Cruise Travel for Film Fans: Movie Locations and More

Are you a movie buff and a cruise traveler? Well, you can satiate your needs in both areas by taking a film theme cruise or picking a sailing destination that covers your favorite filming locations.

In fact, AIDA Cruises will be hosting a celebrity film premiere on its new AIDAprima this month, showcasing the German spy comedy "Kundschafter des Friedens.” The movie will be screened on all the fleet’s ships, but the red carpet event will be reserved for the flagship in Rotterdam.

READ MORE: Cruising to the Movies: Cinematic Cruise Travel

"With this unique preview on January 12, 2017, on board our ships we are once again demonstrating the diversity and exclusivity of our entertainment program," says Borris Brandt, Director Entertainment with AIDA Cruises. ”The chance to experience these celebrities close-up offers our guests unforgettable added value.”

If you’re more in the mood for an English-language movie, Crystal Cruises is planning a special Barbra Streisand-inspired Film & Theatre Festival voyage on April 30, 2017, aboard the Crystal Symphony. The 19-day Panama Canal cruise will feature Broadway and Hollywood personalities sharing their careers as well as performing cabarets. Streisand tribute artist Sharon Owens will also be along for the ride.

“The breadth of programming set for this sailing will truly impress any theater enthusiast, particularly fans of the grand Ms. Streisand,” said Crystal chairman, CEO and president, Edie Rodriguez. “This is one of our most popular themes, and with good reason, as music and theater are a wonderful topic over which to bond with your fellow travelers.”

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Of course, you can craft your very own cinema cruise by seeking out the filming locations of different productions and visiting them on an itinerary that hits the closest ports. While not the sexiest looking website, The Worldwide Guide to Movie Locations is a great resource for cross-referencing movies with their destinations, and Daniele Fear has written a great list of movie spots specifically accessible by cruise at Cruiseable.

Among the favorites are New Zealand for retracing the “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” trilogies, in particular, Hobbiton which remains standing to this day, and Hawaii for several productions such as the “Jurassic Park” franchise and even television shows like “LOST.” As a bonafide LOSTie, I must admit that I crafted a makeshift tour of several filming sites on the island of Kauai when visiting there several years ago on Princess Cruises’ Island Princess, and the fandom experience was a delight.

Only afterwards did I discover that there are excursions specifically tailored to such endeavors. Just be sure to perform a search for movie tours in any given port to see what is available either through the cruise line or on your own. Both ocean and river itineraries are conducive to film fans too. Consider that Vienna, Austria and its famous “The Third Man” sites like the Wiener Riesenrad Ferris wheel, for instance, are just a walk away from where the riverboats dock.

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