Explore Alaska with Princess Cruises.
4. Alaska Sailing with the Experts on Princess Cruises
With its rugged snowcapped mountains and calving glaciers backdrop, met by waters teeming with spectacular marine wildlife (where whales and orcas abound), Alaskan waters are tailor-made to cruising. Discover “the Last Frontier” in expert hands with Princess Cruises, which has been voyaging to Alaska for more than 50 years. The line offers the most robust cruising calendar in the region (with eight ships positioned here for the 2020 sailing season), plus its own railway car and five wilderness lodges on shore, primed for its customized land-and-sea “cruisetour” vacations. Their weeklong cruise-only itinerary aboard Princess’s 3,560-passenger Royal Princess affords an excellent entrée to the best of Alaska, sailing between Anchorage and Vancouver, and visiting Skagway, Juneau, and Ketchikan in between, along with a day of scenic cruising in Glacier Bay National Park. On board, enjoy Princess’s Alaskan signatures like “Cook My Catch,” where guests can have the fresh-caught bounty from their salmon and halibut fishing excursions prepped to their liking, or “Puppies in the Piazza,” featuring onboard meet-and-greets with Alaskan sled dogs. In port, other exciting excursions include a Discovery-branded “Deadliest Catch” crabbing boat ride off the coast of Ketchikan. Sailings from May through September; rates from $669 per person; princess.com
5. Yachting the Caribbean on Seabourn
It’s little wonder that the Caribbean is the most popular cruising destination in the world. Tropical temps (a special lure come wintertime), gorgeous beaches, and a laid-back lifestyle put forth a winsome combination, while the region’s multi-island geography is conveniently explored aboard a floating home base. Get there in style with the upscale mega-yachts of Seabourn: Both their 458-passenger Seabourn Odyssey and Seabourn Sojourn winter in the region, offering a range of 7-night-plus itineraries. The shorter weeklong voyages, which start and end within the Caribbean, sailing between Philipsburg, Saint Maarten, and Bridgetown, Barbados, rotate featured ports, where excursions might include chef-led outings in local markets, tours of UNESCO sites (the line is the official cruise partner of UNESCO World Heritage), or beach BBQs, complete with grilled lobster—as well as caviar, delivered by Seabourn waiters right into the surf. Onboard, expect menus backed by top chef Thomas Keller (paired with included-in-the-rates wines and spirits), a significant spa space and wellness programming, and a plush, all-suite configuration. Sailings from November through March; rates from $2,699 per person; seabourn.com
6. Baltic Sea Expedition with Viking
For some first-timers, the best way to enjoy cruising is to dive right in, and see—contrary to a popularly held misconception about the perceived superficiality of sailing—just how comprehensive a cruise vacation can be. Baltic-rooted and destination-focused Viking is most at home in Scandinavia, where its 14-night “Viking Homelands” voyage, aboard a quartet of sister ships (the 930-guest Viking Star, Viking Sky, Viking Sun, and Viking Jupiter, in 2020), delivers a well-rounded and immersive introduction to Scandinavia and its diverse, yet interconnected, Baltic Sea ports. On the eight-country itinerary between Stockholm and Bergen, Norway—where the ship overnights in each bookended port—port calls include Helsinki; Tallinn, Estonia; Gdańsk, Poland; Berlin; Copenhagen; and Alborg, Denmark; as well as an overnight in St. Petersburg, Russia. Plus, some scenic sailing through Norwegian fjords, along with a couple of off-the-path Norwegian stops, for good measure. (Bonus: you’ll get an included-in-the-rates excursion in each and every port). Back on the ship, luxuriate with complimentary perks like high-tea service, access to the LivNordic Spa’s Thermal Suite (complete with a mineral pool, dry/wet saunas, and snow grotto), and regionally inspired cuisine. Sailings from April through September; rates from $5,799 per person; vikingcruises.com
