Expedition vessel Silver cloud in Indonesia Silversea’s Silver Cloud cruise ship in South Africa. Photo / Silversea
Already seen the iconic sights? Or perhaps want to skip the crowds? Hop off the beaten track and on board an expedition cruise, writes Tiana Templeman.
If you like the idea of cruising but aren’t keen on overtouristed destinations or busy cities, expedition cruising gives you all the adventure, minus the crush and the crowds.
On an expedition cruise, you’ll venture beyond typical experiences like a ‘flop and drop’ resort stay, swapping them for a front-row seat to the natural world and a team of expert guides. Plus, you only need to unpack once and the wine at lunch and dinner is on the house.
Swap the... Panama Canal
For the... Corinth Canal
The Panama Canal is used by cruise ships carrying up to 4000 passengers and is a convenient way to get from one ocean to another using modern engineering. But sailing through the Corinth Canal in Greece? It’s like stepping back in time. Emperor Nero began this canal’s construction, but it wasn’t completed until the late 1800s, such was the challenge of building one of the world’s narrowest and most dramatic canals. On a nine-night ‘Classic Greece: To Antiquity and Beyond’ cruise onboard Aurora Expeditions’ brand-new ship, the Douglas Mawson, you’ll transit this historic canal bathed in Mediterranean sunshine, walk in the footsteps of Nero and Hercules, and stay in luxurious surrounds worthy of a god.
Swap a...Whitsundays resort stay
For a... Great Barrier Reef expedition cruise
A resort stay can look about as appealing as a rainy day when you compare it to a Great Barrier Reef expedition cruise. Classy accommodation? Check. Multiple bars? Check. Great Barrier Reef snorkel trips? Included in your fare, with all your meals and quality Kiwi wine with lunch and dinner. With a state-of-the-art glass bottom boat and snorkelling and diving platform, there is a reef exploration activity to suit every passenger, even those who would rather stay dry. Glass bottom boat tours with the ship’s marine biologist are a highlight and Coral Expeditions has exclusive mooring rights on many of the reefs the ship visits. The coral viewing is superb and there’s no overcrowding as Coral Discoverer carries a maximum of 72 passengers.
Swap the... South Africa safari camp
For a... 20-night luxury cruise with multiple safaris
Swap the ‘Big Five’ for the ‘Big Seven’ in South Africa and tick the great white shark and southern right whale off your list on a cruise from Cape Town to Mahe. You’ll bed down in a plush room on Silversea’s Silver Cloud, which is nothing like a campsite, including the fact it offers loads more safari styles than a classic camp stay. Choose from the thrill of an open top game drive, gliding past native birdlife on a canoe safari, cruising past the largest concentration of hippos in South Africa, a full day photo safari with a gourmet bush breakfast to sustain your snapping, and more.
Swap a...Day trip from Toronto
For a... Sailing trip around the Great Lakes with Viking Expeditions
Combine fresh air with fascinating stories as you explore all five of North America’s Great Lakes on a 14-night Viking Expeditions cruise between Toronto and Duluth in Minnesota (or vice versa). Along with spending a day at Niagara Falls instead of just a few hours, the diverse itinerary for this expedition cruise combines natural wonders like the untamed beauty of Georgian Bay with visits to legendary cities like Detroit, where cars and Motown share the spotlight. From kayaking over historic shipwrecks to hiking to waterfalls and sampling local flavours on food and wine tours in some of America’s most iconic cities, this sailing offers something for everyone.
Swap a...Self-drive holiday
For a... Trip around the Scottish Isles by sea
The weather in Scotland’s Hebrides islands can be unpredictable, but so is life and you’ll get to enjoy it to the full, along with plenty of whisky and wildlife, on a 10-night round-trip expedition cruise from Glasgow with HX Expeditions. The Hebrides is the perfect spot to see ancient standing stones, surround yourself with Gaelic culture and sip a peaty single malt. You can also spot all of Scotland’s ‘Big Five’ in the Hebrides (unlike Africa, many of these animals are cute and none of them will eat you). And, because the captain is doing the driving, you won’t be delayed by meandering Highland cows when you’re travelling from one destination to another.
Swap a...7-night island stay
For a...7 night sailing around Komodo National Park & Indonesia
You’ll get a more exciting Bali holiday than a ‘flop and drop’ resort stay when you’re spotting Komodo dragons, hiking through national parks and swimming with whale sharks. Departing from Bali (or the island of Flores), this cruise brings adventure seekers, wildlife spotters, eco-travellers and luxury lovers together on a journey of discovery through the Gili Islands and Komodo National Park. Aqua Blu, a classy expedition yacht catering to just 30 passengers, has a strict ‘no shoes’ policy and is more castaway chic than cocktail frock, making it perfect for a laidback Bali break.
