Forget Everything You Thought You Knew About Cruising
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."
You think you know cruising? Leviathan cities on the water, with water slides and discos and more water slides and groaning buffets and maybe even more water slides? You’re shaking your head, saying, that’s not me. I’m not a cruiser. I’ll never be a cruiser.
That was how I felt. Until I took a luxury cruise. And then another. And then another. On small ships that slid into ports, nestled along riverbanks, anchored in bays, and with interiors bearing the mark—and beauty—of individual designers. I’ve reached gladly for another pour of Veuve Clicquot in the Arctic, enjoyed fresh Indonesian recipes emerging from a yacht’s tiny kitchen off the shores of Komodo National Park, nibbled Austrian cookies on the Danube and Bengali snacks on the Ganges.
I’ve shared dinner with environmental scientists, cooked with chefs, took to the deck to emulate classical dancers from Calcutta. I’ve shopped quiet streets, met artisans, took in private concerts in churches and gazed at treasured collections behind museum velvet ropes. And every night I’ve slept in beautiful beds skimming over the water. And awoke every morning to a new vista seen only—and this is more thrilling than you can imagine until you’ve done it—from the water.
Because yes, this is luxury cruising—a style of travel that is both increasingly progressive and beautifully timeless. And as I look ahead to the future of cruising, I see a waterscape that’s even more alluring for luxury travelers looking for journeys of substance and beauty. Here’s what’s over the horizon that has me itching to book my next passage:
The cruising industry is seeking environmental solutions.
An industry long pilloried for its environmental impacts is changing course, and the future looks exciting. Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot, which launched in 2021 and roams the Arctic and Antarctica, is the first hybrid-electric polar exploration ship, powered by liquefied natural gas, and features best in class internal systems for reuse of water and waste.
Hurtigruten, Norway’s expedition cruising pioneer, is at work on Sea Zero, a zero-emission ship using wind and solar sails, along with a stack of design innovations, that’s on deck for 2030 (it will be here before we know it). Increasingly, every cruise company is facing its obligation to be a better environmental steward—and I’m looking for details that matter when booking.
Smaller ships are going deeper.
There’s never been a better time to get on board in luxury cruising as the fleet—and itineraries—continue to diversify. Small vessel cruising continues to be on the rise in 2024, according to global travel agency network Virtuoso, with both experienced cruisers and cruise-curious first-timers. Yachts are joining the party in a big way, which means a sense of intimacy with your fellow travelers.
Banish the notion of anonymous lines along buffet service and think more of gatherings—for cocktails, for meals, for briefings and talks. And imagine ships that can get into bays and coves that larger ships cannot. Whether it’s aboard Aqua Expeditions’ exquisitely intimate Aqua Blu plying the little-sailed waters of West Papua, Indonesia, or doing the British Virgin Islands in high style on a custom-built vessel from The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection, the small side of cruising is only getting bigger and bigger—and better and better.
Classic destinations are becoming more accessible by sea (and river).
It may be river cruising—one of the underestimated greatest ways to travel, ever—that opened my eyes to the joy and discovery of cruising, so if you’re new to river cruising, consider the thrill of classics such as the Mekong, Nile, or Rhine aboard Uniworld Boutique River Cruises’ destination-inspired ships (they are divine).
But the future holds even more possibility—think, for example, of seeing sub-Saharan Africa both from sea and land (there’s a new cruise for that—Lindblad Expeditions’ journey along the South African coast to Madagascar and on to Dar es Salaam) or avoiding the inevitable throngs in southern Europe this summer (and staying cooler!) by doing the Med by sea on a tall ship like the glorious Sea Cloud or her sister, Sea Cloud II or cruising the spectacular Dalmation coast by yacht with Cruise Croatia.
Today's luxury cruises have better food and drinks.
As more and more luxury travelers saunter down gangplanks, ships are meeting them at the table (and generally when coming aboard) with far improved plates and pours. This dovetails with the juggernaut culinary travel trend, so the future looks ever brighter—and delicious.
The ship I’m more than keen to sneak aboard is Coquelicot, the newly renovated luxury barge by Belmond, which has just returned to the waterways of Champagne this fall in partnership with the esteemed Maison Ruinart to offer exclusive vineyard access and tastings. That’s a sparkling cruising future, indeed.
All in all, it’s a feast on the water when you know where to look—the world of luxury cruising awaits at the dock with journeys minus myriad hassles of rental cars, repacking suitcases, navigation, and crowds. On the right ships, it’s a whole new world.
You Might Also Like
