If your 2024 is anything like mine, you’ll have little time to prepare for the holidays, let alone think about your travel plans for the year. So, now that the presents have been opened and the new year has arrived, you can’t wait to book your next trip.
After digging into what’s new and exciting in the cruise industry, I’ve compiled a list of eight dream-worthy cruise itineraries that are anything but typical. These include new destinations, returns to places cruise lines haven’t sailed in years and waterways where passenger ships haven’t sailed yet but will soon.
Some cruise lines claim that 75% of inventory for 2025 is sold, so you’ll want to think carefully about this year (or even 2026 and 2027) when planning your next sea vacation. Add these great itineraries to your cruise wish list for 2025 and beyond.
NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, all prices listed are single occupancy and based on double occupancy. Ticket prices are accurate at time of publication but subject to change.
Magdalena River Cruise with AmaWaterways
Starting in March, AmaWaterways will become the first major cruise line to sail the Magdalena River, as noted in TPG’s Best Places to Travel 2025 . A cruise along the river gives you a glimpse.
The cruise line will have two ships on the river, AmaMagdalena and AmaMelodia, offering two seven-night itineraries – “Colombian Wonders” and “Colombian Magic” – that will run regularly between Cartagena and Barranquilla Sailing. An overnight stay in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed colonial city of Santa Cruz de Monques and a visit to Palenque, known as the first free African town in the Americas, are highlights.
Tours of the picturesque La Mojana region, visits to indigenous communities, bird watching and a visit to the floating village of Nueva Venecia are also on the agenda. As with all AmaWaterways cruises, cruise fares start at $3,839 per person and include daily tours with a local guide.
New England and Canada itineraries with Azamara Cruises
In September and October 2025, premium cruise line Azamara Cruises will return to New England with three itineraries ranging from 12 to 14 nights. Although the area is not new to the cruiser, this will be the Azamara’s first call in nearly a decade to Boston; Newport, Rhode Island; as well as Bar Harbor and Portland, Maine.
Featuring a mix of Canadian ports such as Saint John, New Brunswick; Halifax, Nova Scotia; Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; and Montreal, these itineraries are ideal for passengers during peak leaf viewing season A great way to enjoy the charm of a charming coastal city.
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The three one-way flights include two 12-night Canada/New England Intensive sailings, departing on September 23 and October 5, 2025, and a 14-night Canada/American Colonial Intensive sailing. Departs on October 17th. In 2025, it’s all about Azamara Quest. They sail from Montreal to New York, New York to Montreal, and Montreal to Miami (the last one also stops in New York, Norfolk, Virginia, and Charleston, South Carolina). Prices for the Oct. 17 cruise start at $3,519 per person for cabins.
Holland America sails in Alaska’s small harbor
On September 16, 2026, Holland America Line will launch the “Great Bear Rainforest and Alaska Explorer” single itinerary in Zaandam. The rare cruise will depart from Vancouver on an 18-day round trip and visit several Alaskan ports of call, including Homer, Valdez, Wrangell, Kodiak and Anchorage, which are not often visited by cruise ships. Ports visited. The more frequently visited ports of Ketchikan, Juneau, and Sitka are also on the itinerary.
As part of the voyage, the ship will spend two full days exploring the beautiful and narrow channels that cut through British Columbia’s western edge – most notably Grenville Channel and Seymour Channel.
Cabin fares for this one-time cruise start at $3,029 per person.
Cruise ship to Carnival Celebration Center
Carnival Cruise Line is in the midst of a construction boom, and I don’t mean the ships. Passengers on the line will be served by the private destination Celebration Key, which is expected to open on the south side of Grand Bahama in July 2025.
Carnival cruise ships can visit for free during their stops; eventually, the port will have room for up to four ships to dock simultaneously. Celebration Key has five different areas for passengers to explore, including two large waterslides, a family activity and sports area, an adults-only area and plenty of dining and shopping options.
Over 500 Carnival itineraries currently list Celebration Key as a port of call, which means you should have no trouble finding a voyage there. The three-night Carnival Conquest cruise starts at $334 per person inside cabin and will depart Miami on January 2, 2026 round-trip.
Atlas Ocean Voyages 2026 Solar Eclipse Cruise
Food hunters hoping to see the solar eclipse on August 12, 2026 are in luck. Atlas Ocean Voyages offers two cruise options, both of which will put you in the best vantage point while enjoying a European cruise. You can look forward to daily lectures and evening discussions from astronomers, who will serve as onboard expedition guides.
The first is a week-long eclipse cruise aboard the company’s World Voyager cruise ship from Barcelona to Monte Carlo, Monaco, departing on August 9, 2026, including visits to the Spanish islands of Ibiza and Mar Palma de Lorca and Cannes, France. The second ship, World Navigator’s nine-night Polar Eclipse Discovery cruise, departs August 11, 2026, and sails round trip from Reykjavik, stopping at several Icelandic towns and local fjords.
Ocean view cabins (with windows but no balconies) on World Traveller cruises start at $5,500. Ocean view cabins on World Navigator cruise ships start at $8,899 per person.
Virgin Voyages cruises from Los Angeles
While cruises sailing from California are nothing new, we’re excited when brand new ships set sail from the West Coast, bringing some love to this often-overlooked region. Virgin Voyages’ fourth and final ship, Brilliant Lady, will debut in fall 2025 and will include cruises from Los Angeles as part of its inaugural season.
The ship will offer a series of three round-trip sailings from Los Angeles between April and May 2026. a six-night trip to Cabo San Lucas and Mazatlan, Mexico; and a seven-night sailing to Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. The fourth flight is an eight-night cruise from Los Angeles to Vancouver that includes stops in San Francisco; Astoria, Oregon; and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.
Prices start at $896 per person for a five-night cruise inside cabin.
Abercrombie & Kent on Amazon
Starting in mid-2025, Abercrombie & Kent, a luxury travel company whose portfolio includes small cruise ships, will launch Pure Amazon, a new river ship in the Peruvian Amazon, offering three-, four- and seven-night itineraries in Pacaya. Miria National Reserve.
Passengers can search for sloths, monkeys and pink dolphins; fish for piranhas; and try kayaking. But what’s really special about this experience is that there are only 10 suites and two single occupancy accommodations on board, which means the maximum passenger capacity is about 20 people.
Accommodation with panoramic windows starts at $5,475 per person on a three-day cruise.
Cunard Airways in South America
This year Cunard will send a ship to South America as part of a longer 78-day “grand” voyage around the continent.
Queen Victoria’s 2025 South America cruise is sold out, but passengers can choose parts of the entire voyage. The second half of the voyage is a 31-night voyage from San Antonio, Chile to Southampton, England, calling ports in Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Panama (including full canal transit), with internal fares starting at $5,299 per person. A 17-night option is also available – sailing from San Antonio, Chile to Fort Lauderdale – starting from $2,899 per person inside cabin. Both flight segments will depart on February 25, 2025.
If you’re planning a longer cruise or need more time to plan, you can check out the company’s 2027 Grand South America Adventures itinerary, a 90-night cruise aboard the Queen Anne that departs Hamburg, Germany on January 12 Departure and round trip. Prices start at $17,029 per person for interior cabins. Segments are also available.
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