This summer, planeloads of North Americans flew with exuberance to Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, and all those delicious Mediterranean isles. We ignored emails, soaked up the sun, drank the wine, and finally got around to laissez-faire dinners after 10 o’clock at night. Instead of diving back into work with renewed vigor when we got home, we decided to savor the vacay afterglow.
That’s right. After years of admiring la dolce vita from afar – and wishing we could “work to live” rather than “live to work” – North Americans seem to be making the collective decision to partake in the sweet life.
1 | We’re taking More Creative Cruises
New specialty sailings with AmaWaterways include golf, ancestry, Latin Touch sailings for Spanish speakers, and a Soulful Epicurean Experience. Uniworld is offering 10-day mystery cruises. Norwegian is hosting a “Rock N Wrestling Rager at Sea.” Holland America has a knitting cruise, as well as a Soul Train cruise featuring big name R&B legends.
2 | We’re Traveling More for Wellness
Alexa, put “mitochondrial training” on my to-do list. According to the Global Wellness Institute, wellness tourism is expected to “grow rapidly in the coming years.” So, it’s no surprise that modern resorts and cruise ships are offering exotic, physician-guided medi-spa experiences that go beyond Botox to include: tongue and pulse analysis, full moon gong baths, IV lounges, lymph boosts, and (yup) mitochondria stimulating CellGyms.
3 | We’re Opening Up to the World
Set in the AlUla region of Saudi Arabia, Hegra, the kingdom’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site, is attracting quite a bit of attention. Boasting more than 100 ancient Nabataean tombs carved into monolithic sandstones, visitors are also enjoying a labyrinthian old town, zip lines, a via ferrata climbing walkway, helicopter tours, cycling, and mind-blowing stargazing.
Wadi AlFann, AlUla’s new contemporary art destination, will soon be the permanent home of five site-specific art installations from: Manal Aldowayan, Agnes Denes, Michael Heizer, Ahmed Mater, and James Turrell.
4 | We’re Trying Out New Places
New all-inclusive “vacay and chill” resort openings are coming in hot. Early favorites include HiltonTulum Riviera Maya, Villa La Valencia Beach Resort & Spa, Margaritaville St. Somewhere Resort Punta Coco, and Dreams Cozumel Cape Resort & Spa. With new direct routes from the U.S. to Cape Town, Tel Aviv, and Tahiti, Delta Vacations are helping us power through our bucket lists. Up north, Viking has kicked off its inaugural season sailing the Great Lakes with Viking Octantis® and Viking Polaris®.
5 | We’re Staying Away for Longer
Legendary Journeys from Regent Seven Seas feature 63-83-night itineraries, including: Grand Arctic Adventure, Grand European Sojourn, Grand Asia Exploration, and Grand Spice Route Quest. Holland America Line’s Grand Voyages circumnavigate the world over the course of 128 days.
Global tour operator Collette offers a 22-day Australia & New Zealand Uncovered tour. Their 27-day Complete South Pacific tour has an optional 3-day extension in Fiji. Aboard Oceania Cruises, “the single most in-demand voyage” is apparently their 35-day circumnavigation of Australia.
6 | We’re Eyeing New Ports of Call
A major renovation of the port in Nassau, Bahamas, is expected to be completed in early 2023. Carnival Cruise Line’s new Grand Bahama Cruise Port should be ready for us in late 2024. Disney’s Lighthouse Point is expected to welcome ships in 2024 as well. Also coming soon: Port Coral, a brand new “fully Belizean-owned” port, and Royal Caribbean’s new Perfect Day at Lelepa, on a small island in Vanuatu.
7 | We’re Embracing the Chill Factor
Club Med opened four new all-inclusive resorts in 2021 in the Seychelles, Lijiang, Québec, and La Rosière. Seventeen more are in the works, including Club Med Utah, a five-star, year-round extravaganza — their first new U.S. resort in over 20 years. Up along the Norwegian coast, Hurtigruten Norway’s Svalbard Express and North Cape Express cruises begin in June 2023, one month prior to the company’s 130-year anniversary.
8 | We’re Connecting with the Stars
This November in Fort Lauderdale, Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles will christen Celebrity Cruises’ newest ship, Celebrity Beyond. While we’re namedropping … Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink is being tested aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Freedom of the Seas. Word has it, connection speeds are out of this world.