FTB63: New Frontiers in Expedition Cruising

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EXPEDITION

NEW FRONTIERS Some cruisers are turning their backs on big ships and seeking out faraway places for their shipboard adventures. Our expedition expert looks at the evolution of expedition cruising.

WORDS: RODERICK EIME

I

t was 1998 and like a wide-eyed child at the funfair, I was about to take my first expedition cruise to Antarctica, the Falklands and South Georgia. The excitement and anticipation were palpable – and for very good reason.

Back then, expedition cruising was still something of a secret society, dominated by the relatively few formerSoviet ‘oceanographic’ vessels, eminently fit-for-purpose and cheekily acknowledged as spy ships, they were hastily reconfigured for rudimentary passenger work and crewed by hardened, no-nonsense Russian sailors and staff. These vessels, ranging from nuggety little 50-passenger ice-strengthened workhorses to monstrous nuclear-powered icebreakers capable of smashing their way clear to the North Pole, pioneered the modern era of expedition cruising as we know it today.

Passengers were then, as they are now, typically well-travelled ‘boomers’ and 55+ers, either as singles or couples, with a lifetime of adventure travel already under their well-worn belts. Mealtime became story time as I diligently pried eye-popping tales from my fellow adventurers. Scaling mountains, crossing deserts and spending weeks in isolation at some polar base were not unusual anecdotes.

Of course, anything approaching luxury was a rare offering. Apart from the likes of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Hurtigruten and Lindblad, there was nothing much beyond three-star. Travellers were more interested in the fascinating destinations than the star-rating of their vessel. Luxury was in the rarity of these destinations

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EXPEDITION

and the life-affirming experiences they contained. How times are changing.

More recently I have had the pleasure of travelling with luxury French small-ship and expedition cruise line Ponant, where after prying off your guano-smeared gumboots, a waist-coated server is standing by with a glass of Veuve Clicquot to ease you back onboard.

After a soothing hot shower with fragrant amenities in my private ensuite, I join my multinational comrades in either the formal dining room or the more relaxed bistro/buffet where I enjoy a selection of hot dishes, fresh salads and reprehensible desserts. I would have to do several trips to get through the extensive wine list. After dinner there is the theatre show, although I am not convinced this is necessary for such a voyage.

I could, instead, opt for a reinvigorating massage, sauna or spa treatment.

Such is the transformation of this once ultra-niche, spartan travel segment.

Today we are witnessing a veritable explosion of luxury expedition vessels entering the market. Many of these state-of-the-art ships are pioneering both new destinations as well as technology. We’re seeing the first hybrid propulsion systems like those demonstrated by Hurtigruten, the first below-the-waterline observation lounges on Ponant’s vessels as well as the revolutionary,

wave-busting X-Bow hull designs debuted on Aurora Expeditions’ newest ship, Greg Mortimer.

Leading from the front is the French-flagged Ponant, which has embarked on an ambitious program of fleet expansion with the recent addition of Le Dumontd’Urville, the fourth in a projected series of six plush Explorer class vessels to supplement the four existing, larger Boréal class ships currently in service. What’s more – and this is really exciting news – the first dedicated passenger icebreaker, Le Commandant Charcot, is due to enter service in mid-2021.

Obviously with this influx of vessels, there is a demand for new destinations for repeat adventurers on this finite planet of ours. You can expect to see such locations as West Papua, the Philippines, Central Pacific and Micronesia appear on more itineraries in addition to Polar staples such as the Antarctic Peninsula, Spitsbergen and even the Russian Far East. Watch this space.

Are you an adventure cruiser? It’s true, expedition cruising is not for everyone. If you are a committed fan of the big ships with their all-night buffets, casinos and lavish entertainment, then you might find the expedition-ship option something of a jolt. If you’re a binge watcher of David Attenborough documentaries, like a bit of a hike in nature, share a concern for the environment and don’t mind some cultural immersion in remote locales, chances are you’re a starter for this fast-growing travel genre.

If the confidence of you, the thoughtful traveller, is anything to go by, the future of small-ship, adventure and expedition cruising is set to gain even more momentum. No longer a niche travel sector, cruisers who have eschewed the big (white) ship option are now spoilt for choice at a comfort level never seen before.

If only Mawson and Shackleton could see us now.