Innholdsfortegnelse for High Season 2022 i Cruise & Travel

LATIN AMERICA IS “RISING STAR” Cruise holidays in South and Central America are on the rise as the region bounces back post-pandemic. Colin Stewart, chairman of the Latin American Travel Association (Lata), said: “[Cruise] has been the rising star in terms of untapped markets, with growth over the past four or five years, pre-Covid. I don’t think there’s ever been a healthier appetite for cruising.” A Lata consumer poll, which included Cruise International readers, found 18% of those surveyed had taken a holiday in the region in the past five years, with a quarter including a cruise (lata.travel). SEABOURN VENTURES FORTH Seabourn has taken delivery of its first purpose-built expedition ship, Seabourn Venture (above), which at the time of going to press was due to sail a maiden voyage from…

VIKING MARS Virtually all new ocean ships launch with a fanfare about first-at-sea attractions and attention-grabbing facilities. The difference with every new Viking ship is that there is no difference between each vessel, and that holds true for Viking Mars, which was launched in May at a low-key ceremony in Malta. It might sound like a contradiction in terms, but it’s this very distinction that makes Viking stand out from the crowd. Going aboard the 930-passenger ship, which is number seven in the line’s ocean fleet, creates an instant feeling of deja vu for passengers who have sailed on its predecessors. There are also similarities with the river fleet, such as the Scandi-cool decor and areas such as the al fresco Aquavit Terrace. Even for first-time passengers, it’s easy to…

CROATIA I’m standing at the highest point of Rovinj, in the shadow of the baroque Church of St Euphemia, looking down over the terracotta rooftops of the medieval Croatian town. Distant islands shimmer in the heat haze and the Adriatic sparkles invitingly, although only a few swimmers are braving the still-cool water. A superyacht is anchored in the bay, a helicopter parked on its foredeck. Far below me, I can see people milling around on the quayside, gazing in awe up at my own superyacht, Emerald Azzurra, docked just below the Old Town. Well, not exactly mine, but as close as I will ever come to living the oligarch lifestyle. With just 100 passengers on board, cared for by 68 crew, Emerald Azzurra has many of the trappings of a…

PHOTOGRAPHY NORWAY Capturing the Aurora Borealis on camera is a thrill – the colours look even brighter through a lens. When the sky puts on a show, you want to be far away from light pollution, so being on board ship is ideal. Hurtigruten’s classic Norwegian coastal voyages spend half the itinerary above the Arctic Circle, maximising the chances of seeing the phenomenon. In fact, the cruise line is so confident it offers a Northern Lights Promise – another free voyage if they fail to show. You’ll need a camera with manual settings and a tripod. Hurtigruten recommends choosing a wide-angle lens, setting your focus to infinity, your aperture to f4 or lower, and your ISO high, at 800 or above. Experiment with your shutter speed to see what gets…

A sense of power and prosperity still emanates from the grand facade of the Library of Celsus, a repository of ancient learning that once held more than 12,000 scrolls, and it feels as much of a status symbol today as it would have in the ancient world. Then, the city of Ephesus was second only to Rome in its importance: capital of Asia Minor, home to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world in the Temple of Artemis, and a centre of early Christianity. Now, its biscuit-coloured buildings may lie in ruins, but its star is on the rise once again as dozens of cruise lines call at the Turkish port of Kusadasi for excursions to this ancient city. Seabourn is even going so far as to host…

GREEK ISLES “We will forget everything and walk back in time,” says guide Mania as we enter the courtyard at the Palace of Knossos. “Imagine the king sitting on his alabaster throne and women with their jewellery shining in the sun.” Thanks to Mania’s lyrical descriptions, the vast site – considered by many historians to be Europe’s oldest city – comes to life as I turn back the clock 4,000 years. In the space of a couple of hours I walk in the footsteps of royalty, the ancient Minoans and the mythical half-man, half-bull minotaur, as well as British archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans, who led the team that spent more than 35 years painstakingly excavating the site first uncovered in 1878. Exploring the ruins and partially restored areas of Knossos,…

We’ve always wanted to go to Antarctica, but we’re also making efforts to be more mindful of the environment, so it’s a dilemma. We’ve looked at carbon-offsetting the flights, but how can we make sure the cruise doesn’t have a negative impact – or should we just accept that we can’t go? John McKeon, president and chief executive, Polar Latitudes This is a great question that is important for everyone working in Antarctic travel. After many years in this great white wilderness, I have to say one of the best reasons to visit is that Antarctica needs human advocates to stand up for it and campaign for its protection. Tourism has a huge role to play as visitors come away awed and changed by their experience. We pioneered citizen science…

There’s a reason Americans flock to Florida to escape the winter chill – the Sunshine State combines laid-back living with a creative foodie scene and high-energy attractions, making it the ideal spot to spend a few days before or after a Caribbean cruise. But if your mind goes straight to glitz and glamour in South Beach, Miami, or family fun in Orlando, look again, because Florida cruise port Tampa is fast becoming a hub of outdoor adventure, art and a thriving Cuban culture. Spend your days strolling or cycling along the Tampa Riverwalk, which features uber-cool food halls such as former streetcar warehouse Armature Works. Come evening, head to Ybor City to find out how this district, home to Cuban, Italian and Spanish immigrants since the 1880s, became the world’s…

Après-sea and spa We love the L’Occitane-branded spa and gym from ‘luxe-adventure line’ Atlas Ocean Voyages, which has promised to create an ‘après-sea’ experience that replicates a luxury ski lodge. The Florida-based line launched its first ship, World Navigator, last August, with four more to follow. The 196-passenger ship has an infrared sauna, fitness studio with TechnoGym equipment such as treadmills, bikes and yoga balls, and water sports facilities including kayaks, WaveRunners and jetskis. Atlas Ocean Voyages cruises can be booked via Fred Holidays, offering financially protected packages (fredholidays.co.uk). TRAVEL TAN Leave any thought of sunbeds behind with the new quick-fix Skinstant Bronze Tanning Stick from Rose & Caramel. This travel-sized stick fits in your washbag and has a sweat-proof and waterproof formula that dries fast and lasts all day.…

From the Zodiac, the island in front of us looks like little more than a jellied smear, but as we approach – the sun blazing overhead and the sea as vivid as blue-green glass held to the light – the land mass appears to shimmer, then fracture into tiny little pieces, which rise slowly up and disperse into the air. I blink. Squint. My jaw falls open. It’s not the island that’s moving, it’s tens of thousands of seabirds billowing upwards: brown boobies, red-chested frigates, sooty terns and squalling noddies, swooping and soaring and filling every inch of expansive blue, like a Sunday night David Attenborough special. “On your right!” Our guide, Dr Frederique Oliver, excitedly points to the water. We peer over the side of the boat as a…

CITY GUIDE Turning a quiet corner in Joo Chiat, we’re greeted by a fleet of vintage Vespas, lined up in a row along the roadside and decked out in rainbow-bright shades – cherry red, powder blue and mustard yellow – all with sidecars styled to match. While passers-by look on in puzzlement, I’m handed a helmet and pointed towards the corresponding scooter, where my guide and driver, a Brazilian-turned- Singaporean called Guillermo, awaits. A few words of advice later and we’re scooting through the streets of this heritage district in a curious- looking convoy, passing historic shophouses with their candy-coloured facades, eye-catching street art and getting an occasional glimpse of modern glass-and-steel skyscrapers in the distance. It’s a novel way to explore a city and I can see why it…