Welcome to the Cruise Issue

Recently I boarded the newly launched

Norwegian Bliss in Los Angeles for a cruise to nowhere. This assignment was for our sister publication, Holidays

with Kids, however, I was surprised to discover a whole new concept of luxury cruising: a ship within a ship. The Haven is an enclave with 84 cabins accessed by a private lift and with exclusive facilities such as a fine-dining restaurant, upmarket bar, landscaped pool and its own plush observation deck. Cabins have their own butler and range from one- to three-bedroom suites with full-length windows giving extraordinary views of the ocean from the bath, shower or bed. “INTO THE OCEAN WENT A WORLD MORE FANTASTIC THAN AN IMAGINATION COULD INSPIRE.” Robert Wyland

This opens up another world of high-end cruising, offering all the facilities of a large ship while retaining the privacy and exclusivity of a small ship. It is perfect for travellers wanting more options on board, such as a variety of gourmet restaurants and plenty of entertainment for all ages, including kids’ clubs.

This cruise inspired a new category in our 2018 Best-of-the-Best Luxury Cruise Awards for Multigenerational Travel. Cruising continues to grow in popularity among Australian travellers of all ages, with 1.34 million of us setting sail on an ocean cruise in 2017.

Our awards this year pay homage to the cruise lines and their excellent ships and itineraries that have fuelled this growth. Our panel of judges are leading Australian travel advisors with specialist cruise knowledge, making these awards among the most credible in this industry. Each has voted across a range of categories to bring you the best in class at sea, on river and in expeditions.

To get you inspired for your own cruise escape, Hilary Doling finds out how Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ MS Europa 2 has raised the bar for luxury at sea, John Borthwick ventures to the Subantarctic Islands with Ponant, Amanda Woods boards Uniworld’s latest Super Ship on the Danube and Maggy Oehlbeck sails in the wake of Portuguese explorers on a Sea Cloud windjammer. Hayley Baillie, cofounder of the Baillie Lodges collection of boutique Australian resorts, even takes us on a family exploration of the rugged Kimberley region with True North Adventure Cruises.

We also accompany Dan Avila to the Yukon Territory in search of his bucketlist photo of the Canadian northern lights and visit the 10 most remote hotels in the world, most only accessible by sky or sea. I also share with you my newfound love for Sri Lanka, a diverse destination that has well and truly deserved its place on the bucket list.

Happy reading and happy travels.