Expedition cruising faces a brave new world of adventures
About 20 new expedition vessels were launched just prior to or during the pandemic and more vessels will arrive this year.
Expedition cruising has come a long way since celebrated explorer and adventure travel pioneer Lars-Eric Lindblad took the first tourists to Antarctica aboard a chartered Argentinian navy ship in 1966. Today’s visitors increasingly reach the frozen continent and other far shores on purpose-built vessels that bristle with extras, ranging from helicopters and heated pools to mini-submarines. Celebrity chef menus, gyms and spas are assumed.
In tandem with these bells, whistles and butler service come advanced environmental technologies, including electric hybrid power and intensive recycling systems. Dynamic positioning allows the smarter ships to hold station without inflicting anchor damage on fragile seabeds below.
About 20 new expedition ships were launched prior to or during the early COVID-19 pandemic period and, although getting on board has been out of bounds for grounded Australians, more vessels will arrive this year. Whenever and wherever we might resume cruising, rigorous new health protocols will apply, including mandatory pre-screening and vaccination accompanied by at-sea testing of passengers and crew via onboard labs.
Meanwhile, now is the time to look for unprecedented early-bird discounts, “fly-free” offers and all-inclusive packages on expedition trips from Kamchatka to the Amazon.
Aqua Nera
Aqua Expeditions’ new-generation purpose-built Amazon River vessel features the sort of luxuries mostly associated with ocean-going cruisers. A plunge pool, spa, 30sq m suites and cuisine by one of Peru’s premier chefs are among the distractions that might cause the 40 passengers to overlook the main event, the Amazon. The mighty river, its tributaries and the stupendous biodiversity of the Peruvian jungle are what they’d miss.
■ A seven-night Expedition Cruise along the Amazon to Pacaya-Samiria National Reserve. From $US7700 ($9790) a person, twin-share; aquaexpeditions.com
Caledonian Sky
Fully refurbished in 2018, this ship is returning to its zone of expertise, expeditions in Australian and New Zealand waters. The boutique vessel, which hosts 99 guests in ocean-view staterooms, features a promenade deck, a fleet of Zodiacs, expert naturalist guides and inclusive packages with complimentary beverages. Caledonian Sky’s Australian destinations range from Tasmania, the Great Barrier Reef and Cape York to multiple West Australian and Top End itineraries.
■ A nine-night Grand Kimberley Coast cruise from Broome to Darwin or Kununurra to Broome, from $10,995 a person, twin-share; aptouring.com.
Celebrity Flora
This is the first all-suite mega-yacht designed specifically for cruising Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands. The 100-passenger ship offers various itineraries to the outer and inner loops of the archipelago, both with plentiful access to the extraordinary marine and avian wildlife of these volcanic islands. Private balconies, onboard local guides from Galapagos National Park and daily excursions by Zodiac are included. Using dynamic positioning, the ship can remain stationery without anchoring.
■ A seven-night Galapagos Inner Loop voyage from $US8543 a person, twin-share; celebritycruises.com.
Coral Geographer
Coral Expedition’s new ship highlights professional Australian service rather than butlers and full-on luxury. Its shallow draught and enhanced manoeuvrability allow the 120-guest ship to penetrate where larger vessels may not. Geographer’s spacious Xplorer tenders and Zodiacs then permit even more intrepid excursions. All staterooms (many with private balconies) face outwards, there’s “open bridge” access and dining features premium Australian produce and wines. Cruise destinations include Cape York, Arnhem Land, the Spice Islands and Sub-Antarctic Islands.
■A 10-night Definitive Kimberley trip, Darwin to Broome, from $10,990 a person, twin-share; coralexpeditions.com.
Crystal Endeavor
The first expedition ship built for the Crystal line makes its grand entrance with two helicopters, mini-submersible, 18 Zodiacs, six restaurants and, bizarrely, a casino. Two hundred passengers enjoy all-suite accommodation, balconies and butler service. Billed as “the world’s largest and most spacious polar-class expedition yacht”, its far-flung destinations will include Iceland, the Aleutians, the Falklands, Antarctica, New Zealand and Chile.
