9 top destinations to visit on a world cruise from Bora Bora to Kenya

An around the world cruise packs in a glut of incredible countries so globetrotters can tick off everything from exotic beaches and historical gems to jungle adventures and famous capitals.

Ambassador Cruise Line’s first world cruise onboard flagship Ambience will take place in 2024 and it’s not called the Grand Round the World Cruise for nothing.

The around the world cruise from the UK visits six continents, 24 countries and 34 ports of call on a journey spanning a whopping 34,759 nautical miles in total.

The voyage sails via the Azores and Caribbean, transits the Panama Canal and calls at the South Sea islands before heading onto New Zealand and Australia.

Ambience then visits Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand followed by the Indian Ocean islands and Kenya. Next up on the world cruise 2024 is Durban and Cape Town then Tristan da Cunha. After crossing the Atlantic, passengers will take in Brazil before cruising home via Cape Verde, Casablanca and Lisbon.

It’s nigh impossible to condense the thrills you’ll have on the voyage into a few hundred words but we’ve picked out just some of the amazing destinations on the Ambassador world cruise 2024.

Bora Bora is as picturesque as it gets and undoubtedly plays the starring role in the French Polynesian archipelago. Think white sand beaches, soaring mountain peaks, tropical-coloured fish, coral gardens and emerald waters.

A volcano set on a stunning translucent lagoon, Bora Bora offers holidaymakers the opportunity to enjoy all manner of watersports, from jet skiing, kiteboarding and paddle boarding to scuba diving, helmet diving or viewing the beautiful underwater paradise from a glass-bottom boat.

Ambassador makes four Australian stops on its world cruise 2024 – Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Fremantle for Peth. The cosmopolitan city of Adelaide in South Australia serves up a thriving restaurant and bar scene as well as plenty of cultural events. It also has world-famous wine regions on its doorstep so you know the plonk you drink here will be the good stuff.

Be sure to visit the Adelaide Central Market where fruits, vegetables, cheeses, chocolate, honey and more are for sale; you can even get a guided tour. The Adelaide Botanic Gardens are also worth a visit or maybe just relax at Adelaide’s favourite city beach, Glenelg?

Over at the Adelaide Oval (above, right), one of Australia’s most iconic stadiums, you can climb the roof for 360-degree views of the city, coast and hills beyond. Culture vultures will love the art scene – the Art Gallery of South Australia houses one of the country’s greatest art collections and features 45,000 works spanning 2,000 years.

The vibrant city state of Singapore is a veritable melting pot of culture, with influences from India, China and Malaysia. Old and new rub shoulders here, from temples filled with the aroma of incense to towering modern skyscrapers such as the iconic Hotel Marina Bay Sands (above) which straddles three towers and boasts the world’s largest rooftop infinity pool.

Top Singaporean attractions include the Botanic Gardens (one of only three in the world to be awarded UNESCO status), the shopping mecca of Orchard Road, Singapore Zoo and Sentosa Island with its beautiful beaches and theme parks.

Foodies on an around the world cruise will be well pleased; expect the full range from street food stalls at the city’s famous hawker centres to Michelin-starred restaurants. Be sure to visit Raffles Singapore to try the Singapore Sling cocktail, too – it was first created in this hotel’s Long Bar!

Over in Malaysia, Penang is also a crossroad of cultures; first-century Indian spice traders, Ming dynasty Chinese sailors and 18th-century British colonisers have all left their mark on the island.

Penang features not one but two UNESCO World Heritage sites: George Town, the buzzy, modern capital, and the Penang Hill Biosphere Reserve, home to 30,000 acres of ancient rainforest.

In George Town, visit the ornamental Khoo Kongsi clan house (above, right), the Pinang Peranakan Mansion (a museum offering a fascinating glimpse into local culture), Little India, the Kuan Yin Teng (Goddess of Mercy) Taoist temple, and the seaside semi-open-air hawker centre Rojak Ho Wei Jeng, to name a few highlights. Keep a look out for the amazing street art in the city, too.

At Penang Hill, you can challenge yourself to all sorts of adventures, including zip-lining, abseiling and hiking. There’s amazing wildlife to spot, such as flying lemurs, silvered leaf monkeys, leopard cats plus countless birds and reptiles.

Mahé is the largest island of the 115 Seychelles islands and is home to coconut palm-backed white beaches, sapphire seas and lush green flora.

Beau Vallon is the most famous beach and is like something from a picture postcard but if you want to stay active there are plenty of walking trails into the cloud forest at the centre of the island. Wildlife to admire in the Seychelles includes giant tortoises, Seychelles fruit bats, black parrots and Seychelles tree frogs.

Capital city Victoria has some lovely colourful markets where you can pick up handmade souvenirs or tuck into freshly grilled seafood wrapped in banana leaves during your call on the 2024 Ambassador world cruise.

Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya and has a plethora of intricate mosques and temples and fascinating open-air markets.

Sixteenth-century Fort Jesus is Mombasa’s most visited site. The Unesco World Heritage gem was built by the Portuguese and features frescoed interiors and metre-thick walls – feel free to climb the battlements and explore the grounds. Mandhry Mosque is an excellent example of Swahili architecture and the bustling Spice Market is well worth a visit, as are the ornamental Jain Temple and mural-packed Swaminarayan Temple.

To the north of Mombasa are gorgeous white sandy beaches backed by palm trees – Nyali Beach then Bamburi, Shanzu and Kikambala, which are all great for snorkelling.

Durban, South Africa’s playground, is the country’s third-largest city and, interestingly, has the largest concentration of Indian descendants outside India.

Expect grand colonial villas, Art Deco buildings and a California-esque waterfront boardwalk. The city boasts Africa’s oldest surviving botanical garden (established in 1849) while Glenwood district is bursting with impressive street art and contemporary galleries.

Other highlights include Kwa Muhle Museum and the Moses Mabhida Stadium, which hosted the 2010 FIFA World Cup, or simply enjoying the beach.

This active volcanic island is positioned deep in the Atlantic between South America and Africa. Its nearest neighbour is over 2,000 miles away, making it the remotest island in the world.

The island is a dependency of Saint Helena – a British Overseas Territory – and, according to the archipelago’s website, 238 British Citizens live there. Fun fact, the main source of income here is the island’s lobster factory!

Bird watchers on Ambassador’s around the world cruise from the UK will enjoy Tristan da Cunha. The island group is home to 86 native species and 11 endemic, some of which are found only on one or two of the four islands.

These include the rare inaccessible rail, the smallest flightless bird on the planet, the Tristan thrush and the rarest “British” bird, the Wilkins’ bunting. The vulnerable spectacled petrel, the Endangered Tristan albatross, the Vulnerable Atlantic petrel, yellow-nosed albatross and the greater shearwater also reside here.

In the water, you can find fur seals and elephant seals, humpback whales, southern right whales, sperm whales, Shepard’s beaked whales, and long-finned pilot whales plus several species of dolphins.

Salvador, the capital of the state of Bahia, is Brazil’s oldest city and has been influenced by both Portugal – check out the historical Pelourinho district lined with its pastel-coloured colonial buildings – and Africa – the food, culture and religion of the former slaves have been well preserved in Salvador so do try some spicy Bahian cuisine, while you’re there!

Be sure to stroll around the city taking in the colourful mansions, ornate churches and peaceful, flower-strewn courtyards on your world cruise stop.

Top sights include famous 18th-century church Igreja NS do Bonfim, Bahia’s oldest fort Forte de Santo Antônio da Barra (you get super views from here) and museum Museu Afro-Brasileiro.