night buffets, passengers can nosh everywhere
from sushi bars to ice-cream parlors to intimate, reservations-only
supper clubs (often on upper decks with grand ocean views).
Dozens
of departure ports. As cruise lines base ships in a growing
number of smaller ports, cruising is closer to home than ever. There's
no need to fly to Miami or Los Angeles when you can depart from
cities like Baltimore, New Orleans, Galveston and Long Beach, California.
That can save you time and money and help you avoid the congestion
often found in huge terminals where several ships are boarding at
one time. What's more, many cruise lines offer pre- or post-vacation
packages in desirable departure ports like New Orleans. It's like
adding another port of call to your cruise.
Faster
means farther. Not only are ships getting larger, they're getting
faster. You can set sail for the Caribbean with just a long weekend
to spare. On a week-long cruise, ships now can reach exotic locales
like Belize and Honduras.
Bring
the kids -- and grandparents, too. Cruise lines are wooing families,
who represent one of the fastest-growing market segments. According
to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the number
of kids cruising has doubled since 1998, to nearly 1 million. "Cruise
lines have gone to great lengths to ensure that ships are family-friendly,
making a cruise ship a popular venue for family reunions and multi-generational
family vacations," says Bob Sharak, CLIA's executive director.
Disney Cruise
Line sets the pace for kid fun. Kids ages 5-7 enjoy Goofy's Giggle
Gala slumber party, while 8- and 9-year-olds make batches of "flubber"
in the Apprentice's Workshop. Princess Cruises provide teens with
their own disco, pizza parties and movie fests. Princess also pairs
with organizations like Miami Seaquarium and California Science
Center for "edutainment" offerings where young passengers can dissect
a squid or build a rocket.
Shore
bets for fun. Shore excursions allow you to make the most of
your time in port. Cruise lines often offer 10, 15 or even 30 excursions
per port. They include activities geared to the whole family, such
as catamaran trips, and an increasing number of more adventurous
outings, from moonlight kayaking in Puerto Rico to mountain biking
through the rain forest in Belize.
There's no doubt
cruising is one of the most convenient forms of vacation travel.
And with rates that can be as low as $100 per day for transportation,
food and lodging, it can be one of the most economical, too. That
may be the best trend of all!
The
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Valuable Home Policy Coverage
On most cruise ships you'll have the opportunity
to dress to the nines for one or more formal evenings. Take along
your finest jewelry to complement your outfits, but make sure it's
adequately insured. If your jewelry is valued at more than $1,500,
you'll need Extended Coverage or an endorsement called Scheduled
Personal Property (SPP) to insure each specific item. Check with
your agent today to make sure you're covered. While you're at it,
you may want to ask about SPP coverage for:
On-board
extravagances. Forget tiny staterooms and postage-stamp
swimming pools. Major players like Carnival Cruise Lines and
Royal Caribbean International are commissioning larger and
larger ships -- some nearly 1,000 feet long and weighing in
at more than 100,000 tons. Staterooms are expanding, and ship
designers are configuring deck space to allow for more exterior
rooms. With those rooms come additional private balconies.
The Radisson's Seven Seas Mariner was the first ship
to boast a balcony with each cabin, and the majority of cabins
on new Holland America ships have them. Public spaces are
getting grander too. Glass elevators routinely whisk up multi-story
atriums. Royal Caribbean's Voyageur of the Seas wows
its passengers with a five-story theater, ice-skating rink
and rock-climbing wall.
Beyond
the buffet. Dining -- long a staple of the cruise experience
-- grows more varied every year. Along with traditional dining
rooms and late-night buffets, passengers can nosh everywhere
from sushi bars to ice-cream parlors to intimate, reservations-only
supper clubs (often on upper decks with grand ocean views).
Dozens
of departure ports. As cruise lines base ships in a growing
number of smaller ports, cruising is closer to home than ever. There's
no need to fly to Miami or Los Angeles when you can depart from
cities like Baltimore, New Orleans, Galveston and Long Beach, California.
That can save you time and money and help you avoid the congestion
often found in huge terminals where several ships are boarding at
one time. What's more, many cruise lines offer pre- or post-vacation
packages in desirable departure ports like New Orleans. It's like
adding another port of call to your cruise.
Faster
means farther. Not only are ships getting larger, they're getting
faster. You can set sail for the Caribbean with just a long weekend
to spare. On a week-long cruise, ships now can reach exotic locales
like Belize and Honduras. 
Bring
the kids -- and grandparents, too. Cruise lines are wooing families,
who represent one of the fastest-growing market segments. According
to the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the number
of kids cruising has doubled since 1998, to nearly 1 million. "Cruise
lines have gone to great lengths to ensure that ships are family-friendly,
making a cruise ship a popular venue for family reunions and multi-generational
family vacations," says Bob Sharak, CLIA's executive director.
Shore
bets for fun. Shore excursions allow you to make the most of
your time in port. Cruise lines often offer 10, 15 or even 30 excursions
per port. They include activities geared to the whole family, such
as catamaran trips, and an increasing number of more adventurous
outings, from moonlight kayaking in Puerto Rico to mountain biking
through the rain forest in Belize.