Cruisin'
Set sail on one of America's fastest growing vacation options
From CNN TravelGuide Correspondent Stephanie Oswald(CNN) -- Cruising is becoming a more and more popular way to get away from it all. A record 5 million people are expected to go cruising this year. Not only is cruising getting big -- so are the ships. So-called "mega ships" are the wave of the future.
"If you go on a mega ship," says Rob Wheatley, cruise director for Celebrity Cruises, "you would find things that you wouldn't normally find if you thought in terms of a 70s cruise or a 1950s cruise. You've got huge shopping malls; you've got restaurants to select from; you've got golf simulators where you can play basically any golf course in the world."
Princess Cruises calls them "grand class" ships, and the cruise line plans to enter the new millennium with one on the water and two on the way.
Some experts say these ships will sink the idea of being bored on a cruise once and for all.
"The Grand Princess is going to have the first wedding chapel at sea where the captain can actually marry you and you can have your reception on board," says Rick James, Princess Cruises senior vice president for sales and corporate relations. "The choices on board these ships are second-to-none, and I would challenge any resort vacation to deliver the type of vacations that these new grand-class ships are going to deliver."
These behemoths cost more than $400 million dollars apiece to build -- in all 14 new ships will welcome passengers within the year.
Alaska, 'millennium' cruises are hot tickets
Mega ships notwithstanding, there are some things about a cruising vacation that will probably never change. Cruisers say the pampering, the food, the shows -- plus the added romance of "life at sea" are irresistible. Whatever the appeal, it's courting enough travelers to make cruising one of the fastest growing industries in the world.
The Caribbean is still the classic cruising destination, but other places such as South America, Europe and Alaska are moving up in popularity.
"Alaska is just on fire," says Howard Moses, president of The Cruise Authority. "This is one of the biggest booking years for Alaska. Every year they say that last year was the biggest year and of course '98 looks like it's going to be even bigger yet."
While the cruise industry is off to a healthy start for 1998, it's also bursting with trends to keep the cruising public ship shape. Menus are offering a wider variety of more healthy food, and some of these floating hotels may soon ban smoking at sea.
But you'll pay more to enjoy the luxury of the mega ships. Older and smaller vessels are where you're more likely to find a deal -- and maybe a more interesting itinerary.
"In a lot of cases the cruise line will take a slightly older ship and they will put it on a more exotic itinerary," says Moses, "whether that be Europe or the Far East or South America -- and they use those as sort of scout ships for new destinations."
And if 1998 is going to be a banner year for cruises, early bookings show that seeing in the new millennium aboard a ship promises to be at least as big.
"I would strongly suggest that if there are people who haven't made plans and are thinking of a cruise, that they immediately go and book because we are already at a point about 90 percent full for those particular cruises," says Kirk Lanterman, chairman of Holland America Line.
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