Seven bucket-list cruises you'll want to book now

Australia is the sixth largest country in the world (it has a landmass of over 3 million square miles) and the simplest way to get a complete tour of it in one trip is by cruise. This 28-night itinerary gives you the chance to see the country’s unique flora, fauna and awe-inspiring scenery as well as visit the cities of Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth. On a roundtrip sailing from Sydney’s world-renowned harbour, you’ll have the opportunity to sunbathe on Queensland’s Gold Coast, soak up the coffee culture in Melbourne, snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef, sip wine in Margaret River, meet koalas in Adelaide and eat abalone (a tasty marine mollusc) in Tasmania, to name just a few unforgettable experiences.

Probably the continent with the most varied array of cultures and landscapes, Asia can accommodate pretty much any adventure your heart desires. Get a taste of multiple nations’ customs and cuisines on our 14-night Southeast Asia and Japan itinerary, during which you can take in the beaches and bustling cities of Vietnam, the temples and night markets of Hong Kong and the culinary delights and must-see landmarks (including Mount Fuji) of Japan, along with much more.

Chances are you’ve already ventured across the pond to the USA – but you haven’t truly experienced its diversity until you’ve been to Alaska, the largest of the 50 states. Alaska’s towns are higgledy-piggledy relics of its gold rush era, its wildlife is majestic and its natural wonders are utterly jaw-dropping; the eastern Hubbard Glacier is 76 miles long and regularly calves off icebergs the size of multi-storey buildings. This 15-night Alaska and North Pacific Crossing itinerary includes scenic cruising around the aforementioned glacier, where you’ll be able to hear the creak of ice as you sail past. It also features a stop in Juneau, Alaska’s welcoming capital, and plenty of time to admire the state’s traditional totem poles, see local lumberjacks at work and embark on some whale-watching.

Get the best view of Scandinavia’s famously beautiful fjords on our 28-night Scandinavia and Land of the Midnight Sun cruise, which includes several nights north of the Arctic Circle and the chance to experience the soft light of the midnight sun. You’ll visit the capital cities of Copenhagen, Stockholm and Helsinki before heading north to the Norwegian fjords and stopping at the likes of Tromsø, Haugesund and Trondheim. Fuel days of city wandering, meadow walking, mountain hiking and lake swimming with the region’s hearty fish stews, spiced buns, berries and glugs of aquavit.

One cruise doesn’t have to mean seeing just one continent, however, as shown by our 47-night South Pacific and Africa World Cruise itinerary. Departing from Los Angeles, this cruise makes stops in Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand and Australia plus Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, where you can explore colourful sand dunes, spice markets and museums that reveal the island’s colonial past. Your final destination is Cape Town in South Africa, which sits on a peninsula below the towering Table Mountain. Be sure to spend some time here after disembarking your ship, so you can enjoy South Africa’s incredible wines, must-see wildlife and world-class coastal vistas.

Incredible food, ancient wonders, unconquerable mountain ranges and cities that never sleep: South America is the ultimate choice for travellers looking to feel inspired and completely wowed. Embark on our 51-night South America Grand Adventure to make sure you don’t miss a beat, from Panama down to Argentina and all the way back up to Brazil. As well as taking in must-see cities such as Lima, San Antonio (for Santiago in Chile) and Rio de Janeiro, the itinerary offers opportunities for vineyard tours (hello, juicy malbec!), glacier walks, beach sojourns and even a scenic train ride through the town of Ushuaia in Argentina, which lies at the southernmost tip of South America and is nicknamed ‘the End of the World’.

For a holiday that offers a huge dose of adventure, set sail on our 17-night Voyage to Antarctica. Explore Argentina’s vibrant capital, Buenos Aires, before heading south for four days of scenic cruising around the Antarctic Peninsula. Local guides will join you onboard to teach you about the glistening glaciers, frosty mountain peaks and resident wildlife of the region as you sail past. The itinerary then calls at the Falkland Islands, where you can see the archipelago's colonies of king and gentoo penguins waddling along the coastline. You’ll finally stop off in Montevideo, Uruguay’s Spanish-influenced capital, before returning to Argentina.