Holiday guide
Luxury cruising
While gigantic mega-ships make headlines, luxury cruising has been undergoing a quiet revolution in the background, with fabulous on-board dining, top-notch service and incredible itineraries taking passengers to some of the world’s greatest destinations in comfort and style.
Autumn is the perfect time to see Japan by ship
On this trip we see the beauty of Japan in full blaze. What we don’t see are crowds.
- Kerry van der Jagt
How Australians created new ships that dazzled Europe
A duo of brand-new, all-Australian river ships are making a splash on European waterways.
- Anthony Dennis
- Opinion
What I learnt taking kids on a luxury cruise
Things are going well until my daughter starts slamming her head into the dining table and wailing at high volume.
- Chrissie McClatchie
The clever French invention opening up Australia’s wildest coast
Want to poke around among the mangroves at high tide? Want to get a spray from a Kimberley waterfall? The Zodiac will get you there.
- Jim Darby
The world’s 10 greatest cities to visit by ship (plus five to avoid)
Get the absolute best out of the world’s 10 greatest ports, and note five far-flung ones that are best skipped.
- Brian Johnston
Think of the destination that’s overwhelmed you most and multiply it 10
This is so much bigger and it’s better. And there’s no one here except us.
- Craig Tansley
The ultra-luxe cruise company that refuses to go big
There’s boutique cruising and then there’s Aqua Expeditions – its ocean-going ships carry no more than 30 guests.
- Julietta Jameson
Michelin star-worthy food, zero snobbery? This Australian ship nails it
I don’t have to wear a jacket or fumble with too many forks on Scenic Eclipse II. At last - dining on a luxury cruise ship that isn’t uptight.
- Brian Johnston
Forget the Med: I’d rather travel Europe’s other great sea
This is Europe without fuss, and yet with everything going for it.
- Brian Johnston
- ★★★★
Cruise line’s new ship is a leap forward in luxury
The Rotterdam achieves the remarkable feat of never feeling too big and rarely too small.
- Sue Williams
Ultra-luxe expedition cruising is about to get more eco-friendly
Scenic Ikon’s cutting-edge technology will ensure a quieter sailing experience and allow access to more remote destinations.
- Julietta Jameson
- ★★★★
This Aussie ‘space-ship’ is the definition of smooth sailing
Solid, reliable, service-oriented and all-inclusive, the Scenic Pearl delivers.
- Justine Costigan
More ships than ever are cruising France’s Seine River from Paris
Competition on France’s Seine River is hotting up, with more ships than ever cruising along this short but history-dense waterway.
- Brian Johnston
- ★★★★½
French-designed ship is a floating masterpiece cruising our waters
A marina that folds down like the roof of a smart sports car? Here’s a ship where adventure meets luxury, and each is delighted with the other’s company.
- Jim Darby
I thought I knew South Africa, until I did it in a new way
No wildlife, but lots of real life: why you need to see South Africa’s coastal cities, and why a cruise is the best way to do it.
- Brian Johnston
On a river cruise, I couldn’t wait to switch from sailing to cycling
Scenic Pearl may be a river vessel, but it has all the gear you need for a two-wheeled jaunt along Europe’s most ravishing waterways and wine country trails.
- Justine Costigan
As cruise giants keep getting bigger, others are doing the opposite
A flotilla of new mini-sized cruise ships is attracting holidaymakers looking for a different, more exclusive experience.
- Brian Johnston
Worried about being ‘trapped’ on board a cruise ship? It’s bliss
I used to think a day at sea aboard a ship was a day wasted. Now I’ve realised it’s a chance to momentarily sidestep my busy life.
- Brian Johnston
The floating boutique hotel offering a luxe new way to see Laos
“If the cruise is as luxurious as the Mekong is long, I’ll come,” says the author’s mother.
- Penny Watson
Does Indonesia’s iconic pink beach live up to the hype? I found out
This rare beach is an Instagram delight, but there’s more to this destination’s wonders than just the colour of the sand.
- Brian Johnston
- ★★★★ ½
Our verdict on the world’s newest luxury ship
We join Oceania Allura’s maiden voyage from Italy to Greece, and check out everything from the stateroom to the specialty restaurants.
- Trudi Jenkins
This extraordinary cruise on holy waters is stranger than fiction
Namaste to come what may – this passage to India is full of quirk, surprise and rare insight.
- Julietta Jameson
I didn’t think I could learn anything about food on a ship. I was wrong
It promises “the finest cuisine at sea” but does Oceania Cruises’ brand new ship deliver?
- Trudi Jenkins
Around-the-world cruising enters an epic new era
If you can splash the cash, you have a choice of truly spectacular journeys – and the added enticement of avoiding housework for up to a year.
- Brian Johnston
Our expert on the cruise restaurant that’s ‘refreshingly different’
After dozens of ships and thousands of meals, I’ve finally found cruising’s most interesting restaurant.
- Brian Johnston
No luxury cruise line does things quite like this Australian one
This ship gets things right that many American and European cruise lines get wrong. Perhaps because it – and many of its passengers – are Australian.
- Brian Johnston
New Australian cruise ship, converted from a luxury yacht, ready to sail
Paspaley Pearl, a former motor yacht modified to become a 30-guest luxury cruise vessel, is about to launch in the Kimberley.
- Julietta Jameson
This new cruise-ship activity is surprisingly popular
Adventurous cruisers can now have the trip of a lifetime while helping scientists better understand and preserve fragile environments.
- Brian Johnston
When it comes to cruising, there’s good news for solo travellers
Single, or partner not keen on a cruise? The good news is many lines are making it easier, cheaper and more appealing to sail alone.
- Brian Johnston
A beautiful region so quiet and pristine, it freaked me out
It’s in one of the world’s most populous nations, on Australia’s doorstep and a former centre of global trade. Yet the Maluku Islands now feel untouched.
- Julietta Jameson
- ★★★★
Jazz and Creole food? This luxe river cruise is an immersive must-do
A voyage on Viking Mississippi is worthy of a place on avid cruisers’ must-do lists – this journey was an immersive deep-dive into small-town America.
- Kristie Kellahan
Seven reasons the best way to see the Med is from the water
The Mediterranean is a destination easily visited independently, as many of us have. But this is a different experience entirely.
- Brian Johnston
The ‘Maldives of Indonesia’ is on our doorstep, yet no one’s heard of it
One of the world’s most amazing destinations is closer than you think. Take a good look beyond Bali at Indonesia’s incredible diversity of islands.
- Brian Johnston
- ★★★★★
Travel can’t get any closer to flawless than on board this ship
“Unrivalled at sea” is the bold claim of this cruise company. So how good can a cruise ship get? We put it to the test.
- Brian Johnston
A surprise celebrity chef joined my Mediterranean cruise
Passengers never know before boarding who their on-board chef instructor will be, but there’s every chance they’ll find someone as fascinating as we did.
- Katrina Lobley
Bigger isn’t better: Why small ships offer the ultimate cruise trips
A small ship is a boutique hotel compared to the mega-ship’s resort; a private jet rather than an A380; a private tour compared to a coach tour.
- Brian Johnston
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