Consider iBestTravel the answer to the question our editors get asked more than any other: What are your favorite places to stay? Our 30th annual iteration of the world’s greatest hotels and cruises captures nearly a year’s worth of work. This collection represents hundreds of hours of researching, scouting, and impassioned debating by our team of editors in seven cities across the globe. Moreover, it reflects our ongoing love affair with the places we experience, which often become gateways to entire destinations. Read on to inspire your next cruise.
Oceania Cruises’ Marina is one of 12 ships chosen by our editors for 2024.
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David Vargas/Courtesy Lindblad Expeditions Delfin II – Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic
The Amazon River has the opacity of chocolate milk and is almost deathlike in its stillness – which is wild when you consider how much life thrives there. It was on a nine-day journey through Peru with Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic that I learned this, as we spent five of those days exploring the jungle by boat. Our chariot: the Delfin II, a Relais & Châteaux vessel with 14 thoughtfully appointed staterooms.
Most days began with a crack-of-dawn skiff ride soundtracked by the squall of jewel-winged, dusky-headed parakeets. The photographers pulled out their football lenses and the birders gasped as naturalists pointed out an elegant snowy egret picking its way through a mudbank, a neotropic cormorant spreading its gothy black wings like a vampire, and the somber Jabiru stork, the largest flying bird in South America, standing like a dour English butler on a naked tree limb. Other exciting sightings included capuchin monkeys and giant river otters.
We spent one muggy morning in a Kukama village, where indigenous women wove raffia bowls and cooked catfish. Another morning was spent paddling the river, culminating with a pod of pink river dolphins leaping from the water mere feet from our kayaks.
This deep in the Amazon jungle, there were no other tourists. With no Wi-Fi on the Delfin II and nearly a total blackout on cell reception, downtime was spent engaging in lectures on Amazonian ecology and sampling native fruits.
The highlight was hiking through the jungle with a local tracker who revealed nature’s wonders, including a brown-throated three-toed sloth and a century-old strangler fig. The experience culminated in a spectacular sunset, surreal and intense, just like everything else in this untouched corner of the world. Eight-day sailings from £4,528 per person.
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Jack Hardy Evrima – The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection
Ritz-Carlton’s first foray into cruising, the Evrima offers a hotel-at-sea experience that might just be the antidote to traditional cruise itineraries. This ultra-small ship luxury experience sails various routes, including the European Mediterranean and the Caribbean.
The Evrima feels spacious with 149 suites, two pools, a cigar humidor, and ample dining options designed for every palate. The 246 staff onboard are dedicated to providing personalized attention, ensuring that your experience is organic and warm. It feels as if you’re spending the night in someone’s home, albeit a luxurious 624-foot mega-yacht.
The itinerary allows for plenty of free time and overnight ports of call, giving guests the opportunity to immerse themselves in local culture. Seven-night sailings from £4,583 per person.
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Marina – Oceania Cruises
On debarkation day, few passengers of the Marina wish to leave their staterooms. This vessel features an impressive wine list and eight complimentary restaurants that cater to a variety of tastes. Beyond dining, passengers can enjoy activities ranging from pickleball to spa treatments.
The upcoming renovation and enhancement of the ship will reintroduce guests to even more exciting culinary experiences and luxurious amenities, ensuring that it remains a top choice for avid travelers. Ten-day sailings from £1,579 per person.
