River and small-ship cruises have become enormously popular recently. As an alternative to sailing on the big cruise ships, travel ¿off the beaten path,¿ on smaller, more personal voyages and enjoy an authentic experience. In this guide, you¿ll find: -Detailed destination information for small ship cruises worldwide.-Sample day-by-day itineraries. -Descriptions of different types of small ship cruises ¿ from riverboats to sailing ships, yachts and more. -A comprehensive listing of small ship cruise lines, that caters to the North American market. -A detailed listing of small ships. -Special-interest cruises, from gardening to Christmas Shopping.-Advice on how to plan your trip, including the best seasons to travel, how to find a good travel agent that specializes in small ship cruises, and contact information and websites. This guidebook was written by a cruise industry insider ¿ for many years BETSEY SHAPIRO has been a travel agent, worked for small cruise lines, and works at the port in San Francisco. In this book, she and her colleagues share insider¿s knowledge about the cruise lines, destinations and best way to get the most out of your small ship vacation. ¿Every cruise loving traveler will enjoy reading it and it will definitely inspire their next cruise destinations for years!¿

Ohio Off the Beaten Path features the things travelers and locals want to see and experience––if only they knew about them. From the best in local dining to quirky cultural tidbits to hidden attractions, unique finds, and unusual locales, Ohio Off the Beaten Path takes the reader down the road less traveled and reveals a side of Ohio that other guidebooks just don't offer.

From the best in local dining to quirky cultural tidbits to hidden attractions, unique finds, and unusual locales, Ohio Off the Beaten Path takes the reader down the road less traveled and reveals a side of Ohio that other guidebooks just don't offer.

Florida Off the Beaten Path features the things travelers and locals want to see and experience––if only they knew about them. From the best in local dining to quirky cultural tidbits to hidden attractions, unique finds, and unusual locales, Florida Off the Beaten Path takes the reader down the road less traveled and reveals a side of Florida that other guidebooks just don't offer. The 12th edition features a full-color insert.

Tips for Booking Trips on All Budgets-from $1,000 to $1,000,000 "Kavin compares cruise ships and yacht charters to showcase the biggest advantage of the latter: personalized comfort." -Soundings "Charter cruising comes in many flavors, from fully crewed luxury megayachts to pilot-your-own bareboats, and Kim Kavin has sampled just about all of them." -Offshore Say good-bye to lengthy security lines, overpriced pia coladas, and jam-packed shore excursions. Never again will your cruise vacation include jostling with crowds, squishing into a kiddie-filled swimming pool, or rushing back from a land tour in time for a pre-assigned dinner seating on a massive, impersonal ship. Dream Cruises introduces you to the joys of private yacht charter vacations, a fast-growing and often surprisingly affordable alternative to cruise ships. With charters, you get the whole boat for your family and friends, with a crew catering only to you, and you go wherever you choose-from Alaska to the South Pacific. Based on first-hand experience as well as advice and information from sixty charter-industry experts worldwide, Dream Cruises explains which kinds of yachts are available, where to book them, how to find a trustworthy broker, what you can expect to pay, and much more. Why book another cabin when you can have the whole boat for yourself?

Exploring the frozen Alaskan wilderness; spotting elephants and lions on a Botswana river safari; sailing through the mighty fjords in Scandinavia and New Zealand; island-hopping the Caribbean, rich in colonial plazas and white sand beaches. Cruising has never been more diverse. This practical and inspiring guide gives you the lowdown on the wide world of cruises. Get essential advice and expert tips on everything from the types of cruises available, where to go and how to book a great deal, to packing and travelling with the family. This ultimate trip-planning tool also features the best destinations for beaches, adventure, culture, chartering and more. Designed for both first-time cruisers and those looking for inspiration, The Cruise Handbook will help you discover the enormous range of boat trips around the world, and find and book your perfect cruise. You'll also discover how to get the most out of each port of call. A fun and interesting read, it's packed with photos and top tips throughout. The handbook is split into four sections: Smooth Sailing, which includes: Why Cruise? Wide World of Cruising Where to Cruise When DIY It! Cruise Your Way Quiz Planning your Choice, which includes: Top Planning Tips Staying Healthy Top Packing Tips Cruise Etiquette Excursion Low-down Inspiration, which includes: Top Ten Affordable Cruise Destinations Top Ten Beach Cruise Destinations Top Ten Nature Cruise Destinations Best Cruises for Family Top Regions for LGBTQ, Food, and Culture Choose Your Cruise, which includes: Round the World Cruises Alaska Cruises Arctic Cruises Caribbean Cruises European River Cruises And much, much more About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, on mobile, video and in 14 languages, 12 international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition.

[Tells] first-time cruisers what to expect at every point in their vacation.

Editor Patience Wales is the editor of Sail magazine.

Discovering the French wine country by barge…sailing the Caribbean on a “floating island” at sea…cruising the Danube on a longboat…wrestling the currents on an expedition ship to Antarctica…exploring Southeast Asia by ferryboat...taking an intimate luxury yacht through the Galapagos…these are just a few of the exotic, exciting cruises that award-winning travel photographer Dennis Cox has documented in his new book Cruising the World – From Gondolas to Megaships. Featuring 37 different kinds of vessels -- from ancient dhows, sampans, and gondolas to cutting-edge high-tech megaships -- this large format, 208-page hardcover volume spotlights 535 colorful photos from 77 countries and seven continents. A colorful and incisive text accompanying the photos is provided by award-winning cruise writer Clark Norton. Midwest Book Review described the book as "Entertaining and educational, ‘Cruising The World: From Gondolas To Megaships’ is an inherently fascinating browse and ideal for the personal reading lists of armchair travelers in general, and anyone considering a shipboard world traveling experience in particular. Very highly recommended…”