Call of
the wild a
Appetite for expedition cruising remains resilient, with a host of new ships on order this year, finds Katie McGonagle
lways look on the bright side of life, said the Monty Python crew. While the cruise industry has faced its toughest-ever
challenge over the past year, one of the few bright sparks has been the ongoing enthusiasm for expedition cruising. After long months in lockdown with little to do but
dream about (and save for) their next adventure, many of the keenest travellers are taking the plunge and finally booking that big-ticket trip, confident that by the time they are due to depart, the cruise sector will be back up and running.
It bodes well given the number of new expedition ships coming onto the market, boosting capacity and drawing attention to this growing sector. We’ve picked out a handful of the most hotly anticipated launches to look out for this year, and with so many ships due to set sail – among them Swan Hellenic’s Minerva, Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot, Quark Expeditions’ Ultramarine, and World Navigator from new line Atlas Ocean Voyages – there are plenty of reasons to get excited about expedition cruising.
CRYSTAL ENDEAVOR For wow factor alone, it would be hard to beat this luxury yacht, heralding Crystal Cruises’ entry into the expedition market with a vessel purpose-built for polar exploration. It’s got more gadgets than James Bond’s Q, with two helicopters for sightseeing, a submersible that can dive down to 980 feet for underwater exploration, and a fold-out platform from which guests can go kayaking, snorkelling or stand-up paddleboarding. There’s no need to sacrifice those little luxuries, though, with incredibly spacious all-suite accommodation, a one-to-one ratio of crew to guests,
top-class dining and an extensive spa. Book it: Crystal Endeavor was due to enter service last August, but voyages have been suspended until at least May 1; the line says it is now on track to launch “this summer” but a date has not yet been announced. Itineraries range from polar expeditions to ‘cultural discovery’ cruises, including western Africa and Europe, with prices leading in at $8,549 for a Brazil & Argentina cruise departing October 27.
crystalcruises.com
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travelweekly.co.uk 21 JANUARY 2021 45
DESTINATIONS EXPEDITION | CRUISE
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