Sunday's Chicago Tribune Cruise Articles

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I love reading cruise articles. If you do, too, today's Sunday Chicago Tribune has a number of them. Free registration is required. http://www.chicagotribune.com/travel/ Their articles:

 

"Europe through the back port

This is about an Amsterdam-to-Amsterdam river cruise, which sounds like the boat didn't go anywhere or maybe just changed neighborhoods.

"An otherworldly voyage to the end of the Earth

The penguin waddled up the grassy slope with the pace of a tired, overweight workman trudging home at day's end.

 

"Deconstructing non-refundable tickets

Here's one question you must ask the next time you buy a non-refundable airline ticket:

 

"Sleep and park and fly to simplify travel

I'm a morning person. But any flight that departs before 9 a.m. is downright painful in my book. Unless you live at the airport or one of the Blue Line or Orange Line stops, the transit-parking-shuttle triad can be the most dicey part of your trip...and then there's the parking bill waiting to welcome you home.

 

"Locking in a fare

Given the fluctuation of airfares, who hasn't looked up a flight online and wondered: Should I buy now? If I do, I might miss a sale. If I wait, the fare might skyrocket.

 

"WORLD WATCH

CARIBBEAN MALARIA

 

"Roundup of deals

Here's a list of limited-time special promotions, including regions outside the Caribbean, compiled by Cruise Lines International Association, the industry organization that represents 21 member lines:

 

"Crossing the Atlantic the long way--from Argentina

Long ocean crossings can seem very long indeed, but Lindblad Expeditions' "Islands of the Atlantic Ridge" should be anything but boring. The March 4-April 7 voyage from Ushuaia, Argentina, to Las Palmas, Canary Islands, explores remote volcanic islands, part of a chain geologists call the Atlantic Ridge. Ports of call include the Falkland Islands, South Georgia Island, Tristan da Cunha, St. Helena, Ascension Island and the Cape Verde Islands.

"Plot your strategy for tours before your ship sails

Excursions are the Achilles' heel of cruising.

 

"Freighters, ferries offer another cruise alternative

A sea voyage doesn't have to involve you in lots of organized fun and games. Although many senior travelers--probably a majority--enjoy the wealth of recreation and entertainment available on a conventional cruise and socializing with lots of other travelers, others prefer a less active, more relaxing sort of sea travel. If you're of that frame of mind, you can find some interesting low-energy sea voyages on freighters and long-distance ferries. But don't put off your trip too long: Most freighter cruises impose a top age limit of 75 to 80 years--maybe even 70 on some trips. (The minimum is usually 13 or 14.)

"Which cruise is for you? Tips for the first-timer

With the height of the Caribbean cruise season upon us, legions of would-be vacationers will weigh whether to opt for anchors aweigh.

 

"The elegant and simple sides of cruising under sail

It was a glorious sight: two tall ships sailing out of the Caribbean port of Philipsburg, St. Maarten, one a creaky 68-year-old Portuguese windjammer named the Polynesia, and the other the state-of-the-art, 15-year-old clipper ship the Star Flyer."