Kumgxeki ohamba ngomkhumbi u-Anne Campbell, isikhashana esithile ohambweni lokushushuluza nge-snorkeling olwandle lwaseMexico sigqama njengobufakazi bokuthi abezokuvakasha abaningi baye baba nohambo oluyiqiniso.
“Sasithathe isikebhe esincane cishe imizuzu engu-45 ukusuka esikhumulweni semikhumbi eCabo San Lucas siye endaweni yokushwibilika emanzini, ogwini lolwandle, futhi lapho sifika, zazingekho izinhlanzi,” kukhumbula uCampbell, uMhleli we-Cruising waseNew York, umhlahlandlela we-inthanethi ochaza ngohambo ngomkhumbi olusuka ezikhumulweni ezintathu zeDolobha laseNew York, “Ngakho umqondisi wethu wakhipha ikani le-Cheez Whiz walijikijela emanzini, futhi kwaba sengathi kuqhamuka izinhlanzi eziyisigidi.”
Kodwa uma kuziwa ohambweni lomkhumbi, umbono wakho wokuqala wokuthi isipiliyoni ngeke sifinyelele kulokho okulindele kwangaphandle cishe sizofika njengoba ungena ethekwini.
“E-Baja nasogwini lwasePacific eMexico, unenkinga ngoba kunemikhumbi eminingi ehamba isonto lonke isuka eSan Diego naseLos Angeles, unyaka wonke, futhi lezi zikhumulo zigcwele amanzi nje,” kusho uCampbell, “ Ungena ezindaweni ezifana neMazatlan, Cabo San Lucas ne-Ixtapa, futhi zigcwele imikhumbi.”
Impela, noma imaphi amaphupho abagibeli besikebhe abanamabhishi angasese ohambo lokushona kwelanga, indawo eqhelelene yogu lokuhamba nge-kayaking-ngisho nekhona langasese ledekhi lapho ungakwazi khona i-canoodle ngombono wothando-kungenzeka ukuthi: Amaphupho.
Izikhangiso ze-Cruise line zisebenza kanzima ekuzameni ukuveza okukhethekile, ukusondelana kanye nokuba yedwa. Kodwa empeleni, abantu abangaphezu kwezigidi eziyishumi abahamba ngomkhumbi unyaka ngamunye baya ezindaweni eziningi ezifanayo. Amabhasi okuvakasha ashaya ujenga ezikhumulweni zemikhumbi njengamabutho athuthukayo, kuyilapho iziqondiso ezinyakazayo kanye nama-freelance touts zibanga ukunakwa kwabagibeli. Futhi akuyona i-Mexico ne-Caribbean kuphela lapho amachweba aminyene asongela kakhulu izikhukhula ezinkulu ohambeni lwakho lokuhamba ngomkhumbi.
Thatha i-Alaska. Sekukonke, inani labagibeli abaya e-Alaska seliphindwe kathathu kusukela ekuqaleni kwawo-90, ngokusho kweNorth West CruiseShip Association. I-Juneau iyichweba elimatasatasa esifundazweni, kanti kunezivakashi ezingaba ngu-650 ezifikayo phakathi nezinyanga zasehlobo. Inani labantu basendaweni yaseJuneau lizulazula cishe ku-30,000 futhi ngosuku olujwayelekile ngesikhathi sesizini ephezulu, abagibeli bezikebhe abangaphezu kuka-5,000 baphuma bezungeza idolobhana elincane, begibela amabhasi ohambo oluya eqhwa laseMendenhall nakwezinye izindawo ezikhangayo zasendaweni.
“Ungahamba ngezinyawo usuka eVancouver uye eSeward unqamule phezulu emikhunjini phakathi nezinyanga zasehlobo ngoba ziningi izikebhe,” kusho uCampbell.
