Sea tips

Regent Seven Seas Cruises has announced that bookings for its 2027 World Cruise, “World of Splendor,” will go on sale on April 10, 2024.

Design forward cottages on the edge of the sand dunes. A restaurant for steamed lobsters next door and other options for dining and entertainment a few minutes’ walk away. That’s what guests will find when The Dunes on the Waterfront reopens in May in completely renovated form in Ogunquit on the south coast of Maine.

Puglia might still be a somewhat under-the-radar destination compared to other Italian regions, but locals know that the country’s easternmost region is emblematic of all the best things Italy has to offer: stunning natural landscapes, millennia-old history, rich folklore and delicious cuisine.

Following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, two cruise lines are in search of alternate ports where their ships can dock when their current voyages conclude.

Four Seasons has long set the gold standard for luxury accommodations on land and is renowned for its exquisite hotels that offer unparalleled comfort and service. Now, this legacy of luxury is extending its reach to the seas. In a groundbreaking move, Four Seasons Yachts, in collaboration with Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings Ltd and the esteemed Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, is introducing an ambitious venture into luxury sea travel. Scheduled to set sail in 2026, this initiative promises an experience that transcends traditional cruising, offering voyages across the mesmerizing waters of the Caribbean and the historic coasts of the Mediterranean.

Halifax is known for its seafood more so than its plant-based cuisine—but that doesn’t mean finding vegetarian and vegan-friendly restaurants will be difficult. Nova Scotia is ahead of the curve when it comes to championing local- and seasonal cuisine in Canada and as such the quality of plant-based dining tends to be pretty high.

Four Seasons loyalists have a lot to be excited about, with the launch of the brand’s first yacht nearing in 2026.

Nothing says summer quite like a cold adult beverage on a breezy rooftop—and the capital of Nova Scotia does rooftop drinking and dining extremely well. It helps that Downtown Halifax is nestled along the Halifax Harbour; the city gets a decent sea breeze come summertime that is best experienced on an open-air patio that overlooks the city and sea.

Nestled in the North Atlantic between Scotland, Norway, and Iceland, the Faroe Islands are packed with dramatic cliffs, slender waterfalls, and natural landscapes that have attracted filmmakers from far and wide.

When you can gaze on the salt pans of Guérande, near Nantes, cycle through lavender fields in Drôme, in the south-east, and bask in the splendour of the Cirque de Gavarnie in the Pyrénees, you have to wonder how France got so lucky with its diverse landscapes. Most recently, the volcanic landscape of the Massif Central captured my heart. The chain of extinct volcanoes runs south from the highest, Le Puy de Dôme (there’s a rack railway to the top) near Clermont-Ferrand.

A 23-year-old tourist is presumed dead after falling from the MSC Euribia cruise ship in the North Sea, reports say.

Western Washington State boasts four incredible travel destinations — Seattle, the San Juan Islands, the Olympic Peninsula and Mount Rainier.

If you thought expedition cruising was all about polar destinations, think again. The newest ships and itineraries will have you swapping the thermal gear for swimsuits, basking in bright sunshine and slipping into the warm crystal waters in some of the more remote tropics around the world, including wild frontiers without the bone-chilling cold.

No matter how far your cruise roams, staying connected to the internet can be as important for some cruisers as oxygen and water. Whether you're keen on live-streaming penguins from your balcony on an Antarctica cruise, catching up on your favorite TV series or hopping on a Zoom call in the middle of the Pacific, connectivity and high-speed access are now considered essentials when cruising.

Greece inspires our dreams – we dream about its azure seas, its charming island villages and its myriad beaches, both broad and minute. We dream about the Acropolis, shining on a hill over fascinating Athens. This grand country, from mountaintop to city street, lives up to those dreams. Greece satisfies travelers looking for adventure, the great outdoors, relaxing seaside vacations and immersive cultural experiences.

Puglia, the heel of the great Italian boot, packs in just about everything we love about Italy: olive groves and vineyards, picturesque hill towns, extraordinary art and architecture, superb food and wine. But it all comes with a Puglian twist and a host of unexpected influences. This region was, after all, once the stomping ground of the ancient Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Normans, Angevins and Spaniards, whose legacy is still keenly felt in the architecture of its churches and towns. Add to that 800km of beaches fringing Italy’s easternmost coastline, and you have a region that is forever upending expectations.

No historical plaque marks the spot known as Platja des Franceses, or Frenchman's Beach, on the Spanish island of Mallorca. In fact, as I turned off a back road in the warm haze of a late summer's afternoon, there was little to distinguish it from other parts of Alcúdia Bay, a roughly eight-and-a-half-mile-long arc of soft sand and gently lapping crystal-clear waters. Like most corners of the Mediterranean in July, it was a genial hubbub of families playing, lovers smooching, and sun worshippers lazing. But I recognized the location, framed by a shady grove of pine trees with a headland in the distance, from murky black-and-white holiday photographs and a flickering Super 8 movie I'd watched on YouTube.

A jaguar drilling the camera with its eyes as it attacks a crocodile, a village floating on Lake Titicaca as wildfire approaches, amazing portraits, architectural wonders and gorgeous landscapes are all among the 10 category winners and shortlisted single photos in the prestigious Sony World Photography Awards open competition, unveiled by theWorld Photography Organisation.

Earlier this year, guests at Royal Caribbean's Perfect Day at CocoCay private island were the first to revel at the historic sight of the world's largest cruise ships, Icon of the Seas and Wonder of the Seas, docked side-by-side.

If there's one thing Italians love to do, it's hit the beach when the sun is out and then argue over which one is the best. Spirited debates flourish among families about the most beautiful stretch of shore and no wonder – when you live in a country gifted with gorgeous stretches of sand, there's always another favorite to celebrate.

India's smallest territory, Lakshadweep, is emerging as a must-see destination, with Indian tourists and forward-thinking experiential visitors. The area made headlines following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vacation in January when he posted multiple images of the stunning islands to promote tourism in the region. His heavy praise of Lakshadweep was construed as an attempt to lure tourists away from the Maldives. Soon after negative criticism came from a few ministers in the Maldives, an Indian "boycott" started, resulting in a 33% drop in visitors from India.