By big ship or small ship, river or ocean, cruise vacations done right pack a lot of value for today’s traveler. Once the domain of ‘the newly-wed or nearly-dead’ as the old saying goes, travel via cruise ship has some distinct advantages over other options. One of those advantages is making enduring travel memories.

A decade from now, those who chose cruise travel over other ways to go won’t remember how much it cost, the number of hotels they did not have to check in and out of or maybe even the outstanding value they enjoyed. They sure will remember the experience though; in ever increasing detail.

Enabling travelers to unpack once then see multiple destinations, the nature of a cruise directs more time to being there rather than getting there. The inclusive element of a cruise vacation gives travelers a good idea of what they will spend, right up front. But those qualities, while important, are little more than selling points that make a logical argument to choose travel by ship.

Breaking down the overall cruise experience, we can divide it up into several topics. Getting There, would tell us all about air travel to get to the embarkation port along with tips on making the best of it. Being There could give a rundown on what we are apt to experience on the ship itself. Best Value could outline ways of saving money, getting more out of what we spend and more. All are viable topics that deserve our attention. Still, back home after the trip, remembering the lovely sidewalk cafe you had coffee at in Venice, the bar on the way back to the ship that held your attention for hours in the Caribbean or those people from Ohio met on the bus from the airport to the ship are the golden moments that will endure time.

Do you believe that? Does that make sense?

If so, read on as we share some ideas for creating your own Best Moments on any cruise vacation, if not any sort of travel at all.

Don’t Be Afraid To Stop When You Want To

Many travelers choose shore tours to satisfy the need to see places when traveling and make memories. Local guides provide intense information about a destination, place or iconic landmark. On a walking tour in Germany with Viking River Cruises, we took note of places we would like to spend some time at after the tour. Free time provided for lingering at a new favorite place was highly regarded as the sailing proceeded too.

Don’t Think Long Tours = Boring Tours

On a recent sailing with Holland America Line, I did the Chichen Itza Ruins tour when calling in Cozumel. The 11 hour tour was the longest I had ever attempted but truly time well-spent. Driving 3.5 hours there and 3.5 hours back made for a lot of time with other passengers. We all agreed it was well worth the time to see the UNESCO World Heritage Site but probably would not do it again.

Bring Your Camera But Don’t Let It Be In Charge

One of the reasons why we will have quick recall on our travel memories is electronic. A decade ago we could barely get a signal to communicate on a cruise ship. Today, we can surf for free on an ever-increasing number of cruise lines at faster speeds. Soon, land-like connections will make it possible to upload photos fast and bring those on shore along for the ride. Still, there are times when we just need to set the camera down and enjoy the moment. Knowing when to do that becomes a priority.

Share It With Someone, A Stranger Will Do

One of the big advantages of cruise line organized tours is the shared experience they offer. Seeing a UNESCO World Heritage Site can be interesting and meaningful. Sharing it with someone else makes the experience even better. On a cruise, odds are we will see those people from that excursion later on in the sailing. We may choose to do something with them again before the end of the sailing or plan other sailings with them in the future.

The point of all this is simple: It is your travel experience and you have more control over it than you might imagine.

While many cruise vacations begin and end in Florida, sailing from a home port near you can offer some distinct advantages. Driving to the embarkation port can save on transportation costs. No flying also means no boarding groups, no jockeying for overhead bin space and no checked or lost luggage. In 2015, Carnival Cruise Lines returns to Norfolk, Virginia, sailing 3,006-passenger Carnival Splendor on a variety of itineraries. It’s a short season, long on cruise travel opportunities.

Carnival Splendor will operate a series of two- to seven-day voyages from the Port of Norfolk in 2015, making Carnival Splendor the newest and largest “Fun Ship” ever to operate from the historic Virginia port. Those voyages include one that has a three-day call in Bermuda.

• A value-packed two-day cruise departing May 16, 2015 (starts at $309 per person + tax).
• Three, five-day Bahamas cruises calling at Nassau and Freeport, departing May 11, May 18, and October 12, 2015.
• A six-day Bahamas cruise calling at the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay, as well as Nassau and Freeport, departing October 17, 2015.
• A seven-day Bermuda cruise departing October 23, 2015 that features a three-day call in Bermuda.

