DEPARTURE TRAVEL THE
DEPARTURE TRAVEL THE NEXT WAVE Equally assured of critical acclaim is Silversea’s Silver Moon, which is slated to appear on the horizon in August (silversea.com). With contrived intimacy that goes beyond what habitués of opulent cruise ships have come to expect, the commodious suites – with one of the highest space-toguest ratios on the seas – and an arsenal of culinary options are in a different orbit. The inaugural series of cruises call at a cornucopia of European ports, followed by a roster of sailings from Fort Lauderdale commencing in November. And Silversea is not limiting itself to a single summer launch: the meticulously designed Silver Origin will debut this summer as the most environmentally conscious vessel the Quark Expeditions’ Ultramarine Black Sea and Beyond Three new routes explore this historically rich region and surrounding waterways. Despite the disorienting winds and treacherous waters that inspired its ominous name, the Black Sea has long been prized for its strategic location in the centre of the southern Eurasian landmass – and strategically minded travellers are now following in their wake. As the Mediterranean and Aegean get more crowded with cruise celebrated company has ever built. Destined for the Galápagos, it will have the highest crew-to-guest ratio in this sequestered archipelago and luxury all-suite accommodation tended to by a squad of butlers – as well as a team of expert Ecuadorian guides who will showcase the beauty of the islands through immersive experiences. ships, this destination is ripe for rediscovery. Viking River Cruises offers a “Kiev, Black Sea & Bucharest” cruise, which carries fewer than 200 passengers from Ukraine’s capital city along the Dnieper River to rural Romania and Bucharest (vikingrivercruises.com). Along the way, it stops in Odessa, on the Black Sea’s northwestern shore, where Ukraine’s tumultuous history is embodied by a medieval fortress, the Potemkin Stairs and more than 2,000 kilometres of catacombs that served as a front line of resistance to the Axis powers in the Second World War. The 11-night cruise can be taken in either direction. Ponant’s nine-night “Treasures of the Black Sea” cruise aboard the sleek, 92-stateroom Le Bougain ville begins A stateroom with a private patio on Ponant’s Le Bougainville This summer, Crystal Cruises will also welcome the uber-extravagant Crystal Endeavor, which is on course to become the nonpareil of adventure cruising (crystalcruises.com). At the confluence of cutting-edge design and ingenious technology, this mega-yacht will boast some of the largest, most spacious suites in expedition cruising, featuring private in Istanbul, at the sea’s southwestern edge, and works its way north to Odessa (ponant. com). From there, the ship swoops southeast to the Turkish shore, stopping at Samsun and Trabzon, gateways to Anatolia, and the city of Safranbolu, a Unesco World Heritage site that appears as if the 13th-century caravans that made the town a crossroads of East and West may soon return. The cruise ends back in Istanbul. For those preferring a slightly bigger vessel, Regent’s 12-night Istanbul-to-Athens voyage on the all-inclusive, 700-guest Seven Seas Mariner is a tantalising choice (rssc.com). After a robust experience on the Black Sea, taking in Nesebûr, Bulgaria; Constanta, Romania; and Odessa, the ship sails back through the Bosphorus. Then the Aegean will be your splash pool, with stops at Rhodes, Santorini and Mykonos. FROM TOP: © QUARK EXPEDITIONS, NICOLAS MATHEUS
