12 Amazing Cruises You Can Book Now for 2021
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It may be time to move from daydreaming about your next cruise vacation to serious planning and checking the calendar and budget. Are you thinking about a romantic couple's trip or maybe a family get together to make up for a missed vacation this year? Is it time to check off a bucket list cruise, perhaps across the Atlantic or through the Panama Canal? Have you always longed to see the pyramids or glaciers?
Cruises are planning to get underway again, and eager travelers are already booking journeys for later this year. For many, the main attraction of a cruise is the ability to visit many destinations with all the arrangements made and no packing, unpacking, or making connections. Cruises are ideal for multi-generational groups with their range of onboard activities and shore excursions.
We’ve gathered an assortment of cruise lines, destinations, durations, costs, and styles to help you get started. Once you begin browsing, you just might find one that sounds perfect. And won’t it be fun to have a cruise vacation to plan for and anticipate?
AmaWaterways River Cruise “Secrets of Egypt & the Nile”
Courtesy of AmaWaterways
The luxurious new AmaDahlia, AmaWaterways’ 25th river cruise ship, will set sail beginning September 2021 with an 11-night land and cruise adventure. The 68-passenger ship will offer 10 staterooms and 24 suites along with a heated pool on the sun deck and Chef’s Table specialty restaurant. Guests will visit the Temple of Luxor, Valley of the Kings and Queens, Pyramids of Giza, and the Great Sphinx. A private tour of the Abdeen Presidential Palace and a visit to the Egyptian Museum and Alabaster Mosque in Cairo are also on the itinerary.
Regent Seven Seas “Glitz, Glamour & Splendor”
The new all-suite, all-balcony Seven Seas Splendor was christened in February 2020, showcasing luxury in its 350 suites, Elite Slumber beds, eight dining venues, infinity edge pool, and entertainment venues. Starting in Monte Carlo, Monaco, this fifteen-day cruise visits Provence, Barcelona, Malaga, Casablanca, Lisbon, Bordeaux and other glamorous ports before ending in London. A day of cruising the Mediterranean and Bay of Biscay provides time to enjoy the amenities of the fabulous new ship.
Disney Cruise Line “Eastern Caribbean Cruise”
Courtesy of Disney Cruises
This seven-night cruise begins in Port Canaveral, Florida aboard the Disney Fantasy and includes four destinations and three days at sea. Ideal for family vacations, Disney cruises offer something for everyone from young children to teens as well as adult-exclusive activities. There’s time to enjoy the ship while cruising toTortola, British Virgin Islands, for a day of relaxing on the beach or swimming with dolphins at Dolphin Discovery. The cruise ends with a day at Disney Castaway Cay for beachside activities for all before heading back to Port Canaveral.
Holland America Line “14 Day Great Alaskan Explorer”
Courtesy of Holland America
Explore scenic Vancouver before you board the Maasdam, the only Holland America Line ship outfitted with Zodiacs, for up close exploring on your cruise. Sail along Alaska’s Inside Passage, with waterways, fjords, rainforests, and rugged coastline. You’ll visit Ketchikan, Skagway, Anchorage, and Homer. Thrill to the blue ice of the Hubbard Glacier, pan for gold, meet Iditarod sled dogs, take helicopter tours over glaciers, kayak, zipline, and more with the company that has been cruising Alaska for more than 70 years.
Seabourn “14-Day Panama Canal & the Humboldt Route”
Courtesy of Seabourn
Departing from Barbados in October 2021, this cruise is one of the first aboard the new Seabourn Venture, featuring the Constellation Lounge with floor-to-ceiling glass walls and 270-degree views from the highest indoor point on the ship and 132 all-veranda, all oceanfront suites. Board in sunny Bridgetown, Barbados and enjoy two days at sea on your way to Santa Marta on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. After another day at sea, you’ll arrive in Panama as you anticipate the adventure of cruising the Panama Canal.
