The pros and cons of a land or cruise pilgrimage

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Msgr. Terence Moore led a pilgrimage of parishioners from the Diocese of Salt Lake City to Sicily and Italy Nov. 10-21, 2009. Here they visit Greek ruins in Sicily, which was very much influenced by the Greeks in early times.

SALT LAKE CITY — "The advantages and disadvantages of going on a cruise versus a land tour vary in the experience a group wants to have in a pilgrimage," said Holly Janney, Independent travel agent with Cruise and Travel Masters in Salt Lake City.

Many people who travel like to venture out on their own, but Janney suggests the first time you go abroad you go on an escorted tour to learn your way around, and the different customs of foreign countries.

One advantage is that cruises are all inclusive, said Janney. They can be high end or low end. Many people prefer cruises because they can get meals 24 hours a day. Restaurants are always available and there are buffets three times a day. They also provide specialized restaurants and clubs without a cover charge. They have entertainment. People like to unpack once and not have to worry about it again until it is time to go home.

On a land tour you are on and off a bus almost every day, said Janney. Some days require four to six hours on a bus traveling to the next destination. You often have to pack each day and have your suitcase out by 6 a.m. to be picked up and packed on the bus. You are required to stick to a strict schedule and may have to find restaurants on your own. However, on a land tour you see the landscapes and inner towns and cities as you travel that you would not see from the cruise ship.

"The best thing about a land tour is that you remain together as a group and there is time for bonding. You get to know each other and share experiences as you travel," said Janney. "On a cruise you may not see the same person twice. On a land tour you have a planned itinerary for your pilgrimage and as you travel you can pray together. On a land tour you can stay two or three days in each place if you choose. You can learn the culture, have time to visit museums and you have more time to bond with the locals."

Janney said on a cruise ship you can dance, watch live entertainment, walk around, relax, go to a lounge or sleep all night while the ship is traveling to next port. On a ship there are many forms of entertainment such as a casino, a spa and exercise room, cooking classes, miniature golf, climbing walls, ice skating rinks and swimming pools. "You can do nothing or everything," said Janney. "A cruise also offers youth programs where children can be involved in activities while the ship is traveling to its next destination during the day or in the evenings, or during the day while the parents are off visiting the port."

There are specialty cruises where you can book a small yacht and charter it to where ever you want to go on a pilgrimage, she said. They can hold as many as 55 couples, and they are for adults only. They have a special array of ports and there are water sports available on this type of excursions.

"On a cruise you tend to mean money to the locals. They know when a cruise ship is coming in and they raise their prices," said Janney. "On a land tour you are more valued as a person."