Exotic Cruises 2013: Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Tahiti, South America and more!

Cruising makes a vacation anywhere in the world very pleasant and fun! Imagine, for one, two or even three weeks, the ease and comfort of having to unpack only once while your luxurious hotel takes you from one exotic destination to the next. There's no hassle with finding a hotel, deciding where to dine, or how you're going to get from city to city. You'll be in familiar surroundings every evening while you explore a new place every day. Enchanting? Definitely.

Everyone's idea of fun is different. With a cruise, you make your vacation how you want it! After having a full breakfast, you can join a guided tour of the port city that your ship is docked in or wander on your own to the market, view architecture or just sit at a café and enjoy the passing scenery.

After a full day bike riding through the olive groves and medieval villages of Corfu or scuba diving among the wrecks, reefs and fish in Acapulco, you go back to your ship, have a glass of wine and dine on a delicious five course meal. Overnight, your ship takes you to your next destination. Don't worry about getting tired, you'll always get a chance to enjoy at least a day or two sailing the open seas, depending on the length of your cruise.

A popular exotic destination is the marvellous Mediterranean in Europe. There are cruises ranging from seven to twenty days. You may walk the streets of fancy Monte Carlo, climb up to the Parthenon in Athens, or explore the Pompeii Ruins in Italy, a site that has been fossilized after a volcanic eruption in the 7th century.

Maybe you'd like to go even further to the far east. Some of the major cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Azamara, Oceania, Crystal and Silverseas offer itineraries that can range from seven to twenty-four nights. Asia can be overwhelming and cruising is a great way to sample the region without feeling so. Visit Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, China, and Thailand.

If you prefer to see historic sites closer to home, there are cruises to Mexico, the Caribbean or the Panama Canal from San Diego, Los Angeles, Miami, San Juan or Fort Lauderdale. You will explore the ancient Mayan Ruins in Yucatan, Mexico; or the Brimstone Hill Fortress in St. Kitts that sits on a peninsula overlooking the Caribbean ocean.

Other popular cruise itineraries are the ten to eighteen day cruises along the coasts of Australia and New Zealand. The beautiful harbour of Auckland, New Zealand is called the “City of Sails” for good reason. A cruise to this region is never short of adventures. The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest coral reef, home to thousands of plant and animal life. It's not a surprise then that diving is a popular excursion here!

A sunny destination many forget to consider is North Africa and the Canary Islands. Cruises here stop at ports of call such as Bilbao, Spain; Tangier and Casablanca in Morocco; and the lush island of Medeira, located in the mid Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Africa.

As you can see, there's an abundance of options! Cruising is a luxurious yet economical way of exploring the world. Included in your cruise fare are your meals, accommodations, entertainment and transportation from port to port. Some lines even have complimentary excursions or offer shipboard credits to help pay for spa treatments, shopping or that bottle of vino with dinner. Should you add the air option offered by all cruise lines, you'll be met upon arrival at the airport and escorted to your ship; at the end of your cruise, you will be taken to the airport to board your flight home. Cruising certainly is a seamless way to a great vacation anywhere in the world!