Norwegian Cruise Line “Nine-Day Cruise to Scandinavia, Russia & Baltic”
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Board Norwegian Escape in Copenhagen where your cruise begins and ends. The award-winning ship offers 18 dining venues, a waterfront cocktail lounge, spa, and wide range of staterooms. Relax and enjoy the amenities as you sail to Berlin for your first port and then on to Helsinki, Finland. In St. Petersburg, you’ll have two days to take in the city’s museums, architecture, and culture before cruising on to Tallinn, Estonia’s capital. Stockholm, Sweden is the next port before a day at sea takes you back to Copenhagen.
Princess Cruises “Nine-Day Japan Explorer Spring Flowers”
Courtesy of Princess Cruises
Timed to take advantage of Japan’s blossoming gardens, this cruise aboard the Diamond Princess begins and ends in Tokyo. Ports include Shimizu for a view of Mt. Fuji, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kagoshima, and Busan in South Korea, covering Japan’s islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Two days at sea provide time to enjoy onboard entertainment, spa, freshwater pool and hot tubs, art gallery, cooking demonstrations, speakers, family activities, and programs for kids and teens.
Crystal Cruises “Ancient Dynasties and World Wonders”
Courtesy of Crystal Cruises
This 139-night cruise is truly a “journey of a lifetime,” starting in Miami before passing through the Panama Canal and stopping in Puerto Vallarta, San Diego, and Hawaii. Then on to Australia and Asia, visiting ports in Singapore, Japan, China, Vietnam, India, Dubai, and others. The Crystal Serenity then cruises the Nile, stopping at Luxor and transiting the Suez Canal on its way to Greece and Italy. Spain, Morocco, Portugal, and France are on the exciting itinerary, and the journey ends in London.
Uniworld Boutique River Cruises “Imperial Waterways of Russia”
Courtesy of Uniworld Cruises
The 12-day cruise of Russia’s lakes and rivers aboard River Victoria begins in Moscow with a tour of the city that includes the Kremlin, Armory Museum, and Cathedral Square. The ship proceeds along Moscow Canal to the historic town of Uglich and then on to Lake Rybinsk and the city of Yaroslavl, a UNESCO city designed by Catherine the Great. After passing through rural villages and lakes, the cruise reaches St. Petersburg and its canals, churches, palaces, and Hermitage Museum. A Russian ballet performance is on the itinerary as well.
Celebrity Cruises “Italy, Croatia & Montenegro Cruise”
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The seven-night cruise begins in Venice aboard the Celebrity Infinity, soon to be totally renovated, and after a day to explore the romantic city of canals, the ship heads to Split, Croatia on the Adriatic. The next port is Kotor in Montenegro and then on to Corfu Greece, both UNESCO World Heritage cities. After a day at sea to relax and enjoy the ship’s pool, spa, and onboard amenities, you’ll arrive in Naples with an opportunity to sample the local delicacies before cruising to Rome’s Civitavecchia.
Royal Caribbean “Nine Night Canada and New England Cruise”
Courtesy of Royal Caribbean
In time for autumn and colorful foliage if the timing is right, this cruise leaves from New York City aboard the Freedom of the Seas. After a day at sea, you’ll arrive in Portland, Maine in Casco Bay and then on to historic Boston. Your next port is Bar Harbor, Maine with Acadia National Park’s panoramic scenery and New England’s famous lobster dinners. Cruise to Halifax, Nova Scotia to explore its many lighthouses and enjoy its fresh seafood cuisine. St. John, New Brunswick is the next port before a day at sea and a return to New York.
Silversea “Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Lisbon, Portugal”
Courtesy of Silversea
This 13-day transatlantic cruise aboard the Silver Shadow leaves from Fort Lauderdale for two days at sea before arriving in Hamilton, Bermuda for two days of pink sand beaches, glass bottom boat tours, and historic venues. The next four days crossing the Atlantic can be spent enjoying the ship’s pool, lounges, restaurants, and ocean views. At Horta and Punta Delgada in Portugal’s Azores, guests can experience the volcanic landscape, natural hot springs, and beaches before two more cruising days and arrival in Lisbon.