The extremes of Mumbai, the possibility of pirates near Somalia, threatened islands in the Indian Ocean and safaris in Africa. As several friends said when we returned to Canada, "That was a serious cruise!"

Like many Canadians, we enjoy cruising but are always on the lookout for something different. We found it on the Indian Ocean with Regent Seven Seas Cruises, known for its luxury ships and exotic itineraries. When we discovered a two-week cruise from the Indian metropolis of Mumbai to Cape Town in South Africa, we took a deep breath and jumped.

We were warned about the paradox of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) with its grinding poverty adjacent to ostentatious wealth. Arriving by plane late at night reinforced the city's dual identity as our hotel limo worked its way through auto-and rickshaw-clogged streets, passing cardboard shacks and areas of opulence, on the way to the Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai.

Mumbai has an estimated 15 million to 20 million people, so a hurried and crowded street life was expected. What wasn't expected was the gentle nature of the people and the positive energy radiating from the city. Tourism has become a big business, with top hotels and world-class restaurants.

But we had a ship to catch. Regent's Seven Seas Voyager awaited at the downtown pier next to the Gateway of India.

The 700-passenger Seven Seas Voyager is the world's second all-suite, all-balcony cruise ship (its sister ship, Seven Seas Mariner, was the first). Its staterooms are large and well equipped, and the service is of a high standard with an outstanding passenger-to-crew ratio.

Comfort is important but so is a stimulating itinerary. Ron and Gay Shannon of Calgary said that this, their 13th cruise, was one of the best. "This is a new and exciting part of the world for us," they said. "It's a perfect fit."

We sailed south to our first stop, the port of Kochi (formerly Cochin). There, passengers took a bus through rural south India to a region of backwaters and canals where snake boat races take place. About 75 colourfully clad oarsmen paddled each of a dozen narrow, ram-snouted snake boats to the beat of drums. Dancers and musicians entertained as winners hoisted the victors' cup.

As we left land and headed out into the Indian Ocean, guest lecturer Jean-Michel Cousteau, the famed oceanographer and filmmaker, gave the first of a series of illustrated lectures about the sea and its influence. "The Indian Ocean is ... critical in many ways," Cousteau told us as we approached the Maldives. "With huge populations surrounding it, this ocean is more in peril than the Atlantic or Pacific. I give the fishing industry 20 years at most unless drastic action is taken."

Cousteau has a particular interest in climate change and its effect on small island states threatened by rising waters. The Maldives with its 26 atolls, he noted, are just two metres above sea level at their highest point. The island nation of 400,000 is ahead of many countries in planning for the future. President Mohamed Nasheed, he said, is putting aside money from a special tourist tax to move the population to another country, if necessary. Cousteau thinks that could happen within 50 years.

Even the Seychelles, also in the mid-Indian Ocean but with high hills, is not immune to water disasters. "Five years ago, the Seychelles were hit by a tsunami," Cousteau said. "It destroyed a lot of the reefs and the coastline. It was a wake-up call."

After stops in the Maldives and Seychelles, we headed for the east coast of Africa and possible danger from Somali pirates. The Seven Seas Voyager seemed prepared. Officers wouldn't talk specifics other than to say, "Don't worry; we've taken precautions." But it was common knowledge among passengers and crew that six or seven Israeli commandos were on board to deal with any problems. There was no sign of trouble as we sailed the calm waters toward Mombassa, Kenya.

We, like many passengers, always have wanted to go on an African safari but were reluctant to brave a long stay. Doing it by cruise ship proved to be an ideal compromise. From Mombassa (East Africa's largest port and Kenya's major tourist centre with its long, sandy beaches), we joined a group for a two-hour drive to the Tsavo Game Reserve. Among the close-up sightings from our open-top vans were elephants, giraffes, zebras, baboons, hyenas, springbok, warthogs and ostriches.

The island of Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania, is famous for its spices, and a guide at a farm showed us how spices like clove, nutmeg, mace, green, red and black pepper, vanilla, cinnamon and lemon grass are grown and harvested. A worker even shimmied up a tall palm to cut off a few succulent coconuts for us to enjoy.

Our final adventure took place near Richard's Bay, South Africa, where we toured by small boat through the St. Lucia Wetland Nature Reserve. Home to more than 500speciesof birds, LakeSt. Lucia has the highest concentration of crocodiles and hippos in South Africa. Travelling slowly, we were able to get within a few metres of these beasts. We were under strict orders to keep hands and feet inside the boat!

As we headed south toward our final stop, Cape Town, the ship's hotel manager told us, "North Americans like to explore new places and we want to deliver those. They've been to the Caribbean and Mediterranean. They're keen to see even more exotic places but want to feel safe in doing so."

Pat Dixon of Edmonton agreed: "You realize how small the world really is."

For more information on Regent Seven Seas Cruises, go to www.rssc.com.

A good general cruise site (locations, ships etc.) is www.vacationstogo.com.