Join Gwynnie for waves of wellness

NEW ship Celebrity Beyond lives up to its name with a chance to join Oscar-winning actress and self-proclaimed wellbeing guru Gwyneth Paltrow when she hosts a Goop At Sea wellness retreat. Goop is her lifestyle brand and on the nine-night Italian Riviera & France cruise, sailing from Barcelona to Rome on September 24, mind, body and soul-enhancing sessions are on offer exclusively to occupants of suites – and at an extra charge of £600. The suites themselves cost from

£3,582pp, and you get access to The Retreat private deck, which has its own restaurant, Luminae, lounge and two sundecks. Free wi-fi, drinks and gratuities are included in all fares (celebritycruises.com).

Alternatively, you can be one of the first to sail on Azamara Onward, the fourth in a line of boutique ships, just launched last week in Monte Carlo. An 11-night Jewels Of The Med Voyage sailing from Ravenna to Istanbul visits the Greek island of Kefalonia and Pula in Croatia as well as Dubrovnik, Santorini (staying late for the sunset) and the ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey. Fares start at £1,776pp including drinks, gratuities and an AzAmazing evening – a special event ashore (azamara.co.uk).

An unusual new cruise for whisky lovers, from New Scientist Discovery Tours, delves into the science of Scotch, sailing in the Hebrides aboard Flying Dutchman, a classic tall ship with ten guest cabins. Sensory experiences, tastings and talks on board are followed by distillery visits on Islay and Jura.

On the one-week £1,999pp cruise from Oban on October 4, you can help sail the ship or just soak up the scenery. (newscientist.com/tours).