The coolest new cruises and ships for 2024

Although technically a 2023 ship – Grandeur was christened in Miami on December 23 by godmother Sarah Faberge of the famous jewellery family – 2024 is the year to sail inaugural itineraries in the Caribbean, Canada and New England, or the Mediterranean. The 750-guest ship is Regent’s sixth and will have its signature opulence and multi-million-dollar artworks, among which is a custom Fabergé egg. The ship has all-balcony suites, an expansive spa and wellness area and seven dining venues. It carries 746 guests and 532 crew to provide Regent’s much-admired personalised service. See rssc.com

Japan cruises, Ponant

French luxury expedition company Ponant has developed new itineraries in Japan from March 2024 on Le Jacques-Cartier and Le Soleal that include some destinations never previously visited by any cruise ship. Among them is a sailing of the Seto Inland Sea between Kagoshima and Kobe and a Kyushu islands itinerary between Kagoshima and Fukuoka in southern Japan. Some itineraries take in ports in neighbouring countries, such as Busan, Yeosu or Jeju in South Korea, or Ha Long in Vietnam. A new eight-day journey between Keelung in Taiwan and Kagoshima takes in Japan’s subtropical Yaeyama and Okinawa archipelagos. See ponant.com

Queen Anne, Cunard

Cunard’s fourth and latest regal ship sets sail from Southampton in May 2024 on a series of itineraries in the Canary Islands, northern Europe and the Mediterranean, and by February 2025 will have reached Australia. The 2996-guest ship promises art deco touches and classic Cunard style from the Golden Age of trans-Atlantic sailing, combined with contemporary design from a team with experience in high-end restaurants and hotels. It will have Cunard’s largest spa at sea and 15 restaurant choices. Among four restaurants new to Cunard and unusual at sea are an Australian steakhouse and Indian restaurant. See cunard.com
Note that Cunard will no longer homeport the Queen Elizabeth in Australia from 2026 onwards and will only visit the Southern Hemisphere on world cruise segments.

Long links to Australia, Viking Cruises

Viking has responded to the growing demand for longer cruise itineraries with several new offerings next year. Those who want the convenience of either starting or finishing in Australia have a choice of two, the first a 40-day itinerary from Los Angeles to Sydney departing January 6, 2024 that takes in Hawaii, French Polynesia and New Zealand. The second departing February 15 links Sydney with Singapore via the east coast and Indonesia. Viking also launches new ship Viking Vela in mid-2024, taking the number of its near-identical ocean ships into double digits. See vikingcruises.com.au

Solis Restaurant, Seabourn

Luxury company Seabourn has long had excellent and pleasingly informal dining, but isn’t resting on its considerable laurels because next year the luxury brand is introducing new dining venue Solis, which will focus on light, modern Mediterranean cuisine. Among the dishes will be the likes of whole sea bass baked in sea salt and thyme crust; Florentine porterhouse steak; and spiced lamb shank with char-grilled eggplant, tahine and pomegranate. A chic atmosphere and feel-good background music are promised. Solis arrives on Seabourn Quest in January 2024 and will be expanded onto other ships in the months thereafter. See seabourn.com

SS Victoria, Uniworld

Those who hanker after luxury river cruising can sashay aboard a new addition to the Uniworld fleet from northern spring 2024. SS Victoria isn’t brand new – it was acquired from Crystal Cruises – but has been overhauled to reflect Uniworld’s distinctive sense of flamboyant style in lavish marble, leather and velvet. The 110-guest ship features a fine-dining restaurant, bistro, grill for light meals and cocktails, rooftop bar, gym and massage room. The ship launches with eight-day tulip-time cruises through the Netherlands and Belgium, followed by eight-day Amsterdam-to-Basel itineraries and 10-day sails along the Rhine and Moselle. See uniworld.com

Northern Italy under sail, Lindblad

Small-ship expedition company Lindblad always does interesting things, and next year is offering the chance to cruise the Mediterranean the original and romantic way, with sails billowing. The journey between Nice and Naples on tall ship Sea Cloud II has three departures in May 2024 and is filled with maritime history in ports such as Genoa, where Christopher Columbus was born, and ship-building centre Camogli. The highlight destinations are no doubt the Ligurian and Amalfi coasts, but equally interesting is Tuscan island Elba where Napoleon was exiled, and Renaissance town Pisa. See au.expeditions.com

Explora II, Explora Journeys

The owners of MSC Cruises launched into the luxury market this year with Explora I, and second ship Explora II is scheduled for August 2024. The 922-guest ship promises a similar boutique-hotel feel and will feature a spa, casino, 12 lounges and bars, six restaurants and a culinary school. Interestingly, the usual cruise-ship main pool deck, which tends to become cluttered and crowded, has been abandoned, with the ship instead featuring three outdoor pools (one adults-only) and another indoors. Explora II will sail inaugural itineraries in the Mediterranean, Middle East, Indian Ocean and Africa. See explorajourneys.com

