World: Low-cost cruise line based on the Riviera
Instead of making the usual trip to the Caribbean, why not expand your horizons to the Mediterranean. Here is a good option for those on a tight budget.
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Beautiful it is not, but easyCruiseOne has other virtues, starting with its gold-plated French and Italian Riviera itinerary, which I sampled on its second sailing after its launch this month. The cruise ship, started by the same “serial entrepreneur” who created EasyJet airline, calls at a different port on the fabled Mediterranean coast every day of the week. On Fridays, it calls at Nice, Saturdays at Cannes, Sundays at St.-Tropez; followed by Monte Carlo in the principality of Monaco on Mondays. After that, the ugly orange boat crosses to Italy to visit Genoa (Tuesdays), Portofino (Wednesdays) and Imperia (Thursdays). Then the schedule is repeated.
Easy’s idiosyncratic approach to cruising is another attraction. Instead of being locked into one- and two-week itineraries, as they are on most cruises, passengers can join the ship or leave it at any stop they like, as long as they stay on board for at least two nights.
Also, unlike most cruise ships, which dock early in the morning, easyCruiseOne pulls up around noon and stays in port until the next morning so shore visitors can see the sights, go to the beach, and eat, drink and make merry until the sidewalks are rolled up.
And perhaps most important, Easy’s fares are not inclusive. That may not sound like an incentive to cruise devotees who are used to paying one price for everything. On Easy, shipboard activities, meals, even daily room cleaning aren’t part of the package, just accommodations and transportation. The upside: Prices are low compared with most cruises, partly because of Easy’s reliance on Internet booking instead of travel agents. Twin-bedded cabins start at $50 a night, although rates vary throughout the cruising season. During the Cannes Film Festival this month, when the French Riviera was booked tight and hotel rooms cost a small fortune, I stayed on the ship for four nights for about $425 (and there was no single supplement, an added boon for the solo traveler)…more
easyCruise.com - website
