Where Will Your Heart Lead You Next? General Manager Dominique Nicolle’s Top 2024 Cruises

When I joined Oceania Cruises years ago, I walked through the galley one morning very early, and from a distance, I could already smell the fresh baguettes that had been baked. I walked to the baker and saw there were not only freshly baked bread but freshly baked croissants. Seeing my face light up, the baker immediately offered me one. When I took a bite, I was transported back to my childhood in France – the texture, the smell, the taste, everything was just perfect. I felt a bit like Proust with his petite madeleine. Nothing else around mattered; I was just living the present moment to its fullest.

Pure Happiness: Proustian Reveries & South Pacific Cruises
Sailing to French Polynesia is like this for me. From the time one lands in Tahiti, something magical occurs: it is in the air. It might be that this feeling of pure happiness and “légèreté,” or lightness of being, comes from the tiare flowers and their intoxicating scent, or maybe the warm welcome of the Tahitians and the sounds of their ukulele creates it. Sailing into Bora Bora in the early morning or through the lagoon between Taha’a and Raiatea late in the afternoon at sundown is a true delight for your senses. It is one of the most mesmerizing places in the world – the unique encounters are infinite and truly unforgettable. With travels to certain places, you remember forever how they made you feel – the South Pacific is like this for me. I cannot wait to return again soon.

So it will come as no surprise that the journeys in the 2024 Collection that captured my mind are those in the South Pacific. In particular, I love the 10-day Papeete to Papeete Tahitian Legends voyage aboard Nautica – there are departures throughout January and February of 2024. This itinerary includes all the best islands in French Polynesia and also offers overnights in Bora Bora and Tahiti. For a more expansive survey of the region, I’d recommend the 31-day Papeete to Sydney Lands of Captain Cook sailing departing February 19, 2024, aboard Nautica. This South Pacific cruise covers the favorites in French Polynesia, plus Fiji and off-the-beaten-path ports such as Pago Pago and Apia, then continues on to explore top destinations in New Zealand before rounding out the journey in Australia with calls on Tasmania and Eden. Magnificent! And last but not least in this region, the 21-day Papeete to Los Angeles Pacific Passion journey departing March 30, 2024 aboard Regatta is a unique and alluring combination of French Polynesia and Hawaii, which I really appreciate. For our guests in the U.S., it offers the exotic destinations of the South Pacific without the need for a trans-pacific flight.

Antarctica Cruises & The Chilean Fjords: The Immensity of Nature Revealed
The other part of the world that captures my heart again and again is quite different. It is the pristine and icy landscape of the Antarctica Peninsula and the Scotia Sea that gives way to the dry, rocky landscape of the Cape Horn through the Beagle Channel and along its tidewater glaciers, all the way to Laguna San Rafael National Park and its stunning glaciers. These seas and coastlines always amaze me. The beauty, the immensity of the nature surrounding us – this all imparts a profound sense of gratefulness and peacefulness. When I travel in these regions, I tend to forget the rest of the world. It is pure and utter enjoyment.

With that, I must recommend our incredible South America and Antarctica cruises in the 2024 Collection. They are not to be missed and we have plenty of excellent voyages aboard Marina in this region. A few of my favorites are the 24-day Rio de Janeiro to Santiago de Chile Cape Horn Mariner voyage departing January 21, 2024 and the 20-day Santiago de Chile to Buenos Aires South American Explorer departing February 14, 2024. For those travelers looking for a longer adventure, I suggest considering the incredible 39-day Palms, Fjords & Penguins journey conveniently departing from Miami on December 3, 2023. You have the opportunity to enjoy the blissful tropical weather of the Caribbean before a Panama Canal crossing, then take in explorations of vibrant, cultural destinations lining Peru and Chile and two days cruising the Chilean Fjords. You’ll have multiple days to experience Patagonia, not to mention the unforgettable days cruising Antarctic bays and islands. Delightful ports in Uruguay round out this epic voyage on Marina.

So, where will your heart take you in 2024? Tell us which cruises are your favorites on Facebook and we hope to see you on board soon!

About Dominique Nicolle
Hailing from Brittany, France, Dominique Nicolle became a trained chef after working in Germany at high-end restaurants. He entered the cruise industry in 1994 and his life at sea has brought him to work aboard many cruise ships in various positions. From chef to General Manager, Dominique has been fortunate enough to be able to work and travel the world while enjoying the best of cruising, but there is one destination particularly close to his heart: Tahiti. Dominique later moved to the Philippines to live with his wife and three daughters. When not on board, Dominique loves to travel on land with his family and takes every opportunity to enjoy in-depth experiences among local cultures around the world.