For many years, the editors of Condé Nast Traveller have been compiling this annual compendium of resorts and cruises we’ve found or fallen in love with over again. We spotlight them not just for their magnificence, consolation, or impeccable service, but in addition as a result of we’ve developed deeply emotional relationships with them: These are the resorts and cruises we suggest to our pals, that we inform tales about later. Below are the finest cruises in the world, in keeping with our editors. View the complete 2026 Gold List here.
Atlas World Traveller
As a smaller luxurious vessel, the ship can sail into much less frequented ports like Trapani and Marsala in Sicily, interesting to those that are looking for crowd-free locations. But the onboard culinary expertise, typically showcasing contemporary elements the chef bought in city, impresses as a lot as the itinerary does. Nibbling poolside flatbreads drizzled with garlic-infused olive oil and rosemary or a scoop from the all-day ice cream cart was my reward for strolling almost 20,000 steps every day, generally on a ship tour, different occasions wandering solo. My voyage was certainly one of the line’s epicurean-themed sailings hosted by well-known cooks who lead culinary-focused excursions and train cooking lessons. It doesn’t get extra native than studying to make conventional Marsala sauce or a creamy cannoli whereas in Sicily. Guests even participated in full of life cooking competitions whereby they re-created (with various ranges of success) lots of the dishes native to that area. On this ship the solely factor you may want extra of is an additional gap in your belt. Seven-night sailings from £2,965. Ramsey Qubein
Regent Seven Seas Cruises Seven Seas Explorer
When it launched a decade in the past, Regent’s Seven Seas Explorer was the costliest ship ever constructed, and the opulence exhibits up in ways in which transcend the intensive marble and granite surfaces and a whole lot of chandeliers. I obtained a specific kick out of the canapés, caviar, and Champagne I may ask my butler to ship to my room at tea time, and the beneficiant infrared sauna in the intensive Serene Spa & Wellness space. (Shout out, too, to the croquet and miniature golf programs on the high deck!) But the biggest amenity I skilled on board the 746-passenger ship was the entry to spectacularly lovely locations, together with the Inside Passage between Vancouver Island and mainland Canada and Alaska’s Hubbard Glacier, a miles-wide, achingly blue factor the peak of a 40-story condo constructing. Seven-night sailings from £4,860. Jesse Ashlock
Silversea Silver Moon
By the mild of this silvery Moon, the view is ideal. Exuding a extra electrical atmosphere than its tinier siblings, the 596-passenger Silver Moon combines the intimacy of Silversea’s smallest ships with the line’s extra of-the-moment attributes. Silver Moon was Silversea’s first ship to supply the extremely profitable S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste) applications, together with small-group hands-on cooking lessons, compelling shore excursions, and an onboard restaurant championing native elements and culturally-authentic plates. S.A.L.T cooks don’t compromise—I can swear personally to the hominess of the South American dishes. At sultry S.A.L.T. Bar, enthusiastic mixologists lean edgy for regionally impressed cocktails. Arts Café, my favorite hangout, nonetheless rocks Deck 8’s aft for all-day ever-changing eats, sensible barista brews, and cocktails. All of the crew, particularly the black-tie-clad butlers, are astonishingly attentive, making ordering complimentary caviar and all the trimmings a snap. Don’t overlook to laze in the generously sized pool, one other noticeable Silver Moon attribute. Six-day sailings from £2,700. Janice Wald Henderson
Aurora Expeditions Greg Mortimer
The comforting rhythms of a cruise on this smooth expedition ship make one really feel like an knowledgeable explorer on the first day trip. On polar area sailings, Aurora supplies boots and insulated jackets, which friends don to an brisk soundtrack earlier than moving into pink antiseptic to guard the delicate polar surroundings. Zodiacs convey explorers to dry landings for hikes or prolonged coastal cruises guided by naturalist consultants on flora, fauna, minerals, and native historical past. Once friends are again on board, it’s rest central, with sizzling broth, espresso drinks, and habit-forming coconut or cornflake cookies on supply in the lounge. Before venturing out once more, you may duck right into a clear geodesic dice on deck to observe the surroundings slip by, or maybe you may favor to heat up in a close-by Jacuzzi. Later you possibly can step onto certainly one of two drop-down viewing platforms to observe the distinctive, fuel-efficient X-bow nudge the ice floes out of the ship’s path. 11-day sailings from £8,600. Scott Laird