Expedition Cruise Network

18/06/2024

One of the joys of an expedition cruise is that travellers can witness the beauty of places that would otherwise be hard to experience. Our itinerary of the week visits the spectacular Scoresby Sound on the east coast. The area is unusually rich in wildlife due to the fertile land and its protection from the winter winds because of the surrounding high ground.

Akvile says “Scoresby Sound is one of the largest fjord systems in the world and one of the most visually stunning parts of Greenland. Combined with a possibility to see the Northern Lights, this is an incredible expedition for wildlife lovers as well as those keen photographers”.

https://poseidonexpeditions.com/arctic/east-greenland-arctic-sights-and-northern-lights/282/

17/06/2024

It was a pleasure to welcome expedition cruise operators, trade and consumer travel media partners, and our travel trade members, to our Summer Soiree last week.

Celebrating expedition cruise alongside some of the best in the industry reaffirmed why we created the Expedition Cruise Network, and hearing the positive discussions taking place shows the demand for expedition is growing. Excited to see where it takes us next!

12/06/2024

Do you speak “expedition”?

Zodiac: a robust, inflatable boat that is used by most expedition cruise companies to transport ship guests to and from landing sites, or to offer a zodiac cruise that can get closer to wildlife, coastlines, or anything else of interest by observing at sea level. Zodiac sizes vary and can accommodate between 4-16 people; ultimately, the capacity will depend on activity, weather conditions, and the Expedition Leader’s decision. In South and Central America, the boats are also referred to as .

📷Oceanwide Expeditions

11/06/2024

Meet the Member: Celebrating 25 Years of Polar Exploration with Poseidon Expeditions.

Founded in 1999, Poseidon Expeditions set out with a simple idea: small ship expedition cruising is the best way to explore the Arctic and Antarctica. Now, 25 years later, over 25,000 passengers agree. Poseidon's unique travel style offers a blend of real adventure, education, relaxation, and fun.

Over the years, Poseidon has gained invaluable expertise and built a strong team of polar professionals dedicated to making each cruise unforgettable and life-changing. This expertise, combined with the intimate nature of small ship expeditions, allows for detailed and immersive exploration of polar regions.

Poseidon is immensely grateful to everyone who has joined them on this incredible quarter-century journey and looks forward to welcoming adventurous travelers aboard the Sea Spirit to create a new chapter in Poseidon’s history together!

10/06/2024

What are we doing this month? Don't forget to check our events and webinars page on the Member Hub to see details of ship visits, webinars, training events and more.

Www.expeditioncruisenetwork.com/members/webinars

07/06/2024

📢Webinar Alert!

🌊Join us on 19 June at 4pm to learn more about the Arctic Destinations: our experts from Poseidon Expeditions Albatros Expeditions - Inner Circle, Agents Oceanwide Expeditions and HX Hurtigruten Expeditions | UK Trade will discuss this vast region including expeditions to Iceland, Greenland, and Svalbard. Expect to learn how to sell these destinations to your client, how the companies are adapting to the new regulations coming to Svalbard in 2025, and more.

Sign up here⬇️

https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_j7RXD_pSSFmb8RdKL3GGLg

05/06/2024

Today marks , celebrated annually on 5 June to encourage awareness and action for the protection of the environment.

This year’s campaign focuses on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience under the slogan “Our land. Our future.”

04/06/2024

We’re thrilled to be hosting two Antarctica training ‘bootcamps’ next month and would love to see you there. Join us and five hand-picked expedition cruise operators for a full day of training hosted in London by Silversea and in Manchester with Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours.

Aimed at sellers who are new to expedition cruising, this training day will give you a good overview of the destination, expedition cruise operators, seasonality, and everything you need to know to successfully sell Antarctica to your clients.

Sign up in the webinars section of the Members Hub.


https://www.expeditioncruisenetwork.com/members/webinars

31/05/2024

📢Incentive Alert!

🚢Our Expedition Cruise Operator member AE Expeditions Agents UK & Europe is inviting you to take part in their incentive to be in a chance to win an Antarctic Expedition! Rules are simple: make a booking between 29th of May and 31st of July. Every booking you make will be allocated 5 points per passenger. At the end of the incentive period, the agent with the highest number of points will WIN an epic Antarctic expedition of their choice^.

