Super luxury line Silversea is expanding its popular Silver Select platform to a dozen more voyages during 2017. The creative program allows passengers to personalize their voyage with a choice of three savings options such as a $1,500 per suite on board spending credit that you use for spa treatments, shore excursions or boutique buys (tips and drinks are included in Silversea fares). You can also score a two-category suite upgrade, or 50% off a second suite. For select expedition voyages, the line is offering the choice of a two-category suite upgrade or 50% off a second suite.

It’s not your grandpa’s riverboat, no siree. Luxury travel company Crystal Cruises has revealed the latest wow factors of the first of seven super-elegant riverboats, the highly innovative Crystal Mozart.

The new ships, set to launch in spring and summer of 2017, is expected to set a new standard for luxury river cruising experiences. Crystal River Cruises' new river yachts will showcase stylish and elegant design, creative itineraries and experiences ashore, and unmatched genuine service, the cruise line says. 

Better start saving that vacation time: Regent Seven Seas Cruises has announced a new 137-night Navigate the World cruise for 2018 on the luxe 490-passenger Seven Seas Navigator. 

Beginning and ending in Los Angeles, the 38,528-nautical-mile, five-continent voyage departs on January 18, 2018, and is focused on the southern hemisphere, with stops in 28 countries and 64 ports of call.

After a gala at the Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire in Beverly Hills, the ship will sail for Hawaii, French Polynesia, American Samoa, and Fiji; hit several ports in Australia and New Zealand; and then head to Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia.

Next up are several stops in South Africa, followed by Uruguay, Argentina, and Brazil in South America, and Aruba and Curacao in the Caribbean. Finally, the ship will make its way through the Panama Canal and up the Central American coast to Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Guatemala before docking in L.A on May 25, 2018.

It may have been the best night's sleep I've ever had. Setting sail aboard the Star Flyer out of Athens in the middle of the night was serene and dreamy.

Windstar Cruises has reinstated a year-round ship in Tahiti

I stood waist-deep in the ocean while several stingrays silently glided by; one even brushed my leg. I wasn’t afraid, though — I was captivated.

I was in Bora Bora, participating in one of Windstar Cruises’ special shore excursions during the seven-day “Dreams of Tahiti” itinerary onboard the Wind Spirit sailing yacht. Our guide, Roberto, informed us that stingrays don’t sting unless they are provoked. As he assuaged our fears and encouraged me to pat one, Roberto slowly broke off pieces of tuna and suet to give to the rays, who were behaving like puppies looking for a snack.

I reached out to touch a passing stingray and felt its sleek, wet skin.

“You see?” Roberto said. “They are very friendly.”

So is the entire crew of Wind Spirit, a 440-foot-long, four-masted ship that doubled as my home for the week.

There are few more aspirational travel experiences than a six-month vacation that hits upward of 30 countries.

Sure, the first round-the-world sailing trip back in 1521 didn't go as planned -- legendary Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan died, along with 50 of his crew during the 1,082-day voyage.

Thankfully, today's global journeys are infinitely safer and more comfortable.

In fact, on many ships, you'd be forgiven for thinking you've checked into a five-star hotel suite, such are the levels of luxury on offer.

Regent Seven Seas Cruises announced that it had partnered with Norwegian Cruise Line’s entertainment team to help develop an entertainment lineup for its newest ship, the Seven Seas Explorer.

When the Seven Seas Explorer debuts, it will feature four new shows in its the Constellation Theater. Some of the shows include Peggy Lee (an homage to American jazz singer Peggy Lee), Burn the Floor (a tribute to the British Invasion), Paradis (Parisian-style entertainment) and A Day in Hollywood (Tony Award-winning movie-themed show).

The shows will be performed by a cast of 12 singers and dancers with a live seven-piece orchestra, but the upgrades don’t just apply to the Seven Seas Explorer. Regent Seven Seas Cruises is also investing in entertainment upgrades for its entire fleet.

If you need an incentive to book Crystal River Cruises' Mozart — the LA-based luxury travel company's soon-to-debut super-extravagant river yacht (following Esprit, which launched in December) — here’s your moment of Zen. During sailings after the ship debuts in July, passengers on Crystal Mozart will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience an exclusive event at the Belvedere Palace in Vienna, one of Europe’s most stunning baroque landmarks and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site.

It will be an evening to remember with private access to the highlights of the palace’s astonishing collections of art, including the greatest collection of the works by Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka and Egon Schiele, with guidance from the palace’s representatives.

Seabourn announced last year that it was partnering with celeb chef Thomas Keller in offering fresh cuisine on-board its ships. Now the time has come to taste it.

The small-ship cruise line recently revealed what's on the menu on for Seabourn's Odyssey, Quest and Sojourn ships.

Keller, the chef known for his French Laundry restaurant in Yountville, Calif., and Bouchon in Beverly Hills and Las Vegas, developed recipes for comfort food items like barbecue ribs served in the Colonnade and Keller's signature Napa Burger served at the poolside Patio Grill.

Scuba divers will love this offering from Silversea Expeditions, a branch of luxury cruise line Silversea. On certain voyages this year and next, the line is featuring free scuba trips on 20 voyages in of some of the world’s most remote areas and top diving sites in the western Pacific and Indian Ocean.

The 227-passenger vessel is a fully rigged, five-masted tall ship.

Looking for something different for your next cruise? Our latest Cruise Ship Tour, in the carousel above, offers a deck-by-deck look at one of the most unusual passenger vessels afloat: sailing line Star Clippers' Royal Clipper.

Measuring 439 feet long and 54 feet at the beam, the five-masted, fully rigged sailing ship is billed as the largest square-rigger at sea and, as can be seen in the tour, it's a sight to behold. With room for 227 passengers, the 5,000-ton vessel is based on the design for Preussen, a legendary German windjammer built in 1902.

Designed as a research tool for vacationers considering a voyage, the Royal Clipper photo tour -- by veteran cruise writer and ship photographer Peter Knego

Gourmet dining at sea just keeps getting better and better. Like a perfect wine-pairing at a Michelin-star restaurant, award-winning Windstar Cruises has partnered with the James Beard Foundation to serve elevated culinary experiences aboard three 2016 themed cruises to France, Morocco, Portugal and Spain. The James Beard Foundation Collection will offer a trio of bespoke small-ship sailings catering to food and wine aficionados, and guiding passengers to the best culinary experiences at each port.

“It’s very important to us to expose our guests to local culture and cuisine throughout their time on board, creating a more intimate connection to the world around them,” said Hans Birkholz, Windstar Cruises’ chief executive officer. “Our new James Beard Foundation Collection takes Windstar’s commitment to local food culture a step further and is perfect for any traveler who approaches a new city with their next meal in mind.”

The 2016 James Beard Foundation Collection by Windstar itineraries includes three sailings with two itineraries. Embarking on April 24, 2016, the eight-day “Culinary & Wine Delights of Southern Spain & Morocco” sails on Wind Surf from Lisbon to Barcelona, docking in Tangier, Morocco, and Málaga, Granada, Cartagena, Ibiza, and Tarragona, Spain. On June 10 and August 9, 2016 the 10-day “Culinary & Wine Delights of Spain & France” cruise aboard Star Legend, sails from Dublin to Lisbon in June. The reverse occurs in August with ports including Saint-Malo, La Rochelle, and Bordeaux in France, Gijon and El Ferrol in Spain, and Porto in Portugal.