It says much about the flexibility and opportunities offered by cruising that these passengers found what they were looking for, whether Dostoyevsky's apartment, World War II history in Nuremberg, or sightings of humpbacks. In fact, finding a cruise to suit your particular (or even peculiar) passion has never been easier.

"Over the past few years, we've witnessed increasing interest from passengers seeking themed voyages and holidays that enable them to enjoy the hobbies and interests that they're passionate about," says Amber Wilson, Silversea's Asia-Pacific managing director. "It's certainly an evolving trend."

She says Silversea's themed offerings include wellness, opera and ballet, photography, ornithology, food and wine.

There are an estimated 700 themed cruises each year, including sailings for poker players, gays and lesbians, Kiss or Star Wars fans, quilters and chocoholics. There are ocean-cruise itineraries devoted to wine or whisky, electronic music or opera, soul food or cycling. Some river cruises in Europe delve into classical music, beer brewing, or Jewish history. A few cruise companies even have an overall niche focus, such as Voyages to Antiquity for Mediterranean archaeology and history, Botanica Travel for gardens and Star Clippers for its experience of cruising under sail.

The number and variety of themed tours on regular cruises is also expanding.

"Most cruise lines now offer an exciting variety of themed activities within their normal schedules, from culinary classes and music cruises to talks by astronauts and historians," says Joel Katz, managing director of Cruise Lines International Association Australasia. "The growth in speaker programs also recognises that an increasing number of travellers want to be enriched by their holiday experience, and also enjoy travelling with people with similar interests."

If your passion is Downton Abbey or ballroom dancing, scuba diving or cooking with Croatian sheep's cheese, you'll find there is a shore excursion for you. If you're after a cruise where you can really indulge your interests, here are some that might float your boat.

WAR BUFFS

THE RIVER CRUISE 11-day Gems of the Seine on Scenic's Scenic Gem.

PASSION POINT Author and historian Peter FitzSimons joins Scenic's regular Seine River cruise to share his knowledge of northern France's war history through regular on-board lectures. There will also be visits to the Somme battlefields, Villers-Bretonneux (site of the Australian National Memorial) and Normandy beaches, including the Landing Museum at Arromanches.

WHAT ELSE The return cruise from Paris heads as far as Honfleur near the mouth of the Seine and visits the historic capital of Normandy at Rouen, Monet's famous gardens at Giverny, a Renaissance palace at Fecamp and the picturesque village of Les Andelys, topped by the ruins of a castle built by Richard the Lionheart.

MAKE IT HAPPEN From $7645 a person, departing June 29,  2017,  scenic.com.au

MUSIC AFICIONADOS

THE OCEAN CRUISE Seven-day Annual Piano Festival at Sea on Ponant's Le Boreal.

PASSION POINT Ponant regularly partners with French station Radio Classique to provide music-inspired cruises. For its third annual piano festival, it has invited a roster of impressive musicians and music experts on board for concerts and talks, including prolific recording artist and Saint-Saens expert Jean-Philippe Collard, and columnist, musicology expert and Verdi enthusiast Alain Duault.

WHAT ELSE The cruise sails from Honfleur in Normandy to Bergen in Norway and takes in the Belle epoque seaside resort of Ostend, Amsterdam, Lysefjord and Stavanger, notable for its wooden old town and pretty waterfront. There's also an overnight stay in Bergen, hometown of Romantic era composer Edvard Grieg.

MAKE IT HAPPEN From $3975  a person, departing June 2, 2018, ponant.com

WELLNESS SEEKERS

THE OCEAN CRUISE 15-day Port Vila to Cairns on Silversea's Silver Discoverer.

PASSION POINT This voyage, one of several wellness expeditions on Silver Discoverer, includes a comprehensive fitness and wellness program, including classes in yoga, aqua-gym and pilates; daily lectures and counselling; and cooking demonstrations that focus on balanced nutrition. Gym sessions are held by personal trainers and are aimed at each guest's goals and fitness levels.

WHAT ELSE The expedition-style voyage is accompanied by marine biologists and features Zodiac excursions to islands and ports in Vanuatu, the Solomons and Papua New Guinea. Guests can visit volcanic Mount Yasur and the villages of the Makura Islands and Santa Ana, scuba dive off Tufi, and bird watch on Fergusson Island.

MAKE IT HAPPEN From $14,265 a person, departing October 25, 2017, silversea.com

OPERA FANS

THE OCEAN CRUISE 14-night Rome, Venice and Athens on Cunard's Queen Victoria.

