Whether it’s the sound of waves whooshing against the hull or simply the anticipation of voyaging across the sea to new adventures, every cruise comes with an incomparable sense of exploration. Expedition cruises, sailings bound for destinations and experiences that relatively few people ever enjoy, multiply that feeling exponentially.
Expedition cruises are built around active exploration, like kayaking among icebergs or swimming nose-to-nose with curious sea lions. Zodiac boats will bring you ashore, and submarines may take you beneath the waves in icy polar waters. On every adventure, an expert guide will lead the way. Ships provide some or all of the required gear, like insulated rubber boots for sloshing through snow and wetsuits to make your Galápagos snorkeling more comfortable.
And while you’ll be active, you’re definitely not roughing it. Accommodations on expedition cruises range from relaxed to ultra-luxurious, and you're typically only sharing the ship with a couple of hundred (or fewer) passengers, allowing for a longer, more intimate experience with nature.
How, then, do we define the very best expedition cruises? Adventures in, on and even under the water should await you each day. On shore, experts should lead you to experiences you’d never find on your own, like hidden waterfall swimming holes, avian nesting sites and breathtaking lookout points. Ships that integrate a destination’s culture into the sailing gain extra points, as do those that clearly value the fragile nature of these locations (some ships, for example, have onboard science labs).
I’ve been cruising for over 30 years, and I've picked my top 10 bucket-list expedition cruises. Ready to dive in?
Antarctica and South America
Viking Polaris or Octantis, Buenos Aires, Argentina
It's hard to imagine a better choice for experiencing Antarctica than on board one of Viking Expeditions ’ two purpose-built ships. My itinerary of choice is the 15-night cruise called Into the Antarctic Circle, because why go that far and not get the full experience of crossing the 66th parallel south, as this specific itinerary does?
Note that not all Antarctic expedition cruises venture beyond the circle, where ice in the water is thicker. Landings are not always possible that far south, but the scenic cruising among the thick ice floes is incredible. Viking can get you there, but not on every sailing, so definitely check the route if 66 degrees south is on your bucket list.
Ponant L'Austral, Ushuaia, Argentina
Ponant provides equal parts depth of knowledge and luxury on its cruises to the White Continent. The line's 10-night Emblematic Antarctica cruise is a true boots-on-the-ice, kayaks-in-the-water experience that’ll take you closer than you thought possible to icebergs and wildlife. While the ship provides a luxurious French home base, the excursions have a slightly more rugged feel than those offered by Viking.
Bonus picks:Additional expedition cruise lines to consider for Antarctica include Silversea , Seabourn , Scenic , Aurora Expeditions , Atlas Ocean Voyages , Quark Expeditions , HX Expeditions , National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions and Swan Hellenic . A few mainstream cruise lines offer less active Antarctic cruises that don’t offload passengers while in Antarctic waters. If you’re looking for a scenic cruise rather than an expedition sailing, go with Celebrity , Princess , Holland America and Azamara .
Galápagos Islands
Celebrity Flora, Quito, Ecuador
Celebrity Cruises isn’t necessarily known for expedition-style sailings, but the line has offered Galápagos small-ship cruises since 2001. Celebrity Flora (an all-suite, fully expedition-equipped ship carrying 100 passengers) cruises there year-round. Galápagos cruises lean heavily into wildlife spotting, both in the water and via hikes on the islands. Even if you aren’t an avid birdwatcher, spotting the red- and blue-footed boobies in their nesting areas is exhilarating.
Silver Origin, Quito, Ecuador
Silversea's 100-passenger Silver Origin brings full luxury cruising to the Galápagos on nine-night itineraries that include charter flights to and from the islands. The ship is fully equipped for exploration, with expert guides leading the way to Galápagos penguins, giant tortoises and iguanas on land, as well as seals, sea lions, dolphins and green sea turtles in the water.
Bonus picks:Other cruise lines to consider for a Galápagos cruise include National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions , HX Expeditions , Avalon Waterways and UnCruise Adventures .
