Expedition cruise advice from someone who has actually done it
I Didn’t Know It Was on My Bucket List
Some people dream about the Galápagos for years.
I didn’t.
Before I travelled there, I wouldn’t have described the Galápagos as a bucket-list destination.
But sometimes you don’t know something belongs on your bucket list until you experience it.
That was November 2012.
I arrived having read On the Origin of Species, curious about Darwin, the equator and the extraordinary wildlife I was about to encounter.
Then I put on a wetsuit for the first time.
I snorkelled.
I watched for sea-turtle tracks.
I encountered sea lions, marine iguanas, flamingos and blue- and red-footed boobies.
I found myself completely absorbed—not only by what I was seeing, but by the experience of exploring, learning and being immersed in the natural world.
And I discovered something I hadn’t expected:
The Galápagos was a bucket-list trip I didn’t know was on my bucket list.
And I didn’t know I was an expedition cruiser until I went there.
That voyage began a journey that has since taken me on expedition cruises through Antarctica, Newfoundland, the Peruvian Amazon, Canada’s frozen boreal environment and Iceland.
Today, expedition cruising is one of my principal areas of specialization as the founder of Lush Life Travel.
But my knowledge doesn’t come only from brochures, webinars and deck plans.
Whenever possible, I get on the ships.
I sleep in the cabins, eat the food, meet the expedition teams, use the mudrooms, board the Zodiacs or skiffs and experience how the ship, destination and expedition operation work together.
Because when a client is investing in an expedition cruise, I want to understand more than what the brochure promises.
My Completed Expedition Voyages
| Destination | Company at the time | Ship | Date | Experience |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galápagos Islands | Adventures by Disney | Galápagos Explorer II | November 2012 | Personally sailed |
| Newfoundland | Lindblad Expeditions–National Geographic | National Geographic Explorer | September 2016 | Personally sailed |
| Peruvian Amazon | International Expeditions | M/V Zafiro | November 2018 | Personally sailed |
| Antarctica | Lindblad Expeditions–National Geographic | National Geographic Endurance | November 2024 | Personally sailed |
| Canadian boreal winter | Ponant | Le Commandant Charcot | February 2025 | Personally sailed |
| Iceland | Aurora Expeditions | Sylvia Earle | June 11–17, 2026 | Personally sailed |
Why firsthand expedition cruise experience matters
Expedition cruises aren’t interchangeable.
Neither are expedition travellers.
A luxury expedition ship in Antarctica can be a very different experience from exploring the Amazon by skiff.
The Galápagos is different again.
And an expedition around Newfoundland, through the Canadian Arctic or into Greenland raises completely different questions about wildlife, culture, weather, activities and the expedition experience itself.
I’ve learned that the right question isn’t simply:
“Which expedition cruise is best?”
It’s:
“Which expedition experience is right for you?”
That’s where firsthand knowledge becomes important.
I’ve climbed into Zodiacs.
I’ve made wet landings.
I’ve snorkelled in the Galápagos.
I’ve explored the Amazon by skiff.
I’ve stood among the extraordinary landscapes and wildlife of Antarctica.
I’ve circumnavigated Newfoundland.
I’ve gone dog sledding, snowshoeing and ice fishing on a winter expedition in Canada.
I’ve explored Iceland aboard an expedition ship.
I’ve experienced what happens when nature—not a rigid port schedule—helps determine the day.
And I’ve experienced different interpretations of what “expedition” means.
That gives me a very different perspective when helping you decide where to go, which expedition company to travel with and what kind of expedition traveller you might be.
Where I’ve experienced expedition travel firsthand
Galápagos Islands -Adventures by Disney aboard Galápagos Explorer II
November 2012 | Personally sailed
The Galápagos was my first expedition experience—and the trip that made me realize I was an expedition traveller.
I explored the islands with Adventures by Disney aboard Galápagos Explorer II. I snorkelled in a wetsuit for the first time, encountered sea lions, marine iguanas, flamingos and blue-footed and red-footed boobies, and searched for sea-turtle tracks.
The vessel was subsequently refurbished and relaunched in 2013 as Silversea’s Silver Galapagos. My voyage, however, was an Adventures by Disney experience before the ship entered service as a Silversea expedition product.
That distinction matters: I sailed the vessel that later became Silver Galapagos, but I did not sail the Galápagos with Silversea.
Antarctica — Lindblad Expeditions aboard National Geographic Endurance
November 2024 | Personally sailed
Antarctica is one of the places people most immediately associate with expedition cruising—and actually being there changes your understanding of what the word expedition means.
Zodiac excursions.
Remote landings.
Wildlife.
Ice.
An expedition team interpreting what you’re seeing.
And the understanding that conditions may change what is possible from one day—or even one hour—to the next.
I travelled to Antarctica with Lindblad Expeditions aboard National Geographic Endurance in November 2024.
