Cruises Are Dream Travel Presents
Dream travel gifts: Get away from the usual presents with a once-in-a-lifetime jaunt. Forget another pair of shoes or a cashmere sweater – for storage-deprived New Yorkers, that’s just another thing to find space for.
Instead, give an unforgettable experience this holiday season – not only does it take up no room (barring photos on your hard drive), but you can tag along with a loved one to enjoy it, too. After all, who wants to be in Tahiti alone?
I DREAM OF… CRUISING THE HIGH SEAS LIKE A LOTTERY WINNER
There’s nothing more luxurious than a transatlantic cruise. But it isn’t the on-board amenities – a branch of Todd English’s Olives, the Canyon Ranch spa – that make a trip so lavish. Rather, it’s the chance to hole up on a giant ship for a week without any distractions. Always opt for the westbound leg, leaving from Southampton, near London: The clocks go back each morning to adjust to time zones, giving you an extra hour in bed before breakfast.
Dream come true: A seven-night crossing from Southampton starts at $994 for an inside double stateroom, rising to $4,295 for the flashiest suite. www.cunard.com
I DREAM OF … CARRIE & CO.
Marrakesh: It’s fitting that the “Sex and the City 2” crew decamped for this Moroccan hideaway. It’s a decadent spot ideal for shopping, gossiping (in a steamy hammam, or bathhouse, with the girls) or, of course, lounging by the pool. Seven years ago, the king launched a tourism initiative to more than double the country’s visitor numbers by 2010. Infrastructure has been improved without compromising the sexy vibe: The prime example of that is the makeover of La Mamounia, a three-year, $180 million redo of the city’s most iconic hotel, which relaunched last month and lured Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston to the celebrations (or maybe they were just trying to get a peek at the plot of “SATC 2,” like the rest of us).
Dream come true: Royal Air Maroc flies from JFK to Casablanca with a connection to Marrakesh (www.royalairmaroc, from $1,060 round trip). Opt for a room at La Mamounia, which was once a crash pad for a different Mr. Big — Winston Churchill. www.mamounia.com (rooms from $780), www.visitmorocco.com
I DREAM OF … SNORKELING IN PARADISE
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef may be trafficky and tourist-clogged, but the almost 200-mile-long Ningaloo Reef on the country’s western coast (a rare find, thanks to a combination of trade winds and warm currents) sees barely 200,000 travelers a year. The limited fresh water has kept development to a refreshing minimum, so you can explore the waters solo. Large chunks of snorkel-ready coral lie just feet from the shore in shallow waters, filled with neon fish, manta rays and – at least from mid-March through mid-May – migrating whale sharks.
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