The joys of cruise travel are unmistakable. Embark your ship, unpack once, and visit many exotic locales at leisure. The only caveat is that stressful air travel is generally required to get to and from the ship. That is unless you choose homeport cruising where you set sail on a voyage that leaves from or returns to your hometown or both. You can say goodbye to transportation hassles save for maybe a short drive to the pier.
While there are many repositioning cruises that begin or end at homeports, the most sublime cruise is a roundtrip one, and there are a number of such enticing sailings using San Diego, America’s finest city, as their homeport starting this fall.
This Fall and Winter
Celebrity Cruises is offering great 15-day Hawaiian cruises roundtrip from our city on the Celebrity Century starting in October and running into next April, but Holland America Line is most dedicated to reigniting the San Diego cruise market with four of its trademark Signature of Excellence ships deployed on some truly remarkable roundtrips.
Holland America in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (Copyright © Holland America Line)
Starting in September, the newly revitalized Statendam will embark on 28 or 29-day Panama Canal cruises that include passage through the engineering marvel twice and stop in Mexico, Guatemala, Aruba, and Costa Rica. When the 1,260-passenger ship returns from canal sailings in November, she will set out on a 28-day Circle Hawaii, Tahiti and Marquesas itinerary. Between relaxing days at sea, this cruise will travel to our 50th state as well as the famous French Polynesian islands. The Statendam will then alternate between these two routes through March of 2013.
Holland America’s ms Westerdam (Copyright © Holland America Line)
For those who prefer larger ships, the 1,916-passenger Westerdam will be offering a 30-day variant of the Hawaiian and Polynesian route in October and also next April, and additionally, the spacious Zaandam will rotate between 14-day Circle Hawaii and 7-day Mexican Riviera routes starting in October and into next April. Holland America also offers these trips as combined 21-day Hawaii and Mexico Collectors’ voyages on the 1,432-passenger ship.
Holland America’s ms Zaandam (Copyright © Holland America Line)
Next Fall and Beyond
Looking further out, the Statendam will return next fall to San Diego roundtrips to Hawaii and Polynesia plus two particularly intriguing bonus routes. Once in November 2013 and again in March 2014, she will set sail on a 30 or 31-day Incan Empire cruise, traveling as far south as Lima, Peru with a multi-day stopover in the ancient city, but for an even rarer voyage, she will sail the Sea of Cortez on a singular 12-day cruise next December, making calls at Loreto and La Paz.
Holland America’s ms Statendam (Copyright © Holland America Line)
Lastly, the Veendam, sister ship to the Statendam and also recently remodeled, will join the mix and alternate between 7-day Mexican Riviera and 17 or 18-day Circle Hawaii voyages next November through January of 2014 before returning again that March. For more information regarding these exciting itineraries, visit Celebrity Cruises at Celebrity.com and Holland America Line at HollandAmerica.com.
Holland America’s ms Veendam (Copyright © Holland America Line)
Are you excited about these itineraries too? Tell us what you think in the comments section below…
HEADER IMAGE SOURCE: HOLLAND AMERICA LINE (The ms Veendam in San Diego Bay)