PASSION POINT The Arena di Verona Opera festival is held in Verona's ancient Roman amphitheatre and takes on a magical quality as spectators are provided candles as dusk falls. The festival mixes opera with the atmosphere of a soccer match and specialises in over-the-top productions that can feature anything from elephants to fireworks. This year's operas include Nabucco and Madama Butterfly.

WHAT ELSE The cruise departs Rome and visits Malta's glorious Renaissance-era fortified capital Valletta, and Adriatic ports such as Dubrovnik, Zadar and Kotor. Guests enjoy two days in Venice before taking in some of the highlights of Greece, including Corfu, Olympia and Heraklion before finishing in Piraeus (Athens).

MAKE IT HAPPEN From $4239 a person, departing July 1, 2017, cunardline.com.au

HISTORY LOVERS

THE OCEAN CRUISE 15-day Trade Routes of the Middle Ages on Viking Cruises' Viking Star.

PASSION POINT The cruise follows medieval sea trading routes around western Europe's coast between Bergen and Barcelona. Many shore excursions focus on history, including a walking tour of Bergen, a visit to the D-Day landing sites and war cemeteries of Normandy, and the opportunity to inspect naval ships HMS Victory and the Mary Rose in Portsmouth.

WHAT ELSE Viking Star visits 10 ports in seven countries, including Bruges, Paris, Malaga (for an excursion to Granada), and an overnight in Barcelona. Cartagena in Spain features Roman to art nouveau architecture, or passengers can opt to Segway, kayak or descend into a silver mine.

MAKE IT HAPPEN From $7149 a person, departing September 23, 2017, vikingcruises.com.au

WINE ENTHUSIASTS

THE RIVER CRUISE 18-day Wonders of Bordeaux and Rhone – Wine Series on two of APT's Aria-class ships.

PASSION POINT This cruise covers two world-famous wine regions and is hosted by Cherry Stowman from Taylors Wines, who oversees on-board tastings and cellar-door excursions and provides insights into French winemaking. Guests visit a cognac house, Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte to sample sauternes dessert wines, and Chateauneuf-du-Pape for red wines, as well as a Bordeaux cooperage to see oak barrels being made.

WHAT ELSE Three beautiful cities – Paris, Bordeaux and Lyon – and historic smaller towns such as Arles (associated with van Gogh), Saint-Emilion (more wine) and Avignon (medieval popes). Plus a meal at L'Abbaye de Collonges, restaurant of Michelin-starred chef Paul Bocuse.

MAKE IT HAPPEN From $13,295 a person, departing September 19, 2017, aptouring.com.au

GOLFERS

THE OCEAN CRUISE 10-night Arabian Gulf Golf Cruise on Azamara Club Cruises' Azamara Journey.

PASSION POINT Five rounds of golf in the no-expenses-spared Gulf states, which means some of the world's top courses, including the Doha Golf Club in Qatar, Greg-Norman-designed Almouj Golf Club in Oman, and the waterfront Saadiyat Beach Golf Club in Abu Dhabi. The ship carries a full-time golf manager and hosts social gatherings for golfers.

WHAT ELSE Azamara Journey sails round-trip from Dubai, with plenty of opportunity for cultural experiences such as the Dubai gold souk, falconing in Qatar, and visits to the historic Bahrain fort and Abu Dhabi's vast marble Sheikh Zayed Mosque. Guests can also sail the Musandam Peninsula in Oman.

MAKE IT HAPPEN From $9738 a person, departing November 14, 2017, azamaraclubcruises.com

GOURMETS

THE RIVER CRUISE Eight-day Burgundy & Provence on Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection's SS Catherine.

PASSION POINT A cocktail reception at a chateau in Tournon, cooking demonstration at Institut Paul Bocuse in Lyon, visit to a Provence truffle farm and an on-board Valrhona chocolate tasting are bound to get the tastebuds tingling on this Connoisseur Collection cruise, which also takes you through the legendary vineyards of Burgundy and the Cotes du Rhone.

WHAT ELSE Marseille and Lyon, France's gastronomic capital, are big-city highlights, but historical towns such as Beaune, Avignon and Arles also entice. Work off the calories with a hike through vineyards, a kayak on the Gardon River or a guided bicycle ride through Lyon.

MAKE IT HAPPEN From $4559 a person, departing June 4, 25 and July 9, 16, 23, 2017, uniworld.com

THE POLITICALLY MINDED

THE OCEAN CRUISE 24-day Orchid Isles & Great Barrier Reef on Seabourn Cruise Line's Seabourn Encore.

PASSION POINT Love her or loathe her, there's no doubting the impressive political pedigree of Julia Gillard, not just our nation's first female prime minister but first female leader of a major political party. Australia's 27th PM will speak about her 15-year political career, public life and controversial years in the spotlight.

