Expedition and Adventure

Top Destinations

Expedition cruises will take you to some of the routes less travelled: from the untamed wilderness of Africa, to the harsh climates of the Arctic and the Antarctic.

Here are some of the most popular expedition destinations:

• Antarctica expedition cruises
• Galapagos Islands expedition cruises
• Arctic Ocean expedition cruises

Top Departure Ports

Depending on where your expedition will take you, here are some of the top departure ports:

• Expedition cruises departing from Darwin – explore the Kimberley Coast and Northern Territory
• Expedition cruises departing from Ushuaia – discover the pristine beauty of Antarctica
• Expedition cruises departing from Baltra – taking you to the spectacular Galapagos Islands

Top Cruise Lines

The great thing about going on an expedition cruise holiday is that you are accompanied by experts like biologists, naturalists, geologists and other specialists that will share their in-depth knowledge of the region with you every step of the way.

Here are some tips to help you choose the right expedition cruise line for you.

Silversea

Silversea boasts a separate expeditions division with purpose-built ships. The 4 ships of the division are small and beautifully luxurious, meaning you will feel safe and comfortable in some of the most remote and untouched regions of the world.

• The Silver Cloud offers pole to pole expeditions and is equipped with 20 brand new Zodiacs
• The Silver Explorer itineraries have won numerous awards
• The Silver Origin has been purposefully built to explore the Galapagos Islands and is the most elegant ship there
• The Silver Wind is the most intimate of them all, with just 274 guest capacity

Seabourn

Seabourn is famous for its all-inclusive ultra-luxury, which is not a bad way to discover parts of the world where comfort is not a given. The 2 expedition ships, one of which is yet to be named, feature things like Zodiacs, kayaks and even submarines for deeper explorations.

The Seabourn Venture is set to expedition to:

• The Arctic
• Antarctica
• The Amazon

Viking Ocean

Viking Ocean’s new expedition division is as destination-focused as are their other cruises, with the only difference that the expedition ships are purpose-built to explore the following destinations:

• The Arctic
• Antarctica
• Galapagos Islands
• Lakes of Canada

The Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris are elegant, comfortable and modern. All of the ships’ cabins feature outside views, so you can enjoy spectacular views from the comfort of your own private space.

Celebrity Cruises

Celebrity Cruises offers Galapagos Island expeditions on board their expedition ships: the Celebrity Xpedition and the Celebrity Xploration. The latter is a catamaran and can accommodate up to 16 guests, so your expedition cruise holiday will be as intimate as it gets.

The small size of both ships also means that they can get to off-the-beaten track places in the Galapagos.

These expeditions are offered all year-round.

What to Pack?

The answer to that question will depend on where in the world you are expeditioning to, plus, on whether your cruise line provides some of the essentials or not (please ask your cruise expert about that).

Here are some things you should consider taking with you on a tropical adventure:

• Mosquito repellant
• UV protective bathers
• Sweat-wicking clothes
• Rehydrating tablets
• Underwater camera
• UV protective sunglasses

The list for a polar expedition is somewhat different:

• Waterproof and breathable clothing
• Thermal underwear
• Woolly or fleecy clothes for the middle layer
• Face cream (maybe one designed for very cold weather)
• Touch-screen gloves
• UV protective sunglasses