Akvile Marozaite will never forget the night she joined a group of fellow cruise guests on an impromptu walk in the Madagascan jungle.
“We had decided to look for nocturnal species in the jungle and took local boats to get to and from our ship. As we sailed, spellbinding bioluminescence appeared in the water – it was incredibly magical,” she says.
This is just one of her many unforgettable experiences while expedition cruising. Another happened during an early-morning visit to a coastal village in West Papua. “We woke at 4am and boarded Zodiacs in the darkness, with the incredible Milky Way above us as we travelled to the village,” says Marozaite. “I held a torch for the Zodiac driver as we reached the jetty and then we walked in the starlight through the jungle to a tree, where we sat quietly waiting for birds of paradise to congregate. We shared a silent moment of wonder when they did.”
Marozaite considers herself very lucky to have joined “quite a few” expedition cruises over the years, particularly during her time working for Silversea Cruises and Albatros Expeditions.
“I’ve travelled extensively in the Pacific Ocean, spent an entire season in the Russian Far East, visited both Antarctica and the Galapagos Islands twice, and experienced Mexico’s Baja California peninsula,” she says. “The Sea of Cortez still stands out to me as one of the best places in the world to see whales, dolphins and incredible desert-like scenery.
“Each expedition has something unique to offer. Learning from experts about a place adds an extra dimension of wonder – these are perhaps the reasons why I fell in love with this form of travel and have a seemingly infinite passion for it.”
The Sea of Cortez in the Gulf of California is one of the best places in the world to see whales and dolphins, says Akvile Marozaite
Expedition cruises are ideal for those who seek adventure in some of the world’s most remote destinations. The sector was first established in the 1960s, when Swedish-American explorer and entrepreneur Lars-Eric Lindblad founded his own cruise line and took the first paying customers to destinations previously only visited by scientists and explorers. Lindblad Expeditions sailed to Antarctica in 1966 and the Galapagos Islands in 1967. Other lines followed, bringing with them new ships and itineraries.
“We saw a huge boom throughout the 1990s, with the addition of Quark Expeditions, Aurora Expeditions and Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, which meant many more ships and destinations,” says Marozaite. “Most excitingly, during this time we saw the addition of shore landings, outings and activities, which remains a favourite part of the expedition experience to this day.”
In the late 2000s, Silversea and Ponant brought new modern, luxury tonnage to Antarctica, which Marozaite says spurred demand for luxury, onboard experiences. “For the past 20 years the sector has grown steadily, and between 2019 and 2023 we saw significant increase in capacity with an extra 39 ships joining the market,” she says. “Today, there are 101 expedition ships in operation worldwide (totalling 16,363 berths), and five new expedition ships are expected to join the market between 2024 and 2027. While order books show that ship capacity growth will slow, it’s a dynamic and increasingly competitive market with new entrants joining all the time.”
Over the past six decades, both the ships and the guest experiences offered by expedition cruise operators have changed. Initially, operators chartered vessels from Russian authorities, or repurposed icebreakers, small cruise ships and ferries. They offered basic amenities, minimal entertainment and a strong focus on education and exploration. Although modern expedition ships are still small and carry on average fewer than 200 passengers, they are now purpose-built with guest comfort and experience in mind. Consequently, many offer onboard luxuries, such as suites and staterooms with private balconies, spas, fine-dining restaurants and comfortable observation lounges.
“As an expedition cruise is all about in-depth exploration, the ships are small so they aren’t limited to calling at places with port facilities but can instead reach truly remote sites,” says Marozaite. “Onboard activities still typically include expert-led seminars, daily briefings and lively discussions with fellow adventurers, but some companies also offer cookery courses and yoga, for example. Outdoor activities led by expert guides, such as hikes, Zodiac cruising, paddle boarding, kayaking and trips in helicopters or submersibles, are all popular. Hence, new ships need to be designed to accommodate equipment for these specialist activities too.”
Lina Stock/Divergent Travelers
Expedition brands immerse their guests in the destinations by taking them on Zodiac trips to places like Cierva Cove in Antarctica
Marozaite cites her recent visit to the Galapagos Islands onboard Lindblad Cruises’ National Geographic Endeavour II as an example of the type of experience on offer.
“It was fantastic; the itinerary was crafted to maximise every moment as we explored the southeastern and central parts of the archipelago where we hiked to see land iguanas, explored volcanic areas and watched sea lions napping on white-sand beaches,” she says. “The ship had a relaxed and social atmosphere, and in addition to pursuits like kayaking, snorkelling and paddle boarding, we also enjoyed incredible onboard hospitality, including yoga on the deck together.”
