By
Laura Hyde |
When people think of a cruise, the first images that likely come to mind are exotic locations, relaxation and new experiences. Expedition cruise operators take this concept to the next level by combining luxury with adventure to provide the ultimate safari at sea. But what goes into planning an expedition cruise? According to Jen Martin, director of product development and expeditions at Seabourn, it involves a “combination of factors”.
“We want to find compelling destinations that are difficult to access on one’s own,” she explains. “We look for places that also have different offerings, such as cultural experiences, great history, wildlife and natural beauty.”
Martin notes that some destinations currently in high demand for expedition cruises include the Arctic, Greenland and Arctic Canada, as well as The Kimberley in north-western Australia.
“These destinations are difficult to visit without a ship and have incredible wilderness to explore, with rich cultural traditions and a long history of human existence that is defined by the landscape,” she says. “Antarctica in particular has an incredible history of expedition, and we focus on a lot of the challenges faced by the early explorers with our guests.”
Throughout the duration of each expedition cruise, Seabourn ensures that guests feel integrated with the region they are visiting.
“We have a great expedition team to really tell the story of the places we visit and help guests better understand the different locations,” says Martin. “Expedition is all about the destination, and we work to highlight what is outside the ship more than what is onboard.”
Guests have the opportunity to engage in a range of activities when visiting different destinations
When it is time to step off the ship during port calls, guests can choose from a selection of excursions and activities to enhance their experience and satisfy their different interests.
“We are looking for more than just panoramic drives or ‘cookie-cutter’ experiences,” says Martin. “In any given port we tend to offer a choice between two included excursions, such as a historic walking tour or a visit to a nature reserve.
“We also work to create optional excursions, which guests seeking more niche experiences can purchase. These can include cooking classes, helicopter rides, small boat tours or musical performances.”
In more remote destinations, adaptability is key when it comes to planning experiences that enable guests to make the most of their voyage. Consequently, many of Seabourn’s expedition cruise itineraries feature ‘experience days’ that are not tied to a specific schedule.
“Flexibility is a hallmark of expedition and being able to adjust plans at a moment’s notice is what really makes this type of cruise successful,” says Martin. “We can make the best use of the weather, sea conditions, wildlife availability and more, whilst not being locked to a specific location, making every voyage unique.”
Seabourn is consistently developing new experiences for guests and there will be a range of new offerings available for the 2025 season. There are two voyages Martin is particularly looking forward to and believes will be “really extraordinary experiences” for guests.
The first is Seabourn Pursuit’s 23-day voyage from Darwin, Australia, to Lautoka, Fiji, which will focus on exploring the remote West Papua, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, in the Pacific Ocean.
“It will offer incredible cultural experiences, along with world-class snorkelling opportunities in places like the Raja Ampat islands and Cenderawasih Bay in Indonesia,” she says. “Our kayaks and submarines will be available for guest hire too.”
The second voyage is Seabourn Venture’s 13-day journey from Kangerlussaq in Greenland to Saint John’s in Newfoundland, Canada, where the ship will visit southern Baffin Island, then travel down the coast of Labrador.
“Guests will visit the Torngat Mountains National Park in Canada, as well as some beautiful Inuit towns such as Pangnirtung and Nain,” says Martin. “The itinerary will encompass the human history of the coast with visits to abandoned Moravian missions, old whaling and fishing communities and a Viking settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows. It will also offer Zodiac cruises to look for walruses and other sea mammals, as well as hikes in the fjords of northern Labrador.”
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