For decades, cruise lines have emphasized the ease of visiting multiple countries in a single journey. Now they’re switching things up: ships are spending a week or more focusing on a specific destination, offering guests the chance to truly explore without the logistical hassles of getting around on land.
“Requests for these kinds of immersive cruises are growing year over year,” says Rob Clabbersa cruise expert and a member of the T+L Travel Advisor Board. “They’re up 15 to 20 percent this year compared to last.”
A-List advisor Ashton Palmer adds that these journeys benefit both the cruise line and its customers. “Lines need alternative itineraries for non-polar seasons,” he notes, particularly as the industry grows with new high-end ships.
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That’s led to all sorts of creative itineraries, including these worthwhile departures.
IRELAND
While many travelers explore the Emerald Isle by road, Aurora Expeditions makes it possible to see the country, plus some of Northern Ireland, on a 12-day round trip from Dublin. The voyage aboard the 86-cabin Douglas Mawson hits cities including Belfast and Cobh, as well as the Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
SICILY, ITALY
A nine-day itinerary from Ponant focuses on this enchanting Italian island, as well as nearby Malta and Tunisia. Part of the brand’s Smithsonian Journeys programa trip on the 92-cabin Le Lapérouse includes lectures from experts in fields such as archaeology and Renaissance history, who lead tours of Greek ruins in the so-called Valley of Temples on Sicily’s southwestern coast and explain the intricacies of Byzantine mosaics in Palermo.
ANTARCTICA
Numerous operators now go to the icy continent, but only Ponant Explorations is planning a two-month circumnavigation in 2028, which will cover more than 14,000 miles. Naturalists and scientists will be part of the crew of the luxurious icebreaker Commander Charcot as it goes to rarely seen corners of the Southern Ocean, including the Magnetic South Pole.
FALKLAND ISLANDS, U.K.
These remote islands off Argentina are often an add-on to Antarctica departures. But the boutique operator Antarctica21 is making them the focus of a 10-day adventure in 2028, on the 50-cabin Magellan Explorer. The birdwatching will be phenomenal, with sizable populations of gentoo, Magellanic, and king penguins; black-browed albatross and crested caracaras are also among the species here.
ICELAND
An eight-day sailing aboard the Viking Sea, a 464-cabin ship from Viking with a contemporary Scandinavian design and a large spa and wellness center, will give travelers a detailed look at this perpetually intriguing destination. Guests can take in the buzzy capital of Reykjavík as well as lesser-visited parts of the island, including the towns of Akureyri, along a stunning fjord in the north, and Seyđisfjörđur, on the rugged eastern shore.
A version of this story first appeared in the December 2026/January 2027 issue of Travel + Leisure, under the headline “What Goes Around.”
Read the original article on Travel & Leisure
Source: travel.yahoo.com
