The world’s third largest island – which is divided among Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei – offers a mix of British colonial history, local stilt villages set precariously above the water, and indigenous flora and fauna, most notably orchids and orangutans. The 13-night Gems of the South China Sea itinerary in Jan. 2022 aboard 600-guest Seabourn Encore calls on the Malaysian port of Kota Kinabalu.

The Faroe Islands offer both charm and rugged adventure: the colorful port of Torshavn for strolling and scenic peaks towering over majestic fjords for touring or trekking. Viking Ocean Cruises offers multiple sailings in 2021 and 2022 of its Iceland’s Majestic Landscapes itinerary aboard its 930-guest ships, which visit four Icelandic ports and four Norwegian ports, plus this Danish territory.

Landscapes studded with distinctive baobab trees along with rainforests and nature reserves filled with curious creatures – among them dozens of species of lemurs and half of the planet’s chameleons – are what lure travelers to the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar, the world’s fourth largest. Visit on this 22-night Abu Dhabi to Cape Town itinerary in Oct. 2021 aboard Regent Seven Seas Voyager.

This 34-night Hawaii, Tahiti and Marquesas itinerary aboard Holland America’s 1,964-passenger Zuiderdam sails roundtrip from San Diego in Feb. 2022 and visits a dozen islands in Hawaii and French Polynesia as well as Christmas Island. The latter is part of Kiribati’s Kiritimati atoll and is famous for its beautiful beaches and lagoons, tropical seabirds, and its annual red crab migration.

Few cruise lines visit these volcanic islands – the world’s most remote archipelago – located in the middle of the southern Atlantic. France-based Ponant does and in March 2022 it will sail a 21-night expedition itinerary from Antarctica to Cape Town aboard the 244-passenger Le Lyrial. This British outpost’s untamed landscape is home to Northern Rockhopper Penguins and three albatross species.

You’ll score an Atlantic island trifecta – the Portuguese outposts of Madeira, the Cape Verde Islands, and the Canary Islands – on this 16-night Portuguese Pursuit Voyage itinerary in Nov. 2022 aboard the 684-passenger Azamara Pursuit. Set sail from Lisbon and disembark in Rio de Janeiro with two weeks of historic seafaring discovery in between.

Check off a transatlantic crossing and the Azores, an island group that’s a territory of Portugal, with this 16-day Transatlantic: Italy, France and Spain itinerary in April 2022 aboard the 4,266-guest Norwegian Escape. The cruise visits Ponta Delgada on San Miguel Island, home to centuries-old architecture and a spectacular volcanic caldera, followed by seven top ports in the Mediterranean.

Known for its aromatic spices, beautiful beaches, and the Arabic architecture of Stone Town, Zanzibar is an island 20 miles off the coast of Tanzania (of which it is a semi-autonomous region) that is just one of 17 ports visited (Madagascar is one, too) on this 35-night Extreme Asia & Africa itinerary in April 2022 aboard the 684-guest Oceania Insignia.

There is only one place to see the world’s largest lizard in its native environment and that place is Komodo Island in Indonesia, part of Komodo National Park. Visit on this 13-night Remarkable Reefs and Cultures itinerary from Sydney to Bali in Jan. 2022 aboard 848-guest Crystal Symphony. In addition to the Komodo Dragon, the park is also home to deer, wild boars, macaques, and cockatoos.

This hard-to-get-to island in the South Pacific, where about 50 descendants of Fletcher Christian and other mutineers from the HMS Bounty live in isolation, will be visited during two 22-night itineraries (in Oct. 2021 and Feb. 2022) on Silversea’s 144-passenger Silver Explorer and 254-passenger Silver Cloud as they cruise between Papeete, Tahiti and Valparaiso, Chile.

South Georgia Island, nicknamed the “Serengeti of the Southern Ocean,” is celebrated for its populations of king penguins and elephant seals. Spend five days there on this 23-night Antarctica, Falklands, South Georgia itinerary aboard Hurtigruten’s 200-guest MS Fram, which cruises from Ushuaia (with a pre-stay in Buenos Aires) on five dates from Nov. 2021 to Feb. 2022.

Visit Mauritius, a multicultural Indian Ocean island, on this 44-night Sydney to Cape Town itinerary in March 2022 aboard Cunard’s 2,061-guest Queen Victoria. The ship calls on Port Louis, the island nation’s bustling capital known for its French colonial architecture, but there are beautiful beaches and wildlife-filled nature reserves nearby. Bonus: This cruise also visits Papua New Guinea.

Combine a visit to Australia with this 11-Night South Pacific cruise that sails roundtrip from Sydney in Jan. 2022 aboard 2,850-guest Celebrity Eclipse and visits six islands, including two ports in lush, tropical Vanuatu. The capital and largest city, Port Vila, offers access to waterfalls and colorful handicraft markets while uninhabited Mystery Island is a playground for a day of relaxation.

This 67-square-mile Mediterranean island is part of the Maltese Archipelago and offers a tranquil counterpoint to the bustle of Valletta. Visit in Sept. 2021 (and on three 2022) with the 10-night Sicilian Splendors itinerary aboard 342-passenger Wind Surf, sailing roundtrip from Rome. Gozo is known for photogenic caves and grottos and the megalithic prehistoric Ggantija Temples.

Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island since its discovery on Easter Sunday in 1722 by Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen, is a place that lingers in travelers’ minds long after they visit. Why? The hundreds of enigmatic moai statues that dot its landscape. See them on this 24-night Tahiti, South America and Panama Canal Crossing itinerary in Nov. 2021 aboard Princess’s 670-guest Pacific Princess.