BLACKBOOK Expedition ships have long been, well, basic. These new vessels are anything but SHIP ROUTE TOP EXCURSIONS BONUS ROUND SILVER CLOUD EXPEDITION Silversea has retrofitted one of its older ships into an icestrengthened 200-passenger liner that will sail 23 global routes this year, from Antarctica to the Arctic. A polar sea-kayaking programme on the South Georgia island and Antarctica routes promises close encounters with penguins and seals. The Cloud has some of the most luxurious cabins out there, including the two-bedroom Grand Suite with a separate living room and dining area. silversea.com LE LAPÉROUSE AND LE CHAMPLAIN French company Ponant will add four 184-passenger vessels starting in June that will travel from the polar regions to the Seychelles. Le Lapérouse makes its inaugural sailing around Iceland, where passengers can take in highlights like Thingvellir National Park and the Geysir Hot Spring. An underwater lounge will have projected video of the surrounding marine life. Instead of smooth jazz, listen to sounds piped in from the deep. ponant.com NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC VENTURE Lindblad Expeditions, a pioneer in adventure cruising, will launch the 100-guest ship in June, with sailings to Alaska, British Columbia and Washington’s San Juan Islands. Many itineraries focus on First Nations culture: from meeting the Kwakwaka’wakw community in Alert Bay to visiting the Huna Tlingit tribe in Glacier Bay National Park. Multigenerational groups can reserve one of the six sets of connecting cabins. expeditions.com KUDANIL EXPLORER Expeditions needn’t be limited to the polar regions – witness this former safety vessel, which has been transformed into a luxe, 16-passenger, 21-crew yacht offering awe-inspiring voyages showcasing the rare beauty of the Indonesian archipelago’s remotest corners. Highlights include deserted beaches, picturesque villages and a glimpse of the fabled Komodo dragon in Nusa Tenggara Timur, and a chance to explore the historic plantations and colonial architecture on the Banda Islands. Guests stay in spacious, 30sq m cabins with private terraces; there’s also an on-board spa, Jacuzzi and cosy library lounge on the main deck. kudanil.com Bland cruise ship food is a thing of the past – seriously Aboard Windstar’s Icons of Southeast Asia voyage, guests can dine in a tree pod on Thailand’s Ko Kut island Windstar is the official cruise line of the James Beard Foundation, which hosted eight voyages last year that featured award-winning chefs. The 14-day Icons of Southeast Asia voyage on the Star Legend is a true standout with the Ko Kut Treepod dining option. Guests are seated in a bamboo pod, then whisked up almost ten metres into the jungle canopy of Thailand’s Ko Kut island. Waiters zip-line in with locally sourced dishes like young coconut prawn and scallop escabeche with pomegranate. windstarcruises.com In addition to rolling out new vegan menus fleetwide, Oceania Cruises has added a fine-dining experience, La Cuisine Bourgeoise by Jacques Pépin, to Marina and Riviera itineraries. Over seven courses, you can enjoy midcentury French classics like velouté reine Margot and filet de boeuf rôti Richelieu, recipes that Pépin perfected when he worked at the famed Plaza Athénée in Paris. oceaniacruises.com On Holland America ships, aspiring chefs can sign up for 90-minute workshops, created in partnership with the popular TV series America’s Test Kitchen, to learn everything from cake decorating to how to make the perfect homemade pasta. Try one out on the 2,666-passenger Nieuw Statendam, launching in December. hollandamerica.com PAUL RAESIDE 32 DEPARTURES-INTERNATIONAL.COM
