Forget the deck: this booming cruise trend is all about exploring the world on two feet

Cruise lines are stepping up the range of hiking excursions, from scenic strolls to strenuous rambles, especially in places where the scenery begs to be explored. Instead of sitting on bus tours, passengers can spend the day trekking through rainforests, national parks or fields of wildflowers. But it's important to know where you can go by ship, whether passengers are allowed on land, and if guides are required.

New Zealand is one of the best destinations for hikers, but large ships only sail past Dusky, Doubtful or Milford Sound. To experience the Fiordland on foot, you need to book a small vessel. Local company Heritage Expeditions offers excursions in this World Heritage Site, as well as a four-night walking cruise of Queen Charlotte Sound in Marlborough. Ponant and Aurora Expeditions also organise guided hikes in the wilderness of the NZ Subantarctic Islands.

The Kimberley is Australia's top spot for walks to waterfalls and Indigenous rock art. On a True North cruise, the reward for scrambling over sandstone in tropical heat is a dip in a croc-free natural pool.

Alaska is another stunner that deserves more than taking photos from the deck. Ideal for people who prefer to roam independently, Juneau and Skagway have the easiest hikes to reach from a big ship, with mountain trails starting next to the docks. On small-ship expeditions, naturalists lead the way, pointing out bear tracks and bald eagles circling overhead.