New Cruise Experiences on Oceans & Rivers!

With 2025 just over a month away, The Meandering Traveler has identified several new 2025 or 2026 cruise experiences on global oceans and rivers.

From themed cruises to new ports of call and creative itineraries, here are three new cruising options on the high seas, plus one on a river cruise.

(Cruising has many new options in 2025 and 2026. Photo of Seven Seas Grandeur by Regent Seven Seas Cruises.)

1. New Cruise Experiences: Teeing Off

Do you love a great round of golf or the thrill of teeing off on a storied golf course that hosts major international tournaments? Well, then it’s probably good to know that ultra-luxury Regent Seven Seas Cruises will offer a new golf-themed, 14-night Spotlight Voyage, departing June 23, 2025.

Drum roll, please! Golfing legend Annika Sorenstam will host this voyage on the new 744-passenger Seven Seas Grandeur. Wow!

Sailing roundtrip from Southampton, England, U.K., the ship will call at Belfast, Northern Ireland; Glasgow (Greenock-overnight) Scotland; Douglas, Isle of Man, U.K.; and Liverpool (double overnight), England.

In Ireland, guests can also look forward to port calls at Dublin (overnight), Cork (Cobh) and Waterford. During the cruise, guests can expect fireside chats and meet-and-greets with Sorenstam. But there’s more!

Other exclusive golf-related activities and excursions will include the following:

• Driving demonstrations on Seven Seas Grandeur’s top deck.
• Tea-time golf trivia.
• An onboard fashion show spotlighting clothing by LOHLA Sport, which is Sorenstam’s clothing partner.
• An in-course long game clinic.

Golf Play Ashore

Of course, Regent Seven Seas’ guests can also tee off on iconic greens including Belfast’s Strand Course at the Portstewart Golf Club and a top course at the Royal Belfast Golf Club.

From Glasgow, cruisers can head out to the Dundonald Links and Turnberry’s Ailsa Course. And in Liverpool, options will include a round of golf at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club and the Formby Golf Club.

For a look at the new golf-themed Spotlight Voyage, its itinerary and inclusions, visit this official Regent Seven Seas website page. This Spotlight Voyage starts at $14,799 per person, double occupancy.

Then consult a professional travel advisor at Pavlus Travel to assist with your booking. The advisor will ensure you get the best deal possible, taking into account any Black Friday or Wave Season offers that may apply.

2. New Cruise Experiences: Gastronomy!

For gastronomy enthusiasts, we’re excited to learn than upscale Riviera River Cruises plans three new gastronomy-themed itineraries in 2026! In addition to savory dining experiences on board, special excursions ashore will deliver incredible culinary and wine tasting experiences.

“So, if culinary and wine activities float your boat, just pick a river cruise region,” advocates Shelby Steudle, president, Pavlus Travel. “Then, get ready not only to sail but also to sip and savor local tastes in destinations along the river.”

“Gastronomy of the Danube” — Departing on multiple dates between April 2026 and October 2026, this new eight-day itinerary on the Danube River includes 15 unique, savory experiences.

For example, guests can savor Leberkase, Linzer Torte and a local beer in Linz, Austria; enjoy strudel at a traditional confectioner at Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria; and taste Hungarian and Austrian wines in the cellars of Esztergom Basilica and Durnstein, Austria.

They’ll also taste Slovakian beer and local specialties in Bratislava, Slovakia; and enjoy a tasting (including the traditional herb liqueur Unicum) in the Central Market within Budapest, Hungary. Fares at press time started at $3,399 per person, double occupancy. 

More Gastronomic Enticements

“Gastronomy of the Rhine & Moselle” — This new eight-day itinerary will feature 11 included experiences. So get your taste buds ready for a yummy tasting at the Lindt Chocolate Museum or local beer and snacks in Cologne, Germany.

In Germany, river cruisers will also taste wines in Bernkastel; enjoy a winery visit and tasting in charming Rudesheim; and experience another wine tasting at the Koblenz Wine and Sparkling Wine Museum.

Departures are available on multiple dates between April 2026 and August 2026. At press time, pricing for this gastronomy-themed cruise on the Rhine and Moselle rivers started at $3,649 per person, double occupancy. 

“Gastronomy of the Seine” — “Ooh, la, la! On this French gastronomy-themed cruise, guests will enjoy an eight-day river cruise with 13 included experiences. Among them? Travelers will savor a tasting at a farm and cider house that turns apples into an array of apple-based products.

