Sail off into the sunset and find love on the high seas.

By Fran Golden for Travel & Leisure Magazine

Anyone looking for romance at sea should talk to Irene and Jim Manion, who celebrated their 60th birthdays on a Windstar ship cruising the Greek isles last summer. You could reserve a table outdoors for a candlelight dinner, says Irene Manion. And we watched the sunset while looking out at the Greek islands. It was pretty incredible.

For many, the term romantic cruise conjures up cheesy 1970s visions of matchmaking shuffleboard on The Love Boat. But for those whove actually sought out romance on the high seas, the reality is a whole lot more alluring. In fact, cruising can create a memorable experience with your loved one. Whats not romantic about admiring the open sea and holding hands while a crew waits on you hand and foot?

While romance is never guaranteed, choosing a love-inspiring cruising destination is a good first step. Going to Antarctica to ogle penguins is fine, but cruising, say, around the breathtaking volcanic peaks and crystal blue lagoons of French Polynesia on the Paul Gauguin is, well, sexier. Or go sailing in the Greek isles: whether youre on small ships (like those of Windstar) or big vessels (like the Celebrity Equinox), its easy to see why these islandswith their beautiful sandy beaches, clear seas, and ancient ruinsare a favorite of die-hard romantics.

Constant views and a relaxed vacation ambience only serve to enhance the romance. Whether you choose a big ship with such accoutrements as lavish casinos, theaters, and lounges, or go with a more low-key small ship is a personal choice. But to assure amore on any ship youll want to book the biggest cabin you can affordyou dont want to be on top of each other at all times.

Ships like the ber-luxurious Seabourn Odyssey promise space with all-suite accommodations that include separate sitting areas, walk-in closets, and generous-size bathrooms. Look, too, for a cabin with a balcony, which adds a pleasant open-air retreat for private dining (and canoodling).

Further impress your sweetheart on the high seas with a couples treatment in the spa (the Canyon Ranch spa on Queen Mary 2 is one of the best). And plan a date night shipboard with an intimate dinner for two at a specialty restaurant like the fancy Crown Grill steak house on the Ruby Princess. Fittingly, thats the same ship christened by reality TV couple Trista and Ryan Sutter (of ABCs hit television show The Bachelorette) in celebration of their fifth wedding anniversary.


Yachts of Seabourn Seabourn Odyssey

The Experience: Designed for the bon vivant crowd, this dazzling new 450-passenger ship is the setting for what many consider to be the finest cuisine (overseen by celebrity chef Charlie Palmer of Aureole in New York), suite accommodations, and service (the crew is near clairvoyant in knowing your needs) on the high seas.

Intimate Moment: Indulging in a couples massage in one of the open-air Spa Villas.

Sample Price: Weeklong Greece and Turkey; departs June 12, 2010; $3,799 to $30,200.


SeaDream Yacht Club SeaDream 1 and 2

The Experience: Two intimate 112-passenger ships offer a casual yachtlike atmosphere but with top-flight cuisine and service. Passengers love the quiet nookswhere its just you, your love, and the sea.

Intimate Moment: Spending the night under the stars in a Balinese daybed for two.

Sample Price: Nine-day Caribbean (including St. Barts); departs Valentines Day (Feb. 14), 2010; $4,099 to $18,500. (The ships also cruise the Mediterranean.)


Crystal Cruises Crystal Serenity

The Experience: Extravagant penthouse suites (the largest being 13,450 square feet) with butlers who help you unpack and a fancy James Bondworthy casino are just a few examples of over-the-top luxury on this grande dame liner.

Intimate Moment: Sampling sushi en suite by acclaimed Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa, who has a restaurant on the ship.

Sample Price: 12-day Connoisseur Adventure, Rome to Dover (U.K.), includes an exotic stop in Tangier and an overnight in Bordeaux; departs June 2, 2010; $4,845 to $54,390.