WHAT ELSE Seabourn Encore takes you from Singapore to Sydney via numerous Indonesian islands, Darwin, the Torres Strait and four ports of call in Queensland. Among the highlights are an overnight in Bali and a stop on Komodo Island to see its infamous "dragons" and volcanic scenery.

MAKE IT HAPPEN From $23,499 a person, departing November 10, 2017, seabourn.com

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

THE RIVER CRUISE Eight-day From Portugal to Canary Islands on Ponant's Le Lyrial.

PASSION POINT Two expert French travel and landscape photographers – Ambroise Tezenas and Celine Clanet – will give a series of lectures on photography, including topics such as framing shots, making the most of light and how best to capture landscapes, portraits and wildlife. An intensive workshop will provide daily sessions on technical issues, critique passenger photos and provide shore excursions for practice in the field.

WHAT ELSE This new Ponant itinerary starts in Lisbon and visits Cadiz in Spain and Casablanca in Morocco before heading into the Atlantic and stopping at Funchal (capital of Madeira) and Arrecife and Tenerife in the Canary Islands.

MAKE IT HAPPEN From $3465 a person, departing October 29, 2017, ponant.com

THE BRIDGE PLAYER

THE OCEAN CRUISE 21-day Barcelona to Dubai on Oceania Cruises' Nautica.

PASSION POINT Oceania offers about 30 worldwide bridge program cruises annually during which an American Contract Bridge League master instructor provides classes and organises tournaments. There are lessons for beginners and intermediates and also informal get-togethers in which there might be 30 tables daily playing bridge, duplicate bridge or party bridge.

WHAT ELSE The cruise visits Valletta, Rhodes, Limassol and Haifa (for shore excursions to Jerusalem) before transiting the Suez Canal to Aqaba, Sharm el Sheikh and Safaga in the Red Sea. There  are also port calls at Salalah and Muscat in Oman. Eight days at sea provide ample time to sharpen your card skills.

MAKE IT HAPPEN From $4460 a person, departing October 16, 2017, oceaniacruises.com

THE BEER DRINKER

THE RIVER CRUISE 13-day Blue Danube Discovery on Avalon Waterways' Avalon Panorama.

PASSION POINT Avalon has numerous beer-themed cruises that provide visits to historic breweries, beer tastings, an on-board food-and-beer pairing dinner and lectures on European beer-brewing techniques. This Danube cruise also includes a Vienna pub crawl with a beer expert, a visit to Ottakringer brewery in Vienna, and beer and sausages at a 17th-century restaurant in Regensburg.

WHAT ELSE The seven-day cruise runs from Budapest to Nuremberg via Vienna and is followed by a land extension to Prague. Apart from three of Europe's most beautiful cities, there are stops at baroque Melk Abbey in Austria and the towns of Passau and Regensburg in Germany.

MAKE IT HAPPEN From $5647 a person, departing July 16, 2017, avalonwaterways.com.au

10 TOP PORTS FOR EVERY PASSION

SHOPAHOLICS: HONG KONG, CHINA

Cruise ships that dock at Ocean Terminal overlook the 450 outlets that make up Hong Kong's largest mall, Harbour City. You're also a short walk from shopping drag Nathan Road and poised to explore Kowloon's many street markets. A short ferry ride across the harbour lie the posher department stores of Central. See discoverhongkong.com

JAZZ FANS: NEW ORLEANS, US

No better river port for nightlife, with notorious party destination Bourbon Street alone lined by enough clubs to crawl through until the wee hours. However, it's the town's jazz heritage that is really exceptional, with top jazz sounds oozing from famous establishments such as Preservation Hall and Snug Harbour Jazz Bistro. See neworleansonline.com

JOGGERS: BORDEAUX, FRANCE

River-cruise ships tie up along downtown Bordeaux's waterfront, a crescent of theatrical 19th-century buildings flanked by long promenades in a kaleidoscope of flowerbeds, perfect for a jog or fast calorie-dissipating walk. In the early morning, the mostly pedestrian town centre also makes for a great jog amid gargoyle-studded churches and splashing fountains. See bordeaux-tourisme.com

FOODIES: BARCELONA, SPAIN

A 10-minute walk from Barcelona's cruise terminal brings you to one of Europe's best food markets, La Boqueria, loaded with Iberico ham, Spanish cheese, heirloom tomatoes and salt cod beneath wrought-iron roofs. Adjacent Barri Gotic quarter is crammed with delicatessens and tapas bars; make sure you're on a cruise that overnights, as the food scene really gets going after dark. See barcelonaturisme.com

