History in North Africa
The Graeco-Roman ruins along the North African coast are among the most magnificent and well-preserved in the world, and with four days each in Egypt and Libya and two days in Tunisia, plus enlightening onboard lectures, you’ll become something of an expert. Sailing on 350-passenger Aegean Odyssey, this fantastic cruise from new line Voyages to Antiquity aims to follow the wake of the Romans, who ruled these waters from 200BC to 200AD, while delivering comfort and grown-up style onboard. Departing Piraeus, you’ll call at Sicily and Malta before crossing to Tunisia, where the highlights are Carthage, the Islamic Art Collection at the Bardo Museum and El-Jem amphitheatre. In Libya you’ll see Sabratha, the largest Roman theatre in Africa, and various other breathtaking ruins and temples. Alexandria has more treats in store, and the tour ends with a night in Cairo to visit the Pyramids of Giza.
Voyages to Antiquity offers this 14-night cruise on Aegean Odyssey departing Piraeus on November 2.

Fall in Canada and New England
As the leaves start turning in early autumn, Mother Nature really shows off, with swathes of red, gold, yellow and orange foliage turning the forests and hills of New England and Canada into magical lands. The coastline north of New York City has hundreds of miles of stunning beaches, rocky coves and fishing ports, many sheltered by iconic white lighthouses. Entry point to New England and your first port of call on this cruise, Boston is like a small 17th-century London and home to the original tea party. Tuck into freshly caught lobster in Portland before spending a day at sea to enjoy six restaurants, a spa, casino, bars and lounges on Carnival Glory on your way to Halifax and Saint John. These craggy outposts are beautiful in autumn, surrounded by farmland, mountains and national parks, and you can also go whale-watching, tall-ship sailing and eat lots more lobster.
 Carnival Cruise Line offers seven-night cruises on Carnival Glory from New York City throughout September and October.

Sunshine in the Middle East
After a summer cruising the Mediterranean, Costa Luminosa will make an extraordinary repositional cruise to the Middle East and Dubai, marking the beginning of its winter season in Arabia. This is a once-a-year opportunity to enjoy not only the Med, but the Middle East during one of its most beautiful months, with warm dry weather and bright blue sky. Departing the Italian port of Savona you’ll sail south to Egypt and Port Said, with its colonial buildings and busy markets, and on to Sharm el Sheikh and Aqaba where you can dive above coral reefs in bath-warm water. Next up is Aden, a dramatic port in Yemen framed by a volcanic, Salalah in Oman, known as the perfume capital of Arabia due to its frankincense production, and Muscat with its battle-scarred forts. Superlatives fail to describe the final port of call and highlight for many – the glittering Emirate of Dubai – where you’ll spend two nights before flying home.
Costa Cruises offers this 18-night cruise on Costa Luminosa departing Savona on November 11.

Sightseeing in the Med
The Mediterranean is heaven in autumn – the schools have gone back, the beaches are empty and the sea is still wonderfully warm. What’s more, cooler temperatures make sightseeing really comfortable and you won’t have to queue all morning to get into key monuments. Saga operates adult-only cruises from Southampton – so no flying – that really focus on cultural ports of call. Visit the pilgrimage town of Santiago de Compostela and beautiful Cadiz on the way south, and rest up during sea days onboard Saga Pearl II enjoying the restaurants, spa and bars. The ship does a comprehensive tour of the Med, calling at major cities Barcelona, Rome, Naples, Dubrovnik and Venice, where you can visit Saint Mark’s Church or explore the waterways on a gondola. The islands of Corfu and Sicily are next up and show the Med at a quieter pace of life, before the ship heads west to Palma, Gibraltar and eventually home.
Saga Holidays offers 24-night cruises on Saga Pearl II departing Southampton on October 8.

River cruise in China
The Yangtze River between Chongqing in the west and Wuhan in the east is one of the most fascinating stretches of water in the world, and gives a unique insight into rural Chinese life as well as taking you right through the dramatic Three Gorges and Three Gorges Dam. Surrounded by towering mountain peaks that are often shrouded in mist, the gorges are the main attraction – and the smaller Lesser Gorges are usually visited in excursion boats. The dam is not beautiful – more a mind-boggling engineering marvel – but a few days’ cruising the Yangtze is an important part of a tour of China. Viking River Cruises operates Viking Century Sun on the Yangtze, which is comfortable and modern with balconies for watching the farms, villages and temples drift by, as well as a small spa, bar, sundeck and excellent restaurant. This tour also takes in Beijing, Xian, Lhasa and Shanghai.
Viking River Cruises offers 15-night ‘Roof of the World’ tours, including a five-night Yangtze cruise, throughout September.