Travel Dispatch: Can you find serenity aboard a cruise ship?

May 30, 2026

People sit cross-legged on a deck with arms raised toward the sky, facing the ocean. Mats, cushions, and a large gong are nearby.

A yoga session on the deck of the Explora I cruise ship.

Dear Travel Fan,

Though Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer in the United States, according to the calendar it’s still spring. And this week we bring you a wonderful vernal excursion to the tulip fields of the Netherlands, which are a riot of color this time of year. Elaine Glusac, our Frugal Traveler, took a trip by boat and bike to explore this extraordinary landscape.

Wellness is an increasingly popular travel category, but can you combine wellness with cruising? A skeptical Ceylan Yeginsu gave sound baths and crystals a try aboard the Explora I, a small luxury ship.

For the latest installment in our Revolutionary Journeys series, the historian Russell Shorto traveled to Barbados. Visitors often just enjoy the sun, sand, Red Stripe and jerk chicken, but the island is an ideal destination for anyone who wants to deepen their appreciation of the roots of the American experiment.

We put Iceland on our 52 Places to Go list this year because it will be one of the spots where you’ll be able to see the August total solar eclipse. This week we’ve got a guide to viewing the eclipse, whether in that country, in Greenland, Spain or Portugal, or at sea.

Our Tripped Up column takes on the case of a woman who paid for a Business class ticket, only to have a broken seat ruin her experience. The airline’s offer of compensation was underwhelming. Our 36 Hours column visits Dallas, which is one of the cities playing host to this year’s FIFA World Cup soccer tournament (it will be home to nine matches, the most of any city).

There’s more: We’ve got a roundup of stunning beach hotels around the world, advice on how to travel if you experience panic attacks, and a report on new options from Uber for transport to and from World Cup games. We also have news of a lawsuit filed by the family of a girl who they say was sexually assaulted at a hotel pool.

Finally, using science and art history, a writer follows the trail of artists like Frederic Church and Thomas Cole through the Hudson River Valley to better understand how our world has changed in the almost 200 years since they captured that landscape in their paintings.

Wishing you safe and happy journeys,

Amy Virshup

OPEN UP YOUR WORLD

A clear, turquoise, calm bay is seen from above. A rocky peninsula on which some buildings are perched extends into the water, and on the bay, a single yacht floats.

Mandarin Oriental

New Waterside Retreats for Those Lazy Days of Summer

From the Hamptons to Majorca, here are six getaways that invite you to eat, drink, lounge and enjoy idyllic surroundings.

By Stephanie Rosenbloom

Wide rows of red poppies stretch into the surrounding agricultural countryside beneath a blue sky. A bicyclist pauses in front of the field, looking at the blossoms.

By Boat and Bike, Losing Yourself in Dutch Tulip Country

A weeklong, self-guided Netherlands biking tour, whose base is a riverboat, offers participants plenty of opportunities to get hopelessly, and entertainingly, lost.

By Elaine Glusac and Melissa Schriek

A tropical beach scene shows turquoise water turning to deep blue, a white sandy beach, a blue sky with a bank of clouds on the horizon and, in the foreground, a palm tree. A person walks on the beach with an orange jug.

Revolutionary Journeys

To Understand the American Revolution, I Went to Barbados

It’s where the British perfected their system of enslaved labor, George Washington visited and colonialism’s legacy can still be felt. And, as a writer found on this small island, freedom is still cause for celebration.

By Russell Shorto and Vincent Alban

People walk down a leafy shop-lined street with signs that read "Alamo Club" and "Boulangerie."

Desiree Rios for The New York Times

36 Hours

36 Hours in Dallas

Between Tex-Mex restaurants, dive bars with live music, shopping and art museums, there’s plenty to keep you busy.

By Jesus Jiménez and Desiree Rios

An ornate building with multiple turrets sits among vibrant green trees and lawns. A wide blue river flows in the background, bordered by forested hills and distant mountains.

What Did the Hudson River School Painters See?

Artists like Thomas Cole and Frederic Church left us evidence of what America’s landscape was like 200 years ago. Using science, and art history, a writer follows their trail through the Hudson River Valley to better understand how our world has changed.

By Kim Beil and Tony Cenicola

A tranquil bay reflecting the sky, surrounded by grassy mountains. Warm sunbeams illuminate distant peaks and a small town along the water.

Nanna Heitmann for The New York Times

Did You Know a Total Solar Eclipse Is Coming? Here’s How to See It.

On Aug. 12, parts of Greenland, Iceland, Spain and Portugal will experience the thrill of daytime darkness. Here’s where you can witness the cosmic spectacle.

By Danielle Dowling

THE CHANGING WORLD OF TRAVEL

An illustration shows three people in an airplane cabin. Two of them are sitting upright. One, a man, is reading a blue book, and the other, a woman, is holding up a glass of wine. The third person is horizontal in a lie-flat seat and is looking directly at the viewer with a frustrated expression. He is wearing a brown shirt, white pants and white-and-brown-striped socks.

Matt Blease

Tripped Up

Help! My $7,300 Business Class Seat Was Broken, and I Got a Pittance.

A woman splurged for a lie-flat seat, but it got jammed in the horizontal position for most of the 14-hour flight. How much should United compensate her?

By Seth Kugel

A large dark ship with gold letters reading "EXPLORA I" is docked. A person walks on the pier in front of a distant city skyline.

Is a Cruise the Place to Find Wellness? Testing Crystals and Gongs at Sea.

Our writer kept an open mind as she signed up for sound baths, face yoga and meditation sessions on a wellness retreat aboard a luxury Mediterranean cruise. But was it all a bit too woo-woo?

By Ceylan Yeğinsu and Camille McOuat

A hotel pool is surrounded by palm trees and blue lounge chairs. Several swimmers are in the pool, one with a lime green float. Behind the pool, a multistory, boxy white hotel rises up.

Leesfield & Partners

Radisson Hotel Sued by Parents Who Say 11-Year-Old Daughter Was Groped in Pool

A man, who was not a guest at the Miami Beach hotel, was accused of assaulting the girl in the hotel’s outdoor pool.

By Ceylan Yeğinsu

Feedback, thoughts, tips? Email the Travel desk at travel@nytimes.com.

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