“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than those you did.
So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbour. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
Mark Twain
Cruise Options has been operational for 21 years and our main reason for starting the business was to ensure that you, the traveller is given a choice of cruises as we believe that your needs for each holiday are often quite different depending on the area or type of holiday that you’re interested in; you may want to do a lot of exploring or prefer to spend time just relaxing on the ship.
Cruise Options is South Africa’s first cruise specialist agency, dedicated to providing a personalised service and advising on cruises to meet specific requirements unique to each traveller. We are passionate about cruising and the wonderful opportunities constantly on offer to see and experience varied cultures and places around the world. We only sell select products that after 20+ years in the business, we feel are best for most of our clients.
Cruising offers you travel opportunities unlike any other with new and different destinations each year, a comfort and style to match your needs and the added benefit of not having to continuously pack and unpack.
Jim and Liz Volkwyn
EXCLUSIVE OCEAN CRUISES
Our core business is the more exclusive cruise lines with small to medium ships which have a guest capacity of 100 to 1,000. These include Abercrombie & Kent, Explora Journeys, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Seabourn, SeaDream, Silversea as well as Azamara, Oceania, Windstar and Viking Ocean Cruises.
LUXURY EXPEDITION CRUISES
Discovery and Expedition Cruises are a key part of our business and include Alaska, the Amazon, Asia, Antarctica, the Arctic, Europe, the Galapagos, North West & North East Passages and the South Pacific, amongst other fascinating destinations.
These cruises are mostly on smaller ships with a guest capacity of 22 to 260 and our preferred companies are Abercrombie & Kent, Lindblad Expeditions, Ponant, Seabourn Extraordinary Expeditions, Silversea Expeditions, UnCruise Adventures, Viking Expedition Cruises and Zegrahm Expeditions.
RIVER CRUISES
River cruising is a wonderful way to explore a region, with smaller guest numbers, and higher staff to guest ratios, everything is handcrafted to make your journey unique. With the ability to access narrow ports and glide through shallow waterways, river cruising is a fantastic way to visit historical sites, experience new cultures and relax in luxury.
Europe is well known for its historic waterways, and a luxurious river cruise is a great way to explore the old continent by gracefully gliding through the endless maze of waterways. It’s a great choice for guests who like to be ashore every day, and you’ll have the freedom to explore independently or with expert guides. With most river cruises being all-inclusive, you can enjoy your vacation without having to reach for your wallet at every turn.
Discover the unique spectacles of the world’s greatest river journeys: the baroque Danube, the ancient Nile, the vibrant Mekong, the abundant Amazon and many more. Every river brings a new adventure and we’ll help you choose
your perfect journey.
Our preferred companies include Aqua Expeditions, Scenic Cruises, Tauck European River Cruising, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises and Viking River Cruises with guest capacities of 30 to 196.
LUXURY HOTEL BARGES CRUISES
Luxury hotel barges cruise the charming inland waterways of England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Holland and Italy. This is a very different style to ships plying the big rivers or oceans as the pace is slow, with a 6 day cruise often covering little more than 80 km’s along a rural canal. Passengers can walk or bike the towpaths as their floating hotel glides gently along.
There is a wide selection of cruises to choose from, such as the canals of Burgundy, Alsace and the Canal du Midi, as well as the Venetian Lagoon and Po Valley in Italy, Holland in the spring time and the spectacular Scottish Highlands. The relaxing cruises along the smaller inland waterways of these regions feature wonderful scenery, stimulating history, local culture and of course fine cuisine and wines.
The barges accommodate between 6 and 20 guests and you can choose to join a small group of like-minded travellers on an individual cabin basis, or you can charter a whole hotel barge with family and friends, perhaps for a special occasion or to enjoy a specific theme cruise such as golf, walking, or wine appreciation.
Our preferred companies are European Waterways and French Country Waterways.
Denzil and Lydia Busse
Sam and Pat Abrahams
Ken and Stephanie Logan
Ulrich and Vivienne Schmauke
Graham and Jill Cox
Ian and Annzie Hancock
Helen Boonzaier
Ian and Karin MacLarty
Martin and Maren Stallmann
Barbara Wood and Hugh Brown
Anne Marais
Jim and Liz Volkwyn
Andrea Rademeyer (Gevers)