■ An 11-night expedition from Longyearbyen, Svalbard: In Search of Polar Bears, from $24,749 a person, twin-share; crystalcruises.com.au.
Fridtjof Nansen
Hurtigruten’s latest vessel is among the first expedition cruise ships to employ hybrid battery propulsion. Accommodating 300 passengers (although often carrying fewer), it features a Science Centre plus multilingual lectures on polar exploration, climate and fauna. Sea-kayaking excursions are among the bonuses. It has superior dining, a spa and sauna but Hurtigruten’s 125 years of polar experience come to the fore on Arctic and Antarctic journeys. There’s even the option of camping for a night on an Antarctic beach.
■ A 14-day Highlights of the Frozen Continent voyage ex-Ushuaia, from $11,550 a person, twin-share; hurtigruten.com.au.
Le Commandant-Charcot
Ponant’s polar expedition ship is the first of its kind to employ hybrid-electric power generated by liquefied natural gas. Carrying up to 270 passengers, it has been designed to go to extremes, including the geographic North Pole and Antarctica’s Weddell Sea. Among the features are an indoor pool, panoramic restaurant and observation lounge.
■ A 14-night Total Eclipse in the Weddell Sea promises passengers the excitement and full visibility of a solar eclipse due on December 4 this year; from $24,900; au.ponant.com
Magellan Explorer
Antarctica21’s ship, purpose-built to polar-safety specifications, offers a new model of travel, the hybrid air-cruise. Passengers fly one way (and sometimes both) over the notorious swells of Drake Passage, reaching their destination in two hours rather than two days. Carrying 73 guests in seven cabin categories, including dedicated singles, the ship’s creature comforts include stylish dining, gym, sauna, medical clinic and 10 Zodiacs.
■ A six-day Antarctica Express air-cruise, ex-Ushuaia, takes in Cape Horn, the Beagle Channel, Drake Passage and Antarctica’s South Shetland Islands, from $US4995; antarctica21.com.
Silversea Origin
Touted as “the most elegant ship ever to sail the Galapagos, this is the Silversea line’s first ship designed for a specific destination. The Galapagos-dedicated, 100-passenger vessel claims more guides (all certified Ecuadorian Galapagos specialists) per passenger than any other ship, as well as the highest Zodiac-to-guest ratio in the region. Its onboard Basecamp, an innovative “knowledge lounge”, gives cruisers access to a wealth of information on the islands’ history and wildlife, while dynamic positioning protects the sea floor.
■ A Silversea Origin seven-day cruise from $13,770 a person, twin-share; silversea.com.
Sylvia Earle
Aurora Expeditions’ new explorer will range far and wide, from Alaska and Baja to the Coral Triangle and Kamchatka. Named after a renowned oceanographer and marine conservationist, the 70-cabin vessel features the distinctive, inverted X-BOW design and Rolls-Royce dynamic stabilisers. Specialist destination guides and lecturers are a given. Among an extensive program of new destinations for the ship are the Russian Far East, Antarctica and Raja Ampat’s Misool Marine Reserve.
■ A nine-day cruise of Baja California and the Sea of Cortez, one of Dr Sylvia Earle’s designated global “Hope Spots”, from $7356 a person, twin-share; auroraexpeditions.com.au.
Ultramarine
Quark Expeditions’ latest polar ship, carries two twin-engine helicopters, allowing passengers to experience truly remote destinations accessible only by air. A water-level hangar deploys 20 Zodiacs and the 199-passenger vessel claims the most spacious suites in its category. Sustainability features that exceed industry standards include a MAGS system to convert waste into energy.
■ A two-week voyage, Spitsbergen Photography: In Search of Polar Bears, explores Svalbard’s fjords while seeking photogenic subjects; from €10,200 ($15,690); quarkexpeditions.com.
Viking Octantis and Polaris
Next year Viking Expeditions will debut two purpose-built 378-guest expedition vessels. Promising staterooms and suites more spacious than on any other expedition ship, their domain will stretch from the Arctic and Antarctic to North America’s Great Lakes.
■ A 44-day north-to-south odyssey from Tromso to Ushuaia from $47,995 a person, twin-share; vikingcruises.com.au.
