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 2,595 small ship expedition cruises.
Quick Search
Search 2,595 Expedition Cruises
Popular Expedition Cruises
30 Days Manaus to Guayaquil
Operator: Cosmos
From
9,416pp
Save
351pp
Featured Expedition Cruise Lines Featured Cruise Lines
Hurtigruten Group is the world’s leading adventure travel group, offering unique small-ship and land-based adventures from pole to pole – and anywhere more in between. We take our guests to the most spectacular areas on the planet, offering a mix of pristine wilderness and visits to genuine local communities.
A luxurious cruise means many things to many people but we feel that Silversea’s small ship cruises personify the true meaning of comfort. Our intimate, more ultra-luxury ships can sail up narrow waterways into the heart of a city, or tie up right at the pier while others must anchor off shore. And for those who yearn to explore the new and unknown, Silversea’s expedition ships can transport you to the furthermost boundaries of the planet.
Enjoy free-flowing premium wines and spirits, delicious gourmet cuisine, in-suite dining, full butler service for every suite and of course all gratuities. Whether you long to mingle in the Mediterranean, swim with the turtles of the Galapagos or embrace the glaciers of Alaska, there is something special about knowing that this cruising is all inclusive.
Enjoy free-flowing premium wines and spirits, delicious gourmet cuisine, in-suite dining, full butler service for every suite and of course all gratuities. Whether you long to mingle in the Mediterranean, swim with the turtles of the Galapagos or embrace the glaciers of Alaska, there is something special about knowing that this cruising is all inclusive.
It's time to join Ponant's team of experienced naturalist guides and expedition experts to discover some of the world’s most distant and sought-after shores, more venture into the heart of extreme lands and be immersed in nature on one of many Zodiac outings and shore excursions. Whether you dream of stepping foot on the Antarctic Peninsula, witnessing the incredible rise of Montgomery reef in the Kimberley or meeting and interacting with local communities in the Arctic, Ponant, the world leader in luxury expeditions can take you there.
Discover
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
HX is an expedition ship, so do not expect gourmet meals and cabin service like on the luxurious cruisers. Food is plentiful and varied, the cabin spacious and comfortable. The highlights, of course, are the zodiac rides and the landings in Antartica. The activities staff are excellent, they are knowledgeable and most helpful in guiding us especially read more during the landings. Most passengers are much younger than the usual cruisers. You have to be fit enough to participate and enjoy the activities. We were lucky with the weather, the crossing of the Drake Passage wasn't too rough. Languages used in the ship are English, German and Chinese. We saw plenty of penguins, whales and dolphins.
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.
Hannah + Scenic = A great holiday!
Norway to Portugal: The History & Traditions of Europe
Mairs A, NSW , Australia, Sep 2025
We really enjoyed our ocean cruise (Norway to Portugal: The History and Traditions of Europe) and our river cruise (Normandy and Gems of the Seine)... both by Scenic. Booking again with Hannah ensured that everything went like clockwork...from the time we left home till we got back. We cannot speak highly enough of the prompt service we always receive read more from Hannah and Global Journeys. We have also found that Global Journeys prices are competitive and they will go out of their way to meet your needs. We highly recommend this company to anyone looking for a perfectly organised holiday. Regarding Scenic...everything is included in their packages, making for a stress free vacation. The Scenic staff cannot do enough for you...and the food and drinks are always A+. If you do the Normandy river cruise, look out for any tours conducted by Ben Bailie. He is just fantastic!
An amazing trip from Broome to Fremantle
Australian Odyssey: Western Australia & The Albrolhos Islands
Liz and Barry, QLD, Australia, Aug 2025
Another perfect cruise on Scenic Eclipse II. From the beginning of our booking, Tracey handled the connection with Scenic and she made it all so easy for us, keeping touch with us regularly. Thank you Tracey, we are really grateful. The Scenic Eclipse II staff were amazing - always looking out for us, they remembered our names, always there when we read more had a query or needed something. Our cabins were super comfortable with table and chairs on the large balcony. Room service meals were available if we did not want to spend time going to the dining room. Plenty of healthy food choices.
The crew took the Zodiacs out each day - sometimes the water was rough and the crew took care to help the passengers on and off the Zodiacs. On two days, the water was too rough for the Zodiacs to make a landing on the beach, on these days we cruised slowly along the coastline of the islands and we really enjoyed that. While anchored outside Dampier, we were surrounded by dozens of humpback whales, we had never imagined so many whales together in one place. From the Zodiacs we were able to view amazing underwater life - huge bommies, dugung, colourful fish - much more.
We visited many historic sites and learned a lot. Several marine biologists and environmentalists on board and each night we had a lecture/discussion on what we had seen during the day. We highly recommend this cruise - there was nothing we could fault. We would certainly travel with Scenic again, and we would also ask Tracey from Global Journeys to handle our future bookings for us.
The crew took the Zodiacs out each day - sometimes the water was rough and the crew took care to help the passengers on and off the Zodiacs. On two days, the water was too rough for the Zodiacs to make a landing on the beach, on these days we cruised slowly along the coastline of the islands and we really enjoyed that. While anchored outside Dampier, we were surrounded by dozens of humpback whales, we had never imagined so many whales together in one place. From the Zodiacs we were able to view amazing underwater life - huge bommies, dugung, colourful fish - much more.
We visited many historic sites and learned a lot. Several marine biologists and environmentalists on board and each night we had a lecture/discussion on what we had seen during the day. We highly recommend this cruise - there was nothing we could fault. We would certainly travel with Scenic again, and we would also ask Tracey from Global Journeys to handle our future bookings for us.
Greta experience
Aegean Explorer
Dave, New Zealand, Aug 2025
This was our first cruise and we took some of the family 21 years to 30 years old on what was older types (like me). Overall it as a great experience. The transfer from airport to boat was on time and as planned. The boat was amazing. The facilities, meals and crew provided the best service and experience you could ask for. Some things changed as we read more sailed but this was due to things outside their control and the alternatives were as good if not better. I cant speak highly enough of the crew and the friendly and helpful nature of all. Highly recommend this to anyone. Our young ones had a great time and throughly enjoyed themselves as well.
Explore More
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.