ADVENTURERS: BAGAN, MYANMAR

Bagan provides one of Asia's most remarkable sights in one of its least visited countries: an Irrawaddy River plain dotted with 2200 venerable pagodas. Some are crumbling ruins, some active village temples, others magnificently ornate structures. A sunrise hot-air balloon ride, tour by horse and cart, or a cycle through the countryside will make you feel like Indiana Jones. See myanmar.travel

FAMILIES: SINGAPORE

With kids in tow, there are few better ports in which to anchor than Singapore. The city has a huge range of family-friendly attractions, from the giant Singapore Flyer Ferris wheel and themed parks such as Universal Studios and Wild Wild Wet to the zoo's famous Night Safari or Jungle Breakfast with the orang-utans. See yoursingapore.com

SCUBA DIVERS: COZUMEL, MEXICO

This Caribbean island off the Yucatan Peninsula is a major cruise destination, and yet much of it remains undeveloped, with fabulous beaches and waters with superb visibility. You can dive spectacular coral reefs and underwater caves, as well as ship and plane wrecks; top sites include Palancar and La Ceiba reefs and Chankanaab Caves. See cozumel.travel

CULTURE VULTURES: ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA

London, Paris and Rome are all accessible on cruises. In St Petersburg, however, ocean-cruise ships dock close to the art action on Vasilyevsky Island, which has fine small museums such as Menshikov Palace and the Kunstkammer. Add the fabulous Hermitage, several imperial palaces and interesting writers' museums (particularly Dostoyevsky's apartment) for a heady cultural overdose. See visit-petersburg.ru

MOVIE BUFFS: MIAMI, US

In the 1980s, Miami Vice celebrated South Beach's art deco architecture; The Birdcage showcased its wacky style. Ever since, Miami has graced the large and small screen, currently to gorgeous effect in the opening credits of CSI: Miami. For a James Bond moment, drive the coastal road to Fort Lauderdale, featured in Licence to Kill. See miamiandbeaches.com

AMATEUR ARTISTS: HONFLEUR, FRANCE

This charming Normandy port sits at the mouth of the Seine River. Its half-timber houses and colourful fishing boats were much painted by the Impressionists. A full-day shore excursion is just the chance to get out your sketchbook or easel and have a go at capturing the town's famously moody cloud-scudded skies and watery reflections. See honfleur-tourism.co

MEET THE EXPERTS

One of the pleasures of cruising is the chance to meet, talk to and take shore excursions accompanied by knowledgeable guides who are experts in their field. Here are five top examples.

MONTY DON: GARDENING

Gardening author, journalist and television presenter Monty Don – perhaps best known for the BBC series Gardeners' World – is an occasional guest lecturer on the cruises of garden-travel company Botanica World Discoveries, and will appear again this year to lecture, attend special lunches and answer passengers' questions on a May river cruise in the Bordeaux region, and a late-May ocean cruise that tours the famous estates and gardens of the British Isles. See botanica.travel

SERGEY UTITSYN: SAILING

The captain of Star Flyer is a natural-born raconteur and meets guests in the library for a "captain's story time" of hilarious exploits at sea. Utitsyn has a remarkable career that started in the USSR's navy, and is happy to chat about the challenges and pleasures of sailing ships; Star Flyer is a barquentine with 16 sails. He also allows guests to take a turn at the ship's wheel. See starclippers.com

CHERRY STOWMAN: WINE

APT hosts many Australian "wine ambassadors" on European river cruises. Cherry Stowman of Taylors Wines sails on a Wine Series cruise departing Bordeaux, France, on September 21, 2017. She won't just showcase Taylors Wines but those of local wineries; host dinners paired with regional wines; and escort shore excursions to meet vintners at cellar doors so guests can learn about French winemaking heritage and techniques. See aptouring.com.au/wineseries

MICK FOGG: PHOTOGRAPHY

Ponant's expedition manager for the Asia-Pacific region, Australian Mick Fogg, is also a marine biologist and wildlife photographer who specialises in photographing in remote locales. He guides expeditions by Zodiac in various destinations, and will be heading up Ponant's new Kimberley cruises on L'Austral, starting in mid-2018, during which hehopes to give passengers the chance to snap migrating humpback whales and capture the colours of the region's rust-red gorges. See ponant.com

ALEXANDER WATSON: ECOLOGY

Silversea's expedition cruises carry specialist biologist and environmentalists on board to answer questions, and to accompany shore excursions by Zodiac. Ecologist Dr Alexander Watson specialises in birds and mammals, works for the World Wide Fund for Nature and is a guide in Antarctica and south-east Asia. He has also reported on landscape management and the effects of habitat fragmentation on woodland birds in Australia. See silversea.com