46 DEPARTURES TRAVEL
46 DEPARTURES TRAVEL ALL ABOARD 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” sevenday sailings from Seattle through the Inside Passage and back are available from May to September Navigating through Antarctica’s Paradise Bay with Ponant 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 FROM TOP: LAURENCE FISCHER, KEITH J SMITH / ALAMY
Smile all the stay in the Maldives. 1,200 white-sand coral islands that stretch over 800 kilometers. 99% water. 8 hours of sunshine per day. The Maldives satisfies every beach fantasy. Always has. And it just got exciting. LUX* North Male Atoll, now open, defies all norms and stereotypes. The brand new resort is playful and sophisticated, contemporary and exciting. It is unlike anything you have seen before. It is the Maldives, reimagined. MAURITIUS • RÉUNION • MALDIVES • CHINA • TURKEY • VIETNAM • U.A.E • ITALY • FRANCE
