Cruising Is Back on the Horizon! 10 Dream Cruises to Satisfy Your Wanderlust 

Be it for a once-in-a-lifetime thrill, special interest or purely sybaritic enjoyment

 

1. Atlantic Canada

 

Adventure Canada’s Atlantic Canada Explorer expedition on Ocean Endeavour provides a mind-awakening immersion in culture, geography and nature. The excursions are guided by scientists and expert naturalists. The July 2023 sailing, featuring writer Margaret Atwood, looping from St. John’s to Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island for authentic Canadian experiences. Among the best, seeing wild horses on Sable Island, whales breaching at sea, sea birds thriving in marine environments, Cape Breton’s Cabot Trail and historic Fortress Louisbourg. Golfers can make special arrangements to play famed courses, including Cabot Cliffs, Cabot Links and Crowbush Cove. 

 

2. Alaska Bound

 

Holland America Line is renowned for thrilling Alaska land adventures. Its Yukon and Triple Denali itinerary from Anchorage, Alaska, goes beyond iconic Inside Passage and scenic Glacier Bay routes with a “base camp” stay near Denali National Park Reserve to maximize escapades in the tundra wilderness, see wildlife and go river rafting. This journey accesses Canada’s Yukon attractions: Dawson, legendary for gold rush lore. Whitehorse, a haven for nature lovers and back-country explorers, famed for the White Pass & Yukon narrow-gauge railway that traverses mountains and passes waterfalls and glaciers. Besides salmon fishing and rainforest exploration, Ketchikan is an engaging place to learn about local indigenous culture. HAL’s kids cruise free options are a bonus to intergenerational travel. 

 

3. Mediterranean Voyage

 

 

For oenophiles, music lovers and gourmands, Oceania Riviera’s seven-day September voyage from Rome to Barcelona provides the once-only exclusive experience from Livorno to visit maestro Andrea Bocelli’s family’s seaside resort at Alpemare on the Ligurian coast. Guests will dine at the Alpemare Beach Club, with Bocelli wine, and enjoy a concert with Andrea’s son, Matteo Bocelli. Cruising the Provence Riviera, Riviera calls at Marseille, for lunch and wine tastings at Le Domaine de Fontenille estate, as well as a tour of Lourmarin medieval village. 

 

4. Bermuda Bound

 

For those who prefer to stay in the northern hemisphere, Regent Seven Seas Navigator‘s Afar Atlantic Isles itinerary with “Spotlight on the American Musical” theme promises engaging interaction with acclaimed Broadway performers, live musical performances and special screenings.

 

The 14-night cruise from New York to Miami calls at Bermuda, St. Lucia, Grenada, Bonaire, Aruba, among other islands. As few lines include Bermuda, this is a sparkling chance to experience its crystal caves (included excursion) or independently book in advance a round of par-3 golf at the Fairmont Southampton’s famed Turtle Hill course. 

 

5. Caribbean Cool

 

Thrill seekers and adventure lovers are sure to find five-star fun aboard Royal Caribbean’s brand new Odyssey of the Seas on any itinerary. Designed with awesome innovations including  the North Star viewing capsule that carries passengers to the world’s loftiest point at sea, a bumper car arena and virtual reality productions that simulate sky-diving and surf-riding experiences, Odyssey is well-suited to inter-generational families as it offers a vast variety of accommodations with intimate and subdued spaces to shy away from others on this mega-ship. Caribbean itineraries call at RCI’s private island, Coco Cay, where guests can fly up in a balloon, go zip-lining or rent a private thatched-roof cabana on the beach. 

 

 

 

6. Arctic Circle

 

 

For the ultimate, top-of-the-world adventure on one of the world’s most technologically innovative expedition ships, sail the Arctic Svalbard Summer Exploration on the Seabourn Venture expedition ship, launching April 2022. Built with a PC6 ice-strengthened hull suitable for the harshest polar conditions, it features two U-Boat Worx Cruise submarines, each with two acrylic spheres to carry guests 300 metres below the surface. Venture will be navigating day-by-day itineraries throughout the summer to maximize experiences according to weather and wildlife sightings. Guests can expect thrilling adventures in parts of coastal Norway, the North Cape and the Svalbard archipelago, with Zodiac cruising, kayaking and hiking through nature.

 

7. Picture Perfect 

 

 

Sailing from Athens to Bordeaux, a breathtaking segment of Silversea’s Silver Whisper world cruise features Steve McCurry, famed photographer of National Geographic‘s Afghan Girl. McCurry, an eloquent expert in ancient and contemporary culture and traditions, enhances the 16-day voyage brimming with remarkable sites and culinary adventures. Among them: Siracusa UNESCO World Heritage Site in Sicily. Historic treasures and architecture in Valletta, Malta. Spain’s ancient Seville and sunny Costa del Sol. Tangier, Morocco. Portugal’s culture-rich cities of Lisbon and Porto. The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. And the lush vineyards and legendary wineries of Bordeaux, sure to turn guests into oenophiles.  

 

River Cruises

 

8. Mozart’s Danube

 

 

Music mingles art, culture, history, UNESCO sites and shoreside adventures on Crystal Mozart’s seven-night Danube River cruise, with overnight stays in Vienna, Austria and Budapest, Hungary. Awesome sites include Vienna’s Imperial Schonbrunn Palace, Opera House and Jewish quarter. In Hungary, beautiful Budapest’s parliament, Esztergom’s Basilica and Dohany Synagogue. The Czech Republic’s medieval town of Cesky Krumlov. From the Linz port, delightful Salzburg, birthplace of Mozart and scenic locations from the film The Sound of Music. Along the way, lively Bratislava in Slovakia and Durnstein Castle in the heart of the Wachau Valley.

9. European Garden

 

 

 

Visiting the once-in-a-decade Floriade Expo is destined to be joyous for guests aboard the new Emerald Luna, debuting in early 2022. The eight-day Jewels of the Rhine itinerary, featuring presentations by Canadian gardening expert Frank Ferragine (a.k.a. Frankie Flowers), starts in Zurich, Switzerland to sail from nearby Basel, and calls in the Breisach Black Forest, Kehl for a jaunt to medieval Strasbourg, Mann-Heidelbourg, Koblenz and Cologne before overnighting in Amsterdam. 

 

10. Cruising Beyond 2022

 

 

For a rare itinerary, consider the Cunard Queen Elizabeth’s full circumnavigation of Japan in April 2023. Slated to loop from Yokahama (with tours to Tokyo) for a nine-day Golden Week voyage, the ship will call at Kagoshima, Busan in Korea, Fukuoka and Nagasaki. Expect to see ancient architecture and shrines, ravishing gardens, mountain views, museums and Nagasaki Peace Park. While excursion details are being finalized, see more here.  

Editor’s Note: This story is meant to be inspiration for your travel planning — for whenever you’re comfortable cruising abroad. Keep an eye on Canada’s Travel Advisories for the latest pandemic guidelines. Currently, the Canadian government is advising to avoid all travel on cruise ships outside Canada due to COVID-19.

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