DEPARTURES TRAVEL ALL
DEPARTURES TRAVEL ALL ABOARD 30 Cruising for Adventure, Whether You Have Three Days or Five Months 146 DAYS Seabourn is offering what could be considered the ultimate cruise aboard the Seabourn Sojourn, calling at a staggering 62 ports in 36 countries on five continents. The epic, globe-circling voyage, Seabourn’s first world cruise in six years, departs Miami on 4 January 2020 and concludes in San Francisco five months later, with stops in Colombia, Mozambique and the Seychelles, among many, many, many other places. seabourn.com 77 DAYS The “Grand Spice Route Quest” voyage aboard the Regent Seven Seas Explorer heads east from Barcelona on 6 November 2020, finally dropping anchor in Auckland 76 days later. This crosshemispheric journey sails through the Mediterranean, Arabian, Andaman and Coral Seas, among others. rssc.com 132 DAYS Dedicated travellers can enlist on a 30-country odyssey setting sail from Miami on 6 January 2020 aboard the Regent Seven Seas Mariner. The itinerary is packed with Unesco World Heritage sites – 56 in all, from enigmatic pyramids and ancient cities to coral reefs and colourful cultures. rssc.com 3-4 DAYS On its ultra-exclusive cruises between Chiang Rai, Thailand, and northern Laos, Mekong Kingdoms includes a visit to the ancient city of Luang Prabang. For the 317km trip, the luxe operator offers both a three-day and a four-day version. However you do it, the glory of continental Southeast Asia will be on full display as the artfully bedecked twocabin Gypsy glides through the Mekong river valley, disembarking for temple visits, elephant encounters and excursions to caves decorated with centuries-old statues of Buddha left by pilgrims. mekongkingdoms.com A pastoral scene in Scotland’s bucolic St Kilda, a stop on the Hebridean Princess WORLD ON A PLATE Upping the Culinary Ante Delicious foodie and wine-focused itineraries to savour. CRUISING’S BUOYANT CUISINE scene is encapsulated in the seven speciality dining options aboard Celebrity’s Celebrity Edge (celebritycruises.com). Each offers visually tempting cuisine with 21st-century verve, nowhere more so than Le Petit Chef. Here, innovative technology created by TableMation Studios brings each tabletop to life in an immersive and engaging fusion of entertainment and dining. A tiny animated character appears beside centre plates and prepares each course in front of guests before waiters serve the identical dish. Less coup de théâtre but with an undisputed gustatory quotient, Crystal’s Crystal Serenity (crystalcruises.com) has recently introduced Umi Uma, where guests can savour Japanese- Peruvian specialities of master chef Nobu Matsuhisa, created by his personally trained chefs. Also new is Silk Kitchen & Bar, an Asianinspired venue serving traditional Chinese comfort food in an alfresco atmosphere; to add to the global cornucopia onboard is the Brazilianstyle Churrascaria. Crystal River Cruises is offering a “European Wine Experience” along the Danube where excursions include wine tastings in the cellar of Palais Coburg, Schloss Gobelsburg Winery and Herzogenburg Monastery. Another waterborne pilgrimage for oenologists is European Waterways’ “Wine Appreciation Cruise” aboard La Bella Vita (europeanwaterways. com). This 20-passenger hotel barge navigates the Venetian Lagoon © HEBRIDEAN PRINCESS
FROM TOP: © CELEBRITY CRUISES, MICHEL VERDURE, KEITH J SMITH / ALAMY Celebrity Edge appeals to all the senses with green tea matcha cake at the new Le Petit Chef, above, and in the breathtaking Grand Plaza, below and waterways of the Po Valley, a region that is home to some of Italy’s finest wines. Trading grape for grain, Hebridean’s Hebridean Princess (hebridean.co.uk) has a seven-night “Westering Home and Whisky Galore” cruise departing on 5 August 2019. Guest speaker on this sailing will be renowned whisky aficionado and broadcaster Charles MacLean. Meanwhile, amid the captivating colours of Provence and the wild, bucolic Camargue, CroisiEurope (croisieurope.com) has a brand-new culinary cruise through the gastronomic heart of France aboard the Rhône Princess. Highlights include a guided tour of the Cité du Chocolat in Tain L’Hermitage and dinner at Paul Bocuse’s Abbaye de Collonges. ICY ADVENTURES Warm Encounters in Cold Climates On Windstar’s weeklong circumnavigations of Iceland between June and August 2019 (windstarcruises.com), dramatic landscapes are guaranteed, but rather than icebergs or auroras, the highlights may well be sampling the extensive local cuisine on land, such as halibut soup with green apple, dried fruit and parsley oil, or deep-fried lamb hot dogs. Dining options aboard Star Breeze are just as pleasing: meals frequently come with a view of lava fields and fjords. Viking (vikingcruises.com) also goes beyond the typical Nordic cruise with its “In Search of the Northern Lights” voyages. These 12-day expeditions from London to Bergen and vice versa operate between January and March 2020. Guests get the chance to meet Norway’s indigenous Sami people, and there are tours of mysterious prehistoric rock carvings in Alta. On the other side of the Arctic, Cunard (cunard.com) is sending the Queen Elizabeth on an epic voyage from Tokyo to Vancouver. This 27-day extravaganza of northern Pacific culture and scenery, from the volcanic onsens of Hokkaido to Alaska’s indigenous fishing villages, sets sail on 5 May 2019. The trip marks this venerable cruise line’s first foray to Alaska in more than 20 years. Norwegian Cruise Line’s new Norwegian Bliss (ncl.com) was designed for the Great White North with floor-to-ceiling windows in its observation lounge. Offering plenty of wide-angle glacier views, NCL’s “Awe of Alaska” seven-day sailings from Seattle through the Inside Passage and back are available from May to September 2019 and 2020. Ponant (ponant.com) features a trip to the opposite pole aboard L’Austral, leaving from Ushuaia, Argentina, on 28 February 2020 and returning to Montevideo, Uruguay, 15 days later after close encounters with the incomparable wildlife on South Georgia and the astounding Antarctic Peninsula. Expect wildlife such as penguins, leopard seals and orcas, not to mention vast icebergs. Aurora borealis viewed near Alta, Norway, aboard Viking’s “In Search of the Northern Lights” cruise 31 DEPARTURES
