Millions of people lost the opportunity to sail to Alaska last summer due to the coronavirus pandemic, which precipitated a long pause in cruise ship operations. One company, UnCruise Adventures, was among the hardest hit. But there’s good news: UnCruise is bouncing back big time with a relaunch of Alaska itineraries  from Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan.

“When recent changes were made affecting our Seattle departures, I knew I could not disappoint our guests with another cancellation. Some of our guests have been waiting on this cruise for two or three years,” said Dan Blanchard, the company’s CEO. “It makes me proud to see my team jump into action and ready to do what it takes to make this year one of the biggest comebacks we’ve ever had.”

The biggest regret I have about my trip on board Silversea’s Silver Explorer to the Arctic was that I did not have it at the top of my bucket list years ago. Over the course of ten days I discovered that I had missed out on an incredible adventure, and experience, that could have thrilled me ages ago. While indulging in the pampering, good food and service on board, each day was a revelation about the majesty, beauty and fascination of nature in this isolated part of the world. I saw, heard and felt vast glaciers calve off huge chunks of ice. Chuckled as perky Atlantic Puffins peered back as we explored their remote nesting spot and felt my heart lift as lumbering polar bears sniffed at us before going about their business of seeking out food. This is an incredible trip, and one that I want to help anyone thinking about doing it to get the most out of. This is the aim of the following nine questions I believe travelers should ask with my answers and tips on heading to the Arctic.

If you're like this traveler, you may be tempted more by cruises to the Caribbean than to cold weather climes. I have made an exception in the past for Alaska. But now there's another incentive for buying that extra sweater.

The luxury cruise line Silversea has just added some great perks for passengers who book an expedition voyage to the Arctic or Antarctica. All passengers can take advantage of these new incentives:

• One-night, pre-cruise hotel stay
• In-country flight(s) when required by the itinerary
• Polar expedition cruise with guided shore experiences and Zodiac excursions
• Polar parka
• One post-cruise day-use hotel
• Transfers and luggage handling between airport, hotel and ship.

Oct. 30, 2019, marks the beginning of Carnival Journeys with the start of a 24-day trans-Pacific crossing on Carnival Splendor from Long Beach, Calif., to Singapore.  The cruise is not only the lengthiest single voyage the line has ever offered but the first time Carnival has ever sent a ship to Guam, Vietnam and Malaysia on a North American departure.

Passengers on this trip will be offered a variety of activities that include sessions on photography, cooking, arts and crafts and celestial navigation, along with a 1980s-themed Throwback Sea Day. 

The sailings will have an emphasis on food, wine, culture and history as well as the Lindblad staples of nature and the environment.

JD Lasica's insight:

You know, there's adventure travel, and then there's the kind of adventure that's really about immersing yourself in local cultures. I'm not so big on spotting walruses in the Arctic. But I do love a great cultural odyssey with guides who know the local landscape. And Lindblad knows how to do it right.

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Continuing its trend of groundbreaking news, the world’s most awarded luxury cruise line will return to the famed Northwest Passage in August 2017. Beginning August 15, 2017, Crystal Cruises’ award-winning ocean ship, Crystal Serenity, will sail a 32-day expedition-style voyage traversing the Arctic Ocean from Anchorage/Seward, Alaska to New York City via the legendary route (500 miles north of the Arctic Circle), first completed successfully by Roald Amundsen more than 100 years ago. The announcement comes shortly after the world’s most awarded luxury cruise line’s plans to reposition Crystal Serenity’s 2017 voyages during the spring and summer to Alaska and coastal itineraries.

The booking window opens on March 7 with all-inclusive “Book Now” fares starting at $21,855 per person, double occupancy, if booked by April 29, 2016.

“We are thrilled to offer intrepid luxury travelers a second opportunity to explore this historical sea passage,” said Crystal’s CEO and President Edie Rodriguez. “Given the tremendous response to our inaugural Northwest Passage sailing in 2016, it’s clear that discerning travelers continue to value rare and memorable experiences as much as they prize unmatched luxury.”

Walter Christen's insight:

Crystal Cruises expedition cruise through the Northwest Passage is a adventure I would love to do.  Imagine cruising on the luxury cruise ship Cystal Serenity, to a place that most people have not been to.

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Viking Cruises has just announced a new ocean cruise itinerary that will allow guests the rare opportunity to explore the far north in Norway’s winter during a peak period for aurora borealis sightings.

Sailing between London and Bergen, Norway, starting in January 2019, “In Search of the Northern Lights” will establish Los Angeles-based Viking as the first U.S. cruise line to offer a full-length itinerary in the Arctic Circle in the winter season.

The thaw in relations between the USA and Cuba has set off a race among cruise companies to start up sailings between the countries. But so far, few Americans are booking the trips, according to a survey conducted for USA TODAY by one of North America's largest travel sellers.

The survey of 1,034 travel agents who book cruises by Travel Leaders Group found that just 2.9% have taken a booking for one of the recently announced Cuba voyages.

Still, nearly 42% of travel agents queried said they've had a customer express interest in the trips.

Luxury cruise operator Silversea has announced it's offering adventurous voyages to Australia’s scenic, remote northwest region.

The spectacular natural vistas of the country's northwest have been enhanced by the wettest December on record — seven times greater than normal. For those who want to take an expedition cruise in style to see waterfalls plunging into sun-scorched gorges, you have a choice of five mostly 10-day cruises on Silver Discoverer sailing between Darwin and Broome, Australia. 

Top destinations for cruise travels are usually the Caribbean and the Mediterranean routes, where you can relax on white beaches or be enchanted by the beauties of the great ancient empires. But there is something magical that awaits you if you choose the right route and decide to sail to the Poles. The spectacle of the Northern Lights is a truly extraordinary experience which happens in one of the most fascinating and uncontaminated places in the world, the North Pole. On the other side of the planet, Antarctica offers off-the-beaten-track sceneries and alternative adventures. Hence, a cruise to the Polar regions offers you new exciting experiences, they’re much less exploited destinations and you’ll have the opportunity to follow the paths of the greatest explorers of the past.

It’s full steam ahead to Cuba for two of the world’s major cruise companies.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings and Royal Caribbean Cruises, both Miami-based, signed agreements Wednesday with the Cuban government just minutes apart to take passenger ships to the island nation.

All three of Norwegian’s lines — Norwegian Cruise Line, premium line Oceania Cruises and luxury line Regent Seven Seas — and two Royal Caribbean brands — Royal Caribbean International and high-end line Azamara Club Cruises — will sail from the U.S. to Cuba in the near future, the companies said.

Alternative cruises: what's available for the cruiser who's done the usual Caribbean & Mediterranean cruises? The Travelling Boomer looks at 5 alternatives

In my last post, I surveyed the cruise itineraries that are the biggest favourites with North American cruisers. But what about some alternative cruises for those who’ve already been to the Caribbean and the Mediterranean? One of the dangers of cruising is that after you’ve done a few cruises, it’s hard not to retrace your steps. So let’s go looking for something different.Happily, there’s no shortage of alternative cruises in the wide world of cruising. Even the major cruise lines now ply almost every part of every ocean. There are cruises that choose one region to explore, and others that cover thousands of nautical miles to show you an entire part of the world — or even the whole world.