THEMED CRUISES
If you have a particular interest or hobby, from astronomy to antiquities, there’s likely to be a cruise that offers a theme to match. Check out these options for inspiration
WELLNESS
Amawaterways’ (amawaterways.co.uk) new Wellness Programme, available on board Amalyra on her weekly summer cruises on the Seine river, features four to six classes daily, including morning stretches, jogging, yoga, cardio, core strengthening and circuit training, plus discussions on topics such as healthy eating and relaxation techniques. The programme, led by a professional sports scientist, will later be introduced on other ships.
WINE
Budding sommeliers on board selected Celebrity Cruises’ (celebritycruises.co.uk) sailings can enjoy visits to privately owned vineyards, guided tastings and pairing sessions under the expert guidance of experts Joe Fattorini and Amelia Singer from TV’S The Wine Show.
FIREWORKS
Join Sydneysiders in their spectacular pyrotechnic celebration of New Year on Fred Olsen’s (fredolsencruises.com) world cruise aboard Black Watch, departing from Southampton in November 2018. Other highlights of this 107-night voyage include the Panama and Suez Canals, the beaches of Polynesia, the Taj Mahal and observing Komodo dragons.
GOLF
Amadeus River Cruises’ (amadeusrivercruises.co.uk) new 2018 golfthemed eight-day river cruises, accompanied by PGA teaching golf pro Frank Adamowicz, visit four prestigious golf courses on three rivers: the Danube (24 May), Seine (25 October) and Rhine (25 October and 4 November).
All green fees and golf carts included.
HISTORY
Guest speakers Dr Michael Squire, reader in classical art and archaeology at King’s College London, and Dr Christopher Whitton, senior lecturer in classics at the University of Cambridge, will offer passengers on Voyages to Antiquity’s (voyagestoantiquity.com) 21-day Aegean cruise insights and historic perspectives into the region’s ancient sites. Visits include the Acropolis in Athens, the Minoan site of Akrotiri on Santorini and the Acropolis of Lindos on Rhodes.
TEMPLES
Step back in time aboard SS Misr, a luxurious restored steamship originally built for the Royal Navy in 1918. She now cruises the Nile with Jules Verne (vjv. com), sailing between Luxor and Aswan on one-week itineraries (with a choice of dates), calling at several temples including Esna, Kom Ombo, Philae, Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. Fans of opera can immerse themselves in music and drama during a Saga Sapphire (saga.co.uk) 19-night Med cruise, with on-board singing lessons and operatic performances, as well as a visit to Puccini’s summer villa at Torre del Lago in Italy. The ship sails from Dover on 19 July and calls at Barcelona, Cartagena, Castellón de la Plana, Ibiza, Portugal, Monte Carlo and Monaco.
CHRISTMAS
Although summer is the prime season for river cruising, several companies offer itineraries in November and December that visit some of Europe’s traditional Christmas markets. Shearings (shearings.com) has cruises on the Rhine, visiting markets in Cologne, Rüdesheim, Bonn and Koblenz, with a choice of outward travel by coach, train or air. Next year it will add the Danube to the festive repertoire.
WALKS
Anyone fearful of stepping aboard a ship as a passenger and getting off as cargo might want to consider a walking cruise holiday (ramblersholidays.co.uk/ cruise-and-walk). With a full programme of guided (and graded) walks ashore, destinations include the UK and Ireland, the Mediterranean, Norway, the Canaries, the Caribbean, South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.
GARDENS
Join Charlie Dimmock on a greenfingered cruise to Holland and
Belgium’s finest gardens. Leaving on 3 May, the one-week cruise with the River Cruise Line (rivercruiseline.co.uk) will feature the Floralia Flower Show, Appletern Gardens, the National Botanic Garden of Belgium and the spectacular Keukenhof Gardens, all accompanied by Charlie, who will also host Q&A sessions on board.
STARGAZING
Get unique insight and knowledge about the Arctic sky and the greatest light show on Earth, the aurora borealis, on this popular 12-day voyage along the Norwegian coast, accompanied by three renowned astronomers. Should the northern lights not appear, the company, Hurtigruten (hurtigruten.co.uk), will offer passengers another cruise for free.