From iconic classics to stunning new ports of name, Sarah Holt discovers the perfect locations to go to on a cruise subsequent 12 months.
Porto
Straddling the River Douro within the northwest of Portugal, buzzy Porto is a superb place to start out or end a river cruise. Town lends its title to the area’s well-known fortified wine, and there are tasting alternatives wherever you look. Take time additionally to wander the slim cobbled streets of the medieval Ribeira district, with its fashionable retailers’ homes and plenty of cafes.
Sao Francisco Church, identified for its ornate gilded carvings, is unquestionably value a go to, and don’t miss the Livraria Lello bookshop, the place someday Porto resident JK Rowling took inspiration for her Harry Potter books.
Get on board
AmaWaterways’ seven-night ‘Flavours of Portugal & Spain’ cruise aboard Ama Vida, from Vega de Terron to Porto through Barca d’Alva, Pinhao, Regua, Caldas de Aregos and Entre-os-Rios, departs Might 2, 2023, from £3,545 per particular person.
Arctic
For UK travellers, the Arctic is much simpler to achieve than the Antarctic, but it stays an unbelievable journeythat few of us ever make. Throughout the Arctic Circle lie elements of Canada, the USA, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. On cruises right here you’ll get to identify polar bears, arctic foxes and walruses, and also you’ll learn the way 4 million individuals, together with many indigenous communities, handle to reside in such excessive situations, the place the temperature all year long can fluctuate from -40°C to +30°C.
Get on board
Hurtigruten Expeditions’ 13-night ‘Arctic Islands Discovery’ cruise aboard MS Fram, from Oslo to Reykjavik through Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, Eyjafjordur, Akureyri, Patreksfjordur and Snaefellsnes Peninsula, departs July 12, 2023, from £4,935 per particular person.
Vancouver
Surrounded by a picture-perfect panorama of ocean, mountains and inexperienced area, Vancouver is constantly lauded as one of many world’s most habitable cities. On a port go to, don’t miss the prospect to see Gastown, the now gentrified cobblestoned district the place Vancouver started.
Right here you’ll uncover bars, eating places and memento outlets, plus the town’s well-known steam clock, which whistles at 15-minute intervals. Additionally value a go to is stylish Granville Island, the place you’ll discover cool cafes, markets and galleries. In the event you’re a wildlife fan, plan to go to between March and October, when hundreds of whales migrate by the waters close to Vancouver, making it one of many world’s best whale-watching places.
Get on board
Princess Cruises’ seven-night ‘Inside Passage’ cruise aboard Crown Princess, spherical journey from Vancouver through Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan, departs Might 5, 2023, from £929 per particular person.
Budapest
Hungary’s capital metropolis is dominated by the mighty Danube, which separates Buda within the west from Pest within the east. On the hillier Buda aspect, guests can discover the World Heritage-listed citadel district and bask within the colonnaded swimming pool and sizzling spring baths at Gellert Spa.
On the Pest aspect, don’t miss the prospect to amble down the milelong Andrássy Avenue and tuck into conventional Hungarian dishes – from squidgy flodni cake to peppery goulash – within the cavernous Central Market Corridor.
Get on board
Emerald Cruises’ seven-night ‘Danube Delights’ cruise aboard Emerald Solar, from Munich to Budapest through Regensburg, Passau, Durnstein, Vienna and Bratislava, departs Might 22, 2023, from £2,466 per particular person.
Lyon
Pretty Lyon in central France affords cruise passengers the prospect to dine like a king. Not for nothing is that this UNESCO-listed metropolis also referred to as the gastronomic capital of the world, and the chance to eat is all over the place, from the three-acre Les Halles meals market to the town’s 4,000 eating places, together with no fewer than 21 with Michelin stars. Guests in quest of probably the most genuine dishes ought to strive la quenelle – a kind of elongated dumpling – with pink praline tart for dessert.
The structure right here is equally enthralling, so don’t miss the prospect to go to the Roman Amphitheatre des Trois Gaules or the medieval and Renaissance buildings in Vieux Lyon, the outdated metropolis.
