The world's most challenging cruise ship routes

Here's why some cruise ship routes, like the sandstorm-prone, narrow Suez Canal, or the windy, glacier-lined waters surrounding Alaska, are particularly difficult for cruise ship captains to navigate.

(CNN) — Navigating a colossal ship is no mean feat under any conditions, but certain routes, like the sandstorm-prone, narrow Suez Canal -- infamously blocked by a container ship last year -- or the windy, glacier-lined waterways of Alaska, are particularly challenging.

Andy Winbow, a master mariner who has helmed vessels across the globe, tells CNN Travel that trickier routes are often characterized by "adverse weather conditions, a lack of room to maneuver due to natural hazards and a lack of navigational aids."