E-St. Thomas, isiqhingi esingamamayela angu-13 ubude namakhilomitha amane ububanzi, cishe izivakashi eziyizigidi ezimbili zafika ngomkhumbi ngo-2006, ngokusho kochwepheshe bocwaningo i-GP Wild International Ltd. Imikhumbi emikhulukazi eyisithupha kuya kweziyisishiyagalombili ngosuku iyinto evamile kule Caribbean. i-evergreen-sikhuluma ngaphezu kwabagibeli besikebhe abangu-20,000 ngosuku olumaphakathi ababheke emabhishi ambalwa afanayo nezindawo ezihehayo.
Kuyisivumelwano esifanayo e-Nassau nase-St. Maarten, lapho isiminyaminya sezimoto sivame njengokushiswa yilanga nama-hangover. Emhlabeni wokuhamba ngomkhumbi, "okukhethekile kufana 'nomkhumbi omncane,'" kusho uCampbell, futhi uma umkhumbi wakho umncane futhi ukhuphuka kakhulu, uzoba maningi amathuba okuba ugweme izikhumulo ezinkulu nezimatasa kakhulu. Ngokuvamile imikhumbi emincane kakhulu, ethwala abagibeli abayikhulu noma abangu-100 kuphela, ayiboboki.
Yizikebhe zabagibeli ezingu-2,000-plus okungenzeka ukuthi zingene ezikhumulweni ezigcwele isadini. Ama-Behemoth afana ne-Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas entsha ingathwala abagibeli abangaphezu kuka-4,000, kanye nengxenye yezisebenzi. Ukuzungezisa kwamasonto onke kufaka i-Cozumel ne-Grand Cayman noma i-St. Maarten ne-San Juan.
I-Caribbean ibe yindawo yokuqala yokuhamba ngomkhumbi iminyaka. Kuyo yomibili i-2005 kanye ne-2006, i-Caribbean yaba ngamaphesenti angaba ngu-40 wemikhumbi yemikhumbi yaseNyakatho Melika, ngokusho kwe-Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), iqembu lezohwebo. I-Medithera ne-Europe yafaka cishe ingxenye enkulu yezimoto ezihamba ngomkhumbi ngesikhathi esifanayo, kwalandelwa i-Alaska, i-Bahamas kanye ne-Mexican Riviera, ngayinye ingaphansi kwamaphesenti ayishumi emakethe iyonke. Kodwa akuzona nje izinombolo zezivakashi ezehlela echwebeni ezenza noma ziphule usayizi wechweba lesipiliyoni.
Amanye amachweba angakwazi ukuphatha ukuhlasela kangcono kunamanye. Ngokwesibonelo, iSan Juan, ngenkathi inesisindo njengendawo enkulu yokuqalisa umkhumbi wokuhamba ngomkhumbi eCaribbean, futhi inengqalasizinda yedolobha ekhona kanye nezici zechweba ezinomlando (funda: leli dolobha laliyindawo echumayo kudala ngaphambi kokuba imboni yezokuvakasha ihlasele idolobha) elivumela lokho. ukumunca uquqaba ngomusa.
I-Ditto yamadolobha amakhulu njengeBarcelona neNaples, anabantu ezigidini futhi angathatha kalula abanye abantu abangama-20,000. Ichweba elifana neVenice, nokho, alinayo inhlanhla, ngokusho kukaCampbell. “NgoJulayi nango-August, abantu abavela kuwo wonke umhlaba baseVenice, sekugcwele izixuku,” kusho yena. “Uma ukwazi, gwema ukuvakasha ngesizini ephezulu.”
