Small ships, remote places
Reach coastlines and islands that larger ships cannot easily visit. The largest expedition ships hold 500 people; many hold fewer than 200.
Small ships · Extraordinary places
Expedition Travel
Expedition cruises combine intimate ships, expert guides, and flexible itineraries to explore remote and beautiful corners of the Earth.
What makes a voyage an expedition?
Expedition cruising puts the destination first. Instead of focusing on big-ship entertainment or a fixed sequence of ports, activities include small-group shore landings, wildlife observation, and presentations by naturalists, historians, or other specialists. Weather and local conditions can and will change the day's plans—and that's part of the experience.
Outings led by experts
Depending on the voyage, explore by Zodiac, guided walk, or other activities, with an expedition team helping you understand what you're seeing.
Adventure, with comfort
Ships range from practical exploration vessels to luxurious expedition yachts. We can help you balance itinerary, activity level, amenities, and budget.
Choosing the right journey
Not every expedition is the same
Two voyages to the same destination can feel completely different. The ship, itinerary, expedition team and opportunities to explore all shape the experience. We help you look beyond the brochure to find the voyage that actually suits you.
Small and adventurous—or spacious and luxurious?
Some ships emphasize an active, informal atmosphere; others offer suites, fine dining and extensive amenities. Comfort and genuine exploration can absolutely go together.
What will you actually get to do?
Compare Zodiac outings, guided walks, kayaking, snorkeling and other activities. Landing opportunities, group sizes and what is included can vary considerably.
Where does the itinerary really take you?
Extra days in a wildlife-rich region, a different embarkation port or the season you sail can make a bigger difference than the ship itself. Weather always has the final say.
What's the true value?
We consider more than the headline fare: flights and transfers, equipment, excursions, gratuities, cabin choice and how much time you'll actually spend exploring.
Our firsthand experience makes the difference.
We've sailed with different expedition companies, from polar voyages to wildlife-rich island expeditions. We'll help you weigh the trade-offs and choose the right fit for your interests, activity level and budget.
Our experience at sea
Our expedition journeys
From the Arctic to Antarctica and beyond, we've traveled with different expedition operators and experienced a variety of ships and itineraries. Select a journey to see more.
We explored the Galápagos in December 2021, including four nights aboard La Pinta, with extraordinary encounters with sea lions, marine life and the islands' unique wildlife.
Read our Galápagos article: Enchanting Galapagos: a wildlife wonderland →
Our Arctic expedition with Quark gave us firsthand experience of polar wildlife, remote landscapes and expedition-style travel.
We explored the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica aboard Viking, including unforgettable wildlife encounters.
We explored Norway with HX, adding another expedition operator and destination to our firsthand experience.
Our expedition travels also took us to the Azores with National Geographic–Lindblad.
Our UnCruise experience in Alaska offered close-up exploration of remote landscapes and wildlife, with opportunities for active adventures off the ship.
Regan's Antarctica21 fly-cruise to Antarctica is planned for December 2026, offering a different way to reach the continent.
Our group expedition to the Weddell Sea with Scenic is scheduled for December 2026.
Our group sailing to South Georgia, the Falklands and Antarctica is sold out.
The same ship and itinerary as January, with a few spaces remaining. Contact us about joining.
Ready to explore somewhere extraordinary?
Tell us the places you dream of seeing, the type of ship you prefer and how you like to travel. We'll help you compare the possibilities.
Tell us about your Expedition Travel plans
Share whatever you know so far. We'll follow up to help you explore the possibilities.