2026’s hot new cruises
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Havana city guide
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Marquesas Islands
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LAKE TEKAPO, NEW ZEALAND
Lake Tekapo is a place of pure enchantment. Visit between late spring and early summer (November to January) and you’ll find its shores awash with vivid lupin blooms in striking shades of purple, pink and blue. As local legend tells it, a farmer’s wife once scattered the seeds across the Mackenzie Region, hoping to brighten up the rugged landscape. Today, it’s one of New Zealand’s most photographed nature displays.
Just as iconic is the Church of the Good Shepherd, a small stone chapel built in 1935 using materials gathered within five miles of the site. Nestled among native tussocks on the lake’s edge, it blends effortlessly into the surroundings, standing amid the landscape as a quiet tribute to the early Pakeha settlers of the Mackenzie Basin.
When night falls, Tekapo reveals a vast and ancient beauty. As part of the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, it’s one of the best stargazing spots on the planet. From the warm waters of Tekapo Springs or the summit of Mount John, you can marvel at the Southern Cross, Milky Way, constellations and even the occasional shooting star.
WORDS BETH POPPY ERSKINE
You can visit Lake Tekapo on Seabourn’s 14-night Australia & New Zealand cruise, departing 4 January 2026. Other cruise lines visiting the region include Princess and APT.
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MARRAKECH, MOROCCO
Fashion designers have long been captivated by nature. Not only as inspiration, but as a true creative companion. From Christian Dior’s almond orchards in Provence to the wheat fields behind Jacquemus’ spring/ summer 2020 collection, the natural world continues to shape fashion’s narrative. Few designers embodied this connection more intimately than Yves Saint Laurent.
Jardin Majorelle, in the heart of Marrakech, is far more than a garden. Originally created by French painter Jacques Majorelle in the 1920s, it was later restored by Saint Laurent and his partner Pierre Bergé in 1980. Today, Majorelle Blue walls, bursts of bougainvillea, towering cacti, and reflective pools create a dreamscape where art, architecture, and flora come together.
Saint Laurent found plenty of peace and inspiration here. After his death, his ashes were scattered in the garden – a poetic final resting place that mirrors his lifelong pursuit of beauty. Visitors today can wander its shaded paths, sip mint tea in the courtyard café, browse at the curated boutique, and step into the neighbouring YSL Museum, a lasting tribute to a designer who saw the world through both botanical and artistic eyes.
WORDS BETH POPPY ERSKINE
You can visit The Jardin Majorelle on Seabourn’s 10-Day Spain & Moroccan Gems cruise, departing Barcelona on 19 October 2025. Other cruise lines that offer excursions to Marrakech include MSC, Princess, Silversea and more.
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A FAMILY AFFAIR
Cruising for the first time with her mum, Beth Poppy Erskine discovered a world of wonders onboard Sun Princess, as they enjoyed a week of making memories together
