Our Fleet of Polar Expedition Ships

With more than 40 expedition vessels operating in the Arctic and Antarctica, choosing the right ship can make a bigger difference to your experience than the itinerary itself. As independent Polar Specialists, we compare ships across many operators to help you find the one that best matches your travel style, interests, and budget.

According to IAATO regulations, no more than 100 passengers may be ashore at the same landing site at once. That's why we generally recommend smaller ships: they offer faster landings, more time exploring, and a more intimate expedition experience. Larger ships, however, often provide more spacious cabins and additional amenities such as jacuzzis, saunas, and swimming pools.

Our Polar Specialist Celia, recorded the short video below at the port of Longyearbyen, where two different expedition ships happened to be docked side by side: a classic expedition ship carrying just 50 passengers and a premium expedition ship with 199 passengers.

These expedition vessels are the smallest ships you will find navigating the Polar Regions, designed to offer an intimate and immersive experience. Accommodating fewer than 35 passengers, these micro cruises provide an unparalleled level of personal service. While you may need to compromise on certain luxuries and amenities typically found on larger cruise ships, the benefits are substantial. The smaller group size allows for more flexible itineraries, increased access to remote areas, and a closer connection with the breathtaking landscapes and wildlife.

Small expedition vessels are specifically designed to allow for many, small groups of passengers to quickly disembark and embark into dinghies. This is a HUGE advantage over bigger expedition vessels, because it will allow for more time to explore, and less time to be spent on embarking and disembarking.

Typically, mid-sized ships accommodate between 121 and 150 guests. These vessels cannot land all of their guests at one time. Guests will typically be split into groups and go ashore in groups of 30-48 at a time. This means you don’t necessarily have to wait on the ship; you may have a choice to go ashore, to enjoy a zodiac cruise or even both.

In contrast to smaller expedition vessels, these vessels cannot land all of their guests at one time and will take more time to do so. In return, they will either visit fewer sites in a day, or spend less time ashore at any sites visited. This is in part why the onboard part of a luxury Arctic cruise is of greater importance; as you spend more time on the ship.

Our recommendation: Go to the page Polar Expeditions: Dates & Prices and filter for your desired travel date. Then, use the filters to narrow your choice further down, for example by ship size, ship category or amenities that you'd like to see on board.