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Once you’ve sailed the Mediterranean and spent a winter or two in the Caribbean, the question often changes from “where next?” to “what next?” It’s one our Cruise Experts love helping with, and for many experienced cruisers, the answer is an expedition cruise. These voyages head to some of the wildest corners of the planet, from the Antarctic ice to the Galápagos Islands, with small ships and expert guides leading the way. So if you’ve ever wondered what expedition cruises are really like, you’re in the right place.
Read MoreThey’re voyages to remote, wild places, led by people who know those places inside out. The ships are small enough to slip into bays big ships can’t reach, and the itinerary bends around the weather and wildlife. If a pod of orcas appears, the day changes. You’ll likely spend your days ashore or on the water, and evenings usually involve a drink in the lounge, a talk from a marine biologist, and plenty of photo comparisons.
So how does an expedition compare with the cruises you already know? Here’s a quick look.
| Traditional cruise | Expedition cruise | |
| Ship size | Hundreds to thousands of guests | Usually a few hundred guests or fewer |
| Itinerary | Fixed port schedule | Flexible, guided by weather, ice and wildlife |
| Days ashore | Port calls with optional tours | Zodiac landings, hikes and kayaking led by experts |
| Evenings | Shows, bars and entertainment | Lectures, briefings and daily recaps |
| Pace | Leisurely | Active, with early starts |
You’ll still unpack once, dine well and head back to a cosy cabin every night, which makes an expedition a natural next step if you already love cruising.
An expedition cruise ship is smaller and tougher than most cruise ships, and it’s built for remote waters, with a few features you might not expect. Many have ice-strengthened hulls built to Polar Class standards and stabilisers for open-ocean crossings. They also carry a fleet of Zodiacs, small inflatable boats used for landing on beaches with no pier in sight. Silversea’s Silver Endeavour and Seabourn Venture, both built to Polar Class 6, are good examples of this in practice.
Onboard, you’ll find mudrooms for stashing wet boots, lecture theatres and plenty of outdoor deck space for whale watching. Many newer ships also have balcony suites, spas and excellent restaurants, so a chilly morning in a Zodiac can end with a hot shower and a glass of something good.
Antarctica, the Arctic and the Galápagos are the three big names, but plenty of the best expedition cruise destinations lie elsewhere, each with its own wildlife and scenery.
| Destination | Highlights | When to go |
| Antarctica | Towering icebergs and glaciers, penguin colonies, humpback and minke whales and leopard seals on ice floes | November to March |
| The Arctic and Svalbard | Glaciers and tundra, Greenland’s Ice Fjords, walruses, reindeer, Arctic foxes and polar bears | April to September |
| The Galápagos Islands | Volcanic islands home to giant tortoises, marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies and playful sea lions | Year-round |
| Alaska | Brown bears, humpback whales and tidewater glaciers | May to September |
| Iceland | Puffin colonies, thundering waterfalls and geothermal landscapes | June to August |
| Patagonia | Chilean fjords, condors, glaciers and Cape Horn | December to February |
| The Kimberley | Aboriginal rock art, the tidal Horizontal Falls and saltwater crocodiles | Dry season, around April to September |
Depending on the destination, you might be sailing with naturalists, marine biologists, glaciologists, historians and photographers. They lead the landings and Zodiac trips, give talks onboard and often join guests for dinner. A stroll along the shore can turn into a chat about why the penguins nest where they do or who first charted the coastline. Some lines also run citizen science programmes, where guests help log whale sightings or seabird counts for real research.
To decide which cruise offers the most immersive expedition experience, consider the strength of the expedition team, the number of guests, and how much time is planned ashore. Smaller ships generally mean more time on land, as Antarctic guidelines allow no more than 100 people ashore at one site at a time.
Expedition cruising takes you to some of the most fragile places on Earth, so reputable lines take their responsibilities seriously. In Antarctica, they follow guidelines from the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), which cover everything from landing numbers to how close you can get to wildlife.
In the Galápagos, ships are capped at 100 guests and a licensed naturalist guide accompanies every group ashore. Boots and kit are cleaned before each visit to avoid carrying seeds or soil between sites. Many newer ships also use hybrid power to cut emissions, and guests follow the golden rule: take only photos and leave nothing behind.
The easiest way to work out which cruise offers the most immersive expedition experience for you is to start with a few simple questions:
Your answers will soon narrow down the best expedition cruise destinations and lines for you. Many voyages also pair well with a few nights in a gateway city before or after, and our Cruise & Stay holidays let you make the best of both worlds in one trip.
Expedition fares reflect the small ships, remote locations, and specialist team onboard, and you’ll usually find much more included than on a traditional cruise. Looking at what’s included, rather than the headline fare alone, is the best way to judge value. Depending on the line, your fare may cover:
HX, for example, has made all-inclusive the standard across its fleet.
Factors to Consider
There’s no single list of the best expedition cruise lines, because each one suits a different type of traveller. Established names include HX, which sails to Antarctica, the Arctic, Greenland and further afield. There’s also Silversea, whose expedition fleet sails everywhere from the polar regions to the Galápagos on a highly inclusive fare.
If you’ve seen both names and wondered what is the difference between Hurtigruten and HX, you’re not alone. HX started life as Hurtigruten’s expedition arm, was rebranded in 2023 and became a separately owned company in early 2025. Today, HX focuses on expedition voyages, while Hurtigruten continues its traditional coastal voyages along Norway.
If you’ve been cruising for a while and fancy something different for the year ahead, an expedition cruise might be just the thing. Our Cruise Experts at Bolsover Cruise Club would love to help you find the right voyage and compare the best expedition cruise lines for what you’d like to see and do. Give us a call for a friendly, no-obligation chat about where you’d like to go next.
