You Don't Have to Be a Millionaire to Cruise Like One

You might not have won the Mega Millions lottery on Friday night, but there's no reason you can't cruise like a millionaire. There are some compelling luxury cruises aboard intimate vessels that will make you think you've struck it rich and boarded your very own vessel. Check out these options aboard intimate ships and yachts.

Top Luxury Cruises

Paul Gauguin Cruises – Fiji Eastbound Itinerary

November 20, 2012

The South Pacific bewitched me when I first visited the Society Islands aboard the m/s Paul Gauguin. For my next outing aboard this ship, I'd pick the 12-night Fiji Eastbound itinerary. Embarking from Lautoka, Fiji, the ship calls upon Suva, Viti Levu and Savusavu, Vanua Levu in Fiji before setting a course for Vava'u, Tonga; Aitutaki in the Cook Islands and finally Bora Bora, Taha'a, and Moorea. You'll disembark in Papeete, Tahiti. For more information, contact Paul Gauguin Cruises.

Four Seasons Explorer – Maldives Circuit Cruise

Many departure dates throughout the year.
Four Seasons dubs this Maldivian yacht voyage as the "ultimate marine odyssey" and I can see why. Each day promises amazing dive spots and unexplored reefs of the Baa, Raa, Ari, and North Male atolls. This seven-night adventure is a must-do for all divers since the yacht's onboard marine biologist will guide you on sunrise, daytime, and night dives—each and every day. If you're like me and don't dive, you'll still love this cruise for its visits to secluded beaches. Four Seasons Explorer offers 10 cabins and one suite with a crew of 25. Begin your journey at Four Seasons Maldives at Kuda Huraa and the circuit cruise will take you sail to Four Seasons Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru and back. (Three- and four-night cruises are also on offer.) For more information, contact Four Seasons.

AMAWaterways — Stars of Africa

June 18, July 16, September 3, October 29, December 3, 2012
This summer AMAWaterways launches three itineraries in southern Africa: the 16-day Stars of Africa, the 16-day African Sunsets, and a 19-day Golden Trails of Africa. Each itinerary includes several days aboard the Zambezi Queen, a luxury riverboat that cruises the Chobe River. Personally, I'd select the Stars of Africa itinerary, which includes three nights in Cape Town, three nights on safari in Kruger National Park at either Makalali Game Lodge or Kapama River Lodge, one night in Johannesburg, four nights aboard the Zambezi Queen, and two spectacular nights at famed Victoria Falls on the Zimbabwe side. For more information, contact AMAWaterways.

American Safari Cruises — Hawaiian Seascapes

April 9, 17, 25; May 3; November 3, 10, 17, 24; December 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, 2012
I love American Safari Cruises, part of InnerSea Discoveries, because the line of yachts offer truly unstructured exploration of Hawaii, Alaska's Inside Passage, Mexico's Sea of Cortez, the Columbia & Snake Rivers, and Washington State and British Columbia. The 36-passenger Safari Explorer sails the Hawaiian Islands between October and May each year and calls upon Maui, Lanai, Molokai, and the Big Island. On this seven-night excursion you'll swim and fish off the back deck of the boat, go hiking on land, snorkel and kayak, and take the skiff out for exploratory adventures. You can also arrange for golf outings on the islands and diving excursions. For more information, contact InnerSea Discoveries.

Anantara Cruises — Ayutthaya Thousand Golden Temples Tour

Many departure dates throughout the year.
Here's one on my bucket list: a few days aboard one of Anantara Cruises' restored 100-year-old teak rice barges. The two-cabin Anantara Dream and four-cabin Anantara Song cruise Thailand's Chao Phraya River. Embarking in Bangkok, you'll spend three days enjoying river life; visiting the temples, villages, and museums in the vicinity; and enjoying English afternoon tea and gourmet meals. A personal guide will make sure you see the best of Thailand. For more information, contact Anantara Cruises.

Orion Expedition Cruises — Borneo, Borobudur & Beyond

October 22, 2012 and September 29, 2013

I can't think of a better "starter" cruise for someone who's never been to Indonesia before. This expedition launches in Bali and you'll want to stay a few days on-island pre-cruise. (I vote for a few days at any of the Aman Resorts.) You'll then sail to Semarang for excursions to the city of Jogjakarta for Javanese history and culture and Borobudur, a 9th century Buddhist monument in Central Java. On day five of this ten-night cruise, you'll spend an amazing day at the Tanjung Puting National Park in Kalimantan. It's here that you'll make a trek into the protected rain forest to see orangutans in their natural habitat. Next, you'll spend two days in Pare Pare, Sulawesi for an overnight trip to Tana Toraja. You'll disembark in Bali. Head home via Hong Kong or Singpore for a taste of modern Asian cities. For more information, contact Orion Expedition Cruises.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for Luxury Cruise Bible

Photos © Leonard Hospidor

Four Seasons Explorer in the Maldives

Have you traveled to the Maldives? That's one place that's still on my must-visit list. There are two Four Seasons resorts in the Maldives—Four Seasons Kuda Huraa and Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru—and they also offer cruises aboard their yacht, the Four Seasons Explorer.

Now this is one cruise I'd love to take!

