CRUISE & STAY
CRUISE AND BEACH Short-haul: Aegean Shores with Corfu stay For clients who want to flit between various Greek isles and ancient sites, before finding a beachfront spot to settle down for a week, this cruise-and-stay offers the best of both worlds. Marella Voyager’s Aegean Shores sailing starts with Athens,
where the Acropolis provides a dramatic opening act, before heading to Kusadasi, gateway to the ancient ruins of Ephesus. Santorini brings whitewashed villages and blue-domed churches, while Chania’s Venetian harbour and Argostoli’s green hills lead the way to Corfu. Here, clients can swap sightseeing for seven nights at the Atlantica Grand Mediterraneo Resort above Ermones Beach. After a week of ruins, museums and excursions, the toughest decision will be whether to take a dip or order another cocktail. Book it: Marella Cruises’ 14-night Aegean Shores with Corfu itinerary costs from £2,276, departing May 14, 2027. Price includes Tui Airways flights from Bournemouth, transfers and tips.
tui.co.uk/cruise
CRUISE AND CITY BREAK Short-haul: The Blue Danube with Budapest extension Weekend break in Budapest or a beautiful Danube cruise? Why choose when you can have both on this Riviera Travel package. Three nights pre-cruise give clients ample time to explore Budapest’s thermal baths, grand architecture and quirky ruin bars, as well as the two distinct sides of the city: hilly, historic Buda, with its cobbled Castle Hill; and lively, cafe-filled Pest, home to its much-photographed Parliament. After the bustle of Budapest, the 178-passenger Riviera Radiance
offers a more relaxed pace. With 89 cabins, three dining venues, a panoramic lounge and sun deck with plunge pool, it feels more like a boutique hotel than a floating resort. The Danube wends its way to Bratislava and Vienna before reaching the vineyards, medieval towns and rolling hills of the Wachau Valley. Melk Abbey adds a magnificent slice of baroque architecture to the journey, while villages, church spires and vineyards slip past as the ship follows the river. Book it: Riviera Travel’s 11-days Blue Danube with Budapest extension departing May 30, 2027, costs from £3,678.
rivieratravel.co.uk
Long-haul: Antarctic Explorer and Iguazu Falls extension Antarctica is the star, but Iguazu Falls plays an Oscar-worthy supporting role in this 16-night trip from Viking. The journey begins in Buenos Aires (pictured), where grand boulevards, sultry tango shows and sizzling steakhouses offer a taste of Argentina’s capital, before flying north to Iguazu. Here, walkways lead through the forest to Devil’s Throat, where millions of litres of water plunge into the gorge below. After a flight south to Ushuaia, guests board Viking Polaris for a voyage to the Antarctic Peninsula. Zodiac excursions take guests in between icebergs and close to penguins, whales and seals, with snow- covered peaks and towering walls of ice rising around the ship. Book it: Viking’s 16-night Antarctic Explorer and Iguazu Falls extension, departing January 13, 2027, costs from £17,689.
vikingcruises.co.uk
Long-haul: Treasures of the Caribbean Start with a Barbados beach, then swap the sunlounger for P&O Cruises’ ‘sunshine ship’ on a whistle-stop tour of the Caribbean. It’s an easy way to combine proper downtime with some serious island-hopping. Kuoni can package up an itinerary beginning with three nights in Barbados before boarding Arvia. The 5,200-passenger ship has a SkyDome with retractable roof, Altitude Skywalk and its own rum distillery – very apt for Caribbean sailings. The cruise calls at Antigua, St Kitts, Sint Maarten and Saint Lucia, with an overnight in Antigua giving extra time to explore its beaches and historic Nelson’s Dockyard. St Kitts brings sugar plantations and volcanic scenery, while Sint
Maarten offers beaches, bars and a distinctly cosmopolitan feel. In Saint Lucia, expect rainforest, mountains and the dramatic Pitons before heading back to those never-ending sea views. Book it: Kuoni’s 16-night Treasures of the Caribbean itinerary, departing November 17, costs from £3,299.
pocruises.com
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travelweekly.co.uk
10 SEPTEMBER 2026
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PICTURE: Shutterstock/Luis War
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