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Zipping around in Zodiacs, ogling endemic wildlife, dropping jaws at views that so few of us get to see in a lifetime: It's a small wonder why expedition cruising is soaring in popularity—not just with cruisers, but among all types of adventurers—thus demanding its place as a new category in our 2022 Readers’ Choice Awards. Here, we share seven alluring new journeys, each one from a winning cruise line, to consider trying to new and exciting mode of cruising for yourself.
All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Silversea
Itinerary: Antarctica Bridge
Departures: Five to nine-day voyages from November 21, 2022, through February 4, 2023; itineraries repeat November 2023 through upcoming Antarctic sail seasons.
Experience: Ultra-luxe Silversea debuts 200-passenger Silver Endeavour, its newest, most posh expedition vessel, for Antarctica Bridge journeys. Skip the four days round trip crossing the potentially rough seas of Drake Passage. Instead, hop on a private chartered two-hour flight in business class from Punta Arenas, Chile, directly to snowy, penguin-aplenty King George Island, Antarctica. There, the glam PC6 ice class-rated Silver Endeavour beckons. Tux-clad, white-gloved butlers stir martinis and deliver complimentary caviar to your sumptuous suite. Therapists blend indulgence with healing in a decadence-driven spa. Do backstrokes in a glass-enclosed heated pool and maybe spot chinstraps diving single file off floating icebergs. Consider such perks gravy; 20 world-class expedition experts, like marine biologists, ensure twice-daily explorations via trekking, kayaking, and Zodiacs (weather permitting) every day in this polar expedition holy grail.
Ponant
Itinerary: Intriguing Indonesia
Departure: March 7, 2023
Experience: Spine-tingling adventures await on this 10-day Bali-to-Singapore sail aboard Le Lapérouse. Thrills may first unfold in the Indonesian archipelago’s Komodo National Park, encountering enormous Komodo dragons. These venomous carnivorous lizards are more than six-feet-long; expert guides keep visitors safe. In Badas, Sumbawa, attend a wedding procession in a local village and watch buffalo race in your honor. Another highlight? Visiting orangutans in a rehab facility in southern Borneo. (This writer witnessed one tree-dweller emptying his bladder on a cruiser snapping pics below.) Life onboard Le Lapérouse may be less dramatic than ashore, but French line Ponant keeps the wows flowing with Gallic gastronomy (croissants rate divine), sea-inspired sophisticated design, and evening entertainment from film-screening to live music.
Quasar Expeditions
Itinerary: Islands Born of Fire
Departure: Fall 2023
Experience: Savor an intimate eight-day Galápagos expedition between Baltra and San Cristobal, Ecuador, onboard the new 18-passenger Conservation, an all-suite luxury yacht featuring renewable energy components, a carbon-neutral footprint, and an equally eco-friendly crew. The green outlook includes chefs who source sustainably and transform ingredients into modern Ecuadorian cuisine, and a spa on a serenity mission. The agile yacht allows maximum passenger immersion in these pristine islands where endemic wildlife abounds. Enthusiastic naturalists (one-guide-to-nine-passenger ratio) lead outings via walks, hikes, snorkeling, kayaking, and panga (inflatable dinghy) rides among eight islands. Warning: Once you spot your first blue-footed booby, a lifelong love affair begins. Stroll amidst the world’s largest tortoises—averaging more than 100-years-old and often weighing more than 550 pounds—for real-life shades of Jurassic Park.
Hurtigruten Expeditions
Itinerary: East Greenland and Svalbard – A True Arctic Expedition
Departures: August 18 and September 3—2023
Experience: Join 528-passenger Maud sailing 17 days round trip from Reykjavik reveling in nearly every Arctic highlight. Visit volcanic Jan Mayenone—of Earth’s most remote destinations—in the Arctic Circle. Birds, like Brünich’s Guillemots, reign as sole residents on this moss and lichen-streaked island; surrounding waters teem with whales and seals. In Svalbard and Greenland, pristine fjords, towering mountains, and glacier-carved valleys are entrancing. Bask in the warmest welcome in Ittoqqortoormiit; less than 500 hardy souls live on this Arctic peninsula town encased by sea ice most of the year. Maud’s nature-inspired Nordic decor pops with modern artworks. The Science Center serves as the ship hub, with lectures streamed to staterooms and suites. Three fine restaurants showcase regional ingredients. Like all Hurtigruten ships, Maud emphasizes sustainability, with zero port emissions through green technology.
Viking
Itinerary: Great Lakes Collection
Departures: June 10, 2023 through September 12, 2023
Experience: Find profound adventure exploring all five Great Lakes on a 15-day voyage between Toronto and Duluth, Minnesota, on 378-passenger twins Viking Polaris and Viking Octantis. Embarking Zodiacs in an industry-first, protected in-ship hangar, makes boarding a breeze. Behold the staggering beauty of thundering Niagara Falls, as it hurls 42 millions of gallons of water down 20 stories every minute, from a boat shrouded in mist below. Hook Chinook salmon or rainbow trout on a private charter in Thunder Bay, Canada; a prized local chef cooks the catch. Glide on a glass-bottom boat over shipwrecks as an archeologist details what lies below. With 36 experts by your side, hunt for 400-million-year-old fossils, hike boreal forests, and participate in scientific research. Later, cozy up before an onboard fire pit, browse the scientist-curated library, devour a divine dinner before snuggling in your king bed.
Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic
Itinerary: Kimberley Expedition: Australia’s Wild Northwest
Departures: July 7, 17, and 27—2023
Experience: Horizontal waterfalls? Freshwater crocodiles? It’s not your imagination (or too many onboard cocktails); such rare sightings skew typical to a remote Kimberley sail. Adrenalin-charge for 12 days between Darwin and Broome, Australia, onboard 102-passenger National Geographic Orion, a casual ship with clubby flair. This remote region is so ancient, much predates fossil existence. Immense and diverse, the Kimberley’s abundance of green-drenched rainforests, contorted red rock formations, gorges, and aboriginal art, astonishes. A certified photo instructor ensures perfect pics and the naturalist staff leads explorations. In Vansittart Bay, gape at 40,000-year-old images in an outdoor aboriginal art gallery. Find sandpipers, sharks, cormorants, and egrets among ever-present wildlife. Come chill time, head to the ship’s wellness center or hot tub, and dine al fresco on sustainable choices, soaking up good wine and eye-popping views.
Atlas Ocean Voyages
Itinerary: 10 Night Edinburgh to Dublin
Departure: September 26, 2023
Experience: Pub-crawl on an 11-day Edinburgh-to-Dublin expedition onboard 200-passenger World Traveller. Of course, sampling draft beers or wee drams of whisky are a smidgen of expedition highlights. In Scotland, scan Loch Ness in search of the famed monster. Explore majestic Stirling Castle; Mary Queen of Scots was among many royals crowned here. Listen to Manx, a Gaelic language only spoken on Isle of Man, and tour the Giant’s Causeway, a Northern Ireland UNESCO World Heritage Site formed some 50-to-60 million years ago by a volcanic eruption. Back onboard, work out, then let a spa therapist unknot those kinks. After dining on globally inspired fare, stargaze with a craft cocktail in the observation lounge with a 270-degree view.