Paranormal Cruises

There are two types of paranormal cruises:

1. Full-fledged, hop on the boat and sail around for a few days visiting various ports type of supernatural cruises.
2. Sail around a harbor for a couple of hours ghost tour type cruises.

If you’re a regular reader you know I’m all about cruising. We’ve been on three now and we’ve got a list of ones we’re itching to take next. (Hopefully we’re going on one again this year. I just need to get my rear in gear and get it booked!)

But combining the paranormal with cruising? Every time I come across a supernatural or paranormal themed cruise while doing other travel research I note it.

I’ve now compiled a decent amount of supernatural seafaring Haunt Jaunts. Why not share them?

I’ll start with the ghost tour cruises first and then move on to the supernatural ones.

GHOST TOUR CRUISES

Boston

• Boston Ghost Cruise – Sets sail June through October. “As you sail over the deep, dark waters of Boston Harbor, return to the days when Boston ruled the seas and smugglers, pirates, patriots, plunderers, redcoats, wreckers, and wraiths populated the harbor.”

Charleston

• Haunted Harbor Tours – “Charleston’s forts, houses and ships are the centerpiece of many of the South’s most famous ghost stories. Come aboard and explore the sites that cannot be reached on foot.”

Chicago

• Chicago Supernatural Cruise – “Join Chicagoland Ghost Hunter Richard T. Crowe on a special 2 hour cruise of the Chicago waterways, river & lakefront. Hear tales of mystery & wonder cruising along the skyline aboard the Mercury Skyline Queen!” (You can also read more about this cruise as well as book it at the Nighttime Supernatural Cruise in Chicago link.)

St. Augustine

• Ghosts of the Matanzas – “Set sail aboard the magnificent 72′ Schooner ‘FREEDOM’ for a one hour cruise on the bay. Look up through the blowing sails and gaze at the stars as you glide through the dark haunted waters while your ghostly host spins tales, sings songs and interacts with the ‘crew.'” This supernatural sailing tour is presented by Ghost Tours of St. Augustine. (I always wanted to take it when we lived there but at the time we couldn’t justify the cost per person. On one of our visits back I’m saving up and taking it!)

SUPERNATURAL CRUISES

• Goth Cruise – I found this from one of ChateauGrrr’s Tweets. (There was a discount code too. Another good reason to follow people like @ChateauGrrr on Twitter!) It sets sail out Miami on September 25 and returns October 2. Ship: Carnival Liberty. Ports: Grand Cayman, Jamaica, Cozumel. I’d love to sign up for it, but I can’t afford two cruises this year. Plus, this will be around the same time as when we’ll be taking whatever cruise I finally get us booked on. (Which will hopefully be to the Mediterranean!)
• A Journey of Discovery – I saw this one in a USA Today article. Psychic and astrologer David Wells (who you may know from Most Haunted), is headlining this seven day Eastern Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean’s Liberty of the Seas. (One of the ports is supposed to be RC’s private island in Haiti. Not sure if it still will be, but if it is with so many psychics and mediums on board it would make for an interesting port of call I imagine.)
• Spooks at Sea 2011 – You have to wait until Halloween 2011 for this one, but it’s going to be worth it. Ports include Key West (with a Haunted Tour of this small, but very haunted city), Grand Cayman, and Ochos Rio, Jamaica (with a tour of Rose Hall). Hmm, I think I just may have found what I’ll be doing come Halloween 2011 and our 2011 cruise!

SUPERNATURAL CRUISES COMING SOON

• The Alternate Realities Fun Cruise –  Appalachian Ghost Walks is in the planning stages of its first Annual Paranormal Cruise. Destination: Cozumel. Cruise line: Carnival. Sure to be fun!
• Supernatural Caribbean Cruises – Historic Ghost Tours of Naperville has done a supernatural cruise in the past. They’re in the planning stages to do a few more: to the Bermuda Triangle, Ghost Hunting in Savannah and St. Augustine, and a haunted European castles and river cruise.

INTERESTING ARTICLE

I thought I’d share this interesting article I came across on Unexplainable.net: Paranormal Cruise Gets Second Place in Popularity.

Only Cougar-themed cruises are more popular. My theory for making paranormal cruises number one: Watch them cougars come prowling if you get some paranormal hotties like Josh Gates or Zak Bagans to do a paranormal cruise!