As more people learn about the sector and the unique opportunities it provides for them to explore remote destinations and encounter rare wildlife in safety and comfort, the guest demographic is changing.
“Clients are becoming a little younger and there are more solo travellers,” says Marozaite, explaining that expedition is increasingly appealing to adventurous travellers who may never have considered cruising before. “In certain ways, the pandemic had a positive effect, making people reassess various aspects of life, including the importance of taking a special holiday or being more adventurous now instead of waiting until later in life.”
Marozaite is also helping to promote expedition cruising in her role as CEO of the Expedition Cruise Network (ECN). It was established in 2023 as a commercial business-to-business membership organisation to connect expedition cruise operators with travel trade professionals around the world.
“We provide a voice for an incredibly dynamic sector which has grown exponentially – faster than any other type of cruising – over the past few years,” says Marozaite. “ECN members must meet certain criteria to ensure they embody the values of our network. They must offer a cruise-like onboard experience with a focus on exploration and the size of their ships must not restrict the destinations they can visit, or cater to more than 500 passengers. We also want to ensure the best possible guest experience, so their onboard teams must have intrinsic knowledge of the destinations and offer memorable onboard and onshore experiences and activities that cater to passengers’ interests.”
ECN is also helping members to showcase the diverse destinations they visit.
“At their core, expedition cruises have always been about exploring unique destinations,” says Marozaite. “There is a destination for everyone. It’s all about getting off the beaten path and exploring the best these places have to offer.”
Marozaite recommends that those who are keen to see wildlife choose cruises to renowned destinations such as The Galapagos and Antarctica, as well as lesser-known but “equally phenomenal and unique” places like Baja California, New Zealand’s Sub-Antarctic Islands and Australia’s Kimberley Coast.
Meanwhile, destinations such as Papua New Guinea and various South Pacific Islands offer “mind-blowing cultural experiences”, which are often combined with water-based activities in diverse coral reef systems. “Those looking for a softer adventure can sail with Aranui Cruises to experience incredible cultural immersion in French Polynesia,” adds Marozaite. “Many may also be surprised to know that the UK and Iceland are two of the fastest-growing expedition cruise destinations as they have both unique natural coastal features and rich human history – two of the components operators look for when choosing destinations.”
Aqua Expeditions’ Aria Amazon operates river expeditions on the Amazon, offering guests the chance to explore the world’s largest rainforest
Expedition cruising is not restricted to the oceans, however. “There are some incredible river experiences where guests can travel down the Amazon in Peru, or the Mekong River in Cambodia and Vietnam with Aqua Expeditions,” says Marozaite. “Or they can experience the Ganges river and Indian hospitality onboard Antara Cruises’ ships.”
With so many of the world’s waters still unchartered, Marozaite says there is “no doubt” that the number of expedition cruise destinations will increase. “The travel trade wants to see more places in Africa, Asia and South America on itineraries, but there is still space to grow in existing expedition destinations such as The Kimberley region, Papua New Guinea, Micronesia, Melanesia and West Africa.”
Another element that has remained a consistent priority for operators since the advent of expedition cruising is the need to respect the environment, biodiversity and local communities in the destinations they visit.
“From the beginning, expedition cruising has focused on respecting the environment with the hope that when people experienced these beautiful and unique places for themselves, it would lead to a desire to preserve them,” says Marozaite. “All ECN members take their carbon footprint and their impact on both wildlife and local communities extremely seriously, so they’re working to detailed sustainability plans and contributing to citizen science projects. The sector also works with voluntary self-regulatory organisations and educate our cruise guests and the travel trade community on sustainability, climate change and human impact.”
In addition, ECN members follow strict guidelines on the size of ships to prevent overcrowding and a number of cruise lines are developing hybrid-powered vessels.
“Sustainability is at the forefront of ECN’s strategies and central to the success of our members,” says Marozaite. “We’re committed to keep moving towards becoming a fully sustainable form of travel and working closely with our cruise brands to reduce our impact on destinations and achieve the United Nations’ net-zero carbon emissions goal by 2050. We’ve got a long way to go but we’re implementing a number of initiatives to help the network get there.”
ECN also remains committed to connecting ship operators with the travel trade community to increase knowledge about the sector and position expedition cruising as an excellent travel choice, says Marozaite. “As the sector grows, we’ll continue to act as its global voice, spreading our passion for expedition travel and supporting our members along the way.”
This article was first published in the Autumn/Winter 2024 issue of Cruise & Ferry Review. All information was correct at the time of printing, but may since have changed. Subscribe for FREE to get the next issue delivered directly to your inbox.