Sail away on your next holiday
There are 3 main categories of cruising
1. Luxury All-suite ships, state-of-the-art spas, Michelin-starred dining, private chauffeur-driven transport to your port, and appearances by celebrity guests… These are just some of the luxe offerings you can expect from the high-end cruise operators. Some cruise lines have focused on developing incredible yacht-style vessels from which you can discover the world’s finest destinations – their size means they can enter smaller ports and often less crowded destinations. Many of these take passengers to exclusive, hard-to-access parts of the world, combining creature comforts with discovery of wild places.
2. Ocean ‘Big cruises’ are having a boom as many people catch up with those once-in-a-lifetime experiences that were put on hold for a couple of years, including round-the-world itineraries – one of the best ways to take in several bucket-list destinations without the hassle of visas, customs, transport, and language barriers. But for those who don’t yet have the time for this kind of epic journey, there are other options, including classic transatlantic journeys to New York City and thrilling Pacific itineraries. There are also regional cruises that focus on specific areas, including the Mediterranean Sea (which embraces smaller seas such as the Aegean, the Adriatic, and the Ionian), the Middle East, and the Caribbean. Such cruises may be aboard vast ships with incredible facilities that make them particularly attractive to families, some are designed for adults only, and some are aboard more traditional vessels. We hand-pick our partners for a range of reasons – for their onboard experience, for offering iconic destinations as well as hidden gems, for immersive shore excursions, and for longer stays that allow you to encounter more of the wonderful history, arts, and local culture on offer.
3. River & Expedition River and expedition cruises are both growing in popularity. Usually very luxurious, the small ships sailing the Rhine, Danube, and many other iconic waterways of Europe have the advantage of taking you to the heart of your destination for immediate immersion in local culture. They’re also easily reached via a short flight or perhaps a leisurely train ride from the UK. River cruise devotees love the food, the ambiance, the tranquility, and the relaxation they offer at any time of year - perhaps to see some of Europe’s atmospheric Christmas markets. More and more travellers are also wising up to the joys of seeing some of the world’s most awe-inspiring landscapes – including the glaciers and fjords of the Arctic and Antarctica – from the comfort and full-on luxury of a ship. This burgeoning trend for seeing wild places with soul has been awakened by the development of purpose-built, strengthened ice-ships, some using environmentally-friendly battery-powered propulsion to help conserve the gorgeous landscapes they visit. Such sailings have expert teams who will take you out by Zodiac or kayak, on guided hikes and by other means to get you under the skin of these remarkable destinations, and sailings also host talks and workshops by eminent experts in the likes of wildlife and ocean preservation so you can come away having really learnt something.
Which one sounds like your type of holiday?