Eziqhingini ezincane namadolobhana angasogwini, isimo sibi nakakhulu. Ezindaweni ezincane eduze kwe-Cote d'Azur ngokwesibonelo, indawo ebonakalayo ilinganiselwe, okusho ukuthi izivakashi zingabadlula kalula abantu bendawo. Ukukhukhuleka kwezivakashi okufanayo kwenzeka edolobheni elincane laseTurkey elingasogwini lolwandle i-Kusadasi, okungenye yezindawo ezidume kakhulu zohambo lwemikhumbi olusempumalanga yeMedithera. Iziqhingi eziningi zaseGreece ezingaba-idyllic zikhukhumele kakhulu phakathi nezinyanga zasehlobo. Futhi noma kuyimikhumbi emincane kakhulu engena ethekwini laseCapri e-Italy, izinyanga zasehlobo eziphakeme ziguqula lesi siqhingi sibe inhlokodolobha yezivakashi ngenxa yohambo lwansuku zonke oluvela ezitolo ezinkulu ezihamba ngomkhumbi ezimi eNaples eseduze.
"Impela kuncike echwebeni nokuthi bona kanye nathi sisiphatha kahle kangakanani isipiliyoni sezivakashi," kusho uMark Conroy, umongameli weRegent Seven Seas Cruises. “ISt. Petersburg, isibonelo, idolobha elikhulu futhi lisebenzisana kahle nezigidi zezivakashi elizithola unyaka ngamunye. Ngakolunye uhlangothi, ichweba elifana neGrand Cayman, iMonaco noma iJuneau, liyahlupheka, ngakho siyazama ukuthi singabi khona lapho yonke eminye imikhumbi isikhona.”
Ngokuka-Adam Goldstein, umongameli weRoyal Caribbean, ukwelula izinkathi zokuhamba ngomkhumbi zaseYurophu nase-Alaska ngale kwezinyanga zasehlobo-kusukela ekuqaleni kuka-Ephreli kuya ngasekupheleni kukaNovemba-kusiza ekwehliseni ukuminyana kulabo abazimisele ukwamukela amazinga okushisa apholile.
"Ukwelulwa kwesizini engeyona ephezulu eYurophu kudala ukukhetha okwengeziwe kumakhasimende ethu," kusho uGoldstein. Ngo-2008, umkhumbi waseRoyal Caribbean, i-Brilliance of the Seas, waba umkhumbi wokuqala wemikhumbi ukunikeza uhambo lwaseYurophu unyaka wonke, nohambo lobusuku obuyishumi no-11 oluhlanganisa i-Canary Islands ne-Morocco, isuka e-Barcelona.
Enye indlela yokuzungeza ukuchoboza emachwebeni athile iwukuphuma ku-paradigm yendabuko yoMgqibelo kuya ngoMgqibelo. Imigqa eyengeziwe ihlinzeka ngohambo lohambo lwesonto lonke ngoLwesihlanu noma ngamaSonto. UConroy uthi i-Regent igwema ukuhlangana ngoJuneau ngokusebenzisa uhambo lwayo lwe-Alaska ngohlelo lwangoLwesithathu kuya kuLwesithathu, ukuze lube khona ngezinsuku lapho imikhumbi embalwa kakhulu isedolobheni. E-Caribbean, imigqa eminingi iphinde ipakishe izindlela zabo zohambo ngokuvakashela eziqhingini zabo eziyimfihlo, lapho ngokuvamile kuvame umkhumbi owodwa-two max-uba khona ngesikhathi.
Ekupheleni kosuku, ezinye izivakashi zithanda ukuphithizela kwamachweba adume kakhulu. Labo okungafanele bahambe ngomkhumbi ngesikhathi sokuphumula noma emikhunjini emincane efana ne-SeaDream Yacht Club, i-Seabourne, i-Windstar ne-Star Clipper-ejwayele ukugwema ithrekhi eshaywayo kakhulu ngangokunokwenzeka.
UGoldstein uthi: “Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi umthamo ungakanani ngosuku oluthile, kuyoba nabantu abajabulela ulwazi lwasethekwini ngenxa yohambo oluthile abalukhethile.” Uyanezela ukuthi “ngokwezinga okunesiminyaminya ngalo, iphesenti lezivakashi lizothinteka kabi yikho.”
nationalpost.com
