WORLD’S GREATEST CRUISES

#201 In Search of Emperor Penguins on an Antarctic Expedition Cruise
Host Lynn Elmhirst sails aboard the Scenic Eclipse to the bottom of the world, where Zodiac landings take her to breeding colonies of several types of penguins. But it takes a helicopter tour off the ship to attempt a distant ice landing in search of the largest, rarest and most elusive penguins: emperor penguins. She also encounters elephant seals, learns the secrets of ice from an expert – and drinks cocktails made with Antarctic glacier ice! And she takes a “South polar plunge” into icy Antarctic waters!

#202 Yachtsman’s Ports on a Caribbean Cruise
Host Lynn Elmhirst goes off the beaten path, sailing aboard the mega-yacht Emerald Azzurra on a “yachtsman’s itinerary” of the Caribbean. She discovers smaller islands where larger ships can’t sail. She explores a natural wonder seaside maze of boulders and caves on British Virgin Gorda, hikes in a tropical park, tastes the abundant local lobster in Tortola, and qualifies as a rum master in St. Kitts. Elmhirst cruises the Caribbean in a new and intimate way, with marina days and the yachting lifestyle on board, and a private beach barbecue on a picturesque shore.

#203 Christmas Market River Cruise on the Rhine
Host Lynn Elmhirst celebrates holiday traditions in their birthplace sailing on the Viking Sigyn along the Rhine River through Switzerland, Germany and France. She discovers the world’s largest Christmas store, full of handmade ornaments, and talks with its founder about the spirit of the season, and she explores Christmas markets, each with its own unique character, from quaint medieval towns in the Black Forest to an urban winter festival market in Cologne, Germany. On board the river cruise ship, she tries her hand at traditional baking and blowing glass Christmas ornaments with a local artisan glassblower.




#204 Iceland & Greenland Cultural Expedition Cruise
Host Lynn Elmhirst discovers hands-on more than a thousand years of human stories of seafaring cultures while sailing aboard the Seabourn Venture in Iceland and Greenland. Experiences include fermented shark on a quirky food tour of Reykjavik, Iceland; an entire walrus skull carved by an Indigenous Greenlandic artisan; kayaking in the waters where the vessel got its name; walking in the footsteps of Erik the Red at the World Heritage Site of his settlement in Greenland; and participating in the cruise line’s own culture and traditions: caviar sail-away parties at a glacier, a pop-up Champagne bar on a Zodiac boat in an iceberg field and a polar plunge into the Arctic Ocean!

#205 The South of France on a Rhone River Cruise
Host Lynn Elmhirst sails through one of the most beloved destinations in the world aboard the Emerald Liberte on the Rhone River, passing through three famous wine regions and experiencing more than 2,000 years of history. She discovers renowned wines and wineries, scenic sailing past chateaux and riverside vineyards, tastings of famous local delicacies, and the chance to burn off some of the indulgence with hikes of storied vineyards and e-cycling tours along the river banks and into medieval villages of one of the most picturesque regions of France.

#206 Exploring the Great Lakes on an Expedition Cruise
Host Lynn Elmhirst is cruising close to home, sailing aboard the Viking Octantis on an expedition cruise of the newest – and nearest – expedition cruising frontier. This cruise sails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and calls in Mackinac Island, Michigan, famous for its historic, summer resort and horse-drawn carriage lifestyle, en route to Canadian waters. Elmhirst explores North America’s “Inland Seas” via Zodiac and kayak tours of the forested and rocky shoreline. She discovers natural wonders, explores under the surface in one of the cruise ship’s two submersibles, and delves into local Indigenous and fur trader history in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

#207 Natural Wonders of Greenland & Iceland on an Expedition Cruise
Host Lynn Elmhirst explores Arctic fjords, glaciers, icebergs, waterfalls, volcanoes and geysers sailing aboard an expedition cruise on the Seabourn Venture. In Iceland, she takes the only tour in the world inside a glacier, sips Champagne during a tour of Arctic waters on one of the ship’s submarines, watches as expedition crew members map uncharted waters of a Greenlandic bay and send the data back to the captain on the ship’s bridge for real-time navigation use, and is inducted into the “Order of the Bluenose,” the cruise line’s ceremony for first-time sailors crossing the Arctic Circle.

#208 Wine and Culinary Rhine River Cruise
Host Lynn Elmhirst tastes and sips her way through four countries sailing aboard the Viking Sigyn along one of the main maritime transportation routes in Europe. She learns how to make Switzerland’s famous cheese fondue, meets a female winemaker in France’s Alsace region, and visits the “Cathedral of Wine” at the oldest Riesling winery in the world, where there’s a tasting by candlelight! On board the river cruise ship, she learns how to make “spirited” local Rudesheim coffee, toasts an Oktoberfest dinner and wonders at the sight of over 30 castles along the riverbanks of the “Romantic Rhine.”

#209 The White Continent: an Antarctic Expedition Cruise
Host Lynn Elmhirst learns that the so-called “White Continent” is actually rich with color, textures, sounds and tastes while sailing aboard the Scenic Eclipse. She boards Zodiac boats to view colonies of seals and penguins, thriving in the icy desert climate; walks off the ship onto floating ice; kayaks among vivid blue icebergs; flies high above glaciers in one of the ship’s two helicopters; and boards the ship’s submarine to see wildlife under Antarctic Ocean waves. On the bridge with the ship’s captain, she also learns about navigation in icy waters.

#210 A Legendary Transatlantic Crossing
Host Lynn Elmhirst sails on British cruise line Cunard’s flagship Queen Mary 2 on the legendary route between New York and Southampton, England, following in the wake of celebrities, royalty and VIPs in the golden era of ocean liners. It’s an entire week at sea with no ports of call, instead immersed in quintessential British lifestyle: shipwide afternoon tea, pub lunches, Royal Mail, the biggest library and planetarium at sea, and gala evenings. She meets the kennel master and visits some four-legged passengers in the only kennels at sea! In London, she drops into the only studio in the world still making globes by hand.