The Panache Cruises Blog

First Things First: There's Only One Cruise Season

Okay, so we know why you’re here. You’ve just seen one of our incredible email newsletters, or maybe a stunning brochure has just dropped through your front door. You’ve had a scroll or a flick through and now your heart is set on an expedition cruise. 

We don’t blame you. 

Solo travellers have, for so long, seemed to come as an afterthought to a lot of luxury cruise lines. If you can fit two guests in a room rather than one, you’re essentially doubling your profits, which is why solo travellers often get lumped with additional supplements, interior rooms, and cramped single beds. 

If you’re familiar with the booking patterns of traditional holidays, then the rhythms and flows of cruise booking might not seem too alien. However, if you’re expecting to book an Antarctic cruise for six months’ time, or you’d like a spot on a brand-new ship launching next month, you’ve got another think coming. Ship launches are a huge deal, and expedition cruises often book up years in advance. 

I have just recently returned from Crete, where I stayed nearby the beautiful cruise port of Heraklion.

We are delighted to introduce our newest Panache Ambassadors, cruise experts Tony and Barbara Hallwood—here, they tell us a bit more about their experiences in the industry. 

Because it’s not all champagne and sunsets… well, not just that.

Europe is one of those places that reveals different charms in different seasons, but nothing compares to Christmastime.

With ever-mounting pressures in our day-to-day lives, it’s hardly surprising that wellness tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors of the travel industry.

We boarded the elegant Wind Star in Piraeus, Athens and my incredible journey began...