I stood at Neko Harbour surrounded by the Antarctic landscape and experienced firsthand why this continent inspires travellers to dream about it for years.
Living aboard the ship also allowed me to experience the operational side of an expedition: the mudroom, daily briefings, Zodiac boarding, expedition team, photography support and citizen-science opportunities. I even contributed whale photographs to Happywhale, helping researchers identify and track individual whales.
But I also learned that there isn’t one right way to experience Antarctica.
For some travellers, crossing the Drake Passage is an important part of the adventure.
For others, flying the Drake can remove the very barrier that has kept Antarctica out of reach.
Then there are questions about ship size, itinerary length, expedition activities, comfort, South Georgia, the time of season and what a traveller most wants to experience.
Those are exactly the kinds of conversations I have with my clients.
My job isn’t simply to help someone book “an Antarctica cruise.” It is to help them determine which way of experiencing Antarctica is right for them.
Learn more about my firsthand Antarctica expedition experience and planning approach
Peruvian Amazon — International Expeditions aboard M/V Zafiro
November 2018 | Personally sailed
The Peruvian Amazon expanded my understanding of what an expedition cruise could be.
I explored the Amazon with International Expeditions aboard the 19-suite M/V Zafiro.
But much of the real expedition happened away from the ship.
We travelled by skiff into tributaries and flooded forest.
We went birding with naturalist guides.
We searched for monkeys in the trees, caimans along the riverbanks and pink river dolphins breaking the surface of the water.
We visited local communities, went fishing and experienced a living environment that changed with the river, the weather, the light and the wildlife around us.
The Amazon felt completely different from Antarctica, Iceland or Newfoundland.
There were no icebergs or polar landings. Instead, there was dense rainforest, extraordinary biodiversity and the constant sense that something might appear—in the water, along the shoreline or high in the canopy—if you were quiet enough to notice it.
It reminded me that expedition cruising isn’t confined to oceans or polar regions.
Sometimes the expedition vessel is a small river ship.
Sometimes the Zodiac is a skiff.
And sometimes the landscape you have travelled to understand is the rainforest itself.
International Expeditions was subsequently incorporated into the Exodus Travels brand, while Zafiro continues operating in the Peruvian Amazon with Jungle Experiences.
That history also illustrates something travellers don’t always realize: the company packaging an expedition, the company operating the ship and the owner of the vessel are not necessarily the same organization.
Newfoundland Circumnavigation — Lindblad Expeditions aboard National Geographic Explorer
September 2016 | Personally sailed
I circumnavigated Newfoundland—my home province—with Lindblad Expeditions aboard National Geographic Explorer, beginning September 15, 2016.
Experiencing my home province from an expedition ship brought another dimension to expedition travel for me.
Newfoundland and Labrador offer extraordinary opportunities for travellers interested in nature, wildlife, geology, history, culture and remote communities.
The voyage also illustrates something Canadians sometimes overlook:
You don’t necessarily have to travel to Antarctica to have an extraordinary expedition experience.
Adventure can be in our own backyard.
Canada is home to some of the world’s most compelling expedition cruising—from circumnavigations of Newfoundland and journeys along the Labrador coast to Greenland, the Canadian Arctic and the Northwest Passage.
My Newfoundland voyage gave me firsthand experience of how an expedition ship can reveal a familiar destination differently—approaching communities and coastlines from the water and bringing together natural history, culture, interpretation and exploration.
Canada’s Boreal Winter — Ponant aboard Le Commandant Charcot
February 2025 | Personally sailed
Expedition cruising doesn’t necessarily mean roughing it.
I experienced that firsthand aboard Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot during a winter expedition through the frozen landscapes of Canada’s St. Lawrence region and boreal forest.
I went dog sledding.
Ice fishing.
Snowshoeing.
And then returned to the ship for French cuisine, fine wine, caviar and Champagne.
It was a wonderful reminder that adventure and luxury aren’t opposites.
For the right traveller, they can coexist beautifully.
This was a full sailing—not a ship inspection—and it gave me firsthand experience of Ponant’s distinctive luxury-expedition style aboard an extraordinary vessel designed to operate in ice.
It also taught me why the individual ship matters.
Le Commandant Charcot is a highly specialized luxury icebreaker. Her capabilities and onboard experience should not be treated as representative of every Ponant expedition ship.
That is why I distinguish between sailing Le Commandant Charcot and my later inspection of Ponant’s Le Champlain. Both taught me something valuable about Ponant—but they were very different kinds of firsthand experience.
Iceland — Aurora Expeditions aboard Sylvia Earle
June 11–17, 2026 | Personally sailed
In June 2026, I joined an ACTA immersive expedition in Iceland aboard Aurora Expeditions’ Sylvia Earle.
It gave me another opportunity to experience a contemporary, purpose-built expedition ship while learning not only about the destination, but also about the expedition product itself.
