Whether it’s a journey through the Scottish isles, a sailing featuring whisky experts and tastings or dedicated whisky bars at sea, there are cruises for every whisky lover who wants to mix drams with dreamy holidays.

Here are just a few of the whisky cruises and experiences on offer.

The science of whisky cruise

Boutique ship Lord of the Highlands is teaming up with New Scientist for a whisky lover’s dream cruise in September 2026 that will take passengers deep into the science of how whisky is made and how different processes and stimuli affect its flavours, while touring renowned distilleries from Inverness to Islay.

It will include visits to distilleries such as Laphroaig, Oban, Kilchoman, Lagavulin, Tomatin and Ben Nevis, with exclusive tours, talks and tastings from industry experts including distillery managers and master distillers. Learn more here.

Hebridean Cruise: wildlife & malt whisky

St Hilda Sea Adventures mixes Scottish distillery visits with wildlife and spectacular scenery on its small ship whisky cruises, which only carry a maximum of 11 passengers.

Included in fare for the Hebridean Cruise: Wildlife & Malt Whisky are stops at three famous whisky distilleries on Islay and a guided tour of one of them. The cruises depart from Oban.

Ultimate Macallan tasting at sea

Regent Seven Seas offers a discovery of The Macallan’s Quest Collection on its cruises —a whisky selection exclusively created for travellers as they explore the world.

The experience sees a quartet of whiskies displayed on The Macallan Diamond Cart, with onboard experts leading the tasting and providing insight into their unique and complex flavours. The whiskies are paired with small savoury bites and sweets to bring out the unique notes, as in the case of the Macallan Terra that is presented with the ship’s decadent white chocolate.

The Ultimate Macallan Tasting is open to guests who reserve the experience for a supplemental fee of $85. Learn more here.

Regent Seven seas will also sail from Oslo to Amsterdam on 8 September 8 2026 with Whisky Advocate magazine, the world’s leading whisky authority. From visiting the Guinness Storehouse to Scottish single malts in Highland Park, this journey promises to immerse guests in the rich history, craftsmanship and culture of whisky. Learn more here.

Luxury barge experience

European Waterways offers whisky cruises along the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness in Scotland, allowing passengers to visit local, long-established distilleries and enjoy whisky tours in style.

Its hotel barges carry between eight and 12 passengers and each has an extensive selection of single malts on board, including Aberlour, Jura, Laphroaig, Highland Park, and Glenmorangie. Learn more here.

The most impressive whisky selection at sea

Scenic Eclipse II carries 228 passengers and 130 whiskies on its cruises. Yes, you read that right, 130 whiskies … and the opportunity to sample each and every one of them (responsibly) is included in your fare.

Scenic’s founder Glen Moroney is a whiskey enthusiast and collector and he’s curated a stunning selection that varies depending on his current favourites. That could mean a 30-year-old Jura The Loch , a 16-year-old Lagavulin, Johnny Walker Blue, Ireland’s Jameson Select Reserve Black Barrel; Canada’s Crown Royal Deluxe and an array of other favourites from Australia, Japan, Taiwan, France, India, the United States, South Africa and Sweden

The luxury vessel has a guest-to-crew ratio of close to 1:1 and butler service for every cabin. The ship has surprisingly spacious public areas for its size and features an impressively wide selection of restaurants that serve everything from burgers to haute French cuisine.

While you can order a whisk(e)y at one of the eight bars and lounges aboard the ship, you can also ask your butler to fill a decanter in your room with your favourite for sipping on the balcony of your cabin. As bourbon fans, we requested Four Roses and Elijah Craig for the room on our voyage.

Read more about Drinks Digest’s cruise aboard the Scenic Eclipse II here.

Scenic has also scheduled a “Whiskey, Fire & Ice – Scotland to Iceland” cruise in June 2026 that will sail north from Edinburgh before circumnavigating Iceland. Learn more here.

The world’s first Irish whiskey cruise

Irish Whiskey Experiences will set sail in the Caribbean from the 2-9 November 2025 on board the mega yacht, Star Pride, part of Windstar Cruises fleet, for seven nights of whiskey experiences.

The ship will depart from San Juan, capital of Puerto Rico and sail to some of the world’s most picturesque islands, including the elegant St Barts & captivating St Maarten. 

There will be tiki-bar takeovers, sips in the surf and luxurious Irish whiskey inspired dinners on the beach. Among A few of Irish whiskey brands confirmed are Teeling, Two Stacks & J.J. Corry. Learn more here. 

There will also be daily sailaway parties, nightly gifts, cocktail parties and many more surprises! All meticulously curated to supplement the existing cruise experience. 

Whisky in the wilds

In March 2026, HX Expeditions will set out out from Norway’s Tromsø on a ‘Nordic Navigator – From Norway’s Wilds to Scotland’s Isles’ cruise.

After exploring some spectacular regions of Norway during the winter season it will head to Scotland’s rugged and history-soaked Northern Isles, Shetland and Orkney. 

In Orkney, whisky aficionados will enjoy Kirkwall’s Highland Park and Scapa distilleries for their unique single malts.   

Earlier this year, HX introduced its limited edition Navigator Whisky, a single malt that has sailed across the globe aboard its ships. 

The whisky’s expedition spanned 56,314 nautical miles, crossing from Islay to Svalbard, through Iceland, Greenland, the Northwest Passage, Alaska, Central America and Antarctica, before returning to Islay for bottling.

There are 222 bottles in total, available exclusively on board its Fram, Spitsbergen, Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen ships. 

It’s not the first whisky aged at sea. Back in 2019, Melbourne’s Starward distillery filled two red wine casks with whisky, left one to mature at it’s headquarters in Melbourne and bolted the other to the deck of the QE2 for a year to sail the world.

Starward founder David Vitale (above) said: “What we wanted to do was to examine what whisky can be if you really push the boundaries, and think about it the same way distillers would have 100, 200, or 300 years ago when they were looking to the environment they were in to make whisky.”

Learn more about the collaboration here.

An extremely rare Cunard Seafarer Twin Pack was recently sold at auction for $650.

In 2024, Fred Olsen Cruise Lines, teamed up with Suffolk-based Adnams to host a nine-year-old cask that was in its final year of maturation.

The gentle movement of the ocean on board the ship Borealis on its 103-night world cruise, helped the liquor reach optimal flavour with the constant motion of the sea churning the whisky, increasing its interaction with the wood of the barrel.

Fred Olsen Cruise Lines Hotel Operations Director Thomas Rennesland said: “This is actually a centuries-old maritime tradition.

“In the days before glass bottles, spirits were transported in barrels from where they were made to where they were sold.

“The time and constant motion was known to mellow and mature these spirits giving them a unique flavour.

“These days many brands are returning to these routes and looking to age their products at sea, and we are absolutely thrilled to play host to a brand that is local to us here in Suffolk.”

Weathered by its journey, the barrel was offloaded in Southampton in April and returned to the distillery. Eventually the whisky will be available to guests on board the Fred Olsen fleet.