Cruise Plan ahead
Variety Cruises’ Harmony G in
the Cape Verde islands, top;
Bamberg, in Germany, along
the Main, above. On board
Uniworld’s SS La Venezia, left;
the 100-passenger Emerald
Sakara, in the Seychelles, rightHORTICULTURAL HOLLAND
The Dutch bulb fields might
bloom every summer, but the
150-acre Floriade Expo only
comes along once a decade,
and this is the year to see it.
You can even take a cable car
to get a bird’s eye view of
the dazzling floral displays.
Arena River Cruises’ new MS
Arena sails on a round-trip
Amsterdam cruise along the
waterways of the Netherlands,
and includes a full day at
Floriade. Green-fingered
guests will also want to book
the optional excursion to
Kruidhof Botanical Garden,
home to Europe’s largest
collection of medicinal herbs.
Details Seven nights’ full
board from £1,149pp,
including coach travel,
departing on June 4
(arenatravel.com)
NILE IN STYLE
The world’s longest river is
in the spotlight this year with
the glitzy remake of Agatha
Christie’s Death on the Nile,
plus the long-awaited opening
of Cairo’s Grand Egyptian
Museum. Explore Egypt’s
celebrated waterway in style
aboard AmaWaterways’ new
72-guest AmaDahlia, where
you can soak up the sights
from the top-deck swimming
pool. After the wonders of
the pyramids, you’ll take a
leisurely cruise from Luxor
to Aswan. Excursions include
the Valley of the Kings,
the Mortuary Temple of
Hatshepsut — dedicated to one
of ancient Egypt’s few female
pharaohs — and the lesser-
known Valley of the Queens.
Details 11 nights from
£4,230pp, including seven
nights’ full board on the cruise
and four nights’ B&B plus extra
meals in Cairo, as well as
excursions and flights,
departing on September 9
(amawaterways.co.uk)
RAIL AND SAIL
Torn between a luxury tour
by train or ship? With deep
pockets, you won’t need to
make that choice. Upmarket
river cruise line Uniworld has
a new tour that means you can
enjoy the best of both worlds.
An atmospheric three-night
train journey through the
Swiss Alps, Austria, Slovenia
and Italy on the sumptuous
Golden Eagle Danube Express
is followed by a week aboard
the elegant SS La Venezia
which, unlike the big ships,
can dock in the heart of La
Serenissima. On the round-trip
Venice sailing you’ll get a
privileged look at the Doge’s
Palace before the crowds
arrive, and experience an
after-hours tour inside St
Mark’s Basilica. There are also
Bigger isn’t always better when
it comes to the world of cruising.
Jeannine Williamson has the
best small-ship sailings
Details Seven nights’
full board from £1,395pp,
departing on January 7,
2023 (starclippers.co.uk).
Fly to San JoseUNFAMILIAR FLORIDA
It might be famous for theme
parks with lazy rivers, but
Florida also has the real thing.
The 3,000-mile Intracoastal
Waterway travels along the
coast from New Jersey to Texas
via some of America’s most
fascinating historic cities. One
of the best options is a sailing
along the network of bays,
rivers and canals from
Jacksonville, Florida, to
Charleston, South Carolina,
on American Cruise Lines’LITTLE
WONDERS
100-passenger American Star.
You’ll explore the quaint
Victorian seaport of
Fernandina Beach on Amelia
Island, and experience
opulent 19th-century houses
and poignant Civil War sites.
Details Seven nights’
full board from £3,167pp,
departing on November 19
(fredholidays.co.uk). Fly to
OrlandoTHE GREAT LAKES
The world’s largest body of
fresh water, the interconnected
Great Lakes, has been called
the world’s Eighth Sea.
On a sailing from Chicago to
Toronto you’ll experience all
five lakes — Superior, Michigan,Huron, Erie and Ontario —
on American Queen Voyages’
cosy 202-guest Ocean Voyager.
See the thundering Niagara
Falls from a very different
perspective at the newly
opened underground tunnel
experience. On Lake Erie, keep
an eye out for Bessie, said to be
a relative of Scotland’s Nessie.
Details 12 nights’ full board
from £5,795pp, including
flights, departing on July 1
(lightbluetravel.co.uk)VERDANT CAPE VERDE
The Cape Verde islands have
been shaped by African and
Portuguese influences and
the dramatic volcanoes that
punctuate the craggylandscape. On a relaxing
voyage to five of the islands,
you’ll find that Variety
Cruises’ 44-passenger yacht
Harmony G is the perfect size
for slipping into the small
harbours and secluded bays.
One day you could be lazing
on the beautiful beaches of
Boa Vista, and the next
walking through the lava
landscapes of Fogo. You can
also spend time in Mindelo
on Sao Vicente, the cultural
capital of the archipelago.
Details Seven nights’ full
board from £1,522pp,departing on November 19
(seafarercruises.com). Fly
to SalBRITISH ISLES HIGHLIGHTS
Prefer to cruise closer to home
with like-minded shipmates?
Then join Riviera Travel’s new
vessel, the 190-passenger
World Voyager, which has
been chartered exclusively
for Riviera guests and this
summer will circumnavigate
the UK from Portsmouth.
Akin to a city break on water,
this trip includes stops at
Edinburgh, Aberdeen,
Inverness, Belfast and Dublin,
as well as the mystical standing
stones and prehistoric
monuments of Orkney and thetrips out onto the Venice
lagoon, to explore Murano,
Burano and Torcello, plus
a day in foodie Bologna.
Details 11 nights’ all-inclusive
from £9,999pp, including
flights, departing on August
17 (uniworld.com)TALL SHIP TO COSTA RICA
After a gap of almost a decade,
tall ship sailing specialist Star
Clippers is returning to the
wildlife-rich rainforests,
sugary white beaches and
craggy volcanic landscapes of
Costa Rica. The 170-passenger,
four-masted Star Clipper sails
under wind power whenever
possible, which adds a
romantic dimension to the
experience. This week-long
new year getaway will take
you to the sea turtle nesting
grounds of Nicaragua’s San
Juan del Sur and along the
lush Pacific coastline to the
beaches and reefs of Costa
Rica’s jungly Isla Tortuga.