PLUS: every booking made during the incentive period receives a prize from a prize pool:

• £50/£75 John Lewis Voucher
• £150 The Ivy voucher
• iPad mini
• Sea Change wine

To be eligible to enter the random prize pool*, please email your booking reference, name and address to [email protected] for each booking you make.

Good luck!😎

30/05/2024

We’ve created the ECN Antarctica Selling Guide for travel professionals wanting to sell more expedition cruises to the White Continent. You can download your complimentary copy online.

Thank you to all our members for their help and input. We hope this resource is useful.

https://www.expeditioncruisenetwork.com/antarctica-selling-guide



📷HX Hurtigruten Expeditions

29/05/2024

Do you speak “expedition”? Recaps and briefings are daily meetings, usually before dinner and after the day’s activities are finished, where the Expedition Leader will talk about the plans for the following day. Typically, a couple of expedition team members will share a short 5–10-minute presentation about some of the key highlights to be observed, e.g. if guests might encounter humpback whales, the resident marine biologist would share some key information about the species, behaviour patterns, etc.

Daily recaps and briefings allow the guests an opportunity to ask questions and to learn more about the next day’s activities as an entire group.

📷 Albatros Expeditions

27/05/2024

Our itinerary of the week is Heritage Expeditions’ Discover the Secrets of Melanesia, a cruise around Papua New Guinea, The Solomon Islands & Vanuatu.

Akvile says: Expedition cruising isn’t only about remote, wildlife rich destinations – it’s also about experiencing different cultures, meeting local people, and appreciating the amazing diversity of life experiences across the globe. The South Pacific islands are a fascinating destination to experience this: it is home to hundreds of different tribes and languages, all distinct in their own way. Learning about the rich history of the region and being invited to observe various rituals and rites of passage, leaves you humbled and in awe. This, with an added benefit of travelling in warm waters and some of the most beautiful and marine life rich reefs of Melanesia, makes this itinerary one of my favourite trips in tropical regions.

24/05/2024

There's still time to sign up for our next webinar. Join the experts from Atlas Ocean Voyages, HX Hurtigruten Expeditions & Silversea UK&I Travel Agents on Wednesday 29 May to learn more about some closer to home expeditions around the British Isles and Europe. Visit the webinar page of the member zone to register.

20/05/2024

Our itinerary of the week: Oceanwide Expeditions’ new hike and sail trip to northeast Iceland on board the magnificent S/V Rembrandt van Rijn. The adaptive itinerary is a mix of guided hikes across the Arctic Circle, relaxing in geothermal pools and marvelling at the landscapes and wildlife of this remote part of Iceland. On clear nights, there’s a good chance of seeing the Aurora Borealis from the ship’s deck.

17/05/2024

If you missed our webinar with Aranui Cruises, it’s now on the training hub to watch at your convenience. Find out more about their French Polynesia itineraries sailing on the Aranui 5.

There’s lots of other selling tools and guides from many of our members so do keep checking for updates.

https://www.expeditioncruisenetwork.com/members/training-hub/aranui-cruises

Training videos on Aranui Cruises' programme in the Marquesas islands in French Polynesia.

15/05/2024

If you missed out on seeing the spectacular Northern Lights last weekend, take a look at the special trade discounts that our members are offering across a variety of ships and itineraries.

Experts predict 2024 will be the peak of the 11-year solar maximum, so make the most of the discounts and experience for yourself. Visit the Trade Discounts section of the Members Hub. Www.expeditioncruisenetwork/members/trade-discounts

📷Quark Expeditions

14/05/2024

Do you speak “Expedition”? Our new series will help you understand all the jargon that gets used. First up is the Polar Plunge. This badge of honour for many polar travellers is a dip into the cold water during a voyage to the Arctic or Antarctica. Depending on the location, this will be done off the ship from the disembarkation marina, or close to the beach. It’s always voluntary and guests will usually get a commemorative certificate. Would you try it?

📷Werner Kruse

10/05/2024

Not all expedition cruises are far flung and remote. Join our Europe & British Isles Expeditions webinar on 29 May to find out more. Register via the training page on the website.

09/05/2024

Meet the Member: With 40 years of experience in immersive expeditions, Coral Expeditions is Australia’s premier expedition cruise operator.

We’re delighted to welcome them to the Expedition Cruise Network.

