Ngonyaka odlule ube muhle kakhulu embonini yezokuhamba ngomkhumbi, nokwenyuka kwezinombolo zabagibeli kanye nenqwaba yokwakhiwa kwemikhumbi. Kodwa manje sekuyisikhathi sokubheka phambili kumathrendi aphezulu kaseyili ka-2008. Oh, Caribbean, sizokukhumbula, kodwa sizocabanga ngawe ngenkathi sigcagca elangeni laseMedithera.
Umhlaba ohamba ngomkhumbi waqala ngo-'08 ngokuphusha okuqinile. NgokoMnyango Wezokuthutha wase-US, abagibeli abayizigidi ezingu-2.5 bahamba ngomkhumbi olwandle abangu-1,063 eNyakatho Melika engxenyeni yesibili ka-2007, izinga eliphezulu kakhulu eminyakeni emine edlule. Leso sibalo siyingxenye yesihlanu yabo bonke abahamba ngomkhumbi bango-2007 - izigidi eziyi-12.6, ngokwesilinganiso se-Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), emele imigqa emikhulu yokuhamba ngomkhumbi. Ukuze kuhlaliswe laba zivakashi, okungenani imikhumbi emisha eyishumi nambili ifika olwandle oluhle.
Kulo nyaka, imboni bekungcono ukugcina izando zayo zisebenza. I-CLIA ibikezela ukuthi izibalo zabagibeli zizokhula ngamaphesenti angu-1.6, zifinyelele ezigidini ezingu-12.8. "Sekukonke, imboni yezokuvakasha isafinyelela kubantu abangakaze bahambe ngomkhumbi," kusho uCarolyn Spencer Brown, umhleli omkhulu we-Cruise Critic, eshicilela iphephabhuku lokuhamba nge-inthanethi (www.cruisecritic.com). "I-cruising izokhula nakanjani."
Ngakho-ke yini i-Cruising Class ka-2008 engalindela? Nazi ezinye zentuthuko ezizayo.
Izindawo
Abahambi bezindiza abavela e-United States bangase babe muncu eYurophu, kodwa labo abafika ngolwandle balungiselela iZwekazi. "IYurophu ishisa kakhulu kulo nyaka," kusho uPaul Motter, umhleli we-CruiseMates, i-online cruising guide (www.cruisemates.com). "Lapho idola lehla kakhulu, kuyanda ukuthandwa (ukubona i-Europe ngokuhamba ngomkhumbi)." Ngokuqondile, izindlela ezishisa kakhulu ziseMedithera naseBaltic.
Esinye sezizathu ezinkulu zokuvakashela i-Europe uhlelo lokubhuka lomkhakha, oluvumela abantu baseMelika ukuthi bakhokhe ngamadola futhi ngenxa yalokho bagweme izinga lokushintshanisa imali elibuthakathaka. Ngokungafani nabahambi basemhlabeni abazwa ubuhlungu njalo lapho bekhokhela ukudla, ihhotela noma izinto zokuhamba, abahamba ngomkhumbi bakhokha isamba esisodwa esihlanganisa zonke izindleko zabo ezinkulu.
"Lokhu ukuhluka kwesimanje kokuthi 'Uma kungoLwesibili, kufanele sibe seBelgium,' ” kusho uSpencer Brown. “Kuyindlela enhle yokusampula i-Europe. Upakisha kanye bese ulala embhedeni owodwa.”
Yebo, njengoba ukuthandwa kweYurophu kukhula, kanjalo nezintengo zokuhamba ngomkhumbi. Amanani angaba phezulu, futhi amakhabethe athengiswa ngokushesha. Ochwepheshe baphakamisa ukubhukha izinyanga eziyisithupha kuya kweziyisishiyagalolunye ngaphandle. Ukuze wonge imali, u-Motter uncoma ukuhamba ngomkhumbi ngoMeyi noma ngoSepthemba. “Njengoba isikebhe sigcwala, sibiza kakhulu,” esho. “Bheka umkhumbi ongagcwele futhi ovumelana nezinsuku. EBaltic naseMedithera, uhambo olufanayo lungaba ngaphansi ngamaphesenti angama-30 noma angu-40 ngaphambi kwesikhathi noma ngasekupheleni kwesizini.”
