Cruises to Gift for the Holidays

It’s that time of the year again, the time when you decide what gifts to buy your friends and family. Cruises are an exciting option – and no one will think about returning them. Choose from small-ship sails, river and ocean voyages, and expedition cruises for the more adventurous. There are options to suit every taste, interest, and budget. Here are some of the best for the year ahead.

Sailing Holidays

Conjuring up the “grand age of sailing,” Star Clippers epitomizes romance on the high seas. Adding to the adventure of wind-led sailing on a five-masted tall ship, guests can climb onto the bowsprit netting stretching over the ocean, harness in to climb the mast to the crow’s nest or challenge their balance with yoga classes. Book the Royal Clipper, the largest square rigger in the world, and prepare your cameras for stunning views from above. Sailings take you to the Caribbean in the winter months or through the Mediterranean in spring, summer, and early fall. 

For someone who prefers sailing in the United States, gift a windjammer cruise on a Maine Windjammer Association tall ship. Sailings from Penobscot Bay range from three days to a week with itineraries that literally change with the wind. Vessels offer varying degrees of windjammer “luxury” to fit different budgets. For the sailor with caviar tastes, consider the exquisite Schooner Ladona. Rainhead showers, a communal dining table covered during inclement weather, cozy cabins, and comfortable deck seating blend class with casual windjamming sensibility. Wine selections, carefully curated by the owners, are served at dinner. Reserve starting late spring through fall when New England’s foliage brilliance is at its peak.

River Cruises

Give your pickleball player a cruise on a ship that has the only pickleball court on a river. AmaWaterways’ four-country Magna on the Danube offers weeklong sailings from Budapest with stops in Vienna, Bratislava, and Passau. Double-wide with spacious suites with balconies, the ship also has a Zen Wellness Center with a fitness center and massage rooms. Invite the pickleball crew, too –– they’ll love the connecting staterooms or triple/quadruple accommodations. Make it a five-country trip by adding two days in Prague at the end.

You’ll get nothing but thanks from your favorite culture vulture with the immersive Vietnam and Cambodia cruise along the Mekong River from Scenic Cruises. Focusing on Southeast Asia history, gastronomy, and personal interactions, Scenic’s five-star Scenic Spirit sails from Ho Chi Minh City to Siem Reap, carrying a maximum of 68 passengers. In addition to in-depth touring, excursions spend time with local school children, residents of a floating village, and market vendors. Onboard, guests enjoy Cambodian street food, local dance, history lectures, and luxurious balcony suites. For an enhanced experience, also book Scenic’s guided land portions beginning in Hanoi or continuing to Laos.

Expedition Cruises

Expedition cruises are a great choice for the adventurous traveler. Antarctica remains a dream destination for many, and Scenic Cruises has upped the mix of luxury and exploration with its six-star Scenic Eclipse ships and Scenic Discovery Yachts. Guests can test their fearlessness quotient with a polar dip, a submarine cruise, and a helicopter flight for a complete Southern Hemisphere immersion. Custom-built stabilizers keep the ship steady even in rough seas. Because the ship carries no more than 200 passengers, guests can experience the White Continent on land as well, with treks led by naturalists and experts. Onboard features include elegant and varied dining, a Champagne bar, a spa, a gym, fitness classes, and cushy suites with butler service.

Animal lovers seeking the newest and greatest will flock to National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions’ new National Geographic Gemini. Setting sail in 2025, the small ship travels the Galápagos Islands with eco-sensitivity, offering a mindful exploration of landscapes populated with tortoises, blue-footed boobies, penguins, and sea lions, all unfazed by the presence of humans. Expert guides lead hikes, photo walks, kayaking, paddle boarding and snorkeling. For an in-depth animal experience, guests can also visit the Charles Darwin Research Station where giant tortoises in every stage of life — from days to decades old — can be observed and studied.

