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As experts in expedition cruises, we have compiled this list of the best expedition cruise lines based on our firsthand experience and guest feedback to help you plan your next adventure.
From the lesser explored parts of the polar regions to off-the-beaten-path tropical destinations, we have the perfect tried and tested expedition cruise lines for you.
All the cruise lines mentioned in this article can be booked through Polar Escapes. Need some help planning your next expedition cruise? Why not get in touch with us?
Best Expedition Cruise Lines for Polar Exploration
1. Ponant Explorations
Ponant offers groundbreaking (or should we say icebreaking) voyages on the luxury icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot, opening up new possibilities for exploration in the Arctic and Antarctica. It can navigate north of the Arctic Circle during the winter for northern lights cruises. Itineraries include visiting the Geographic North Pole, exploring Inuit communities in East Greenland early in the season, or journeying deep into the pack ice of the Weddell Sea in search of Emperor Penguins. Polar Escapes joined an expedition on Le Commandant Charcot, which was out of this world. Â
Ponant also has a fleet of four luxury sister ships that offer itineraries to explore Svalbard, Greenland, The Northwest Passage and Antarctica. They offer no single supplement on many voyages, making this an excellent option for solo travellers.
Best For: Solo Travellers Visiting the North Pole
2. Quark Expeditions
Quark Expeditions excels at immersive small-ship expeditions in the polar regions. Established in 1991, Quark is one of the most experienced expedition cruise lines, with a world-class team of expedition guides. We have regularly received outstanding feedback from our guests at Polar Escapes.
Quark has a fleet of three cutting-edge expedition ships: Ultramarine, Ocean Explorer, and World Voyager. Ultramarine is one of only two ships offering helicopter tours included in the expedition. Quark Expeditions provides 30 departures for the Antarctic Peninsula, South Georgia Island, Falkland Islands, and Patagonia.
Best For: Expedition Experience, Helicopter Tours
3. AE Expeditions
With 33 years of experience delivering polar expedition voyages, AE Expeditions (formerly known as Aurora) is a leading expedition cruise line exploring the polar regions. It’s committed to sustainability with carbon-neutral ships and a B Corp certification. They offer extensive activities, from sea kayaking to polar diving.
With a fleet of three of the latest X-bow ships, AE excels at small-ship expedition voyages from the polar regions to warmer climates, including the Mediterranean. Its newest ship, the Douglas Mawson, offers expedition cruises from Australia to explore the rarely visited coast of East Antarctica.
Best For: Activities and Small Ships
4. Heritage Expeditions
Founded in 1985, Heritage Expeditions is a family-run expedition cruise line based in New Zealand. Its ship, the Heritage Adventurer, offers one-of-a-kind voyages to explore the New Zealand Subantarctic Islands, Macquarie Island, and the remote Ross Sea region of Antarctica.
It is the most experienced expedition cruise line in East Antarctica, and we highly recommend it for those who want to explore the Ross Sea. When the ship is not exploring Antarctica, it offers cruises to explore Japan, the South Pacific, Vanuatu, and Papua New Guinea.
Best For: Exploring The Ross Sea
5. Poseidon Expeditions
Poseidon Expeditions takes adventurers to Greenland, Svalbard and allows for seeing polar bears from afar. With over 25 years of experience, Poseidon Expeditions delivers outstanding polar expeditions on its ship, Sea Spirit. With just 114 guests per voyage, this is one of our highly recommended options for small ship cruising. It’s a classic ship with lots of character and decent levels of comfort.
You can choose from a range of voyages to see polar bears in Svalbard or explore East Greenland, Antarctica, or South Georgia.
Best For: Small Ship Expeditions
6. HX Expeditions
HX Expeditions (formerly known as Hurtigruten) operates a fleet of premium larger expedition ships. Taking up to 500 guests, the MS Roald Amundsen and MS Fridtjof Nansen ships feature hybrid engines and large power banks to reduce environmental emissions. If you prefer a larger ship, these ships are a great option. Polar Escapes have travelled on MS Roald Amundsen, which delivered an excellent expedition to Antarctica.
Hurtigruten offers an expedition cruise to Antarctica and the Falklands, focusing on life-changing exploration along with other captivating itineraries to explore South Georgia, Spitsbergen, Greenland and the Northwest Passage.
