Creativity is a hallmark of small ship cruise expert AdventureSmith Explorations as it applies to cruise routes, ports of call and destinations, choice of cruise vessel, off-ship activities and pricing. The company has just announced six new cruises that encompass these creative elements.
New for 2017 from AdventureSmith Explorations:
Iceland: An example of exceptional value and pricing, an eight-day cruise, Iceland: Journeys in the Land of Ice & Fire, offers rates from $2,650 per person double. Guests may customize this itinerary by purchasing optional off-ship tours to further expand their knowledge of the Vikings, folk lore, volcanoes and landscape. Highlights of this new route aboard the 34-guest Callisto motor yacht include a southern excursion to Heimaey Island, known as the Pompeii of the North due to its volcanically active history and famed for its puffin population, visiting the breathtaking Myvatn Lake region and hiking to waterfalls such as Godafoss and Dynjandi. This cruise that begins and ends in Rejkjavik sails mostly at night, thus providing more time in intimate ports of call for walking, birding and meeting with the locals.
Cuba: Cuba by Land & Sea: Cultural Heritage & Natural Wonders is an 11-day, newly revised itinerary showcasing a world most Americans have yet to visit. Instead of taking predictable tourist routes, guests make Hotel Nacional de Cuba home base over three days in Havana before boarding the 44-guest Panorama II in Cienfuegos on Cuba’s south coast. They are bound for Jardines de Reina National Park, a protected marine area of over 850 square miles. Snorkeling and optional scuba diving on Cayo Largo are part of the adventure. “Es complicado" is the mantra of the current Cuba travel climate, and this makes for a true adventure as guides may tweak the itinerary and hour-to-hour plans enroute. The trip from $9,500 per person double begins in December 2016 and continues through March 2017. This Cuba cruise, led by National Geographic naturalists, guides and guest hosts, offers an authentic people-to-people interaction with opportunities for meaningful exchanges with locals. Guests visit the Bay of Pigs that lies along the Zapata Peninsula and the Zapata Swamp National Park; Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage site and meticulously preserved colonial city; and Jardines de la Reina, a place of transcendent importance to the marine ecology of Cuba and the world.
Mediterranean: The new Glories of Spain & Portugal Cruise explores the coastline between Malaga, Spain, and Lisbon, Portugal. Over 8 days guests will experience a variety of historic ports, gateways to ancient cultural treasures. The vessel is the state-of-the-art sail cruiser Panorama II. The per person rate, double is from $2,290. While some travelers will enjoy basking in Mediterranean sunshine and exploring the port of the day such as Motril, Puerto Banús on the Costa del Sol, Gibraltar (Spain) and Portimao (Portugal), those first-timers to, for example, Seville, Ronda and Granada may purchase optional group excursions to these and other historic centers. An unexpected bonus of this itinerary is exceptional birding along the Strait of Gibraltar.
Panama: A response to requests for more active cruise vacations is Pure Panama: Cultures, Coast & Canal that true to its name spends its entire 9-day route in the canals and along the shoreline of Panama. Guests explore everything from the tropical Pearl Islands of the Pacific and the famed Darién Jungle to the historic Panama Canal and the some 360 Caribbean islands of the Guna Yala region, home to one of the best preserved Native cultures in the Americas. The 62-guest Safari Voyager accesses coves where guests may utilize an onboard complement of kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and snorkeling equipment. The per person rate is from $3,795. Guests travel by motorized dugout canoe to meet the local Emberá people and discover the indigenous culture of the Guna Indians, hike the magnificent Darién Jungle in search of wildlife, kayak along the Chagres River looking for toucans and monkeys, marvel at the history along the 48-mile-long Panama Canal, explore UNESCO World Heritage Site Fort San Lorenzo and kayak, stand-up paddleboard and snorkel among the breathtaking beauty of the sun-swept Las Perlas and Guna Yala Islands.
Alaska: The new year introduces a brand-new ship: the purpose-built 100-guest expedition ship National Geographic Quest, set to sail in Alaska's Inside Passage after launching from a Seattle shipyard in June 2017. Her Seattle-to-Sitka itinerary explores the coast of British Columbia and into Alaska’s Inside Passage over 15 days at a per person double rate from $9,390. The ship then spends the summer exploring the coves and fjords between Sitka, Glacier Bay National Park, Juneau and Petersburg on the Exploring Alaska’s Coastal Wilderness route, an eight-day adventure also sailed by the 62-guest National Geographic Sea Lion, with rates starting at $5,890 per person double.
This opens up the 62-guest sister ship National Geographic Sea Bird to sail some new creative routes such as the six-day Wild Alaska Escape, which may well be the most active small ship cruise in Alaska's Inside Passage with mountain biking and river rafting adventure options in addition to various levels of hiking and kayaking. Cruises start at $4,290 per person, double. Up in Prince William Sound, AdventureSmith has partnered with a new family-run vessel to further expand reach in this popular destination. Accommodating just 12-guests, Dream Catcher explores round-trip from Whittier, just a short drive away from Anchorage, a popular gateway to Denali, Katmai and Kenai National Parks. The seven-day Prince William Sound Dream Catcher cruise is from $5,775 per person double.
Belize: New for 2018 is the 9-day Belize to Tikal Cruise: Reefs, Rivers & Ruins of the Maya World on National Geographic Quest that repositions to the Belize Barrier Reef after summering in Alaska. This is Adventure Smith Exploration’s reintroduction of cruises in Belize. Guests can anticipate top-notch information and guiding from onboard experts from National Geographic. Part of the fun comes with opportunities to snorkel, kayak, stand-up paddleboard and dive in the Northern Hemisphere's largest reef system. Included is a visit to Guatemala's famed Tikal National Park. The per person double rate is from $5,490.
For information on all AdventureSmith’s small ship cruises worldwide, itineraries, availability and reservations, Phone: 800-728-2875 toll-free or visit http://www.adventuresmithexplorations.com/.
About AdventureSmith Explorations - Think Outside the Boat!
Founded in 2003, AdventureSmith Explorations is based in Tahoe City, CA, along the northern shore of Lake Tahoe. A recognized leader in small ship cruising, in 2012 owner Todd Smith joined the ranks of Conde Nast Traveler's prestigious Annual Travel Specialists List as the world’s leading expert on small ship expeditions.