Six grand adventure cruises to add to your bucket list

Ashore Beyond Hualien, Taroko National Park, named after Taroko Gorge, is one of Asia's top natural wonders. The marble canyon is astounding and gushes hot springs, so bring your bathers. Century-old temples and pavilions add to the wonderful scenery. In Taipei, the National Palace Museum houses the world's largest collection of Chinese cultural objects, each piece magnificent.

On board Luxury mid-size ship Crystal Symphony underwent a multimillion-dollar refurbishment at the end of last year, and carries 848 passengers. It's notable for its comprehensive range of on-board educational programs and enrichment lectures and for the quality of its restaurants; Umi Uma is the creation of celebrity chef Nobu Matsuhisa. The ship also boasts an expansive spa and sporting facilities, including golf nets.

Sail away From $US6555pp, departing May 9, 2019; crystalcruises.com.

THE DANUBE

Uniworld River Cruises

The cruise A culture-dense, eight-day river journey on the upper Danube between Passau and Budapest.

Highlights The German town of Passau is a baroque-era, rock-bound delight perched above the meeting of the Inn and Danube Rivers. In Linz, most passengers rightly opt for a day-long visit to Salzburg, framed by a backdrop of Alps. Further downstream, the Wachau region sees the river slide between castle-topped cliffs and vineyards. Vienna, Slovakian capital Bratislava and Budapest supply lovely, lively urban experiences.

Ashore In Vienna, a walking tour takes you on a stroll past some of the city's great architecture and oldest laneways, with stops at a traditional coffeehouse and sausage stand along the way. Take a bicycle tour in Budapest, passing its fabulous neo-Gothic parliament building, before a picnic on Margaret Island accompanied by Hungarian wine.

On board Uniworld's flagship vessel Maria Theresa shimmers with gold leaf, chandeliers and plump velvet sofas, making you feel (appropriately) as though you're in a Viennese palace afloat. The 150-passenger vessel has a mosaicencrusted swimming pool, small spa, cinema, Leopard Bar and expansive lounge. Its restaurant provides topquality, elegantly presented food, with an emphasis on regional dishes.

Sail away From $3429pp, regular departures until November 4, 2018; uniworld.com

ROME TO ATHENS

Silversea

​The cruise A 10-day meander from Venice to Piraeus (Athens) through the western Mediterranean that highlights ancient archaeological sites.

Highlights Venice, the Acropolis, Dubrovnik and the medieval citadel of Rhodes are cultural and architectural highlights. Yet smaller ports are a delight too, including Rovinj in Croatia, perched amid a tangle of alleys above a turquoise harbour, and Nafplio in Greece, flagged in marble and draped in bougainvillea. Also in Greece, Santorini is one of the world's most spectacular islands.

Ashore Head to an old wine and olive oil estate in Konavle Valley beyond Dubrovnik for a farm-to-table experience, which ends in a multicourse meal that includes veal baked over coals. A visit to Olympia and its museum provides an insight into ancient Greece. A lovely valley of pine and olive trees makes this one of Greece's prettiest ruins.

On board Silver Muse is Silversea's luxurious 596-passenger flagship, launched in 2017 and providing understated elegance that aims for quality and personalised service – such as butlers for every suite – rather than razzmatazz. It has an expansive spa and, also impressive for a small ship, eight dining venues including Japanese, Asian and Italian restaurants and Atlantide for seafood and steak.

Sail away From $12,600pp, departing September 28, 2018; silversea.com.

SOUTH PACIFIC

Oceania Cruises

The cruise A 10-day round-trip island escape from Papeete that explores French Polynesia's most seductive destinations.

Highlights Lagoons blue as peacock feathers, rainforest-draped peaks, waterfalls and white-sand beaches provide all the stereotypes of the castaway fantasy on islands and atolls such as Fakarava, Rangiroa and ultimate honeymoon getaway Bora Bora. Beneath the water are reefs where you'll find Nemo and a kaleidoscopic host of other fish. Visits to pearl farms, vanilla plantations and villages provide interesting land-based diversions.

Ashore Splash off on a stingray snorkelling safari in Moorea, where you can feed the rays and spot a colourful constellation of fish – and perhaps the occasional lemon shark, sleek as a bullet. In Bora Bora, you can head to a private motu (islet) for a traditional Polynesian lunch followed by cultural demonstrations such as dancing and pareo (loincloth) fashions.

On board Marina has the feel of a deluxe country club: relaxed, but with considerable sophistication and elegance. The 1250-passenger ship features a spa, casino, pool and sports deck and an unusual culinary centre that provides hands-on cooking classes. The cruise line has a gourmet reputation, and several handsome dining venues deliver. La Reserve has wine tastings and gourmet wine-pairing dinners.

