Mighty Cruise Ships

Chart an escape to paradise aboard MS Paul Gauguin, the only vessel that sails year-round to the most remote islands of French Polynesia. On this 14-day voyage, the waters come in a dozen shades of turquoise and the adventures are too numerous to count. But will a tropical storm bring some unwelcome excitement to the Queen of the South Pacific and her passengers? See how this Mighty Cruise Ship and her crew navigate bad weather along with narrow passageways and shallow waters to provide a five-star luxury experience no other liner can.

She's a new ship voyaging to new destinations on waters that today's mega-cruise ships simply cannot navigate. Set sail aboard Le Soleal on a 14-day voyage through one of the largest archipelagos on the planet: Indonesia, home to diverse wildlife, rumbling volcanoes, and endless coastlines. Passengers pay thousands of dollars for one-of-a-kind encounters here. But reaching such spectacular locations means overcoming substantial obstacles, on sea and land, challenges that will push Le Soleal, and her crew, to their limits.

Stella Australis is part luxury liner and part expedition ship, whisking passengers to the most remote areas of South America for one-of-a-kind encounters. Join the adventure as she visits sub-polar forests, vast glaciers, and areas so remote you wouldn't believe they actually exist. Providing matchless experiences means overcoming challenges, from handling Cape Horn's notorious Drake Passage to changing the itinerary at nature's command. The captain and crew will need a steady hand, and a good dose of creativity, to ensure a successful voyage.

As other cruise ships head for the Caribbean in late autumn, Marco Polo, the Grande Dame of the Baltic, keeps her cool up north, and that's just how her passengers like it. They've paid to see Old World cities such as Copenhagen, St. Petersburg and Helsinki without crowds of tourists, but traveling this time of year is a risky venture. And while this 50-year-old liner is built to plow through broken ice on arctic routes, a new captain, some unpredictable seas, and a brooding hurricane will make this a historic ride in more ways than one.

Europa 2 is a cruise ship that's small in size but big on luxury, with 370 crew members tending to the needs of just 500 guests, and more space per passenger than any other cruise liner. This floating boutique hotel will do anything to ensure a one-of-a-kind experience to its guests, including letting them choose where the ship will go. Take a ride on Europa's very first "surprise cruise," where a vote will determine which ports they will visit over the course of 10 days in the Mediterranean--a daring concept with the potential for chaos.

When guests board the Viking Sea, they're not looking for casinos, bumper cars or discos. They want outstanding scenery, dramatic destinations, and sublime Scandinavian decor, all of which they'll receive, and then some. Join us on a 14-day journey that follows ancient Viking trading routes, from London to Scotland and the northwest coast of Norway. It's a course this new ship has never sailed before, and while it promises majestic views and grand adventure, getting there and back will push the captain and his crew to the limit.