the croc-infested waters of the Kimberley, Australia. In Antarctica itself, there are longer voyages that also take in South Georgia and the Falklands, while Hurtigruten is venturing over the Antarctic Circle on two cruises in January and February 2015. There are also voyages in the whale-rich waters of the Sea of Cortez around Mexico’s Baja California peninsula and through the icy Northwest Passage between Greenland and Canada, and the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East is a new favourite with expedition cruise lines. Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ expedition


ship Hanseatic has just become the first non-Russian ship to transit the Northeast Passage, sailing from


Nome in Alaska across the top of Russia to Bodø in Norway, and at the same time it got closer to the North Pole (within 300 miles) than any other cruise ship. For many, the thrill of an expedition cruise is visiting places few have been before. There is also the sheer excitement of getting close to icebergs or seeing polar bears, whales and crocodiles in their natural environment, and hardy souls will love the fact that it is you against the elements, for instance when crossing the Drake Passage to Antarctica. Not that expedition cruisers


have to be that hardy as several ultra-luxury lines have entered the market. Silversea was the first and now has three ships sailing in the Galapagos, Arctic and Antarctica, and Pacific that are sold under a separate expedition brand. Ponant has three ships (and has a fourth launching in April 2015) purpose-built for cruising in the poles, while Seabourn made its Antarctica debut last winter after fitting an ice- strengthened hull to


Kamchatka, Russian Far East


52 • travelweekly.co.uk — 9 October 2014


Seabourn Quest. The ship will be back there


four times between


November and January 2015. And now Crystal Cruises has got in on the act, offering a 32- day voyage from Anchorage to New York through the Northwest Passage in August 2016. It’s on Crystal Serenity, which will be accompanied by an escort ship carrying inflatable Zodiacs and crew who have experience sailing in ice-strewn waters.


While expedition ships might


vary in terms of levels of luxury, they have plenty in common. Rather than docking each day, they will mostly drop anchor and take passengers ashore in Zodiacs so anyone with a sense of adventure must have a good degree of mobility. They must also be prepared to be flexible, especially in the polar regions, as itineraries could change daily according to weather


and ice conditions. Instead of singers and dancers,


they will carry an expedition team of biologists, geologists, naturalists and other experts to lead trips ashore, take passengers on Zodiac cruises and give lectures during sea days.


Also, none of the ships have


dress codes (Crystal’s black tie evening will be dropped for the Northwest Passage cruise), and when going to the colder climes, most will supply complimentary parkas and rent boots for wet landings. Clients should also be braced


for a very high price tag. A 10-day Kimberley cruise on Silversea’s Silver Discoverer in April 2015 costs from £6,550 cruise-only, while the 11 or 12-day Antarctic Explorer with Quark Expeditions costs from $5,495 cruise-only. TW


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