A Brief History of Expedition Cruising

In the '90s there was a period of significant growth when Hapag-Lloyd turned their extensive expertise in passenger shipping to expedition travel, launching the purpose-built MS Bremen in 1990. The following year saw the founding of polar specialist Quark Expeditions, along with AE Expeditions. Then Oceanwide Expeditions, and a second expedition ship for Hapag-Lloyd, MS Hanseatic, followed in 1993. The decade saw an expansion of routes and itineraries, with Quark claiming the first-ever tourist transit of the Northeast Passage using a chartered Russian icebreaker in 1991, a feat only achieved by a non-icebreaker cruise ship as recently as 2014 when Hapag-Lloyd's MS Hanseatic made the journey.

During this time newer vessels refined journeys, and operators established the standards and expectations we know today, particularly in the polar regions. Shore landings and zodiac outings became the norm, with a select few offering more adventurous options including kayaking, snow-shoeing and the occasional scenic helicopter flight. Growth in the sector continued steadily in the 2000s. Hurtigruten expanded from its Norwegian coastal operations, running since 1893, and by 2007 had launched its first expedition ship, MS Fram. In 2008 Silversea established Silversea Expeditions, bringing the concept of cruising way off the beaten track to small ship aficionados.

This steady expansion was then eclipsed by the developments we've witnessed in the last decade, with a host of new operators and ships, and the creation of a new sector: luxury expedition. New entrants included Seabourn, with their much-anticipated new-build Seabourn Venture and Seabourn Pursuit, and Scenic, whose new-build ships, Scenic Eclipse I and II, offer more toys for exploration than anything seen before, including two state-of-the-art helicopters and a mini-sub, plus all the luxuries on board that you'd expect from the best classic cruise ships.

Taking a different direction, Hurtigruten have led the way in low carbon technology, launching the world's first hybrid-powered cruise ship, MS Roald Amundsen, in 2019, followed later that year by the sister ship MS Fridtjof Nansen, which both now lie under the HX name, short for Hurtigruten Expeditions - a name that reflects their ever-expanding horizons while still paying homage to their storied history of pioneering seafaring. Ponant launched six Explorer Class vessels between 2018 and 2020, to join the four sister ships they introduced between 2010 and 2015, all of which roam the world operating both classic cruises and expedition itineraries, and in 2021 launched the world's first electric hybrid polar expedition ship, Le Commandant Charcot, the most exciting addition yet to the Ponant fleet.

New and innovative ship technology can be seen with the adoption of the X-BOW design by AE Expeditions' Greg Mortimer, Sylvia Earle, and Douglas Mawson, Quark's Ultramarine and National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions' National Geographic Endurance. Others, such as Hapag-Lloyd, have introduced new vessels with innovations like glass viewing balconies and bow walkways for wildlife viewing.

Most extraordinary is this growth we have seen over the past three or four years, with the popularity of expedition cruising expected to be intensified by the pandemic, as demand increases for once-in-a-lifetime experiential journeys to the most remote parts of the world. Silversea's expedition vessel in the Galapagos, Silver Origin, was the most luxurious ship in the Galapagos, purpose-built for this unique environment, and more of their classic fleet has been converted to be expedition capable. Plus, their industry-first 150-room hotel, Cormorant 55, is set to open in Puerto Williams - the world's southernmost city and the line's current embarkation and disembarkation port for most of its Antarctica voyages - at the end of 2025, aiming to enhance guests' Antarctica experience.

Scenic have plans for four more yachts above their current two and the new expedition ship from AE Expeditions, Douglas Mawson - the third in the line's fleet of revolutionary purpose-built expedition ships - promises the latest in cutting-edge nautical technology, featuring the newest X-Bow design and the largest choice of cabins in the fleet. National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions has acquired Celebrity Xpedition and Celebrity Xploration in the Galápagos, which launched in February and March 2025 as National Geographic Gemini and National Geographic Delfina, and from December 2025 Aqua Expeditions will sail the Seychelles and Zanzibar on a yet-to-be-revealed ship, which will offer voyages of varying lengths from five to 14 nights alongside a 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio and small-group excursions led by expert guides.