With a search on the cruise lines' websites, you can pick and chose any number of great itineraries from these U.S. ports. All lines offer before or after cruise hotel add-ons.
New Orleans: This fun city is home to two Carnival ships and one Royal Caribbean ship for four to seven day Western Caribbean cruises.
Galveston: Carnival and Royal Caribbean both depart from this Texas gulf coast port, and Royal Olympic Cruises departs from nearby Houston for the Mayan ruins of Cancun, Cozumel, and on longer cruises, Belize, Central America.
New York: Interested in seeing the pink sand beaches of Bermuda? From the Big Apple you can sail on Carnival, Celebrity, Norwegian, Radisson, and Royal Caribbean ships. There's also a Carnival ship that sails from Baltimore or Philadelphia to Bermuda. Carnival also sails from New York to the Caribbean, and Canada. Norwegian Cruise Line offers itineraries to New England, Colonial America, and Bermuda, as well as service to Florida and the Bahamas.
Seattle: From Seattle to Alaska with some ports in British Columbia in between, four big ships offer various itineraries-Holland America Line (one ship), Norwegian Cruise Line (two ships), and a debut of one ship from Princess Cruises. In addition Royal Caribbean offers short two to four day sampler cruises to British Columbia.
San Francisco: The City on the Bay has joined the cruising world with ships heading under the Golden Gate Bridge to Alaskan ports (Princess Cruises) or down the coast to Monterey, Catalina Island, Cabo San Lucas and beyond to Mazatlan, Manzanillo, and Puerto Vallarta on the Mexican Riviera (Celebrity Cruises).
Los Angeles and San Diego: Many cruise lines offer a week or more from L.A. to the Mexican Riviera (Carnival, Princess, and Royal Caribbean) while Holland America operates similar cruises from San Diego. Celebrity Cruises offers a 14-day cruise from San Diego to Skagway, Alaska, with interim stops in Juneau, Ketchikan, Vancouver/Victoria, Seattle, and San Francisco.
As always, plan your trip with considerations as to how best control your diabetes while away from home. That means a pre-trip check-up with your doctor, and arranging for extra supplies of your insulin/oral medications and blood testing supplies. Remember you'll enjoy your cruise more if you feel good, and that means taking care of yourself on a 24/7 basis.
FTG
