There are those who travel for the sun. Others for shopping. But the true romantics, the quietly observant souls with sketchbooks in their suitcases and museum tickets in their wallets, travel for beauty. And what better way to follow in the brushstrokes of the great masters than by sailing the very coastlines that once set their imaginations alight?

At Cruise Collective, we know that art isn’t confined to galleries; sometimes the most stirring masterpieces are glimpsed from a ship's deck, or down a sun-dappled alley in a sleepy port town. Here’s our guide to voyages where canvas and coastline meet... 

The sunflowers and serenity of Provence

Inspiration: Vincent van Gogh
Cruise Destination: Southern France river cruises (Rhône and Saône)

When Van Gogh arrived in Arles in 1888, he promptly lost his mind (and we mean that in the most artistically glorious way). And the golden wheat fields, mercurial light, and gnarled olive trees of the region all spilled into some of his most famous works. Today, a river cruise through Provence lets you drift lazily through this living canvas, visiting towns like Avignon, Arles and Saint-Rémy.

You can walk the very same streets that inspired Starry Night and Café Terrace at Night, (without needing to worry about impromptu ear-related incidents). Many cruises offer excursions to Van Gogh-themed walking tours and art museums— for those who want a side order of creative history with their chilled rosé.

The glittering canals of Venice

Inspiration: J.M.W. Turner, Canaletto, Claude Monet
Cruise Destination: Adriatic coastal cruises

Venice is the something like a fever dream for most artists, all moody waterscapes and faded grandeur. Canaletto famously turned its canals into architectural portraits, Monet blurred its bridges into dreams, and Turner threw his whole melancholic heart at the city, transforming its famed Grand Canal into a riot of light.

Starting or ending your cruise in Venice (as many Adriatic itineraries do) isn’t just logistically convenient, it’s a genuine bucket-list experience. Float past Byzantine domes and Gothic palazzi before embarking on further adventures along the Dalmatian Coast. Just beware: Venice is one of those places that might make you want to sell everything you own to move into a crumbling palazzo with just an easel to your name, you've been warned.

The wild shores of Norway

Inspiration: Edvard Munch (The Scream)
Cruise Destination: Norwegian coast (perhaps aboard Hurtigruten’s Coastal Express)

Munch’s The Scream isn’t just an expert depiction of existential panic, it’s a reaction to the eerie beauty of a Norwegian sunset over Oslofjord. And there’s no better way to channel your inner tormented genius than by taking to the sea on one of Hurtigruten’s legendary coastal voyages.

Sail past snow-dusted peaks, glassy fjords, and lonely lighthouses under that peculiar Nordic light, where even the most hardened cynic feels a little poetic. Plus, Cruise Collective members can enjoy a 5% saving with Hurtigruten, more money for hot chocolate (or, if you're truly committing to the Munch lifestyle, a brooding glass of aquavit).

The golden glow of the Amalfi Coast

Inspiration: William Turner, John Singer Sargent
Cruise Destination: Mediterranean cruises

The Amalfi Coast is the visual equivalent of opera: dramatic, excessive, and utterly glorious. Turner captured its giddy cliffs and sparkling bays with the same intensity he brought to his stormy seascapes, while Sargent turned the sun-drenched scenes of Positano and Ravello into vivid portraits of Mediterranean light.

Today's cruisers have it a little easier, no need to endure 19th-century travel hardships when you can glide into Amalfi in air-conditioned splendour. Spend a day wandering lemon-scented lanes, sipping espresso in shady squares, and wondering why exactly you don't live there full-time.

The dreamlike landscapes of the Danube

Inspiration: Gustav Klimt
Cruise Destination: Danube river cruises (Vienna, Melk, Linz and beyond)

Before Gustav Klimt was the golden boy of the Vienna Secession, he was a young artist sketching scenes along the Danube. The slow, wide river winds through landscapes where Baroque abbeys, ancient forests, and misty fields look as if they've been dusted with magic.

A Danube cruise lets you drift from Vienna’s imperial grandeur to the charming towns of Wachau Valley, with optional cake breaks at every port. Vienna’s museums, including the Belvedere (home to The Kiss), are a must-visit, but honestly, simply sitting on the deck with a coffee watching the world slide by feels like an artwork in itself.

The Spanish coast through Picasso’s eyes

Inspiration: Pablo Picasso
Cruise Destination: Western Mediterranean cruises (Malaga, Barcelona)

Before he was cubism’s enfant terrible, Picasso was a boy sketching in Malaga and Barcelona. Western Mediterranean cruises offer the perfect excuse to soak up the bright colours, lively markets and sun-splashed shores that shaped his early works. Visit his birthplace in Malaga, meander through the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, and reflect on how sunshine, sardines, and rebellion can produce some pretty impressive paintings.

Sailing beyond the frame

Travelling by ship offers the chance to see the world with fresh eyes. It’s about glimpsing the light that made Van Gogh rhapsodise, the mist that made Monet soften his brush, the sunset that sent Munch spiralling. So, whether you’re a seasoned gallery-goer or someone who simply likes their scenery with a dash of drama, Cruise Collective is here to help you find a voyage where beauty is guaranteed — and inspiration is just over the horizon.

And remember: if you return home with a camera roll full of sunsets and canals, you’re not just a tourist. You're following a proud, paint-splattered tradition...