Theodore W. Scull
From Napoleon’s isle to hidden Japan
If your familiarity with cruises doesn’t extend much beyond the Caribbean, Alaska and Europe, you may be surprised to learn that you can sail in comfort and style to most corners of the globe. In fact, many intriguing destinations would be hard, or even impossible, to visit other than by ship.
Cruises that venture beyond the horizon may be aboard luxury boutique-style vessels with all-suite accommodations, tantalizing menus and lots of pampering. Or they may be nimble, high-tech expedition crafts that put you ashore with an expert team of naturalists to ferret out wildlife you may have only seen on television or at your local zoo. Expect to pay from about $500 to over $1,000 per person per day...
From Napoleon’s isle to hidden Japan
If your familiarity with cruises doesn’t extend much beyond the Caribbean, Alaska and Europe, you may be surprised to learn that you can sail in comfort and style to most corners of the globe. In fact, many intriguing destinations would be hard, or even impossible, to visit other than by ship.
Cruises that venture beyond the horizon may be aboard luxury boutique-style vessels with all-suite accommodations, tantalizing menus and lots of pampering. Or they may be nimble, high-tech expedition crafts that put you ashore with an expert team of naturalists to ferret out wildlife you may have only seen on television or at your local zoo. Expect to pay from about $500 to over $1,000 per person per day...
Theodore W. Scull From Napoleon’s isle to hidden Japan If your familiarity with cruises doesn’t extend much beyond the Caribbean, Alaska and Europe, yo... more
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1
Africa
Swan Hellenic
African travel naturally conjures up safari, a trek inland to spot the Big Five—elephant, leopard, lion, rhino and buffalo. On Swan Hellenic's very British 350-passenger Minerva, sail on March 24, 2009 from beneath Cape Town's Table Mountain. Check out the top-flight lecture program, go ashore to South and East Africa's best game reserves, and call at the seldom visited Mozambique Channel islands and ever evocative Zanzibar where the scent of cloves greets your arrival. Consider extending your stay in the Seychelles far out in the Indian Ocean.
2
Arabia
Silversea
Silversea's all-suite ships provide the most luxurious approach to the Arab World, where some passengers' wealth may match the rich denizens of Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman during circuits of the Persian Gulf. According to David Morris, Silversea's executive vice president, "These Mideast voyages are the perfect option for upscale travelers who want to be pampered in luxury and comfort while exploring exotic locales." When the 296-passenger Silver Wind leaves this virtually landlocked sea, she is bound for Jordan's incredible archeological site at Petra, the monuments in the Nile Valley and Suez Canal. Dine aboard in one of three restaurants or course by course in your suite.
3
Napoleon's Isle
Royal Mail Ship St. Helena
From Cape Town, an entirely different type of voyage awaits those who board the 132-passenger Royal Mail Ship St. Helena, a comfortable but no-frills throwback to colonial days. Named for the island where Napoleon was exiled and died, St. Helena is located in the South Atlantic. It lacks an airport, so the RMS brings everything the Saints, the local inhabitants, need. Andrew Bell, founder of the shipping line, says, "There is a touch of Bali Hai about St Helena. It feels remote, looks geographically unique and is invariably welcoming. But the Emperor hated it." While the little ship goes about its work offloading cargo, passengers spend from five to eight days on the island, either at a small hotel or B&B in Jamestown, a perfectly preserved Georgian town, or in a rental cottage up in the rugged hills.
4
Marquesas Islands
Aranui III
Paul Gauguin's paintings brought the startling beauty of the South Pacific to Europe and America, and his paradise is still very much intact—that is, once the Aranui III leaves the hustle and bustle of Tahiti behind. This French Polynesian-crewed ship takes passengers and freight to atolls and mountainous islands with names like Takapoto, Ua Pou, and Hiva Oa, where Gauguin spent his last years. Passengers hail mainly from Europe, and during the 14-day round voyage, they occupy cabins offering private balconies on down to dorm-style quarters. Shore trips by surf boat include swimming, fishing, snorkeling, beach barbecues and mountain rides to see collections of stone tiki gods and Marquesan handicrafts.
