7 of the best themed cruises with special guests on board

Hapag-Lloyd Cruises

On selected international voyages operated by the German Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, golf enthusiasts can combine their cruise with pre-reserved access to some superb courses across Australia's East Coast, New Zealand, Northern Europe, the Mediterranean and the U.S. West Coast.

These chargeable packages include several different courses and whilst on board a PGA golf pro is on hand to offer coaching and advice.

Hebridean Island Cruises

Hebridean Island Cruises are no strangers to an enriching cruising experience and offer a range of specially themed cruises including wildlife, food and drink, walking, and gardens, with many sailings joined by expert guest speakers to provide fascinating insights and discussion. Next year on 22 July, the 48-guest Hebridean Princess ventures out of Scottish waters in a much-anticipated journey southwards to the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, exploring historic houses and castles along the way. Special guest speaker and veteran broadcast journalist Michael Buerk joins the sailing, to share stories from his fascinating career as a foreign correspondent and documentary presenter.

Another of our favourite theme among the multitude on offer has to be their walking voyages. Labelled as Footloose departures, there is simply no better way to experience the wild beauty of the Scottish Highlands and Islands than exploring on foot, far off the beaten track and often to places only accessible from the sea. Other themes available have been chosen to showcase the very best of Scotland including food and drink, gardens, history and heritage, and wildlife.

Windstar

The official cruise line of the James Beard Foundation - an American non-profit which aims to celebrate, support and elevate the people behind America's food culture - Windstar have created themed culinary cruises in conjunction with amazing guest chefs, sailing on 12 April 2025 from Lisbon to Barcelona exploring Spain and Portugal and in August 2025 from Venice exploring Croatia and Greece.

Regent Seven Seas

Known for its luxury voyages, Regent Seven Seas stands out in particular for its partnership with Fabergé which sees the only Fabergé egg sail as a permanent exhibit at sea on board their newest ship the Seven Seas Grandeur. See the Fabergé egg on one of Grandeur's Spotlight Voyages that are accompanied by expert speakers, that focus predominantly on food and wine but also include entertainment, sports, ancestry, and history, such as the Southampton round-trip Golf Spotlight voyage with Annika Sörenstam, one of the best female golfers in history, on board, on 23 June 2025.

Or, if sports are more your area of interest, for motor sports enthusiasts, don't miss Regent Seven Seas Cruises' 'Spotlight on Aston Martin Aramco' voyage which follows news of an exclusive partnership between the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team and Regent earlier this year. This thrilling voyage on board Seven Seas Splendor begins in Barcelona on 22nd July 2025 and guests will be joined by former Formula 1 driver Pedro de la Rosa and members of Aston Martin Aramco including engineers and executives. On board you can expect insightful discussions, workshops around innovation and design, the chance to see a full-sized replica of the 2025 race car, and an Aston Martin race simulator.

Cunard

Offering the ultimate collection of themed voyages Cunard add a quintessentially British touch to proceedings. On board Queen Mary 2's 8 March 2025 Transatlantic Crossing Cunard will host the Film Festival at Sea, in partnership with the BFI, where guests on board will enjoy film-themed events and activities, hear from industry experts and icons, test their knwoledge at film-themed quizzes and of course, watch all the classics at the cinema.

Then, join the Anthony Inglis and the National Symphony Orchestra sailing from New York to Southampton on 3 September 2025 for two spectacular performances and the opportunity to rehearse with the choir and practise under the guidance of the NSO, ready for a group performance during the evening's show.

Finally, Cunard will once again host the Literature Festival at Sea in December 2025 in collaboration with The Times and Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, where guests on board will enjoy a daily dose of news from Times journalists, lose themselves in thought-provoking conversation and meet favourite writers at intimate book signings.

Seabourn

Continuing with the sporting theme, you might also consider Seabourn's 'The Collection', a curated series of voyages which feature the chance to attend an iconic European tennis tournament and enjoy 'Seabourn Conversations' with two legends of the sport.

These special interest sailings on board Seabourn Venture begin with the 5th April 2025 departure which includes premium tickets to the Monte Carlo Masters plus talks on board from broadcaster and former tennis player Sue Barker CBE. The 13th April 2025 sailing from Rome takes in a match during the Barcelona Open and welcomes special guest and winner of 15 singles titles, Tommy Haas.