Luxury cruising: In celebration of slow luxury travel

See it all on a world cruise  

Given extraordinary travel is something of a speciality for us, the maximalist of luxury slow travel has to be first to mention. Though it may seem extreme, the mighty world cruise adds a home-away-from-home ambience to traversing the globe, making this once-in-a-lifetime journey less of a novelty and more of a meaningful venture.  

Take Explora Journeys' 'Endless Worlds' luxury cruise for instance, where a base on the high seas will see you travel almost full circle from Dubai to Barcelona. Weaving through 7 passages on an adventure totalling 128 days, it’s a sure-fire way to tick age-old landmarks off the bucket list while only unpacking once. Rarely can you see the likes of the Taj Mahal, the Great Barrier Reef, Easter Island and Machu Picchu in one trip, but with the world at your window onboard truly exceptional accommodation, Yala National Park to New York City isn’t nearly as far-fetched as it first seems.  

Small-scale sailing: yachts, river cruising and icy expeditions 

Crossing oceans is one way to see the many wonders of the world, yet getting a closer look at dream destinations is where smaller ships really shine. Perhaps an experiment in breadth versus depth, choosing a smaller journey allows for more immersive experiences, rather than a taste of a great many destinations.  

Rivers flowing through the heart of culture 

Meandering through the middle of continents adds an intriguing perspective to destinations from the water. For our closest neighbours in mainland Europe, for instance, stops along the Danube, Rhine and Douro allow for city breaks in succession, conveniently connected perhaps more easily than the famed efficiency of European rail travel. Over in Asia, life revolves around the likes of the Ganges and Mekong, meaning a luxury cruise here truly gets to the heart of the East’s most sought-after spiritual destinations. Yet by contrast, the Chobe River weaving through Botswana makes some of the most remote wildlife sightings possible, offering a sailing safari where animals flock to drink – a rather wide variety for slow luxury travel if we do say so ourselves.  

Personalisation is a private yacht charter  

Curating your own luxury cruise is where chartering a private yacht takes things a step further. Sun-soaked destinations beckon in the likes of the Mediterranean, Caribbean and South Pacific, where only the select few onboard enjoy an itinerary personalised to their interests. No matter where in the world, water sports are a given almost anywhere you choose to pause for a while, though it’s where that really makes the trip.  

Virgin Gorda is a paradise for snorkellers to explore in the British Virgin Islands, its natural caves a rather grand sight rising from the water.  Uninhabited shores of the archipelago often harbour vibrant coral reefs too, seen only when you’re not enjoying a private picnic or soaking up the calming quiet of life as a luxury castaway. Blissful sea and sands may look a little different in the Mediterranean, but private yacht travel enjoys a high-brow reputation here for a reason. The beauty of destinations such as Sardinia’s La Maddelena archipelago and the Emerald Coast have captured the attention of the jet set for generations, who welcome entertainment onboard as well as venturing out to explore for themselves. Expert sommeliers may appear to pair their chef’s culinary creations with the perfect accompaniment; or musicians invited onboard to soundtrack a spellbinding sunset. The possibilities really do seem endless.  

Polar expeditions into the unknown 

Saving the most exhilarating to last, the standouts of slow luxury travel have to be expeditions to the farthest reaches of our planet. Though travelling to where no other than a luxury cruise could take you can be found on almost every continent, this sense of adventure is unparalleled in the Antarctic. Following in the footsteps of intrepid explorers, petite ships like PONANT’s Le Commandant Charcot venture to the white desert, where guests can hike, snowshoe or take to the waters by kayak and zodiac, getting up close to wildlife and the frozen landscapes they call home. Led by experts for an experience that’s educational as much as it is awe-inspiring, there’s nothing quite like seeing the seventh continent with your own eyes – and being one of few to do so.