Cruises always make me think of the tropics. That's because almost all cruise promotional material shows families in bathing suits on beaches, or lying on the deck of a cruise liner, soaking up lots of sun. (Oh, to be a family of models.)
I imagine the tropical cruises are what we see the most of because that's what most people go on. But Royal Caribbean Cruises
has a very attractive alternative to the traditional cruise that would be a lot of fun, and takes you to a part of the world that is majestic, unique, and has been calling my name for a long time. The British Columbian Coast and Alaska.
The cruise starts in Seattle and heads North (in May. I've got nothing against being warm). From there it travels through the inside passage, an intricate series of islands that hug the Canadian coast that ships have used to shield themselves from the brutal North Pacific for centuries. The cruise continues to Juneau, Skagway, and the breathtaking Tracy Arm fjord.
Then back South down the coast, stopping in Victoria, BC, before landing back in Seattle, where coffee and grunge await to warm you up.
Of course you could do something completely different, and head toward the warmth. There's a really incredible cruise from Costa Cruises
that starts in Italy, travels to the coast of Brazil, and back. Those are two really warm, really fun places, separated y an ocean, and you get them both in one cruise.