DESTINATIONS EXPEDITION | CRUISE


Age of w


adventure


Expedition cruising is the hottest – or perhaps coolest – way to travel, and its star is on the rise, finds Jane Archer


hat is so appealing about expedition cruising? Just a few years ago, it really only attracted adventurous


souls happy to shack up in dorms on old Russian icebreakers; now it is the fastest-growing sector of the cruise industry and pairs adventure with luxury. Clia says exploration destinations saw a 53%


increase in passenger numbers in 2023 (by contrast, classic ocean cruising rose about 35% year on year), while a glance at modern expedition ships shows that far from roughing it, today’s adventurers enjoy luxuries such as suites, butlers and champagne on tap. Tempting indeed, especially when you throw in the excitement of seeing penguins or polar bears in the Antarctic or Arctic, and getting up close to giant tortoises and blue-footed boobies in the Galápagos. But there has to be something else persuading customers to fork out on expedition cruises, which come with hefty price tags.


RISING TIDE


Cruise lines cite many reasons, from a determination to travel after the months of lockdown to the ‘noise’ created by the recent flurry of ships launched by Seabourn, Swan Hellenic, Scenic, Silversea, Atlas Ocean Voyages, Aurora Expeditions, Quark Expeditions, Viking and others.


With expedition cruising, it is as much about the destination as the ship


Lynn Narraway, Seabourn’s vice-president for the UK and EMEA, attributes growth to having successfully extended the line’s trade reach beyond traditional cruise agents. “We are working with more travel partners,


² travelweekly.co.uk 27 JUNE 2024 33


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