Deciding to go on a cruise is the easy part — deciding which one is a little trickier
Taking a cruise vacation is more accessible today than ever before, and the amount of potential destinations is exponentially more abundant as well. When most travelers hear the word “cruise” their brains immediately conjure up ideas of tropical beaches, sun-kissed cocktails, and swimsuits. While tropical locales are always great excuses to board a cruise ship, we created a list of the top 7 places to cruise:
The Amazon River’s total length is roughly the same as the distance between New York City and Rome, so you can imagine that there are plenty of amazing sights, cultures, and cities to experience along the way. With dozens of tributaries and offshoots, cruising the Amazon also allows for guided kayak tours allowing you to get up close and personal with one of the most diverse biomes on planet Earth, the Amazon Rainforest. Many cruises make stops in the Brazilian cities of Manaus (the largest city on the Amazon) and Santarém, which are both popular travel destinations for pleasure seekers around the world. Seabourn Venture will take you even deeper down the Amazon all the way to the beautiful port city of Iquitos, Peru on the 10-Day Heart of The Amazon sailing for a truly immersive experience.
Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Halong Bay in northern Vietnam is the epitome of what most would imagine a South Asian paradise to look like. With dozens of limestone mountains jutting up from turquoise and emerald-tinted waters, it’s one of the best places to cruise in the world, and you haven’t even gotten off the ship yet! Once you get to port you can board small boats for guided tours of the several breathtaking caves sprinkled around Halong bay.
Antarctica provides one of the most unique, bucket list moments a world traveler could ever dream of. Visiting one of the only places on Earth left that’s not inhabited by people, but rather purely by wildlife, gives travelers a visceral sense of what the world was like before mankind. Most cruises to Antarctica, like Seabourn’s 24-Day Holiday Antarctica, Patagonia & South Georgia, also include visits to incredible locations like Patagonia and South Georgia.
Lying just north of Antarctica is this 200-island archipelago. One aspect that makes the Falkland Islands so stupendous is its diversity of beautiful wildlife ranging from penguins to dolphins, sea lions, albatrosses and more. In fact, one of the best activities to embark on once you’re ashore is a 50 mile (~80 km) drive to see the second largest colony of King Penguins in the world outside that of South Georgia. The colony sits perched between a white sand beach and a picturesque salt water lagoon. Seabourn’s 21-Day Ultimate Antarctica & Patagonia cruise provides a life-changing way to see the Falkland Islands and the surrounding area in all its glory.
Muscat’s recent and rapid infrastructural development and boisterous economy have made it a travel hotspot. Nestled upon the banks of the Gulf of Oman, Muscat is multi-ethnic hub rich in Islamic history and architecture. Most notably, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is one of the most astonishing and lavish mosques in the entire world. Encrusted in white marble, its several viridescent courtyards and once in a lifetime photo opportunities make it reason enough to visit the Omani capital. Seabourn’s 16-day Pearls of Arabia & India cruise is one of the best ways to do so.
Hugging the Skjalfardi Bay on the northern coast of Iceland is the city of Husavik, the first Norse settlement on the island in 870 AD. While the town itself and the surrounding area provide great opportunities to experience traditional Icelandic architecture and famed Icelandic waterfalls, we think one of the better parts of Husavik is what lies in the water off its shores. Husavik is one of the best places for whale watching in the entire world. Also, should you be there during their breeding season, a smaller boat can take you around Lundey Island to see spectacular flocks of up to 200,000 puffins and other birds lining the shores.
Famous for some of the most awe-inspiring geography on Earth, all of New Zealand is a humbling sight, but if you had to pick just one spot to embody it all, it would be Milford Sound. Fiordland National Park contains the Te Wahipounamu UNESCO World Heritage Site which plays host to the types of hiking, scenery, and wildlife you thought you could only see in movies (which is why so many are filmed there!) If hiking isn’t for you, there are still plenty of guided road tours that allow you to have the same experience.
Related Seabourn itineraries and amenities below
Looking to explore Thailand? Always wanted to see India? Check out all of our upcoming voyages to Asia to find your next adventure.
From awe-inspiring natural wonders to unmatched feats of human engineering, UNESCO’s World Heritage List is your guidebook for the trip of a lifetime.
Top spots for relaxing, exploring, and making treasured memories
