The resurgence in the cruise industry means that 2010 could well be the best year in a while, as holidaymakers turn increasingly away from the air and head onto the water.

So just where are the best destinations for cruising holidays? The following are the current hot items that should be discovered while they can.

A tour of the arctic region may well come once in a lifetime, especially if the global warming doomsayers are correct. The Svalbard archipelago is the best Nordic region to see the majesty that sea has to offer, with Spitsbergen a popular stopover on the Iceland and Norway cruise routes.

All of the major cruise companies offer deals to the region, for example the 31st July departure from National Geographic Journeys which runs for seven nights including two in Oslo from just £4,248 per person.

In Asia, the Mekong has played a vital link for centuries but cruising options have been desperately thin in the past. Now you can travel between Siem Reap (Temples of Angkor) and Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) with easy side journeys on the water to Phnom Penh, Halong Bay, Hanoi and Hoi An.

The Baltic region is now more popular than the Caribbean, with the best options being from St Petersburg downwards although Dover departures are just as easy and this year will see the debut of Disney Cruises from the UK – a 12 day deal across the Baltic capitals begins at £2,299.

Other destinations worth discovering are Cuba (off the US itinerary still so no queues) and Libya where Roman Africa is best explored.