Teri West
More Alaska, more Japan and more Caribbean.
As cruise lines have revealed 2027 deployments and itineraries over the past couple of months, trends have emerged, and Alaska, Japan and the Caribbean are a few hot spots that caught my eye.
Both National-Geographic Lindblad Expeditions and Celebrity Cruises are expanding the number of Alaska sailings they will offer in 2027. Celebrity will do so by extending both the beginning and end of the Celebrity Edge’s Alaska season. National Geographic is adding more sailings on the Quest and the Venture.
Explora Journeys had already announced that 2027 would be its first summer sailing Alaska, but has now additionally revealed that it will offer land-based tours before and after its sailings to immerse guests even more deeply in the destination.
“Whether it’s journeying through the vast wilderness of Alaska or uncovering the cultural richness of the Canadian Rockies, these experiences are designed to complement and elevate the overall Explora Journeys experience,” said president Anna Nash.
Expedition lines, meanwhile, are introducing new experiences in the Arctic and Antarctica for cruisers looking to experience even more extreme cold climate destinations.
Viking’s expedition arm created a new itinerary for 2027 called “Into the Antarctic Circle,” a 15-day cruise that will cross the 66*33\0x2032 line of latitude that establishes the Antarctic Circle.
Ponant is newly offering shorter North Pole sailings of 12 days aboard its Le Commandant Charcot, which CEO of the Americas Samuel Chamberlain said the company has been designing for 15 months.
Cruise lines are also continuing to bet on Japan as a trendy destination for U.S. travelers.
Princess Cruises will add a second ship there in 2027, which it boasted as its largest Japan deployment ever. It will have 78 sailings and 50 itineraries, the shortest being week-long cruises and the longest 28 days.
“Our story in Japan has deepened over time and experience,” said president Gus Antorcha.
Other cruise lines betting on Japan include Celebrity, which will bring the Celebrity Millennium back to Tokyo for a second season, and National-Geographic Lindblad Expeditions, which is increasing departures.
Closer to home, the Caribbean of course continues to be a standout destination.
Windstar Cruises’ winter 2026-27 Caribbean and Latin America season will be its most extensive ever, in part thanks to its new ship the Star Seeker.
Another new ship, the Orient Express Corinthian, will sail the Caribbean for the first time beginning in October 2026, marking the new brand’s debut in the region.
Pam Young, senior vice president of partner relations at Travel Leaders Network, said the lines’ opening their 2027 cruises for sale well in advance builds upon the post-Covid trend of earlier booking.
“We see that our bookings perform nicely for further out,” Young said. “We’re excited to see that they continue to do that.”
AloJapan.com