Splendor From New York

Carnival Splendor will also sail seasonally in 2015 from New York and Miami. From April to November, the ship will operate a variety four to eight- day itineraries from New York to popular ports in The Bahamas, Caribbean, Canada and Florida.

• Cruises from New York to the Canadian Maritimes include four-day voyages visiting Saint John and five-day sailings calling at Saint John and Halifax.
• Seven-day fall foliage voyages call at Boston, Portland, Maine; Saint John and Halifax
• Eight-day options are available: a Bahamas/Florida itinerary calling at Port Canaveral, Freeport and Nassau; and two eastern Caribbean routes, one featuring San Juan, St. Thomas and Grand Turk, and another visiting Grand Turk, Nassau and the private Bahamian island of Half Moon Cay.

Splendor In Miami

From November 2015 through April 2016 Carnival Splendor will sail from Miami on seven-day eastern and western Caribbean cruises.

• Eastern Caribbean cruises will call at St Thomas, San Juan, Grand Turk, and Nassau in the Bahamas.
• Western Caribbean route will call at Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Belize, and Mahogany Bay in Isla Roatan.

Especially Splendorous

Carnival Splendor will also offer special one-way eight-day exotic eastern Caribbean cruises between New York and San Juan on May 24, 2015 and June 1, 2015.
The move by Carnival Cruise Lines to homeport Carnival Splendor in Norfolk is significant to the port. In 2014, no ships are based there, year-round or seasonally, by any cruise line. There are some cruises that stop in Norfolk on their way to and from other ports.

April 19: cruise from Miami on Oceania.

August 29: cruise from San Francisco to New York on Oceania.
September 1: cruise from San Francisco to New York on the Regent Seven Seas Navigator.

October 22: cruise from Montreal to Miami on the Regent Seven Seas Navigator
November 5: cruise from New York to Miami on Crystal Cruises.
Reservations are currently being accepted for all of Carnival Splendor’s sailings from

Norfolk, New York, Miami and San Juan.

Want to know more about when and where to see Fall colors? Check Fall Foliage Cruises for more information.

Flickr photo by sfhipchick

Learning about history; how it affected the world and the lessons for future generations is a classic learning model everyone who has the ability to read this should relate to. Regardless of when and where the topics of world history and geography were taught, some people come away from the experience inspired to learn more. Others get through it and move along. Then there are Vikings.

Ancient Vikings explored Europe by its seas and rivers for trade, raids and conquest. Simply following their expansion, those curious about such things can learn a great deal about the settlement of Iceland, Normandy,Scotland, Ireland, Russia and more. Commonly regarded as bloodthirsty pirates, ancient Vikings were also traders, settlers and farmers with a solid artistic culture and legal system. Tagged as a barbaric and brutal bunch early on, their affect on how the world turned out is undeniable.

Also undeniable is the effect of today’s Vikings, those of Viking River Cruises, on the world of travel. Longship by longship, they are changing the landscape of options available to travelers, enabling them to see and do things never before thought possible. On Viking River Cruises we get up close and personal with iconic landmarks, UNESCO World Heritage sites, our past and other like-minded travelers. But Viking is not the only river cruise company in the world, there are many others. So why is Viking able to build and launch 20+ ships in one year? What drives their growth and popularity?

Getting those travelers on ships is accomplished by a huge marketing effort to spread the word about what they do. Colorful, well-produced video paints a picture of what one might see on a Viking cruise. Sponsorship of Public TV’s Masterpiece Theater and a close association with Downton Abbey add more exposure. A nicely done website, rich with information and easy to navigate is a plus as are brochures sent in the mail to interested parties.

But there is a huge difference between getting travelers on a ship and engaging them once there. Viking does both.

A core element ofthe Viking experience is preparing travelers for what they are about to experience. It begins with those marketing efforts mentioned above and continues with pre-cruise literature specific to the part of the world travelers will visit. On board Viking ships, elements of the experience range from a geographic-specific culinary focus to sourcing crew members from places their ships visit. The ship’s Viking Daily newsletter drives it home.

