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Expedition Cruises

Expedition Cruises

Nowadays an expedition cruise to the polar regions is an adventure on many ‘bucket-lists’, enjoying the same scenery and wildlife but without the hardships of yesteryear. A flight to a departure port leads to a ship specially designed for polar waters – one with all the features, facilities and food of the best cruise ships, and maybe top luxury surroundings with personal butler service.

We offer expedition cruises from the leading specialists with ice-classified ships calling at the best stopping points where travellers can go ashore on smaller boats to experience the adventures of a lifetime. In northern hemispheres maybe spot the elusive polar bear, in the Antarctic get close up to the many varieties of penguin, each time returning to the comforts of a modern cruise ship. In warmer climes visit some of the most exotic locations on the planet.

There is a wide range of expedition cruises available – a choice of length and itinerary, size of ship, and luxury style. Dormitory-type accommodation has been replaced by well-appointed cabins, former Russian research (spy) ships have been superceded by new build specialist polar-class ships, and the whole experience is now designed for the modern adventure traveller .

Cruise Collection 2024/ 2025/ 2026

Finding Cruises
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  • The Scottish Isles - Island Hopping in the Hebrides

    Hurtigruten Expeditions
    Spitsbergen
    Isle of Lewis 10 Nights Cruise Only from £3554pp Save up to 25%! Glasgow, Brodick, Isle of Arran, Isle of Islay, Isle of Gigha, Treshnish Isles - Isle of Iona, Expedition day, Shiant Isles - Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Loch Scavaig, Isle of Skye - Isle of Eigg, Sound of Mull, Colonsay Island, Glasgow
  • Christmas Expedition Cruise to Cape Verde & The Bissagos Islands

    Hurtigruten Expeditions
    Spitsbergen
    Monte Verde, Cape Verde 12 Nights Cruise Only from £3643pp Dakar, Praia, Santiago Island, Sal Rei, Boa Vista Island, Santo Antao, Sao Filipe, Fogo Island, Bissau, Banjul, Dakar
  • West African Archipelago Expedition: Cape Verde & Bissagos Island Cruise

    Hurtigruten Expeditions
    Spitsbergen
    Santiago Island Beach 12 Nights Cruise Only from £4052pp Dakar, Praia, Santiago Island, Sao Filipe, Fogo Island, Santo Antao, Sal Rei, Boa Vista Island, Bissau, Banjul, Dakar
  • Patagonia to Chilean Fjords and Antarctica Northbound

    Hurtigruten Expeditions
    Roald Amundsen
    Puerto Natales, Chile 14 Nights Cruise Only from £4645pp Ushuaia, Cape Horn, Puerto Williams, Puerto Natales, Puerto Edén, Caleta Tortel, Castro, Valdivia, Valparaiso
  • Spitsbergen in Brief

    Quark Expeditions
    Ultramarine
    Spitbergen 5 Nights Cruise Only from £4816pp Longyearbyen (Svalbard), Spitsbergen, Longyearbyen
  • From Machu Picchu to the Galápagos Islands

    Hurtigruten Expeditions
    Santa Cruz II
    Gardner Bay, Galapagos 6 Nights Cruise Only from £5283pp Baltra Island (Galápagos), Mosquera Island, Punta Pitt, San Cristóbal Island, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristobal Island, South Plaza Island, Santa Fé Island, Puerto Ayora, Isla Santa Cruz, Punta Suarez, Isla Española, Gardner Bay, Española Island, North Seymour Island, El Edén Island, Baltra Island
  • In Darwin’s Footsteps (Eastern Route)

    Hurtigruten Expeditions
    Santa Cruz II
    Galapagos Sea Lions on Santa Fe Island 8 Nights Cruise Only from £5283pp Save up to 25% on 2025-26 sailings! UK - Quito (Ecuador), Baltra Island, Cerro Colorado Tortoise Reserve - Punta Pitt, Santa Fe - South Plaza Island, Santa Cruz Island, Española - Gardner Bay, Eden Islet - North Seymour, Baltra Island
  • Highlights of Antarctica

    Hurtigruten Expeditions
    Choice of Ships
    Antarctica 11 Nights Cruise Only from £5772pp Save up to 25%! Buenos Aires (Argentina), Ushuaia, South Shetland Islands, Gerlache Strait, Ushuaia
  • In the Realm of the Polar Bear

    Hurtigruten Expeditions
    Choice of Ships
    Polar Bear in Spitsbergen 9 Nights Cruise Only from £6133pp Oslo (Norway) - Longyearbyen (Spitsbergen), North West Spitsbergen National Park, Eastern Svalbard Nature Reserve, South Spitsbergen National Park, Isfjord, Longyearbyen - Oslo (Norway)
  • Antarctic Explorer: Discovering the 7th Continent

