Innholdsfortegnelse for February/March 2024 i Cruise & Travel

Launching our kayaks from the beach at Remoulins, our paddles rhythmically dip into the glassy river Gardon. Meandering downstream, electric-blue dragonflies helicopter past and snowy egrets patrol the shallows to the drone of cicadas. Rounding a bend, France’s most-visited ancient monument suddenly fills the view: the triple-tiered, wedding-cake wonder of Pont du Gard. Standing 46 metres tall and spanning 275 metres, it’s a bravura statement of Roman imperial power and technical genius. Commissioned by Marcus Agrippa in 19BC as part of a 50-kilometre pipe to bring spring water from the River Eure to Nîmes, it’s astonishingly well preserved, despite the fact that traffic rattled over it until the mid-1980s. Seamlessly integrated into wooded banks of the Gardon, it feels as though the Romans have only just packed their chariots and…

The salsa rhythms are flowing as smoothly as the beers as I sway and shimmy my heart out at a rustic dance class tucked into a tranquil corner of a hideaway Greek beach. The setting (gorgeous), the music (catchy) and my dance partners (whooping enthusiasts) add to the surreal feel, especially as my attempts to tap into the sultry Latin tempo are hindered by every incoming wave which sends my feet sinking into the shifting sands. Note to self: when learning to dance, pick a more robust surface than the shallows of a sandy shore. However, despite my splashy dancing, this is a fun, casual highlight of our morning stop on the pinprick island of Schinoussa during a cruise through some of the lesser-discovered outposts of the Cyclades. It’s not…

INSIDER’S GUIDE Out-of-this-world immersive dinners and supper clubs, circus shows with a twist and West End and Broadway-worthy shows at sea are just some of the entertainment experiences you can now expect on a cruise. According to industry body CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association), onboard entertainment – including shows, musicals, and comedy – is one of the most-used features on sailings, with 70 per cent of guests watching at least one performance during their holiday. With so much great free entertainment on offer at sea, it’s not hard to see why we all can’t wait to get onboard and be entertained. PUTTING ON A SHOW The standard of entertainment on cruise ships is now so high that what you’ll get to see at sea is often so good that it…

ESSENTIALS Seven years in the making, Icon of the Seas is the quintessential family ship and Royal Caribbean’s most sustainable vessel, powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas). Blending beach retreat with theme park, the 7,600-passenger ship offers its passengers more than 40 restaurants, bars and lounges; eight neighbourhoods, including the first designed for young families; seven pools and 28 types of accommodation, 80 per cent of which focus on families and range from interior cabins to super suites. Entertainment is diverse and dynamic, ranging from aqua shows to skateboarders, robots and classic productions such as The Wizard of Oz. EXPERIENCE While there’s lots of newness, expect to find familiar venues such as Central Park which, on Icon, features 20 per cent more greenery and four living walls, as well as…

Paris is always a delight but this is the year to visit our stylish continental neighbour. From 26 July to 11 August, the city will be proudly hosting the 2024 Summer Olympics, the first to feature breaking (that’s breakdancing to the rest of us) as an Olympic sport. If you fancy being part of the action, you’ll need to move now, as tickets for the games are selling fast and cruises which coincide with the action are almost sold out. If you can bag a cabin, pat yourself on the back – hotel prices in Paris during the games are already sky high, so staying on a cruise ship is a smart option. Aside from the Olympics, Paris is also a great place to enjoy a river cruise and art…

The scenery in Lanzarote’s Timanfaya National Park screams drama. Volcanic cones punctuate the arid landscape in swirling shades of russet, black and brown, a stark reminder of a six-year eruption in 1730. Stand today on the highest peak, the Islote de Hilario, and you’ll have a panoramic view of the second-oldest land mass in the Canary Islands, created some 15-million years ago after neighbouring Fueteventura. But although Timanfaya has been quiet for almost 300 years, the power beneath the earth’s crust is still tangible. Here at the only hotspot accessible to the public, I’m enjoying a bit of geothermal theatre. First, I cup my hands to take a handful of tiny hot rocks, dug from just below the surface, then watch as dry vegetation tossed into a gaping hole bursts…

NORWEGIAN FJORDS From scavenger hunts and family-friendly quizzes to cupcake-decorating workshops and evening discos, children were very much part of the daily planner Family-friendly cruises are usually focused on hi-tech entertainment to occupy the kids but there were no water slides or virtual reality headsets in sight as we boarded Ambassador Cruise Line’s Ambience ship at Tilbury London. Ambassador usually caters for adults on their two 1,400-passenger ships, with cruises including Beatles or Elvis-themed voyages, as well as crafting events, lectures and plays alongside the usual cruise entertainment. But it also offers families the chance to enjoy a voyage together during the summer holidays with multi-generational sailings inviting 400 children onboard. This was a totally different experience for my wife and I. We’re used to seabound summers where you can…