Northern Europe and the Arctic
MS Spitsbergen, Tromsø, Norway
To fulfill a bucket-list quest for the northern lights, you want experts with deep roots in Norway. That’s HX Expeditions . The line's all-inclusive eight-day voyages in search of the aurora even include a promise to see the northern lights, backed by a future cruise credit if you don't. Daytime hours are spent onshore experiencing Norwegian culture and wildlife — think snowshoe hikes in search of moose and reindeer, or perhaps enjoying a sauna followed by a snow plunge. Nights are spent out to sea, away from the lights of civilization, providing the best possible aurora viewing.
World Voyager, Longyearbyen, Norway to Reykjavik, Iceland
Atlas Ocean Voyages' 10-night cruise, which includes a charter flight from Oslo to Longyearbyen, allows you to check off the must-visit countries of both Iceland and Greenland, along with cruising above the Arctic Circle. In Iceland, expect to see waterfalls and wildlife, and perhaps dip your toes into hot springs. Greenland’s once-in-a-lifetime adventures above the Arctic Circle revolve around Zodiac landings in icy fjords for hikes on shore or ice floe boat rides.
Bonus picks:Other cruise lines for expedition-style or near-expedition-quality cruises to the Arctic and Northern Europe, including Iceland, are Quark Expeditions, Windstar Cruises , Silversea , Ponant , National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions , Atlas Ocean Voyages, Scenic , Seabourn , Swan Hellenic and Viking .
French Polynesia and the South Pacific
Star Breeze, Papeete, Tahiti
With close to four decades of experience cruising in the waters of French Polynesia, Windstar Cruises is the easy choice for your Tahiti cruise. My top itinerary is an 11-night round-trip that extends to the far reaches of the island nation, including the Marquesas. While not a true expedition cruise line, all Windstar ships feature a marina that opens on the back of the ship for swimming, kayaking and paddleboarding and use Zodiac boats for wet landings.
Seabourn Pursuit, Darwin, Australia to Broome, Australia
Seabourn’s 10-day Kimberley Expedition cruise is not your average Australia cruise, which typically features stops in the most popular cities. The focus in the sparsely populated Kimberley, in contrast, is on waterfalls, rivers and culture, with Zodiac tours included most days. Expect to see saltwater crocs, towering cliff faces, Aboriginal rock art and rushing tidal waters (known as Horizontal Falls) from a luxurious, all-inclusive home base on board the ship.
Bonus picks:Other cruise lines to consider in the South Pacific include Silversea , Ponant and Paul Gauguin Cruises .
North America
Safari Explorer, Kona, Hawaii to Molokai, Hawaii
Hawaii doesn't make it onto most expedition cruise lists, but it's on mine. The islands offer so much potential for adventurous exploration, including uncrowded waterfall hikes and night snorkeling as mesmerizing manta rays dance beneath you. UnCruise leads expedition cruising in Hawaii on a ship carrying only 36 passengers, all eager to experience the islands via daily hiking, biking, snorkeling and kayaking excursions on the line's 7-night cruises between Kona and Molokai.
National Geographic Quest or Venture, Juneau, Alaska to Sitka, Alaska
National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions is how you cruise Alaska in depth, with a level of immersion far beyond that of more traditional Alaska cruises. This pair of 100-guest ships cruises Alaskan waterways on seven-night adventures that allow you to kayak, paddleboard, hike and cruise narrow fjords by Zodiac.
Excursions with NG take you closer to the glaciers, deeper into the wilderness, and farther from the crowds. You’ll learn to recognize the call of nesting eagle pairs from their perches high above, and kayak in water so clear you’ll see starfish on the rocks 50 feet below the surface. After-dinner forest walks let you take advantage of the midnight sun, and bicycles provided by the ship allow you to explore towns and villages like a local.
Bonus picks:Other cruise lines to consider in Alaska include HX Expeditions for a true expedition sailing. For other small-ship Alaska experiences somewhat similar to expedition cruising, options include Windstar or American Cruise Lines .
