Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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is a r elatively youthful 42. Note that guests ar e required to be 21
years old (on embar kation day) to trav el alone. Those under the
age of 21 must be accompanied in the same stater oom by a parent
or guardian 25 or older . The exceptions to this r ule are a docu-
mented married minor couple or legal domestic par tners/same-sex
union.
•
Celebrity C ruises
(
&
800/647-2251
or 316/554-5961; www .
celebritycruises.com): Celebrity maintains stylish, medium-to-
large ships with cruises that last between 7 and 15 nights and visit
ports such as K ey West, San Juan, Grand Cayman, S t. Thomas,
Ocho Rios (Jamaica), Antigua, and Cozumel (Mexico), to name a
few. The ships themselv es are works of ar t—gorgeously designed
and featuring clean lines and modern materials—and the onboar d
atmosphere is classy without being at all stuffy . Accommodations
are roomy and well equipped, cuisine is the most refined of any of
its competitors, and ser vice is impeccable. The ships also featur e
beautiful spas. P lus, cruises are competitively priced (though y ou
should watch out for the pricey extras). Clients choose Celebrity
because it offers a well-balanced cruise, with lots of activities and a
glamorous, exciting atmosphere that's both r efined (think cham-
pagne and cozy lounges) and fun (think “dress your husband up in
women's clothes” contests). M ost passengers ar e couples in their
mid-30s and up , with decent numbers of honeymooners and
couples celebrating anniv ersaries, as w ell as families with childr en
in summer and during the holidays.
•
Costa C ruises
(
&
800/462-6782;
www.costacruises.com): Costa
sails the 1,358-passenger
Costa M agica
and the 2,112-passenger
Costa M editerranea
on w estern and eastern Caribbean cr uises on
alternate weeks, departing from Fort Lauderdale. Ports of call on the
eastern Caribbean itineraries include stopo vers in S an J uan, S t.
Thomas, and N assau. I tineraries thr ough the w estern Caribbean
include stopovers at G rand Cayman, O cho Rios or M ontego B ay
(Jamaica), Key West, and Cozumel (M exico). There's an Italian fla-
vor and lots of I talian design onboar d here and an atmospher e of
relaxed indulgence. The food is standar d or ev en better . Costa
attracts passengers of all ages who want lots of action and who delib-
erately avoid all-American megaships like those of Carniv al. Italian-
Americans ar e heavily r epresented aboar d ev ery Caribbean cr uise,
and in general, passengers like to par ticipate and have a good time.
In the Caribbean, Costa appeals to r etirees and y oung couples,
although ther e ar e mor e passengers o ver 50 than under . Typically
you won't see more than 40 or 50 kids on any one cruise except dur-
ing holidays such as Christmas and spring br eak. While about 80%
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