Expedition (small ship cruising to ‘adventure’ destinations) is growing rapidly – in these places, it’s all about the destinations that are ‘hard to get to except by ship’!
Expedition ships essentially used to be a floating expedition base for shore excursions by zodiac, but a great ship will certainly enhance the experience, and from 2019, a new range of purpose built ‘next generation’ luxury expedition cruise ships are being launched. This began with Aurora Expedition’s revolutionary ‘Greg Mortimer’ and Scenic’s stunning superyacht ‘Eclipse’ and from 2020-2022 will also include brand new ships launched by Quark Expeditions, National Geographic, Seabourn, Crystal & Viking, so you’ll be able to explore these remote locations in considerable comfort!
Popular destinations include Antarctica, Alaska, Spitsbergen, Arctic Canada, Greenland & Iceland, the Galapagos, Kamchatka, Melanesia & Papua New Guinea, the Kimberley and Patagonia.
Antarctica has a good range of small ship cruises with most offering a variety of activities including sea kayaking, camping on the ice and even diving. Do see our Polar pages covering Antarctica and the Arctic.
Alaska is a magnificent destination and without doubt the best way to see the delights of the Inside Passage is on a small ship. You get up close and personal with the wildlife and the scenery.
The Ushuaia to Punta Arenas is a fabulous adventure cruise. Sail through the Magellan Strait and the Beagle Channel between the Chilean city of Punta Arenas and the Argentine city of Ushuaia. Watch penguins, listen to expedition lectures and gaze at the amazing glaciers.
Related experiences
Fiordland Revealed
8-21 Aug & 22 Aug – 5 Sep 2021 $9660 pp Twinshare Day 1: Te Anau Joining the Expedition. We will arrange for a complimentary shuttle bus to pick you up from your Te Anau accommodation and transfer you to … Continue reading →
Doubtful Sound / Patea Cruise
16-18 April, 30 April – 2 May, 14-16 May, 28-30 May 2021. Quadshare $1150 pp Twinshare pricing $1300 pp Kingshare $1550 pp Executive King Suite $1700 pp Day 1 – Depart Manapouri at 12pm Your adventure will start in Manapouri … Continue reading →
Cruise and Walk – New Zealand’s Queen Charlotte Discovery
31 Oct – 5 Dec 2021, 14-19 Jan, 7-12 Feb, 31 Mar – 4 April 2022 $2100 pp Twinshare Day 1 – Board Picton 4pm Day 2 – 5 Enjoying cruising and walking the Queen Charlotte • Walk to … Continue reading →
Ultimate New Zealand Cruise, Top of the South
8-18 Oct 2021, 17-27 March 2022 $4269 pp Twinshare Days 1 – 10 Cruising Top of the South Your adventure starts from Wellington Domestic Airport with a fantastic scenic flight over the Marlborough Sounds to Golden Bay. You will go … Continue reading →
Cruise New Zealand’s Queen Charlotte, Kenepuru and Pelorus Sounds
2-8 April, 8-14 Nov 2021, 5-11 Jan, 28 Jan – 3 Feb, 22-28 Feb, 7-13 March, 12-18 April, 22-28 Nov 2022. $2500 pp Twinshare Day 1 – Picton Board in Picton 4pm Day 2 – 6 – Enjoy Queen … Continue reading →
Stewart Island / Rakiura New Zealand Cruise
26 Feb – 4 March & 16-22 Oct 2021 Quad cabin berths $4000 pp Twinshare $4800 pp King share $5100 pp Executive King Suite $5600 pp Day 1 Embarkation It is recommended to stay in Invercargill or Bluff the night … Continue reading →
Stewart Island Expedition aboard Strannik
20-28 March, 3-11 April, 24 April – 2 May 2021. $4895 pp Twin-share. Cabins include private facilities with a bathroom including basin, toilet and shower. 8 passengers can comfortably fit within 4 twin/double cabins. Up to 12 passengers can be … Continue reading →
Chatham Islands – New Zealand’s Easternmost Islands
28 March – 5 April 2021 Pricing from NZ$5995 per person for a Main Deck Cabin, triple-share. Main Deck Triple $5,995 Main Deck $6,995 Superior $7,495 Superior Plus $7,995 Mini Suite $8,595 Heritage Suite $9,250 Christchurch, NZ to Wellington, NZ … Continue reading →
Doubtful Sound Cruise Package
Doubtful Sound Cruise Package 3 nights/ 4 days Queenstown return Departures from Dec 2020—Apr 2021 Some dates have limited availability From NZ$1099* per person, share twin *From price applicable for Nov 2020 departures ITINERARY: Day 1: Queenstown—Te Anau Collect your … Continue reading →
Birding Down Under: Subantarctic and Chatham Islands
12-30 November 2021 & 4-22 Dec 2021 Main Deck Triple USD$11,250 Main Deck USD$12,150 Superior USD$13,650 Superior Plus USD$14,700 Mini Suite USD$15,400 Heritage Suite USD$16,500 Day 1: Invercargill Day 2: Port of Bluff Day 3: The Snares – North East … Continue reading →
Auckland Islands and the Snares
6-12 Feb 2021 Main Deck Triple $4895 pp Main Deck Twin $5895 pp Superior $6895 pp Superior Plus $7495 pp Mini Suite $7895 pp Join Heritage Expeditions, the Christchurch-based pioneers in authentic small ship expedition cruising, as we explore the … Continue reading →
Fiordland and Stewart Island group charters: Introducing MV Strannik
Let the adventure begin: Embark on your own New Zealand expedition aboard MV Strannik. Anchor overnight in some of the most spectacular anchorages in the world and enjoy visiting areas of cultural and natural history. Strannik, is available for group … Continue reading →
Galapagos of the Southern Ocean: Subantarctic Islands
21 Nov-4 Dec, 30 Nov – 12 Dec, 18-30 Dec 2021 Pricing from NZD$12,725 pp twinshare including landing fees. Day 1: Invercargill or Dunedin Day 2: Port of Bluff or Otago Harbour Day 3: The Snares – North East Island … Continue reading →
Stewart Island Discovery Cruise
