Suite-like comforts and wild settings: These well-appointed tents call campers of all adventure levels to lace up boots in the great outdoors.

Nature, a safe and socially distant refuge, has been the balm of the pandemic. Instagram accounts once devoted to rooftop cocktails and luxury suites went full Sierra Club, with images of people-less sunsets, uncrowded hiking trails, and wildflower-filled plains. But for those who feel sleeping on hard ground and rustling up campfire fare isn’t quite “vacation,” outdoors-focused resorts with tented camp and glamping options step in to remove the discomforts and handle the chores, freeing guests to revel in the splendor of nature.
​
As the following places illustrate, opportunities come in a variety of climates and cultures – from the African bush to the Australian Outback, tropical beaches to temperate rain forests, desert canyons to snowcapped peaks – collectively linked by love of the land.

You’ve made it to the ship, through the check in process, and are on board.  It’s somewhat like a hotel, but it moves. What can you expect in this new, yet vaguely familiar, environment? What’s expected of you?

1. Lifeboat Drill (or muster) is a mandatory participation event. On occasion I’ve seen nice couples looking over the rail at those of us dutifully wrapped in our orange jackets. Chuckling to themselves, they’re oblivious to the fact that they are breaking the strict policy of proper adherence to the Mandatory Coast Guard Lifeboat Drill. Many lines actually check ​

Like a baby’s tentative first step and a teenager’s first real kiss, every passenger embarks on a first cruise at least once.  For smooth sailing, these tips can help make your initial embarkation and first evening on board just a little more comfortable.

DO
1.  Bring along some single dollar bills for the luggage handlers at the pier. Of course that is if you’re planning to see the luggage again. They are not cruise line employees but members of the stevedores union.