36 — Sunday, September 11, 1994 — North Shore News North America’s premier annual cruise confer- MORE THAN 500 travel agents, cruise line repre- ences, It is designed to familiarize travel agents sentatives and tour promoters from across North America converged in Vancouver at the Vanceuver — with the Vancouver-Alaska cruise market. Trade and Convention Centre for Ship tc Shore Since the conference’s inception in 1991, °94, Vancouver-Alaska cruise traffic has grown 37% Held from Sept. 7-11, Ship to Shore is one of A World of Service for the “Plus 55” Traveller For over 30 years, Evergreen Tours have been which has helped to buost the local economy. providing quality escorted tours and cruises to exciting destinations all over the world, exclusively for people 55 years and over. _ If your looking for innovative, leisurely tours featuring unique historical and educational points of interest, Evergreen Tours has just what you're looking for. Exclusive door-to-door service within Greater Vancouver and Greater Victoria, baggage handling, gratuities, quality hotels and transportation are just some of the many special services Evergreen Tours provides. To receive our New Winter & Spring Catalogue cz'l Evergreen Tours today! Vancouver 687-5690 White Rock = 538-7774 Evergreen ‘Tours For the “Plus 55” traveller Victoria 385-1175 Book a cruise to paradise for just $5 Now you can book a fabulous cruise, virtually anywhere in the world, for less than the cost of a lunch—thanks to BCAA Travel's “Give us Five" cruise program. "Give us Five" is a special member-exclusive program whereby BCAA members can bock the dream cruise of their choice, as well as their desired cabin category, state- room and dining seating pref- erence, for a mere $5. "Instead of members putting down a large deposit on their cruise, we do it on their behalf", explains Lorraine Smith, BCAA's Park Royal Travel Supervisor. Accord- ing to Lorraine, members can wait until just before cruise line cancellation penalties commence to pay for their cruise in full. BCAA's innovative program not only allows cruise pur- chasers to keep their money in the dank longer, it offers them the opportunity to book ‘early and thereby guarantee themselves a spot on the cruise of their choice. With cruises now being more pop- ular than ever and selling out quickly, the benefit is clear. From the Caribbean and the Panama Canal, to exotic Southeast Asia, BCAA offers a spectacular line-up of cruise vacations for all tastes. The “Best of the Best" are fea- tured in the hot-off-the-press "BCAA Cruise Showcase” color brochure, now available at BCAA's Park Royal Service Centre. Drop by and see us today to pick up your free copy, or to talk with one of our friendly Travel Agents. BCAA Travel Agency 908 South Mali Park Royal Shopping Centre West Vancouver, B.C. hone 268-5650 Out-of-Town Customers call 1-800-663-1478 * PRINCESS CRUISES « HOLLAND AMERICA» ROYAL CRUISE LINE » NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE * HOLLAND AMERICA+ ROYAL CRUISE LINE* PRINCESS CRUISES ST OF THE BEST 2 NORWEGIAN CRUISE LINE. PANAMA CANAL. FROM $2,744 CDN April 23, 1995 » 44 days aboard the ms Windward INCLUDES RETURN AIRFARE FROM VANCOUVERE:, Belen Anercal ine SOUTHERN CARIBBEAN ' FROAR $2,952' CDN Departures from January-April, 1995 © 10 days . aboard the Ryndam INCLUDES AIRFARE FROM SEATTLE! ASK US ABOUT OUR BCAA MEMBER BONUS! BCAA Tavel Agency OCEANS OF EX Park Royal Shopping Centre 508 South Mal Ph. 268-5650 Prices ara par perton end based on twin slusing. Prices, tuneraies, and scireduics are sub- Jeet 4o change wethout notice. Space ts exbject to avaitabillty at the time of booking, _NGIVE US FIVE" applies to ners bookings only made betwena Sept 1 and Oct. 32, 1994. “7 Some nestresons apply.” ica rflets te Apel 13, 1998 tality. j HOLLAND AMERICA *s ROYAL CRUISE LINE* PRINCESS CRUISES « Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises WHILE GOLF and music are popular cruising themes, regular features like casinos are available on most modern ships. Vacations vary in specialty themes “THERE WAS a cruise in the Amazon | was on where we were out in dugout canoes for a night- time excursion looking at all ‘the crocodiles. Somebody didn’t real- ize what we were looking at, stuck their hand down in the water and almost fost it.” By Martin Millerchip Contributing Writer Mona Hubinette of Whytecliff Travel has, despite the efforts of the add crocadile, been watching the cruise component of the travel industry grow for the last 25 years. Moreover, she predicts that the cruise business will continuc to grow as affluent baby-boomers RIENCE ¥ BNID VOIBaAWY ONY TIOH + S2SINUS SSAINIYd * SASINUD IWASAUD « NYVASEINYD IVWACH - grow older and fook for safe ways to travel. Increasing competition for this section of the travel snarket means that as well as pricing discounts and cabin upgrades, the discerning - cruiser can pick from a.vast array of theme or specialty cruises. Hubinette says that golf is prob- ably the most popular: of the theme cruises and guesses that the reason is economic. “Most people who golf have an above average income. There are tennis cruises, but not as many. “The majority of theme cruises have to do with either golf or any kind of music. Music themes are popular. Peopfe will go because a particular symphony. orchestra is playing, but it could equally well be country and western or big band.” “Pve got a group of people going to New Orleans for a one- week cruise on a sternwheeler but they are going for one reason only ~— the jazz music of Pete Fountain. “There ate cruises where they specifically offer very, very struc- tured bridge tournaments and instruction. But they always offer bridge on cruises anyway. “Most of the themes would be for people who don’t like to move too much, but sometimes you’: find fitness cruises.” Hubinctte says the more active of these are usually created by fit- ness chains and gyms, while the cruise line themes are “not too far teaching” physically. “They would have a wellness cruise where they have lecturers on board who talk about nutrition and fitness.” The use of guest lecturers and celebrities to enhance particular theme cruises is common, but Hubinette particularly extols soci- ety expeditions. “You have very skilled lecturers who talk about the economics of a country or the specific geography and zoology of a region. | would call it a theme cruise without the quotation marks because it’s a real theme,” says Hubinctie. Possible destinations in this cat- egory include South Amcrica, Antarctica, the River Nile and a voyage up the Yangtze. Smaller cruise boats can be especially interesting, whether they are catering to scuba divers in the South Seas, or murder-mystery detectives out of Vancouver. “There are a lot of different interest groups that can be accom- modated within any one cruise.”