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Set sail with the 10 best new cruise itineraries
Best New Cruise Itinerary (2024)
Cruising is one of the most popular ways to travel, offering people the chance to easily visit multiple destinations during one trip. Whether you’re looking for adventure or relaxation, there’s a cruise itinerary for you.
To help narrow down the best new options for your next cruise getaway, a panel of experts nominated their top picks for cruise itineraries that are new to the scene (introduced since 2020). Then, readers voted for their favorites to decide the winners. Here are the 10 best new cruise itineraries.
- Greek Island Glow - Virgin Voyages
- Adriatic Sea & Greek Gems - Virgin Voyages
- Madagascar & the Mascarene Islands - Ponant
- Hawaiian Islands aboard Discovery Princess - Princess Cruises
- Western Caribbean Cruise - Royal Caribbean International
- Mediterranean Connection - Oceania Cruises
- Tahiti - Variety Cruises
- Panama and Scenic South America - Viking Cruises
- Great Lakes Collection - Viking Cruises
- Port of Palm Beach to Grand Bahama Island - Margaritaville at Sea
Photo courtesy of Virgin Voyages
No. 10:
Virgin Voyages' Greek Island Glow will let you indulge in the glitziest and most glamorous of the Greek islands. Santorini, Mykonos, Rhodes, and even Turkey's Bodrum are all ports of call on this eight-day sampler of the best of the Aegean. You can alternate between partying on Mykonos, history-finding at the Ephesus ruins, or take advantage of the add-on perks that Virgin offers, like an e-bike tour on Santorini and sailing off the coast of Rhodes.
Photo courtesy of Virgin Voyages
No. 9:
Virgin Voyages will give you seven dazzling nights in the Adriatic, from Dubrovnik down the Croatian coastline to the pristine Bay of Kotor in Montenegro, and then finishing up in Piraeus along the Greek coast. During the journey, have your coffee or cocktails in your private terrace hammock, indulge in an on-board fitness class, or wine and dine in restaurants featuring Michelin star chef-curated menus.
Photo courtesy of BraunS / iStock / Getty Images Plus
No. 8:
Ponant offers a fantastic new cruise itinerary, setting sail for the Mascarene Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. This 14-day expedition cruise on an intimate luxury ship heads to the islands of Madagascar, Mauritius, and Reunion, checking out endemic flora and fauna, lush waterfalls, and pristine white sand beaches on the way. If you're a scuba diver, then this cruise is for you, as Ponant offers dives at several of the stops on this magical tropical journey.
Photo courtesy of Princess Cruises
No. 7:
This cruise on the Discovery Princess will take you on an in-depth discovery of Hawaii, stopping in Honolulu and Kona, from where you can visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. There's also a stop in Ensenada, Mexico on the way back to Los Angeles. You'll be at sea for nine of the 15 days aboard but won't ever become bored, as the Discovery Princess features a casino, movie theater, an array of specialty restaurants, live performances, and even ukulele lessons.
Photo courtesy of michaeljung / iStock / Getty Images Plus
No. 6:
This Western Caribbean cruise heads out of Galveston, Texas, sailing for Cozumel, Mexico, where you can go check out the Maya ruins of Tulum. The other days are spent cruising at sea, and families will love the experience on the swank Voyager of the Seas, which offers an exclusive teen lounge, a rock climbing wall, a FlowRider surf simulator, and Royal Caribbean is the only cruise line with ice-skating rinks right on board.
Photo courtesy of Oceania Cruises
No. 5:
Oceania Cruises knows all the hidden gems of the Mediterranean, and their massive 33-day voyage takes in more than five countries from Croatia down through Italy, Greece, and Turkey, on to Malta and Tunisia. Oceania's small luxury cruise ships only take a maximum of 1,250 guests, and their galleys are similar to those in Michelin-starred restaurants. The cruise line is renowned for their culinary discovery tours and for offering the finest cuisine at sea.
Photo courtesy of Filip Kulisev
No. 4:
Explore Tahiti thoroughly and intimately on Variety Cruises' 11-day sailing through the Society and Tuamotu islands. The Panorama II ship features only 25 ocean-view cabins, and the boat takes only 49 guests, meaning plenty of personalized attention as you drift through Bora Bora, Moorea, and other small islands that are home to a wealth of diverse vistas. You'll check out turquoise lagoons and snorkel and hike through some of the world's most picturesque scenery.
No. 3:
Viking Cruises lets you enjoy the best of South America as well as Mexico and Panama on this grand cruise that runs 18 days, covering select spots from the Caribbean to the Pacific. The voyage shows off Spanish colonial architecture in Peru, surfing in Chile, and the Panama Canal amongst its highlights. You've also got the option of doing additional shore excursions on this trip, like to Machu Picchu or the Galapagos, so you really can see the top highlights of all of Latin America on this special journey.
No. 2:
Hop aboard Viking's Great Lakes Collection for 15 days of experiences from Canada down through the heart of the Great Lakes, including stops at Niagara Falls, Thunder Bay, and the Door Peninsula. You can kayak over shipwrecks, bicycle on Mackinac Island, and fine dine in Cleveland, Ohio, and Detroit, Michigan. You can also add pre- and post-cruise extensions to check out the best of Toronto, Ontario, and Duluth, Minnesota, on this luxury sailing.
Photo courtesy of Margaritaville at Sea
No. 1:
Margaritaville at Sea combines the iconic Margaritaville lifestyle with a floating island vacation, from Palm Beach to Grand Bahama Island on this three-day/two-night sail. The cruise features nonstop casino action, thrilling live shows, and shore excursions like swimming with dolphins or snorkeling with turtles. The ship features a Stars on the Water Theater showing live concert and dance productions, so there isn't a chance you'll be without entertainment on this happening voyage.
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Ben Souza
Ben Souza is a world traveler who has visited 40+... Read More
Ben Souza is a world traveler who has visited 40+ countries, taken over 70
cruises, and flown nearly one million miles. He serves as the editor of
Cruise Fever.
Ben Souza
Ben Souza is a world traveler who has visited 40+ countries, taken over 70
cruises, and flown nearly one million miles. He serves as the editor of
Cruise Fever.
Sherry Laskin
Sherry hasn’t set foot on an airplane in more than... Read More
Sherry hasn’t set foot on an airplane in more than 25 years. Instead, she relies on cruise ships, river ships, trains and road trips to travel the world. In that time, she’s been on more cruises than she can count and includes her solo cruise and travel adventures on her website, CruiseMaven.com. Her articles have been published in major newspapers and magazines - in print and online. During a year and a half of living in Alaska, Sherry has cruised and spent time at every port in the Last Frontier except for Nome. She’s become an avid transatlantic cruiser since 2005, as that is the only way for her to get to Europe without flying. Sherry hopes to inspire and encourage her readers to travel slow and travel solo, experience new cuisines and cultures.
Sherry Laskin
Sherry hasn’t set foot on an airplane in more than 25 years. Instead, she relies on cruise ships, river ships, trains and road trips to travel the world. In that time, she’s been on more cruises than she can count and includes her solo cruise and travel adventures on her website, CruiseMaven.com. Her articles have been published in major newspapers and magazines - in print and online. During a year and a half of living in Alaska, Sherry has cruised and spent time at every port in the Last Frontier except for Nome. She’s become an avid transatlantic cruiser since 2005, as that is the only way for her to get to Europe without flying. Sherry hopes to inspire and encourage her readers to travel slow and travel solo, experience new cuisines and cultures.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
