The Port of Los Angeles | Winter Cruise Season 2012

We love our cruise ships!

If it’s winter that means prime-time for cruise calls at the Port of Los Angeles.  Even though Los Angeles is a year round cruise destination, the winter months mark the time when the port welcomes ships that normally make infrequent calls.

Some of the ships that will call on the World Cruise Center at the Port of Los Angeles

• Crystal Symphony, which departs Los Angeles for Hawaii on Dec. 21 will also call again on January 4th embarking on a 13-day journey to the Panama Canal on January 4.
• Cunard Line is set to sail to Hawaii  on December 21 for a 14-day voyage aboard the Queen Victoria. Also scheduled for this ship from LA: a 15-day cruise to Fort Lauderdale via the Panama Canal on Jan. 4; a 14-day voyage to Hawaii on February 14; and a 17-day cruise to New York via the Panama Canal on February 28.
• Princess Cruises’ Sapphire Princess offers a 7-night sailing adventure to Mexico on December 31, February 18 and 25. The Sapphire Princess also cruises to Hawaii for 14 nights on Dec. 17 and Feb 4. The Golden Princess heads to Hawaii for 14 nights on December 21, January 4 and 18, February 1, 15 and 29.  Coral Princess leaves LA for Fort Lauderdale via the Panama Canal and multiple stops in the Caribbean for 14 nights on December 20, January 17 and February 14.
• Seabourn Odyssey offers several options to the Pacific from a 20-day “Pacific Tradewinds” cruise to exotic French Polynesia to the 60-day “Stars of the Southern Cross” trip to Australia and New Zealand as well as Hawaii. All voyages depart the Port of Los Angeles on January 5, 2012.

Making LA home for the winter

• Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder sets sail on a seven-night adventure to the Mexican Riviera almost every Sunday.
• New to the lineup and offering shorter cruises to Baja, Mexico from Carnival Cruise Line is Carnival Inspiration.

San Pedro - Port of Los Angeles Cruise Ship Calendar for 2012

Links to popular Alaska cruise ports, cruise calendars, and cruise line roundup.

Alaska-bound cruise ships in port.

Popular emabarkation ports

For more information, visit Experience Ketchikan

• Vancouver – 2011 Vancouver Cruise Ship Schedule
• Seattle – 2011 Seattle Cruise Calendar
• Seward – 2011 Seward Alaska Cruise Ship Schedule
• Whittier – 2011 Whittier Alaska Cruise Ship Schedule

Popular cruise ports serving Alaska cruise visitors.

• Dutch Harbor – 2011 Dutch Harbor Cruise Ship Schedule
• Glacier Bay – 2011 Glacier Bay Cruise Ship Schedule
• Haines – 2011 Haines Alaska Cruise Ship Schedule
• Hubbard Glacier – 2011 Hubbard Glacier Cruise Ship Schedule
• Juneau – 2011 Juneau Alaska Cruise Ship Schedule
• Ketchikan – 2011 Ketchikan Alaska Cruise Ship Schedule
• Sitka – 2011 Sitka Alaska Cruise Ship Schedule
• Skagway – 2011 Skagway Alaska Cruise Ship Schedule
• Tracy Arm – 2011 Tracy Arm Cruise Ship Schedule
• Prince Rupert – 2011 Prince Rupert Cruise Ship Schedule
• Victoria – 2011 Victoria Cruise Ship Schedule

Cruise lines offering Alaska cruises

Crystal Cruises Golf Theme on Hawaiian Holiday Cruise

Crystal Cruises is adding a golf theme to its 12/21-1/4 holiday sailing, which departs from the Port of Los Angeles for Hawaii.

PGA golf legend Billy Casper - photo by Keith Allison

Tee-it up with with legendary pro golfer Billy Casper on Crystal Symphony’s round-trip Los Angeles holiday voyage to Hawaii.

With 51 PGA tour wins, many consider Casper the best putter of his era. On the cruise, guests can attend informal lectures by Casper and other athletic stars, such as Emmy-winning sportscaster Jim Huber.

