Heed the call of the high seas: Will it be Mediterranean or Caribbean? How does a Mediterranean voyage with an extended stay in Spain sound? Or would you rather embark on a cruise to the Caribbean, enjoying an extra night in Old San Juan?

 

The Mediterranean: A 16-day, $43,000 splurge 

FLY  Dine on seasonal cuisine from top chefs while flying in Business Class comfort with Swiss International Air Lines. Travel between Chicago and Venice, then back home from Madrid. From $9,439 (including taxes and fees) per couple.

CRUISE  Venture to classic Mediterranean ports in club-like sophistication on a 12-day voyage with Oceania Cruises. Embark the 1,250-passenger Riviera in Venice, where an overnight stay allows for that romantic gondola ride. You’ll call in such timeless cities as Dubrovnik, Civitavecchia for Rome, Monte Carlo, and Marseille for Provence before arriving in Barcelona. Spend days on board painting watercolors in the Artist Loft or preparing regional dishes in the hands-on Bon Appétit Culinary Center; in the evenings, savor the creations of celebrity chef Jacques Pépin before returning to your Deluxe Ocean View stateroom with its exclusive Tranquility Bed. Departs September 7, 2013. Deluxe Ocean View fares from $29,996 per couple.

EXPLORE  Step aboard your private motorboat for an eight-hour excursion around the Italian isle of Capri. Admire the famed Grotta Azzurra before lunch at a sea-edge restaurant and limousine tour around the island’s interior. Local experts at Onirikos handle the details. Available through December 31, 2013. From $580 per couple.

EXTEND  Keep the magic going with a four-day, post-cruise journey to Spain’s cultural capitals, Madrid and Barcelona. Includes accommodations, breakfast daily, and guided sightseeing. From $2,798 per couple.

TOTAL: From $42,813 per couple

 

The Caribbean: 9-day, $4,300 steal 

FLY Think thoughts of sun and sand while traveling between Chicago and Puerto Rico’s colonial capital. Fly round-trip in Economy Class aboard American Airlines. From $745 (including taxes and fees) per couple.

CRUISE  Scale the 200-foot-high rock wall as the 2,500-passenger Jewel of the Seas sails round-trip from San Juan on an eight-day southern Caribbean cruise. Royal Caribbean International claims one of the most innovative fleets at sea; play mini-golf or a game of eight ball on self-leveling pool tables, watch a Broadway-style show, relax by the pool in the adults-only Solarium, and let your hair down at 16 different bars and lounges. On shore you can snorkel Shipwreck Cove in Sint-Maarten, hike to a dormant volcano on Saint Kitts, and encounter green monkeys on a four-by-four safari in Barbados. You’ll also call on Antigua and Saint Lucia. Departs September 7, 2013. Suite fares from $3,198 per couple.

EXPLORE  Visit the world’s sole drive-in volcano and its bubbling sulfur springs on a half-day private tour of Soufrière with Barefoot Holidays St. Lucia. Taste Creole bread, get a peek of the majestic Pitons, and stop by the island’s only working sugar mill plantation. Available through December 31, 2013. From $156 per couple.

EXTEND  Spend a night at Hotel El Convento, the grande dame of Old San Juan. Virtuoso perks include a room upgrade upon arrival, if available, and credits toward dining and a massage. From $215 per room, per night.

TOTAL: From $4,314 per couple

Whether you’re looking for a splurge or a steal, contact the cruise specialists at Covington Travel to help you find the perfect cruise destination at the price you want.

Source: Virtuoso Traveler, April 2013. Fares accurate at time of publishing and subject to change.