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CRUISE lines have seen a huge rise in demand for once-in-alifetime odysseys. Here are some of the best upcoming long cruises guaranteed to satisfy your stifled wanderlust.
UNIWORLD has a one-off alternative to the tradition of the grand ocean voyage. Setting off on January 7, the 43-day World’s Most Exotic River And Land Journey starts in Cairo with a week aboard swish SS Sphinx touring tombs and pausing at the Old Cataract Hotel, beloved of Agatha Christie. Then you travel to India to take in the Golden Triangle – Delhi, the Taj Mahal at Agra and the pink city of Jaipur – followed by a relaxing week on elegant Ganges Voyager II on the way to Calcutta.
The last two weeks will be in
South East Asia aboard Mekong Jewel, cruising through Vietnam to Angkor Wat in Cambodia and ending with a stay in Hanoi. The all-inclusive cost, with flights from London or Manchester, is from £18,885pp (uniworld.com).
Saga’s Spirit of Adventure truly lives up to its name on an 11-week South American Explorer round trip from Portsmouth. Departing on January 12, you will discover the continent’s rich diversity in the vibrant cities of Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires, en route to the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. On the east coast you’ll sail in and out of the Chilean fjords on the way to Ecuador and Peru. Sailing across the Atlantic, you’ll visit Cape Verde and the Azores, and the Portuguese island of Madeira.
All-inclusive fares from £17,666pp includes travel insurance and 12 excursions (saga.co.uk/cruise).
If you have always dreamt of taking a round-the-world cruise, don’t be shy about cheating a little. Fly to Florida to join Viking Sky in December next year – cutting out a rolling Atlantic crossing in winter – and five months later you will step ashore in Greenwich.
This 138-day World Cruise odyssey sails westwards from Fort Lauderdale on December 20 and takes in 28 countries, staying overnight in ports such as Los Angeles, Sydney, Istanbul and Rangoon and giving opportunities for 57 excursions with one included free in each port. Fares start at £44,990pp and include Business
Class flights and tips (viking.com).