10 Bucket List Cruises for 2017

The recent opening of U.S. tourism to Cuba has prompted Norwegian Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean and other cruise companies to launch new itineraries from Florida to Cuba in 2017. “It’s an ideal time to visit,” says Colleen McDaniel, CruiseCritic.com Senior Executive Editor. “The requirements to visit Cuba still are strict, but cruising ensures you’ll have someone holding your hand through the process.”

Shore excursions take you to places where colourful classic cars cruise the streets and Afro-Cuban jazz streams from bars. You’ll spend time immersed in a fascinating culture with people who have had little interaction with U.S. tourists for decades, says McDaniel.

For travelers seeking a smaller group experience, SmarTours’ 10-day Cuba Cruise Adventure debuts in February. Another new Cuba option in 2017 is truly a bucket list experience: cruising on a 103-foot mega yacht with Sailo, the Airbnb of boats. The private two-week yacht cruise to Cuba from the Florida Keys is $140,000.

A dream trip for foodies, Scenic cruise line’s new 13-day South of France culinary river cruise from Chalon-sur-Saône to Tarascon begins in August 2017. The route indulges passengers in the Beaujolais wine region before a gourmet splurge in Lyon, a Châteauneuf-du-Pape wine tasting at a Côtes du Rhône vineyard, and a gala dinner at the prestigious Pope’s Palace of Avignon.

And that’s not it for name-dropping. On board the ship is a new exclusive experience in 2017: a chef-hosted dinner with Fabien Morreales, one of France’s Top Chef alumni. Also for this cruise, a section of the dining room was transformed into a private emporium with cooking stations where a French chef shares stories and teaches you how to prepare regional recipes. The route also promises a visit to Paul Bocuse’s culinary school, a bike ride along the Rhône, an afternoon aperitif on the terrace of the Tournon Castle, and tour in Provence of a family-run olive farm.

If ever there were a time to cruise to Alaska, 2017 is the year. Holland America, which has been cruising to Alaska since before the territory became a state, celebrates its 70th anniversary of cruising to the Last Frontier. The routes from Seattle and Vancouver hit all the usual highlights: wildlife in Denali National Park, calving glaciers in Glacier Bay, and Klondike Gold Rush heritage.

New this year Holland America, Porthole Cruise Magazine’s 2016 reader’s choice award winner for Best Alaska Itineraries, is heaping on 70th anniversary-themed events and activities. There’s new live entertainment and a festive anniversary dinner with a special Baked Alaska dessert and themed décor. At the gates of Denali National Park after a day of hiking or river rafting, you can join Holland America’s anniversary party at the McKinley Chalet Resort. Raise a glass of 70th Anniversary Pale Ale produced exclusively for the cruise line this year by Alaskan Brewing Co.

Inaccessible to foreign travelers for decades, Myanmar (formerly Burma) is in the early stages of establishing a tourism infrastructure. It’s still a relatively undiscovered gem for cruising, but that could soon change on the Irrawaddy River, where cruises have begun stopping at remote villages en route. “More river cruise companies are visiting the country, so visit now, while the experience is unspoiled,” says Colleen McDaniel, Senior Executive Editor of CruiseCritic.com. “There’s no better way to visit the country that’s in a time of tremendous transition than by its river.”

Avalon Waterways’ Irrawaddy River cruises has ships small enough with a draft shallow enough to sail all the way to the northern tip of Myanmar, where you won’t likely see another tourist or traveler for miles. Along the way you’ll visit the many temples and stupas, smell incense in the air, hear monks chanting, present alms at a monastery, and visit bustling bazaars.

Last year, Crystal Cruises sailed its maiden voyage through the Northwest Passage, the first trip of its kind made by a large luxury cruise ship. It was an ambitious undertaking that required the ship to be fully equipped as a first response vessel, ready for any emergency as it followed the ice-breaking RRS Shackleton through the Arctic Circle. This summer Crystal Cruises is slated to run its second cruise on the same route, one that no other large ships currently offer. The 32-day Northwest Passage trip from Seward to New York City gives passengers the chance to see polar bears and the Northern Lights, visit small aboriginal villages, and trek on remote tundra.

“The cruise includes pretty much anything you could need, even trip insurance and medical coverage, and takes place onboard one of the most luxurious ships afloat,” says Colleen McDaniel, Senior Executive Editor of CruiseCritic.com “Right now, it’s Crystal’s only Northwest Passage sailing on the books, so if you want to give it a shot, 2017 is your year.”

