Five Unusual Cruise Destinations

Some people think the only way to cruise is to hop a boat at Fort Lauderdale and head straight for the Bahamas.

I beg to differ.

There is far more to cruises than just relaxing on a deck as you’re transfered from one indistinguishable Caribbean beach to the next.  Whether you choose to visit a traditional or unusual destination, you can always find deals on discount cruises from providers like DiscountCruises.com.

Here are five cruise destinations that will make you rethink what a cruise can be.  There’s far more to these five destinations than frosty cocktails served poolside!

Svalbard

Image: mike.thomson75

The enormous and remote island of Svalbard, part of Norway, is well above the Arctic Circle.  If you’re looking for an incredible wilderness, Svalbard will thrill you like few places can.  Consider this: even in the capital city of Longyearbyen, everyone walks around with a shotgun — to shoot attacking polar bears.

Halong Bay

Image: Stephen Chipp

It may be listed as the gateway port to Hanoi, but Halong Bay happens to be one of the most enchanting places in Vietnam.  Early in the morning, watch the sun rise as the islands are enveloped in the mist.  You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more ethereal sight in Southeast Asia.  Just don’t set your heart on spending time in Hanoi — after waking up in Halong Bay, you’ll want to stay there as long as possible.

Cook Islands

Image: Luthor522

The Cook Islands have always skimmed under the radar for tourism, especially when compared to Fiji or Tahiti, but they were catapulted into fame when Survivor filmed a season there.  Now, they’re famous for their incredible beauty.  While they’re not a prominent cruise destination in the South Pacific, some very lucky passengers end up with a stop scheduled in Aitutaki.

Bahrain

Image: akshaydavis

This Middle Eastern kingdom is an archipelago of glitz, glamor, glittering skyscrapers and glistening waters.  Think Abu Dhabi in Sex and the City 2 — only not as mythologized, and you might actually want to spend time there.  Bahrain isn’t a major tourist draw yet, but now that it’s appearing on cruise ship itineraries, I predict that we will be seeing a lot more of this oil-rich country in the future.

Ushuaia

Image: .:Adry:.

Sitting contentedly at the bottom of the world is Ushuaia, the tip of South America and the world’s southernmost city.  Ushuaia is the gateway to cruises to Antarctica, but it has plenty of attractions of its own — glacier trekking, horseback riding and hiking through Parque Nacional Tierra del Fuego in Patagonia.

So, where would YOUR dream cruise take place?

This post was sponsored by a third party.