Cruise lines
Expedition Cruise Lines, Compared.
Twenty-six lines, what each does well, and who each one suits.
How do expedition cruise lines differ?
Expedition lines differ most in ship size, price, and how much of the day is spent ashore. Small-ship operators carrying under 200 guests land everyone in one rotation; luxury lines offer more space and service at higher fares; fly-cruise operators skip the Drake Passage entirely. Glacial Expeditions books across all twenty-six lines listed here and has sailed ships from thirteen of them.
We don't have a preferred supplier. What follows is what we'd tell you on the phone.
The lines we book.
Expedition specialists
Operators whose whole business is expedition travel, built around landings rather than sea days.
- HXSailedPolar-focused expedition sailing with a science and lecture emphasis.
- Quark ExpeditionsSailedPolar-only operator with a long Arctic and Antarctic record.
- Aurora ExpeditionsSailedAustralian-founded, activity-led sailing with an adventurous streak.
- Oceanwide ExpeditionsPlain, expedition-first voyages for travellers who want the outdoors over the lounge.
- Polar LatitudesSailedSmall-ship Antarctic sailing with a strong citizen-science programme. Formed in 2025 by the merger of Polar Latitudes and Albatros Expeditions. Fleet: Ocean Albatros, Ocean Victory, Seaventure, Ocean Nova.
- Antarctica21The fly-cruise specialist, flying guests across the Drake to King George Island.
- Atlas Ocean VoyagesSailedNewer small ships with a premium feel and a relaxed onboard style.
- Poseidon ExpeditionsSmall-ship polar operator. North Pole icebreaker voyages and Antarctica.
- Secret AtlasMicro-expeditions of twelve guests. Photography-led, Svalbard and Greenland.
- SelarSmall-scale sailing expeditions with a low-impact focus.
Luxury and premium
More space, more service, and higher fares — with expedition programmes that vary in depth.
- SilverseaSailedFull luxury service carried into polar and remote itineraries.
- PonantSailedFrench style, design-led ships, and a strong European guest mix.
- SeabournSailedUltra-luxury cruising with expedition itineraries added to the range.
- Swan HellenicSailedCultural and lecture-driven voyages on recently built ships.
- Lindblad ExpeditionsSailedThe National Geographic partnership, with naturalists at the centre of the day.
- ScenicDiscovery yachts with submersibles and helicopters. All-inclusive.
Regional specialists
Lines that know one part of the world extremely well rather than sailing everywhere.
- HurtigrutenSailedThe Norwegian coastal service, calling at working ports the whole way north.
- Iceland ProCruisesSailedIceland circumnavigations and Westfjords sailing.
- Quasar ExpeditionsSailedFamily-run Galápagos operator working small, licensed vessels.
- Heritage ExpeditionsNew Zealand family-owned, 35 years in the Southern Ocean, the Subantarctic Islands and the Ross Sea.
- Aqua ExpeditionsRiver and reef sailing in the Amazon and Raja Ampat.
- Coral ExpeditionsAustralian. The Kimberley, Great Barrier Reef, and Papua New Guinea.
- AustralisPatagonia and Tierra del Fuego, Cape Horn and the Chilean fjords.
- UnCruise AdventuresSmall-ship Alaska, Baja, and Central America. Active, informal, US-based.
- Golden Galapagos CruisesGalápagos yachts and catamarans.
- Kontiki ExpeditionsBoutique yacht expeditions in Ecuador and Peru.
Choosing between them.
- Ship size
- Under 200 guests lands everyone at once in Antarctica.
- Fly or sail
- Antarctica21 and others fly you to King George Island, saving four days and costing more.
- Inclusions
- Some lines include flights, kayaking, and gratuities; others charge for each.
- Expedition team depth
- The ratio of naturalists to guests, and whether they're scientists.
- Ship age
- Vessels built since 2019 are quieter, more stable, and cleaner.
Where our experience is firsthand.
We've sailed ships from thirteen of these operators: HX, Hurtigruten, Lindblad, Aurora, Atlas, Polar Latitudes, Quark, Silversea, Ponant, Swan Hellenic, Seabourn, Iceland ProCruises, and Quasar. Where we haven't sailed a line, we say so on its page.
See the ships we've sailed · Types of expedition cruising
Written by your expedition advisors
Chris Commisso · Expedition Expert
Erika Commisso · Travel Experience Architect
CLIA Elite Cruise Counselor · ASTA Verified Travel Advisor
Chris and Erika have personally sailed 18 expedition ships and explored eight expedition regions.
Last updated .
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