Princess Cruises Ruby Princess

The Experience: The newest ship in the Love Boat fleet is big and bold but with intimate areas that include the hushed Crown Grill steak house and an adults-only sundeck. The captain himself overseesand conductsall vow renewals.

Intimate Moment: Feasting on a four-course champagne-and-lobster-tail dinner on your cabins private balcony.

Sample Price: 10-day Southern Caribbean Medley from Fort Lauderdale; departs March 20, 2010; from $899; mini-suites and suites $1,799 to $4,049.


Windstar Cruises Wind Surf

The Experience: Under billowing sails like ships of yore (though in this case computer-operated), passengers kick back in a friendly, upscale atmosphere. Regionally influenced cuisine (think baked snapper with nioise olives in the Med) and outdoor spa treatments (deck-side reflexology) are just a few of the shipboard indulgences.

Intimate Moment: Tubing with your partnerits another way to get your blood pumping.

Sample Price: Weeklong Southern Caribbean from Barbados to the Grenadines; departs Valentines Day (Feb. 14), 2010; $2,349 to $4,099. (French and Italian Riviera cruises sail in summer.)


Paul Gauguin Cruises Paul Gauguin

The Experience: Newly operated by the Pacific Beachcomber resort company, this upscale shipnamed for the famed French Post-Impressionistcelebrates the islands with tropical dcor, French/Polynesian cuisine, and spa treatments that use local ingredients like Hei Poa, or red flowers.

Intimate Moment: Being swaddled with your loved one in a traditional cloth in a Polynesian love blessing ceremony performed by Les Gauguines (local female entertainers).

Sample Price: Weeklong Tahiti and Society Islands; year-round; $2,748 to $21,895.


Silversea Cruises Silver Spirit

The Experience: This trendy new 540-passenger ship is made for romance, from the welcoming glass of champagne to the 100 percent goose down pillows. Five restaurants include a supper club with music and dancing. Plus, Personalized Voyages allow lovebirds to customize their own itineraries.

Intimate Moment: Getting steamy in the private hammam, beautifully decorated in mosaic tile and marble.

Sample Price: Weeklong Barcelona to Monte Carlo, with playtime in Ibiza and St. Tropez; departs July 17, 2010; $4,905 to $32,995.


Cunard Queen Mary 2

The Experience: Nothing beats old-time, transatlantic cruising on a real ocean liner with a British pedigree, but this gracious ship also has modern touches, like a Todd English (Olives) restaurant, an excellent Canyon Ranchoperated spa, and even a planetarium. Tip: splurge on a Princess Grill or Queens Grill cabin, including the two-story, 2,249-square-foot Grand Duplex.

Intimate Moment: Ballroom dancing on formal night, complete with a big band.

Sample Price: Six-day transatlantic (westbound), Southampton, U.K., to New York; departs May 15, 2010; $1,345 to $24,595; from $3,311 for Princess Grill and Queens Grill cabins.


Celebrity Cruises Celebrity Equinox

The Experience: Sensual pleasures abound onboard: passengers can party at the Miami-chic observation lounge, walk barefoot on real grass on top of the ship, and dine at 10 restaurants, including a striking dining room with a two-deck glass wine tower.

Intimate Moment: Snuggling in a wicker bed in a hidden sunning area.

Sample Price: 10-night Italy and Greece, from Rome, including Santorini and Naples/Capri; May to August 2010; $2,199 to $9,049.


French Country Waterways Horizon II and others

The Experience: Enjoy quiet and casual exploration of the French countryside on an intimate, 8- to 12-passenger barge. Cruise on historic canals and through locks and visit romantic chteaux, wineries, and quaint villages while sampling fine wines (like Puligny-Montrachet) and local cheeses at meals prepared onboard by a French-trained chef.

Intimate Moment: Borrowing a couple of the barges bikes and heading off to riverside villages to explore quiet lanes on your own.

Sample Price: Six-night Central Burgundy; departs Sept. 4, 2010; $6,095 to $6,295 (includes transportation from Paris).

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