On a recent trip overseas for the christening of 18 Viking longships in France one day, followed by two more in Portugal, I saw the modern day Viking plan in action. Starting in France on the Rhone River, the Viking Daily brought travelers up to speed then pushed their minds beyond “I’m on a cruise” to “I am living history and the world is a great big beautiful place”.

Consider this:

The Rhone river runs 505 miles from its beginning in the Swiss Alps and its eventual end in the Mediterranean. For a drop of water to make the journey, it will go through the French Alpilles, Lake Geneva then the Rhone Valley which shares a climate with the Mediterranean. At Aries, where the Rhone splits into two branches, that drop of water will either go down the Grand Rhone or the Petit Rhone. As it does, it will pass through the Camargue region, a delta formed by those branches and one of the most fertile in the world.

That information came from the Viking Daily’s River Portrait, a featured element of the publication that engages travelers with bullet point facts about the river they are about to travel on. It’s the same river that was and still is traveled for trade, commerce and recreation now as it was centuries ago. To help appreciate the experience, Viking packages that information to be of interest to the culturally curious travelers on board.

As this was our first stop in France, the Viking Daily provides useful background information in the form of Fast Facts and A Bit Of History as well as A Few Helpful Words in French. If we have been paying attention and walk off the ship on the included tour that rolls it all together, the world starts to make sense, geographically anyway. Walk off the ship in the adventurous spirit of the ancient Vikings, (minus the plundering) and we gain a tiny new perspective on not only the world but ourselves as well.

Solo travelers have some unique travel challenges. With few exceptions, cruise lines charge them double the fare paid when two occupy a stateroom. Dining, drinking and dancing bring images of a table for one, alone with a bottle; politely applauding couples on the dance floor. Gregarious singles can find or create a party anywhere, but others rely on group activities and planned events to meet others, if they so desire. It’s a world that can lack companionship, things to look forward to and tax deductions that paired others enjoy. Still, there are bright spots and more help is on the way.

Group Opportunities That Level The Playing Field

Cruise travelers often find themselves in a group for one reason or another. Often that group is more solo-oriented than other travel situations. Playing a slot machine on a big ship casino comes to mind. Slot freaks get to know each other rather quickly as machines rattle, chime and big wins turn heads. Later in the sailing, when seeing one of those people in the hallway, I introduce them as one of my “slot friends”.

Interest-Specific Activities

For some people, there is nothing better than a group yoga class on deck at 5am. Active solo travelers can make friends easily and share their knowledge and love of yoga with others in the class. The same can be said for art auctions, deck games and the like on big ships or sticking close to the tour guide on a river cruise, peppering them with questions.

Cruise Lines That Actually Want Solo Travelers

There are a few. Norwegian Cruise Line, for example, has Solo Studio accommodations located to a solo-specific lounge to enable meeting and enjoying the company of other single travelers.

A number of cruise lines will remove the single supplement paid by solo travelers, discounting what they might pay at one time or another, usually close to sailing in order to fill unsold cabins.

Cruise Lines That Go Above And Beyond

Cunard Line for quite some time, has offered male partners for solo travelers as has Crystal Cruises

Crystal Cruisesrecently added Ambassador Hostesses on select cruises, expanding its onboard dancing program already in place with male hosts provided for female guests. Female counterparts will debut on three Ballroom at Sea Experiences of Discovery voyages in 2014 and 2015.

Along with eight male dance hosts (double the usual number), the Trans-Atlantic sailings will each feature two Ambassador Hostesses to cha cha, swing, and waltz with solo gentlemen during evening dance sets, live orchestra performances and dance classes in the ships’ posh lounges.

Individual Determination Makes A Big Difference

We can often choose to be in a good mood, happy and have a positive outlook on the day. That’s anyone. We really can get up in the morning, think (or better yet, say out loud) “I’m going to have a great day”, and the odds of that happening increase. We don’t have to be part of a couple or family to make that decision. When solo travelers step on to a cruise ship, there are a number of opportunities for them to change their situation. Solo-specific meet and greets are popular on ships, at resorts and other travel venues to help singles identify others in their comparatively precarious position.