Sail away From $3450pp, departing January 21, 2019; oceaniacruises.com.

MYANMAR

Sanctuary Retreats

The cruise A seven-night river round-trip from Mandalay through the landscapes of central Myanmar.

Highlights The Irrawaddy provides a passing scroll of Burmese history, culture and a thousand smiling Buddhas. Former royal capital Mandalay is surrounded by templedotted hills and handicraft villages, while the Bagan plains are scattered with some 2000 pagodas dating back to the 11th century. In between are visits to villages and market towns.

Ashore From Bagan, a trip to Mount Popa provides country scenery and an incredible golden temple atop an outcrop reached via 777 steps. In Bagan, take a hot-air balloon ride as the sun comes up over temple-dotted plains and purple mountains. It's utterly magical and magnificent, and you can wave to passing monks and schoolchildren below.

On board Sanctuary Ananda is an oasis of good service, comfort and airconditioning in a country where tourism infrastructure is basic. The 46-passenger ship is built to look like a 1930s river steamer, attractively decorated in teak, brass and ethnic textiles. You'll find a library, lounge, deck with plunge pool and the excellent Talifoo Restaurant which serves top-notch Myanmar specialties, Asian curries and other dishes.

Sail away From $1719pp, regular departures August-December 2018; sanctuaryretreats.com.

ALASKA

Ponant

The cruise A 13-day expedition between Seward and Vancouver, focusing on landscapes and wildlife.

Highlights Alaska is an astonishing combination of mighty mountains, deeply in

dented fjords and stupendous glaciers; Hubbard Glacier has a face nearly 10 kilometres wide. You finish on the Canadian coast, which is less dramatic but a more intimate collision of beautiful spruce-topped islands and forest, backed by distant snow peaks.

Ashore A fleet of Zodiacs is used to ferry passengers ashore or to the faces of glaciers, with accompanying experts helping to spot wildlife such as seals, moose, bears and bald eagles. A trip to the rocky Inian Islands is a remarkable up-close encounter with dozens of sea lions, as well as otters, cormorants and gulls. Nearby Elfin Cove is a remote settlement of hardy souls who live in stilt houses connected by boardwalks.

On board The 264-passenger Le Soléal is small enough to explore remote ports and deep fjords undisturbed by larger cruise ships. Still, it accommodates three lounges, a full-service spa and two restaurants dishing up fine French-influenced cuisine. It's a sleek ship of elegant, minimalist interiors, creating the impression of a boutique hotel afloat in an otherwise inhospitable landscape.

Sail away From $9840pp, departing August 22, 2019; ponant.com.

SEA FARE

One of the great pleasures of luxury cruising is fine food in the most remote places. Here are some of the culinary highlights of our chosen ships.

UMI UMA Marinated black cod, lobster with truffle-yuzu sauce, and wagyu beef with wasabi pepper sauce are just some of the treats in this Crystal Symphony evening restaurant, which dishes up Nobu Matsuhisa's fabled Japanese-Peruvian fusion food – the yellowtail sashimi, for instance, comes with jalapeño peppers.

BAROQUE Padded banquettes, gilt mirrors and attentive service set the tone in Maria Theresa's main dining venue, which upholds Uniworld's reputation for the best food in river cruising. Upmarket buffet spreads for breakfast and lunch and sophisticated à la carte evening dining emphasise quality regional ingredients matched with equally good local wines.

ATLANTIDE Silver Muse's signature seafood restaurant and grill has attentive staff and an elegant ambience without being stuffy or pretentious. Among the top-quality temptations are beef tartare with quail egg, Argentine grass-fed beef, Baltic salmon, blue lobster and royal crab.

JACQUES This bistro-style restaurant on Marina is named for Oceania's culinary director and famed French chef Jacques Pépin. The aroma of roasting duck, veal and pork from the rotisserie immediately gets your taste buds tingling. It's classic French fare – mussels, onion soup, bouillabaisse, duck with orange sauce – done superbly well.

TALIFOO Sanctuary Ananda's only restaurant might be small but its Asian dishes – especially the inventive salads and glorious curries – pack quite a punch. Highlights include Burmese pickled tea-leaf salad, a banana flower and artichoke salad, grilled river prawns with chilli-lime sauce, noodle soups and Thai duck curry.

RESTAURANT GASTRONOMIQUE This might be Le Soléal's main restaurant, yet it pulls off what feels like an elegant, intimate dining experience, in large part thanks to its consistently impressive, multi-course evening meals. It's fancy French without being overly rich, with dishes ranging from foie gras to lobster tail and escargots.