Cruising is back open in Europe and while most people associate European cruises with the Mediterranean, there's more than one sea south of Europe that makes for a great cruise destination. Today, we're going to be looking at The Adriatic Sea since it is one of the fastest growing areas big ship cruises as well as small ship and even charter yachts as well.

At this point it unfortunately appears that cruising isn't going to happen this year, at least not for the big ship from Holland America Line, Princess, Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Carnival. However, that isn't the end of the story. There are a surprising number of ways that you can still make Alaska your summer destination and maybe even make it better than other years when the ports and waterways are filled with cruise ship visitors. Luckily, there are small ship cruises like UnCruise Adventures, airline discounts from Alaskan Airlines, and some great lodges and rail tours to try. Or, you can just go and rent a Jeep and explore on your own! Here's why Alaska still makes a great choice to visit this year.

Planning a trip can turn into a full-time job when it comes to getting all the boxes checked. Picking a destination is only the first step, then comes the real work of planning everything from transportation and accommodations to dining and excursions. For anyone that thinks picking the location and packing a bag is enough work to put into vacation planning, an all in one cruise experience is the perfect way to get all the best elements of the trip from accommodations to dining arranged for you. Now all that is left to do is decide which spectacular cruise to pick for your first voyage!

Expedition voyages are one of the fastest-growing segments of the luxury cruise market. While once this was synonymous with Arctic and Antarctic cruises, I'm thrilled that new players are opening new markets. While some may not see the Great Lakes as being glamourous compared to cruising past penguins and thousand-year-old chunks of ice, the Great Lakes offers a unique and relatively unexplored part of our own country that are also are central to the science and history of our global climate history. 

The Hawaiian Islands are best known for stunning landscapes, sun-soaked beaches, and some of the best surfing spots in the world. However, both it's ancient and colonial history are closely tied to the islands as a source of agricultural bounty and the more I sampled this, the more excited I got to learn more. From pineapples and sugarcane to craft beer, spirits, and even ranches raising some of the world's best beef - this is an area you won't want to miss exploring during your next visit.

A ride in a helicopter was on the bucket list for me and thanks to the awesome folks at Norwegian Cruise Line and Blue Hawaiian Helicopter Tours, I can mark it off my list! We took a short flight from Hilo to over the most recent rift zone areas to see the results of the most recent Kiluaua eruption and I must say... the results are humbling, yet thrilling to see both the power and beauty of nature from a completely different perspective.

 Skagway Alaska is one of the most popular cruise ports in Alaska and while it is a town - the area is also a National Park known as the "Skagway: Gateway to the Klondike". This is due to the port's proximity to White Pass where thousands of miners would journey on their way to the gold fields. Today though, the town of Skagway is a fun place to go and explore both the rich - and sordid! - gold rush history as well as the amazing natural beauty offered by the surrounding territory. What makes this all even more unique is that Skagway was one of the original Alaskan cruise ports - dating back to 1923 so there's that history and culture as well!

Unlike some cruise destinations in Alaska, Ketchikan is a destination that is thriving beyond simply cruise tourism. Luckily for cruise visitors, this means that there is a diverse selection of awesome cruise excursion options ranging from exploring Native American culture to hiking and outdoor adventures, as well as obviously fishing for salmon! Ketchikan after all is the "Salmon Capital of the World"!

If you are looking for an experience involving bearded guys throwing axes, chopping through logs, and some friendly nationalistic competition between the United States and Canada - then this is one spot in Ketchikan you need to visit. The one hour lumberjack show features real ESPN competitive lumberjacks and it's fun for adults as well as kids. 

Juneau is the capital of Alaska and one of the largest cities in South East Alaska. One of the things that makes this city pretty unique is that the Mendenhall Glacier is located not far from downtown and unlike other spots in Alaska, you can actually see it without having to book an expensive excursion. However, there's a lot more to do in the area, so let's take a look at some of our picks for the top things to do in Juneau.

When you think of going on a cruise, you probably think about departing from South Florida or Port Canaveral, but today there are many more options than that. The cool thing about taking a mancation cruise is that you really get three destinations in one experience - the ship, the departure port, and a buffet of other experiences along the way at different stops. While we LOVE the major cruise ports like Miami, Ft Lauderdale, and Port Canaveral, here are some of our top picks that you might not already think about.

Alaska is a land of incredible potential and a legacy of brave men seeing fortune and adventure here. Luckily, today we don't need to pack up a years worth of food and walk for thousands of miles through the wilderness to experience this. All we need to do is hop on a cruise ship and relax as we are pampered on board and seek adventure on shore. An Alaska cruisetour though is something that still needs research to make sure you select the right ship, ports, and activities that match what you and your friends are looking to do. Don't worry though, we've got some advice to help make it easy for you!

Way south in the Caribbean Sea are a couple islands that don't get as much love as their northern sisters but for those willing to take the trek south, there's a world of awesome and unique things waiting for you. Last fall, we visited Bonaire during a port day on the Carnival Sunshine. Here's some of the cool things that await you on your next visit.

In many respects, the Mediterranean Sea is the ultimate cruise ship destination, although you can journey all over the globe. Despite the fact that other regions around the world like the South Pacific, the Caribbean and the Far East will also claim they are deserving of such an accolade, there is something truly special about this body of water, which links Europe to Africa and Asia.

This was my first time visiting the west coast of Mexico so I wasn't really sure what to expect - and frankly all you hear these days about the Pacific coast is about how dangerous it is. While that may be true in spots, during a recent tour of Ensenada Mexico I found it a very fun and unusual, with more to do than a frankly was expecting.

Unlike the Caribbean cruise ports I am used to, Ensenada is a real town with people that lead real lives and aren't just there to look pretty and offer excursions to rich American tourists. However there is some of that too, though it was more like visiting a regular city vs a sanitized "made for tourists" experience.