By
Laura Hyde |
The Expedition Cruise Network (ECN) has welcomed new members Aqua Expeditions, Aranui Cruises and Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours to the network, increasing its membership to 23 expedition cruise operators and over 1,000 travel trade members.
ECN was formed in April 2023 in order to connect expedition cruise operators and provide information to inform, educate and promote expedition products to the global travel trade community.
“We are delighted to have three such outstanding and diverse expedition cruise operators joining the ECN,” said Akvile Marozaite, CEO of ECN. “From the South Pacific to the polar regions, these companies embrace the extraordinary and exhilarating world of expedition cruising.”
Aqua Expeditions offers small ship expeditions (maximum of 16-40 guests) with expert-guided activities and excursions on the Amazon in Peru, the Mekong in Cambodia and Vietnam. It also provides coastal yacht voyages in the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador and in Indonesia’s Komodo National Park, Ambon and the Spice Islands, as well as Raja Ampat and The Asmat.
“I have always believed in the power of collaboration,” said Francesco Galli Zugaro, CEO and founder of Aqua Expeditions. “We at Aqua Expeditions are excited to have joined the ECN as it will demonstrate our commitment, experience and allow us to be a part of a well-established community dedicated to preserving the world’s most biodiverse and culturally significant destinations through responsible exploration.”
Aranui Cruises has been sailing passengers on its mixed cargo-passenger itineraries within the South Pacific since 1984. As a Polynesian family-owned business, Aranui Cruises provides “total cultural immersion” whilst also supporting the local communities in French Polynesia.
“We are delighted to join the ECN and look forward to the opportunities it will provide for us to benefit from great visibility and qualified audiences, by directly reaching travel trade professionals and increasing sales with their customers who are looking for an adventure cruise beyond the ordinary,” said Romina Wong, executive director.
Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours launched its first Scenic Eclipse discovery yacht in 2019, with Scenic Eclipse II joining the fleet in April 2023. The Scenic Eclipse vessels are purpose-built for polar exploration to enable guests to explore some of the most extreme environments in the world.
“We have been impressed with the momentum that the Expedition Cruise Network has built to date,” said Nichola Absalom, managing director of sales and marketing for Scenic UK. “We are delighted to partner with an organisation that holds the same aspirations as us – to ensure more UK travel trade partners understand the opportunity that selling expedition cruising offers and the distinct differences between ultra-luxury expedition and mainstream cruising – was an easy decision. We are looking forward to working closely with the whole team at ECN.”
Aqua Expeditions, Aranui Cruises and Scenic Luxury Cruises and Tours join ECN’s existing members, which include: AE Expeditions, Albatros Expeditions, Atlas Ocean Voyages, Australis Expeditions, Hapag Lloyd Cruises, Heritage Expeditions, HX Hurtigruten Expeditions, Intrepid, Latin Trails, Lindblad Expeditions, Ponant, Poseidon Expeditions, Quark Expeditions, Seabourn, Silversea Cruises, Swan Hellenic, UnCruise Adventures, Metropolitan Touring, Polar Latitudes and Oceanwide Expeditions.