It was a beach day on Española Island and my new waterproof camera housing was being put to good use. I crouched down where the surf met the sand and aimed my lens out to sea, taking in the sight of frigate birds soaring over our expedition cruise ship moored just offshore and photographing two juvenile sea lions frolicking in the waves in front of me. The sea lions were joyfully unaware of me, and their roughhousing was bringing them closer and closer. I looked down to adjust my camera settings, and I was suddenly splashed and jostled. I looked up to see the two sea lions practically in my lap, and all three of us must have looked equally startled. For a moment our eyes met … fearless with wonder, unblinking … and then time resumed as the sea lions splashed off into the waves to continue their playtime. It was one of many unforgettable wildlife encounters in the Galápagos Islands, made accessible by my expedition cruise ship home base. An expedition ship experience is more than simply cruising — it’s in its own unique category where remote destinations, wildlife, curiosity, culture and luxury sailing coexist. Read on for six standout (and maybe surprising) features of expedition cruising that set it apart from mainstream cruises.

1: Destinations

While mainstream cruisers are enjoying sun and fun in Cozumel or the urban architecture of Barcelona, you will be on your expedition ship, bound for climactic extremes in places your friends will have to Google, such as the polar destination of Svalbard, the steamy and rugged Kimberley region of Australia or the otherworldly, tropical terrain of the Galápagos Islands. Expedition ships are usually much smaller than their mainstream megaship cousins, which means your primary destinations will be smaller ports, remote islands and wild coastlines where the focus is all about nature, wildlife, exploring outdoors and learning about regional cultures and people. Imagine being in quiet places with a vast sense of space — where you will see the aurora borealis bathe the night sky in greens and pinks, you’ll hear the rustle of fragrant leaves in a primordial forest and where you could be the only person standing on a sandbar in the middle of a South Pacific blue lagoon.

2: Your Expedition Ship

When you take your first adventurous step onto an expedition ship, you’ll notice immediately that it’s a world apart from its mainstream cruise ship
cousins. Physically, expedition ships are compact, nimble and sturdy. So you canput away your GPS or shipboard app, because orienting yourself to the layout during the brief stroll from bow to stern will be a breeze. Adventure doesn’t mean traveling barebones, and today’s expedition ships have evolved from their sometimes spartan predecessors. As you roam the interior of an expedition ship, you’ll likely be treated to a visual feast of artwork, plush furnishings and everything polished to a high luster. Instead of casinos, piano bars and gigantic waterslides, modern expedition ships will have you geeking out as you discover dedicated photography and science labs, libraries, marine decks and all sorts of accompanying accoutrements and gear that cater to expeditioners. And while minds are being properly nourished, expedition travelers will appreciate opportunities for physical self-care, with many ships offering features like infrared saunas, salt therapy lounges and even lap pools. As a complement to thoughtful interiors, expedition ships have a lot going on on the outside. For example, Viking’s Octantis is outfitted with Zodiacs and a Special Operations Boat — these are small and highly maneuverable watercraft that allow passengers to visit less-accessible shorelines and even icebergs on Great Lakes and Greenland itineraries. It doesn’t end there — Scenic’s ultra-luxury ship, Eclipse, provides two over-the-top treats—the Neptune submersible (taking guests to depths of over 300 feet) and two excursion helicopters, pushing the boundaries of sea and sky and the heart rate of adventurous travelers.

3: Onboard Amenities

After a day of photographing leopard seals, hiking glaciers or snorkeling with Galápagos penguins, you’ll need to replenish. And you’ll be thrilled to
find your onboard experiences and amenities are just as divine as the offerings of a mainstream cruise ship. Food will be plentiful (you’ve been out having adventures, after all) but you’ll also appreciate the use of local recipes, ingredients and spices onboard that honor the culinary traditions of your destination and emphasize sense of place. Your palate could be treated to the smoothness of breadfruit and yucca, the sweetness of Peruvian ceviche or the succulence of a Polynesian roasted pig. More local flavors are sure to appear during snack or tea times in the form of rustic cookies, small-batch cheeses and fruits you’ve heard of but never seen in real life until now.

