Incredible cruise destinations that inspired literary masterpieces

Imagine a world without Covid-19. Perhaps you'd be planning a trip to the cinema this week. Maybe you’d opt for Death on the Nile, which stars Kenneth Branagh (who also directs) in this big-screen take on Agatha Christie’s famous murder mystery; it was due to be released at the end of 2020 to great fanfare.

But, as with much in the movie – and cruise – industry over the last 12 months, it was delayed.

For the next best thing, here are six cruises (for a later date) to destinations that inspired famous works of literature. And while we're sad to say that mustachioed detective Hercule Poirot won’t be on any of them, the upside is that the chances of getting caught up in a whodunnit are slim to none.

Taste of Egypt

Death on the Nile, Agatha Christie

This is a brilliant option anyone keen to combine a float down Africa’s longest river with some land-based explorations – you’ll spend your first three days exploring Cairo on guided tours of the pyramids, Old Cairo and the Egyptian Museum (don’t forget to check out the latter’s restoration area, where you can watch archaeologists restoring animal mummies). The cruise leg of the journey includes stops in Luxor, Edfu (home to the Temple of Horus) and Aswan, where you’ll enjoy a ride in a traditional wooden felucca and see the ancient measurement system used to keep track of water levels. Its name? The Nilometer.

Avalon Waterways’ 10-day Taste of Egypt departs Cairo on October 8, 2021. From £2,635pp excluding flights (0330 058 8243; avalonwaterways.co.uk).

Japanese jaunt

Memoirs of a Geisha, Arthur Golden

Japan might have beautifully sleek bullet trains, but getting around can still be confusing – simply because there’s so much to see. Princess Cruises’ Japan Explorer effortlessly whisks you from one jaw-droppingly spectacular beauty to another, whether it’s Kagoshima, a coastal city dominated by an active stratovolcano, or Tokyo, with its Bladerunner-esque beauty. But Kyoto, the backdrop for Memoirs of a Geisha, will be the highlight for many, although passengers will need to do some prioritising – there are over 2,000 temples and shrines to check out. I suggest starting with Kinkaku-ji (otherwise known as the Golden Pavilion) and the cathedral-like Higashi Honganji.

Princess Cruises’ nine-day Japan Explorer departs Tokyo on August 14, 2021. From £1,399pp excluding flights (0344 338 8663; princess.com).

Spirit of the Mississippi

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain

In this ‘Great American Novel’, Huckleberry Finn escapes from his father’s cabin and sails down the Mississippi in an abandoned canoe. A more comfortable way to explore the Big Muddy is on one of the American Queen Steamboat Company’s cruises. Opt for the Spirit of the Mississippi and you’ll sail from Memphis to St Louis via Kentucky and Cape Girardeau. One of the most popular stop-offs is the Kentucky town of Paducah, America’s quilting capital. Excursions include a tour of the city’s Hotel Metropolitan, which was built in 1909 and became a favourite hangout of musicians such as Billie Holiday and Tina Turner.

The American Queen Steamboat Company’s nine-day Spirit of the Mississippi departs Memphis on October 3, 2021. From £1,573pp excluding flights (00 1 833 598 0119; americanqueensteamboatcompany.com).

Dreams of Tahiti

Mutiny on the Bounty, Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall

Nordhoff and Hall’s 1932 book tells the story of Fletcher Christian, a shipmate who gets revenge on a tyrannical captain by casting him adrift in a rowing boat, somewhere between Tahiti and the West Indies. A brilliant way to recreate Christian’s journey (without the rowing boat bit) is by joining Windstar’s Dreams of Tahiti cruise, during which you’ll stop at tropical paradises such as Mo'orea and Bora Bora. Your transport will be Wind Spirit – a masted sailing ship which accommodates just 148 passengers.

Windstar’s seven-day Dreams of Tahiti cruise departs June 17, 2021, from Papeete, French Polynesia. From £2,245pp excluding flights (00 1 855 936 4571; windstarcruises.com).

Arctic adventure

His Dark Materials trilogy, Philip Pullman

Svalbard was the inspiration for Lyra’s world in the His Dark Materials series, and although we can’t guarantee sightings of armed polar bears or winged cliff-ghasts, the chances of spotting calving glaciers and arctic foxes on this trip are significantly higher. Viking’s Arctic Adventure is a cruise that provides a fascinating insight into life in this remote region – you’ll have regular meetings with the onboard scientist, and excursions in the ship’s RIB allow you to see icebergs up close. In Longyearbyen, Svalbard’s capital, you can visit the Global Seed Vault and the world’s northernmost church.

Viking Cruises’ 13-day Arctic Adventure cruise departs Tromsø on August 16, 2022. From £11,195pp, including flights (0208 780 6516; vikingcruises.co.uk).

Steinbeck’s steps

The Log from the Sea of Cortez, John Steinbeck

This book describes a marine biology expedition carried out by John Steinbeck, who wrote about his sail past Baja California and through the Sea of Cortez, and this nine-day cruise provides a brilliant opportunity to walk in the author’s footsteps. The Unesco-listed Gulf of California’s residents include 900 species of fish (among these are 90 endemic shark species), 2,000 invertebrate species, plus dolphins, rays, sea turtles and sea lions. There’s plenty of land-based fun too, including the opportunity to hike to the top of a ridge overlooking Isla San Francisco Bay.

Aurora Expeditions’ nine-day Baja California and Sea of Cortez cruise departs San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, on May 4, 2022. From £4,076pp excluding flights (0808 189 2005; auroraexpeditions.co.uk).