10 Bucket List Cruises You Absolutely MUST Do Before You Die!

If someone told me I could only ocean cruise 10 more times in my life, based on the two decades and 128 cruises I’ve done to date, there are the 10 cruises I would choose without hesitation. These are the ones I recommend you have on your bucket list as each is life-changing and remarkable.

Welcome aboard. I’m Gary Bembridge, join me as I count down the cruises that are worth begging, borrowing, and saving every penny to go on. And much to your surprise, you’ll also discover why three on most people’s bucket lists I strongly recommend shouldn’t be – and why!

Bucket List Cruises #10: Alaska

The first for your bucket list is Alaska. I’ve cruised Alaska four times. Why?

It’s one of the most spectacular and easiest regions to access by cruise ship. The landscapes are dramatic, with glaciers and magnificent wildlife including bears and eagles, meaning it has huge appeal for all ages.

Highlights include the Hubbard Glacier, where I saw ice calving off, Glacier Bay with a series of dramatic glaciers, in Skagway going on the unique White Pass and Yukon train, in Juneau flying up onto glaciers going dog-sleighing, and in Ketchikan watching the Great Alaska Lumberjack Show and visiting historic Creek Street.

In terms of watch outs, while there’s a huge choice of cruise lines as it is popular with families, even usual adult lines like Holland American and Princess are often packed with families. So, if looking for an adult experience consider adult-only Virgin Voyages, Oceania, or Viking.

The season is short running from April to October, fares can get hefty so book early, and excursions fill up fast and are costly. So, make sure you budget for these too.

Bucket List Cruises #9: Norwegian Fjords

Next on my list is the Norwegian fjords. I have been there six times.

I’m often asked, which is better, Alaska or the Norwegian fjords. The Norwegian fjords possibly slightly pip Alaska because of the rugged mountains and beautiful fjords running far inland that you sail through.

Another good reason for looking at Norwegian fjords sooner than later is Norway is considering restricting the number and type of ships visiting the area for environmental reasons.

The highlights for me are sailing into towns that are deep inland like Geirangerfjord, Skjolden, and Nordfjordeid

There are also larger towns with gorgeous old buildings like Flåm, Bergen, Alesund, and Stavanger.
I also love the wonderful things to do there, like the magnificent Flam mountain train, RIBs zooming through the fjords to view waterfalls, and hikes up hills to take in the views.

In terms of watch outs, like Alaska, it has a very short season from April to October. If you want to see the Northern Lights, you need to go far north right up to places like Tromsø and at the end of the season or even in winter.

There’s an enormous choice of cruise lines going out of convenient locations like the UK and Holland but also look at the local lines like Hurtigruten and Havila Voyages, which do more intensive trips.

Bucket List Cruises #8: Iceland

Next on my list is Iceland. I have been here three times. Why?

Because it’s wild, weird, and fascinating. It really is an island of fire and ice and unlike any other place I’ve been.

It’s a very expensive country to go to on a land trip. So, going on a cruise is a great cost-effective alternative and works because many of the key sights are close to the coast because the interior is largely a lava desert.

In terms of highlights, the first is the “Golden Circle”. This is a series of sights to see out of Reykjavik and in one day you can go to Gullfoss, the magnificent falls, the Geysir Geothermal Area, Strokkur, and Thingvellir National Park where the two tectonic plates are pulling Iceland apart.

The other magnificent highlight is called the “Jewels of the North” out of the port of Akureyri. This includes things like the beautiful Godafoss Waterfall, Namaskard bubbling mud pools, Lake Myvatn, Skutustadir craters, and the Dimmuborgir lava fields.

In terms of watch outs. There are fewer cruise lines going here and they mostly go in July and August, when Iceland is busy, but it is still worth going.

Bucket List Cruises #7: Japan

The next on my list is Japan and I’ve been there four times. Why do I keep cruising there?

First, cruising is a great and easy way to see this historic, gracious country because English speaking and foreign tourism set up in some areas is not very developed yet. Second, Japan is culturally and historically fascinating.

In terms of highlights for me, they include visiting Hiroshima and Nagasaki and seeing and hearing the impact of the Second World War nuclear bombs, seeing the magnificent Mount Fuji, going to either Osaka or Kobe to incredible castles, and as they are the gateway to Kyoto, seeing sights like the famous Golden Temple. I also love seeing the more northern cities like Aomori with its incredible paper lantern museum.

In terms of watch outs, I found that the best thing to do is to do a round Japan cruise to and from Tokyo / Yokohama because you’ll see the widest range of towns. There are several lines that base ships there and know the country well, including Holland America, Princess, Celebrity and Regent.

Most people like to go March/April for the spring blossoms, but it’s very packed, a bit chilly, and costly. I recommend going in October/ November as less busy and less expensive.

Bucket List Cruises #6: Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic

Next on my list is a Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic, which I have done five times. Why do I keep doing this?

Well, the Queen Mary 2 Transatlantic between Southampton and New York is a historic route on the only true ocean liner in service today. It’s a unique experience. It harks back to the glory days of crossing the Atlantic before aeroplanes and it is a one-of-a-kind ship.

In terms of highlights, one is the dressing up and the big evening gala events with ballroom dancing, although dressing up is less strict than it used to be, but most will get into the spirit with tuxedos and gowns.

There are incredible enrichment lectures often with famous authors, politicians, or actors. There’s afternoon tea, which is a big daily event in the Queens Room. You can also even take your dog or cat, although that’s expensive.

In terms of watch outs, some prefer sailing from Southampton to New York because you have 25-hour days for five days because of the time changes.

