March 21--Bicyclists, whether hard-core Tour de France wannabes or casual 15-miles-a-day types, don't have a lot of trouble finding trips to domestic or foreign locations that match their fitness level. There aren't nearly as many options for mountain bikers. Trek Travel, which caters to the road-bike crowd, is branching out by hooking up with Big Mountain Bike Adventures. These aren't the usual weekends of riding single-track in Colorado. The initial offering comprises four guided trips, tackling some interesting terrain in Iceland, Peru, Switzerland and Whistler, British Columbia. Not for the faint of heart or weak of legs, the six-day/five-night Switzerland trip, for instance, has one day that covers roughly 31 miles of single-track and double-track while climbing 2,450 feet. The big reward: descending 9,755 feet. At Zermatt, with a boost to the top by ski lift, there's an incredible 16,000-foot descent. That trip is priced from $3,899 per person, double occupancy and includes lodging, most meals and use of a Trek full-suspension mountain bike. Info: 866-464-8735, http://tinyurl.com/jlvujmv
Ranking the best cruise lines
Time for another look at how cruise ships and cruise lines measure up in the eyes of their customers. We recently reported on the 2016 Cruisers' Choice Awards from CruiseCritic.com, and now it's Cruiseline.com that's listing its 2016 Members' Choice Awards based on reviews from the site's users. Most of this new batch ranks lines rather than individual ships, unlike CruiseCritic's approach. But, there is a best ship category, and the Disney Dream came out on top, same as in the best large ship category on CruiseCritic. (Cruiseline didn't break down ships by size.) For best cruise line, the new rankings favor Celebrity Cruises, with Royal Caribbean International second and Disney third. Holland America Line was named winner in the most improved category, followed by Disney and Cunard Line. You can wade through all of the rankings at http://tinyurl.com/j6t7upp.
Bucket list golf getaways
Serious golfers dream of playing iconic links in Scotland or Ireland. Carr Golf Travel is in the business of making those dreams come true. Special offerings this year in Ireland include father-son and father-daughter tournaments and two pro-am tournaments. This year's version of the father-son tourney is already filled; applications are being taken for 2017. At the World Links Invitational Pro-Am in southwest Ireland, golfers will play two rounds at Ballybunion and one each at Tralee and Waterville. Each team will consist of one PGA pro and seven amateurs. Cost is about $4,340 per person, single occupancy or $3,850 double occupancy. http://tinyurl.com/gpj7owz
Phil Marty is a freelance reporter.