They’ll also be treated to a tasting at the oldest crêperie in Honfleur, France; taste macarons in the Latin Quarter of Paris; and sample Normandy’s wines and cheeses at Bizy Chateau in Vernon.

This river cruise with many new cruise experiences departs on multiple dates between April 2026 through October 2026. At press time, cruise fares started at $2,799 per person, double occupancy.  

For more about these itineraries and other river options, visit the Riviera River Cruises official website. Then chat with a professional travel advisor to ask questions, ensure you get the best deal and have a smooth booking process.

3. New Cruise Experiences: Maiden Port Calls

For a different type of ocean cruise — one that’s a lovely sailing adventure — check out Star Clippers. It operates a fleet of three tall sailing ships, which look absolutely majestic with sails unfurled!

The line is now taking bookings for its sailings through November 2026, including the full summer season in the Mediterranean, so chat with your travel advisor.

Right now, guests from North America, Central America and South America whose advisor books a select 2026 sailing by December 31, 2024, will receive a free onboard credit as follows:

• $200 for a three-to-six-night sailing
• $300 for a seven-to-nine-night sailing
• $400 for a 10+ night sailing.

So, talk to your advisor today. What’s special about Star Clippers’ 2026 Mediterranean summer season? It includes three exciting new ports of call.

Enticing New Ports of Call

The first is Šibenik, Croatia, a hidden gem on the Adriatic Coast. Yes, you’ll find all the charm of Split and Dubrovnik, but with fewer tourists. Plus, it has a strong culinary heritage.

Another new port of call is Otranto, Italy’s easternmost town located in Puglia. Guests will enjoy basking on white-sand beaches or viewing the 15th century Aragonese Castle.

Finally, the third new port call is at Gytheio, Greece. That’s a beautiful seaside town in the Peloponnese, a humongous peninsula of land jutting into the Mediterranean Sea.

If you’re a history buff, you might be particularly interested in Gytheio and its claim to fame in ancient times. Playing an important naval military role, it served as the seaport for ancient Sparta.

Important Note: At press time, the journeys that included these maiden ports of call for departures through November 2026 were so new that they hadn’t yet been loaded “live” on the line’s website. That’s expected soon, though, so chat with your travel advisor who will alert you soon about details.

We’ve also asked Star Clippers for an example of one itinerary with one of these maiden port calls. We’ll post it here when received. But since this was “hot news” just out today, we wanted to let you know about the enticing possibilities.

And we’ll circle back soon here with an update just as soon as more detail is available. 

4. New Cruisetour for Yukon & Denali 

Ranging from nine to 17 days, Holland America Line‘s 2026 Yukon & Denali cruisetours will include either:

• A three- or four-day “Inside Passage” cruise on the 2,650-passenger Koningsdam or the 1,432-passenger Zaandam, OR
• A seven-day “Glacier Discovery” cruise on the 2,106-passenger Nieuw Amsterdam or 1,916-passenger Westerdam with a two- or three-night stay at Denali and Dawson City.

Those Yukon & Denali cruisetours also may include overnights at Fairbanks, Anchorage and Skagway, depending on the specific cruisetour.

New 13-Day Cruisetour

So, what are we most excited about? For 2026, Holland America Line has introduced a new, 13-day “Alaska, Denali and Yukon Cruisetour.” Those taking this cruisetour vacation will cruise on either Nieuw Amsterdam or Westerdam.

Here’s how it will unfold. The new journey will begin in Fairbanks, AK, and then guests will board a flight to Dawson City in Canada’s Yukon Territory.

Afterward, they’ll head for Denali National Park in Alaska for a three-day stay near the park at a Holland America Lodge. When exploring Denali, keep your eyes open and look for moose, bears and other critters.

Finally, after a robust land adventure, travelers will then head for their cruise ship while riding in the line’s luxury, glass-domed rail cars.

And finally, they’ll spend seven days cruising to Vancouver. Guests booking this new cruisetour will receive three complimentary tours: “Riverboat Discovery” in Fairbanks, the “Klondike Gold Tour” in Dawson City, and “Tundra Wilderness Tour” in Denali National Park.

At press time, this new cruisetour started at $4,219 per person, double occupancy. Chat with a professional travel advisor for all the details and to book.

And keep reading The Meandering Traveler to learn about other new cruise experiences as they’re introduced.

Important Information from Pavlus Travel