Also, there are three classes on board. Britannia, Princess Grill, and Queens Grill, and the restaurant you eat in depends on which you are in. Although the ship is not as class based and segregated as many people think, it’s mostly around access to the individual restaurants.

Bucket List Cruises #5: Panama Canal

Next on my list is the Panama Canal. I have done this six times. Why?

It is the most remarkable man-made maritime structure that exists in my view. The Suez Canal is impressive, but the Panama Canal is phenomenal and it’s an iconic trip that every cruiser should experience.

In terms of the highlights, the original canal locks opened in 1914, and the new bigger canal locks opened alongside it in 2016.

To pass through the 50 miles from one side of Panama to the other, your ship is raised up 85 feet (26 metres) in a series of locks. You sail through the man-made Gatun Lake, through the Culebra channel cut through the countryside, and you are lowered back down to sea level by more locks. It takes a whole day, and it is a spectacular and fascinating experience.

In terms of watch outs, I strongly recommend you go on what are called Panamax ships that are designed to go through the original locks, as that is the more dramatic and the most iconic route. Also check, for example by asking past passengers on Cruise Critic or Facebook groups, if the ship you are looking at allows guest onto the open bow for the transit as that adds to the transit.

Bucket List Cruises #4: French Polynesia

Next on my list is French Polynesia. I have been there three times. Why?

Well, it is possibly the most beautiful place of all these cruises I’m talking about. It has incredible islands, the most phenomenal people, and it is just absolutely heaven on earth.
In terms of highlights, every island is more stunning than the next, with gorgeous sandy beaches, snorkelling with sharks and rays, cycling tours to pineapple plantations and viewing points, and even hikes up mountains,

In terms of watch outs, be careful which ship you book as many islands have limits on the size of ships that can go there. For example, Bora Bora only allows ships of 1,500 passengers or less. In terms of cruise lines, Paul Gauguin, Windstar and Aranui sail all year round, but you can also find many other cruise lines that pass through while repositioning from Australia via Hawaii to their Alaska season.

Bucket List Cruises #3: Galapagos

My next bucket list cruise is the Galapagos. I’ve been there once. Why?

Well, it is so unique with wildlife that you can only find there as it was cut off from the rest of the world, and so wildlife evolved very uniquely on the islands. They are incredibly comfortable with humans because we’ve not been a historic predator, and it’s quite a shock because you can walk right up to birds in nests that don’t fly away.

In terms of highlights, it is all about the wildlife and not the landscape. There are iguanas, Galapagos sea lions, birds like the red-footed and blue-footed boobies, frigate birds, and even Galapagos penguins, and their famous giant turtles. Snorkelling is also a big highlight because in the water you get to see sea lions, sharks, rays and turtles.

In terms of watch outs, it’s expensive and takes a long time to get to, some 25 hours from Europe. There’s also limited options, only around 90 boats are allowed to operate. Many are very small with 50 or fewer guests. The biggest hold 100, like Silver Origin I was on.

Also, of all these bucket list destinations, this is one I have some caution on. Only go there if you’re a big wildlife and especially bird lover and enjoy snorkelling because a big part of what you see is in the water.

Bucket List Cruises #2: Arctic

Next up is the Arctic that I have been to twice, once to Svalbard and to Greenland and Canadian Arctic. Why do I have this on the list?

Well, it’s where you can see polar bears in their natural habitat, plus glaciers and dramatic scenery. And people who live there, part of the year in constant daylight and part in darkness.

There are two best ways to see the Arctic, either the island of Svalbard, or by doing Greenland and the Canadian Arctic. The latter is my favourite way because there’s more ice, glaciers, wildlife and more of indigenous Inuit people who hunt to live.

In terms of highlights, of course, there’s polar bears, glaciers, and incredible icebergs and in the Canadian Arctic and Greenland you also get to push way into the ice right up in the Bering Sea.

In terms of watchouts, it’s a very short season and you need to go on an expedition cruise to see it. So don’t think that if you go on a classic cruising ship that calls into Greenland, you’re really going to see the true Arctic. You need to go on an expedition ship, which goes much further north.

Bucket List Cruises #1: Antarctica

Next up is Antarctica which is so incredible I have been three times and booked again.

This is without a shadow of a doubt the best place I have ever been to. Seeing polar bears in the Arctic is incredible, but Antarctica wins hands down. It’s remote, special, and everyone talks about Antarctica changing them. It absolutely does. No matter what anyone tells you, when you get to Antarctica and are there, it is way better than anything you have ever seen.

In terms of the highlights, the best is South Georgia with fascinating history of whaling and exploration, but the scale of the wildlife is mind blowing. For example, on Salisbury Plain, I saw over 450,000 penguins, dozens of elephant seals and seals on the beach. On the Antarctic Peninsula, you’ve got ice, glaciers, seals, penguins, and whales.

In terms of watchouts, of course, it’s expensive to go there and the season is short from November to March. Also, my big watchout is do not do the fly bridge, where you fly over Drake Passage because weather and ice often get them cancelled. Just face into it and do Drake Passage.

Also, while you can do a scenic sail-by as part of some South American regular cruise ship cruises, rather do an expedition, if you can to step on land, explore and get up close to wildlife.

Missing Regions

So why aren’t the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Australia and New Zealand on many people’s bucket lists not on my list?

I’ve been to these multiple times, and the Caribbean and Mediterranean as great a vacation as they offer, are not as life-changing and magnificent as those on my list.

And while sailing in and out of Sydney Harbour is incredible, I have found that Australia and New Zealand are better seen as a land-based trip and not a cruise.