TIME just named the world’s greatest places for 2026 – 4 of them are at sea

Every year, TIME releases its list of the world’s 100 greatest places – and every year, it confirms something most travellers already suspect: the best experiences don’t sit still.

The destinations, hotels and experiences are chosen by TIME’s global network of correspondents and contributors, with a focus on places offering something new, culturally relevant and genuinely worth travelling for. The 2026 edition spans everything from museums and theme parks to remote wilderness adventures.

Four very different ocean experiences made the final cut. One carries nearly 7,000 passengers. Another fits just 12. One departs by seaplane. One has an Eataly and a giant swing. Together, they tell you everything about where cruising is headed – and why it’s never been a more interesting time to get on a boat.

– READ MORE: Cruise trends for 2026 you need to know – 

MSC World America launched this year as the biggest ship MSC Cruises has ever built – the eighth-largest cruise ship in the world overall – and it sails Caribbean and Bahamas itineraries out of Miami. With 22 decks, 39 elevators, seven pools and space for 6,764 passengers, TIME describes it as looking “less like a cruise ship than a self-contained city at sea.”

When we went onboard, we made straight for The Harbour – the ship’s crown jewel, a pastel-painted open-air district where the serious fun happens. Cliffhanger, the only over-water swing ride at sea, hauls you 160 feet above the ocean before pinging you out over the ship’s edge with the Caribbean stretching out below.

Jaw Drop, one of the longest dry slides at sea, plunges eleven decks. There’s also a high ropes course, zip lining, water slides and an F1 simulator for those who prefer their thrills virtual.

Food is taken seriously too. Dining spans Japanese teppanyaki, a Greek taverna and an outpost of Eataly – the beloved Italian food hall – which MSC says is the only one currently operating at sea.

Families get a kids’ club spanning seven zones and more than 10,000 square feet. Those after a quieter pace can retreat to the MSC Yacht Club, a more intimate enclave with private dining, a secluded sun deck and 24-hour butler service. As TIME puts it, it’s a ship that proves “ambition can be measured not just in size, but in intent.”

– READ MORE: What I really thought of MSC World America – 

Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship is built around a heroes and villains concept, weaving together Marvel, Pixar and classic Disney storytelling into every corner of the experience. TIME says it’s “not your typical family cruise” – and from the moment you step into the Wakanda-inspired Grand Hall, with its Black Panther statue and Vibranium chandelier, that’s obvious.

When we went onboard, the bars alone were worth the trip. De Vil’s is a Cruella-themed piano bar with dalmatian-print everything and punchy cocktails like ‘I Live for Furs’, laced with gunpowder gin. The Sanctum, inspired by Doctor Strange, serves drinks in upside-down glasses – order a Mirror Dimension and you can draw on the cup with your finger.

The main stage production of Hercules features 24 performers and a hydra puppet that’s one of the most technically ambitious things Disney has put on at sea. Characters including Loki, Cruella and Maleficent roam the ship freely, and the Aqua Mouse water slide – faster and splashier than on any other Disney ship — wraps around the entire top deck. Disney Destiny sails four and five-night itineraries from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas and western Caribbean, with stops at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.

– READ MORE: What happened when I boarded Disney Destiny –

Douglas Mawson is a 154-passenger expedition ship launched in December by AE Expeditions, marking the company’s return to East Antarctica for the first time in 15 years. Named after the Australian explorer who led Antarctica’s first major scientific expedition in 1911, it takes passengers into some of the most remote polar landscapes on earth.

What caught TIME’s attention, though, was something solo travellers have been waiting a long time to hear. Aurora has removed single supplements across its entire fleet and introduced dedicated solo cabins on Douglas Mawson – making expedition cruising accessible to people who travel alone without the financial penalty that has historically made it so difficult.

Sustainability is built into the ship’s bones, too. Its wave-piercing Ulstein X-BOW hull cuts fuel consumption, GPS-powered virtual anchoring protects fragile seabeds, and an industry-first filtration system captures 99 percent of microplastics from laundry cycles. Aurora’s Ocean Regeneration Program funds kelp planting and marine waste removal for every passenger who sails.

Madeline Georgiadis, Global PR & Communications Director, told Sailawaze: “We’re honoured to see Douglas Mawson recognised by TIME as one of the World’s Greatest Places. It reflects the growing global appetite for more meaningful exploration,” said Katie Malone, Chief Marketing Officer at Aurora Expeditions. “The ship was designed as a platform for discovery – bringing together adventure, science and responsible travel in some of the most extraordinary places on Earth.”

Travel writer Bella Falk, who recently sailed on Douglas Mawson, told Sailawaze the ship works best when it’s doing exactly what expedition ships are designed for – getting you off the vessel and into the wilderness. “It’s not ultra-luxury,” she says, “but that’s not really the point. The focus is on exploration.”

Falk particularly praised the onboard gym and library for long sea days and said the food was “really, really good,” while highlighting Aurora Expeditions’ strong sustainability ethos, including its citizen science projects where passengers help collect data on whales, seabirds and weather patterns in remote regions. She also loved the ship’s airy double-height atrium with its huge windows, describing it as a favourite spot to sit and watch the ocean during long stretches at sea.

– READ MORE: Your cruise packing guide for Antarctica – 

The smallest experience on TIME’s list is also one of the most special. On Board Tasmanian Expedition Cruises is a family-run operation offering a two-night sailing through the Southwest National Park – one of Australia’s most isolated and carefully protected wilderness regions, where very few people ever get to go.

The journey starts in Hobart, where guests board a seaplane for a 40-minute flight over some of the most dramatic and untouched landscapes in the southern hemisphere before landing in Bathurst Harbour. From there, passengers board Odalisque III, a 12-passenger expedition catamaran that becomes home for the next three days.

The itinerary covers sea caves, deserted beaches, remote islands and coastal trails where rare wildlife, including the endangered orange-bellied parrot, can sometimes be spotted. Local guides lead visits to Indigenous rock art sites and share the ecology and history of a region that most Australians have never seen. Evenings are spent on board with Tasmanian wines, locally produced whiskies and meals prepared by the ship’s chef using regional produce.

It is about as far from a mega-ship as it’s possible to get – and for a growing number of travellers, that’s exactly the point.

An On Board spokesperson told Sailawaze: “TIME’s recognition is a significant accolade for the team and for Tasmania. On Board was created to offer rare access to a place that’s both fragile and extraordinary, and to do it with the care it deserves. We’ve earned this spot because we’ve reimagined what small‑ship travel can be — slow, sensory, place‑led and genuinely immersive.

“We find that many of our guests are new to cruise. They’re looking for a meaningful encounter with wilderness, guided by people who know and love this landscape. Being acknowledged on a global stage reinforces that this approach matters.”

– READ MORE: What to expect from sailing Australia & beyond –