EXPEDITION CRUISING

TREND REPORT

YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE BEAR GRYLLS TO EXPLORE SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST REMOTE SPOTS – AND YOU CAN DO IT IN STYLE, SAYS GARY BUCHANAN

It’s not hard to understand the fascination behind expedition cruising. From Antarctica to Easter Island, it’s all about the thrill of experiencing nature up close in remote places. Its appeal is not simply part of a growing trend of eco-tourism; it’s about an experience that is absolutely off the beaten track. Just imagine the dinner party conversation on your return…

A growing number of vessels are being built to meet the demand and most carry a smaller number of passengers than their glitzier cousins. Forget revue shows and roulette wheels, pool parties and midnight buffets; think instead of specialist lectures and thought-provoking films, knowledgeable guides and the company of like-minded fellow travellers.

While some vessels are research craft and designed with practicality in mind, others have more in the way of creature comforts. A new concept, which blurs the line between showboat and scientific steamer, made its debut this summer. The super-luxe Silversea Cruises has introduced the Prince Albert II catering specifically to travellers who want the Christopher Columbus experience but in modern-day comfort and style.

With just 132 passengers in 11 grades of suites and staterooms, this 6,072-tonne Lloyd’s Register A1A ice-rated vessel has eight Zodiac boats that allow guests to enjoy up-close exploration of the world’s most remote landscapes. There is also a team of 19 expedition leaders and enrichment specialists on hand to accompany these voyages. Single-seating dining is all part of the experience, and there’s a theatre as well as observation and panorama lounges. Being a luxury ship, there’s also a full-service spa, beauty salon and fitness centre, as well as an internet café, boutique and cigar lounge.


Get a bird’s-eye view of
the Falkland Islands Prince Albert II is spending the summer months exploring the Arctic, Spitzbergen, Iceland, and Greenland before heading to Mexico’s Baja Peninsula for a series of unique cruises around the Sea of Cortez. For three months during the Austral summer (November to March) there will be seven cruises from the Chilean port of Ushuaia to the Antarctic Peninsula as well as to the Falkland Islands and South Georgia. From next spring, it will be based in Tahiti, offering cruises from 10 to 14 nights.

Fortunately, not all expedition cruising involves sub-zero temperatures. At 4,000 miles, the Amazon is edged out by the Nile as the world’s longest river, but by any other yardstick, it has no equal. The natural phenomenon that is the Amazon basin contains at least a third of the world’s remaining rainforest. Several cruise companies including Princess Cruises navigate as far as the Brazilian city of Manaus – 1,000 miles inland.

And then there are the Galapagos Islands. Having experienced this quixotic archipelago with several operators, none can match the well-organised packages offered by Celebrity Cruises. Celebrity Xpedition carries 98 passengers on seven-night itineraries. I’d recommend it but then, there are so many breathtaking places to see when it comes to expedition cruising, it’s hard to know where to start.

Gary Buchanan writes about cruising for The Times and The Telegraph

BEST EXPEDITION DEALS

ANTARCTICA AND THE FALKLAND ISLANDS TRANSOCEAN TOURS MARCO POLO, 27 DEC 08, 15 NIGHTS From Ushuaia, Cape Horn, Elephant Island, Deception Island, Paradise Bay, Half Moon Island, King George Island, Stanley, West Point Island, return to Ushuaia OUR PRICE FROM £2,789

FESTIVE SPIRIT OF BRAZIL

THE SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE, 18 JAN 09, 22 NIGHTS Santa Cruz, Tenerife, Banjul, Natal, Recife, Maceió, Salvador, Ilheus, Buzios, Rio de Janeiro, Itajai, Punta del Este, Montevideo and Buenos Aires OUR PRICE FROM £3,632

CLASSIC ANTARTICA

SILVERSEA’S PRINCE ALBERT II, 30 NOV 08, 11 NIGHTS Ushuaia, Drake Passage, Antarctic Peninsula and returning through Drake Passage to Ushuaia OUR PRICE FROM £4,899

VOYAGE TO ANTARCTICA

VOYAGES OF DISCOVERY’S MV DISCOVERY, 16 NOV 08, 35 NIGHTS Lisbon, Funchal, Sao Vicente, cross the equator, Recife, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro (three days), Montevideo, Buenos Aires (overnight), West Point, Port Stanley, Arctowski Station, Antarctic Sound, Hope Bay, Paradise Harbour, Lemaire Channel, Half Moon Island, Ushuaia (overnight) and Buenos Aires OUR PRICE FROM £3,998

CLASSIC ANTARTICA

SILVERSEA’S PRINCE ALBERT II, 30 NOV 08, 11 NIGHTS Ushuaia, Drake Passage, Antarctic Peninsula and returning through Drake Passage to Ushuaia OUR PRICE FROM £4,899

CLASSIC ANTARCTICA III

SWAN HELLENIC MINERVA II, 5 FEB 09, 15 NIGHTS Buenos Aires (two days), Ushuaia, Antarctica and the South Shetland Islands, Ushuaia, return to Buenos Aires OUR PRICE FROM £5,775

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