Galápagos
Cruising has always been the best way to see these remote islands, where you can snorkel and kayak with sea lions, get up close to sea iguanas, and go eye-to-eye with blue-footed boobies—all animals that are seemingly unfazed by your presence. And while there’s no need to rough it, this year will see the introduction of several ultrasmall ships to make the trips even more intimate. Most notable is the 100-passenger, all-suite Celebrity Flora, which premieres in June with special cabanas for overnight glamping. If you want to go even smaller, check out the new 16- to 20-passenger yachts available from Adventure Life.
Celebrity Flora sailings, from $8,999 for seven days
Alaska
A record-breaking 1.36 million cruisers are expected to arrive in Alaska from April to October this year—up from 1 million in 2017. Don’t let occasional crowds scare you away, though. Seeing and hearing a glacier calve a house-size chunk into the sea is an experience that never gets old, and those increased tourism numbers simply mean there are more ways to do it than ever.
Princess Cruises is celebrating 50 years of bringing guests to see the flowing ice; Cunard returns after 20 years away; and Viking Ocean and Azamara Club Cruises are both making their debut in the Last Frontier State. (Pick Viking if you want more inclusions in your fare, Azamara if you’re looking for an intimate sailing experience, Cunard for its old-world glamour.)
Alaska-bound fans of giant ships with whiz-bang amenities will find two new options this season, as well: the Norwegian Joy, with its top-deck racetrack, and the Ovation of the Seas, complete with robot bartenders.
Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth sailings, from $1,549 ($9,304 for the luxurious Queens Grill suites) for 10 days
Turkey
After an attempted military coup in 2016, most cruise companies diverted their ships from Turkey to Greece. That pattern is slowly being reversed as tourism to Turkey picks back up. On the cruising front, that may have something to do with Turkish government financial incentives, which now run from $25 to $45 per passenger, according to ports operator Global Ports Holding.
See the impressive Blue Mosque and Roman Hippodrome with all-inclusive luxury line Regent Seven Seas (offering overnight stays beginning in June), and you’ll still have time to go on a shopping spree at the Grand Bazaar. Or try voyages on Regent, Holland America Line, or Royal Caribbean, which are all adding back stops in Kusadasi; it’s where you’ll get to see the Greco-Roman city of Ephesus and walk the same marble streets as Roman General Mark Antony.
Athens to Venice on Seven Seas Voyager in June, from $8,999 for 11 days
Papua New Guinea and West Papua, Indonesia
Even for travelers who feel they’ve seen it all, the prospect of sailing the remote far west Pacific sounds like a thrilling opportunity to encounter communities far removed from the modern world. Australian small-ship line Coral Expeditions will make that prospect a reality when it unveils its 120-passenger expedition ship Coral Adventurer in May, sailing from Darwin to West Papua, Indonesia. The route is identical to the one Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman took 375 years ago, on his second great voyage. Additional itineraries add Papua New Guinea, the other half of the jungle-covered island, where you can learn about spirit masks and dip in hot springs before retreating to the tasteful comforts of the ship, whose wine cellar includes vintage Australian reds.