Craft Cruises™ - Cruising with a Purpose

Cruising with a purpose is all about collecting experiences and making lifelong friends. If you have found yourself resisting cruising then you may want to think again.

Misconceptions about cruising have kept many from trying it. The most satisfied of all Craft Cruise™ participants are the ones who resisted. The onboard classes, the pampering, the friendships, the overall feeling of togetherness, and the exclusive opportunities to meet other like-minded people in ports around the world have led to expectations being exceeded and the cruise experience being repeated over and over again.

For nearly a decade Craft Cruises™ has been personalizing the cruise experience by including activities people love. At Craft Cruises™ our purpose is to create the highest quality cruise experience by catering to travelers with a keen interest in the shared travel experience, cultural exchange and learning new skills.

“...I'm writing to tell you how much we enjoyed the Alaska Knitting cruise with you; the combining of the cruise and training really did seem to give the best of both worlds as far as we were concerned. We are describing it as the "event of a lifetime" to our friends and definitely plan to come on another Craft Cruise in a year or two!...“

2009 - Craft Cruises™ best year ever!

There is still time to join us on a trip in 2009 and our 2010 program is now available for booking. We have over 12 fantastic cruises in 2010 and launched a new program for especially for kids. This new program geared toward kids is in response to parents and grandparents wanting to share their love of the fiber arts as well as to give teenage girls a way to channel their creative energy, learn how to apply math skills to something useful and to make friends with other creative people. Craft Cruises has teamed up with the Handwork Studio to offer handcrafted mixed media cruises for kids of various ages to learn practical applications for math, improve motor skills and to have fun while their Moms, Grandmothers and Aunts are enjoying enrichment classes of their own.

Our 2010 are packed full of stimulating class programs and include a crocheting cruise to the Panama Canal and Costa Rica w/ Melody MacDuffee and Julia Bryant, a knitting/crocheting cruise to Japan and China w/ Lily Chin, a visit to the Qiviut Co-op, musk ox farm and Denali National Park with Lucy Neatby and Donna Druchunas, crocheting along the Inside Passage with Myra Wood and the Crochet Dude, Faroe with Marilyn Van Keppel and Myrna Stahman, Bermuda with Lily Chin and Joyce Renee Wyatt, Craft Cruises for Kids to Bermuda, Scotland, Ireland and England with Sally Melville and Beth Brown-Reinsel, the Baltic with Chris Bylsma and Chrissie Day among many many more. Just take a look at our featured crusies for a full line up of fun cruises.

“...Unlike some of my past experiences with knitting retreats your operation is way ahead of them all. Within 50 minutes of my e-mail giving you the go ahead on the Baltic Knitting Cruise you sent a confirmation with all the details I needed to finalize my plans. Keep up the good work....“

Celebrate Cultural Differences

At Craft Cruises™ we believe what we have in common is more important that our differences and that by recognizing this we are better able to celebrate those differences. Craft Cruises™ has handcrafted experiences impossible to duplicate traveling alone.

In addition to being affordable, cruising offers something for everyone. With Craft Cruises™, our special interest groups makes up only a small percentage of the passengers onboard. So while you are attending class, your family, friends and loved ones can be enjoying a plethora of other onboard activities. On any given day there are often hundreds of fun activities to keep them entertained. Most cruises offer excellent enrichment programs that range from culinary classes and wine tasting to computer lessons and yoga. Of course there is also plenty of time for relaxation, sunbathing and catching up on the latest novels.

Cruising with a purpose offers inspiration to everyone who joins us because we believe happiness is not a destination but a way of life. Take some time for yourself, join us on a Craft Cruise™ and discover the joy and freedom travel brings.

“...Loved our fun times together at dinner and our various discussions too. The seminars were just the best! But how can you go wrong with the instructors; the elite of the knitting world....“

“...I just keep coming back! The Baltic Knitting cruise was my first Craft Cruise and the main attraction for me was the private tour and visit with Horst Schulz in his flat in Berlin. This was a surprise inclusion and a definite highlight. The high quality of instructors was also great and many of the topics I have an interest in were covered. I have been attending various workshops for 6 years, but have found the particular close contact and communication interchange provided onboard to have been the most valuable experience in my developing understanding of the techniques covered..."