The Most Interesting Cruise Trends for 2019
Dark Skies Offering Spellbinding Panoramas, Ancestral Lineage Travel & Mystery Destinations
1. Dark Skies Cruising – You do not have to be an astronomer to find a dark sky cruise fascinating.
Research by the Light Pollution Science and Technology Institute indicates that 80% of Earth’s land mass suffers from light pollution, and 99% of people in Europe and the USA view a night sky that is obscured by artificial lighting. That being the case, when did you last really take a good look at the night sky and what could you see? You could probably spot the moon, or the Big Dipper if you’re lucky, but opportunities for true constellation admiration are few and far between. Fortunately, designated dark-sky spaces are on the increase, granting stargazers better access to spellbinding panoramas.
Cruising is the ultimate vacation for star-gazing, as the open sea has low light pollution, and the cruise lines have itineraries designed specifically for this purpose. For example, Princess Cruises offers stargazing nights that are led by an astrophysicist.
Or, perhaps you’d like a special kind of star-gazing cruise, one that explores the northern lights. It’s one of those magical experiences on nearly every traveler’s bucket list. You can simplify the logistics of viewing those shimmering colors in the nighttime sky by booking a northern lights cruise. Cunard offers just such an opportunity on their November 2019 12 Night Norway and Northern Lights roundtrip from Southampton.
2. Exploring your DNA may offer memorable travel that will give treasured connections to family experienced through travel.
According to ABC News, genealogy is the second most-popular hobby in the United States, surpassed only by gardening. The study of our family trees and DNA testing has a universal appeal, because most of us have a history that extends far beyond the nation where we’ve been born and bred.
We live in the information age, which allows us to document our family history with a high degree of accuracy, but does it tell us where we really come from? A true connection to history can only be experienced through travel, where names on paper become real, live people, and foreign locations become ancestral homelands filled with the treasures of family history.
2019 will see a surge in travel that reflects people’s desire to visit the cities and countries that feature prominently in their family history. Ancestry.com, for example, will offer an 11-Day Irish Ancestry Tour that visits Dublin, Cork, County Kerry & Galway in August 2019. This special tour, designed with The Irish Ancestral Research Association, allows for research time in archives/libraries and would be perfectly complemented by a 25 Night British Isles Grand Adventure From Dublin, Ireland to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.
Or, explore on your own terms with a pre- or post-cruise visit that allows you to study a region in even greater depth. Expand PONANT’s Sep 27, 2019 In the Wake of General MacArthur: The Legacy of World War II cruise, with tours of the cities and countries, reflects your personal history.
3. Mystery, Adventure & Spiritual Inspiration – The Ultimate Cruise Travel Experience
Would you take a mystery trip?
One where you won’t know where you’re going, what you’ll see, where you’ll stay or what you’ll be eating?
Earlier this year, Intrepid’s first ever trip of this kind, the Uncharted Expedition, sold out virtually overnight with 10 travelers choosing to journey 3,500 kilometers from Kazakhstan to Mongolia reminiscent of the bygone days of Genghis Khan. Imagine your journey on roads not yet mapped by Google and where there is only intermittent electricity and WIFI, a few cold showers and fermented mares’ milk as a treat along the way!
Also finding favor with seasoned travelers for 2019 is the “mystery cruise.” Saga has one such cruise scheduled, and Fred Olsen has 3 slated this year. The demand for these cruises won’t stop there. Expect them to see a sharp rise in popularity, fueled by people’s sense of adventure and delight in the unknown.
Then there is a different kind of mystery, one deeply spiritual in nature.
There are literally hundreds of cruise itineraries that provide access to sacred places – global sites of healing, guidance, and spiritual inspiration. The significance of these hallowed sites cannot be expressed in words or pictures – to understand the sense of awe they invoke, travelers must experience them in person.
See a full listing of sacred places that are accessible via cruise ship.
45 Comments
Rachel Newlon
I absolutely love cruising, but never knew about the stargazing! Will have to check this out!
Dominique
It sure does look amazing!
Holly Bird
I love these types of cruises! I especially like the mystery cruise..you have to be open to anything..but most are spectacular!