Special guests, Aurora Expeditions

Australian expedition company Aurora has always had a special-guest program that features highly respected conservationists, adventurers, photographers and climate activists. In 2024 guest speakers include digital and broadcast presenter Saunders Carmichael-Brown on a 14-day “Deep Weddell” voyage in March, and Aurora founder Greg Mortimer on a 24-day “Arctic Complete” voyage in July. Adventurer and rewilding facilitator Gina Chick (winner of Alone Australia) and media personality Richard Morecroft, who has authored several books and television documentaries on wildlife, join guests on a 21-day “Falklands, South Georgia & Antarctic Peninsula” journey departing March 13, 2024. See auroraexpeditions.com.au

MS Estrela, APT

APT’s newest purpose-built ship begins sailing Portugal’s Douro River in 2024. Carrying 114 guests, it promises an intimate sailing experience, Iberian-inspired cuisine, and an expansive Sun Deck with putting green and outdoor bar from which to admire the passing scenery. The Douro is a short but spectacular river that winds between steep hillsides covered in almond and olives trees and the vineyards that produce port wine. Among the highlights are baroque pilgrimage town Lamego, the pastel-coloured city Porto perched on a rocky gorge and – reached on an excursion – the splendid medieval university town Salamanca in Spain. See aptouring.com.au

West African Archipelago expedition, Hurtigruten

The cruise line normally associated with the Norwegian fjords has been branching out to the poles and other destinations in recent years, and in November 2024 comes up with a corker: a 14-day expedition cruise on MS Spitsbergen from Dakar in Senegal to the Cape Verde and Bissagos islands, sure to tempt those who think they’ve cruised everywhere. The Bissagos in Guinea-Bissau, notable for their matriarchal tribal society, are also a UNESCO Biosphere that protects abundant bird species, rare saltwater hippos and manatees. The cruise also visits Banjul in Gambia. See hurtigruten.com

Oceania Marina upgrade, Oceania Cruises

The lovely Oceania Marina has just got even lovelier following a complete refurbishment, completed in November 2023, that has transformed both staterooms and public spaces. Among the new itineraries Marina will sail is a 10-day “Baltic Sea Beauty” cruise between London and Copenhagen departing July 16, 2024. It takes in fine port cities such as Gothenburg, Stockholm and Gdansk, as well as the historic fortified town of Visby on Sweden’s Gotland island and Ronne on Denmark’s Bornholm island. See oceaniacruises.com

Celebrity Ascent, Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises’ fourth Edge-class ship sails its maiden voyage from Florida on December 2, 2023, but deserves a listing here – after all, every sailing is new for 2024. The 3260-passenger premium ship foregoes the razzmatazz and party atmosphere of mega-vessels to focus on feel-good factors such as an expansive spa, luxury feel, four main dining restaurants, and great bars. Try out the new ship on itineraries in the Mediterranean such as a 12-night Italy, Spain and France cruise return from Barcelona that visits Cadiz, Gibraltar, Rome and the French and Italian Rivieras. See celebritycruises.com

Kimberley cruises, Travelmarvel

The remote and scenically splendid north-west corner of our continent is an increasingly popular destination for adventurous cruisers, and next year Travelmarvel will be offering Kimberley expedition cruises for the first time aboard chartered ship Heritage Adventurer. The cruises between Broome and Darwin in July and August 2024 take in the classic big-landscape sights of the Kimberley, including Horizontal Falls, King George Falls and Montgomery Reef, as well as Indigenous rock-art sites on Bigge Island and at Freshwater Cove. Heritage Adventuer carries 164 guests and features an observation lounge, wellness facilities and two restaurants. See travelmarvel.com.au

Austral Islands cruise, Aranui

Aranui Cruises offers one of the world’s last cargo-cruise experiences in which freight is delivered to Pacific islands by Aranui 5 while guests disembark in remote ports for shore excursions. Its core itineraries take it around the Society Islands, Tuamotu Archipelago and rugged Marquesas, but in March and November next year two itineraries take in southernmost French Polynesian group the Austral Islands. The ship visits all five of its islands, including Rapa, the little sister of Easter Island, and Raivavae, known as the Bora Bora of the south for its splendid landscapes and lagoon. See aranui.com

Vancouver to Quebec City journey, Crystal Cruises

Fans of Crystal Cruises were dismayed at its demise, but in September 2023 its two ships Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony were revived under new Abercrombie & Kent ownership and have undergone extensive refurbishment. That means all its itineraries in 2024 are new, but perhaps the top pick is a 42-night Vancouver to Quebec City sailing departing on August 13 that opens with an Alaska itinerary before sailing down the US and Central American coasts and through the Panama Canal. Then the ship treks northwards, eventually into Canada’s St Lawrence Seaway. See crystalcruises.com

Kir Royale launch, European Waterways

Cruising comes in all sizes and if you really want to downsize and float along at the most relaxing pace then consider a barge holiday. Luxury hotel-barge company European Waterways celebrate its 50th anniversary next year with the launch of new vessel Kir Royale in the Champagne region of France in May 2024. The eight-guest vessel, which has three sun decks, a spa pool and an upper observation deck, will sail the Marne River and Marne Canal between May and October, where guests will enjoy tours, tastings and gourmet lunches at champagne houses. See europeanwaterways.com