    Quark Expeditions
    Choice of Ships
    Adelie Penguins, Antarctica 10 Nights Cruise Only from £6277pp Save up to 37%! Ushuaia (Argentina), Cruising Drake Passage, South Shetland Islands - Antarctic Peninsula, Cruising Drake Passage, Ushuaia

About Expedition Cruises

Onboard Experience

Expedition cruises are accompanied by experienced teams of experts including biologists, geologists and historians. Expedition teams are on hand to share their advice and information to ensure you have the best experience and get the most out of your voyage.

Landings in remote areas are conducted by Zodiacs or Polarcirkels, which hold around 12 passengers and are used to take you closer to the shores and wildlife than the ship can reach. The ship’s captain will try to ensure landings take place in prime locations, for the best chance of spotting the local wildlife. Excursions are also available and, depending on the destination, include kayaking, hiking or snorkelling.

Destinations

The most popular destinations for expedition cruises are the polar regions of the Antarctic and the Arctic. Experience dramatic scenery dominated by snow and ice, and spot an abundance of wildlife including penguins in the Antarctic or polar bears in the Arctic. An expedition cruise through the North West Passage in Northern Canada is the ultimate adventure.

As more ships are being purpose-built for expedition cruising, cruise lines have expanded their adventure offerings. Warm water destinations include Costa Rica, the Amazon, Mexico, South America and the volcanic Galapagos Islands with their unique wildlife including blue-footed boobies and marine iguanas. Other less-visited regions include Australia’s Kimberley coast and South Pacific Islands including Papua New Guinea and Easter Island.

Sustainable Expedition Ships

The ship is a big factor when choosing the right expedition cruise and expedition ships are continuing to be more environmentally friendly and also more innovative.

AE Expeditions is committed to travelling respectfully. The ships have a revolutionary Ulstein X-BOW, reducing vibrations and making quicker transits through waves, which helps to reduce fuel consumption by up to 60%. The onboard desalination plant converts seawater to freshwater which is safe to drink, so they carry less freshwater on sea crossings, further reducing fuel consumption. Virtual anchoring allows the ships to hold their position, protecting the sea floor and minimising damage caused by conventional anchors. Onboard, many single-use plastics have been replaced by suitable alternatives, and they are aiming to eliminate them altogether.

Quark Expeditions aims to reduce carbon emissions per passenger by 10% through fleet improvements and aims to reuse or recycle 100% of waste on Quark Expeditions-owned vessels. Quark Expeditions has taken steps to reduce the amount of waste being sent to landfills, including avoiding single-use plastics and partnering in the SeaGreen recycling initiative in Ushuaia.

Silver Origin, launching in the Galapagos in 2020, will be the most environmentally friendly ship in Silversea’s fleet, designed to minimise the carbon footprint left in this National Park area. Silver Origin will also be plastic-free.

Ponant’s latest fleet of ships set a new standard of luxury expedition cruising. They are the first ships to have a multi-sensory lounge, ‘Blue Eye’, ideal for viewing the underwater world from the comfort of the ship. There is also a marina for easy access for kayaking, paddle boarding and snorkelling. Le Commandant-Charcot, Ponant’s revolutionary new ice-breaker ship, has been specially designed for polar regions and features hybrid propulsion to minimise its environmental impact.

Hurtigruten’s newest expedition ships are the first of a greener and more advanced fleet. They will sail with electric hybrid technology which will reduce fuel consumption by 20%. They can run on 100% electric power for up to 30 minutes, which means you can experience the surroundings in near-total silence. Hurtigruten have also banned single-use plastic.

Scenic Eclipse, built in 2019, is Scenic’s first expedition cruise ship. It provides luxury accommodation whilst still offering unique experiences. Scenic Eclipse features an on board helicopter and submarine. The highly-efficient engines are designed to reduce emissions whilst the Azipod propulsion system ensures the lowest noise and vibration levels to ensure minimal disturbance to marine life. GPS dynamic positioning systems allow the vessel to remain stationary in fragile environments where the use of anchors would damage the seabed.

More about Antarctic Expedition Cruises

More about Arctic Expedition Cruises

Scenic EclipseScenic Eclipse Galapagos IslandsGalapagos Islands Hurtigruten's Fridtjof NansenHurtigruten's Fridtjof Nansen Penguins in AntarcticaPenguins in Antarctica GreenlandGreenland Ponant's Blue Eye LoungePonant's Blue Eye Lounge