Expedition Cruises
Discover ports and far flung destinations larger ships simply cannot access and enjoy exhilarating excursions in these incredible pockets the globe. Embark on an expedition cruise to the Polar regions, discover the beauty and bays along Australia's Kimberley coastline, island hop through the Galápagos, or cruise around Africa on one of 2,753 small ship expedition cruises.
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Popular Expedition Cruises
30 Days Manaus to Guayaquil
Operator: Cosmos
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Science-led expedition cruising
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Destination-focused adults-only cruising
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Popular experiences and highlights on an Expedition Cruise
The Land of Fire and Ice 
African Wildlife Safaris 
Recent Reviews
What our clients are saying about their cruise expeditions around the world
Best Galapagos experience
Galápagos – West & Central Islands aboard the Reina Silvia Voyager
Jo and David, NSW, Australia, Jul 2026
Amazing trip, G Adventures and South American team made everything easy. Boat was incredible, crew fantastic, guide Omar was a standout. Such a fun group of people from all over the world to travel with too. Included transfers took away any stress. Just do it, most incredible place on earth and a great way to do it.
Wonderful Scenic cruise.
Scottish Isles: Historic Trails & Wilderness
Wendy and David, SA, Australia, May 2026
Travelling with Scenic is always very well organized and worry free. Their attention to detail insures there are plenty of options for land excursions to suit all ages and different abilities. Whenever possible or weather permits Scenic will offer additional things to the program, like helicopter flights, paddle boarding or kayaking. The food is always read more amazing with an extensive wine list and the staff are wonderful.
Botanica Japan
Spring Gardens, Culture and History of Japan & South Korea by Small Ship
Bill and Yvonne, NSW, Australia, Apr 2026
The trip was really well organised & of high quality. All Botanica staff were excellent being both down to earth as well as knowledgeable. The ship & crew was excellent with the cabins being spacious & plenty of storage. The food was fabulous. The local guides were also fabulous. The trip was very well handled for us by Hannah Perry who is always pleasant.
Luxury Cruise around New Zealand
New Zealand Delights
Graham and Caroline, SA, Australia, Feb 2026
We had a wonderful time cruising around New Zealand on Scenic Eclipse 2. The staff and service were excellent, and the food in all the restaurants was very good. Captain Torry Sakkariassen was brilliant and very accommodating with his time. He was very happy to welcome and talk to all guests on the Bridge. We booked this cruise very late after it had read more been booked out and someone cancelled. We got Suite 702 which sits on its own next to the Bridge. We did wonder if it might be noisy with all the activity around the Bridge, but it was completely silent. We also thought it was slightly larger than the average Deluxe Veranda Suite. We would definitely book this suite again. The cruise ran seamlessly with smooth sailing other than a couple of rough nights sailing around the bottom of the South Island. Definitely take your sea sickness medication for this area. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed this cruise, and we will definitely cruise on Scenic Eclipse 2 again.
South Pacific Discovery
South Pacific Discovery
Gordon and Ann, WA, Australia, Nov 2025
Hannah Campbell handled our enquiries very well as always. We are delighted that we are able to communicate with her whenever we need answers. We joined this trip with friends who were marking a significant date in their lives. Sadly one of them got very ill throughout and fortunately made it back to a hospital in his home town. As usual the ship was read more magnificent but the visits to Solomon Islands and Vanuatu islands were very much the same and the journey back from Fiji to Perth via plane changes in Sydney made it an exhausting end covering from 5am Friday Perth time to 02.am Perth time on Saturday. We would not contemplate a cruise of that nature again. However we will be looking forward to the other trips which we have arranged for the next year or so. The overall rating below relates only to the time at sea, the quality of the visits and the travel time to get home.
Review of Scenic Eclipse II cruise to Raja Ampat
Secrets of Indonesia: Spice Islands & Raja Ampat
Dieter and Patricia, NSW, Australia, Sep 2025
The ship was lovely - good well sized cabins with excellent food and service. The cruise description implied there would be many excellent snorkelling opportunities but in 2 weeks there were only 3 or 4 such outings. The Scenic administration (pre-cruise) can only be described as totally useless (many other passengers expressed the same view to us) read more - e-mails and phone calls were never answered - totally incorrect and confusing information on the requirements for an Indonesian visa were provided. Our agent at Global Journeys, Tracey, did a great job of trying to follow up with Scenic.
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Your guide to Expedition Cruising
Common Questions
Common Questions About Expedition Cruises
What is an expedition cruise?
An expedition cruise focuses on exploring remote and exotic locations and getting up close to the stunning scenery and wildlife of destinations less travelled. Expedition cruises are led by an expedition team made up of experts in fields such as ecology, marine biology and the environment as well as photography. Once the choice of hardy adventurers, expedition cruising is now serviced by many luxury cruise operators meaning you can enjoy the adventure without forgoing beautiful cabins, fine dining and a little bit of luxury.
What is the difference between a traditional cruise and an expedition cruise?
One difference between traditional and expedition cruising is the size of the ship. Traditional cruise ships vary in size from huge to small and intimate whereas expedition ships are always smaller. This not only enables them them to reach more remote areas, but also keeps passenger numbers low which is far more sustainable for exploration in those areas. Traditional cruising involves sailing from port to port all the while enjoying fantastic eateries, lavish entertainment and an abundance activities on board as well as day excursions at each stop. Expedition cruising is more focused on one destination rather than the cruising lifestyle. Entertainment tends to be educational and a great deal of time is spent off the ship exploring and enriching the passengers understanding of the region.
