Conde Nast Traveler July/August 2019

It’s funny listening to my daughter, surrounded by the green waters of the Rhine outside our window that resemble abandoned forest pools. It’s not like they’re stories I haven’t heard before, but in our cabin, with her lying on her back on the bed, her head lolling off the end, it feels like everything else has been drowned out, so I am hearing her—seeing her—as if for the first time. “Swan!” she’ll shout out, interrupting her own tale, pointing at the birds’ improbable shapes gliding past on the turn. She runs her fingers through her upside-down hair. “I love it when the ship is moving,” she says. “The motion feels like magic.” The man who picked us up for our Viking trip along the river from Basel to Amsterdam had indeed…

BACK IN THE ZONE There are cities for every century. London for the 19th; New York for the 20th. And while Istanbul has been a going concern since the hazy days of the Byzantine Empire, there’s a strong case for nominating it as the city for our current times. Take its art galleries, for example. The new gravitational center of Istanbul’s youth-driven creative scene is Karaköy in Beyoǧlu—a district on the European shore of the Bosphorus that could even be described as the city’s Lower East Side. Today it’s a neighborhood where new bohemians and art students share a pot of strong coffee in design cafés listening to the latest Turkish new wave over the hammering of artisans’ workshops. The area’s regeneration was kick-started by the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, the…

Rollicking Busan has all the video-game glow and energy of Seoul but none of its stiffness. Geography makes the place distinct. This balmy cosmopolitan port in the far south of the country has a subtropical climate, with skyscrapers that edge onto the beach—hence its nickname: the Miami of the Far East. And it’s indicative that both Windstar Cruises and Princess Cruises sail here on select Japan itineraries—Windstar, the nifty, boutique independent line with marina decks for water sports and teak-and-canvas ships that hark back to a bygone era; Princess, the steadfast, sophisticated industry titan, its large, all-singing-and-dancing vessels kitted out with adults-only spa cabanas. It’s a clever and imaginative move for both, for here is a compact one-stop shop of a city that showcases the best of the country. In…

Solo travel has shed any lingering stigmas to become one of the key trends of the past decade. And yet, a cruise may still seem an unlikely choice for someone traveling alone. Nearly everything—meals, excursions, onboard activities—is done en masse. Now, however, the famously family-friendly industry is working hard to appeal to that very set of single travelers. Demographics are shifting: According to the U.S. Census, in 2018, 70 percent of 18-to-34-year-olds were unmarried, compared to 41 percent in 1978. Norwegian Cruise Line was one of the first to turn its attention to this trend, repurposing interior-facing cabins as podlike solo rooms known as “studios” when it launched the Norwegian Epic in 2010; now you can find them on five other ships in the fleet. Luxury line Cunard—famous for transatlantic…

Over 20 years of cruise excellence Viking is the world’s leading cruise line, exploring the world’s great waterways by river and sea. The Thinking Person’s Cruise® Viking itineraries are created for curious travelers, opening a doorway to cultural insight and personal enrichment. Small ships, big advantage We own and operate our award-winning Viking Longships.® Additionally, we own many prime docking locations, enabling us to take you to the heart of your destination. Sail in Scandinavian serenity Understated elegant Viking Longships are designed to bring the outside in, with open, light-filled staterooms and public areas. Unparalleled dining and service Enjoy thoughtful service and regionally inspired cuisine with the most al fresco dining on Europe’s rivers. Cultural enrichment from ship to shore Every Viking journey enriches you through our onboard cultural programs and included excursions; we also take you beyond the iconic with…

Most Americans have perfected the art of the long weekend, masterfully cramming all we can into 72 relaxing yet jam-packed hours. It’s not our fault—we tend to get the fewest vacation days and, go figure, often leave a good number of them unused. And though we long for warm, salty breezes and lying poolside while slowly and carelessly drifting from one destination to the next, a 30-or 14-day sail isn’t always the easiest or most realistic vacation to pull off. Thankfully, there’s been a rise in shorter cruises to places we actually want to go. Like Baja California, where Lindblad Expeditions’ National Geographic Venture does five days in the Sea of Cortez, stopping for sunset barbecues on deserted beaches and to snorkel alongside reef fish; or southern France, with SeaDream…