5
Antarctica
Lindblad
Antarctica may be the opposite of tropical but southern summertime temperatures rise well above freezing in January and February. Instead of blizzard conditions, think of breathing some of the globe's clearest air while ogling icebergs shot through with deep greens and blues. Step ashore to walk amongst Adélie, chinstrap and gentoo penguins while keeping well clear of smelly, snorting, molting elephant seals. Lindblad Expeditions has teamed up with National Geographic to provide top naturalists that accompany its sturdy 110-passenger National Geographic Endeavour.
6
Patagonia
Cruceros Australis
At the bottom of South America, a region of outstanding majesty provides the cruising grounds for Cruceros Australia and its comfortable, newly-built 128-passenger Mare Australis and Via Australis. Sailing from Punta Arenas (Chile) between September and April with an international passenger complement and a Chilean crew, this diminutive pair is dwarfed by the towering scenery, especially at "Glacier Alley." Threading the Beagle Channel, visits are made to remote Magellanic penguin colonies and pristine national parks. If weather permits, there is a landing at Cape Horn, the continent's stormy, southernmost tip. Tack on a couple of days for splendiferous Torres del Paine National Park with its jagged granite peaks, plunging waterfalls, and tranquil lakes.
7
Indochina
Pandaw Cruises
Across the Pacific to Southeast Asia, Pandaw Cruises operates replica colonial passenger steamers taking from 48 to 66 travelers on one-week cruises far up the Mekong and Tonle rivers deep into Vietnam and Cambodia. Leaving from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), the boats cruise the Mekong Delta, passing wetlands and giant fish traps before heading on upriver to French-style Phnom Penh. Sailing into Tonle Sap, a huge lake, the north end gives access to Angkor Thom, the ninth-century Khmer capital and Angkor Wat, the adjoining temple complex. Pandaw also operates on the upper Irrawaddy and Chindwin rivers to remote northern Myanmar (Burma). Hum Rudyard Kipling's "Road to Mandalay" while enjoying far more comfortable quarters than he ever did.
8
Vietnam
Seabourn
Vietnam's long slender coastline is most luxuriously accessed aboard one of Seabourn's sophisticated 212-passenger all-suite yachts. Rates include in-suite dining, gratuities and all wines and spirits, so you don't have to keep track of whose turn it is to pay. Fourteen-day cruises, including two days in Bangkok, embark in Singapore and Hong Kong for Halong Bay, a national park with 3,000 towering islets, French and Chinese-influenced Hanoi (two days), Hue's imperial palace ruins, scenic coastal drives and wartime legacies in Ho Chi Minh City (two days). Descend into the Viet Cong-built Cu Chi tunnels, used to snipe at U.S. troops, or go for a gentler vibe by taking in a water puppet show.
9
Japan
Cruise West
Traveling independently through Japan can be a daunting exercise. The 120-passenger Spirit of Oceanus eases the strain during partial circumnavigations of three of the four main Japanese islands. Dick West, Cruise West's chairman and managing director, says "Japan is a country of intrigue. What makes the cruise so exceptional are the knowledgeable Exploration Leaders and Expert Lecturers who bring this amazing country to life and unravel many of the mysteries." A bright orange torii (gate) marks the entrance to Japan's most revered shrine island, Miyajima (near Hiroshima). Visit a samurai home in the west coast town of Hagi, the cultured pearl capital at Uwajima and the atomic bomb memorials at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On springtime sailings (of which there are three), azaleas, cherry blossoms and wisteria abound at Korakuen Gardens and fall colors dazzle the gentle landscape in autumn. The cruises are 12 days, 11 nights and are round-trip from Kobe.
10
Australia
Orion Cruises
One of the finest expedition ships afloat cruises Australia's remote northerly Kimberley Coast while providing its passengers with a health spa, sauna, a sun deck jacuzzi and a stern marina platform. Sarina Bratton, Managing Director of Orion Cruises, says "Ancient rock art illuminates hidden caves within the rugged red cliff faces, recording indigenous life some 15 to 20,000 years ago. There's the pervasive spirituality in the remote silence, interrupted only by the sound of the bush. With distinctive geology, abundant waterfalls and prolific wildlife, this pristine wonderland of nature remains one of the last great 'finds' for experiential travelers." Embarking at Darwin for 10 nights from May through August, the 106-passenger Orion cruises the coastal crannies not reachable by land en route to Broome, once known as the Pearl Capital of the World.
[source: https://www.forbestraveler.com/cruises-yachts/far-flung-cruises-story.html ]
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