Get on board
Avalon Waterways’ seven-night ‘Burgundy & Provence’ cruise aboard Avalon Poetry II, from Chalon-sur-Soane to Arles through Tournus, Lyon, Tournon-Viviers and Avignon, departs April 4, 2023, from £2,692 per particular person.
Doha
The capital of unique Qatar, Doha affords an entire host of head-turning sights together with the Aspire Tower – aka The Torch – which stands 300m excessive, the Museum of Islamic Artwork and the gorgeous new Nationwide Museum, designed to resemble a desert rose. Souq Waqif, a standard bazaar that stands on the positioning the place Bedouins as soon as traded livestock and wool, is a should for travellers in quest of an genuine native expertise.
Get on board
MSC Cruises‘ seven-night ‘Emirates’ cruise aboard MSC World Europa, spherical journey from Doha through Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sir Bani Yas Island and Advert Dammam, departs February 2, 2023, from £615 per particular person.
Monte Carlo
The city centre of Monaco, that glamorous principality on the French Riviera, Monte Carlo could also be tiny – concerning the measurement of 35 soccer pitches – but it surely’s residence to a few of the most costly actual property and most of the wealthiest residents on earth. Right here you’ll discover fantastically manicured gardens, designer yachts within the harbour and Lamborghinis on each nook.
What’s extra stunning is how simple it’s for us mere mortals to spend a day right here. Simply check out the menu fixe choices on the native eating places and also you’ll discover the costs are surprisingly cheap. You may even go to the well-known on line casino – however take care to not break the financial institution.
Get on board
Azamara’s five-night ‘Grand Prix Weekend Voyage’ aboard Azamara Pursuit, spherical journey from Barcelona through Saint-Tropez and Monte Carlo, departs Might 25, 2023, from £1,092 per particular person.
Mount Fuji
Japan’s most iconic sight lies about two hours by highway from Tokyo, so along with your ship berthed within the capital it’s a straightforward tour to the foothills of this completely conical snow-capped peak. Mount Fuji overlooks 5 lakes (the place its reflection will provide your final Instagram shot) and these are all equally fashionable with guests, who can get pleasure from taking sizzling spring baths and sleeping on futon beds at a standard Japanese inn.
Get on board
Celebrity Cruises’ 12-night ‘Better of Southern Japan’ cruise aboard Celeb Millennium, spherical journey from Tokyo through Kyoto, Kochi, Okinawa, Ishigaki, Jeju Island (South Korea) and Hiroshima, departing November 5, 2023, from £1,787 per particular person.
Palma
With its maze of slim cobbled streets, putting boulevards, shaded squares and medieval structure, Palma de Mallorca is a captivating port of name. The majestic 14th-century Sa Seu cathedral is a spotlight, with ornamental Twentieth-century additions by Spanish architect Gaudi – extra well-known for his work in Barcelona – and a contemporary chapel by Miquel Barcelo.
Palma can be famend for its pearls and leather-based items, and guests can get their buying repair within the streets round Passeig des Born. There are additionally some pretty seashores close by should you fancy a dip.
Get on board
Scenic Cruises’ 11-night ‘Unbelievable Iberian Discovery’ cruise aboard Scenic Eclipse II, from Lisbon to Barcelona through Portimao,Seville, Puerto Banus, Malaga, Cartagena, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca and Mahon, departs April 12, 2023, from £6,111 per particular person.
Cape City
Whether or not you’re climbing Desk Mountain, chuckling on the child penguins on Boulders Seashore or just testing the outlets, eating places and bars on the metropolis’s buzzy Victoria and Alfred waterfront, this unbelievable metropolis on the southern tip of Africa is among the world’s most memorable port stops.
And should you’re fortunate sufficient to be anchoring in a single day, don’t miss the prospect to go to the well-known Stellenbosch winelands, lower than an hour’s drive from the central enterprise district.