Best For: Large Ship Expeditions
7. Swan Hellenic
Swan Hellenic was relaunched in 2020 as a luxury small-ship expedition cruise line. Its two ships, SH Vega and SH Diana are purpose-built expedition ships with a polar class rating, enabling deep exploration into the polar regions.
Swan Hellenic offers an enriching and premium 5-star experience in some of the planet’s most remote corners, including Svalbard and Antarctica. In addition to the polar regions, they offer captivating exploration of the coasts of South America and East Africa.
Best For: Small Ship Luxury Expeditions
8. National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions
A household name in Expedition cruising, National Geographic Lindblad Expeditions offers small-ship expedition cruises all over the world. Founded in 1958, Lindblad was the first expedition cruise line to take guests to Antarctica in 1966.
Guests can choose from various small ship expeditions, from the Galapagos Islands to Alaska and Antarctica. They have recently introduced two new X-bow ships highly recommended by Polar Escapes, the National Geographic Endurance and National Geographic Resolution, for voyages to the polar regions.
Best For: Variety Of Destinations
9. Antarctica 21
Founded in 2003, Antarctica 21 was the expedition cruise line that established fly cruises to Antarctica. Guests fly the Drake Passage, departing from Punta Arena in Chile and landing on King George Island, where they join their expedition cruise ship.
Antarctica 21 offers two small ships, Magellan Explorer and the newest addition, Magellan Discoverer, which take just 75 guests per voyage for the ultimate intimate experience. These ships are purpose-built for exploration of the polar regions and comfort. The absolute luxury is the small and intimate group size.
Best Expedition Cruise Line: For Antarctica Fly Cruises and small ships in Antarctica
10. Polar Quest
Polar Quest offers the smallest ships in the Arctic, ranging from the 50-passenger Quest to the 12-passenger MV Stockholm, a vintage Swedish ship with heaps of character. Their principal voyages occur around the Svalbard Archipelago, with some cruises to East Greenland at the end of the season. These cruises are perfect for wildlife watching and polar bear spotting.
Best For: Arctic Small Ship cruises
11. Oceanwide Expeditions
Founded in 1993, Oceanwide Expeditions has a fleet of four ships: Hondius, Ortelius, Plancius, and the sailing ship Rembrandt Van Rijn.
Plancius and Ortelius take 108 guests, making them two of the smallest ships operating in Antarctica. Oceanwide offers a one-off 28-day voyage to explore deep into the Weddell Sea following the path of Ernest Shackleton, the perfect expedition to fulfil your inner explorer.
12. Adventure Canada
Adventure Canada started over 30 years ago as a family expedition business. Today, it is one of Canada’s best-known expedition cruise lines, specialising in small ship expeditions to the Northwest Passage, Baffin Island, Greenland, and Newfoundland. Its two small ships, Ocean Nova and Exploris 1, offer the ideal intimate setting for exploring the remote Arctic in comfort and intimacy.
13. Albatross Expeditions
Albatross Expeditions was first launched as an expedition cruise line in 1986. Their fleet consists of 2 state-of-the-art X-bow ships custom-built for exploring the furthest reaches of the polar regions. Ocean Victory and Ocean Albatross feature Nordic interiors and the latest sustainability technology for eco-friendly cruising. Each ship takes under 200 guests, ensuring guests maximise their time exploring the Arctic or Antarctica.
14. Polar Latitudes
Polar Latitudes was established in 2010 and specialises in Antarctica. They offer immersive small-ship expedition cruises with lots of activity options, from sea kayaking to camping out with the penguins and hands-on citizen science. Polar Latitudes won the Best Small Expedition Cruise Operator award at the Expedition Cruise Network awards.
Best Luxury Expedition Cruise Lines
15. Seabourn
Seabourn is a household name for small-ship luxury cruising. It now offers immersive exploration of the polar regions with its two new purpose-built luxury polar cruise ships, Seabourn Pursuit and Seabourn Venture. Each ship offers experiences including Zodiac cruising, nature walks and scuba diving. The vessel features a world-class team of guides and can accommodate 264 guests. In addition to the polar regions, Seabourn offers exploration of Australia’s Kimberly region and the vibrant culture of the South Pacific.