To find out more, read the latest interview on our blog

📷 locations:
Raft Point, Australia
The Kimberleys, Australia
Iwo Jima, Japan
Dusky Sound, New Zealand
Sydney Harbour, Australia

07/05/2024

Don't forget to check the events page for all the webinars and ship visits taking place this month, including our own webinar on 29 May on expeditions around the British Isles. Hope you can join us! See the link in the bio for details

29/04/2024

Member Content: Aqua Expeditions

Aqua Expeditions’ seven-suite Aqua Mare luxury yacht navigates the Galapagos UNESCO World Heritage Site and explores its rich biodiversity with seven and 14-night itineraries, available for FITs and private charter bookings. This year, Aqua Mare will feature one special 5-Night itinerary from October 6th-11th exploring the Eastern Galapagos Islands. While on board, guests can expect highly personalized service and world-class cuisine by renowned Peruvian chef Pedro Miguel Schiaffino.

Check availability at the Aqua Expeditions Agent Portal.

26/04/2024

Wow what can we say about this week! What a proud moment for the Expedition Cruise Network and the whole of the Expedition cruise sector! Our first Roadshow has visited 3 great cities with a full house of travel trade members each time, all eager to learn about this incredible way of travelling the world.

Thank you so much to all the suppliers who took part Silversea, Lindblad Expeditions , Aqua Expeditions, HX Hurtigruten Expeditions, Albatros Expeditions, AustralisEXP, Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours, Ponant, Aurora Expeditions and Polar Latitudes!

Finally thank you to Akvile Marozaite for all of her hard work organising everything from the venues to the food, the suppliers and attendees - she really is the powerhouse behind the ECN!

We now look forward to the 1st and 2nd of October, and the world's first conference 100% dedicated to Expedition cruising. Spaces are filling up very fast indeed (25% gone on our first day of registrations alone!) so please do have a look at our website for all the details! ☺️

24/04/2024

Our second night of Inaugural Roadshow in Manchester! A full house celebrating all things expedition cruising at the gorgeous Cloud 23 Iris Lounge!

23/04/2024

And we're off!! The Expedition Cruise Network Roadshow kicks off in Birmingham at the fabulous Revolucion de Cuba Birmingham. Joined tonight by HX Hurtigruten Expeditions Lindblad Expeditions Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours AustralisEXP Albatros Expeditions and Polar Latitudes!

23/04/2024

And we're off!! The Roadshow kicks off in Birmingham at the fabulous . Joined tonight by and !

21/12/2023

We went ahead and with the help of the AI, summoned all our favourite creatures to wish you all a wonderful festive season and Happy Holidays!

Best wishes,
ECN team

19/12/2023

Christmas came early at Expedition Cruise Network 😎

We are very happy to announce that Atlas Ocean Voyages and Poseidon Expeditions are now our members!

You can learn more about Poseidon Expeditions, a pioneer in small ship expedition cruising to Polar regions, and Atlas Ocean Voyages, a luxury expedition cruise company that offers global expedition cruise destinations, on our website. Please join us in welcoming them to our growing family of expedition cruise operators and travel trade professionals passionate about expedition cruising!

18/12/2023

🚢Another pair of beautiful ships meet in Antarctica! 🐧

🥂Congratulations to our expedition cruise operator member Swan Hellenic and thank you for sharing your special moment with us!

Photos courtesy of Swan Hellenic

15/12/2023

Check out the new brand video from one of our expedition cruise operator members, HX Hurtigruten Expeditions😎

If you would like to learn more about the company, head to our website. And don't forger to watch our latest 'Expedition Cruise Leaders' interview with HX Expeditions' Tudor Morgan and learn how the group is leading the sector to the more sustainable future.🌱

14/12/2023

🥂Happy 30th birthday, ! 🚢

🐧A polar specialist Oceanwide Expeditions, and one of our expedition cruise operator members, was formed in December 1993 and originally operated predominantly in Belize and Galapagos before focusing on polar regions.

💡Oceanwide Expeditions specialise in offering close-contact, wildlife-centered voyages that emphasize maximum shore time and outdoor activities. Owning and operating all of its vessels also enables OEX to execute exceptionally flexible itineraries that respond rapidly to every weather and wildlife opportunity as it occurs.

To learn more, head to our website!