The cruising industry is a behemoth. Statista reports the cruise industry revenue worldwide grew to over 27 billion U.S. dollars (Sep 2022). There are some great advantages to taking a cruise which include:
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Unpacking once;
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All meals are prepared onboard and generally included;
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And you get to see a lot of different ports of call;
So from this very simple, initial list it’s evident cruising provides a real convenience. And for many people, the modern cruise is the perfect vacation.
Traveling internationally, however, is about experiencing the food, people, and culture... when you are limited on time and must return to the ship you miss out on a lot of these great benefits from being in a foreign country. In Italy, for example, dinners are later in the evening, last a considerable while, and are about the social experience of an Italian dinner almost as much as the amazing cuisine. You don’t get this same experience dining on the ship.
On a modern small group Land Tour most travelers seem to be a bit more physically agile for walking and exploring the nooks and crannies of villages and cities on the itinerary;
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• Land Tours feature a diverse itinerary averaging around 3 to 6 different cities along the route. This of course means travelers do pack up after each leg of the Journey, but most tour companies (like NowJourney.com) include portage throughout the Journey to minimize the inconvenience.
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• On a Land Tour you spend much more time in the villages and cities, overnighting and interacting with locals — you are not limited to a 5 hour “Port of Call” window before rushing back to your ship; On a cruise itienrary many ports of calls are so very short and far from any of the sights you want to see, you often simply cannot get to them in time. With Now Journey’s special skip-the-long-line entrances (and often before the venues are available to the general public) you are able to maximize your time and the financial value of a land tour becomes that much more evident. You cannot experience this in the context of a time-limited Port of Call where you often find yourself rushing back to your ship.
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• And on a Now Journey Small Group Tour, you will have the same, consistent and capable Now Journey Tour Captain serving you from beginning to end — not a constantly changing cast of cruise directors, tour guides, bus drivers and other support staff — just one very capable, and professionally trained tour manager we call the Now Journey Tour Captain.
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• What about dining on a Land Tour?
Key welcome dinners, daily breakfast and select luncheons are included and coordinated at authentic, most of the time family-run restaurants featuring farm-to-table dining. One can understand quickly there is a good chance of experiencing unique and diverse (and authentic to the region you're traveling) cuisine when dining on a land tour.
What it boils down to is what you’re looking for in a vacation — cruisers appreciate convenience while sacrificing things like longer times in the villages and cities (ports of call), and substitute impressive Chef-prepared delicious dining in place of the authentic restaurants with equally delicious and "authentic to the region cuisine." Cruises are best for guests with mobility issues and those who don’t really want to immerse themselves in the local culture — and there’s a place for that type of vacation.
Small Group Land Tours allow you to avoid the big bus concept (which by the way you will experience on a cruise when going on their excursions) and provide you with unique culturally-authentic restaurant experiences that are off-the-beaten-path. Small Group Touring is a great way to vacation and the folks at NowJourney.com are travel experts waiting to help you plan your vacation.
From our front-line trip specialists who work with you to craft that trip of a lifetime, all the way through to our onboard Tour Directors, our team is specially trained to make your Journey everything it can and should be.
Now ourney’s Field Services Team begins with the Journey Tour Director and boasts a full set of program managers, drivers, guides and support staff who are available 24 hours a day to assist you should the need arise.
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