For more on Solo Travel, check these resources:

• Best Countries For Solo Travel– Travel + Leisure Magazine
• Solo Travel Tours– Abercrombie and Kent
• Traveling Alone- Where and How– Solo Traveler
• Best Cruise Lines For Solo Travel – CruiseCritic.com

Viking River Cruises new Chateaux, Rivers & Wine itinerary takes culturally curious travelers through the great wine regions of Bordeaux, in comfort. The eight-day journey sails on Viking longships deep into a part of France that produces more than 700 million bottles of wine each year. For wine lovers, there are few opportunities to embrace their passion as fully. Nicely priced, this is a great option for culturally curious first-time cruise travelers as well. We visited a sampling of the enchanting places that included tours might visit.

We have been on wine tours before but this one was different in one very important way. It was in France. Solidly one of the most productive wine regions of the world, Bordeaux is host to more than 8,000 wine-producing Chateaux (country house/castle giving its name to wine made there). In France. There is something wildly captivating about touring places we might have seen on wine lists or stores throughout our lives. Chateaux Mouton Rothschild comes to mind…and was visited on our tour.

Normally, the included tour on a Viking Chateaux, Rivers & Wine itinerary would have passengers getting off the ship about 2pm, touring Bordeaux and a wine tasting. Small groups from the ship, gone their separate ways during the day to insure a quality experience, would meet for dinner off-ship at a local eatery before returning to the ship.

We stopped at a number of Chateaux, touring their wine-making facilities with a local Viking guide with us all the way, making sure we were in the right place at the right time to maximize the experience. No question was left unanswered as inquiring minds were left satisfied, fulfilled and with a new appreciation for what goes into a good glass of wine.

This photo gallery follows the path of our Viking wine tour and brings a good sampling of what passengers might experience.

The 8-day Viking Chateaux, Rivers & Wine itinerary starts at $1859 per person. Filling up fast, there are still cabins available in 2014.

As I write this, we are on a Viking River Cruise longship in Bordeaux, France. The occasion was the naming of 18 Viking Ships as Cruise Addicts reported earlier. After that ceremony in Avignon, we stayed aboard a Viking longship to send back some ideas about what it is like to be on a river cruise.

On Viking River Cruises, a trip ashore with a local guide is included at every port. There are few options to upgrade and pay more and those are appropriate. In Austria, for example, concerts are held nightly to the tune of Mozart, Beethoven and others. That might not be for everyone, but for those that crave classical music, it does not get much better than that.

The included Viking tour gives an overall orientation of where we are with free time to explore on our own. In Bordeaux, a walking tour of the city redefined any preconceived notions that Viking guests might have had before arriving.

Before visiting with Viking, I associated the word ‘Bordeaux’ with a wine region of France, much like many others; a place were some of the best wines in the world come from. But after an included walking tour with Viking River Cruises, I know better.

Part of Viking River Cruises new Chateaux, Rivers & Wine itinerary, the city of Bordeaux lines the banks of the Garrone River and has seen a grand transformation in the last decade. “It was torn up for about 8 years,” said Christine our English-speaking guide, a UK transplant who enjoys dual citizenship in both Great Britain and France.

Now, Bordeaux is a contrast in time. Kids skateboard; couples enjoy time in the sun; walkers, cyclists, runners and strollers line the riverfront where our Viking River Cruises longship, Viking Forseti is docked. But a few minutes walk away is architecture dating back to the 1700’s among a bustling pedestrian shopping district, the longest in Europe.

The entire city a UNESCO World Heritage site, Bordeaux has gone through a restoration that brings visitors from around the world, and for good reason. The gateway to a travel experience with fine wines and great food, Bordeaux could be a stand-alone destination.

“There is always something going on here,” said Christine as we peppered her with questions about traveler safety, what to do and where to go while we paused in the middle of Bordeaux to drink in the scene. Ending our 90-minute walking tour on a street lined with wine shops, we got a taste of what we would experience in the region.

Much more than ‘get on the bus and visit the vineyard’ exposure to Bordeaux, Viking begins with an orientation of the area then adds background information to bring guests up to speed about what they are going to experience. Christine’s enjoyable banter with us as we walked was like visiting with an old friend; just that comfortable. Just that typical of what Viking does and much like the “I’m home now” feeling of walking on to a Viking longship.