If you love nature and cruises, you’ll be thrilled to know that they go hand in hand with nature cruises! You can indulge in your favorite outdoor activities while cruising along and experiencing different scenery. There are many different types of nature lovers–seven types in fact–but there are great options for each one!
Whether you’re looking for sunset cruises, stargazing cruises, or adventure cruises, choose your onboard activities and shore excursions and get ready to be enveloped by all aspects of nature.
Sunset and Stargazers
If you’re excited by the skies above, choose a stateroom with a view of the horizon. From balconies to ocean views, you’ll be able to observe the universe winking at you while you’re cruising. For more gazing, consider these cruises:
- Cruise to Key West, Florida, one of the world’s most famous and romantic places to see sunsets. The sun setting into the Gulf of Mexico is a nightly celebration in this coastal town. It’s also become a party destination where local food carts and artists bask in the pink and orange twilight every night.
- Cruise to Alaska to see the northern lights, also known as the aurora borealis. This colorful light show is a natural phenomenon which can be seen when cruising between late spring and early fall. The best time to cruise to Alaska would be between April and September when the northern lights activity peaks.
Botanical Enthusiasts
You don’t have to ogle great gardens on social media; you can see them for yourself when you know exactly where to go. Here are a few destinations where you can see offbeat, imperfect or even the most lavishly landscaped gardens in the world with rare and lush tropical plants:
- Take a cruise to Kauai, Hawaii for a guided tour of the famous Allerton & McBryde Garden, a masterpiece of landscape architecture and garden art from the early 20th century.
- Cruise to Rome for a tour of Tibertine Villas, which includes the world-renowned 16th century crown jewel of Italian landscape gardening.
- While cruising to Europe, visit the port of Marseille in Provence for a tour of Longchamp Palace, known for its magnificent waterfalls, gardens, and fountains.
Natural Wonder Spectators
Does your bucket list include visiting some of nature’s most spectacular creations? There are plenty of cruises for nature lovers who crave eyeing a glacier or walking on lava. Below are vacation ideas that’ll satisfy your geological passions:
- Cruise to Skagway, Alaska and visit the state’s most remote glaciers by helicopter.
- Cruise to Hilo, Hawaii and walk across the “Frozen Earth,” named for the lava formations that resulted from the eruptions of the world’s most active volcano, Kilauea.
- Cruise to Guatemala’s Puerto Quetzal port to see an active volcano up close while on a vigorous hike to the top of the Pacaya Volcano.
- Cruise to Australia for some incredible reef shore excursions, including the world-famous Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef off the coast of Queensland.
Outdoor Athletes
You’ll never become a couch (or lounge chair) potato on a cruise. Between ports, enjoy onboard activities to keep you in shape. On shore, choose to be as challenged as you’d like and love every second of it. Below are just a few of nature’s outdoor experiences you can enjoy:
- Grab a SkyRide® over the ocean to get your cardio going. You’ll bike in mid-air around the ship, high above the water using pedal power.
- Inhale that fresh, salty air while sporting around onboard at SportSquare™, where you can play friendly mini-golf, basketball, soccer and volleyball, challenge yourself on the sky-high ropes course or enjoy the open-air jogging track.
- When on shore, select bike riding tours. Cruise to Half Moon Cay and ride through the tropical paradise.
- Cruise to Alaska’s Skagway for a triple adventure of biking, hiking and river floating while spotting eagles.
- Cruise to Grand Turk and have the rare experience of horseback riding on the edge of the Caribbean beach.
Water Lovers
Sure, you can relax poolside every day on vacation, but there’s more to a seafaring adventure when you’re on a Carnival cruise®. From getting up-close and personal with marine life to visiting the stunning beaches in Bermuda, below is a sampling of ideas for your next aquatic quest:
- Fulfill your wildest fantasy of sailing on a French sailboat in the Caribbean. Cruise to the port of Nassau and climb on board the Beneteau Cyclades, a- 50-foot sailboat, for a luxury VIP cruise.
- You, too, can say you’ve been pampered on a private, secluded beach when you cruise to Yucatan, Mexico. Experience Kokomo Beach Park, a private club where you’ll lounge in paradise.
- Have you ever dreamt of kayaking in the Panama Canal? You can when you cruise to Colon, where you’ll kayak the watershed of the canal and see the area’s abundant wildlife.
- Take a cruise to the Caribbean for incredible diving adventures. Here, you can also swim with dolphins or visit Stingray City Sandbar where you can also interact with stingrays!
- Cruise to Barbados and explore the island by land and sea. The Safari and Shipwreck Snorkel adventure lets you get up close and feed tropical reef fish that are swimming around the shipwrecks.
Intrepid Explorers
Want your adrenaline pumping? There are more opportunities for adventure seekers on a cruise than your typical landlubber vacation. Below are just a few places where you can zip line away to an exciting vacation:
- Cruise to Mexico’s Cozumel port to zip line through the air over a private beach club. You’ll land with a thrilling 75-foot free rappel back to the ground.
- Cruise to Puerto Vallarta for the Greatest Outdoor Adventure, which includes a rare roller coaster zip line, mule ride, rappelling through waterfalls and foliage, and finishes with a much-deserved BBQ feast.
- Head to the port of Ocho Rios, and ride the Jamaica bobsled through 3,000 feet filled with twists and turns down a mountain.
- While cruising to Grand Turk, check out the Amazing ATV and Snorkeling Adventure, where you can four-wheel your way through dust and mud while coursing over coastal trails with sweeping views of the island.
- For more ATV adventures, cruise to the port of Cabo San Lucas, and ride through the desert ranges and untouched beaches on a safari expedition.
Wildlife Watchers
Cruise where the wild things are, and you won’t be disappointed. From birdwatching and whale watching to cuddling with koalas and waddling with wombats, you’ll see wildlife in its natural habitat. Try any one of these adventures:
- Alaska immediately comes to mind as a great cruise destination for nature-loving wildlife observers. There’s plenty to see while on and off the ship including the Sea Otter & Wildlife Quest in the port of Sitka.
- While in Alaska, sign up for some unique fishing experiences, including salmon fishing in Juneau. You’ll learn about salmon migration patterns, hot spots and more local knowledge to bring back home.
- Cruise to Belize for both land and sea safari shore excursions. You’ll enjoy a wildlife riverboat safari on the historic Belize River, followed by a trip to the Belize Zoo.
- Visit New Zealand while cruising Australia for a Wildlife Discovery Cruise, where you’ll spot the world’s largest seabird, the northern royal albatross. You’ll also witness the breeding colony of fur seals and other marine birds.
Carnival cruises are designed with your love of nature in mind. From our off-the-beaten track expeditions to hikes through Alaska’s final frontier, every nature lover will come home with a new and profound way of looking at the world.