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Combine Sea & Land Vacations for the Best of Both Options

By Where To Go Next
August 10, 2011

Combining surf and turf vacations is a growing trend, says Todd Smith, small ship cruise expert and founder of AdventureSmith Explorations http://www.adventuresmithexplorations.com/, a travel company that matches adventure-seeking clients with a treasure trove of expedition ships. (The company was named by National Geographic Adventure as one of "The Best Adventure Travel Companies on Earth" and is the recipient of Conde Nast Traveler's prestigious "World Savers Award.")

"Combining land and sea vacations is a trend that makes sense," says Smith. "You've cruised through a region and seen it from that perspective but you also realize that you may never get there again, so you also plan to maximize the possibilities ashore for cultural and natural explorations while you have the chance. We've seen our sea and land bookings increase two-fold in the past three years."

To encourage the coupling of land and sea, AdventureSmith Explorations offers a $100 discount to each client booking a cruise with an added land extension. "This incentive," says Smith, "does two things: it saves the client money and assures them smooth logistics and a precise pre-set itinerary from ship to lodge and beyond."

He adds that "by making these arrangements guests turn over to our staff a multitude of logistical puzzle pieces. It's to the traveler's advantage to make arrangements with a company that can deftly package a cruise and a cultural / nature adventure vacation before or after. Assigning one tour operator to be responsible for the entire itinerary can save time, money and anxiety." Smith adds that a company should be able to arrange details in traveling to/from an embarkation city, arrange hotels, transfers, flights and tours, plus make recommendations for packing, all at no extra cost to the traveler.

Chile, Galapagos and Alaska illustrate how Smith's company marries adventure cruises to land/lodge-based trip extensions. A newly introduced Patagonia Extension to four- and five-day cruises accommodates a lodge-based adventure to Torres Del Paine National Park. An extension on any of the company's 25 different Galapagos cruises or their Peruvian Amazon cruise can easily combine an exploration of Peru's lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu.

"At least 25 percent of our Galapagos travelers choose this combination. We make the trips seamless by planning all flights, hotels and transfers between Ecuador and Peru. For instance most travelers will conclude their Galapagos cruise and return to mainland Ecuador before proceeding to Peru. But we can save our clients time and money by getting them directly from the Galapagos to Peru on the same day," says Smith.

In Alaska any of more than 15 unique adventure cruises that begin and end in different locations can combine with the company's most popular Alaska land trip the Denali Backcountry Explorer featuring wilderness lodge accommodations 90 miles inside the park

Other popular cruise destinations where Smith's clients seek land extensions are New Zealand and Australia.

Although the dates of small ship adventure cruises are fixed, he said, "Any of our land extensions can be customized to suit the interests, physical abilities, calendar and budgets of our travelers. Seamless integration between a cruise and land package maximizes travel time and budget; plus the land package compliments the cruise package without being repetitive."

Smith added that his company's land packages "cost considerably less than packaged tours offered by many cruise operators. For instance our Machu Picchu Explorer costs $1,895 per person double while the same tour if booked with Lindblad Expeditions costs $3,990 per person double."To encourage the coupling of land and sea, AdventureSmith Explorations offers a $100 discount to each client booking a cruise with an added land extension. "This incentive," says Smith, "does two things: it saves the client money and assures them smooth logistics and a precise pre-set itinerary from ship to lodge and beyond."

He adds that "by making these arrangements guests turn over to our staff a multitude of logistical puzzle pieces. It's to the traveler's advantage to make arrangements with a company that can deftly package a cruise and a cultural / nature adventure vacation before or after. Assigning one tour operator to be responsible for the entire itinerary can save time, money and anxiety." Smith adds that a company should be able to arrange details in traveling to/from an embarkation city, arrange hotels, transfers, flights and tours, plus make recommendations for packing, all at no extra cost to the traveler.

Chile, Galapagos and Alaska illustrate how Smith's company marries adventure cruises to land/lodge-based trip extensions. A newly introduced Patagonia Extension to four- and five-day cruises accommodates a lodge-based adventure to Torres Del Paine National Park. An extension on any of the company's 25 different Galapagos cruises or their Peruvian Amazon cruise can easily combine an exploration of Peru's lost city of the Incas, Machu Picchu.

"At least 25 percent of our Galapagos travelers choose this combination. We make the trips seamless by planning all flights, hotels and transfers between Ecuador and Peru. For instance most travelers will conclude their Galapagos cruise and return to mainland Ecuador before proceeding to Peru. But we can save our clients time and money by getting them directly from the Galapagos to Peru on the same day," says Smith.

In Alaska any of more than 15 unique adventure cruises that begin and end in different locations can combine with the company's most popular Alaska land trip the Denali Backcountry Explorer featuring wilderness lodge accommodations 90 miles inside the park

Other popular cruise destinations where Smith's clients seek land extensions are New Zealand and Australia.

Although the dates of small ship adventure cruises are fixed, he said, "Any of our land extensions can be customized to suit the interests, physical abilities, calendar and budgets of our travelers. Seamless integration between a cruise and land package maximizes travel time and budget; plus the land package compliments the cruise package without being repetitive."

Smith added that his company's land packages "cost considerably less than packaged tours offered by many cruise operators. For instance our Machu Picchu Explorer costs $1,895 per person double while the same tour if booked with Lindblad Expeditions costs $3,990 per person double."