Cruising the courses: golfers now find cruising an attractive alternative to resort vacations - Cruise Guide - escorted golf tours and instruction on cruises - Directory

Cruise Travel, Jan-Feb, 2003 by Jim Kerr

Holland America Line features 14 courses in the Caribbean on cruises ranging from seven to 14 days, while sister company Windstar Cruises can set up individual tee times just about anywhere on highly diverse itineraries that take its four sail-assisted ships around the world. During a Mediterranean cruise aboard the Windsurf in November 2001, I broke up the usual sightseeing and shopping with an enjoyable round on a course 10 minutes from the ship in Mallorca.

European-based Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, which caters to golf-oriented Brits, also offers several golf itineraries in conjunction with Montrave International, a golf tour specialist. The line's flagship, Black Watch, does eight golf courses next year to the Canary Islands and the Mediterranean. Running-mate Braemar has 11 golf cruises slated for 2003--eight in the Caribbean, two in the Western Mediterranean, and a fall positioning cruise on the Eastern Seaboard, 15 nights, New York to Barbados.

Individual golf can usually be arranged on almost any cruise, but many lines now focus on the game, concentrating on broader options, program continuity, and the full-time presence of onboard golf pros. Elite Golf Cruises provides a golf professional who sails on every cruise and attends to everything from transportation from the ship to pairing up players in a tournament. Like land-based resorts, cruise lines are pursuing corporate and incentive groups, which require golf as a featured activity.

"You could be in a foursome or a group of 140 playing in a tournament," says Michele Knipp, director of marketing for Elite Golf. "And while on your incentive trip, you can play not one, but half a dozen different courses."

In addition to Carnival, Elite Golf has agreements with Costa Cruises, Holland America, and Silversea, and is negotiating with other lines. Through their combined marketing efforts, which include TV ads, brochures, direct mail, trade shows, and web sites, the prospect of golf is driving new business to cruise lines. Golf fanatics need not give up their golf vacation for a cruise. On the contrary, the true aficionado of the game will find the possibilities awesome, like playing five of the finest courses in Italy, Monte Carlo, France, Spain, and Morocco in one week. Or choosing golf in Hawaii, the Caribbean, Mexico, the Mediterranean, Southeast Asia, New Zealand, Australia, or Africa while cruising from one port to another in comfort. It doesn't get any better. Now, if you can just get rid of that hook....

CHARTING THE COURSE FOR A GOLF CRUISE

Below is a thumbnail guide to golf programs offered by popular
cruise lines. For more information contact your travel agent
or the cruise lines (especially helpful are their web sites).

                       GOLF PROGRAM OR           GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS
  CRUISE LINE            ARRANGEMENT                   OF PLAY

Carnival Cruise   Escorted programs on all       Caribbean, Bahamas,
     Lines                  ships              Mexico, Bermuda, Europe

   Celebrity        Escorted programs and     British Isles, Caribbean,
    Cruises         individual excursions       Europe, Med, Bermuda,
                                                      US/Canada

 Costa Cruises    Escorted programs on some      Eastern and Western
                            ships                     Caribbean

Crystal Cruises   "Par Excellence" escorted           Worldwide
                    programs on all ships

  Cunard Line       Individual excursions             Worldwide

 Disney Cruise      Individual excursions        Bahamas, Caribbean
     Line

  Fred. Olsen       Escorted programs on       Canary Islands, Western
 Cruise Lines      Braemar and Black Watch         Med, Caribbean

Holland America   Escorted programs on some      Caribbean, Mexican
     Line                   ships                      Riviera

   Norwegian        Escorted programs and        Caribbean, Bermuda,
  Cruise Line       individual excursions              Hawaii

   Princess         Escorted programs and        Bermuda, Caribbean,
    Cruises         individual excursions        Canada, Australia,
                                                     New Zealand

Radisson Seven      Individual excursions             Worldwide
 Seas Cruises

Royal Caribbean   Golf Ahoy! golf packages,      Bermuda, Caribbean,
 International      individual excursions      Australia, New Zealand,
                                                       Hawaii

Seabourn Cruise     Individual excursions      British Isles, Europe,
     Line                                       Med, Caribbean, Asia,
                                                       Canada

   Silversea        Escorted programs and             Worldwide
    Cruises         individual excursions

   Windstar         Individual excursions      Europe, Med, Caribbean,
    Cruises                                      Asia, South Pacific