GREENLAND True to form, I’m running late and lightly cursing as I pull on my waterproofs in preparation for a morning hike across Greenland’s frozen tundra. But then the ship tannoy unexpectedly bursts into life with the dulcet tones of our expedition leader Fridrik, who calmly tells us a polar bear has been spotted and we should make our way on to the deck for a closer look. My daughter Holly and I stare at each other in open-mouthed amazement and explode into action, dashing around our suite like a pair of headless chickens, shrieking with excitement and crashing into each other as we hastily grab shoes and coats before racing out the door. In a mad rush, we run blindly to the top deck, before stopping abruptly as we…

Step onboard Celebrity Ascent, the fourth of Celebrity’s Edge-class ships, to enjoy luxury leisure and some of the best fine dining at sea ESSENTIALS With room for 3,260 passengers, Celebrity Ascent is big, but that’s good, as it means there’s loads of room for places to sleep, eat and drink. Specifically, there are 1,646 suites and cabins, including 36 for solo travellers, 18 restaurants and 14 bars and lounges. EXPERIENCE Whether you plan to splash out on palatial suites or two-storey villas attended by butlers, are looking for a stylish veranda cabin overlooking the ocean or are travelling solo, there’s accommodation to suit everyone on Celebrity Ascent. Likewise, restaurants cater for all, with steaks, seafood, French and Italian fare on offer. Chefs experiment with tastes in Eden, the Rooftop Grill…

TRENDING / HOTSPOT There are beaches and then there are beaches. Located in the Whitsunday Islands, right in the heart of the Barrier Reef, Australia’s incredible Whitehaven Beach will dazzle you. Recently voted as the best beach in the world in the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards, it’s a silky white-sand paradise that deserves every accolade. Stretching for seven kilometres and washed daily by swirls of crystal-clear turquoise and green water, its sand is 98-per-cent pure-white silica, which gives it a brilliant, distinctive alabaster colour. As part of the Whitsunday Islands National Park, it proudly holds the trophy as Queensland’s cleanest beach, with the local residents working hard to maintain its pristine appearance. Unlike other famous Australian beaches that you can reach by car, getting here involves more of a journey…

Ok, I’ll admit it – when I first heard about a spot on the Danube called Iron Gate, I half-expected to see an ugly-looking dam cutting the river in two. Well, with a tough name like that, you would, wouldn’t you? There are actually two Iron Gate dams on the Danube, colossal structures built between the 1960s and 80s as joint projects between Romania and then-Yugoslavia to supply electricity to both nations. Plans for a third were even drawn up, but later abandoned. I’ve come to see the other Iron Gate though, and fortunately, it’s a lot prettier. The dams’ namesake is in fact the narrowest stretch of the Danube marked by four gorges – Golubac, Great Kazan, Small Kazan and Sip – with a name supposedly coined by The…

CC CASTILLOTHE BALANCER, VIRGIN VOYAGES “I’ve been The Balancer on Scarlet Lady for six months, and I’ll be taking on the role once again on Resilient Lady for the rest of this year. The Balancer is Virgin Voyages’ resident fitness and wellness guru, who’s onboard to help sailors (Virgin Voyages’ name for passengers) find balance in everyday activities. Whether it’s a high-energy Zumba class, followed by a relaxed afternoon at the Athletic Club or balancing detox and retox by following along on a fresh Move & Flow, our juice walk, and ending with a boozy treat, The Balancer is there to guide you in ensuring your trip has the right balance of health, relaxation, and most importantly, fun. Virgin Voyages has worked hard to redefine the traditional cruise experience to…

I really love river cruising but I’d like to try a more adventurous river trip this year. Do you have any good suggestions? Anna, Newcastle Will Sarson, Head of Product at Riviera Travel, says: This is a growing trend, as guests who have previously sailed on European rivers look to broaden their horizons and explore further afield. Riviera has unforgettable river cruises available on the Nile and the Mekong in 2024, providing unparalleled opportunities to discover fascinating cultures and monuments, with shore excursions designed to take guests into the heart of the destinations. Our 15-day A Journey on the Mekong voyage will take you to Cambodia and Siem Reap, the gateway to Angkor and its amazing temples, and Ho Chi Minh City, to visit the historic Cu-Chi tunnels. Meanwhile, the…