Beginning in 2017, you can make your bucket list Panama Canal crossing an exclusive luxury experience on a classic four-masted sailing yacht. Windstar Cruises added the 148-passenger Wind Star yacht to its seven-day Costa Rica & Panama Canal sailings this year. Cruising on a small ship for the occasion puts you close to the water, an excellent viewpoint, as you’re raised and lowered 85 feet through the three sets of locks filled and emptied by gravity.

During the crossing, join in a deck-side festival with live music and a champagne toast with the captain. To commemorate the event, passengers also receive an “Order of the Ditch” certificate, an initiation rite and Naval tradition among sailors who have passed through the canal. Adventurous shore excursions in ports between Colón and Puerto Caldera take you jungle trekking, surfing, zip lining, horseback riding on the beach, and paddle boarding.

When Lindblad Expeditions' 100-passenger National Geographic Quest debuts in 2017, she will be the first of her kind to be made entirely in the United States. On Washington’s Whidbey Island, the Nichols Brothers Boat Builders have designed this expedition-style cruise ship with a shallow draft so it can navigate places larger ships can’t: up close to the waterfalls and into the hidden coves of Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, and Alaska’s Inside Passage. The ship’s hydrophones pick up the vocalizations of whales, and onboard naturalists use video microscopes to show you each destination’s ecosystem from a different perspective.

On the Belize route you’ll don snorkel or scuba gear and explore the Belize Barrier Reef, then kayak or paddleboard across crystal clear lagoons. Check out National Geographic Quest’s 2017 itineraries for all of its Central American and Alaskan routes.

This year, for the first time, One Ocean Expeditions is combining two established itineraries to create an epic 22-day Antarctic itinerary. “This is without doubt the most comprehensive cruise to Antarctica that has ever been offered,” says Burnham Arlidge, Senior Editor of AntarcticaGuide.com. “Only scientists that work on the White Continent can claim to spend more time on the ice.”

On Epic Antarctica, passengers take more than 30 off-ship excursions and spend an unprecedented 16 days exploring the Antarctic Peninsula alongside marine biologists, naturalists, historians, and other specialists. You’ll visit scientific bases and historic explorer huts while having the opportunity to hear lectures from experts renowned in their field. The itinerary also includes hiking, kayaking, camping, and wildlife watching from the no-frills research-style vessel.

One Ocean Expeditions is the only operator currently offering this cruise, according to Arlidge, who says the cruise has all the ingredients to be one of the most popular cruise itineraries in Antarctica. The first departure is slated for December 30, 2017.

In April, Princess Cruise Lines sails its newest vessel, the first cruise ship specifically designed for the China market. Carrying 3,560 guests, the Shanghai-based Majestic Princess will feature a private karaoke suite, expanded Asian menus, traditional afternoon tea, and several other new Chinese-inspired venues and experiences. A new over-the-ocean glass floor walkway extends 28 feet beyond the ship’s edge to give you straight-down views from 12 stories above the ocean. There’s also a Bellagio-style fountain that displays stunning water and light shows.

The Majestic Princess will spend her maiden season in Southeast Asia and the Mediterranean. Cruising from Singapore to Shanghai, the Maiden Majestic Grand Asia trip takes passengers from temples to rice fields and markets in Thailand, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea on a 21-day journey in June. Seeing the world’s largest bronze Buddha and gliding through the canals of a water village in Shanghai are other highlights.

The hottest ticket right now with American Cruise Lines is the 11-day Grand New England Cruise on the newly built American Constellation, debuting in May. On board this 163-passenger ship are some of the industry’s most spacious staterooms. They include full-sized bathrooms, private balconies, and floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors with unobstructed views. A smaller ship designed to navigate the East Coast’s quaint bays, the American Constellation can dock in ports not accessible to larger ships.

The Grand New England cruise itinerary explores the seafaring heritage of coastal towns and island villages, docking along the coastline in the heart of each historic harbor. The route includes two new stops: Provincetown, Massachusetts., known for its shops and colorful architecture; and Kennebunkport, Maine, the summer home of the Bush family. Offering enrichment programs and lectures, onboard historians and naturalists bring to life the rich culture of each destination.