The Southern ocean provides incredible habitat for all sorts of amazing marine wildlife and birdlife. Explore the Deep South on this expedition discovery cruise of stunning and remote Stewart Island. From the comfort of the Milford Wanderer, this bespoke experience … Continue reading →
Fiordland / Te Wahipounamu small ship cruise
13-19 June, 8-14 Aug 2021 7 day scenic expeditions that are designed for individuals, couples or small groups of family friends to join others and experience the extraordinary history and spectacular history of New Zealand’s largest national park, which is … Continue reading →
Ross Sea – In the Wake of Scott and Shackleton 2022
10 Jan – 8 Feb 2022, 8 Feb-9 March 2022, 10 Feb – 11 March 2022 starts and ends in Invercargill, Pricing from NZD$33,633 per person including landing fees The Ross Sea region of Antarctica is one of the most … Continue reading →
Forgotten Islands of the South Pacific 2020 – 2021
Departs 5 Jan 2022 You won’t find them mentioned in a travel brochure on your high street; you won’t find them in most guidebooks, you probably don’t know anyone that has ever been there and they don’t even appear on … Continue reading →
Chatham Islands: A Land Apart
13-22 March 2021 Pricing from NZ$9645 per person for a Superior Plus Cabin, twin-share. Discover amazing endemic wildlife, meet the locals and experience conservation in action as we journey through the incredibly-diverse archipelagos of the Chatham, Antipodes and Bounty Islands. … Continue reading →
Antarctic Express: Fly the Drake
You’re ready to explore King George Island and the Antarctic Peninsula – and no Drake Passage crossings required! Included charter flights between Punta Arenas and Antarctica have you experiencing the majesty of the Seventh Continent with a spectacular aerial view … Continue reading →
Chilean Fjords – The Kaweskar Route
Enjoy a stunning cruise along the west coast of Chile with its glacier-studded fjords, emerald lakes and channels. For the nature lover, this opens up opportunities to see the multitude of wildlife found in these waters including dolphins, seabirds, foxes … Continue reading →
Coastal Treks of Tasmania 2021 (Coral Discoverer)
See the best of the Tasmanian coastline with these brand new cruise & hike voyages. On your voyage enjoy time ashore completing hikes that allow you to experience the imposing cliffs, sandy beaches and sapphire waters of the rugged coast … Continue reading →
Forgotten Islands of the South Pacific
You won’t find them mentioned in a travel brochure on your high street; you won’t find them in most guidebooks, you probably don’t know anyone that has ever been there and they don’t even appear on some maps of the … Continue reading →
Easter Island to Papeete: Pacific Islands Expedition Cruise
Join us for a journey that reverses part of the odyssey of the mutineers of the Bounty when they were looking for a new home in what today is French Polynesia. Starting on Easter Island we will get to see … Continue reading →
The Kimberley: Broome to Darwin (Coral Adventurer)
Perfected over three decades, this 11-day Kimberley cruise takes you on an unforgettable journey from Broome to Darwin (or Darwin to Broome). Expert guides interpret 40,000-year-old rock art and retrace the history of Phillip Parker King who first charted this … Continue reading →
Exploring Spitsbergen via the Faroes and Jan Mayen
Eerily beautiful, starkly secluded and richly interwoven with Norse myth, the Arctic territories of Scotland, Denmark and Spitsbergen stand as travel destinations both spectacular and captivating. In cruising from isle to inlet, fjord to fishing village, you’ll develop a deep … Continue reading →
Falklands, South Georgia, and Antarctica: Explorers and Kings
This extended expedition encompasses the wildlife paradise of South Georgia, the remote Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), as well as the extraordinary beauty of the Antarctic Peninsula. You’ll experience a great diversity of environments and landscapes, which will provide unprecedented wildlife … Continue reading →
Antarctic Explorer: Discovering the 7th Continent
This expedition offers the perfect chance to discover the best of the Antarctic Peninsula, the last continent’s most northern region. You’ll be delighted by penguins, seals and whales as they accompany you on your journey along the Antarctic coastline. Landing … Continue reading →
Spirit of Antarctica
Embrace the spirit of polar exploration on this classic expedition to the coveted white continent. Sail across the famed Drake Passage, admiring spectacular seabirds and approaching the ice as the explorers of old did: by sea. With a chance to … Continue reading →
Galápagos — West & Central Islands aboard the Monserrat
On this cruise you’ll view the Galápagos from the deck of the comfortable Monserrat as she cuts through blue waters bound for another island paradise loaded with natural splendour. You’ll get up-close and personal with aquatic wildlife like sea lions … Continue reading →
Galápagos Islands aboard the Monserrat
There’s simply no better place to appreciate the magic of this precious little blue planet of ours than the Galápagos Islands. Join us aboard the roomy Monserrat for a mind-expanding cruising adventure through the archipelago’s central, southern and eastern islands. … Continue reading →
Spitsbergen Explorer
If there is such a thing as a “classic Arctic” expedition, this is it. You’ll get all the best of Spitsbergen, by exploring the western edge of the island and venturing to some outlying northern areas home to polar bears … Continue reading →