Expedition Cruising

Antarctica | Home to Thousands of Delightful Penguins

For details on the cabins, landing reports, what to wear and many details on Antarctica — click here!

The Arctic | Svalbard Islands in Search of the Polar Bear & Walrus

For details on expedition cruise to the Arctic — click here!

Recommended Expedition ships are offered by SILVERSEA Cruises. The luxurious Silversea SILVER CLOUD EXPEDITION or the classic SILVER EXPLORER

Silver Cloud Expedition

Launched late 2017, Silversea has created a "game changer" in the expedition cruise market. This ship was one of Silversea's luxury small ships and has all the trimmings of a luxury ocean liner. The ship has been outfitted with an Ice Hull in order to navigate the polar regions as well as a completely refurbished interior. While onboard, I could not wrap my head around the fact that this is truly an expedition ship. The cabins are wonderfully spacious starting at 240 square feet for a Vista cabin and 297 square feet for a Veranda cabin. Most cabins feature a spacious walk-in shower and there are some cabins with a bathtub/shower combination. There are all of the facilities that you usually find on a luxury oceanliner such as a Main Show Lounge with great sight lines, a Panorama Lounge, an Observation Lounge, a Library, large Beauty Salon, Spa Facilities, Exercise Facilities, Guest Laundry, Card Room, Boutique, Internet Cafe, Connoisseurs Corner, Swimming Pool and a Jacuzzi. Dining options include the main restaurant, La Terazza for casual dining, Le Champagne (French restaurant for an extra charge), and a deck grill which features "Hot Rocks" at night. The ship is equipped with a new style of zodiac (see the picture at left). This makes for a more comfortable zodiac ride with less bumping in the water. The boot room and loading area is really large and if you have been on an expedition ship before then you know how much difference that will make to your expedition experience. A maximum of 200 guests for the Polar Regions on a ship that holds 260 guests. The Expedition Team includes some of the best expedition team experts in the business. Fares are all-inclusive of beverages in the dining rooms and the lounges (excluding fine wines and liquors) and tips for the staff.

Silver Explorer

Embark on a luxurious expedition to the best far-flung destinations in the world aboard Silver Explorer, a purpose-built expedition ship unlike any other. Designed specifically for navigating waters in some of the worlds most remote destinations, including both of earths polar regions, the 6,072-ton vessel boasts a strengthened hull with a Lloyds Register ice-class notation (1A) for passenger ships. With eight Zodiac boats, her 132 privileged guests can visit even the most off-the-beaten path locations. Experience the thrill of a true expedition aboard Silver Explorer. Venture deep into regions where other vessels cannot go whilst enjoying a privileged lifestyle that is simply second-to-none. The cabin size and layout is wonderful. The majority of the cabins are 230 sq. ft. with the smallest cabin at 157 sq. ft. and the largest at 727 sq. ft. All standard bathrooms feature walk-in showers and the Medallion, Silver, Grand and Owner Suites have larger bathrooms with a full sized bathtub and a separate shower.

Fares are all-inclusive of beverages in the dining rooms and the lounges (excluding fine wines and liquors) and tips for the staff.

Onboard, savor a convivial cosmopolitan ambience and many special amenities that are usually found only on larger ships, including a spacious Library with Internet and printing facilities, boutique shopping, a full-service spa, beauty salon, fitness centre, sauna, two top-deck whirpools, and live evening entertainment. The Silver Explorer even features a Connoisseur's Corner, formerly The Humidor, where connoisseurs can enjoy the finest cigars and cognacs; a diversion offered by no other expedition ship.

Other Ships

New Ships are on the Horizon: It is Keene Luxury Travel's belief that the Silversea success with the expedition product has spurred a whole new group of ships coming to the expedition marketplace. Time will tell if they are able to capture the essence of expedition cruising in the same manner that Silversea has done. Competition is always good!

Le Boreal and L'Austral: These two ships entered service in 2010; Le Boreal and L'Austral - French owned vessels. Ngaire has been aboard the L'Austral. The ship is attractive. The Cabins are 200 sq. ft., yet they feel smaller than the Silver Explorer. Only the one Owner's Suite has a bathtub and this is the largest suite on the ship. There is a large contingent of French speaking guests and all announcements are in two languages; French and English.

Other Cruise Ships: There are many other ships that travel to Antarctica and the Arctic. Lindblad, National Geopraphic Explorer for instance is well known. These are acceptable ships but with very small cabins and in our opinion not up to the standards of the ships mentioned above. Finding cabin sizes on these ships is very difficult to do because they are so SMALL that they do not mention the square footage.

Everything you need to know as you plan an expedition cruise: Full details on all aspects of expedition cruising are available on our Antarctica and Arctic reports. We cover all the relevant details with both written information and pictures including links to Ken Hutyra's pictures taken on the cruises we have experienced.

The Consultants at Keene Luxury Travel look forward to helping you plan an expedition cruise - an experience you will never forget.