“Having Your Hobby
and Traveling Too!”

A man dressed in a long velvet robe walks around Carnival Cruise Lines the Liberty quoting Shakespeare and resisting the serf uprising. No, it’s not grandpa in his pajamas off of his meds while on vacation... It’s the Renaissance Faire at sea, and it’s called Theme Travel!

Since the late 1990’s, travel consultants have been coordinating theme tours, vacations, and cruises, in an effort to excite regular travelers and give them something more. Between commuting and the responsibilities of home, travel professionals found that their customers simply didn't have the time to spend on their favorite pastimes or hobbies. The murder mysteries weren’t getting read and sewing projects were collecting dust in a corner. Dreams of being an astronaut were not being realized.

The travel industry set about finding a way to combine the excitement of a vacation, with the familiarity of doing something the customer loved, but didn’t have the time to do.

Travel professionals consulted their customers and asked what they wanted in a vacation. What they found was that customers just didn’t want to see the Galapagos Islands, they wanted to participate in and learn about the Galapagos Islands. Customers just didn’t want to eat Italian food; they wanted to cook Italian food. Themes based upon customer’s favorite hobbies and wildest dreams began to be developed.

Vacationers found they could take an exciting Murder Mystery Cruises and actually participate in the whodunit, or take art and wine classes taught by industry professionals while in Sonoma.

And it isn’t just for adults. Children’s programs in film, sewing and art have been developed. Parents have found that their kids can play out their most exciting and happiest childhood fantasies, while they are still children.

Customers have chosen between programs developed especially for them or pre-existing programs offered by a resort or cruise company. Regent Seven Seas Cruise Line found that the programs were so popular that it developed a permanent “Enrichment Program” that features programs in photography, performing arts, antiques, history and archaeology, and the Cordon Bleu Culinary School.

Regent also offers adult and children’s program in environment and marine life program with renowned environmentalist, oceanographer and educator Jean-Michel Cousteau.

With theme travel, families have found that they really can have whatever it is their hearts desire in a vacation. And if they want to spend time working on both their hobbies and traveling, well they can have that, too!