Ngenhlanhla, imigqa eminingi ibhekana nesidingo ngokwandisa ukunikezwa. Eminye imigqa ithumela imikhumbi esuka e-Caribbean iye e-Europe (I-Carnival izoba nomkhumbi owodwa ngamunye e-Mediterranean nase-Baltic, okokuqala ngqa) noma izoyimisa e-Europe unyaka wonke, njengoba kwenza i-Royal Caribbean ne-Costa.
Ngalolu hlangothi lwe-Atlantic, i-Caribbean ayiphumeli ngempela, kodwa abahambi bafuna iziqhingi ezinezindimbane ezimbalwa nezinhlobonhlobo eziningi.
U-Spencer Brown unikeza njengesibonelo i-St. Maarten, engamukela imikhumbi egibela abagibeli abangu-3,000 efika kwabayisithupha ngosuku oluvamile lwesizini ephezulu.
“Intshonalanga yeCaribbean isiminyana ngokweqile, futhi abahamba ngomkhumbi bakhathele ukuya ezindaweni ezifanayo ezindala,” kusho yena. “Amabhishi agcwele phama. Abantu bafuna ushintsho.”
Ngokunye okuhluke kancane, ochwepheshe bakhomba izindawo eziya eMelika Ephakathi njengeBelize nePanama. UMotter uphinde abone iNingizimu Melika emkhathizwe: "INingizimu Melika iwuhambo olude futhi kufanele undize lapho, kodwa ukuhamba ngomkhumbi kubiza okufanayo noma kushibhile kuneYurophu - nedola lakho liya phambili kakhulu."
Imikhumbi emisha
Unyaka wonke, imboni izokwethula inqwaba yemikhumbi emisha, efana ne-Carnival Splendor elayisha abantu abangu-3,006 (Julayi), kanye nemigqa emisha yokuhamba ngomkhumbi. I-Jewel River Cruise Line izokwethula umkhumbi wayo wokuqala wokunethezeka we-boutique, i-Jewel Imperial Blue, emigwaqweni yamanzi yaseYurophu ngoMeyi, isibonelo; futhi ngo-August, i-Pearl Seas Cruises izokwethula okokuqala ngohambo lwayo lwemikhumbi olunethezekile oluya e-Caribbean naseCanada.
Imigqa yokuhamba ngomkhumbi nayo yakha amakilasi amasha emikhumbi, intuthuko enkulu engakaze ibonwe eminyakeni engaphezu kweshumi. “Kunoxhaxha lwemiklamo emisha yemikhumbi eqala ngo-2008,” kusho uMotter. Usaziwayo uhamba phambili ngemikhumbi yabo ye-Solstice-class, ezophuma ngoDisemba. Ezinye izinkampani nazo zicabanga indawo okuyiwa kuyo ekwakhiweni, okufana neCosta namachibi ayo akhiwe ngengilazi (ukuze abahamba ngomkhumbi e-Europe bakwazi ukubhukuda “ngaphandle” ezinyangeni ezibandayo).
Ngesilinganiso esincane, emzamweni wokuheha abagibeli abasebancane, imigqa emikhulu ifaka i-hipship ethile emikhunjini yabo. Banethemba lokufinyelela imindeni kanye nabangaphansi kweminyaka engama-50 esethwe ngokwengeza noma ngokukhuthaza izinsiza ezigxile entsheni njengama-nightclub (Crystal Symphony), amapaki okuntweza (i-Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas, Liberty of the Seas futhi, iqala ngoMeyi, Independence. of the Seas), bowling alleys (Norwegian Cruise Line's Norwegian Pearl), bungee trampolines (P&O Cruises' Ventura) kanye nothango (Queen Victoria kaCunard). “Kungamandla amasha,” kusho uSpencer Brown. "Intsha futhi ikhuthele yilapho imboni iya khona."
Umbiko we-CLIA osanda kukhishwa uqhubeka uchaza lesi sinyathelo: “Imindeni kanye nokuvakasha kwamazwe amaningi kuyindawo ekhula kakhulu embonini yezokuvakasha, ilandelwa i-Baby Boomers (abaneminyaka engu-43-62) - eqeda ngokuphelele umbono wokuthi ukuhamba ngomkhumbi kungokwabantu abadala kuphela. noma abashadile. Abaphindayo nabaqalayo ukuhamba ngesikebhe babeyintamo nentamo ezilinganisweni zokukhula.”
