Excursion tips

Cruising is an efficient means of travel, allowing you to tick off multiple bucket-list destinations in one fell swoop. However, that means you might only spend about 8 hours in each port (although more and more cruises are staying in ports overnight.)

As Lisbon began its St. Anthony's Day celebrations, marking the anniversary of the saint's death, the cruise world celebrated the birth of a new luxury cruise ship, Silversea Cruises' Silver Ray, with a christening ceremony in the heart of the Portuguese city.

Falling as it does in mid-June, Father’s Day coincides with an upswing in outdoor excursions. Whether your dad is into backpacking, fishing or forest bathing, he could probably use a few upgrades for his campfire cooking. Replace his worn-out plastic cooler with one from Oyster, a Norwegian company that launched its gleaming aluminum, vacuum-insulated version last year. The Japanese gear maker Snow Peak has a titanium cup and pot set with thoughtful details: The two items nestle together to save space in a backpack, and the pot’s lid has a silicone tab that won’t get hot, eliminating the need for an oven mitt. (Every ounce counts when you’re carrying your kitchen up a mountain.) To ease his mind around meal planning, gift him a few vegan camp meals from Poe & Co. Folk Foods, founded last year by the California-based chef couple Jamie and Jayson Poe. (She cooked at New York’s Gramercy Tavern, he at the Four Seasons in Santa Barbara.) Their offerings include a black garlic ramen bowl and coconut chickpea stew — all you have to do is pour in a bit of boiling water.

With enhanced offerings and new personalized amenities, The Retreat of Celebrity Cruises delivers the most elevated experience at sea.

I pried open the blinds, letting dawn’s filigreed light into the cabin. Outside my window, wild forest zoomed past. All night the train had barreled up the “jungle rails,” a historic set of tracks that spans the length of peninsular Malaysia, from its southernmost tip to its border with Thailand in the northeast. Those tracks would lead us to Taman Negara, one of the world’s oldest rainforests and the last refuge of the Malayan tiger.

Whether you’re craving the thrill of the Atlantic waters or seeking a tranquil retreat in a scenic locale, this article ensures you make the most of your visit to Tenerife.

VIVA Cruises introduces enchanting Seine River cruises for winter 2024, featuring visits to Versailles and Chantilly, with cultural excursions and luxurious onboard amenities on the VIVA Gloria.

Marc is just back from Cabo Verde where he researched and wrote the upcoming Pocket Cabo Verde (out October 2024). Here he breaks down which island is best for your favorite type of vacation.

Embark on a journey through Alaska's pristine wilderness aboard a cruise ship, where you can experience the awe-inspiring nature of the last American frontier in comfort.

A flat tire. A medical situation. A tour that runs overtime. Any of these delays could prevent a shore excursion operator from returning guests on time to a port of call and risk the ship departing without them.

ATIRA. When the inhabitants of this valley talk about sustainability, they use terms such as ‘Amur’ (love), ‘Teritore’ (territory), ‘Insegnamënt’ (education), ‘Respet’ (respect) and ‘Ambiënt’ (environment). ATIRA, which means ‘immediately’ in Ladin, was born out of this deep sense of responsibility. These words do not need translation, but rather actions, even small ones, concrete and immediate. ATIRA is a series of meetings and excursions that take place every Monday during the summer season, with the aim of making residents and visitors aware of issues that are crucial for the sustainable development of the territory and important for the community. Accompanied by local experts, the excursion participants will not only learn fascinating facts about the mountains, but also how to actively contribute to the protection of the territory. With ATIRA you become a guardian of the Dolomites.

Australia is home to its fair share of fascinating creatures—the frilled lizard, quokka and platypus, to name a few—and when it comes to spotting a massive array of native species in the flesh, few destinations can compare to Kangaroo Island. Located just southwest of Adelaide, this storied site serves as one of South Australia’s crown jewels for ecotourism, with no shortage of protected preserves that play host to all sorts of indigenous flora and fauna. As you plan your next trip to Australia’s southern shore, be sure to save some room on the itinerary for a wildlife-filled foray into the depths of Kangaroo Island.

It’s a sight that most cruisers dread: Watching their ship sail out of port as they sprint down the pier. But for one reason or another, missing a cruise ship is a situation that travelers could easily find themselves in.

A couple says they were stranded on a small African island after they missed a cruise ship's boarding deadline, according to local media.

“We could combine this with a trip to Leonardo da Vinci's birthplace,” suggests Paola Donato, a shore excursion expert in Italy for Windstar Cruises. It's a January morning, and I'm standing on the tree-lined grounds of the 16th-century Villa Dianella winery in Tuscany with Donato, project manager Melissa Witsoe, and destination manager Gonzalo Mones as they choose locations for new shore excursions for their Legendary Winter in the Mediterranean sailing. This year marks the first time Windstar will sail the Med in the colder months, but the trio is already planning for 2025.

AMSTERDAM -- The ASTA River Cruise Expo returned to Europe for its third year, featuring more ships, more travel advisors and an even larger venue.

Alaska cruises are so popular because they’re an easy way to surround yourself with some of the country’s most beautiful scenery while taking advantage of all the perks of a luxury ship – like top notch accommodations, fun activities and great food.

As a boat picked my friend Katie and me up on the beaches of Dangriga, Belize, we had about 25 minutes to bond with the other guests traveling to Thatch Caye resort.

I've been on two African safari trips. Both involved glamping but on completely different budgets.

The best Alaska cruise excursions can range from the thrilling to the serene. Passengers can fly on sleds led by huskies, ogle bald eagles and salmon-gobbling grizzlies, and soar over towering glaciers in a helicopter. And the best part? All these activities are planned for you as part of the cruise itinerary—as a way for travelers to sample the diverse wonders of The Last Frontier in one fell swoop.

Train lovers everywhere wait all year for Hudson River Rail's annual excursions that allow passengers to relive the historic splendor of the 20th Century Limited express passenger train, once billed as the “most famous train in the world.” The popular rail journeys sell out every year—and last year, tickets were snapped up in minutes.