According to the FCCA’s 2010 Cruise Industry Overview, the Caribbean plays host to almost 5 million cruise passengers a year, making this tropical oasis the number one cruise destination. While I don’t down play the beauty that is the crystal blue waters and white, powdered sands of Grand Cayman, St. Maarten, or pretty much any Caribbean destination, don’t you think it’s about time we expand our horizons? The cruising industry has so much more to offer than this one, small handful of islands. We’ve got 221,208 total miles of coast line here people, so let’s start exploring!

Today, I take you to Africa. For those of you with any amount of geographical knowledge, you know Africa takes up a significant amount of space on a map. In fact, the entire continental U.S. could fit into the Sahara Desert alone! What this means for you is variety; big places tend to have a lot to offer and Africa is no exception. For the sake of organization, we’ll start this educational journey in the north and work our way south.

Italian born Costa Cruise Lines offers a 7 day itinerary through Egypt and the Red Sea. While Egypt evokes images of deserts, pharaohs, and pyramids, Costa introduces passengers to a wetter side of things. Sharm El Sheikh is the first port of call on this voyage and traces of it’s beginnings as a small fishing village are now hidden treasures in what has become one of the main international centers on the Red Sea. While fishing may no longer sustain this large city, the Red Sea remains a key to its economic success. With almost 38 miles of coastline featuring toasted almond sands and the russet ridges of the Sinai mountain range as a backdrop, you can imagine that this port has quite a draw. I must be sure to note that the this draw does not end at the shoreline with over 30 dives sites including what divers consider some of the best diving regions in the world and four coral reefs. But for land lovers, although a cruise might not be the vacation of choice for you, the conventional spas, golf courses and casinos can be enjoyed alongside more unique attractions as Mt. Sinai, the Coloured Canyon, and well-known St. Catherine’s Monastery.

Costa takes cruisers into Israel and Jordan before returning to Egypt on Day 5 via Port Safaga. In stark contrast to the bustling city that is Sharm El Sheikh, Safaga strays a bit off the beaten path. While its position on the Red Sea makes it another ideal diving location, its black sand beaches are noted for their untainted beauty and therapeutic waters. Tourists visiting Safaga, especially those with skin irritations, can enjoy the healing powers of the water’s high saline (salt) concentration as well as the mineral pools and year-around warm climate. The unpolluted nature of this port even drew the attention of ancient Queen Hatshepsut who it is written suffered from psoriasis.

Unfortunately, we must now sail on over to our last Egyptian paradise, Sokhna. If you’re the type to get all giddy about discovering where the locals like to hang, be excited. The mere two hour drive (soon to be one with the completion of a new highway) between Cairo and Sokhna has made this town a purely Egyptian beach getaway. But if you have already been filled to your heart’s content with the Red Sea, beaches, and all things water, the road to Cairo isn’t one way only. You may also choose to visit the Eastern Desert Monasteries which is an even shorter ninety minute trip. With a good eleven hours at your disposal, there is plenty of time to not only make these mini-excursions but also truly explore the area before the return trip to the ship.

And so ends our journey with Costa Cruise Lines through Egypt, but we have only just begun! Stay tuned in for next week as we move a little farther south with the luxurious Silversea Cruises departing from Port Louis, Mauritius on a 10 day odyssey through a number of southern African ports. Then we will be on to the cape itself, with MSC Cruise Lines providing us with another perspective on this under traveled continent.