Expedition Cruise

An expedition cruise sails on a ship of 100 to 250 passengers, with zodiacs, naturalists aboard and an itinerary that shifts with ice and weather. The four major destinations are Antarctica, the Galápagos, the Arctic and Greenland. This is not a cruise with excursions: it is a trip where the day's programme is decided each morning.

What sets expedition apart from an ordinary cruise?

The ship is small, often ice-strengthened, and it carries a fleet of zodiacs that lets you land where there is no pier and no village. The expedition team includes biologists, glaciologists and photographers who lecture at sea and lead every outing.

The trade-off comes down to one thing: the itinerary is not guaranteed. A bay blocked by ice or a fifty-knot wind rewrites the day. Travellers who need a fixed schedule will be uncomfortable; those who accept the unplanned have the trip of their lives.

Antarctica

The season runs November to March. November brings breaking pack ice and penguins courting, December and January the chicks and the longest days, February and March the whales and the best sailing conditions.

Nearly all departures leave Ushuaia in Argentina and cross the Drake Passage in two days. That is the part everyone dreads: two days at sea on water reputed among the roughest in the world. Some lines offer a flight over the passage to King George Island, which costs more and saves four days.

The Galápagos

Sailable year-round, with two seasons. December to May brings warmer water and changeable skies; June to November, the Humboldt current cools the water and brings more seabirds. Ships are small by obligation: the national park caps capacity, and itineraries are assigned by Ecuadorian authorities.

It is the most physically accessible expedition destination, with short outings, snorkelling and no difficult crossing.

The Arctic and Greenland

June to September. Svalbard, around Longyearbyen, for polar bears and the midnight sun. Greenland for fjords, icebergs and Inuit villages. Iceland often serves as the gateway in or out.

Which lines should you know?

  • Ponant: French, with service and lectures in French, ships of 180 to 260 passengers including a hybrid electric icebreaker.
  • Lindblad Expeditions: partnered with National Geographic, strong in the Galápagos, respected science teams.
  • Hurtigruten and HX Expeditions: Norwegian, specialists in the Arctic and the Greenland coast.
  • Silversea: luxury expedition, spacious suites, all-inclusive.
  • Aurora Expeditions: Australian, more active, with kayaking and camping on the ice.
  • Aqua Expeditions: the Amazon and the Mekong, for expedition in warm water.

What you are not always told

The Drake Passage has to be earned

Two days out, two days back, on seas that can reach eight metres. Seasickness medication is taken before departure, not once it starts. The good news: the calm crossing, the so-called Drake Lake, turns up about one time in three.

Landings are never guaranteed

The Antarctic Treaty limits shore parties to one hundred passengers at a time. On a 200-passenger ship that means rotations. On a 500-passenger ship it means less shore time for everyone. Ship size matters here more than anywhere else.

Gear is rented or bought

Rubber boots and a parka come from most polar lines. Thermal layers, waterproof gloves and mountaineering sunglasses are on you, and this is not the place to economise.

How do you get there from Montreal?

For Antarctica, a flight to Buenos Aires then a domestic flight to Ushuaia, almost always with a hotel night required by the line. For the Galápagos, a flight to Quito or Guayaquil then on to Baltra or San Cristóbal. For Svalbard, a flight to Oslo then to Longyearbyen.

In all three cases the line usually sells an air package with hotel night and transfer. It often costs more than booking the flight separately, but it protects you: if the flight is delayed, getting you to the ship becomes the line's problem.

To compare ships, seasons and air packages, reach an advisor at 1 866 628-6241. See also our cruise lines and ships and our other destinations.

Frequently Asked Questions

November to March. November for breaking pack ice and courting penguins, December and January for chicks and the longest days, February and March for whales and the best sailing conditions.
It can be: two days out and two back, on seas that sometimes reach eight metres. About one crossing in three is calm. Take seasickness medication before departure. Some lines offer a flight over the passage to King George Island.
The ship carries 100 to 250 passengers, plus zodiacs and a team of naturalists, and it lands where there is no pier and no village. In exchange the itinerary is not guaranteed: ice and wind rewrite the programme day to day.
A great deal. The Antarctic Treaty limits shore parties to one hundred passengers at a time. On a 200-passenger ship that means rotations; on a 500-passenger ship it cuts everyone's shore time. It is the most important criterion after the season.
Year-round. December to May brings warmer water and changeable skies; June to November the Humboldt current cools the water and brings more seabirds. Ships are small because the national park caps capacity.
It depends on the destination. The Galápagos ask little: short outings, snorkelling, no difficult crossing. Antarctica and the Arctic require climbing in and out of a zodiac in swell, walking on shingle and staying out in the cold for hours.
Yes. Ponant operates in French with francophone crew, lecturers and documentation on ships of 180 to 260 passengers, in Antarctica, the Arctic and the tropics. It is the reference for a Quebec traveller who would rather not spend two weeks translating.