I experienced Aurora’s expedition team, Zodiac operations, onboard education, activity program and the design of Sylvia Earle firsthand.
That matters to me professionally.
I don’t want to understand expedition cruising solely from brochures, webinars and deck plans.
I want to know how efficiently guests move through the mudroom.
How the ship handles Zodiac operations.
How the expedition team interprets the destination.
How the atmosphere onboard feels.
And how the ship, itinerary and activities work together to shape the traveller’s experience.
My Iceland voyage also gave me another valuable point of comparison. Different expedition companies can visit the same broad region and deliver very different experiences depending on the ship, operating style, expedition team and traveller.
Whenever possible, I don’t just want to read about an expedition product. I want to experience it.
Expedition Ships I Have Personally Inspected
A ship inspection gives me an opportunity to examine cabins, public spaces, dining venues, expedition facilities and the overall design of a vessel.
That knowledge is valuable—but inspecting a ship is not the same as living aboard it.
An inspection cannot show me how the ship feels in motion, how the expedition operation performs over several days or what happens when weather changes the plan.
That is why I distinguish clearly between ships I have personally sailed and ships I have toured.
Viking Octantis
Toronto | May 20, 2025 | Personally inspected
I toured Viking Octantis while the ship was in Toronto.
The inspection allowed me to examine Viking’s approach to expedition-ship design, including its accommodations, public areas, scientific spaces and facilities supporting off-ship exploration.
I inspected Viking Octantis; I have not represented that inspection as a completed Viking expedition voyage.
Ponant Le Champlain
Toronto | September 3, 2025 | Personally inspected
I toured Ponant’s Le Champlain in Toronto after having sailed aboard Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot earlier that year.
That comparison was particularly valuable.
Le Commandant Charcot is a highly specialized luxury icebreaker. Le Champlain is a smaller Ponant Explorer-class ship with a different design, scale and range of itineraries.
The two ships demonstrate why travellers shouldn’t choose an expedition based solely on the cruise-company name.
The individual ship matters too.
I’ve learned there is no single “expedition cruiser”
One of the biggest misconceptions about expedition cruising is that there’s a particular type of person who does it.
I’ve found almost the opposite.
Some of my expedition clients are photographers.
Some are wildlife lovers.
Some are hikers or cyclists.
Some are fascinated by science, geology or history.
Some are lifelong learners.
Some travel solo.
Some want extraordinary adventure but also want considerable creature comforts.
And some begin the conversation by telling me:
“I’m not a cruiser.”
That doesn’t necessarily matter.
I don’t start by asking whether you look like an expedition cruiser.
I start with what makes you curious.
What kind of expedition experience is right for you?
Perhaps you’ve dreamed about Antarctica for years.
Maybe you want to see the wildlife of the Galápagos.
Perhaps it’s polar bears in the Arctic, emperor penguins, whales in Baja California, the Northwest Passage, Greenland, Iceland or the Amazon.
Maybe you’re a photographer.
Maybe you’re fascinated by natural history.
Maybe you’re looking for an extraordinary solo journey.
Or perhaps you’re simply looking at a photograph of somewhere remote and thinking:
I’d like to know what it feels like to stand there.
That’s where we begin.
Because choosing an expedition cruise isn’t just about comparing ships and prices.
We need to consider the destination, expedition team, ship, activities, physical requirements, wildlife priorities, itinerary, season, comfort level and what you hope to experience.
And sometimes we need to identify the trip you haven’t thought to ask about yet.
Expedition cruise companies I work with
As a luxury and expedition cruise specialist, I work with a wide range of expedition cruise companies rather than representing only one cruise line.
These include Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic, Silversea Expeditions, Seabourn Expeditions, Quark Expeditions, HX Expeditions, Aurora Expeditions, Ponant, Adventure Canada and others.
That matters because my job isn’t to fit you into one company’s expedition product.
It’s to help determine which experience fits you.
A Canadian expedition cruise specialist
I’m Sheila Gallant-Halloran, owner of Lush Life Travel and a Canadian luxury travel advisor specializing in expedition cruising, river cruising and extraordinary experiential travel.
I’m a three-time Virtuoso Cruise Icon—2024, 2025 and 2026—an honour recognizing the top one percent of Virtuoso cruise advisors worldwide.
I’ve also spoken to Canadian travel advisors and industry colleagues about expedition cruising, including on the main stage at the ACTA Eastern Canada Travel Industry Summit in 2026.
But credentials aren’t the reason I fell in love with expedition travel.
That happened much earlier.
It happened when I went to the Galápagos and discovered a kind of travel I hadn’t known I was looking for.
And that’s why one of my favourite questions to ask a client is:
Have you ever thought about…?
Sometimes the answer is no.
If you’re wondering which expedition destination, company or ship might be right for you, contact me to begin the conversation.
Live Life. Love Travel. Return on Life. ❤️