If you’re accustomed to living the “suite life” when you cruise on a mainstream ship, you won’t need to compromise just because this is an expedition. Ships like the Celebrity Flora are all-suite, including in-room perks like water filtration systems, organic and local bath products, personal suite attendants and a delectable Ecuadorian chocolate on your pillow at turn-down time. Imagine returning to your stateroom after midnight stargazing over a glacier field in Antarctica. If you’re booked into one of HX’s best suites, you could very well be stowing away your polar gear in your walk-in wardrobe and snuggling up in front of your smokeless fireplace with a steamy demitasse of espresso in 3 minutes flat. Sigh …

4: Activities and Experiences

Zodiacs, submersibles and helicopters are just the tip of the iceberg (pun intended) when it comes to the range of activities and experiences available to surprise and delight expedition ship travelers. Mainstream cruisers get bumper cars, indoor skydiving and lectures on port shopping. Expedition cruisers get kayaks, polar plunges and lectures on the lifecycle of the coconut. On your expedition, you’ll be less likely to have paid shore excursions and more likely to have activities as an inclusion. This might look like sunrise birdwatching and a nature hike across lunar-like terrain in the Galápagos Islands, swimming in a subterranean grotto in the South Pacific or stand-up paddleboarding from the back of your ship in Antarctica. Activities and lectures are often led by ship staff who are, by profession, biologists, geologists, historians and local guides. If you’re itching to learn even more details about orchid varieties in Oceania, the impact of climate change in the Arctic, the habitat of the albatross or the history of celestial navigation — you’re in luck, because expedition travelers are very likely to be in the company of staff experts who will both welcome and nourish your curiosity. This extends to cultural exposure as well, and many expedition cruises include local life excursions. For example, on select Viking itineraries, travelers spend a day with Labrador’s fishermen to learn about fishing techniques and traditions. Back on board the ship, some expedition cruises further offer their travelers cultural immersion by way of local language, dance and music lessons, along with regional arts and crafts projects. And for those dedicated travelers who want to “do” in addition to “know,” several cruise lines have citizen science projects. HX has several projects where expeditioners can contribute to ongoing research, such as monitoring the aurora borealis in Norway, collecting water samples in Antarctica to monitor phytoplankton and using photography and the physical features of individual whale fins to map the movement of whales worldwide.

5: Your Fellow Travelers

In your life at home, you might be an accomplished professional with abundant intellectual pursuits and keen world curiosity. What an exhilarating experience your first day of an expedition cruise will be, then, when you realize you fit right in with the 100 other brilliant passengers. Your fellow travelers on an expedition cruise are likely to be affluent, well-traveled, mature and leaders in their professions. From personal experience, I can attest that you might find yourself dining alongside PhDs, scientists, academics and high-level executives discussing a stunning variety and depth of topics, including the day’s wildlife encounters, world affairs, Buddhism, the art deco movement or even the boy band phenomenon. Several cruise lines offer further social and intellectual enrichment for passengers by bringing special guests on board who spend the duration of the cruise walking among you. For example, National Geographic – Lindblad Expeditions brings National Geographic photographers on board for many of its sailings. If you (like me) have photographer hero worship, there’s nothing quite like spending a week taking photos alongside a National Geographic pro, absorbing techniques and tips like a sponge, checking out the gear they use and even going on a blue water shark dive with them. These kinds of experiences with your fellow travelers, cruise staff and special onboard guests are where expedition cruises really shine.

6: Awe

The reasons expedition cruises stand out in special ways from their mainstream cruise cousins are abundant and tangible. But there is also the intangible … the “awe.” Those totally-in-the-present moments that are fleeting and rare for many of us in our daily grind, but that are joyfully abundant during an expedition. Your first awe experience might happen while passing a window in the stairwell of your ship, doing a double-take, and realizing you are seeing a marine iguana swimming by. Or when you find Orion’s Belt for the first time in the tumble of stars in the blackest night. Or while watching a giant tortoise munch on delicate yellow flowers. Or when a baby albatross strolls straight up to your camera lens and pecks it. Or as you lock eyes with young sea lions in the salty surf. Awe is the magic, and expedition cruises are full of it. An expedition cruise might end up being your favorite adventure yet. Reach out to your travel advisor now to begin planning your epic expedition.