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Video courtesy of Four Seasons

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The Countdown to Bali

It's been a busy summer packed with projects for magazine and book publishers and movie studios. I just finished another guidebook project for Thomas Cook Publishing and Leonard has been recording music for a major motion picture. We're ready for a break!

So as the season winds down, we find ourselves gearing up for our next adventure. This week we head to Bali, Indonesia in Southeast Asia with a (very) short stopover in Hong Kong.

Over 17,000 islands comprise Indonesia with Bali being one of the best-known. You'll find stunning vistas as diverse as terraced rice paddies, white sand beaches, ornate temples, volcanoes (some active), and tropical rain forests. The culture is equally enticing and visitors often attend traditional Balinese ceremonies and dance performances.

For more information about Bali, visit these resources:
Bali Tourism Board
Indonesia—CIA World Factbook
Bali Forum at TripAdvisor.com
Bali Guide
Bali Eats

We're celebrating a special occasion and wanted to go somewhere to both explore and relax. Bali certainly fits the bill. While sailing aboard Silversea's Silver Spirit earlier this summer we met many crew members from Indonesia and they all told us that Bali should be on our "must visit soon" list. Call us convinced!

The Game Plan

• First class flight from the East Coast to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific
  
  
• Connecting business class flight on Cathay to Bali
  
  
• A week at the InterContinental Bali in Jimbaran Bay on Bali's southern coast
  
  
• A one-night stay at the InterContinental Hong Kong on our way home

Flying Cathay Pacific
I'm particularly looking forward to flying first class on Cathay Pacific. The gourmet meals, lie-flat bed, and excellent entertainment system will certainly make the 15-hour flight more bearable. (Read Tuesday's blog post for more information about Cathay Pacific's first class product.)

What's even better is that I was able to book these flights using my American Airlines AAdvantage frequent flyer miles (135k per ticket). It took two phone calls but the second agent was able to book me on the exact flights I wanted on my preferred travel dates. Of course, I spent quite a bit of time searching availability on Cathay's AsiaMiles website and British Airways partner award availability calendar before calling the AAdvantage desk. I booked these tickets about two months ago.

Jimbaran Bay
I spent far too much time reviewing hotel possibilities for Bali. There are some amazing properties to consider on the luxury end of the market. There are three Aman resorts—Amanusa in Nusa Dua, Amandari in Ubud, and Amankila in East Bali. There are also two Four Seasons (one in Jimbaran Bay and another in Ubud). All of those resorts look gorgeous and we plan to visit them to get a reference point for future stays.

In the end though, we decided to book the InterContinental Bali in Jimbaran Bay for several reasons. We're InterContinental/Priority Club fans and enjoy the upgrade perks we generally enjoy at IC properties. Also, Club level accommodations were priced right and we just felt it would be an ideal home base for our first trip to Bali. (Read Monday's blog post for more information about the InterContinental Bali.)

Putu Sudiana, Private Driver
To get the most out of our days on the island, we've hired private driver/guide Putu Sudiana of YourBaliDriver.com. His rates are incredibly reasonable (400,000 rupiah, or $40USD, for a 10-hour day). He came highly recommended by travelers who frequent TripAdvisor.com's Bali forum.

A Few Hours in Hong Kong
Finally, at the end of our trip we'll spend just one night at the InterContinental Hong Kong at Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon. We booked a junior suite with harbor views. I wish we could stay at this hotel for a few additional nights! It looks beautiful!

Stay tuned as we blog from Asia starting later this week.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Video: Four Seasons Explorer Catamaran Sails the Maldives

This past September, the 128-foot Four Seasons Explorer 11-cabin, three-deck catamaran was refurbished for three-, four-, and seven-night excursions around the Maldives in the Indian Ocean. While the vessel usually draws those interested in diving and snorkeling, even those who aren't natural water babies enjoy seeing the Maldives from this intimate ship that caters to just 22 passengers.

Accommodations are what you'd expect at any land-based Four Season resort and feature 10 staterooms and one Explorer Suite. The suite includes a king bed, a daybed, an indoor dining area, couch, writing desk, bar, DVD/CD player, telephone, and in-cabin safe. The bathroom features a full bath tub, and separate shower. Regular staterooms can be outfitted with either a king bed or two twins. Staterooms also feature a sofa, desk, DVD/CD player, bar, phone, and safe. These bathrooms have a tub/shower combo.

The catamaran promotes a casual atmosphere and shorts and sundresses are acceptable attire, even during dinner. The casual vibe doesn't skimp on service though...the entire boat is air-conditioned and you'll find an onboard masseuse and a PADI dive center with Nitrox. Laundry service is also available.

As of the first of October 2009, Four Seasons Explorer began weekly itineraries. The first part explores the northern atolls of Baa and Raa and includes a stopover at the Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru. The second part of the cruise expolores the southern regions, which may include Rasdhoo, North Ari, South and North Male atolls.

During the cruise, you'll enjoy water activities like diving, snorkeling, windsurfing, kayaking, waterskiing, and fishing. Other activities include visits to local villages and other island excursions.

Four Seasons Explorer video footage:

Four Seasons Explorer sails until December 20, 2009 and then she goes into dry-dock. She'll be back on the water as of June 8, 2010.

For more information, talk with your travel agent or contact Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa or Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxuryCruiseBible.com

Photo courtesy of Four Seasons