American Beauty
THE COASTLINES OF NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA OFFER ENDLESS SURPRISES FOR CRUISE PASSENGERS, WRITES KENDALL HILL.
LOS ANGELES TO COSTA RICA
Main country Mexico
Cruise line Crystal Cruises; crystalcruises.com
The ship Crystal Symphony Year launched 1995 (refurbished 2017)
Vital stats 848 passengers, 566 crew
The journey 13-night Central American Sojourn
Ports of call Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, Puerto Quetzal, Acajutla, San Juan del Sur, Puntarenas
Wining and dining Eight restaurants, six bars
Wellness Spa, pool, Jacuzzi, yoga, Pilates, paddle tennis ↓
Bid farewell to the bright lights of Los Angeles and cruise into exotic lands on this voyage to the hotspots of Central America. The upscale Crystal Symphony traces the Baja California coast into Mexico, visiting Love Boat staples Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta before venturing deep into the Sea of Cortez, a natural aquarium rich in seals, whales and other marine life. The action continues with stops at Puerto Quetzal in Guatemala – where passengers can hike an active volcano – Acajutla in El Salvador and Nicaragua’s sleepy surf town of San Juan del Sur, ending with a two-day sweep through Costa Rica via big-city Puntarenas and small-town Caldera.
ARGENTINA, URUGUAY AND BRAZIL
Main country Brazil
Cruise line Celebrity Cruises; celebritycruises.com
The ship Celebrity Eclipse
Year launched 2010
Vital stats 2850 passengers, 1286 crew
The journey 14-night Argentina, Rio and Uruguay
Ports of call Santos, Ilhabela, Búzios, Rio de Janeiro, Punta del Este, Montevideo
Wining and dining Eleven restaurants, 10 bars
Wellness Three pools, spa, sauna, hot tubs, gym, yoga, Pilates, basketball, croquet ↓
Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival is the climax of this fortnight-long frolic through the South Atlantic but the journey there is half the fun. Starting in Buenos Aires on 16 February 2020, Celebrity Eclipse’s floating resort sets sail for Brazil and drops anchor at Santos to explore the megacity of São Paulo before beachhopping from Ilhabela to Búzios. A three-day stopover in Rio leaves ample time for pursuits such as riding cable cars and sipping Caipirinhas but come evening, it’s Carnival time, with reserved grandstand or box seats to the colourful extravaganza. Then it’s back to Buenos Aires via the Uruguayan Riviera and the vibrant capital of Montevideo.
PERUVIAN AMAZON
Main country Peru
Cruise line Delfin; delfinamazoncruises.com
The ship Delfin III
Year launched 2017
Vital stats 43 passengers, 29 crew
The journey Four-night round trip from Iquitos
Ports of call Nauta, various villages within the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve Wining and dining Dining room, bar
Wellness Plunge pool, spa, gym, kayaks
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The stylish way to navigate the wet-and-wild Amazon is aboard one of Delfin’s three Relais & Châteaux-endorsed riverboats, all with glass-walled suites and expansive decks to capture the action on one of the world’s mightiest rivers. The newest and largest vessel, Delfin III, caters for 43 passengers, with attentive staff and fine dining accented with rainforest ingredients. Voyages focus on the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve (the “Jungle of Mirrors”) – home to caimans, manatees, sloths and pink boto dolphins. Naturalists – many born and raised on the Amazon River – share their expert knowledge of creatures, culture and customs during twice-daily skiff expeditions.
BARBADOS TO PANAMA
Main country Panama
Cruise line Star Clippers; starclippers.com
The ship Star Flyer
Year launched 1991 (refurbished 2018)
Vital stats 170 passengers, 74 crew
The journey 14-night Barbados to Panama
Ports of call Bridgetown, St George’s, Kralendijk, Willemstad, Oranjestad, Santa Marta, Cartagena, San Blas Islands, Panama Canal Wining and dining Restaurant, bar (with outdoor luncheon), piano lounge
Wellness Two pools, fitness, massage
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For classic tall-ship sailing in the Caribbean, Star Flyer’s four-masted barquentine oozes nostalgic romance but doesn’t skimp on contemporary comforts. Casting off from the red sands of Bridgetown, Barbados, the Flyer charts an exhilarating course to the spice island of Grenada and on to Venezuela’s Isla de Margarita, famous for its flamingo-lined lagoon. Next stops? The ABC islands – the Dutch outposts of Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao – and the dreamy Colombian city of Cartagena, muse to Gabriel García Márquez. Island-hopping in the San Blas archipelago and a transit of the Panama Canal complete the epic itinerary.
LIMA TO BUENOS AIRES
Main country Chile
Cruise line Regent Seven Seas Cruises; rssc.com
The ship Seven Seas Mariner Year launched 2001 (refurbished 2018)
Vital stats 700 passengers, 445 crew
The journey 21-night Lima to Buenos Aires
Ports of call Pisco, Antofagasta, Coquimbo, Puerto Montt, Stanley, Punta del Este
Wining and dining Seven restaurants, six bars
Wellness Pool, spa, gym
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From the culinary sensations of Lima to the cultural powerhouse of Buenos Aires, this 21-night
voyage aboard the top-rated Seven Seas Mariner will appeal to lovers of food, wine, culture, adventure and nature. In short, it’s a crowd-pleasing itinerary that takes passengers to the end of the earth and back again. Follow the pisco trail in Peru and Chile; get to know Santiago, Valparaíso and the vineyards of the Casablanca Valley; explore Chile’s Lake District from Puerto Montt and Patagonia from Puerto Chacabuco; then emerge north-east of Cape Horn at the quaint port of Stanley in the Falklands. The Mariner then makes its way to Uruguay before passengers disembark in dazzling Buenos Aires.
