A handful of luxury cruise lines host world-renowned authors, speakers, dancers, musicians and artists on sought-after sailings across the globe. Here’s a selection to inspire your culture-loving clients.
Insert hero image here: Author Anna Funder with Cunard Bellhops (c) James Morgan at Getty Images.
Cunard’s classic liner Queen Mary 2 is in Sydney today, hosting award-winning author Anna Funder, who is presenting a ‘letter to the world’ as part of the line’s global pen-pal exchange program. Funder drew on letters submitted by Australians to write this piece, and all the letters sent will travel the world aboard the ship, where guests can read and respond to them.
Funder says, “What drew me to this project with Cunard is the idea of letters travelling slowly, by sea and being read by passengers with the same care with which they were written. Writing a letter asks us to pause, reflect on where we are, and imagine the person reading it on the other side of the world. It’s an act of intimate connection, in words.”
The project attracted a star-studded collection of actors in London at the Letters Live reading show in January – Benedict Cumberbatch, Dominic West and Dame Meera Syal and Dame Harriet Walter among them – and it represents Cunard’s long-held involvement in the world of words and literature.
[Insert image here] The library onboard Cunard’s Queen Anne.
Reading holidays trend
‘Reading holidays’ are already a big thing – according to Future Market Insights, the literary tourism sector was worth an estimated US$2.4 billion in 2024, with projections suggesting it could rise to US$3.3 billion by 2034. For book-lovers, reading holidays provide an irresistible combo of books and travel with like-minded people – and it’s not surprising that a few select cruise lines now offer itineraries showcasing some of the leading lights in literature and the arts in general.
Cunard has hosted dozens of famous writers over its 186-year history and in 1874 RMS Bothnia became the first passenger liner to have a library. Fast-forward to 2018, when Cunard partnered with The Times and Sunday Times and the Cheltenham Literature Festival to produce the first Literature Festival at Sea, on QM2’s 2019 transatlantic crossing.
The 2026 Literature at Sea voyage, from New York to Southampton departing on 28 November, will be the sixth in the series. Over the seven-night crossing, writers and special guests host Q&A sessions, conduct writing workshops, participate in panel discussions on literature and current events, and hold daily book signings in the ship’s Grand Lobby.
This year’s line-up of authors includes Alexander McCall Smith, Linwood Barclay, Pam Ayres, Fern Britton and Lady Philippa Perry, along with special guests such as actor-writer Celia Imrie and ex-CIA analyst and writer David McCloskey.
[Insert image here] The atmospheric Neolithic Ring of Brogdar, Orkney.
Seabourn Authors at Sea
As a fan of the books and TV series Shetland, visiting Scotland in the company of author Ann Cleeves is my idea of heaven. Seabourn’s seven-day cruise from Dover to Reykjavik, departing May 30 onboard the elegant, 600-guest Seabourn Ovation, visits the Orkney islands where Cleve’s latest DI Jimmy Perez novel, The Killing Stones, is set. The itinerary includes crime-writing workshops and a live ‘murder mystery’ event hosted by Cleve – sign me up now!
This itinerary is just one of several tempting itineraries in Seabourn’s 2026 Authors at Sea series.
On June 11, ultra-luxe expedition ship Seabourn Venture sets sail from Barcelona on a 13-day cruise to Greenwich, hosting Joanne Harris, the acclaimed author of Chocolat (who could forget that gorgeous movie starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp?) and many other hugely popular novels.
Then you can cruise with Lady Sandra Howard, a top international model in the 1960s whose romance novels often draw on her real-life high-society experiences. Howard is the guest of honour on Seabourn Quest’s 12-day voyage from Lisbon to Miami, departing November 10 2026. Guests can expect some enthralling tales of encounters with the likes of Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Marilyn Monroe and Jack and Jackie Kennedy.
Insert image here: Sail with dancers from the Opéra National de Paris on Ponant’s Le Boréal.
Dance and jazz
Ponant Explorations is renewing its partnership with the Opéra National de Paris for two summer departures with the exclusive presence of dancers from the Opéra Ballet, including stars Roxane Stojanov in the Mediterranean in 2026 and Amandine Albisson in the Atlantic in 2027.
Guests can look forward to performances both on board and ashore, unique encounters with the dancers during discussions, lectures and screenings, and ballet classes led by a teacher from the Opéra National de Paris. Le Boréal’s eight-night Mediterranean cruise round-trip from Nice departs 29 July 2026 and her nine-night Atlantic coast cruise from Lisbon to Bordeaux departs 6 August 2027.
Another impressive Ponant voyage is its ‘Jazz Festival, from the Baltic to the North Sea’. Musicians from the international jazz scene will gather onboard Le Commandant Charcot for an unforgettable 11-day sailing from Helsinki to Bergen, departing 23 January 2027.
Insert image here: Meet world-renowned art experts on a selection of Ponant’s Mediterranean cruises.
Creative journeys
Several cruises are aimed at art enthusiasts, including two departures that welcome experts from the celebrated Christie’s auction house on board for fascinating talks. These include ‘A Celebration of Art featuring the 61st Venice Biennale, a 10-day itinerary from Valletta to Venice departing 1 July 2026 on Le Bougainville.
Highlights include the Greek and Roman ruins at Syracuse; the Baroque architecture of Lecce; the Renaissance treasures of Urbino; and the Byzantine mosaics in Ravenna. This cultural exploration ends Venice, where Le Bougainville docks for two days. Venice is hosting the 61st Venice Biennale and guests will have exclusive access to the famous Pinault Collection of contemporary art.
Another cruise in the Adriatic, presented in partnership with the Pinault Collection, will be hosted by its managing director Emma Lavigne and multi-disciplinary artist Edith Dekyndt. This creative journey includes a visit to the Venice Biennale and exclusive guided tours of Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana led by expert Pinault Collection lecturers. Le Dumont d’Urville’s eight-day cruise from Dubrovnik to Venice departs 15 June 2026.
