AMERICAN BEAUTIES
From New England’s spectacular autumn glories to Hawaii’s sun-kissed beaches
When it comes to booking a holiday in America, our thoughts often turn to the land — to the cities, mountains, beaches, canyons, deserts and national parks of this giant country. But the U.S. is also fabulous from the water. With 12,479 miles of coast, and inviting islands galore, it is a haven for superb cruise escapes. here’s our top picks:
WINNING WEST COAST
WHAT’S THE ATTRACTION? America’s long Pacific flank combines sunny California with the mysterious forested shores of Oregon and Washington — making for two cruises in one.
THE CRUISE: norwegian Cruise Line has a ‘Pacific Coastal’ voyage scheduled for April 30, 2017. This five-night sailing will begin in Los Angeles and stop in San Francisco — before forging north in search of Canada and Vancouver Island.
SHORE THING: San Francisco will be a highlight — the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz in the bay below; the Coit Tower and the Transamerica Pyramid; the chic Mission district.
DETAILS: From £1,082pp, with flights, norwegian Cruise Line ( ncl.co.uk, 0333 241 2319).
FALL FOR NEW ENGLAND
WHAT’S THE ATTRACTION? The north-east of the U.S. is endlessly pretty in ‘Fall’, as autumn spreads through Maine, new hampshire, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
THE CRUISE: Celebrity Cruises is offering a 14night ‘Canada & new england Cruise’ which will leave new York (from Cape Liberty cruise port in new Jersey) on October 2 — flitting up to nova Scotia, tracing the edges of Maine and Massachusetts, and pausing in Boston.
SHORE THING: The cruise will also call at Portland in southern Maine — it’s a city with an impressive maritime past, where the Portland head Light has guided incoming vessels since 1791.
PRICE: From £1,273 a head, not including flights, Celebrity Cruises ( celebritycruises.co.uk, 0844 493 2043). British Airways ( ba.com, 0344 493 0787) flies to new York newark from £629 return. Another sailing is scheduled for September 10, 2017.
EAST COAST THRILLS
WHAT’S THE ATTRACTION? America’s Atlantic side is abuzz with history in old colonial states such as Virginia and South Carolina — while Florida is always a reliable hot-weather oasis.
THE CRUISE: Regent Seven Seas Cruises will set sail on a 14-night ‘Montreal to Miami’ Odyssey on October 21, 2017. This detailed
itinerary will tick off New England and New York — plus the Florida harbours Port Canaveral and Jacksonville.
SHORE THING: Norfolk. This Virginia city on the coast is a gateway to the heritage sites of Jamestown ( founded in 1607) and Williamsburg (in 1632) — both key early chapters in the American story.
PRICE: From £5,879pp, with flights, Regent Seven Seas Cruises ( rssc.
com, 02380 682 280).
BITE THE BIG APPLE
WHAT’S THE ATTRACTION? There is no more classic a cruise experience than a transatlantic sailing, coming into New York right under the majestic VerrazanoNarrows Bridge.
THE CRUISE: That stalwart of New York voyages, Cunard, has a sevennight ‘Big Band Ball Cruise’ — on the Queen Mary 2 — scheduled to slip out of Southampton on November 19 this year. As the name hints, this will be a week of music and style.
SHORE THING: There is only one stop. But it is hard to complain when that stop is New York — the Empire State Building soaring, the fabulous shops of Fifth Avenue twinkling.
PRICE: From £999pp, including flights home, Cunard ( cunard.co.
uk, 0843 374 2224).
CARIBBEAN BEATS
WHAT’S THE ATTRACTION? It is sometimes forgotten that portions of the scenic Caribbean are U.S. Territories, making for a joyful mix of beach beauty and starred-andstriped enthusiasm.
THE CRUISE: Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has a 32-night ‘ Caribbean Discovery’ voyage, sailing in and out of Southampton, planned for November 12, which calls at Puerto Rico — plus idyllic St Thomas in the U. S. Virgin Islands.
SHORE THING: San Juan, the Puerto Rican capital, where cobbled streets recall the Spanish colonial era of the 16th century, and the Castillo San Felipe del Morro still guards the port.
PRICE: From £3,199 a head (no flights necessary), Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines ( fredolsencruises.
com, 0845 591 2461).
ICE, ICE, BABY
WHAT’S THE ATTRACTION? Alaska is an America of a different kind; raw, rugged, tinged with winter, glaciers laced across its landmass — although it can be surprisingly warm in summer.
THE CRUISE: Royal Caribbean is running a nine- night ‘Alaska Northern Glacier’ trip — which will leave Vancouver on May 17, 2017, and follow the ‘ Inside Passage’ waterway to Juneau and Skagway, and the Hubbard Glacier.
SHORE THING: Sitka, an Alaskan port so intriguingly remote that, between 1804 and 1867, it was the Russian town of New Arkhan- gelsk. It faces the Pacific from Baranof Island.
PRICE: From £665pp, not including flights, Royal Caribbean ( royal
caribbean.co.uk 0844 493 4005). Air Canada ( aircanada.com, 0871 220 1111) flies from London Heathrow to Vancouver, from £665 return. The same airline offers flights from Anchorage (at the end of the cruise) to Vancouver, for £124 one way.
ALOHA HAWAII
WHAT’S THE ATTRACTION? The eight main islands of the Hawaiian archipelago are America at its most gloriously tropical — visibly volcanic, and basking in a permanent summer.
THE CRUISE: Princess Cruises has a 15- night ‘ Hawaiian Islands’ jaunt planned for April 8, 2017 — sailing from San Francisco to Hawaii (‘The Big Island’), Oahu ( Honolulu), Kauai ( Waimea Canyon) and Maui (the beaches of Lahaina). SHORE THING: Honolulu. The Hawaii state capital is a shard of metropolitan cool in the mid-Pacific, where the sands of Waikiki Beach meet the sombre history of Pearl Harbor. PRICE: From £1,259pp, not including flights, Princess Cruises ( princess.com, 0843 374 4444). Virgin Atlantic ( virgin-atlantic.com, 0344 209 7777) flies from Heathrow to San Francisco from £627 return.