The luxury cruises you need to experience in 2025

Set sail on the high seas on ships known for their luxury, comfort, service and impeccable itineraries.

Grand Journeys with Explora

Cross oceans and traverse continents with Explora Journeys on its new collection of Grand Journeys. The luxury cruise line’s new series offers guests a more unhurried exploration of lesser-visited destinations with immersive cultural shore excursions.

Explora Cruises' indoor pool — Unwind and explore the cruise’s high-end amenities. (Image: Ivan Sarfatti)

With longer itineraries – such as a 21-day journey from Miami to Barcelona – more time at sea means guests can truly unwind and indulge in the enriched culinary program and wellness offerings onboard EXPLORA I and EXPLORA II.

Italy with Ponant

Italian luxury cruise by Ponant — Indulge in Italy’s finest flavors. (Image: N. Matheus)

The pasta. The wine. The cheese. Ponant has combined everything we love about Italy with the exceptional luxury the cruise line is known for during an upcoming culinary journey onboard Le Bougainville. Join Italian chef Denny Imbroisi for the voyage, which departs 10 June from Valletta, Malta, and explores the intoxicating regions of Sicily, Puglia and Ancona before concluding in Venice. Expect authentic Italian cuisine onboard and food-focused shore excursions, from a visit to a mozzarella caseificio (dairy farm) to a Prosecco tour.

Across Europe with Crystal

Crystal is one of the leaders in the luxury cruising space. This year, Crystal will celebrate its 35th anniversary with a nine-night cruise from Tarragona (Barcelona) to Civitavecchia (Rome) from 4-13 June. Join Geoffrey Kent (founder of Abercrombie & Kent) on the journey around the Mediterranean which includes stops at Palma de Mallorca, Cinque Terre and Livorno (for visits to Pisa and Florence). The 15-night Lisbon to Tema itinerary is also worth getting excited about, setting sail for Africa and crossing to the Canary Islands from 26 November.

Epicurean Explorer Tours with Regent Seven Seas

Ultra-luxe cruise line Regent Seven Seas Cruises has unveiled 12 new Epicurean Explorer Tours that connect its guests to culture through food. Available to book for voyages onboard Seven Seas Grandeur, Seven Seas Splendor and Seven Seas Explorer, these new tours are limited to 18 guests per session and include foraging with a celebrity chef in Belfast, hands-on breadmaking at a multi-generational bakery in Valletta, and purchasing produce from a Busan market that will be used to make Korean dishes in the Culinary Arts Kitchen onboard.

The Caribbean with Silversea

The newest ship from ultra-luxe cruise line Silversea will join Silver Moon and Silver Shadow in the Caribbean from March. Silver Ray forms part of the company’s vast offering in the region, which includes nine voyages until May and a staggering 32 itineraries from November until February 2026. Ranging from seven to 21 days, Silversea spoils its guests with choice in this region rich in culture, natural beauty and warm communities.

Antarctica and the Arctic with Scenic

view of penguin colonies from a luxury cruise — Witness thriving penguin colonies in their natural habitat. (Image: Niko Paulin)

Scenic is known for its unrivalled expeditions into some of the world’s most remote regions, with its Scenic Eclipse Discovery Yachts featuring two helicopters, a submersible and almost a 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio with a team of experts from marine biologists to glaciologists.

view from Scenic Eclipse Observatory luxury cruise — The state-of-the-art ships give a front-row seat to stunning scenery.

For 2025 to 2027, the luxury cruise company has announced an extensive collection of polar Expedition Voyages through Antarctica and the Arctic, including the Norwegian fjords and Iceland.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.

The luxury cruises you need to experience this year

Set sail on the high seas on ships known for their luxury, comfort, service and impeccable itineraries.

Grand Journeys with Explora

Italy with Ponant

Across Europe with Crystal

Epicurean Explorer Tours with Regent Seven Seas

The Caribbean with Silversea

Antarctica and the Arctic with Scenic

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