CAPE HORN AND PATAGONIA
Main country Chile
Cruise line Australis; australis.com
The ship Ventus Australis Year launched 2018
Vital stats 210 guests, 62 crew The journey Four-night Fjords of Tierra del Fuego Ports of call Isla Magdalena, Ainsworth Bay, Wulaia Bay Wining and dining Dining room, lounge bar
Wellness N/A
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The brand-new Ventus Australis offers unforgettable voyages traversing one of the planet’s most challenging sea routes – rounding Cape Horn at the tip of Chile and Argentina. There are few ports of call in the wilderness but ample fjords, channels and glaciers to explore along this coastline at the confluence of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Four-night expeditions depart either Punta Arenas in Chile or Ushuaia in Argentina for the remote reaches of the Strait of Magellan, past snow-caked mountain peaks, grand glaciers and subpolar forests. Zodiacs ensure close contact with extreme landscapes, as well as encounters with elephant seals and Magellanic penguins.
NEWFOUNDLAND
Main country Canada
Tour company Adventure Canada; adventurecanada.com The ship Ocean Endeavour
Year launched 1982 (refurbished 2014)
Vital stats 198 passengers, 124 crew
The journey 10-night Newfoundland Circumnavigation Ports of call St John’s, L’Anse aux Meadows, Miawpukek, Red Bay, Saint-Pierre
Wining and dining Polaris Restaurant
Wellness Pool, saunas, hot tub, gym ↓
If your knowledge of Newfoundland is limited to the bleak isolation of Annie Proulx’s The Shipping News, you’re in for a treat. Adventure Canada’s Newfoundland expeditions showcase the sunnier side of life in this maritime province, from natural wonders to lobster feasts and up-close adventures in Zodiac dinghies. The Ocean Endeavour’s size allows it to dip into the coastline at points of interest such as the UNESCOlisted Basque whaling station at Red Bay or Viking ruins at L’Anse aux Meadows. Excellent expedition crews enhance every experience, including hiking the Gros Morne tablelands and visiting the Miawpukek First Nation community.
BOSTON TO MONTREAL
Main country United States Cruise line Silversea; silversea.com
The ship Silver Wind
Year launched 1995 (refurbished 2018)
Vital stats 298 passengers, 222 crew
The journey 10-night Boston to Montreal
Ports of call Bar Harbor, Saint John, Halifax, Sydney, Saguenay, Quebec City Wining and dining Four restaurants, three bars Wellness Pool, hot tubs, gym, spa, beauty centre
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Cruising the New England coast in autumn is not all about the flaming fall colours; it’s also about charming resort towns, maritime history and echoes of early European settlement. But, yes, autumn leaves are the main event and the best berths are aboard Silver Wind, a deluxe small ship capable of nosing along the coast for maximum colour. When not leaf-peeping, passengers play golf in the faded resort town of Bar Harbor, tuck into fresh lobster at Halifax Harbour and ramble through the Cape Breton Highlands. Watch out for whales on the Saguenay River in Quebec province then brace yourself for the Gallic charms of Quebec City and Montreal.
NORTHWEST PASSAGE
Main country Canada
Cruise line Scenic; scenic.com.au
The ship Scenic Eclipse
Year launched 2019
Vital stats 228 passengers, 176 crew (200 passengers,
192 crew for polar departures) The journey 20-night Across the Northwest Passage
Ports of call Ilulissat (Greenland), Pond Inlet, Beechey Island, Franklin Bay, Herschel Island, Point Barrow, Nome
Wining and dining Five dining outlets, including champagne and sake bars
Wellness Pools, sauna, gym, yoga, Pilates ↓
The Northwest Passage defied human navigation for centuries but today, paradoxically, it’s accessible aboard the most luxurious expedition yacht to grace the seas. The sleek new Scenic Eclipse – scheduled to set sail this year – features butler service, an open bar and on-call helicopters for the ultimate High Arctic exploration. This 20-night ice odyssey ambles around Greenland’s glaciers then braves Baffin Bay (look for belugas) bound for Canada’s Nunavut territory. The precise passage route is dictated by ice levels but bank on Inuit encounters at Pond Inlet and sightings of polar bears and narwhals. The week-long traverse emerges at Point Barrow in Alaska, the United States’ northernmost town.
CUBA
Main country Cuba
Cruise line Azamara; azamaraclubcruises.com
The ship Azamara Journey Year launched 2007 (refurbished 2016)
Vital stats 690 passengers, 408 crew
The journey 11- or 13-night Cuba Intensive
Ports of call Santiago de Cuba, Cienfuegos, Havana, Labadee Wining and dining Five restaurants, five bars Wellness Pool, spa, gym ↓
Cuba is the It girl of the cruise world but few lines pay her as much attention as Azamara, whose 11- and 13-night itineraries give passengers a close look at this former Spanish colony and communist stronghold. The 11-night option spends two days in historic Santiago de Cuba before exploring the Neoclassical streetscapes of Cienfuegos – the so-called Paris of the Caribbean. In Havana, guests have three days to indulge their passions, whether salsa dancing or strolling the MalecÓn. The 13-night voyage includes a visit to Labadee, in Haiti, a private resort owned by Azamara. Definitely one for the bucket-and-spade list.