16. Silversea Expeditions
Silversea is a premium 5-star luxury expedition cruise line specialising in expedition cruises to the most remote places on Earth. It offers over 20 different itineraries to the Arctic and Antarctica. Its latest addition to the fleet, Silver Endeavour, is one of the most expensive expedition cruise ships ever built. If travelling in the highest standard of luxury and having your own butler is of interest, this could be your cruise line.
17. Scenic
Scenic specialises in 6-star expedition cruises on its two ships, Scenic Eclipse 1 and 2. Each ship features twin helicopters and submersibles for exciting off-ship exploration. This expedition cruise line is renowned for its dedication to luxury and immersive experiences. Each ship features up to 10 dining options, gorgeous suites and adventurous itineraries to the Arctic and Antarctica.
Other Highly Rated Expedition Cruise Lines
18. Atlas Ocean Voyages
Founded in 2019, Atlas Ocean Voyages is a newcomer to expedition cruising. Its ships are designed around a yacht-style experience and take under 200 guests per voyage for an intimate expedition. They offer immersive exploration of the Arctic, Antarctica, South America, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean.Atlas Ocean Voyages offers Cultural Expeditions that include folkloric activities and art in various destinations.
19. Viking
Viking started as a river cruising line that expanded to expeditions with the launch of its two expedition ships, Viking Polaris and Viking Octantis. Viking offers a staggering 87-day expedition sailing from the Arctic to Antarctica, departing from Nuuk in Greenland and arriving in Ushuaia in Argentina. Viking offers over 20 voyages to explore the Chilean fjords, The Great Lakes, Central America, Patagonia, South Georgia, and Antarctica for travellers looking for a shorter trip. Viking’s new itinerary includes a 19-day journey exploring Antarctica and South Georgia Island.
20. Hapag-Lloyd
Hapag-Lloyd has a fleet of three brand-new state-of-the-art expedition ships: the Hanseatic Nature, Hanseatic Inspiration, and Hanseatic Spirit. Built for the polar regions with PC6 ice-strengthened hulls, these ships offer immersive explorations worldwide, from the Arctic and Antarctica to the equatorial regions. Highlights include Spitsbergen, Alaska, Fiji, and the Pacific Islands.
Hapag-Lloyd Cruises’ Hanseatic Inspiration will cruise the Arctic and the Amazon for the first time in 2025.
21. Uncruise Adventures
Uncruise was founded in 1996 and offers small-ship adventures in off-the-beaten-track destinations. Its eight small ships can accommodate 22 and 86 passengers per voyage. As the name suggests, these are not typical cruises. The focus is on exploration, wildlife watching, kayaking and Zodiac cruising. Hawaii, Galapagos, and Alaska are just some of the exciting destinations that are on offer.
22. Maple Leaf Adventures
Maple Leaf Adventurers specialises in locally led small-ship expedition cruises to explore British Columbia and Alaska. Their ships include a former classic Tug, a catamaran, and a traditional sailing yacht. Each cruise takes a maximum of 24 guests, making these some of the smallest expedition cruises possible—perfect for wildlife watching and intimate exploration.
23. Aqua Expeditions
Aqua Expeditions blends luxury with small-ship expedition cruises in some of the world’s most beautiful destinations. Imagine travelling on a ship that is more of a private yacht than a cruise ship, with 24 guests in total. Explore the furthest reaches of the Galapagos, and encounter sea lions and a wealth of wildlife or opt for West Papua, Indonesia, or the Amazon River for total cultural immersion.
24. Coral Expeditions
Coral Expeditions is a perfect choice for travellers looking to explore warmer destinations. Small ship voyages include Austrailia’s Kimberly region, the Great Barrier Reef, and Papua New Guinea. First founded in 1983, Coral Expeditions is Australia’s first pioneering expedition cruise line.
25. Celebrity
While Celebrity is better known for its large cruise ships, it also has a fleet of small expedition ships that explore the Galapagos Islands. Celebrity Flora, Celebrity Xpedition, and Celebrity Xploration all offer the chance to discover the calm waters of the Galapagos on a small-ship expedition cruise with itineraries lasting between 7 and 16 nights.
With so much choice on offer, do you need assistance choosing which expedition cruise line is the best fit for you? At Polar Escapes, we are the experts in expedition cruises and offer free first-hand advice to help you choose your expedition cruise line. Please get in touch to find out more.
For more information visit our Guide to Expedition Cruises or see our article The Best Expedition Cruise Ships.
Thanks for reading and happy exploring.
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