Ocean Cruises

For nature-loving friends who always want to be ahead of the curve, gift a small-ship cruise that will launch in 2026. Windstar’s new 14-day Quebec & Newfoundland Adventure departs from Montreal, visiting Newfoundland and Labrador during the foliage-rich fall months. Stopping at remote Quebec regions like the Madeline Islands, the 312-passenger Wind Spirit also ports on the St. Pierre & Miquelon islands, a territorial collectivity owned by France. Overnights in Quebec City add more French culture with wine tastings and cuisine.

Foodies will love the seven-day culinary-focused sailings on Princess Cruises’ new Sun Princess. Visiting ports in Greece and Montenegro, the new vessel makes dining excellence a priority with restaurants helmed by international celebrity chefs like sushi master Makoto Okuwa and Rudi Sodamin who combines culinary wizardry with works from artist Romero Britto. Spirits and wines draw from the collections of Blake Lively, Matthew McConaughey, Liv Schreiber, and Pitbull. Opt for an exclusive Sanctuary Collection suite for the ultimate experience with a separate spa, restaurant, lounge, and sun deck.

Holland America Lines’ Alaska cruises are just the ticket for seafood lovers who love adventure. Excursions take guests five-glacier flightseeing, whale-watching, and salmon fishing on seven-day itineraries such as the Alaska Explorer and the Alaska Inside Passage. Passengers savor local seafood through the award-winning Global Fresh Fish Program which sources more than 80 varieties of local fish through a worldwide vendor network. In addition to chef-cooked preparations of halibut, black cod, Dover sole, and King Salmon, Princess offers Savor My Catch with its fishing adventures: the salmon you catch is cooked  “ocean-to-fork”  for you onboard.

When a crafts-oriented beach holiday fits the bill, Silversea’s French Polynesia cruises make a distinctive gift, featuring unusual stops at two Marquesas Islands, Hiva Oa and Nuku Hiva. Craftsmen on these islands are said to have been endowed with an extraordinary power of creation, bringing life to inert materials through their artistry. Combined with port stops in Tahiti, the beach holiday is as educational as it is beautiful.

Appealing to travelers passionate about ruins and archaeology, Celestyal’s seven-night Idyllic Aegean cruise is an excellent choice. Visiting sites like Heraklion in Crete, the Acropolis of Rhodes, the Parthenon in Athens, and Ephesus at Kusadasi, the two-country sailing on the new Celestyal Journey takes in a variety of Greek islands along with a full-day stop in Turkey. With optional shore excursions and meal plans, this sailing is a comfortable choice for cost-conscious travelers as well.

If time is no object, Seabourn’s longer cruises provide an extraordinary way to visit multiple countries. The 39-Day Southeast Asia, Japan & Hawaiian Islands sojourn departs Singapore and winds through Vietnam, Japan, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, reaching the Hawaiian Islands and concluding in California. A wide choice of excursions provides immersion into the variety of cultures experienced. A notable perk: Seabourn is renowned for offering limitless caviar on board at dinner and any time in your stateroom – a decadent treat for luxury travelers.

Specialty Cruises

This one’s for women only, designed by women. In 2025, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises’ first-ever Women-Only Cruise will set sail through Burgundy and Provence. Female oenophiles will be treated to a wine and chocolate pairing, exclusive itineraries and workshops, special guests, and more. Excursions are culinary-focused including truffle hunting and cycling to explore Chartreuse, the famous monk-created liqueur. For entertainment and relaxation, ladies can try out their burlesque talents or schedule a pampering spa treatment.

An exceptional gift for a family or group of friends, a crewed yacht cruise along the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia is a bespoke, luxury experience where no wish is too large. Goolets, based in Slovenia, offers superyachts for charter at different price points. The family-friendly Ohana is appropriate for travelers of all ages with playrooms and child-appropriate amenities. For luxury seekers, the recently enhanced Freedom offers comfort for 22 people with lots of activities. There’s a theater, sauna, massage salon, gym, myriad water toys, and fine dining throughout the trip. You’ll feel like a celebrity, at a manageable price.