Imigqa ye-Cruise iphinde iguqule ukukhetha kwabo okudlela ukuze kuhlinzekelwe ibutho elikhulayo labadlayo abahamba ngeholide. Nakuba amagumbi okudlela nezihlalo ezabelwe kusadlangile, imikhumbi idala ezinye izindlela ezifana nezindawo zokudlela zosaziwayo abapheki (isb., i-Wolfgang Puck's Jade Garden on Crystal Symphony, Charlie Palmer's Tastings@2 on Seabourn) kanye namamenyu aqondene nomuntu ngamunye.
Okubi kwalokhu okungeziwe kuyibhilidi enkulu; I-Carnival's Supper Club, eyodwa, ibiza u-$30 umuntu ngamunye. “Njengoba imikhumbi ikhula, kuningi ongasebenzisa imali kukho,” kusho uSpencer Brown. "Amathuba okunciphisa isikhwama sakho semali akhona." Phakathi kwama-splurges: utshwala (imikhumbi iqinile kakhulu mayelana ne-cocktails ye-traband), izinqubo zokuhlanza amazinyo, amakilasi we-acupuncture kanye nesibhakela. Futhi akekho okhululiwe ekukhokhisweni kabi kukaphethiloli, okungabiza cishe u-$10 ngosuku.
Cruise isiko
Ngenxa yamandla e-euro nezinye zezimali zakwamanye amazwe, abantu baseMelika bazithola bephuma ezihlalweni zabo zobukhosi. AmaJalimane, amaFulentshi, amaNgisi, ama-Australia, amaJapani kanye nabanye abahambi bamazwe ngamazwe bangena ngomkhumbi, hhayi nje emanzini angemuva kwendlu yabo.
Abagibeli bemikhumbi bakwamanye amazwe bandiza benqamula izilwandle ukuze bahambe ngomkhumbi e-Alaska noma eCaribbean, izimakethe ezake zabuswa abantu baseMelika. Ngempela, amaRussia akhuphukela endaweni ephezulu.
Imboni iphinde ibhekane noshintsho olukhona emhlabeni wonke ekuthandeni kokuvakasha: iholide elisebenzayo (umzimba kanye/noma ingqondo). Enye yezinto ezintsha zakamuva ukushada imisebenzi ye-shipboard nohambo lolwandle.
Isibonelo, i-Regent Seven Seas inikezela "ngohlelo lokucebisa" lapho abagibeli bengathatha khona amakilasi okuthatha izithombe, imfashini, umlando, njll., bese besebenzisa izifundo zabo noma amakhono ohambo lwamazwe ngamazwe.
Imikhumbi yokuhamba ngomkhumbi iyaqhubeka nokubhekelela izithakazelo ezikhethekile futhi, yengeza uhambo oluningi lwetimu ohlelweni lwayo.
"Uhambo lwetimu lukhulu ngempela," kusho uSpencer Brown. “Abantu bafuna ukuthola okuningi ohambeni lomkhumbi kunokuphumula nokuphumula. Bafuna ukuya enkulumweni noma ukufunda umsebenzi wokuzilibazisa.” Ohambweni luka-Crystal Serenity lwezinsuku eziyi-12 lukaMeyi olusuka e-London luya e-Rome, isibonelo, umpheki kanye ne-sommelier bazobamba amakilasi agibele, futhi ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yohambo lwasogwini lwama-57 ihlobene nokudla. Labo abanothando olukhethekile kakhulu ngeke basale esikhumulweni semikhumbi esomile noma: Kunjani ngomkhumbi wokunitha noma onqunu, noma ukuhamba ngomkhumbi nabasebenzi baseMotley Crue?
Ukuqiniseka, isidingo sokubona amaphengwini nama-boobies anezinyawo eziluhlaza asinciphi. Izikebhe ze-eco-cruise zisahamba ngamandla, kanti i-Antarctica isacasukile.
Mane ukhumbule isitatimende sango-2008: Bhuka kusenesikhathi!
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