Topic: Award owes more to cruising boom than destination

The awarding of Best Cruise Destination for 2010 to Alaska owes as much to a boom in cruises as it does to the appeal of the destination, a cruising expert has claimed.

Speaking on behalf of the 2010 Cruise Show, which administered the accolade, award panellist Jane Archer said that while people are indeed looking for more adventurous options it must be viewed in perspective.

"The fact that these destinations have become so popular is as much of an indication of how cruising has grown in numbers. You have more people looking for other places.

"You do need to put it in context, at the end of the day the Mediterranean attracts hundreds of thousands whereas Antarctica attracts 20,000," she commented.

However, she said that for people who are seasoned cruisers, destinations such as the Galapagos, the Arctic and Antarctic Peninsula, which all made the top ten lists, offer a greatly appealing experience.

Ms Archer joined 12 other cruise critics to nominate Alaska as the top destination ahead of the annual Cruise Show, which is being held at the London Olympia on March 27th and 28th.

What is your opinion of Ms Archer's comments? Are you a seasoned seaman looking for adventure?

We choose our cruises first by itinerary and second by ship. Having holidayed in Europe in our younger days we now prefer something more interesting. As I am limited to school hols and don't like hot weather, at the present we are limited in our choice but have had some great times in Iceland and Norway. Alaska is on the list and we've not yet been to Greenland. When we retire and can travel at any time the Antarctic will also top of the list, followed closely by Japan.

I have no interest in Alaska - my parents have cruised there and enjoyed the experience and a local cruise specialist returns year after year but as I say it isn't top of my list.
I would however love to cruise the far east and would love to see more ships visiting the area and the choice of destinations increase. I would love to see Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore, Borneo to name a few. I know Costa already does this area and RCI is going there too but I would like more choice