Get on board
Cunard’s 16-night ‘Cape City to Southampton’ cruise aboard Queen Mary 2, through Walvis Bay and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, departs April 7, 2023, from £1,949 per particular person.
Oslo
Norway’s capital is the birthplace of Alfred Nobel, founding father of the Nobel Prize, and cruise passengers can discover out extra concerning the life and legacy of the person behind the prizes at Oslo Metropolis Corridor and the Nobel Peace Centre. Equally well-known is Norwegian artist Edvard Munch, whose iconic picture The Scream is among the world’s finest identified work. Oslo is now residence to a model new 13-storey museum that showcases greater than half of the good man’s works.
Elsewhere within the metropolis, take time to get pleasure from an open sandwich on the harbourside, or deal with your self to lunch at one of many many wonderful fish eating places.
Get on board
Fred Olsen Cruises’ 10-night ‘Exploring the Nordic capitals’ cruise aboard Bolette, spherical journey from Newcastle through Aarhus, Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo, departs April 11, 2023, from £1,199 per particular person.
Easter Island
Though it lies greater than 2,000 miles west of mainland South America, Easter Island is definitely Chilean territory. Often known as Rapa Nui, this distant, volcanic dot within the Pacific – simply 64 sq. miles in measurement – is known around the globe for its distinctive Moai statues. Carved from rock, these four-metre large heads stay one of many world’s nice enigmas.
Right this moment the native economic system relies largely on tourism, and in addition to seeing the mysterious statues up shut, you may as well rent vehicles, bikes and mountain bikes to discover this fascinating vacation spot.
Get on board
Princess Cruises’ 34-night ‘World Cruise section’ aboard Coral Princess, from New York to Sydney through Panama Canal, Manta, Lima, Pisco, Easter Island and Tahiti, departs August 16, 2023, from £6,459 per particular person.
Fuerteventura
Stretching for 640 sq. miles, the second largest of Spain’s Canary Islands is known for its white-sand seashores and year-round heat. One of the crucial fashionable locations to go to right here is Corralejo Pure Park, the place you possibly can get pleasure from a 4×4 tour, take a ship journey or pack a picnic and go to the seashore.
Elsewhere on the island, you’ll discover blue lagoons and sheltered coves that make excellent swimming spots.
Get on board
P&O Cruises’ seven-night ‘Canary Islands’ cruise aboard Azura, spherical journey from Tenerife through Madeira, La Palma and Fuerteventura, departs February 17, 2023, from £629 per particular person together with flights.
Nassau
The capital of the 700-plus Bahamian islands is among the hottest ports within the Caribbean. The Bahamas had been a British colony from 1718 to 1973, and this legacy nonetheless shapes the town right this moment, with vehicles driving on the left and purple letterboxes dotted across the streets.
Ships dock on the central Prince George Wharf, which is inside simple strolling distance of sights together with the outlets of Bay Avenue and the Straw Market, the swashbuckling Pirates of Nassau attraction and Parliament Sq., the place pastel pink buildings are fronted by a statue of Queen Victoria.
Get on board
Royal Caribbean’s seven-night ‘Bahamas & Excellent Day’ cruise aboard Grandeur of the Seas, spherical journey from Tampa through Key West, Grand Bahama Island, Excellent Day at CocoCay and Nassau, departs Might 27, 2023, from £465 per particular person.
Liverpool
Not solely a metropolis with music in its soul, Liverpool can be a historic port – so what higher approach to go to than by ship? Host to the Eurovision Music Contest in Might 2023, the town is full of sights all 12 months spherical, from the must-see Beatles Museum on Mathew Avenue to the long-lasting Royal Liver Constructing on the Pier Head.
With loads of outlets and eating places throughout the redeveloped Royal Albert Dock, it is a buzzy UK vacation spot to not miss.
Get on board
Ambassador Cruise Line’s seven-night ‘River Seine Expertise’ aboard Ambition, spherical journey from Liverpool through St Peter Port, Rouen, Honfleur and Belfast, departs July 18, 2023, from £709 per particular person.