In 2012 Crystal Cruises is enhancing its already expansive host of luxury services and amenities, by including its new “All Inclusive” concept. Passengers will enjoy complimentary fine wines and premium spirits throughout the ship, open bar service in all lounges, and pre-paid gratuities for housekeeping, bar and dining staff. The complimentary gratuity amenity also includes Penthouse butler service as well as service in all of Crystal’s fine specialty restaurants and sushi bar.

The Crystal Symphony calls on the Port of Los Angeles on Aug. 26, Nov. 27, Dec. 11 and Dec. 21 in 2011.

European waterways essential to life and trade

The Thames: London's river with a big history

The rivers and seas of Europe have always been essential to life and trade. But, until the mid-1800s, European boats and ships were only concerned with moving cargo or hauling in the day’s catch – not with passengers or their comfort.

In 1835, Arthur Anderson, a sailor from the Shetland Isles, wrote about his vision of providing passenger service from Scotland to Iceland in the summer months, and from Scotland to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal) in winter. Two years later, he co-founded the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company (P&O), which became a major operator of passenger liners.

The mail route and birth of the trans-Atlantic cruise

Other shipping lines, which got their start by carrying mail across the Atlantic, began to offer passenger service. More ships began to consider the comfort of passengers: in 1840 the Britannia, the first ship to sail under the Cunard Line name, reportedly took a cow on board to supply fresh milk on a trans-Atlantic crossing.

The emergence of elegance at sea – luxury cruising

By the early 1900s, European passenger ships had taken on the characteristics of elegant, floating hotels. However, World Wars I and II interrupted the building of new cruise ships, and many ships were pressed into service as troop transports.

Interest in trans-Atlantic cruising surged between the wars and again after World War II, but the introduction of trans-Atlantic flights put a damper on that era. During the 1960s and 70s, the European cruise industry slowly refocused on sailing the coasts and rivers of the continent.

Today, discover Europe all over again via cruise ship

Regent Seven Seas

Today, multiple cruise lines visit an amazing variety of European ports. Major cruise lines that sail Europe include the contemporary lines Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line; premium and deluxe lines Azamara Club Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Holland America Line and Princess Cruises; and luxury lines Crystal Cruises, Cunard Line, Oceania, Regent Seven Seas, Seabourn, Silversea, Uniworld and Viking River Cruises. Uniworld River Cruises and Viking River Cruises are noteworthy because they cruise the rivers of Europe – the Danube, the Rhine, the Seine and more – providing access to inland cities and villages.

The big four – Northern Europe, British Isles, Western Med, Eastern Med

European cruises cover four regions: The Baltic and Northern Europe; the British Isles and Western Europe; the Western Mediterranean; and the Eastern Mediterranean. Some cruise itineraries focus on ports in one region, while longer cruises may include ports in two or more regions.

A cruise of Northern Europe might include the stunning fjords of Norway’s west coast. Or, choose a Baltic-based itinerary, enjoying Scandinavian capitals like Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki. Some cruises also visit Russia’s jewel of the Baltic, St. Petersburg.

Cruises of the British Isles and Western Europe often launch from London and may stop at Inverness and Edinburgh, Scotland; Dublin, Ireland; Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Hamburg, Germany; and Le Havre (for Paris), France.

Western Mediterranean itineraries can stretch from Gibraltar and coastal Spain to the west coast of Italy. Ports of call might include Cannes and other cities on the French Riviera; and the Italian ports of Livorno (for Florence), Citavecchia (for Rome) and Naples. Some itineraries also call on the islands of Sicily, Sardinia and Malta.

The Eastern Mediterranean includes a classic cruise destination– the Greek Isles. However, there is much more to see, including the ports of Croatia (Dubrovnik and Hvar); the gorgeous, watery city of Venice, Italy; and the exotic ports of Turkey (Istanbul, Izmir and Kusadasi).

With so many places to see, deciding on a European itinerary can be challenging. Luckily there are numerous resources available to help make a decision. Consider using  a travel agent to help get the best value for your time to match the right cruise to your lifestyle.

I posted on Crystal Cruises Facebook page a question about their best cruise tips.  What large-ship luxury cruise line, Crystal Cruises replied was so great that it got my “buzzable” vote for the day.

Here are Crystal Cruises tips.