Cruise Planner 2020

Cruise International

The independent magazine for cruise holidaymakers.

Cruise International1 min read
Editor’s Letter
Make 2020 the year of your best holiday ever with our fantastic Cruise Planner, your essential guide to all the hottest itineraries, cruise lines and new ships for the year ahead. Whether you’re a first-time cruiser or you’ve collected lots of cruise
Cruise International2 min read
Julie Peasgood
‘On board our first ever cruise our cabin was invaded by a giant swan. It was perching on the bed, surveying us with a beady eye, defying us to shift it aside should we desire anything as mundane as sleep. I did my research before embarking on Cunard
Cruise International5 min read
Luxury
Offering all-inclusive luxury on five mid-sized ships, Seabourn (named Best Boutique Cruise Line at the British Cruise Awards 2019) is returning to Istanbul in October. The company’s newest ship, the 300-suite Seabourn Ovation will sail four seven-da
Cruise International3 min read
LUXURIOUS Escapes
Elegance, luxury and uncompromised quality are the hallmarks of the Oceania Cruises experience. Not only does the cruise line boast a fleet of six intimate and sumptuous ships, it also offers award-winning cuisine and sailings to an array of alluring
Cruise International2 min read
DREAM Getaways
After 40 years in the business, Titan knows one ship doesn’t fit all. That’s why the award-winning tour operator works with so many varied cruise partners, alongside chartering two of its own river ships. But with so many different kinds of ships on
Cruise International3 min read
Premium
Celebrity Apex arrives in April and launches into five sailings from Southampton. Apex, sister ship to 2019’s Celebrity Edge (named Best New Ship in the British Cruise Awards 2019), features twin-level villas with plunge pools, rooms with a glass ‘In
Cruise International3 min readCooking, Food & Wine
EXQUISITE Elegance
The wait is over. Spirit of Discovery, Britain’s newest cruise ship, is now here and embarking on its debut season. Accommodating just 999 passengers, the small ship is proving a big hit as it introduces boutique cruising to guests sailing to excitin
Cruise International4 min read
Contemporary
A growing collection of ships packed with entertainment such as waterslides and go-karts – not for nothing did Norwegian win Best Family Cruise Line and Best for Innovation in the British Cruise Awards 2019. Norwegian Star will be based in Southampto
Cruise International2 min read
Classic
Cunard, celebrating 100 years of sailing in timeless style from Southampton, continues with its iconic transatlantic crossings. It is also blossoming in the wider world – the line will have its longest Australian season with Queen Elizabeth spending
Cruise International5 min read
ADVENTURE & SPECIALIST
There's not one but two new ships in 2020 for the upmarket company whose small vessels offer expeditions around the globe and which won Best Expedition Cruise Line in the British Cruise Awards 2019. Currently there are nine ships, five offering a reg
Cruise International7 min read
River
An impressive fleet of luxurious boutique ships sail on some of the world’s most intriguing rivers, including the Yangtze, Irrawaddy and the Nile, where there are four elegant ships in operation and guests can choose from between three- to seven-nigh
Cruise International7 min read
New Ships 2020
The fifth in the Regent Seven Seas fleet, Splendor will offer a stylish travel experience on one of the most elegant ships ever to sail the globe. Adorned with over 46,000ft of Italian marble and 500 crystal chandeliers, plus a specially curated art
Cruise International3 min read
Cruise & STAY USA
With a wealth of superb sailings from Asia to North Africa, Marella Cruises, winner of the Best Value for Money award at the British Cruise Awards, is renowned for the excellent service and fantastic onboard offering on its contemporary fleet of six
Cruise International3 min read
Game CHANGERS
One of the finest ocean cruise lines in the world, Silversea will hit a new milestone in July when it debuts Silver Origin, its first-ever destination-specific ship primed to unlock immersive travel experiences in the Galápagos Islands. And the cruis
Cruise International3 min read
WIN A Christmas Markets Cruise For Two With Saga Cruises
Strolling around a Christmas market among stalls brimming with stocking fillers, twinkling fairy lights and the warming aroma of mulled wine is one of the best ways to get into the festive spirit. With this in mind, we’ve teamed up with Saga Cruises
Cruise International2 min read
Britain & Ireland
