Top five cruise destinations

Is there anything more idyllic than waking on a cruise ship and drawing your blinds to reveal an endless expanse of ocean? Add in cocktails by the pool, daily entertainment and shopping galore, and you have all the ingredients for the perfect holiday. That’s not even touching on the destinations you stop off at along the way!

From the Greek Islands to Scandinavia’s Norwegian fjords, cruises can take you all over the globe. To give you some inspiration, here are five of the world’s most popular cruise destinations for 2022.

The River Nile

As far as river cruises are concerned, there aren’t many that compare to a voyage along the Egyptian stretch of the River Nile.

Measuring about 4,160 miles in length, there’s no better way to put the Nile’s sheer scale into perspective than to sail along a portion on a scenic Egyptian river cruise. Whether you’re into your history or simply want to soak up the culture, it’s impossible not to be blown away by the 7,000-year-old history you’ll witness at every turn.

The Greek Islands

With more than 6,000 Greek islands peppering the Aegean and Ionian seas, this is a corner of the world made for exploring by ship.

Start in Athens and spend your first couple of days exploring the capital before embarking on your journey. Top cruise destinations include Mykonos with its waterside cocktail bars and white-sand beaches, Rhodes with its Old Town and uninterrupted swathes of sand, and Santorini, where the sunsets are worldrenowned.

Alaska

Coined ‘The Last Frontier’, Alaska is the USA’s most sparsely populated state – and its wildest.

Sail past gigantic glaciers, snap photographs of sea lions, take a shore excursion to see brown bears and witness breaching whales; the cruise itineraries around Alaska’s untamed landscape are hard to beat. You can also expect visits to Alaska’s state capital of Juneau, only reachable by air or by water, Glacier Bay National Park, and Skagway, a compact city saturated with history from the Gold Rush era.

The Caribbean

The Caribbean’s wealth of white-sand beaches washed by turquoise seas make it an incredibly popular cruise destination for sun-seekers.

Thanks to the islands’ close proximity, you could be snorkelling with turtles in Tobago one day and dancing to reggae beats in Jamaica the next. Although equally colourful, each island has its own distinct character, meaning there’s enough to please wildlife lovers, history enthusiasts, foodies and anyone who just wants to laze on the beach.

The Norwegian fjords

If you’re more interested in adventure than sun, sea and sand, Norway’s dramatic fjords are sure to deliver. These narrow inlets make up the majority of the country’s northern coast and boast some of Scandinavia’s most exceptional scenery.

Exploring from a cruise ship promises to bring you close to Norway’s tumbling waterfalls and skyscraper cliffs; keep an eye out for rare seabirds and sperm whales if you’re lucky! Most cruises will also stop at remote fishing villages, where you can sample some of the freshest, most delicious seafood.