Ocean cruises | Holiday Travel Guides & Tips | Traveller

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Ocean cruises

Parliament and gardens in Victoria, British Columbia.

A bike ride across this island will turn you green with envy

The Butchart Gardens might be the botanic jewel of Vancouver Island, but a green journey by bicycle reveals an entire island bursting with blooming beauty.

  • by Kate Armstrong
Cruise etiquette: Vessels like the Queen Mary 2 (pictured) have a black tie dress code for select onboard events.

Ditch the shorts and T-shirt: 15 essential rules of cruise etiquette

Black tie galas, tipping and Captain’s Table invitations ... with ship life comes a sea of traditions but here’s how to navigate them and ensure smooth sailing.

  • by Lee Tulloch
Ship of light: the Silver Nova.

New ‘ship of light’ features ground-breaking asymmetrical design

Silversea’s new Silver Nova radically alters the concept of a ship.

  • by Lee Tulloch
Fewer crowds, cheaper fares: Viking Cruises now offers a “quiet season” category.

Robots and nightclubs at sea: 10 surprising trends taking over cruising

Sustainability, overcrowding concerns and younger demographics are changing the face of cruising.

  • by Brian Johnston
Small but perfectly formed ... the Emerald Sakara.

The coolest new cruise ships aren’t ships, they’re yachts

Cruise lines are launching vessels they term “yachts”, as they bear more resemblance to the luxury private superyachts of the rich and famous. And their popularity is very much on the rise.

  • by Julietta Jameson
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New Grounds –  premium tea and coffee on board.

The next place to get great a coffee? On board a ship

Princess Cruises has elevated its food and drink offering on its 15-ship fleet, aiming to make every sailing a globe-trotting gala of gastronomy.

  • by Sue Williams
Kleftiko cove located at the south coast of Milos island, Greece.

This underrated Greek island is a breath of fresh air

It doesn’t have the vertiginous tumble of whitewashed houses or hipster-cool cachet of Santorini or Mykonos, but what Milos does have is authenticity.

  • by Keith Austin
The Queen Elizabeth, belittled by ice in Glacier Bay, Alaska.

The Alaskan glacier that makes Game of Thrones’ Wall seem feeble

Alaska’s Inside Passage is a remarkable 1600-kilometre-long network of fjords and forested islands.

  • by Kate Armstrong
A warm glow in the spa centre.

From freezing to sweating, this cruise experience runs hot and cold

There’s a fine line between pleasure and pain in this Nordic bathing ritual aboard Viking Octantis.

  • by Kate Armstrong
People aboard the Carnival Horizon enjoy the thermal suite in the ship's Cloud 9 Spa. Photo by Andy Newman/Carnival Cruise Line PLEASE ARCHIVE FOR REUSE SunMay20cruisecarnival Carnival Horizon cruise ship ; text by Steve McKenna SUPPLIED via journalist Carnival Horizon - Spa
Opinion
Opinion

I used to eat everything on a cruise. Now, I treat every ship like a health spa

I found that it’s perfectly possible to treat a cruise ship like a health spa, if you want to, rather than La Grand Bouffe. I won’t pretend it was easy, but there are a few tricks.

  • by Lee Tulloch