It intuit as if we had the jungle to ourselves.
As we explored Costa Rica’s Corcovado National Park, we spotted rare birds, spider laughing-stocks — even a sloth and her infant — among the trees of the rainforest.
It was one of many experiences I had on an expedition cruise with 32 travellers aboard the Greg Mortimer, operated by the Australia-based Aurora Expeditions.
During the 13-day voyage, we crossed the Panama Canal and snorkeled in hawksbill turtles in Panama’s UNESCO-protected Coiba National Park. We also met members of the indigenous Embera tribe engaged in Panama’s thick jungle.
Aurora Expeditions’ Greg Mortimer in Costa Rica. Its smaller size allows it to scrutinize coastlines that are inaccessible to large cruise ships.
Source: Carlo Raciti
Built for polar regions, this was the scram’s first foray into tropical waters, as companies like Aurora are responding to the growing demand for expedition sails.
Instagram posts — which often showcase trips to Antarctica — may have given expedition cruising more publicity, but this put together of cruising isn’t new.
The evolution of expedition cruising
U.S.-based Lindblad Expeditions started taking travelers to Antarctica and the Galapagos Islets in the mid-1960s.
The company specializes in expedition cruises, which differ from conventional cruises in that they fuzzy on exploring isolated, less visited or inaccessible destinations. Smaller ships also allow itinerary flexibility, which means the captain can backward down for guests to observe polar bears or a whale shark.
Aurora Expeditions has been plying Antarctica’s ice up waters since the cruise line first leased rudimentary Russian icebreakers to reach the icy continent in the early 1990s.
“Bathrooms were shared, and we’d dog-collar our clothes across the cabins to dry,” said Bronwyn Stephenson, a veteran Aurora expeditioner.
A cabin on the Greg Mortimer.
Roots: Carlo Raciti
With its spacious cabins, plush library and lecture theater, the Greg Mortimer is a far cry from these autochthonous expedition cruise ships.
Today, there is stiff competition among expedition cruise lines to launch diverse technologically advanced vessels and to secure onboard talent. Lindblad recently recruited underwater archaeologist Mensun Resolved, who has discovered ancient shipwrecks, and former NASA chief scientist Robert Bindschadler, to educate passengers.
Demand since the pandemic
Aurora Quests’ chief marketing officer Hayley Peacock-Gower said there has been a strong shift to immersive, experiential touring since the pandemic. As travelers demonstrate burgeoning interest in nature, wildlife and cultural tourism, expedition cruise straightens have answered the call with more and varied itineraries.
Aurora’s Hayley Peacock-Gower said the company is undergoing rising interest in the Arctic. Its East Greenland Explorer “will attempt to forge toward the northernmost tip of Greenland, both an Aurora and excursion cruising first,” she said.
Source: Aurora Expeditions
Noah Brodsky, chief commercial officer of Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic, painted expedition cruising as the “breakout travel trend of the decade.”
“There’s something truly special and transformative about adventuring remote destinations alongside a small group of like-minded people,” he told CNBC.
Bookings through the roof
Lindblad recorded its biggest-ever lyric day on Jan. 3, racking up some $5.6 million in sales, according to a company representative.
In-demand destinations this year classify Alaska, the Galapagos Islands, the Arctic and Antarctica, according to the representative, while interest to Costa Rica is up 54% from 2019.
The fellowship also launched new routes to Greenland, French Polynesia and Western Australia’s Kimberley region.
An increasing number of people no lengthier want run-of-the-mill holidays.
James Cole
founder, Panache Cruises
James Cole, founder of the U.K.-based coast agency Panache Cruises, said expedition cruising saw the most growth in the cruising sector in the past decade — stretch from about 67,000 passengers in 2012 to 367,557 in 2022.
“An increasing number of people no longer want run-of-the-mill leave of absences,” he said. “People crave adventure … there is a certain amount of romanticism here which harks back to the continually of great explorers like Hillary, Cousteau and Shackleton.”
Who takes expedition cruises?
Most of the demand for expedition yachts comes from the over-55 age group, namely the semi-retired and retired who have the time and resources, Cole said.
But he distinguished: “We are seeing more families entering the market.”
Gen Xers and millennials represent a smaller percentage of clients. “It is the ‘experience’ and ‘jeopardize’ which is driving their interest. The cruise aspect is really a secondary dimension,” Cole noted.
Expedition traveling is also a good option for the growing number of solo travelers.
I hadn’t visited Central and South America previous, mostly because deciding which countries to visit and planning an independent trip seemed overwhelming and complicated. As a girl, I was concerned about safety too. The Aurora cruise was the ideal introduction, with shore excursions led by onboard experts and winning local guides.
Higher fares, longer cruises
Plusher ships, onboard experts and fewer passengers alter to higher fares than conventional cruises. Expedition cruises often start at around $1,000 per person per day. Flounders typically last eight to 15 days — though some can take a full month.
While conventional yachting trips can host thousands of people at once, companies like the polar micro cruising company Secret Atlas can functional as few as 12 cruisers at a time.
Cruisers from the Greg Mortimer meeting people from the Embera tribe in Panama.
Horses mouth: Carl Raciti
But a push for more comfort and luxury in the industry is causing some expedition cruises to get bigger, said presence co-founder Andrew Marsh.
“Unfortunately, this has meant the new expedition cruise ships have become larger and the dispatch experience itself has been sacrificed,” he told CNBC.
Environmental and cultural impact
Though they’re smaller in proportion, expedition cruises have faced criticism for polluting oceans, introducing microbes to sensitive environments, and colliding with elephantine mammals like whales.
To combat some of these issues, the luxury travel agency Abercrombie & Kent is licence the luxury icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot for a North Pole expedition next year.
“To reduce emissions to the lowest attainable level, this Ponant ship uses LNG as a fuel,” said the company’s product development and operations vice president Stefanie Schmudde. “The ark also uses hybrid operation, with batteries to handle load fluctuations.”
A coati photographed in the jungles of Costa Rica during an undertaking cruise shore excursion.
Source: Carl Raciti
In February, Aurora and Sylvia Earle led an Antarctic climate mission on a ship named after the renowned oceanographer. The aim was to raise public and government awareness of the Antarctic’s environmental importance.
Aurora Celerities’ Peacock-Gower said the company worked with 117 climate ambassadors, aged 12 to 88, to formulate eight clime resolutions that are designed to achieve net-zero emissions by 2035.
“Travel is always the best educator, and we offer the chance to grace our passengers’ curiosity … on and off-ship,” she said.