Theme Cruises

These popular sailings highlight a particular activity or topic and tend to emphasize wining and dining. Onboard lectures and other events are coordinated with shoreside excursions. There are photography cruises, square-dancing cruises, sports cruises, financial-planning cruises, and wine-tasting cruises. The most popular destinations for theme cruises are Europe and the Caribbean. To find out about theme cruises that might interest you, consult the individual cruise lines or a travel agent.

For music cruises, food-and-wine cruises, and other cultural cruises, also try the Annemarie Victory Organization, Inc. (136 E. 64th St., New York, NY 10021, tel. 212/486--0353, fax 212/751--3149), which offers a variety of cultural cruises aboard the Sea Cloud; Dailey-Thorp Travel (330 W. 58th St., Suite 610, New York, NY 10019, tel. 212/307--1555 or 800/998--4677, fax 212/974--1420), which specializes in classical music, opera, and art; Travel Associates, Inc. (3801 E. Florida Ave., Denver, CO 80210, tel. 303/758-3400 or 800/548-5488, fax 303/752-0602), which has food and wine cruises; or Wilderness Travel (1102 Ninth St., Berkeley, CA 94710, tel. 800/368-2794 or 510/558-2488, fax 510/558-2489), which offers cultural and historical expedition cruises. Theme cruises from these operators are often aboard a tall ship, yacht, or riverboat.