Sherman's Travel

The idea of famous bands hosting cruises is not a new thing. Typically, though, it’s been big name acts, classic bands, or Kenny G. The idea of an entire music festival hitting the high seas is a bit more unusual. That’s exactly what’s happening this December, however, as famed California music festival Coachella has partnered with Celebrity Cruises to offer two S.S Coachella cruises. While Coachella is known for sweltering desert heat, camping, and throngs of young people swaying to hipper-than-hip beats, having the festival on a cruise ship does make some sense.

As The New York Times points out, festival goers at sea won’t have to worry about late night drives back to hotels when they can just wobble back to their cabins. The bathroom facilities are sure to be cleaner. And a midnight buffet might just be a better end to a long day of partying than collapsing inside a tent.

Guests on the ship will also have a chance to mingle with some of the performers at events like a wine tasting with James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem.

The cruises are set for December, with a three-day offering to the Bahamas and a four-day festival at sea bound for Jamaica. If you’re willing to share a cabin with three other music lovers, prices start at $500 per person. Prices include food, lodging, and entertainment, but not alcoholic beverages. Just like at any concert, that’s where they get ya.

Some cruise ships are designed with couples in mind – and Celebrity’s newest addition, the Celebrity Silhouette, is one of the great ones. The fourth installment in Celebrity’s two-year-old Solstice class of ships, Silhouette combines size (at 122,000 tons and 2,886 passengers, there’s room to roam) with the style-savvy design and extra amenities of a sleek boutique hotel (that’s the popular Martini Bar, shown at left). While some ships’ decor is garish and others’ mundane, Silhouette’s is chic, sophisticated, and, at times, even cozy. Sailing from Cape Liberty in Bayonne, New Jersey, on 12-night alternating itineraries to the Southern and Eastern Caribbean through early April, Silhouette then heads to Europe for the summer of 2012 for 12- and 13-night cruises through the Mediterranean and Adriatic. I recently had a chance to sail aboard Silhouette for a few nights, and am happy to report back on some of my favorite aspects for couples seeking a decidedly grown-up cruise vacation: Read more

With weather woes bumming out the entire nation, a last-minute five-night Caribbean cruise is ideal for all. On February 5, sail from Miami, Fla. on the Celebrity Century from just $249! Spend a day at sea catching rays before arriving in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, home of the famous Dunn’s River Falls. Next, call to port in George Town, Grand Cayman where shopping, restaurants, and beaches are all in abundance. Enjoy a final day relaxing at sea before returning to Miami, completely rejuvenated.

THE VALUE: This cruise comes out to $50 a night!

THE CATCH: Travelers outside of Florida will need to find a flight to Miami.

THE DETAILS: To book this sailing, visit www.cruisesonly.com.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find low rates to Miami.

Check out our Caribbean Travel Guide for all the need-to-know information.

The presence of spas on cruise ships isn’t a new phenomenon. Indeed, several cruise lines are reporting that nearly half of their passengers will have indulged in onboard treatments during 2010. Now it’s all about the spa suites — that is, cabins that fully immerse passengers in the serious work of taking it easy. Here’s a roundup of some of the top options across the cost spectrum, along with the accompanying spa facilities and top treatments.

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