Dominique
I definitely agree!
Meagan
These sound so cool! I so wish I could go!
Dominique
I hope that you get to one day 🙂
Tricia
These are for sure “Interesting” haha 🙂 The Mystery one.. I’m not sure I think may be fun to not know where you are going….
Dominique
I agree!
Kristi @ Way Beyond The Norm
Interesting! I never realized there were cruises with these types of themes.
Dominique
These are new to me as well!
Emily
WOW! I am totally ending this to my Sister in law, she LOVES cruises and will love reading this! 🙂
Dominique
Thank you so much 🙂
Katie Mitchell
A mystery cruise sounds so fun!!
Dominique
I agree!
Dawn
A Northern Lights Cruise! I didn’t realize there was such a thing, but that is DEFINITELY on my bucket list! What an amazing experience that would be (although I’m not a fan of cold weather and I imagine it is COLD there that time of year!)
Dominique
I think this is the best way to see the Northern Lights!
Janine
I don’t know if I would have the guts to take a mystery trip, but I think it’s a fascinating idea!
Dominique
That would definitely take a lot of blind faith!
Shirley
I would live to do the night cruise to see the northern lights. That is on my bucket it! I did not know about all these different cruises. Thanks for the info!
Dominique
Thank you for reading!
Stacy Frazer
Maybe someday, you sure make it look enticing!
Dominique
Thank you for reading!
Judean
Dark Skies Cruising?? Never heard of it – ever! Thank you for sharing because I need to look into this as a future travel opportunity.
Dominique
I think you would love it!
Chantelle Jeffers
Wo this totally make me want to go cruising? I especially like the idea of a mystery tour. Not sure about the mares milk but I’d give it a try.
Dominique
I love the mystery tour idea too 🙂
Ruth Iaela-Pukahi
My daughter and I were just talking about the possibility of going of a cruise as a family. We were just looking at the closest cruise to us, Hawaiian Island cruise. We had no idea there were other kinds of cruises too. I love looking at the night sky and Family history! The mystery one seems really cool too!
Dominique
I have always wanted to go back to Hawaii and do a cruise so I can visit the islands outside of Oahu 🙂
Susan Franklin
We’ve taken a Stargazing cruise on a lake – LOL probably no where compares to one on an oceanliner, for sure. I think that would be an awesome cruise. I didn’t realize that they had these different ‘themed’ cruises. We plan to take one after I retire (which will be at the end of next year) or in celebration of my retirement, I should say!! A mystery cruise sounds fun… I’d want to be on something that would provide more than fermanted mare’s milk as a treat! Thanks for sharing this and opening my eyes to other possibilities for cruising!
Dominique
Congratulations on your upcoming retirement! I think a small, intimate cruise on a lake would be fun too. A lot of these mega cruises are far too big sometimes!
Flor
I loved this post! So much interesting information! My kids just asked me to look for an original vacation, so these options are going to be in our bucket list!!
Dominique
Thank you for reading! 🙂
Nicki
I have never taken a cruise. I think a Northern Lights cruise might be just the ticket though!!
Dominique
I agree! 🙂
Dawnmarie @ EnjoyingtheDays
I came across your blog, and — while this is not what the article is about, your cover image made me smile. Are you getting elephants?!
T.M. Brown
I am just catching the cruising bug, having taken only two cruises in the last few years. I have NEVER thought about cruises like this, but I guess they would be pretty intriguing and memorable. I particularly love the ancestry cruise idea.
Dominique
Cruises are so much fun, and I can’t wait to take another one 🙂
Tricia Snow
I like the ancestry tour. I just did a DNA test a few years ago and I was definitely surprised!
Dominique
I did a DNA test recently as well and it is definitely influencing where I choose to travel next 🙂
Georgette
Your photos! Absolutely want to jump in and be there. Did a cruise once but nothing like this. I’m game.
Dominique
I can’t wait for my next cruise as well 🙂
Janice
Great information on cruises
Dominique
Thank you!
Pauline
These sound so amazing!!! I think I would go on all three because I could not choose.
Dominique
Thank you for reading 🙂