The popularity of round-Britain and Ireland cruises increases every year but there’s also a growing interest in boutique cruises to remote, out-of-the-way places, particularly along Scotland’s extraordinarily beautiful west coast. These small ship cr
Cruise International2 min read
Northern Europe
A short hop across the Channel to northern France and the low countries is a classic introduction to ocean cruises from Britain. You can set sail from Southampton in the late afternoon and be in Amsterdam by morning, ready to explore. Zeebrugge in Be
Cruise International3 min read
The Mediterranean
A crowd pleaser in every way, we Brits love to cruise the Mediterranean. It has sunshine from early spring to late autumn, endless historic and cultural sites, ever-changing food, wonderful vineyards and beautiful beaches. You can sail from Southampt
Cruise International2 min read
Northern Lights & Norway
Cruises to see the Northern Lights have never been so popular among us British. Seeing the otherworldly Aurora Borealis regularly makes it into the top 10 of our travel wish lists, which is good news for cruise lines that need to fill ships during th
Cruise International2 min read
The Arctic
Arctic tourism is on the rise with more cruise ships expected in Greenland, a record number calling at Iceland in 2019, and Svalbard – the high Arctic archipelago off the far north of Norway – earning more from tourism every year. Strictly speaking I
Cruise International2 min read
The Baltic
Of all the northern Europe cruises, the Baltic offers the best chance to visit a different country virtually every day. Many are round trips, usually from Southampton or Dover, and typically offer the opportunity to spend two days in St Petersburg af
Cruise International4 min read
USA & Canada
Alaska is easily the USA’s most awe-inspiring cruise destination thanks to its extraordinary scenery and the chance to sample a unique way of life. There are stunning fjords, massive glaciers and towns with Russian, native American and Norwegian heri
Cruise International2 min read
The Caribbean
Barbados is Britain’s favourite cruise destination and it’s the main focus of cruises that include islands such as St Lucia, St Kitts, St Vincent and the British Virgin Islands. Virtually every P&O Cruises’ Caribbean itinerary includes Barbados and m
Cruise International1 min read
The Antarctic
The White Continent is the final frontier for fans of expedition cruising. Environmental concerns have made it more difficult and more expensive to reach the Antarctic in recent years and there are very strict regulations in place, so it’s important
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Panama, the Amazon & South America
The Panama Canal is a bucket list destination in its own right, as well as the man-made shortcut from the Pacific Ocean through Central America to the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. At 50 miles long it can take up to 10 hours to transit the canal,
Cruise International2 min read
The Persian Gulf
Guaranteed winter sun is the main reason we love fly-cruise packages to Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the Persian Gulf, although there’s a lot more to do than just lie on a beach in these United Arab Emirates states. Dubai’s extraordinary skyscrapers first
Cruise International2 min read
Africa
Think of Africa and you conjure a land of safari game reserves, Zulu warriors and colonial towns. Modern South Africa also offers lively cities plus world-class wine paired with great food. All these elements are available on a cruise with additional
Cruise International3 min read
Asia
As Japan prepares for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after recently hosting the Rugby World Cup, interest in the Far East is intense and excursions are ever-more imaginative. NCL will be sailing to four new Japanese ports: Beppu, Kumamoto, Niigata and Nagoy
Cruise International2 min read
The Pacific
While Sydney is Australia’s iconic cruise port and the Great Barrier Reef the country’s best-known natural attraction, there’s a growing interest in the three cities of Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth, and the Kimberley coastline in north Western Austr
Cruise International3 min readCooking, Food & Wine
Marco Pierre White
I travel for work rather than for holidays. I’ve just had four weeks in Singapore, Jakarta, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. They were all spectacular countries. I love the Norwegian Fjords and I’m very excited and fortunate to have several trips there n

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