Cruise Critic Picks the Year’s Top 5 Cruises

Here’s a great article published by Cruise Critic which features their top 5 cruises of the year.

1.Cruise to Bermuda aboard Celebrity’s new Journey. Joining the fleet in May, it will be the most contemporary mid-size ship offering Bermuda itineraries. A high ratio of cabins with balconies, multiple dining venues and a charming spa put it at the top of our list. Seasonal homeport: Bayonne, New Jersey’s Cape Liberty.

2.Disney will be in Europe! The ship sails out of Barcelona and offers a 10- and an 11-night itinerary. Ports include Sicily’s Palermo, Naples, Sardinia, Civitavecchia (for Rome), Tuscany, Marseilles, and Villefranche. Disney aficionados without kids may want to check out the trans-Atlantic repositionings.

3.A destination in its own right, Freedom of the Seas, which debuted this year, has the now-famous surf park, kids’ splash park and boxing ring to go with the cruise line’s already established ice skating rink, rock climbing wall, and indoor promenade teeming with shops and eateries. Liberty of the Seas, which debuts in April 2007, is a sister ship to Freedom of the Seas. Who cares where you go on these mammoth vessels? But if you must know, both ships will alternate between the same Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries.

4.Cross The Atlantic On Regent Seven Seas Voyager or Cunard’s Queen Mary 2

For those who always lament how little time is actually spent on board, Seven Seas Voyager’s two repositioning cruises — in April and November — offer eight-day all-at-sea sailings between Europe and North America. Still dreaming of basking in luxury? Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 offers similar appeal.

5.Princess Cruises’ Sapphire Princess in Asia

This ship appeals to a wide range of travelers, but we’re especially excited about the fact that it offers all the big-ship amenities, is a reasonable length, and is moderately priced. The 16-night trip sails between Beijing and Bangkok; stops along the way include Japan’s Nagasaki and Okinawa, China’s Hong Kong and Shanghai, Vietnam’s Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City, and Singapore.

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